A Lost Weekend - Chapter 1

My friends were all busy this weekend with women and work. I decided to go for a ride and since I was going alone, I could take any road and ride as long as I wanted; it was an enticing thought. On Friday morning I put in a half a day for “the man” and then fired up the Harley Davidson and left the clubhouse around 11:30 am. As I rode out the thoughts of my weekend of freedom once again ran through my mind; ride where I want for as long as I want, stop where ever, eat when I’m hungry, drink when I’m thirsty. About ten minutes later I was thinking about eating and I laughed to myself, “Well, that didn’t take long.” I already knew where I was going to stop; Frog’s Bar-b-q in Williston. The other thought that had crossed my mind is that I live in a really nice and scenic place. I needed to take my time heading out of town and enjoy each moment and really set the tone for this trip. I noticed that as I rode through town, many folks in work trucks and minivans looking at me with a distant stare. I am pretty sure that having my luggage pack on the back of my hog stirred a longing for the freedom I was living; at least I’d like to think that.

Frog’s did not disappoint. The weather was fine too; no rain in the forecast and little white cotton ball clouds powdered a light blue sky. I rode to US 41 and turned north. Each mile, each turn of the road brought an incredible experience. God was smiling down on me as I was unencumbered by traffic; as a matter of fact I never really saw another vehicle in my mirrors and I had open road ahead of me 99% of the time. The road is smooth and the scenery is something to experience; live oaks draped in Spanish moss, pastures, planted farm fields, cabbage palms, and rows of slash pines. It’s a tapestry of green and gold against the blue and white sky.

I stopped in the quaint town of High Springs for fuel where 41 and 441 merge. Continuing north through Columbia County it was more of the same, just a great, enjoyable, stress free ride. A change in attitude was necessary getting into Lake City which is the county seat for Columbia County and is a pretty busy area. It was time to be more alert in navigating the city. It wouldn’t be the last time I wished I had planned some routes around some congested areas, but not having a plan is the price you pay and all in all wasn’t that bad. Next time I will find some county roads that take me out around those areas.

With Lake City disappearing in the mirrors I crossed under that concrete monster called I-10. How busy that highway is and how passive the byways are that run adjacent to it. North Florida is more “Southern” than the southern part of the state. It’s remote, it’s rural and a great place to ride. Not knowing what was ahead made this ride an adventure and I was not disappointed riding into White Springs. A little road weary, I wish I had stopped in White Springs but I was enjoying the scenery and the road. As you find with many small towns, you ride in and before you know it you’ve ridden out the other end. All of these places are little gems, jewels of America. White Springs is no exception where smooth black water has carved a twisting channel along high bluffs of moss covered oaks and lime rock cliffs.

I rolled into Jasper and was ready for a stop. As much as I love riding, there is nothing like an ice cold drink and a stretch of the legs after several hours of seat time. I met some nice folks there and I realized that I was probably about 15 miles from the Georgia boarder. It was 98 degrees on the bank clock in town that late afternoon, and I was starting to think about where to spend the night. I knew that I was maybe 30 miles from Valdosta Georgia and that seemed about right from that way I was feeling. I got back on 41 and rode the narrow road to the state line. I stopped to take a picture as a keepsake, a milestone in my travels. I was somewhat taken aback at how uneventful crossing the boarder was; just a sign on the edge of a country road. No welcome centers or tourist traps, no rest areas or big fancy signs like one might see on an interstate. If I thought 41 in North Florida was narrow, it was a asphalt ribbon in Georgia. Thankfully, as was the case with most of my ride this day, there were few other vehicles on the road. I was able to ride at my pace and enjoy the moment. I noticed how cool the air felt where scenic swamps lie sleepily on the sides of the road. What a great stretch of road.

I rolled into Valdosta and knew of a good hotel there. Unfortunately I had to drive through the center of the hot city during rush hour traffic but it was still pretty cool. It’s a nice southern city and you get a flavor of its history passing the courthouse with the statue of the confederate soldier watching over the traffic. I thought it appropriate to jump into a cool pool before hitting a shower and enjoying some hot wings, cold beers and Hooters girls.