Days 10 & 11 It'a a rainy night in Georgia

The only days I've had completely without rain were the two days and three nights in Hollywood Beach.  Today I tried to resist getting out the gear, hoping I could endure a few light showers.  Within 20 miles of my destination it just started coming down too hard and I had to succumb. I didn't post a report yesterday because I couldn't get an Internet connection, so I'll try to recap two days of riding here. North of Orlando, US 441 is a very nice road to enjoy. I especially liked the area around Leesburg, FL, which has many lakes and is centrally located in the state. All the way into Georgia the road varies from rural to suburban to small town Main Street, and from divided highway to 2-lane pavement. US 441 often shares its roadway with other highways:

One of those routes should look familiar to Michiganders. 

Saturday night I made it to Douglas, GA, because it was big enough to have a Hampton Inn and a Holiday Inn Express, and I was ready to treat myself to a decent hotel for the night.  When I arrived, however, I still opted for the local, cheapo, $35 bed-in-a-box motel because it was nearest to the only restaurant around and it was raining. Neither the motel nor the restaurant had WiFi.  The lodging was clean but really bare bones; the eatery was nice with Christian praise music playing and a waitress named Shandy, plus a free scoop of ice cream with every meal.  I had this Ribeye Steak, medium done:

Looking ahead to my ride over the Smoky Mountains, I wanted to get far enough on Sunday to be able to easily get all the way through to Gatlinburg and beyond on Monday. I also wanted to aim for a town that would have a decent hotel once again. This time I'm using it, as I arrived at the Hampton Inn at Cornelia, GA around 5pm. Strong WiFi, lots of coffee, great room, plus the kind lady let me leave my motorcycle under the entry portico, out of tonight's rain. Gatlinburg is 120 miles from here; Lake City, 185. I'd like to make it to Lake City if I can, but I want to enjoy the mountains, too. That'll be my birthday present to myself. If the weather forecast looks bad I may stay put and wait for a better day. 

I don't know if I'll want dinner tonight, as I had a pretty nice lunch. Since I felt I had plenty of time to reach my destination today, I opted not to by-pass most of the towns and took the business routes instead. I found some really lovely towns in Dublin, Milledgeville, Eatonton, and especially Madison, GA, which I reached just about lunch time. Madison was founded in 1803 and named for James Madison.  It's a very lovely, quaint old town that appears prosperous and well kept up and is where I found a wonderful Chop House that served a unique Grilled Peach Salad. Mine came with a cup of French Onion soup and a glass of Chardonnay, all enjoyed in a nice patio eating area. I wanted to photograph the entire town; these few shots do it no justice whatsoever. 

Old Chamber of Commerce building. 

County Court House. 

This tree has been here a while. 

Some of you may wonder how I pass my time all day riding alone with no music for entertainment. Well since I'm one who can't do two things at once, it could be dangerous for me to do anything other than drive, but I do have time to think.  I try to think about the Bible verses I read in the morning.  I also have plenty of time to write or arrange music in my head, by singing it over and over.  I also like to find humorous or interesting signs along the way, like the street I saw called "Ice Cream Lane." Here's a building I found amusing. 

I've seen a lot of things I've enjoyed like that, but I can't remember them, nor can I stop to get a picture of them all.  I think my favorite one of all, however, was the billboard that screams at you:  "YOUR WIFE IS REALLY HOT!!!", then adds, "It's time to fix your air conditioner."

OK, it's time to call it a night.  I'll wake up in the morning another year older, ready to ride the mountains.  Actually age is one of the reasons I decided to do this trip this year at all.  If I keep waiting, I may not be able.  I share the sentiments of my father-in-law when he told me, " When the day comes when I can't ride my motorcycle anymore, well . . . ."