We
are lined up and ready for our next two lane adventure with some of our camping
club in Zephyrhills FL. We are heading on a fall “rally route.” Going to
several state rallies in the southeast and checking our roadside oddities along
the way! We took the standard US 301 N to US 98. In Brooksville, we
transitioned onto US 41.
It is
easy to get lost in Brooksville because of the many state and federal highways
that meander through town in a most unusual way. For example, US-41 comes into
town from the southwest, then turns east through town before going north
again. US-98 comes in from the
southeast, then turns west before going north again. The city is named for U.S.
Representative Preston Brooks. The city's founding families settled here in the
1840s, establishing plantations dependent on slave labor. Charles Sumner was a
United States Senator from Massachusetts in the years before the American Civil
War. He was an outspoken opponent of slavery, and known for his fiery speeches
on the subject. Preston Brooks was a congressman from South Carolina, and an
equally outspoken advocate of slavery. One day in 1856, Sumner gave a speech in
the Senate that was especially insulting to the South. Brooks savagely attacked
Sumner on the Senate floor and nearly beat him to death with a cane. Brooks attack
on the hated Yankee senator made him a hero in the South, and Brooksville was
very much a southern city in the years during and after the civil war.
Floral
City is what Florida natives lovingly call “Old Florida”. It is all that is
naturally beautiful in the Sunshine State with a majestic moss-draped tree
canopy—The Avenue of the Oaks—dramatically signaling your arrival.
What
defines Floral City is what once defined much of Florida. There was a time when
the bounty of Florida was proudly displayed along roadsides throughout the
state. Fresh fruit and vegetable stands are still prominent here. Ferris
Groves, one of Florida’s most beloved retro fruit stands, welcomes guests with
a cheery orange and white striped tent-style canopy that has hardly changed in
fifty years. Just down the street other fruit and vegetable stands also display
the latest Florida grown produce and treasured regional classics like boiled
peanuts.
Look
close at all the junk … do you see what I see? I looks like an old rocket on a
trailer. You see the strangest things in Hernando County on these two lane
adventures!
Before Inverness became a city, it was a settlement called
"Tompkinsville." This 1860s community was named for AD Tompkins, also
known as ""Uncle Alf" who aimed to draw settlers with mail
service and a sawmill. Tompkin's
brother-in-law, Frank M Dampier, Sr., is credited with opening the first
Inverness store and laying out the town. This town was sold to a firm in
Jacksonville, and the name was changed to Inverness for its blue water of the
Tsala Apopka Lake, which was reminiscent of the headlands and lochs of
Scotland. The Historic Old Courthouse Museum is home to the Citrus County Historical
Society and houses special collection exhibits and hosts a number of special
events throughout the year. The iconic building is known for its copper cupola
and clock face on all four sides. It also has been made famous for being part
of the 1961 Elvis Presley movie Follow that Dream.
Dunnellon
was platted as a railroad town in 1890 when trains provided a major source of
transportation. In 1908 the Atlantic Coast Line railroad built the depot on
South Williams Street. In its early days, the Atlantic Coast Line carried
produce, timber from virgin long leaf pine forests, passengers and phosphate.
For some passengers and cargo, the journey continued on steamers plying the St.
Johns River. Youngsters crowded the station, waiting for a glimpse of caged
animals roaring by on the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus
train. During World War II, the trains carried troops and military equipment. In
1991, the Greater Dunnellon Historical Society board of directors and
membership approved a decision to purchase the depot from CSX Transportation
Inc. The closing took place in 1992. In 2002 the historical society obtained a
grant to restore the facility. The depot has been restored to its original
splendor and has been updated to current standards.
We
entered High Springs Florida, it is a city that prides itself on the natural
beauty of its crystal clear springs, pristine rivers, and varied wildlife.
Hence the invitation on their welcome sign to enjoy the city's good nature. The
local springs are a popular destination for cave divers from around the world.
O’Leno
State Park - The Santa Fe River goes underground in O'Leno State Park and
reemerges over three miles away in River Rise Preserve State Park as a circular
pool before resuming its journey to the Suwannee River. The pool is surrounded
by quiet woods and huge trees. We would camp there, but there are only
primitive equestrian sites and we like our full hook-ups and I am not a fan of
horse flies!
One
thing I love about following the old US Highways, is the train tracks usually
follow those roads too! Every once in a while, you see one traveling in the
same direction as you or coming toward you. It reminds me of how much is still
transported by rail!
Wow,
that is a big pile of phosphate! Did you know there are 27 phosphate mines in
Florida, covering more than 450,000 acres. Phosphate mines typically range in
size from approximately 5,000 to 100,000 acres. This one must be a huge mine! The
mining of pebble phosphate began in 1888 in central Florida and in the 1960s in
Hamilton County. Phosphate includes several naturally occurring minerals that
contain phosphorus as well as other elements. It is primarily used to produce
fertilizers for food production. It may also be used in animal feed
supplements, food preservatives and many industrial products.
Welcome to Jasper Florida! I had to snap this picture, since Charlie was born
and lived for a short time in Jasper New York. I had to do it! However, just
like the Jasper New York, Jasper Florida gets too cold for us in the winter!
Just
north of Jasper Florida, we found what I think is tobacco harvesting going on.
Although, usually those cut open buses are used for melon harvesting … the
broad yellow leaves scream TABACCO to me!
Just
outside of Jennings Florida, the last town in Florida on US 41 is a defunct business
called Cooter Jack’s. It's located in a previously abandoned Florida State
Welcome Center, built in 1952. The state maintained a number of welcome centers
just like this one beginning in the 1950s on major highways entering
Florida. These days, more modern
versions welcome travelers on the interstates.
These smaller centers dating back to the '50s are long shuttered. Cooter
Jack’s FB page bills it as a “favorite hangout in Hamilton County, Florida. A
fun beer bar with a friendly crowd.”
Crossing from Florida into Georgia is not as grandiose affair, as Florida makes
it when you are heading south! The Georgia State Line is simply marked in the
standard green reflective signs with a mile zero marker. A bit further down the
road, is a “Georgia on your mind” sign.
Remember
the taste of tree ripened peaches, fresh picked vegetables and homemade ice cream? You can experience
those true Southern delights again along the Georgia Grown 41 Trail – Georgia’s
longest and most diverse agritourism highways. The trail travels along one of
the most famous north/south routes in the United States US 41 and parts of US
341. During the first half of the 20th century, US 41 was the primary traveling
route from northern Michigan to southern Florida. Today, I-75 serves as the
major thoroughfare connecting the north to the south. But running adjacent to
the Interstate, sometimes to the west and sometimes to the east, is beautiful
old US 41 - your highway and ticket to discovering the beauty and bounty of the
true South.
The
town of Hahira Georgia was incorporated in October of 1891. Being a rural area,
most people grew their own vegetables, had hogs for meat and always had a milk
cow. There was very little money among
the people, except for a very few large farmers. The main crop was cotton and
remained so until around 1920 when the Boll Weevil ruined their main cash
crop. The farmers then turned to tobacco
as their main source of income. Another
chief product was timber and its by-products.
The woodlands were full of giant virgin yellow pine or heart pine. The
late 1920's and early 1930's brought boxing to this area with Hahira out in
front by local fight promotions.
At
this time, it also brought the Bee Industry.
When settlers first arrived in the South Georgia area, there were no
honeybees to pollinate their crops. WL
Morgan introduced beekeeping to the area at Troupville. The black bee was brought from Germany or
Holland and the yellow bee from Italy. JE
Williams developed an apiary in the part of Lowndes County that is now Cook
County, near Sparks. Mr Williams was the
first commercial beekeeper recorded in Lowndes County. Now, in these days, when
the bee industry is mentioned in this area, the name of Garnett Puett Sr. and
The Puett Co. is remembered as one of the pioneers of the bee industry. All in
all, throughout the years, basically not too much has changed as the larger
industries have moved to other areas around it. Hahira is still a farming
community with tobacco as one of its main crops and home to the annual Bee Festival!
We
arrived at Cecil Bay RV Park, our home for the night, in Cecil Georgia.
Tomorrow is another two lane adventure!
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