Travels with Sasha Day 10

 January 30 

It’s a sleepless night and I’m up by 4:30 a.m. That heater went off and on every ten minutes all night long. (I forgot to put it on fan only.) The packing is done and the truck loaded before 8:30. One biscuit with gravy is wolfed down. I can’t wait to get out of Kingsland, Ga.! 

The temperature is 41 degrees and it’s sunny with a few clouds. I photograph a great blue heron chasing off an egret in the pond beside the hotel and am quickly on I-95S and crossing the St. Mary’s River into Florida a few minutes later. A quick stop is made at the Florida VIC, but I don’t get out. A hotel coupon book is not needed as I will be staying with Andrea and Lance, but I do need to check my notes because I’d forgotten to re-look at Google maps to review the directions to Citrus Springs, Fla. Luckily, I had written the general directions in my little book. 

I-295 is taken around Jacksonville and I-10W is taken from that. The driving isn’t exciting. At least the speed limits are 70 mph for the most part. The scenery along Rte. 301S is beautiful horse country. These farms with pristine fences and huge pastures with beautiful trees are refreshing from the interstate driving. I love this. I wish I could take pictures and visit a farm. 

The driving is good until I reach Gainesville. Gainesville is a big college town. I remember my aunt Margaret went to college here around 1947-48. She wouldn’t recognize it now, I bet. This area has me highly nervous. Stop lights after stoplights and as I’m passing through one, I look to the right and see a Rte. 24 sign. Oops, I was supposed to turn. Thank heaven I notice it before I’m miles down the wrong road. I turn around. 

And still it’s a long time getting through the city (at least it feels a long time). The streets are all numbers with directions: NW 57^th Street, SW 118^th Street. Get me out of here! Will I ever see “real” street signs? The road crosses under I-75. I don’t even know if I’m on the right road as a Rte. 24 sign hasn’t been seen in some time. Did I miss another turn? 

A gas station is pulled into (one at a set of lights in case I need to back track) and the atlas is perused. It looks like I’m headed in the right direction. It’s kind of hard to tell because this area is at the spiral center between the two pages of the book. 

Rte. 41S is finally reached and again, this is horse country and old towns, though still mostly a four-lane highway. I pass through Dunnellon, Citrus Springs, and enter Hernando when I figure I’ve gone too far and pull into a little strip mall to call Andrea. Yep, I’m 10 minutes too far down the road. She says she’ll meet me just off the highway and give landmarks to look for and soon I am following her into the development to her house. 

I really like the style of houses around here. They are not all cookie-cutter shaped. Maybe there are some general styles, but there is character to the homes. Andrea shows me around. I love her art work! If only I could paint like that. It’s impressive! She helps get my things into the guest bedroom and we discuss what to do. Am I tired and want to rest? No, I want to do a little sightseeing… just a little. 

We get in her Tahoe and she shows me around Dunnellon (which is the real town that the Citrus Springs development is in). She also points out a few places that have internet service. (I am too tired to work today.) We stop at Swampy’s for lunch. This was a small restaurant, mostly open and we sat outside right on the banks of the Rainbow River. 

“Food always tastes much better when eaten outside,” Andrea says. “And the views here are amazing.” 

Of course, I agree. How could I not with this scenery? The river has a lazy flow and along its banks are cypress trees with Spanish moss hanging from the limbs. We enjoy a nice leisurely lunch then head back home where I change out of my turtleneck long sleeved shirt. We sit out on the back patio to chat and play with the dogs and are soon joined by Lance and their friend Carol Franzen. (Carol and Rich bought a house and Lance and Andrea are helping with renovations.) 

I learn quickly that, as warm as the days may be, once the sun goes down, it gets cold quickly. Long sleeves are donned by everyone, but we continue to chat and laugh. It’s so good to be relaxed with good friends.