Day 4 of 117 on our “Go West, Young Man” Two Lane Adventure – Saturday 6/30/18

We got to sleep in, since it is only a 147 mile trip to Arnold AFB FamCamp. We departed Yogi Bear’s Jellystone campground around 10 am and headed for a Walmart for gas and biscuits … I am going to try to use my convection oven tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!

All of US 27 in Georgia runs concurrently with SR 1 and is also designated as the Martha Berry Highway. Martha Berry was the founder of the Berry Schools for academically able but economically poor children of the rural South—those who usually could not afford to go to other schools. These schools of the early 1900s grew within three decades into Berry College, a comprehensive liberal arts college. As a result of her work of forty years with the schools and college, Berry is among Georgia's most prominent women of the first half of the twentieth century. Berry continued to be honored after her death on February 27, 1942. Her grave site near the Berry College Chapel is marked by the Atlanta Gas Light Company's first posthumous Shining Light Award. 

The Georgia segment of U.S. Highway 27 was designated as the Martha Berry Highway, her portrait was hung in the state capitol's Gallery of Distinguished Georgians, she was included among the inaugural inductees into Georgia Women of Achievement, and she was selected for induction into the Agricultural Hall of Fame at the University of Georgia.

Route 27 is also known as the Hometown Scenic Highway. I am not sure how it got its name, but it is a fitting moniker because of the towns, but also the scenery. Traveling highways like US 27 rather than on interstates offers you a variety of mom-and-pop restaurants rather than the "cookie-cutter" chains.

Foley GA offered us a “top of the mountain view.”

In Cedartown you can hit the Silver Comet Trail. The Silver Comet Trail is 61-miles long, and starts at the Mavell Road Trailhead in Smyrna, Georgia. It ends at the Georgia/Alabama state line, near Cedartown and The Esom Hill Trailhead. At the Georgia/Alabama state line, the Silver Comet connects to the 33-mile long Chief Ladiga Trail. Both the Silver Comet Trail and Chief Ladiga are fully paved rail-trails built on abandoned railroad lines. The combined Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga trail length is estimated to be 94-paved miles. Our friend, Jack, could ride this trail on his bike and we could pick him up at the other end!

Rome Georgia is home to Copper Creek Farm Annual Sunflower festival. It is held weekends in June and early July. This festival offers bluegrass music, tours of the sunflower fields, hayrides, cow trains, and many other children’s activities. 

There are a full six acres of beautiful sunflowers to walk through and you can purchase a bucket and pick a whole bucket of flowers to take home in celebration of the summer. The warm weather has produced some awesome blooms this year, but no picking for us!

I saw these stone arches at the interchange of US 27, GA 53, GA 422 and I-20. But could not find any information about them … I have not given up, yet … because I am tenacious like that. Anyone know anything about them?

It also has been a long time since I have seen a Mary Kay Pink Cadillac. Times have changed, they get a Cadillac MTS now!

We turned onto GA 20 W and quickly crossed the GA / AL State Line.

Turned onto AL 35 N original Trail of Tears, John Benge Route. John Benge led one detachment of approximately 1100 Cherokee with 60 wagons and 600 horses that left from Alabama on about September 28, 1838 from camp in Wills Valley, approximately eight mile south of Fort Payne, Of all the routes of the Trail of Tears, Benge’s route is the most obscure. It is known that the group traveled through Huntsville and Gunter’s Landing in Alabama and Reynoldsburg on the Tennessee River in Tennessee. Evidence also suggests that they crossed the Mississippi River at Columbus, Kentucky. Although the specific route of the Benge detachment is not known, a likely route has been determined through an examination of period maps.

Little River Canyon National Preserve was established in 1992. The preserve currently contains 15,288 acres. The sculptor of this canyon is the Little River, which is notable for flowing for most of its length atop a mountain. Yes, we climbed to the top plateau of the mountain in Alabama. Forested uplands, waterfalls, canyon rims and bluffs, pools, boulders, and sandstone cliffs offer settings for a variety of recreational activities.

As we headed down the mountain, we got a view of Fort Payne from above.

In the vibrant downtown of Fort Payne, you can find the Dekalb Theater. The DeKalb Theatre was built in 1941. It is still in use and has been gracefully restored as a multi-purpose venue. I love all the neon, I wish we had been here are dark, to see it a glow.

Fort Payne, Alabama is home to the musical group, Alabama. It's been 40 years since a trio of young cousins left Fort Payne, Alabama, to spend the summer playing in a Myrtle Beach bar called The Bowery. It took Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook six long years of tip jars and word of mouth to earn the major label deal they'd been dreaming of. But then in no time at all, they changed the face of country music. ALABAMA is the band that changed everything. 

They reeled off 21 straight #1 singles, a record that will probably never be equaled in any genre. They brought youthful energy, sex appeal and a rocking edge that broadened country's audience and opened the door to self-contained bands from then on, and they undertook a journey that led, 73 million albums later, to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

We came into Rainsville Alabama is a city of 5,000 residents resting atop the large plateau known as Sand Mountain in scenic northeast Alabama. I loved the look of their welcome sign.

Going down Sand Mountain, we could see the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant, through the trees.

We crossed the Tennessee River into Scottsboro, Alabama. The Tennessee River is approximately 650-miles long. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, as many of the Cherokee had their territory along its banks, especially in northern Alabama.

We turned onto 72N and traveled along the banks of the Crow Creek. There is a historical marker for Crow Town. It was one of the Five Lower Towns established by the Chickamauga Cherokees in 1782 under the leadership of Dragging Canoe. “Crow Town lies on the north side of the Tennessee, half a mile from the river, up Crow Creek, 30 miles below the Suck. It is the lowest town in the Cherokee Nation and contained 30 huts in 1790. The Creeks and Northward tribes cross here.” All of the Five Lower Towns were on the extreme Cherokee frontier. Crow Creek looks more like a lake.

We crossed from Alabama into Tennessee. Shortly after we that, we hopped onto I-24, because those are the driving directions that we provided to us by the Recreation Department at Arnold Air Force Base.

We actually only had to go through the housing gate, to check in at the Rec Dept. Getting into the FamCamp required no gate access. Very easy, much better than some FamCamp on military installations.

This is our home for the next 2 nights. Time to do some exploring and see our niece and great nephew!

Day 3 of 117 on our “Go West, Young Man” Two Lane Adventure – Friday 6/29/18

We departed A Stone’s Throw RV Park, after a very restful night and headed north on Route 19. It was a bit foggy, but burned off very quickly. If you are ever traveling this way, this is a great overnight stop.

Passing through the historic town of Monticello. Monticello is a pretty little town with giant oak trees forming canopy streets and a lot of old restored homes, many of them going back to before the Civil War. Many of these homes were restored during the Great Depression of the 1930's.

Main Street in Monticello is a Florida Main Street Community, and has historic sites such as the 1890 Perkins Opera House and the recently restored 1906 County Courthouse, in the middle of the roundabout. The opera house is still functional and puts on musical and theater performances, and the ground floor ballroom is a local gathering and meeting place.

The Christ Episcopal Church is also one of the prettiest Carpenter Gothic churches. It is located in the Monticello Historic District. I wish I could have captured the stain glass, they looked so exquisite and detailed.

Not historic, but just on the edge of town, I spied a cinderblock purple house … so, if you know me … I had to capture the purple house!

We crossed the FL / GA line, without much fanfare. But that is the last time we will be in Florida until October. That sounds like a long time away, but with all our planned adventures the time will go by quickly.

Thomasville Georgia is home to beautiful tree lined medians and at the corner of Crawford and Monroe Streets, there is the "Big Oak." 

It is a massive live oak tree that has a limb span of 162 feet, two feet wider than Niagara Falls is deep. It is 68 feet tall and has a trunk circumference of 24 feet. This massive Southern Live Oak grew from a tiny acorn and is now close to 400 years old!

Traveling on Route 19, the Georgia – Florida Highway, we cross over the Ochlocknee River. On the right of the new bridge is an old railroad truss bridge, that is abandoned and falling apart. We have traveled this route before, but I never noticed this old bridge.

We say this red sign and thought of Jack & Wayne right way! Want us to grab you a dozen?

We stopped at got gas at a Walmart market. Next to it, I saw this elephant. It is at the entrance to All American Fun Park in Albany GA. The Fun Park offers bowling, arcade, bumper boats, putt-putt, laser tag and laser challenge game, indoor virtual roller coaster, outdoor batting cage, and hover-car.

Leesburg GA is a small town, less than 5 square miles. It was originally known as Wooten Station and was founded in 1870 as the Central of Georgia Railway arrived into the area. In 1872, the town was renamed Wooten. In 1874, the town was incorporated and renamed again to its present form of Leesburg. The Central of Georgia Railway train depot has been given a facelift and is the central focus of the downtown area.

As we got closer to Americus, I kept telling Charlie we know someone in Americus. Al the way through the town, I kept racking my brain who it was … no luck … so, if you are a friend of ours and you live in Americus … remind me who lives here! LOL. We did find a unique sign for South Georgia Technical College. Northeast of Americus, you can visit the Andersonville National Historical Site. Andersonville National Historic Site is the only park in the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war.

In Butler, we turned off 19 and headed west on Georgia 96. On the north side of the road is the Sandhills Wildlife Management Area. On the south side of the road are two of the largest solar farms we have ever seen. They seemed to go for miles and miles and miles. I took way too many pictures, but to see the magnitude of the solar farms, I had to get a satellite view … amazing, just amazing! 

Here is the skinny about it. It is a 900-acre solar farm, it was built by Southern Company, parent company to Georgia Power. What does 900-acres look like? Imagine 826 football fields, end to end and side to side.

Near the end of GA 96, there was a big trailer with a sign for Boondocks Mud Park. I had to take a picture of it, just for you Tammy Littlefield. Have you ever been there mudding?

The Georgia Mural Trail has some murals in Meriwether County. 

We were lucky enough to drive through a few towns that had the awesome murals. 

The Georgia Mural Trail was created by John Christian from Go Georgia Arts. The Georgia Mural trail started as a five years commitment to paint fifty murals in fifty cities, focusing on smaller cities with under 10,000 people.

We continued on Route 41 N and headed toward Warm Springs. Warm Springs is home to FDR’s Little White House. Franklin Delano Roosevelt built the Little White House in 1932 while governor of New York, prior to being inaugurated as president in 1933. He first came to Warm Springs in 1924 hoping to find a cure for the infantile paralysis (polio) that had struck him in 1921. Swimming in the 88-degree, buoyant spring waters brought him no miracle cure, but it did bring improvement. 

The Little White House provided a sanctuary for the President during the darkest days of the Great Depression. Many of his New Deal programs were conceived there as he looked with sympathy upon the desperate conditions suffered by his rural neighbors.

Downtown Newnan GA is a historic city. But, what attracted our attention today was a cornucopia of brightly colored and uniquely painted fiberglass farm animals around Court Square in downtown. 

The fun and vibrant pigs, mules, cows and roosters play an intricate part in the third installation project hosted by the Children Connect Museum and the Newnan-Coweta Art Association. 

The creative sculptures show the artistic style of the creators. There were many people having fun and interacting with the fiberglass statues, which are truly pieces of art.

A large sign in the center of a roundabout, announced we were in Carrollton. 

The Carroll County Veterans Memorial Park is a work in progress. To date they have completed 24 Walls of Honor containing 1,152 individual plaques showing name, rank, and service record. They are currently working on wall number 25, which they are in the process of raising funds for.

We arrived at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park. I was greeted by this talkative guy. We have stayed here before and it is a great place!

Day 2 of 117 on our “Go West, Young Man” Two Lane Adventure – Thursday 6/28/18

We spent the night in Homosassa River Resort. It is our “go-to” camping spot in that area. We have friends close by and we get to use our Passport America discount … so camping for one night at a cost of less than $17, it is a no-brainer! However, we did learn that not all spots are created equal! I was first offered M-11 and I thought that was the un-level spot that Jack & Jackie were on, so I took M-08. It was very level, but not very wide! Oh well, Leigha was not working, so we missed our extra special treatment.

As the sun was starting to go down, we headed to McRae’s and enjoyed some shrimp, fish tacos and hamburgers. You can guess, who had the burger! The bugs were not out biting, so I was very happy. We did have a visit from this little guy! I said it was a grasshopper, Terry said a locust ... not sure who is right! 

We also watched a young boy fish … he was so excited, every time he hooked a fish … his father, no so happy, because he had to get the hook out. But the family certainly was having a blast!

Heading out of the resort, we take Yulee Road back onto US 19 & 98 north. We go through Homosassa and all the construction that never seems to end, into Crystal River. Crystal River is part of Central Florida’s “Nature Coast.” When the water temperature drops in the Gulf of Mexico, manatees move to the warmer waters of the Crystal River, followed closely by nature-loving tourists and other visitors. Crystal River is one of the few places where you can swim with manatees. The springs flow at a constant 72 degrees, making the waters attractive to all sorts of swimmers in the winter. Many summer visitors enjoy the 72 degrees of the springs too!

On the north end of Crystal River, you will find Willow Creek Secret Garden Store. It is so inviting from the exterior. The Secret Garden has a wonderful assortment of delightful finds, gifts for friends or perhaps items for your own home. The owners and their employees absolutely loves both their jobs and being with people. Items are displayed attractively and in thoughtful groupings. A fun place to visit whether you are buying or not. I bet, if we looked long enough, we might even be able to find an underwater Geek-E-Bird there!

Chiefland is a very unique southern community located in North Central Florida.  Community standards are set high in this family oriented society. Chiefland calls itself the "Gem of the Suwannee Valley.” Manatee Springs State Park is located west of town; the crystal-clear water is a "first-magnitude" spring that flows directly into the Suwannee River. We stopped at Wal-mart and met a lady in her RV that relocated to Cheifland from Westchester County, in New York. We talked for a while and then went into the store to get a little activity in the air conditioning!

We continued on US 19 & 98, it is a great road to travel on, you pass through towns occasionally, but the road is good and the speed limit is mostly 65. Fanning Springs, is labeled as "the Gateway to the Suwanee River." 

It is home to a unusual looking church, Bible Ministries Breakthrough Church. Don't let the outside appearance of the church hold you back; the building is covered in graffiti biblical scenes, but the inside is full of the Holy Spirit. 

It is also home to Fort Fanning Historical Park. Fort Fanning was named after Major Alexander Campbell Wilder Fanning. The original settlement of the town around Fort Fanning (now known as Fanning Springs) was named both “Palmetto” and “Sikesville”. A ferry service was setup, which connected one side of Suwannee to the other and remained until a wooden turn bridge and subsequently a modern steel bridge was built in 1935. Finally a four lane bridge made of concrete was added and remains there to this day.

In Perry, we left US 98 to heading west along the bottom of the panhandle of Florida and we continued on US 19 & 27. This portion of the highway was named in honor of Brandon Tyler Thorsen, a Chiefland High School graduate. He served in the US Army and was killed in Iraq in 2007.

We took a potty break at the Taylor County Rest Area on US-19 & US-27. I have always found this painted rock interesting. I was finally got a chance to get a picture of it, even if it was from the back side. We found this little town sign on the side of US 19 & 27, IDDO. Iddo is an unincorporated community in Taylor County. It was named, along with Eridu, by Atlantic Coast Line Railroad chief engineer JE Willoughby. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad had two of the new stations on the Coast Line's Perry-Monticello division that had to be named. The first station north of Perry, was named "Secotan" while the one established near Pleasant Grove has been officially designated as "Iddo." The only evidence that a town once existed is a battered old service station. The service station property dates back to the 1800's.

In the very small hamlet of Capps, there is an old motel on the corner where we turn off US 27 and remain on US 19. I have seen it every time, we come this way and I can find no information on it. It peaked my curiosity again today. I searched the internet again and still no answers! But I took pictures anyway. I can see people in the 1950’s and 1960’s pulling up to these little cottages to spend the night, or longer to enjoy their vacations.

We arrived early at our overnight stop at A Stone’s Throw RV Park in Lamont. We have stayed here before, with member of our camping chapter, Carefree Sams. A few rain drops provided us with this spectacular view of a rainbow! 

Good night all!