Two weeks ago when I posted about my beach trip I thought the weather was perfect. Wrong. It can get better. This weekend is truly perfect, with cloudless skies, temps between 70 and 80 F, a light breeze, and crystal clear, calm water.

We rolled into Santa Rosa Beach late last night around 9 pm and found a restaurant still open so we had yummy tuna steaks for dinner. Then we were up at 6 am to meet a riding group; we rode a relaxed 30 miles right next to the shoreline.

Coastal riding is way different than foot-of-the-Appalachians riding. I'll take the latter over the former. We climbed a gentle incline (about 30 seconds) and one guy said, "That hill really wore me out!" It's all about perspective. Cyclists in Colorado would laugh at me. It gets boring sitting in the saddle and putting forth a consistent effort for the entire ride. I used maybe three gears. I like getting out of the saddle so my booty can get some circulation and I can use different muscles.

The wind is the main challenge; crosswinds blow you sideways and headwinds are mighty strong.

We had a chat with some guys visiting from Wisconsin. They said people up there go on winter road rides in the snow. Wow. That sounds painful. Wonder if they use chains on their tires? ;)

I spent hours on the beach today trying to concoct a plan to get rich off the stock market and then buy beachfront property in the Grayton Beach area off 30-A. Haaaa ha ha.

The only thing I don't like about the tropical climate is that there are no hills. Guess that's why Hawaii is so expensive.

I took photos this time, especially of some homes that were damaged by Katrina and still haven't been fixed. Fire sale, anyone? I'd like to bid.

October is by far the best month of the year to visit the panhandle. It's not hot anymore but the water's still warm enough to swim in. And the evenings are refreshing and cool. Best of all, it's not crowded.

I'm so glad I decided to tag along on this last minute trip. I have nice friends.