Day 17 - Bluegrass Special - Alison Krauss Bound

On Wednesday 9/24, we decided to get an extra day at St Augustine Elks and leave General Coffee State Park early. We enjoyed a leisurely morning, before we left. The Park doesn’t have a ton of acreage, but it does protect some very fragile, beautiful, and uniquely Georgia ecosystems. There is a four acre lake in the park that can be used for kayaks, canoes and paddle boats. 

Near the lake there were beautiful white garland lily or ginger lilies. It is typically found growing in forests. Other common names include butterfly lily, fragrant garland flower, Indian garland flower, white butterfly ginger lily, and white ginger. It has heavily scented white flowers. In its native environment flowering occurs between August and December. It may be considered invasive in shallow water systems, along streams and in waterlogged areas. Once established, it is difficult to control due to vegetative reproduction through the underground spread. This species was first introduced as an ornamental to Hawaii around 1888 by Chinese immigrants, and is now considered a serious invader in mesic to wet areas of Maui and Hawaii island.

On Thursday, September 26th, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 Hurricane. That night, it quickly moved across the state of Georgia, leaving a path of devastation the Georgia State Parks Division has never experienced before. The sites with catastrophic tree loss and structural damage were Mistletoe, Elijah Clark, General Coffee, George L. Smith, Jack Hill and Magnolia Springs. 

Major structural damage was done to 25 cottages, 3 park residences, 18 group/picnic shelters, 4 visitor centers, and more than 400 campsites. No sooner was the state clear of Helene than preparation began for the 2,000+ Floridian evacuees seeking refuge in Georgia State Parks from the path of Hurricane Milton.

 

General Coffee State Park was significantly damaged by Hurricane Helene, leading to a closure for repairs. While the park experienced devastating tree loss and structural damage, it managed to reopen within four months due to the leadership of Park Manager and significant volunteer support. However, as of September 2025, trails are not open, though the campground, farm, and group shelters are back in operation.  

What is the #1 fruit crop in Georgia? Peaches, Peaches, Peaches … everyone who said peaches is wrong! Alma is also the Blueberry Capital of Georgia, and blueberries are the #1 fruit crop in Georgia! Alma is also home to the Georgia Blueberry Festival and tons of growers! It is a locally organized festival. Its goal is to honor and recognize the importance of the blueberry crop to Alma and Bacon County and to thank those who are involved in the production of the blueberries. The Festival provides entertainment, activities, and food to local residents and visitors. 2026 will be their 50th year!

Georgia's cotton fields are primarily located in the state's southwest region, where the crop is a significant agricultural commodity, contributing billions to the state's economy and employing thousands. Cotton is planted from March to June and harvested from August to December. Among the US states, Texas is the largest producer, contributing approximately 40 percent of US cotton production in recent years. Other top cotton producers include Georgia, Arkansas and Mississippi. Every time I see cotton, I think of our friend Pattye and her stories of picking cotton as a kid!

Folkston is home to The Okefenokee Swamp. It is a shallow, 438,000-acre, peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida line. A majority of the swamp is protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness. It is world renowned for its amphibian populations that are bio-indicators of global health. More than 600 plant species have been identified on refuge lands.

We crossed from Georgia back into Florida. I got a picture of the "free" state of Florida sign on the way out... so I went for the more traditional sign on the way back into Florida. Along US 1 there was a historical marker for the Battle of Thomas Creek. It was the engagement that ended the Second Florida campaign. This battle involved the land forces of a two pronged continental attack with the goal of taking St. Augustine from the British. The British and their Native American allies laid a successful trap at Thomas Creek that forced the Continental Army to return to Georgia.

We were avoiding interstates and I thought the GPS had us routed around Jacksonville, but I guess not! Why the heck is there a lighthouse downtown? It was built by First Baptist Church of Jacksonville. Commissioned during the years of Pastor Homer G. Lindsay Jr. and Dr. Jerry Vines. They had built a church without a steeple, so they decided to build a replica of the Saint Augustine lighthouse signifying the mission of the church being a “spiritual lighthouse” to the city. It was met with positive and negative reviews. Just before Christmas, 1998, several homeowners downtown and just to the north in Springfield said they’d “seen the light” and the light made them mad as hell. The light flooded second-story bedrooms from a 100-foot-tall concrete lighthouse replica on the corner of a new parking garage. The “spiritual lighthouse” flashed into the bedrooms of Springfield’s grand historic houses every few seconds from six to 10 o’clock every night. The fight ensued and the neighborhood won! The light no longer shines. The lantern’s been dark for over 25 years. For most of the residents who live nearby, time has normalized the presence of a lighthouse marooned in a sea of concrete, lonely and lost, a nihilistic parking-garage sentinel staring blindly into the sky. The church campus used to cover over nine city blocks, but has since experienced parishioner decline and serious debt. They downsized their sprawling campus to a single block.

 

Jacksonville currently has over 60 murals on display. There are over 50 in the Downtown area plus murals in the Murray Hill, Springfield and Arlington neighborhoods. But these two that I captured near the intersection of N Pearl and US 23.

With so much water here, Jacksonville could easily be referred to as the “City of Bridges.” The St. Johns River and San Pablo River (the Intracoastal Waterway) carve through the city so there have to be many crossing points. From just one room of the Bank of America tower (Jax's tallest building), you can see 9 bridges. To get out of Jacksonville, we crossed the John T Alsop Jr Memorial Bridge. Arguably Jacksonville's most recognizable bridge, the official name is the John T. Alsop Jr. Bridge in 1958, however, everyone calls it by street name or just simply the “blue bridge”. Alsop was a mayor of Jacksonville for eighteen years, the longest duration in the city’s history. Opened in 1941, the bridge is a popular Downtown landmark appearing in many skyline photos. It is the only “lift bridge” or movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck.

We will be in St Augustine for a few days, so we will talk more about it later. Additionally, we may be here in December too for Christmas. We crossed the Lion Bridge, went past the St Augustine Lighthouse and arrived at the Elks, our home for the next 3-nights. 

Stay tuned for more #TwoLaneAdventures