Heading West With No Destination In Mind - Part Ten

We started our day in Lake City, departing the In & Out Campground, with some of our Majestic Oaks family. For the first time on this two lane adventure, we are traveling with another rig. We followed 90 East to the 10A East, which is a bypass around downtown Lake City. We moved onto 100 East and entered Lulu, Florida. Lulu began when the Georgia Southern Florida Railroad came through the area and Robert Gillen, an original 1869 settler, convinced them to put a station there. The town was first named Hagen but mail got confused with another ghost town in Alachua County called Hague. It is

rumored that Walter Gillen, the Postmaster, renamed the town Lulu after his girlfriend Lula. There was two cotton gins, railroad depot, a one room school, three churches, and seven different stores (from 1900 until 1918) and two barber shops. The citizens of Lulu had hoped that their community would become a thriving town but the boll weevil came and destroyed the cotton business. All that remains are a community of proud residents who have lost their only general store and post office.  All that remains are many abandoned cracker homes, Lulu school, and the Gillen Family Cemetery. After Lulu, you enter Lake Butler, Florida. The town was named by an early surveyor and the reasons for the choice of "Lake Butler" are not clear. Late in the 20th century stories circulated that the town was named for a "Captain" Butler who died during the Seminole Indian War and was buried on the north shore of the lake. It was later proven that the heroic soldier who gave his life protecting the white citizens of the area did not actually exist, although the battle he was supposed to have died in did actually occur.

In Starke, Florida we picked up 301 South, also known as Rosa Park Highway. Starke may have been named in honor of developer George W. Cole's fiancée or in honor of Madison Starke Perry, fourth governor of Florida and a Confederate States Army colonel. The Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, adds that the city may have been named after "Thomas Starke, a slaveholder who once owned much land around the area." As we turned off of 100 onto 301, there was a motorhome mural on the side of the Revels RV Accessories building. It was originally commissioned in 2006 and painted by Kellyanne Fitzsimmons. Located just outside of Starke is the Lake Hampton Bed & Breakfast is a contemporary lakefront Florida Bed and Breakfast Inn. This modified A-frame retreat is nestled on 60 acres of open field and 200+ feet of waterfront stretching across a quiet 822 acre Cypress lake. This beautiful setting is surrounded by the sounds of nature to complete this relaxing atmosphere.

In Windsor, Florida you can visit the family owned Bluefield Estate Winery. In the summer of 2006, Jennifer and Bradley Ferguson starting making wine in their kitchen out of the blueberries produced on the family farm after the commercial harvest was complete. They anxiously waited for the first five gallons to be finished. Looking back they felt it was mediocre at best, but they proudly drank it, sharing with friends and family. Each year they produced more and more, and the wine was better and better. After sharing it with friends and family, and the repetitive suggestions of starting a winery, they decided to go for it that was the beginning of Bluefield Estate Winery. It has been a long and slow process going from the hobby of home-winemaking to a commercial winery.

We passed part of the Gainesville – Hawthorne Trail. It connects the university town of Gainesville with rural Hawthorne. This 16.5-mile trail makes for a great day trip, complete with a hill or two and plenty of wildlife. While the path roughly parallels State Route 20, it also traverses one of Florida's most environmentally sensitive areas: Paynes Prairie State Preserve. The well-maintained trail accommodates users with a 10-foot-wide paved path, regular trailheads and benches and even a convenience store here and there. Between the Gainesville and Lochloosa trailheads, equestrians are given free rein on an adjacent grassy trail. From its western endpoint in Gainesville's Boulware Springs Park, the trail soon leads to the Paynes Prairie overlook, and 2 miles from the trailhead you'll enter the preserve itself. This area boasted a thriving lake with routine steamboat activity until 1891, when a sinkhole drained the basin, leaving behind a mixed landscape of prairie, marsh and open water. Several trailside overlooks offer views of the prairie, home to bison, wild horses and numerous alligators.

As we approached Ocala, Florida there are numerous horse farms. Many of the horses in the pastures had colts, what a beautiful sight! A horse farm from days gone by is Irish Acres, it once was a prominent horse farm, now it is a defunct housing development. Ocala Drive In Theatre is a renovated Drive In Theater, re-opened after months of cleanup and repairs, preceded by years of the screen being dark. If you are nearby, please stop by!

In Summerfield, there was one of my favorite Florida sights … the majestic live oaks looming over the road, touching each other from either side of the two lane road and a little bit of Spanish moss hanging.

In WIldwood you can visit the Muddy Hammock Mud Park. It is a 100 acre entertainment complex, which is open 52 weekends a year. The canopies of the majestic live oaks create an inviting setting for an array of outdoor events. Current amenities include: open air bar, restaurant style food vending, 60 x 120 foot truck pull pad/stage/dance floor, 3 beach volleyball courts, a 35 acre jeep obstacle course and a 24,000 square foot mega truck track/mud drag strip and mud hole. Who wants to go four wheeling?!

We cut off 301 South onto 471 South. 471 is the straightest road we have ever driven on! Look at the picture, that road goes on as far as the camera can see! We passed by the Webster Flea Market. For more than 50 years, Webster Westside Flea Market has been a place to find everything imaginable every Monday! Many of the vendors have been in business there a long, long time.... some for more than 15 years. You can find produce, flowers, bakery, jewelry, plants, boutiques, antiques, musical instruments, canopies, electronics, food, drinks and many other products and services! They also hold a Car & Cycle Swapmeet once a month on the first Sunday of every month.

Withlacoochee State Forest is currently the third largest state forest in Florida and is divided into several distinct tracts of land. Withlacoochee State Forest was acquired by the federal government from private landowners between 1936 and 1939 under the provisions of the U.S. Land Resettlement Administration. Colt Creek State Park was purchased from the Overstreet Family in May of 2006. This 5,067 acre park nestled within the Green Swamp Wilderness Area and named after one of the tributaries that flows through the property was opened to the public in January 2007. Comprised mainly of pine flatwoods, cypress domes and open pasture land, this piece of natural Florida wilderness is home to many animal species.

We took 98 North for less than a mile and turned onto CR 54 East. Passing by our friends at Forest Lake Estates … Hello Tom & Bev!

We turned onto Chancey Road, heading west. Soon enough, we can tell we are close to home. There are the brightly colored canopies falling from the sky. We can see the sky divers from Sky Dive City. It is an awesome sight to see, and we are lucky enough to see them almost everyday!

Next we can see the entrance to our home … Majestic Oaks Carefree RV Resort! We are home, it is great to be home … but we are already thinking about our next two lane adventure!

Heading West With No Destination In Mind - Part Nine

We departed the Albany RV Resort on Route 19 north and made the mandatory U-turn to head south.

In the town of Camilla we found the Balfour Pole Company. The wintry weather kept this utility pole supply company busy. Products from Balfour Pole Company are often in high demand during hurricane season. But winter storms can also knock down utility poles. The company sends 40 truckloads a week to treating companies in Valdosta and Alabama. The pole peeler processes more than 300 poles a day. The shavings are sent up to this boiler to be burned. The finished poles sit in these dry kilns for three days before going to treating companies that frame the poles to be used to hold power lines.

Along the same stretch of 19, is the Equity Group Georgia Division. This company engages in hatching, growing, slaughtering, and processing chickens for distribution. It was formerly known as Cagle Foods. The company was founded in 1957 and is based in Camilla, Georgia.

In Meigs, we saw a sign for the Four Corners Gin Company. We were thinking Gin, the kind you drink … but, no, no, no … it is a company specializing in cotton ginning. A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, allowing for much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.

In Thomasville is the best local bakery around, The Bread Wagon Bakery. The name dates back to the 1800's, when baked goods were delivered through cities much like the well known milk delivery wagons.  Their baked goods are all fresh and are intended to be used in 5 days or frozen.  They add no artificial preservatives.  Refrigeration can help prevent molding on breads but will tend to dry out most baked goods.  Almost all baked goods are pretty happy frozen but as we all know, they are best eaten fresh!

The first city we came to in Florida was Monticello, it is named after Monticello, the estate of the county's namesake, Thomas Jefferson. Monticello is home to Indian mounds and many historic buildings including the Perkins Opera House. Monticello’s historic 19th century opera house still features regular musical performances, as well as theater productions and musicals. The first floor ballroom also holds receptions on a regular basis. Annually, Monticello hosts a Watermelon Festival. The area is well known for an agricultural heritage and a rural atmosphere reminiscent of "old Florida". Local farms began growing watermelons during the late 1800's. The soil and weather proved to be a great combination for the watermelon crops. By 1884, Jefferson County was considered the top watermelon seed supplier in the world. Prominent seed supplier William M. Girardeau became very successful after he developed the first commercial machine for separating the seeds from the watermelons.

Monticello is "A Main Street Community" and proud of it. At the very center of the city, in the center of a traffic circle, is the beautiful and historic Jefferson County Courthouse, which is depicted on the welcome sign. Nestled among the tree lined streets of Monticello are many antebellum homes which provide a unique look and feel to the city. During the depression of the 1930s, many of the residents of Monticello could not afford to build new homes and the houses were renovated or restored. Today, these homes offer tourists a rare glimpse of the original architectural styles which prevailed in the south prior to the civil war.
At the traffic circle, we came around the courthouse and out of the circle onto FL Route 90 East.

The City of Madison has a Historic District featuring the Wardlaw-Smith House (also known as the Smith Mansion.) In 1972, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Just outside of Madison was a road name that really intrigued me … Roller Coaster Hill … The funny thing was, it was a pretty level road, why would anyone name a flat road as Roller Coaster Hill?! Something that makes you go … hhhmmmmmmm…

The small Town of Lee, population less than 400, has a big motto “Little but Proud.” It is where heaven smiles down on earth. The Town of Lee is a haven from the stress of big city life. Our residents have created a tranquil atmosphere that offers total relaxation for both mind and body. Chartered in 1909, the Town of Lee is said to have originated in the mind of Greenberry Haven, a pioneer of the pre-civil war era.

We crossed over the Suwannee River. It is a wild blackwater river, about 246 miles long. The Suwannee River is the site of the prehistoric Suwanee Straits which separated peninsular Florida from the panhandle. What is a blackwater river? It is a river with a deep, slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands.

The Historic Town of Live Oak, Why is it historic? The Union Depot and Atlantic Coast Line Freight Station (also known as the Railroad Passenger Depot and Freight Station) is a historic site in Live Oak. The station was built at one of two junctions of an Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Seaboard Air Line Railroad lines. The two railroads merged in 1967 to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. In April 1986, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Today, only the former SAL line survives. The Suwannee County Historical Museum is located in the depot. Exhibits include a telephone display, a 16th-century Timucaun Indian Village recreation and local history artifacts.

We finished our day in Lake City by stopping at the In & Out Campground. We met up with some of our Majestic Oaks family here at In & Out and enjoyed an afternoon of visiting and dinner at Olive Garden. Tomorrow we both will make the final leg home to Zephyrhills via FL 90, FL 100 and Route 301.

Heading West With No Destination In Mind - Part Eight

 We left the Jellystone Campground in Bremen Georgia and went east on 78, turning south back onto Route 27.

We entered Carrollton and skirted the edge of Historic Banning Mills, home to the World’s Largest & Longest Zip Line. Their mission in Historic Banning Mills and at Screaming Eagle Zipline Canopy Adventures is to help preserve God's creation by merging fun and exhilarating experiential adventure challenges with natural and historic educational opportunities. The adventurous part of my mind says stop, stop, let’s do this … the more sane side of my mind says “are you nuts, keep on driving!” The longest and largest zip line canopy tour course in the world has been verified by two Guinness World Records.
We saw Mail Pouch Tobacco Barns earlier in our two lane adventure, in Carrollton we saw an old general merchandise store painted with its name and the Coca-Cola logo. In Roopville Georgia there was a storage building painted with WE Johnson Sweet Potato Curing and the Coca Cola logo. Both were very pretty, it makes me want to really watch for more of them!

In Georgia, if you are traveling on Route 27, it has been designated as the Martha Berry Highway, who is Martha Berry? US 27 was designated the Martha Berry Highway by the Georgia State Legislature. It was named after Martha Berry, she was the founder of Berry College in Rome.

We turned off 27 onto 109 East. It was on 109 East that we found Ringer Park. This 25,000-acre reservoir is operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It is surrounded by deep forests and rolling fields. West Point Lake extends 35 miles along the Chattahoochee River on the AL-GA state line. The park offers excellent facilities, including camping, and an abundant largemouth bass population makes West Point Lake a great choice for all campers and anglers.

In Greenville, we found the perfect small plot of land to buy! The Double O Ranch is for sale. For a small amount of eleven million you too could own this 750-acre farm. This property is the perfect retreat or horse farm. It includes an early 1800’s farm house on the historic register. It also has stables, barns, a maintenance shop, fabrication shop and grain silos. Along with the farm house there is a guest house, ranch hand house and corporate offices. A deep well and spring supply water. There are 8 lakes for fishing, excellent fencing, pasture grasses, cover crops and mature hardwoods and pines. Popular with avid hunting and fishing sportsmen, the Double O has been carefully developed in to an excellent habitat for deer, turkey, quail, dove and ducks. The property is fully secured and gated and has 15 miles of roads.

Greenville also has a unique traffic circle in the center of town. The center of the traffic circle is where the County Courthouse is located.

In Thurston, you can find one of Georgia's most peaceful outdoor recreation areas, Sprewell Bluff Park. The enormous park features 10 picnic sites with grills, a scenic lake that allows private crafts (motor size limits), hiking trail, and several streams. Fishing is permitted in the park's lake and streams in season.

This little-known gem on the free flowing Flint River is one of this County’s greatest assets. It rests in the Plains Region of Georgia offering an outdoor haven for water sport enthusiasts. Paddle boaters, and anglers are attracted to the 1,372-acre park. Rocky bluffs and a mixture of pine and hardwoods grace the Flint River shores.


In Thomaston, we turned south onto Route 19. Before we turned onto Route 19, we got a very good look at a Muriel on the wall of a downtown building. It is a well maintained depiction of days gone by!

Entering the small town of Butler, we were lucky to watch a very crazy fawn running around on the edge of the road. It was enjoying itself in the sunshine, we are sure that the fawn’s mother was close by, just out of sight!

We passed by many Pecan Orchards, some were full of mature trees; others were a mix of new plantings and older trees. Do you know how are they harvested? Wow, I looked it up on line … it is a labor intensive process!

We arrived in Albany Georgia and spent the night at Albany RV Resort right on Route 19. It was a newer park, but had many great amenities for the overnight traveler. Most all the sites were pull-thru, all had a large concrete pad for your rig and your awning.

The restrooms were the best we have had on this trip and a very helpful and friendly staff! Another great find from the Good Sam Directory! Stay tuned for the final legs of our two lane adventure!