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Day 16 - Sunday, July 13, 2003 Alpharetta, GA to Darien, GA 370 miles for the day, 6,238 miles traveled so far. 5:37 in the saddle, 7:30 total time check-out to check-in. Average speed while riding was 65.9 mph. Parks visited this day:
Stamps: Daily Journal: I left late. Partied hard the night before. I was on the road around 10:30. I headed towards Atlanta and then south on I-75 and east on I-16 to Macon. Just west of Macon, I went through a rain shower. I stopped at Ocmulgee NM. I took the walk to the ceremonial lodge, which is inside a mound. While I was inside, the rain arrived. I waited for a brief lull in the rain, jogged to the parking lot, and headed out. I was going a bit fast on the park road, which earned a finger wagging from the ranger headed the other way. I just wanted to get onto the Interstate heading west before the heavier rains came. I missed the onramp somehow and paralleled the Interstate on US-23 for about 12 miles until I decided to make my way back onto the freeway. (US-23 was about to head south, I needed to go east.) Traffic on the freeway was moving at a brisk 85 mph, even the trucks were moving quite fast. I took I-16 into Savanna and then US-80 to Fort Pulaski NM on Cockspur Island along the Savanna River. It was drizzling the whole time I was east of Savanna. Constructed in the 1830's and 40's, it took 25 million bricks to build the fort. It was considered to be as strong as the Rocky Mountains. When Georgia seceded from the Union in January, 1861, the fort went to the Confederate Army. In early 1862, Federal troops on Tybee Island started the bombardment of the fort. At that time, the standard cannon were not accurate at a mile away. But the Federal force had 10 experimental rifled cannon and the shots were accurate and deadly. The fort surrendered after 30 hours of bombardment. The site was left in ruin and in 1933 restoration was started. I headed back to Savanna and then went south on I-95. I went through a few light showers. I knew I wouldn't make the next stamp site before it closed, so I pulled off at Darien (exit 49) and got a room at the Super 8. My decision to stop here was made by a small handmade sign posted on the freeway signs for a BBQ house. It's one of my favorite foods. I checked in at 5:30. The restaurant, Smokey Joe's, was right across the street. Before I went to the roadhouse, I watched a brief bit of TNN. They had been playing Bond movies all week and tonight was Live and Let Die. I happened to watch the boat chase scene, with that memorable Louisiana cop, Sheriff J. W. Pepper. I dawned on me that I was in the deep south. In the restaurant, I was listening the fellas at the table near me discuss the NASCAR race that was on the tube, and they sounded just like the sheriff. I took me a while just to figure out that they were talking about the race. The food was great. Map: |
