Ride To Quincy And Exploring Roads In South Georgia 20060114

[Badbob]

I like to plan a route before we leave the house because I can use Google Maps to find roads I haven't been on before. I like to explore and get side tracked easily when a side road catches my interest. I don't have a GPS and do not carry much in the way of maps. Any maps I have that show all of these roads are on Google or way to big to carry on my bike. Once I deviate from the plan navigation is all seat-of-pants or dead reckoning. This kind of riding may not be for everyone but I really enjoy it. My doctor says its therapy.

I have been caught on the road after dark a few times doing while exploring. I don't like riding at night. Critters on the road, drunks, and limited visibility are the primary reasons. In the summer add huge bugs and in the winter you get a large temperature drop when the sun goes down. I check to see when sunset is before I leave and try to be headed home two hours before that time. This works well because I'm usually way less than 50 miles from home.

To plan a route I use Google Maps and type up a very abbreviated list that I print in large text and put it in the map window on my tank bag. If I plan to stay on the same road for 150 miles it gets one entry in the list unless there are some points of interest I want to take into account. Using this method I can map out a long trip that fits on one page. I print the list with a laser printer so even if it gets wet I can use it. I put the list in the map window of my tank bag. I don't like tank bags much but for this purpose a tank bag is hard to beat. The tank bag also gives me a place to carry my camera and rain gear. I will also print close in maps from google to show intersections in case there is a problem like no signs.

Here is the list I used for this ride:

Meridian Road North to CR12
West CR12 to Havana
West CR12 to CR65 Quincy
North CR65 Right Turn "Attaplugs Highway "North Madison Street" On the edge of town
Right East CR159A "Dodger Ball Park Road" to CR159 South
CR159 "Salem Road" to CR12
CR12 to "Havana"
CR12 "5th Ave" "Fairbanks Crossing Road" to "Meridian Road"
"Meridian Road" to Tallahassee

This was mostly to ride some roads we had never been on. It was a pretty good ride with very little traffic and the roads were nearly deserted. The weather was perfect for me lots of clouds, no rain, and about 70 degrees. I wore my mesh leather combo jacket and still sweat a little at times. We got chased by a couple of little chiwawa but those little dogs were no match for the powerful GZ250s and never came close to catching us. We went straight for the nearest gas station to fill up. I was afraid my wife was going to hit reserve before we got there and she has never done that. We made it to the gas station but to my surprise my wife's bike had gone 218 miles and still did not hit reserve. Mileage was 80.06 mpg. I need to take this one out with some extra gas and run it dry just to see what happens.

We meet lots of other bikes on meridian road. More than usual in the winter. There was a huge herd of Harley's most of them geared up. You don't see Harley drivers geared up much here. Helmets are not required in Florida and it seem that many of them think it spoils their image. I figured it must be a club ride that has safety rules. What made it real interesting was the contrast between the Harleys the Connie that came along about a mile behind them. The Harleys all rumbled and shook and the Connie was all quiet and smooth. The only sound I heard was wind and tires.

We didn't get into any new territory until we left Havana and headed toward Quincy. On the way out of town we passed a gas stop where nice Kawasaki cruiser was parked out front.

As you come into Quincy FL there are Victorian style houses on both sides of the street. I really like the looks of these and considered buying one once but decided not to because it would be a hobby not a house. I can't even imagine what it must take to keep one of these ginger bread houses looking good. They sure look nice. We turned north just after riding slow through the houses and headed north toward Georgia. I haven't missed a turn yet.

There are many huge nurseries around here. There must be a million potted plants from small ones with some kind of flowers in them to large pots with trees. I wondered about how many of these were destined to get stuck in the ground and die from neglect. I guess that is good for the people who raise them. We arrive at our turn and I figure out why the name of this road is "Dodger Ball Park Road" I almost didn't see it and would not have if the old scoreboard had not been near the road. It did not appear to have been used for years. There has got to be a story that goes with this. Its miles form town and there is not even a house near the ball field. This is a short road (CR159A) that cuts over to CR159 so you don't need to go way up into Georgia to get to it. We turn south at CR159.

There are more nurseries and more houses here. Since we got near Quincy we have been seeing lots of mail posts that that have these odd looking scroll work pieces attached to them. I have never seen anything like them before. There must be some one in the local area who makes these. I wanted to get a photo of one but I could not find a place I felt comfortable going off the road on a low slung GZ. Especially with a trainee in tow and low shoulders. May be next time.

We arrive back at CR12 and stop at the gas station for a break. We needed one. I like to stop every hour or so but the only good places I saw to stop. were churches and all of them were occupied. I feel kind of funny stopping there when services were in progress. This was the middle of the afternoon and all of the churches we had passed were in use. The Kawasaki's owner was woman who worked at the store. The bike was a Kawasaki Vulcan Classic with a real nice looking custom seat on it. The license plate was YNKGRL. Funny how I can remember that but if she had told me her name I would have forgot before I got out of the parking lot.

On the way home I decided the we had plenty of time to do some exploring and took off down a road we had been on the week before and got rained on pretty good. We were following a historic trail called the "Hawthorn Trail". The week before we had passed the point were the trail turned off in the rain heading for home to get dry. I almost missed the turn. Its amazing how hard it can be to see a 5 foot long brown sign. I was expecting to see more signs or a historical marker or something but we just rode down a nice country road until it dead ended in to another road. While I was sitting there trying to decide which way to go a saw a little sign that had bicycle, 10, and an arrow on it pointing down the road. There was also one on the other side with the arrow pointing the opposite direction. A bicycle route perhaps. My past experience leads me to believe that these are great for motorcycles as well. I flip a coin mentally and we turn right to follow the bicycle route.

Shortly we arrive at a small town where I had to strategically position my bike on the sensor to get us through the traffic light. I read somewhere that they are the most sensitive on the corners so that is where I positioned my bike and sure enough within seconds we have a green light. The bike route goes one block and makes a right turn and we are back out in the countryside again. After riding a good many miles following the the bicycle I decide that even though it wanders around some its general direction is west and after we cross into yet another county we decide to turn back. Now I could have retraced my path but not being the kind of person that likes to ride he same road two times in the same day we turned east at the next stop sign. My thinking was that we would soon encounter a road headed back south and soon be back to some more familiar territory. This is not what happened.

The first good looking road I came to that headed south we turned. I was only going south for awhile and then meandered around the countryside until after several miles it ran right back into the road we had turned off of. We headed east looking for a numbered highway. In Florida county roads have numbers and signs which helps you some with navigation. Apparently this is not the case in Georgia. We saw several promising roads including one with brand new pavement. However, it was getting late in the day and I didn't want to take a chance on a road that might go no where. We were riding on SR292 and I knew it would hit a southbound SR somewhere. I have ridden here before but not know exactly where we got on SR292 and having only a passing familiarity with the area made my knowledge of the next intersection uncertain. After a few more miles SR292 intersects with SR93 outside of Pelham GA. Traffic is almost nonexistent and lacking anywhere to pull of the road we just park the bikes in the road and my wife adds another layer of clothing. The sun is getting low and she is getting cold. We ride south on SR93.

This is a familiar road I have traveled many times. I know exactly where we are and where I'm going. At Cairo GA we stop for a rest and a burger. While we are eating two guys rode in on some bikes that I have never seen before. They were to far away for me to read the tank badge. The bikes were the same except color and wheels. One was tangerine with solid wheels the other was black with spokes. They park next to us and the Tangerine bike hit the curb hard enough that I thought he was going to go over it. He almost fell over when the bike stopped suddenly. They seemed interested in our bikes and gave them a look over. I think it was those 50 cal ammo cans that got their attention. They were only making a pit stop so I never got a close look at the bikes. They way they were acting I'm betting they were stopping to get rid of some beer.

We head on down SR93 toward home and I miss my turn at Midway again. I like to turn at Midway GA and cut over to Hadley Ferry Road to Meridian Road instead of taking SR93 to Meridian Road. It's not any shorter just a better ride with less traffic. Midway is so small that if they had not built a fire station there right on SR93 I would not even know I had missed it until it was to late to turn back. There is one tiny little sign that is very difficult to read and at 60 mph you may never see it. We turn around at the Fire/Rescue station and go back to the Midway turn. I do this almost every time.

The rest of the ride is uneventful down roads we have traveled many times before. Traffic is light all the way into Tallahassee and home. There is still some daylight when we get home so we wash the bikes. In spite of the cool weather we have kill hundreds of small bugs. I show my wife how to get bugs off her wind shield using only water and a soft paint brush. This works quite well. With two people working on the bikes it goes a lot faster. Its dark by the time we finish washing. Push the bikes into the garage to see good enough to wipe them down.

When I gassed up the bikes a couple of days later I found that my wife's bike had got 89.7 mpg. I got 64.4 mpg.

[Badbob]

I have found that bicycle routes also make for some outstanding roads to ride a 250cc bike on. Recently I noticed bicycle route signs in Georgia and finally got around to checking these out.

Georgia State Bicycle Route Network

I now have several rides to do all planned out for me that avoid big roads and three more ways to get around Atlanta I didn't know about.

Does anyone know about any more of these?

[Bill]

Nice post. I enjoyed reading the descriptions. For some reason every time I take a nice relaxed ride I don't seem to remember all the interesting details and I just come back with a grin on my face and an empty head.

When planning your route have you ever used GoogleEarth? It's a great site that lets you see just about anywhere on earth via satellite photos. You can even take a virtual ride on the roads and see everything that is on the road as you ride. Really cool!

Cheers!

[Badbob]

Originally Posted by Bill

Nice post. I enjoyed reading the descriptions. For some reason every time I take a nice relaxed ride I don't seem to remember all the interesting details and I just come back with a grin on my face and an empty head.

If you sit down and start writing it down you will be surprised what comes back to you I am always surprised at how much there is to write about. The only reason I don't post more of these is because it takes so long. If I had not stayed home sick yesterday it still would not be done.

Originally Posted by Bill

When planning your route have you ever used GoogleEarth? It's a great site that lets you see just about anywhere on earth via satellite photos. You can even take a virtual ride on the roads and see everything that is on the road as you ride. Really cool!

I've looked at GoogleEarth before and was not impressed but that was some time ago perhaps I should look at it again.