Weekend near savannah--  Nov. 3 and 4-- We stayed around for the weekend to get some downtime and just enjoy what was supposed to be some nice weather. Sunday was supposed to be 83 degrees so we decided to get a beach day at Tybee Island beach.  The temperature was nice but the wind coming off the cold water made the day a disappointment. Still better than what was happening in Pittsburgh or Rodanthe though.
     Nov 5--rode 90 miles in about 6 hours today. Most of the trip, I have been averaging 14-16 miles per hour, and today was no different. After about 4500 miles, I think my chain is wearing out. It started to skip and jump around, today, so I'm gonna change it sometime soon.  Believe it or not, I started to notice some leaves beginning to change on the Dogwoods and maple trees.
     On the trip from Savannah to Brunswick GA, US 17 finally calmed down some, and the shoulder was sufficient most of the time.  Those conditions make the trip a little less nervewracking, and I can pay less attention to the road, and actually look around a little more. I saw a buffalo ranch, atown called Riceboro that is having a Geechee food festival next weekend that would have been cool.  Geechee people are descendants of slaves and have great food, including lots of ways to cook rice, as I understand it.  I rode through some ruins of some old rice plantations, but mostly it was an uneventful ride to and through Brunswick until I came to another huge bridge, just like the ones in Charleston and Savannah.  (They look like the new bridge between Weirton and Stuebenville).  The bridge was pretty steep and I had wind at my back, so I was gonna try to hit 50 mph coming down.
I bailed at about 41.5 because my eyelids were getting peeled back and I was getting a little wobbly.
Oh well, its hell getting old.
     Nov 6  We drove over to Jekyll Island and walked around most of the day, and decided we were gonna come back tomorrow and ride bikes. The place is beautiful, with alot of 'cottages' of very rich people in the early 1900's. Names like Goodyear, Rockefeller, and JP Morgan had summer homes there which are preserved along with a huge lodge and all the ammenities of the rich before WW II.
     Nov 7  I rode over to Jekyll,and Pam drove over and we rode a loop of about 20 miles. I rode about 39 miles total.  We could have taken 50 pictures, the place is so beautiful.  My chain finally popped off, after slipping several times. I pumped hard to go up a little hill and it popped; I was clipped in and couldnt get out, and with no momentum, I  fell over and smacked my head because I decided not to wear a helmet on a little leisure ride at 7 mph.  Just lost a little blood and a few brain cells. Oh, well.
     Nov 8  With my helmet back on, I did 54 miles to the north end of Jacksonville to a RV resort under the takeoff pattern of JAX International. The ride was nice, with good shoulders, little traffic, and small towns who had their heyday before I 95 opened.  Now that we are in Florida, it may frost tonight. Nice.



Pelican on Jekyll Island