Eventually, it was finished and the riders got ready to roll out. The plan was to ride west to the end of the peninsula, where the Fort Morgan historic site is located, and there to catch the ferry that would take us across the mouth of Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island.

But before leaving, we learned of a complication that thwarted our plan: the ferry was not running due to a mechanical problem! As a result, the day’s ride was canceled, and instead we piled a total of 10 bicycles and 13 people into the van, the trailer, and Michael’s car (the second support vehicle), and drove ourselves all the way around Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island, which took about two hours.

We arrived at Dauphin Island Baptist Church at around 3 PM. Fortunately, this left plenty of time for the riders to hop on their bikes and go for a brief ride around the island, about 10–12 miles. At 5 PM, dinner was served: piping-hot Brunswick stew made with chicken, beef and vegetables, accompanied by Hawaiian dinner rolls and sweet muffins, all freshly made from scratch. Delicious!

After dinner, we socialized and enjoyed the benefits of the activity room and three multi-guest dormitory rooms upstairs, complete with showers. Lights-out came at 10 PM, and we rested up for the next day’s ride from the island north to the mainland, then west across the state line to Pascagoula, MS.