Day 8 of Eastbound, with the Hammer Down … Not Really! – Georgia to Florida

Where we stayed last night, was in front of the US 19 Dragway. US 19 Dragway is an 1/8 mile all concrete strip. It is under new management. Bobby Childs, known in the racing circuit as "The Wild Child" along with his wife, daughter, son and other family members have stepped up to the plate to manage the racing facility. US 19 Dragway has been a well known landmark in South Georgia for a number of years and according to Bobby, we want to continue the tradition and take it to a higher and more competitive level. Bobby is family

oriented and Drag Racing should be a family oriented sport. US 19 Dragway offers a competitive race schedule on weekends throughout the season, attracting racers from all over the state and out of state areas. As an extra incentive to racers, attractive cash pay outs are offered to winners. Friday Nights event was a "Test-N-Tune" and Street Drag. We stood by the fence and watched for a while, but we are near the end of the track and the gnats were out in force!

Along US 19 between Albany Georgia and Camilla Georgia there was a lone battle flag flying. The Confederate States of America went through three different flags during the Civil War, but the battle flag wasn’t one of them. Instead, the flag that most people associate with the Confederacy was the battle flag of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Designed by the Confederate politician William Porcher Miles, the flag was rejected for use as the Confederacy’s official emblem, although it was incorporated into the two later flags as a canton. It only came to be the flag most prominently associated with the Confederacy after the South lost the war.

Vann Farms is along US 19, outside of Camilla, Georgia. This family farm does more than just grow and harvest hundreds of acres of traditional row crops. During the spring season, they offer guided field trips of their strawberry farm, peach orchard, bee hives, tomato, watermelon and cantaloupe patches, as well as their flower and herb gardens. During the fall harvest season, they offer guided educational field trips of their peanut and cotton harvest. They also have a sugar cane mill which has been set up for observation of the process. Their vegetable and fruit farming operation is adjacent to a beautiful pond site, with ducks, turtles, and fish. The pond is used for crop irrigation. All tours offer a wonderful opportunity to observe a working farm in action. It is great to see a small family business willing to share with the community!

The city of Camilla, Georgia was incorporated in 1858. The name Camilla was chosen in honor of the granddaughter of Henry Mitchell, an American Revolutionary War general for whom Mitchell County was named. Their city slogan is "growing toward tomorrow." They do a great deal for their citizens and their youth. They still have medians lined with flowering trees. 




This community has been named "Tree City USA" for 11 years. The first weekend in May the City of Camilla Celebrates a not-so adorable pest with one of the best festivals in the South “Gnat Days”. Gnat Days begin on Friday with a 5-K Fun Run. Saturday starts with the Gnat Days Bike Race, Taster’s Luncheon, Gnat Market, and Gnat Merchant’s Sale. The day concludes with the “Under the Oaks with the Gnats” dance on Saturday night. Wow, for an unappealing insect, they certainly have a big part in this event!

Pelham, Georgia has a community slogan of "A Special Place." Pelham was named for Major Pelham of Civil War renown, has a grand history as a commercial epicenter of the Southwest Georgia agricultural community. During its heyday the Hand Trading Company attracted shoppers throughout Southwestern Georgia. The building was built in 1916 by J. L. Hand the father of Virginia Hand Callaway of Callaway Gardens fame. This beautiful building has been well maintained and has been restored.The City of Pelham is a Better

Hometown Community. Each year, thousands of people gather in Pelham to experience the best in local food, photography, arts and crafts, and educational vendors. The Wildlife Festival was originally named the "Gold Leaf Festival" as an ode to one of the largest agriculturally produced crops in the region - tobacco.  The name was changed to the Wildlife Festival and that's what it has remained for over 20 years. Although visitors come for the festival, they also enjoy touring our local downtown area and the shops located within our historic district.  Many local merchants are open throughout the day of the festival and offer unique, quality items.  The store owners offer a taste of Southern hospitality and true customer service. It is also home to the Pelham Jamboree held every Saturday night. It is a growing musical phenomenon at the Pelham Jamboree building. Musicians play a variety of music with country, bluegrass, and gospel as the predominant favorites. Bring your pickin’ instrument, admission is free.  Other events such as a “Slice of Summer” and the Pelham Wildlife Art Auction complete the warm community feel present here. 

Thomasville, Georgia both the city and county are believed to have been named for Major General Jett Thomas, a member of the State Militia during the war of 1812. Without a railroad until 1861, Thomas County residents became largely self-sufficient. Agriculture was diversified and business methods were modernized. With the advent of the Civil War, Thomasville played an important role in the Confederate cause by supplying goods and men. The war itself touched the county only briefly when Federal prisoners were sent to Thomasville from Andersonville in late 1864. During the late 1800s, Thomasville became known as the “Winter Resort of the South.” In the beginning of this era, Northerners and other visitors came to Thomasville for their health, breathing the pine-scented air as a curative

for pulmonary ailments. They were soon joined by friends to enjoy hunting, fishing, and an active social life, including golf, horse racing, and bicycling. Thomasville came to represent the best of Southern hospitality with the lavishness of the resort lifestyle. Thomasville’s luxurious hotels regularly hosted America’s wealthiest families as their guests.

Once discovered that it cost less to purchase land than rent hotel rooms, these wealthy families bought property and built grand Victorian mansions and plantation homes. Many of these plantations are still owned by the families who built them and are visited year round. Many of the “winter cottages” built during the 1880s have been restored. There is a rich heritage in Thomas County, and the community works hard to guard and preserve its history and tradition. In January 2016, Thomasville was officially designated as the state’s “Rose City” during Tourism Day at the Capitol.   

Oh, getting closer to home! We crossed from Georgia into Florida along US 19! Just inside the border of Florida we found the Sunnyside Convenience Center, they are not selling much sunshine anymore! There were some nice picnic tables with covers, but they were overgrown with the weeds too!

This is the first time I noticed Gulf Hammock, Florida on US 19. The sign for Gulf Hammock, sitting alone on U.S. 19 between a defunct convenience store and a tiny post office serving a couple of hundred residents, is at the last flashing light before the one where you turn off to Cedar Key. On of our favorite Florida Folk Artists, Will McLean, wrote about Gulf Hammock. Gulf Hammock, Florida the place where Florida time has still stood still. "Wild Hog" is a song written by the Florida legend Will McLean. Will, the ultimate literary constructionist, was speaking to a college class when a student brought up Wild Hog and asked an extremely convoluted question about whether the hog was a symbol for evil and whether the use of brown and yellow sand meant there was opportunity for redemption ... and. ... "Son," Will interrupted him, "it's just a song about a pig."

We came into Crystal River, known as the Gem of Florida's beautiful Nature Coast is designated as an Outstanding Florida Waterway and offering ample opportunities for boating, diving, swimming, fishing as well as a variety of Manatee viewing. The attractions, the warm and welcoming folks and a relaxing way of life, makes coming and staying at Crystal River easy to do Enjoy the history, parks, and natural beauty of Crystal River.

We decided to stay at an old favorite for the night. Homosassa River RV Resort, it used to be a Carefree sister park. We did get to see our friends daughter, Leigha. This is our temporary home for one night. Duey Does It, should have our home opened tomorrow, so we will head for our home in the morning!