Georgia On My Mind

I apologize for the delay, this post was supposed to be added last week, but life intervened.  You all know how that goes.

On October 11, my wife and I threw on our gear and headed up to Georgia.

Initially, our plan was to ride to St. Augustine and enjoy the Atlantic Coast.  However, due to a late start, we decided to remain inland and travel up to Georgia.  Couldn't ask for better weather on our journey, high of 83 with a nice breeze, few clouds. 

To start out our trip, we had lunch in nearby High Springs at The Diner.  Throughout my childhood, this restaurant changed ownership a couple of times.  When I was in high school it was known as Floyd's Diner - a 1950's classic cafe.  It still maintains that 50's vibe today, with reasonable prices and a decent menu.

After lunch, we proceeded North on US HWY 441.  The plan was to take 441 all the way up to Georgia, passing through Lake City, White Springs, & Jasper.  The traffic was fairly light, especially for a Saturday.  Only ran into trouble as we entered Lake City, there's always that one driver who doesn't understand the concept of cruise control on their vehicle, and they continuously sped up & slowed down. This particular vehicle kept crawling up my back side and then dropping off.  I wasn't in a rush, nor was I going too slow or too fast.  Just kept going 65, but pulled off once I got into town to allow him to pass me.  I wasn't interested in having to deal with that.

The country side really opened up just north of Lake City, limited traffic allowed my wife and I to take in the sights.  I'm lucky enough to live just south of the Suwannee River Valley, and the geography of that region is very enjoyable.  Crossing the Suwannee & Ichetuknee Rivers almost makes you forget you're in Florida, as the topography gives way to hills and curved roads.  There aren't too many places in Florida like this, & discovering them is a real treat.

North of Lake City is the town of White Springs.  Founded at the turn of the 20th Century, White Springs gives visitors a great experience of "small town USA".  Massive Oak Trees line the roads, with the focal point of the town being the White Springs Bed & Breakfast, which was founded in 1905.  White Springs even comes complete with a volunteer fire department!  While we didn't stop, the sight seeing tour was enjoyable.

It seemed that every "wrong turn" I took lead us to better sights and better roads.  Couldn't go wrong with that trip.  It's a short 2-3 hour trip, but it's a nice way to burn a Saturday afternoon.  The road into Georgia was long and empty on this day, and as I stood there on the State Line, I found myself being drawn into Georgia.  While I didn't really venture across, I stood there looking down that lonely highway wanting to know what's down there.  Where would this road take me?  With nothing but swamps & fields as far as the eye could see, I wonder what was at the end of that lonely highway.  Perhaps one day I'll venture further North to see what lies ahead.

 

 

 



On the way back home, we stopped in Live Oak to stretch our legs & to give our butts a rest. A nice cold slushie from the local Burger King did the trick as we rested in the parking lot under some trees.  If you've lived in Florida as long as I have, you pretty much know where the most enjoyable places are.  Florida has an abundance of small towns, but the majority aren't worth the trip.  The Atlantic Coast is preferrable to the Gulf Coast (in my opinion), even though the Gulf does have a few hidden gems.  Just a quick shot north of Lake City opens up an area of Florida that I find most enjoyable. 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading.  Ride safe.

 

-James

A Beautiful Weekend

On Saturday, my wife and I spent the day with my mom.  Since my dad passed, it hasn't been easy for her to be alone.  We can't always go out there, but if we can spend a day, we will.  The weather cooperated long enough on Sunday for me to take my wife on a nice little motorcycle ride.  It was terribly hot, but it didn't rain. 

We took a nice ride through Paynes Prarie, Micanopy, and McIntosh, before returning home to Gainesville. There are few really nice County Roads that have nice curves in them.  Really nice farms and farmlands.  Really is a hidden gem.  With the wife on board, I didn't stop to take pictures, but I will return soon and do so.  The bike really needed a good long run.  It has been sitting in the garage for about a month.  It felt good to open the throttle and burn through some gas.

 Also, I apologize for my blog constantly having different layouts.  I can't find one that I like, and it's driving me crazy.  I'll keep working on it!

-J





Fall Photoshoot

I've said it countless times so far this year, but Fall is my favorite time of year.  It is my favorite time to ride, and it is my favorite time to photograph.  I'm an amateur photographer at best, but the best thing about Fall is that the weather is so beautiful, nature cooperates with the camera almost by default.

Living in Florida, we don't have the wide variety of beautiful trees that explode colorful leaves every Fall, but we do have the Sycamore.  Sycamore's are the quintessential "Fall tree" for the Sunshine State.  When their leaves fall, I just want to stop what I'm doing and just take it all in.

The neighborhood I live in is a golf course community.  When the economy tanked, the course owner cut his losses and left.  The course has not been operational for many years, and it wasn't until the past year that landscapers started a monthly bush-hogging of the fairways.  No idea when the course will re-open, but in the meantime, the overgrowth allows for great photo opportunities.

Turkey Creek is also a beautiful natural water feature that courses through the neighborhood.  The way the light hits the water in late afternoon makes it difficult to pass up taking some pictures.  I wanted to drive down into the creek bed for some great shots, but I did not want the attention that came with an entire family that lives next to the creek.  They all happened to be outside and wouldn't stop starting at me.  People in this neighborhood have become very rude and nosy.  The last thing I want is for someone to call the Golf Cart Police (Homeowner's Association), even though I wouldn't be doing anything wrong.  Just isn't worth it.

Perhaps I'll get window that gives me a chance to spend more time in the creek bed.  Only time will tell.

-J

Out On The Road

I decided to go for a little drive-

The weather was perfect and I really needed to get my mind off of college. I ended up putting about 100 miles on the bike, and during that trek I broke the 8,000 mile mark. I traveled through the local counties and visited the various rivers, creeks, and parks that surround the area.  Traffic was minimal, and I was able to pull off the road and take almost any pictures I wanted.  One of the prettiest places I discovered was a farm on West County Road 18 headings towards Ft. White.  A massive green field with a white and red two-story house, and a large barn.  I pulled off the road, took a picture, and circled back to take another.  The owners were probably thinking I was crazy, but I loved the view.  I spent some time in Ft. White, Worthington Springs, Booker, and High Springs.  I stopped at the Santa Fe River boat launch just outside of High Springs and tried to get some good shots, but there was too much activity.  I also visited my old, old stomping grounds, my middle school, to see what has changed.  It is nice to see the Corsair is still out front, at least the Democrats haven't had it removed yet.

While in High Springs, I found an old service road that shadowed an abandoned train track.  Nature had overgrown the tracks to the point that they couldn't be seen, and the grass was as high as my handlebars!  I could only imagine how frequent those tracks were used at the height of the railroad industry.  The service road was a great "off the beaten path" ride.  I've checked out the Northern areas enough, so the next time I hit the road, I want to head in a different direction.  Maybe towards Newberry/Bronson.  We shall see.

-J