Uncharted Territory

On I-95 in Georgia there are signs telling you, the motorist, that the State of Georgia is targeting aggressive drivers. Then it says: "Keep more distance". That's a different approach, but I never saw one single officer....state, city, sheriff's dept, whereas when I crossed into Florida this morning, the State Troopers were everywhere all day. It was 55 degrees, but a gray, damp 55....and tonight it's FREEZING! (Don't worry, I'm warm and dry.) I drove past the exits for Tallahassee without curiosity. Although I respect Bobby Bowden and root for the Seminoles when they aren't playing the Hurricanes, the campus of FSU didn't call to me. I approached Pensacola with anticipation. I've always had a visual of it based upon nothing, but strangely enough reality came very close to imagination. Pensacola, to me, is a clean, low profile, bright, laid back town with a prosperous looking population. There is a LOT of water here. And a LOT of bridges. I-110 is undergoing major expansion and traffic at rush hour is a mess as a result, but drivers yield the right of way with a wave and a smile. I would guess there's not much tension here in day to day life. I would also venture to guess that the strong military presence here may be partially responsible for the cleanliness and sense of order. The one word I would use to describe Pensacola is: Appealing. It's the kind of town you could spend a lazy week in. Eat too much. Sleep in a hammock. Pick up shells on beautiful Pensacola Beach. The spot that had the most appeal to me was located between P. Beach and Pensacola itself. Gulf Breeze. I worked with women in Norfolk whose husbands had been stationed at the Naval Air Station and they liked the town, but became bored with it after a few months. It's not NEAR anything significant. You have to do a lot of driving to reach Atlanta or Miami. Too much for a getaway weekend. I have driven 1,200 miles so far and hope to stay in New Orleans Saturday and Sunday. I want to talk to people about what promises, if any, have been kept by the government post Katrina. I need to see it myself, not just take the media's word for it. I expect to post many pictures so you can see what I have seen. Stay tuned! The one photo I am posting today is of the Historic District, which was actually taken 2/14. (Happy Valentine's Day!) When I drove into town I went straight to the beaches and it was too captivating to think about photographing it, so now I'm doing a little editing and backtracking. There will be more commentary & photos above.