February
5
I
leave St. Augustine at 8:10 a.m. to begin the trek north. The temperature is 56
degrees and it’s raining. Only a right-hand turn is allowed and then it’s a
scoot across three lanes to the left to do a U-turn, then I-95 is an immediate
right. It’s a good thing I asked because my sense of direction is off. I
thought north would be a left onto the interstate, not right.
Traffic
is heavy, but moves along in spite of the rain. I’m not going to be able to get
photos with the windshield wipers going. I decide to take the I-295 beltway
around the city of Jacksonville. That might not be a smart move as the traffic
is stop and go, bumper to bumper, for half an hour. A Patti Griffin CD keeps me from boredom and
the singing helps the time go by. When was the last time I sang? It feels good.
The beltway crosses Marion Creek and the St. John River on the N. Dames Point
Bridge; a huge cable-stayed bridge like those that had so thrilled me on the
2013 trip. Up and up and over; aieeee!
Forty
five minutes later, I am back on I-95N.
The
St. Mary’s River is crossed at 9:30 a.m. and a quick stop is made at the
Georgia VIC. I am sad leaving Florida. I wanted more bird pictures. I wanted to
explore more. I get a little weepy. Stop! No regrets! I did what I did and
loved it. There will have to be other times to come back and make new
discoveries and revisit favorite places. The plan is to drive through this
state and get into South Carolina before stopping for the night. I take a
little stretch and am soon back on the interstate.
The
rain becomes lighter and more periodic. Many creeks and rivers are crossed and
I hold the camera up to catch shots of the Brunswick and Turtle rivers. By now,
I’m quite hungry as I didn’t have anything for breakfast. I stop at I-Hop in
Brunswick for strawberry and banana pancakes. I can’t eat them all and I’m back
on the road by 10:50 a.m. after getting gas for $2.09/gl for a total of $20.09.
How’s that for numbers?
The
Savannah River is crossed into South Carolina at noon and at 1:45 p.m., I check
into a Comfort Inn & Suites in Santee at Exit 98. The temperature is 61
degrees and I’ve driven 1,596.3 miles. At first, the desk clerk said I couldn’t
check in until three, but then found a room that was ready. This woman is
probably the least friendly person I’ve come in contact with on this entire
trip. She didn’t make me feel welcome at all. If I wasn’t so achy, I’d continue
to the next Comfort Inn.
I
settle in to a less than great room. There was a bit of a musty smell when I
opened the door. It’s dark, drab, and depressing. The bathroom door slams shut
and makes me feel I’m being locked in. It looks like it might have, at one
time, been a hallway door before they went to card keys. There’s one easy chair
squeezed into the corner between the bed and wall. There’s no way to watch TV
from that corner and the large footstool that matches the chair wouldn’t fit
beside the bed and the heater. The desk chair, when I push back, hits the bed. Do
I sound crabby? I am. I’m tired, achy, and I am used to friendlier people down
here.
I
get my work started for the week as I plan a lot of driving tomorrow to make
Fredericksburg.
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