The
morning was overcast so I was surprised to step out of the hotel and feel the
humidity. The sun looked like it was trying to break through. The odometer read
15477.3, it was 77 degrees and I drove out of the parking lot at 9:50 a.m. Before
I left Port Orange, I drifted around the breakfast counter, but nothing
appealed to me. After an hour on the road, I was hungry. I’d been seeing Waffle
House restaurants all over the place and decided to try one out. I’d also been
seeing signs for Florida Citrus and Souvenirs and both establishments were
right next door to each other.
I
ordered a classic waffle with strawberries and a side of bacon. I should have
understood the menu better. What it said was strawberry and I should have
realized that it didn’t mean real strawberries. This syrup substance was cooked
in the batter which meant the waffle was gooey. Yuck. I was too hungry to
complain and it took so long to get this one, I didn’t want to wait for them to
make me a new one. I ate almost all of it… barely choking it down.
The
place was filthy and when I had to use the rest room, the floor was soaked and
there was a big bucket in the sink. I’m not even going to guess what that
meant. I forgot to ask what town I was in because no one should go there.
Although I say that, but there were regulars because customers were called by
name.
Back
on Rte. 95N, I ran into rain. That slowed most the traffic, but not all. I
mostly stayed in the middle lane and sometimes people passed on both sides.
Sometimes I passed, but always on the left. I worried about being caught for
speeding with all the camera traps and planes. It’s kind of scary to think
someone is taking your picture all the time. I don’t like it.
The
Georgia line was crossed at 12:30 p.m., odometer read 15604.9 and it was 80
degrees. I stopped at the Welcome Center Rest Stop. It was a good thing I didn’t
get on Rte. 17 already. The lady there said if I did, I’d end up on the bridge
crossing into South Carolina. She had to explain it a couple times. Oh, the
bridge kind of goes OVER the city! Yes. She told me of some options, gave me a
map, and pointed to where coupons and other information were kept. I pulled
some out of the racks and sat down to decide.
This
was one of those times when I struggled. I had liked the Country Inn &
Suites I’d stayed at last night. There was one at exit 94 and another at exit
104. The welcome lady had told me I needed to take Rte. 16 to get into the city
and that’s exit 99. I left the Welcome Center undecided figuring that when the
time came, I’d choose.
There
was some better scenery now. I could see new leaves on trees; you know that
light yellow green of new leaves when the first come out. There were also
bushes with yellow flowers. Could those be forsythia? If they are, they are
tall. Then there were trees with big red… buds? Leaves? They were a darker red
than the little buds that we see in the north in the spring. Plus I began
crossing many rivers and creeks. Exit 5 jumped to something like exit 26, exit
37 and I felt better knowing that I wasn’t going to have to count exits one by
one up to 94.
It
was 2:30 by the time I reached 94 and I decided to call it an early day. I
checked into a Country Inn & Suites with and indoor pool and a hot tub and
this was the least expensive place I’ve stayed yet. I put my bags in my room
(104) just down from the pool and walked across the way to Applebees. I figured
if I went for a swim first, I wouldn’t want to get dressed again to go get
something to eat.
What
do I want to drink? Hmm, I’m in for the night; why not get a big girl drink. Veronica
was a great waitress helping me choose. I ordered a peach sangria made with
white zinfandel, Peachtree schnapps, pineapple juice, lemon and lime soda
topped with fruit slices. It came in a big heavy glass near to overflowing. I
had to stand up to take the first few sips. Oh, my God! Was this good! I could’ve
rolled right over. (Needless to say, I ordered a second before I finished my
meal.)
For
the meal, I ordered my usual Crispy Orange Chicken. They even picked out the
mushrooms for me. I was a happy camper. I was pleased that Veronica was able to
take the time to chat. She lived in N.H. for a few years and her sister still
lives in Manchester. When I asked about sightseeing in Savannah, she called to
the bartender who is more familiar with the area. I thanked Tammy for making a
most awesome drink. She gave me tips on where to go and what to see. It was
great talking to those two women. (I was the only customer at the moment.) I
love it when the wait staff has the time to show some personal interest in
their customers, plus it’s great to find out something about them.
While
I was eating, the manager came over and sat down to check on how things were
going and we had a nice conversation. He said he lives in Charleston and told
me that there are walkways across the Ravenell Bridge. Hmmm, I would love to
get photos from the bridge. Would I be up to walking it? He also suggested
visiting Fort Moultrie which is across from Fort Sumter. He also said he
prefers Charleston over Savannah.
Back
in my room and after setting up the laptop and checking in, I decided to go for
a swim. My cover-up wasn’t in the suitcase and I went out to check the truck.
Not there and then I remembered I left it in the closet at the Hampton Inn in
Stuart, Fla. Ohh, noooo! I am bummed! I never put things in the closet and I
remember (now) hanging it up because it was damp after swimming. I’ll never be
able to get another like it. I bought it in the Caribbean years ago. (It was
one of the only things I could put on when I hurt my back.)
I
still had my swim, sat in the hot tub a bit, and had another swim. That felt
good. Now I’m ready to relax and watch a little television.
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