Some time when I set off I have no selected game plan, I don't know where I'll be going or where I'll end up. I kind of enjoy that style of riding for there are times ya find the strangest and weirdest things that people build, design and create. Somettimes is just some awesome food like there in South Jersey in a purple house in the marches, or a crazy bar up in the hills of PA. Then there are times ya walk in someplace and feel like a rock star like I did in the center of South Florida, or ya just blend in. Going with out a plan gives ya some freedom but I suggest when ya ride like this have a toothbush, and extra T shirt packed on board cause sometimes ya just keep going until ya can't go any further.I haven't taken my self out for a self date in awhile and I was thinking its time to self date myself to nowhere. When I thought about it, the Talking Heads song came to mind. I can't recall the actual road I took to get where I was but I do know that I had crossed some that I've traveled before. I kind of zig zaged along the GA and FL border just with no particular direction in mind, then sort of criss crossed my way north. I was just in cruising mode. Its one of them times when things aren't overwhelming to deal with, but just tired of others nonsense. I don't need folks bitching at me, or nagging me to do anything, I take care of business in my time not yours. So when I get tired of folks telling me what to do even though they mean well sometimes I just go.
I realized that I went too far when I started to see South Carolina plates and a lot of them. One of the pleasures of riding the south are some of the charming little towns. They have some amazing city halls that are still standing or they might have neat little town squares. It's small town America revisited when most of America was still small towns. For some reason I love the old town squares and City halls, old graveyards, old Victorian homes, Souther Plantations, Light houses and big old sailboats. Don't ask Its just what I like. I find the weird and bizare museums neat as well. However on this ride I got so curious as to which little town I passed thru had the best city hall I really didn't realize I was well into South Carolina and me I didn't pack and extra anything not even a tooth brush but it was still early so I could head home no big deal. I went east, and south. I cam upon 95 and jumped on it. Glad I did too it took me about 45 minutes to get to the GA border. For some reason crossing the South Carolna border always makes me smile here, they've got them palm trees and the American flag, on that big wall. Its been that way since I'was like 9 years old.
Once over the GA border I got off on route 17 and headed south. 17 is a nice coastal road that runs a good length of the southern east coast before it gets lost in the mix of other roads. I don't remember ever taking 17 south from this point but I did. It wasn' t in the best condition a road could be in but then again I wasn't that far north from a big city. Here the roads a little dirty with trash and such scattered around. It always makes me sad to see such things. This area it not time to think in my own world as there was a very busy and hostile world going on around me, this only lasted minutes till the roadway quited down and once agan became the little country road known as 17 coastal highway. I rode right past the sign and turned around and went back. I like the weird and since this was a self date I can do whatever I want to do whenever I want and seeing this oddity is right up my alley. I pulled into the parking lot, which was shaded
by the large oak trees in the court yard of the Smallest Church in America there was a big statue of Jesus wich was dedicated to all those seeking the Lords guidence. There were statues of Angels and the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Bell tower located next to the church and well an American Flag flying high above. off to the left there was a fire pit and some wooden benches and a pinic table. It was very quite and a number of birds were about there was a steady breeze cooling the area down. I sat at the pinic bench for a few minutes as I drank some water I had bought at the last gas stop. I don't know if its the smallest church in America or not but it was about the size of the average little garden shed. I decided to go into the building and look around, not that I had much to look at I imagined after all how much could actually be in there? I walked up to the door expecting the building to be locked but it wasn't. There were six wooden chairs on each side with a small pulpit. There wouldn't be a choir in here that's for sure. There were stained glass windows, and notes pasted all over the walls. I went in and singed the guest book. The notes were from people all over the country, and missing person notices poems for loved ones, offerings, baseball team pictures, family pictures, class pictures, and business cards from all over. I left my business card before I left as well. What poped into my mind was wow this would be a perfect place for the small biker wedding or second or thrid wedding. No no, now I don't have any offers hell I'm here dating myself for goodness sakes,
After taking a few photos of the place I headed south on 17. It was a week day so traffic shouldn't be much of a problem. The skies were blue there was a light breeze it was warm but no overwhelming not even for this time of the day. Tress gave was to marshes and small little bridges crossed over creeks. Some of the Creeks had Great Blue Herions and Egrets fishing the side streams or trees filled with nesting Egrets, once in a while Ospreys would be flying over head hunting the water ways. I think Egrets are suck graceful birds. Their long necks, and legs, and their feather are white and crisip against the blues of the water and greens of the marshes. The salty brin mix of the air isn't pleasent to smell at times, but It signals my brain to chill for the ocean isn't that far away. It makes me think of the times when I was a kid and we'd pile in the car and Mom and a neighbor would head off to the shore. We had one of them big ass tanks of a car, a 1966 Ford Farilane.Yeah man the sleeper of a muscle car in its time. However today, folks love them, small block V-8's. I remember us heading out all excited cause we were going to the beach yeah! We'd go to Atlantic City or Brigattine. She'd take us straight down route 30, past Ideal. That little jingle poped into my head "take the wheel of your automobile and swing on down to ideal", we'd go past the giant wine bottles of the two whineries located along 30 and then it would be miles of woods with the occational house, farm, or business utnil we reached the shore areas. Man that was a long time ago and I bet since the last time I was there it has completely changed too. Pitty because NJ really did and still does have some beautiful areas in it. When most folks think of NJ they think of Jersey City, Perth Amboy, Elizabeth, but to us south Jerseians that's an extention of New York City. I'm talking down south Jearsy the majority of it was woods, and farms.I know its not now and its a dam shame too. 
I continued on 17 past Mudbug Charlie's ya know I've got to try that place some time. The last time I past here the marinia was empty now it was full with pleasure cruisers of all kinds. I was heading into New Brunswick and here just nort of Brunswick 17 is still a quite little country road but it won't be for long. It's the gate was to St. Simon's Isle and Jekyl Islands. I easily cruised through this area with only a few stares and what not. I don't get it folks ought to be used to motorcycles in the area there are tons of them so why do they always seem to stare? sometimes it makes me real uncomfortable. For I"m one whom likes to blend into the scenery and kind of go stealth, but it doesn't really happen that way. Oh I love the New Bruswick Bridges its not as tall or long as the Dam's Point in Jacksonville but it almost looks like the same designer designed it. Once across the bridge there's a little stretch of march lands, there's a road right on the other side that takes ya to Jekyl Island and the other continues south. I went throught the confusion of the interchange with 95. and was about 2 hours from home which was nice as the sun was sitting there on the horizan.
This last stretch of 17 is really just a bunch of small towns some almost past dead, other being revitalized. There are many abandoned buildings and business, cars, trains. One day I'd like to get a group of folks together and do "T's Totally Trashed Tour" The idea would be to make up a story about each place, and well have one of the members of this ride, would live or work there. I'd just like to do something like that for fun. But for somereason all the folks I know would never do anything like that. My questions is this why do ya take something that is supposed to be about fun and freedom and turn it into something serious. Really, I just like to be gooffy and have a great time. I don't get why folks worry about if someone they don't know thinks they are cool or not. Personally I don't give a dam about what anyone thinks. The only folks that really matter to me are the ones that know me and by now they've learned that I just want to have my self a good time and 99% of the time the only one I've ever hurt, embarsed, shamed or anything else has been me. I crossed over the Blue little grated bridge on the St. Mary's River and see the UGLYEST welcome to Florida sign I have ever seen. I think this welcome since has been here since the 50's. It just open scalped bricks with a background of blue concrete with big letters on it reading Florida. I guess some day I ought to get a picture of that one. But I was home state home, I passed the inspection station and headed towards Yulee. I passed trailer row where the trailers are queen and grass is just passed not underfoot. Everyone wants to race here as they approadch state road 200 I don't get it is marked 35 but they do like 65 70 here and its no passing, and are shocked when they get a ticket and the car or truck is hauled off. The American Red Neck is an interesting breed of folk. I'm not talking country for there is a difference between country and redneck trust me. I crossed the small intercoastal bridges and was greeted by the welcome to Fernandina Beach sign. Before I knew I was back on 8th street heading for home. Hey have a great one! "T"
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