According to Katherine: Day 45

It was a chilly 45 degrees this morning in Pascagoula. The beds and pillows at the motel were awful, but the kindnesses of the management made up for it! They added hard boiled eggs and yogurt for us to complement the cereal and English muffins (fun foreshadowing, little did we know!) they usually offer. I had two eggs and a yogurt, and took a PB&J sandwich and nuts to snack on.

We were pedaling 43 miles under clear skies to Dauphin Island, AL. We left at 8:30 a.m. for what is now considered a very short ride! It was a gorgeous ride, except for a tiring head wind. We stopped at the "Welcome to Alabama" sign and took lots of photos.

Today, Alabama. Tuesday, it's Florida!

Along the way I was careful about hydration, which is hard when it's cooler and you don't feel thirsty. I ate the sandwich and worked on the nuts. At the end of the ride, we saw the 3.7-mile bridge in the distance. As we approached it loomed higher, but it was only a six percent grade -- fun going up and over!

The 3.7-mile bridge we crossed.

It's beginning to look like the beach.

At the end of the bridge was our lunch destination, Barnacle Bill's. Most of us ordered the blackened grouper sandwich and sweet potato fries with freshly brewed iced tea. Divine. Just as the seven of us were finishing, an attractive 60-ish male cyclist opened the door and exclaimed loudly enough for the whole restaurant to hear, "I've found them! I've finally found the girls."

He was so excited to find us!

He was Dave of Dave, Matthew and John, three Brits who are doing the same route across America that we are. The two cyclists call themselves "Two Tykes on Bikes." It seems that men in Yorkshire, England are called "tykes." They had heard about us several weeks ago, and had been "chasing us" ever since. They are doing about 100 miles per day. John drives the RV, which is their SAG and sleeping vehicle. We had an uproarious half hour visit. They said they saw the bikes out in front of the restaurant, and thought they'd take a chance that it was "the girls." Their blog, which Dave writes in rhyme, is www.dmjacrossusa.tumblr.com.

Dave's great logo: Two Tykes on Bikes.

Dave, Matthew, and John wearing our WomanTours safety triangles.

After all the hoopla, during which Dave and Matthew scarfed up every one of our leftover sweet potato fries, they were off for 40 more miles, and we pedaled a mile or so to our comfy digs at the Dauphin Island Beach Resort, where we will be for the night and tomorrow for our rest day. We have a washer and dryer in our condo -- pure luxury!

We celebrated our guide Carol's birthday with her favorite meal: lasagna, spinach and strawberry salad and garlic and cheese bread. Her brother had arranged for a gorgeous cake that tasted like tiramisu, and three kinds of ice cream. I could not resist the cake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

What a memorable day it was. Rest tomorrow will be divine. 2,532 miles behind us. 568 miles to pedal. Only 11 days and hundreds of WOCN Scholarship Fund donations to go.

Dr. Jeter Day 45 on Polyvore.com

According to Katherine: Day 44

Saturday's superlatives: There just aren't enough for this splendid day!

The morning dawned clear and calm. I had three of those motel egg patties and a Lärabar for breakfast. The temperature was 56 degrees when we left at 7:30 a.m.. As the sun rose in the cloudless sky above the long leaf pines, I could almost hear choirs singing "Morning has broken like the first morning..." and "When morning gilds the skies my heart awaking cries, 'May Jesus Christ be praised.'" It was a perfect day for a bike ride.

We rode through DeSoto National Forest on roads that were virtually empty. Apparently German P.O.W.s were encamped there during World War II.  We were enveloped in silence and the refreshing scent of pine for an hour or more.  There was a soft breeze all day, and the high was 76 degrees. We were fascinated by all the roads in the countryside that were named, we suppose, for people who live on then: Jane Mallettee Road, Shirley Ramsay Road, Jim Ramsay Road and Joe Batt Road were just three of countless ones.

I really had the water and nutrition thing going, and felt so much stronger because of it! I had a PB&J before noon.

It was 68 miles from Bogalusa to Pascagoula. By the time we arrived there, we were famished so we had a tuna fish sandwich on flat bread from Subway. Linda's dinner, a few hours later, was another extravaganza: Chicken curry (tofu curry for us), broccoli slaw, and pineapple and mango chunks. Maya, who owns or manages the motel, brought us huge fresh strawberries, cake and ice cream for dessert. I ate a giant strawberry!

Earlier in the afternoon, she had gone on some errands, and brought back postcards for one of our cyclists, who sends cards from each state to her grandchildren. So generous!

I dressed all of Lise's wounds after her shower. They are healing beautifully. 2,489 miles behind us. 611 to pedal. 12 days to go.

Dr. Jeter Day 44 on Polyvore.com