Day 24: Apalachicola to Clearwater

2026 Rally4Vets America Grand Tour

Not every day on a trip like this comes with a battleship or a museum, and that’s fine. Day 24 was a quiet one — Apalachicola down to Clearwater, Florida, following the coast the whole way.

It was a lovely drive. The Gulf on one side, the small towns of Florida’s Big Bend and Nature Coast rolling by, and no agenda but to make good miles and enjoy the road. After the pace of the last few days — the WWII Museum, four states in a single day, the USS Alabama — a calm stretch was welcome. Sometimes the tour is the destinations, and sometimes it’s just the driving.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow the trip changes gears. I pick up my co-driver in Orlando, which means I’ll have company in the WRX for the road ahead. We’ll finish the day in St. Augustine, the oldest city in the country.  We are looking forward to experiencing St. Augustine’s history!

What a country. What a day.