The travel on GA 96 would not last long; it would take thirty to forty minutes at most. I did stop at a gas station near Warner Robins where years ago a strange old black man stood there talking half to himself and half to me. He said to me/himself, "They asked me if I killed him and I said he was dead when I got here." The most recent stop involved no strange characters. GA 96 has very little offer in the way of scenery. I did notice that some of the farms I remember being along this route were now housing developments. Progress, I suppose.
I turned of 96 on the US 23. The last time I traveled this road was in 1999. There are long vast stretches of nothing with an occasional house, gas station or barn here and there. There was one curious sight. A line of police cars and other law enforcement vehicles sat empty alongside a plowed field. There was nobody sitting in the vehicles or sitting beside them and the field was devoid of life too. As I passed the occasional home I pondered who lived there so far from the city or in some cases the town. This part of the state seems so devoid of industry and in some cases life. Perhaps those who live there enjoy long drives to work or retired to the peace and solitude that comes only in the middle of nowhere.
Progress has not skipped this long stretch of road by. Ten years ago it was a two lane highway. Today it is a divided highway with two lanes going south and two going north. It robs the highway of some of its charm, but gets a body where they are going a little faster. US 23 is not totally devoid of life as there is an occasional town. Sleepy places like Cochran, Hazlehurst and McRae serve to break the monotony of continual farm lands or acres of forests. Some may ask how this differs from the monotony of looking at what the freeway has to offer. The back roads allow one to see homes, small businesses, roadside stands and local diners.The backroads require a slower pace and the occasional town with a few red lights. The slower pace of the back roads offer more to see and more time to see it. In Eastman, GA sits the first ever Stuckey's Pecan stand. There is even a plaque noting that this was once the spot where travelers stopped for their pecans. Where does one go now?
Between GA 96 and McRae there sits some metallic creations spawned by one with a master of the craft and some imagination. I first saw this place 10 years ago. I bet the man in the canoe and the fish he caught once spun, but the wind was not blowing on this day. This camel seems to be aging but holding up well. Speaking of well, I did take a look inside this well to see what would keep me from going to Heaven or Hell. Apparently my fate lies in a cheap mirror (ha ha). There was a lady watering her lawn as I took these pictures but she did not come over to visit or share more about the creator of these metallic wonders. She did allow me to take the pictures though.
A tad further down the road in McRae other craftsmen have been at work. A quick bit of research reveals McRae's own copy of Lady Liberty was erected in 1986 and made from rubbish. Should the folks of McRae be proud or ashamed of this patriotic display? You decide.
A freeway does not offer the same opportunity to enjoy such oddities. I have seen similar things along other backroads and biways. However, the backroads offer something else the bustle of the freeway does not; a look at America's past. I am sure most of you know that a time existed when these backroads were the arteries of transportation for this great nation. It was along these roads that tractor trailers shipped their wares, military convoys made their way around the nation and tourists trudged along in search of a night's rest or their final destination.
I saw remnants of the days gone by as I traveled. In Lumber City, it looks like the economy has collapsed. The Lumber City Diner, which looked like a former Huddle House, was out of business as well as another restaurant. However, I think I saw a liquor store or two still open. It appears the Chic King has went under two as I saw two of them no longer open as I traveled along.
There were plenty of motels that no longer cater to the weary traveler, but more to the transient or other soul who might be down on his or her luck. One eye catching spot was near Folkston, GA. A forgotten Howard Johnson's sits along the road. The palm trees that once gave it a sub-tropical feel still stand but have not been attended in some time. The hotel itself it still there too, but boarded up. Entering Florida, the motels that line the highway are a testament of what was once a thriving industry. A decaying neon sign in Waycross once pointed tourists to a motel built in a narrow alley. The motel was built along the alley, not across it. There was just enough room to park a car and drive through. I considered photographing some of these places for this blog, but I would have no doubt drawn the ire of the obese shirtless men that were sitting outside the doors of at least two of these places. Not all places catered to the direlect. The motel pictured below appears recently closed, but very well maintained. If you have read previous blogs, you will recall The Motel of Broken Dreams. I searched for it on this trip, but either the elements have overtaken it completely or it has been razed to make way for one of the few new businesses I saw along the way. I did look for it though.
As I neared Jacksonville, the nostalgia trip drew to a close as I reentered modern life. I jumped on I-95 to return to high speeds, rapid travel and and little to look at. My return trip was also overcome by today's hussle and bustle as I never left the interstate in my travels.
It was nice to take a break from the norm and take in life's slower pace for a change. However, this would not be a way I prefer to travel regularly. Such roadtrips are better taken when you have time to enjoy them to the max and stop the car and enjoy the out of the way oddities they have to offer. I know I sure did.
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