The Road to Miami: More beach, anyone?

Travel Writing Published April 19, 1997 at 1:03 pm

Bradenton Beach

Landing in Bradenton marks the end of a rather long, rather uneventful, day of driving. It started on Panama City Beach – miles of white sand beaches, framing the Gulf of Mexico. It ended on Bradenton Beach – miles of white sand beaches, framing the Gulf of Mexico. Okay, there are more rolling dunes here and this area is a little busier. But the only real difference is that it is nearly twelve hours drive further down the road.

Before I left the Panama City area, I dropped by a Wal*Mart (US supermarket franchise) to pick up some toiletries. I found my dental floss, turned right at the bottom of the isle and stopped stock still, as my mouth fell open. Panama City’s Wal*Mart has one side of one isle dedicated to sun lotion (aka tanning cream, sun cream, etc.)!!!! I rallied, and attempted to look like I had just recognised some one I knew on the opposite side of the isle. Unfortunately my tortured mind was then confronted with the dietary aids isle. It was much smaller, but I was unaware that there were so many different chemically enhanced ways of burning fat. Slim Fast to bikinis is evidently the equivalent of honey to bees. A swarm or stylishly anorexic beach-babes devoured the shelf-stock. Wal*Mart evidently not only fills all your desires but you inadequacies too.

Back on the road, it was only a short time before I entered a forested area. This remained with me for the rest of the trip, broken only intermittently by marsh, scrub and what were labeled as glades (though I am pretty sure this has little to do with air freshener). Yes, the grass was green, the trees tall, the sky blue … but after the first five hours, it started wearing thin. This route is imaginatively named something like, “The Natural Wonder Route”. I would have been a little more enthusiastic, if I was walking through this area and had time to commune with Mother Nature. But I was not. Even the way that derelict road-side buildings had been consumed by the surrounding forest, only momentarily entertained me.

If I am lucky, one more day of this will get me to Key West.

Stats:
Route:
> Panama City Beach (FL) – 98 – 19 – 41 – Bradenton