We got underway at 8:30 a.m.
leaving Ft Lauderdale and turning our van northward on the I-95's concrete and tarmac for Toronto, pass Pompano, Boca Raton
meaning the Rat Mouth and north. Past Palm Beach and West Palm. Past Juno and Cape Canaveral where mankind was launched into
space. Closing in on Jacksonville named after Andrew Jackson a war hero and President. A much better name then Cow Crossing
that was the original name. Here we turned west and cross the broad St John River and headed for Lake City on Highway 10.
We finally came to I-75 and turned north. This route takes you directly to Detroit and crossing over you are on the 401 and
then heading for home.
As we headed north we came
across Stephen Foster Park. His name may not be familiar but the song he wrote
I am sure you will know. Ready? "Way down upon the Swanee River" and then we passed over
the Swanee. I wish I had the song on my IPod and we could have had some fun playing it at the time. We passed into
Georgia and had to get some gas. The interchange we pulled off on was like a black hole into an another galaxy. We were in
rural Georgia. The accents are real not acted out in a movie. The folks look and talk like Crakers a name probably from when
they drove cattle and cracked a whip. All on the ground around the station were balls of cotton that had obviously fallen
off some collection vehicle. It caused me to sing "I wish I was in the land of cotton where old times are not forgotten" and
Elizabeth counter with "keep your cotton fingers off of me".
We travelled on coming closer
to Atlanta. The travel was four lanes wide and heavy. The plan was to go just beyond it and stop. Around Altanta is a
ring road and we took the western side of the ring to rejoin I-75 again to the north. Elizabeth did most of the driving with
yours truly doing only an hour. When we stopped at 7:30 p.m. in Acworth Georgia north of Atlanta we had travelled for 11 hours
and covered 671 miles. This is the first time I have not been behind the wheel for this long a time and having Elizabeth doing
the driving. She is really hungry to get home and so am I.
We hadn't stop to eat all
day so we sought a restaurant and ended up at Stoney's. I have never tasted such crap in my life. How they continue in business
is beyond me. The place was packed with indiscriminate diners. MacDonald's is a three star Michelin restaurant compared to
this place. Especially their Angus Beef Burger.
As I write this in our hotel
room at around 10 p.m. my co-pilot is sound asleep after having flown most of
the trip home today Yours truly will read for another hour and attempt to go to sleep as well.