May 17 Update #2

Update from Jim, sent the evening of May 17:

I so screwed up.  I followed my maps, but I did them
wrong.  Instead of staying on US 17 all the way to
Jacksonville, I turned on A1A and ended up too far
north, on Amelia Island.  I added so many miles
uselessly and ended up too far north.  I'm at the Best
Western just off the ocean.  Tomorrow I'll have to
retrace my route in order to head south.  I will have
added an entire day to the tour.  Oh well, guess I'll
have a relaxing dinner.  Can't be more than 200 miles.

I'll check mapquest.  The only thing
that bothers the old body is numb hands, but that will
be better soon.

J

May 17 Update

Update from Jim, sent on May 17:

I'm writing from the Woodbine, Ga Research Library,
but I should start with yesterday, when I left Savannah
traveling south on US 17.  It seems to be the main
road from everywhere to everywhere along the coast.
 
My amazing host, Eric Woodell, strongly suggested I
stay at the Forest Hostel just south of Brunswick.  I
did.  Didn't want to leave.  Peace and quiet after so
many days on the road with trucks and SUVs.  My second
best meal of the tour last night. An indescribable
goulash of beans and papaya and who-knows-what.  A
delicious, nondescript tomato soup full of lots of
stuff and home-made bread.
 
Slept in the "Mushroom Room".  Surrounded by
chickens.  Clean, compostable latrines, outdoor
showers, skinny dipped in the lake and woke to a
strange rooster who hadn't received the
cock-a-doodle-doo memo.  Breakfast was my own peanut
butter, wheat thins and golden raisins.  I
inadvertently shared it with a small squirrel by
leaving it on the deck unattended.   So wonderful.
Ian and Michelle Have to spend a weekend here.   I
have soooo many photos, but I think I'm on dial-up, so
they may have to wait.
 
On the road, quite a difference between yesterday
and today.  Yesterday, Rt 17 was (is) so fllaaat and
so straaaight that I felt I could see the horizon.
That wasn't necessarily good, as that was my
destination.  Today, south of Brunswick I began
realizing that I was riding into smoke.  I have a photo
at the Waverly Minit Mart where I thought you could
see the smoke.   Well, here in Woodbine it has
continued to deteriorate.  I timed the cars (pickups)
passing me and disappearing into the haze. 15 seconds.
If they're doing 60mph, the visibility now is down to
1/4 mile.  I took a second photo of the Santilli River
from the Edwin M (Fat) Heally Memorial Bridge where
you can recognize the severity of the haze.  The folks
here say their cars are covered with fire dust every
morning.  A lady at the Minit Mart said, "He don't
even pay no attention to me and his younguns when he
sees me".  Oh shit, that's a different conversation.
 
Florida is only 14 miles away.  You can warn Oprah
and the high school band that I should be there around
2:00 pm. 

May 15 Update

Update from Jim, sent on May 15:

Savannah is a very hip town.  Spent last night (and
again tonight) with Eric Woodall, a Global Freeloaders
host.  Great!  He invited friends over and we all
shared rice and beans and bear.  This morning Jonathan
and Sarah came for me and another roomie (Anthony),
took us shopping and to their house for breakfast.

21st Century hippies rock.

The wall hanging is a BMW front hood.  The back of
the car is in the livingroom.  I forgot to photograph
it.

That's us (them) at Publix, stocking up.  When was
the last time you were in the back seat of a Beetle
convert?

Spent all afternoon yesterday cycling around
historic Savannah.  Ten miles on top of the short 36
from Beaufort to Savannah.  Eric Woodall is an amazing
guy.  Bright and interesting, quiet and gentle.  He
has three roommates.  Anthony moved out today and is
on his way to NJ's Atlantic Highlands.  Melissa and
Justin, not roomies glommed onto these interesting
people when their band bus broke down in Savannah.
Cool younguns.  Albania Mania plays Clesmer.  Have to
look for them.

More later

May 14 Update

Update from Jim which was sent on May 14:

Savannah at 12:30  Monday.  I feel like I cheated
because I had to ride only 42 miles.  My computer
reads 36, but the road signs read 42 after I had
ridden 2+.

Cheated too because I was prohibited from crossing
the bridge into Savannah.  I'm glad, because it was
long and dangerous.

Why such a beautiful bridge should sit ignobly at
the end of a perfectly crappy highway (US 170)?  One
lane in each direction with an even crappier shoulder,
high speed vehicles and BIG trucks.  On a two lane
road like that, my practice (Thanks Nate) is to take
the lane and force the vehicles to move left to pass
me.  Works a lot better than hugging the right white
line and having the vehicles force me over.  But not
on this road.  Glad it's over.

Back to the bridge:  When I read the "No Bicycles"
sign and examined the bridge, I fell in line.  No GSP
here.  I retraced my path to allow good Samaritans
room to brake and pull over, stuck out my thumb, and
the second vehicle, a gleaming white van stopped.
Thanks to Cesar Angeles.  A delightful and generous
Mexican Immigrant who runs his own business, CAF
Construction.  I'll ride around until I can contact my
Savannah host.

Last night I hosted Ryan Powell.  I sent you his
photo yesterday.  He's been walking about three weeks.
Check out his website: Aimlessmovie.com

I met him earlier Sunday on Rt 17 and gave him my
phone #.  He took me up on my offer, after accepting a
ride from a Parris Island couple who dropped him at my
hotel (Comfort Inn).  I provided a clean room and a
shower, so I feel as though Cesar paid back my
generosity.

More about Savannah when I discover it.  Really
enjoyed Charleston, but it's pretty touristy.
Beaufort is far smaller (but touristy).  Very
enjoyable.  Beaufort, NC is pronounced bowefert.
Beaufort, SC is pronounced biufert.

Love,
J

May 13 Update

Jim's update, sent on May 13:

Made it to Beaufort, SC this evening at 5:00.  I found
the day difficult.  Stopped many times for nutrition
and water.  Even had a can of Nutrement.  Foolishly
bought a one pound box of raisins in Charleston and
weighed myself down with it without ever opening it.
 
As I entered Beaufort (US Rt 21 near Parris Island
and just past Naval Air field) a black sky and wind
buffeted me.  Debris and sand pelted me across the
highway.  I turned around and went to the last hotel I
had passed, Comfort Inn-Beaufort, 2227 Boundary St,
Beaufort, SC 29902.  843-525-9366.

I showered and quickly put on a bathing suit and
headed for the whirlpool.  While I was showering it
had rained and stopped, so my timing was helpful.

I guess I'll see Beaufort tomorrow before I leave
for Savannah.  Savannah should be nearer since I made
all those miles today.  One of my internet hosts has
come through for Savannah, so I'll save some money
there.

I'm dripping all over the lobby, so I'll come back
later with camera and usb wire and hope to send some
pics.

Love you all,

J

May 12th Update

Update from Jim, sent on May 12th:

Hi.  Slept till 8:30.  Passed up the ibuprophen in
favor of using my muscles and joints for other
purposes.  Breakfast was at the door.  Took a photo,
but the library system blocks them.  I'll try later at
the College of Charleston.

Dinner last night at a joint I mistook for a local.
Turned out to be Jennine's Kitchen, a Charleston
landmark.  I was early, but by the time I left, the
tourists were lined up for my table.  As you might have
guessed in these reports, I don't consider myself a
tourist (read pompous ass) so I search out locals and
local places.  Discovered "Rice Paddy's" in
Georgetown.  I know I'm throwing Ian's chronology off.

Met a local at the bar.  Intended to have my first
beer since Atlantic City and ended up having two and a
half and a very good, very expensive dinner.
 
Well, last night's dinner at Jennine's Kitchen beat
it by yards.  Seared catfish with a chopped tomato
sauce (Tomatoes, basil, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and
horseradish).  They threw in several tomato slices at
the last minute to wilt and served all with collards
and lumpy mashed potatoes.  The best restaurant dinner
I've had in a year.  Oh, yes, also the best pecan pie
with icecream.
 
Route 17 through SC was uneventful.  Stopped for
nutrition every 10 to 15 miles.  Pretty warm.  It's
hot this morning in Charleston.  Virtually nothing to
see between Georgetown and Mount leasant, but
strangely there are AME churches scattered every
several miles.  South Carolina has no helmet laws and
virtually no shoulders. As I entered Mount Pleasant
just before the Charleston bridge, traffic got nasty
and I found myself buzzed several times.  I decided to
"take" the right lane and force the traffic into the
left.  Got only one nasty horn and shout and a lot
more feeling of safety.  Wait till you see pics of
this bridge.  The longest I pedaled this tour.
 
Charleston is a tourist Mecca.  Mule-drawn tour
carts, walking tours, and lots of visitor help.  When
you see the two houses I photographed you'll smile at
this story.  Someone (Jimmy, I think) told me that in
the 17th and 18th centuries, the town fathers set up the
tax structure to rate people's homes based on their
street frontage length.  Sooo, they built all their
houses sideways to minimize taxes.
 
More later.  Going to be hot today.

Love,
J

Hiatus

I've been on hiatus, not Jim. We were in Houston for this past week and we never got online. But we are back now and, as soon as I can get through the 116 new e-mails, I'll post what Jim has sent.

But I do know that he is in Daytona, Beach...a mere 2 - 3 hour car drive from our home, so he will be at our place on Wednesday night.