Greetings from the road!
Now I finally feel as if I started this trip! Last blip of travel was to just reacquire my vehicle but since I made it back to Pensacola I haven’t been doing a whole lot of traveling other than a sporadic Sunday trip to New Orleans. So yesterday I finally started my first leg of this grand adventure I am embarking on. My trip takes me North from Florida, Virginia bound! Along the way I will be kind of taking the time to pull over, see the sights, take in some history along the way and lucky enough to see friends and family at nearly every stop.
My first major stop is Jacksonville NC to see my best friend Lizzy. This leg I must say I am quite excited about since this is the first time that I have ever had the ability to see and explore the South! Making my way up and through Alabama I found a few treasures along the way…
Passing through Montgomery Alabama I saw a sign for the historic district and riverfront attractions pulling me off of the highway. About ready to make a bathroom break I thought it would be interesting to see the historic district. What I found was far more interesting! I stumbled upon the First White House of the Confederacy! President Jefferson Davis and his family lived here till the Capitol was moved to Richmond, VA summer of 1861. What an interesting piece of American History to stumble upon, if you couldn’t tell from previous posts I am kind of a history nerd so stumbling upon history is always a plus for me. Once I was able to stretch out my legs and take a much needed bathroom break I got back in my car and tried to find my way back to the interstate. The best part about trying to find your way back is what you find along the way…this is when I think I find some of the best things along the road when you are completely lost.
I found myself behind the river front attractions I had seen the sign for along the interstate. Only what I found was anything but a river front attraction but to me It was better! I found a rundown old abandoned railroad warehouse that was built in the late 1800th century! You could see that hooligans, nature and ultimately time had taking its toll on the building. The roof was completely rotted through, the windows (the ones that hadn’t been busted by rocks being thrown) were cracking and worn, the bricks themselves were weather worn and the entire side of the building was being taken over by ivy slowing taking over anywhere tiny roots can take hold. I have found that I am easily distracted when I find a hidden gem like this, because if that building is here then ‘there has to be more similar to it!’ I think to myself. No such luck but the industrial side of town certainly has some grandfathered history residing in it and it seemed as if the entire industrial community chose that the business buildings would also follow suite and maintain the historical integrity of the building.
Eventually after a wrong turn…or two I made it back to the interstate and I kept putting miles down! Just outside of Columbia, GA I was surprised by one my dearest friends who I have known going on nearly a decade but who I hadn’t seen sadly for going on seven years! He actually saw on social media that I was in Alabama and started to somewhat track my progress through his state. It was SO good to see an old familiar face again and one I hadn’t seen in such a long time too! I spent a little time with him catching up before I needed to put more miles under my belt before I stopped for the night. Venturing on I wanted to try and make it to Augusta before I stopped for the night. Well as the night ticked on I started to feel the fact I had been moving for over 12 hours. Getting drowsy and fast I was trying to find a Pilot or Loves gas station or a state rest stop but when you need something the most is when it is nowhere to be found huh?
So eventually I couldn’t make it any further for the night and saw a sign for a state park and pointed myself that direction! Taking me on winding roads and basically crawling on the speed factor the five miles couldn’t go by any faster! Stopping in Crawfordsville GA I found a beautiful Baptist church that had a back drive to get to the secondary parking lot. Hidden by the building and shadows of the trees and church I felt like I was doing pretty good for the night. Since I equipped my car to be lived out of I had to admit I am fairly excited about since when I left on this trip I was prepared for basically anything. But the FIRST day on the road with my previous job my whole car was rearranged and the access to my car air mattress went away. I will say though that even falling asleep with doors locked, knife in hand, phone fully charged and behind a small town America Church and in the South on top of that?! I knew I would be safe but I still had a hard time turning the brain off. I knew that it was going to be tight quarters in that back seat but I think that after crashing on it for about four hours I would have learned….Sleeping on this bed for someone several inches shorter than me would be a freaking dream but since I have those couple inches make a big difference when you are cramped up!
I think that even though I didn’t get to make as many miles as I was hoping today but I am so thankful for it! Because I was able to just go and have the time that I wanted and for me that has made such a huge difference.
Traveling Photographer Out….
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