First things first. Yes, I changed the format of the pages. I thought you might be more interested in the ride location than the date. I may go back and edit all of the other pages, but that is not a top priority for me. You all know I'm picking up on the last third of the ride.
It has been a little over a month since I've been on a bike. Well, I did sit on the trainer for a few minutes in the living room to see what muscle memory was telling my brain. Felt pretty good, so today I was all in. Guess what, folks?!? It's hotter here than it was up north! I started out shooting for 52 miles. I made 43. Not too shabby.
I specifically skipped some of the more heavy business exit from our Savannah campsite. Glad we did. I feel pretty comfortable skipping some sections given that we have ridden so many times into Savannah, St. Simons, Brunswick, and St. Mary's on the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG).
Started in Townsend, GA at South Newport Baptist Church, which is off of Harris Neck Road. Partly because the lot could accommodate my being dropped off with the trailer. Partly because it is located adjacent to the "Smallest Church in America!" When I see this sort of thing on a map, I am drawn to check it out. I wanted to go inside and take a few more pics. Especially I wanted a selfie with something on site. However, there was a force with which I could not compete. Swarm of mosquitos! I have forgotten one doesn't go out in this area without some sort of insect protection. Y'all. If I thought anything about the mosquitos up north, uh-uh. No competition. None. But I managed to snap a couple and get the hell outta Dodge.
The first part of the ride was quite pleasant. It was warm, but nice. As long as I was moving, it was comfortable. Very few cars on the first couple of miles on US17. Very few cars on the rest of that part of the ride which took a tour towards Shellman's Bluff and the Sapelo areas. Nice except for the mosquitos. If I stopped anywhere on the trip today, I was lunch and cocktails for the mosquitos.
After seeing two turn-offs for Sapelo Island, it wasn't long before I came across the Ashantilly Center signs on the GA99 / Highlander Trail (side path to 99 that leads into Darien). It was much too interesting a sign to pass by. Evidently, the center is housed in a tabby home. I didn't venture there, but I sure was interested. Especially when I saw they had a Press! Road trip for another time.
I had noticed when making my ride cue sheets that there was a waterfront restaurant, Skippers, just off the ECG in downtown Darien. For those of us who did not know, Darien is the "Natural Gateway to the World since 1736." Says so right there on the sign. Sorry for the election signs. I do not endorse any of the candidates since I know nothing of them. The signs were there, and I didn't think it would go over well to remove them for my pic. Was grateful, though, that my water bottle matched one of the signs. The sign is just a few blocks from Skippers.
What self respecting cyclist named Annelle doesn't want seafood when on the coast? I stopped in and the server provided me with my requested half sweet/half unsweet tea, my appetizer (!) crab cake, and my cup of ice for my water bottles. Thank you AL TEMPLETON (and Mary) for this delicious side trip. The food may look odd with the remoulade on top, but I assure you it was a pretty good crab cake. Not my Grandma Beall's (by which I judge all crab cakes), but pretty good. And big. Gave me what I needed to finish out the trip.
As you cross the water after Darien's town, the ECG takes a quick trip over the Old Butler River Bridge. It was deserted, but clearly had a lot of activity from the weekend as could be seen from almost overflowing trash cans. The boat-tail grackles and crows were finding interesting morsels.
Just after that bridge is this plaque regarding the Enslaved People of Butler Island and the plantation. I think that would be another interesting road trip. It was simply too hot for me to do anything except hopefully find some shade.
The almost six miles of US17 following this site made up for the earlier lack of traffic. This stretch of the ECG has a shoulder of about a foot at its widest point, except on the bridges. (They had ample shoulder.) I was grateful for my pool noodle! The semis, dump trucks, and cars that sped by were obviously adhering to the conventional speed limit (not the legal one) of around 70mph.
Furthermore, the beautiful live-oak and Spanish moss arches from Shellman's Bluff were replaced with sun and minimal shade-cover. All in all, though, the ride was a good one. Marsh, wetlands, the shaded arches, and many miles of side-paths help make the ECG what it is. One could only wish that side-paths and/or bike lanes were ubiquitous.
Back at camp we met a couple, parked next to us, who had very similar interests to ours. What we learned was that there is an active group working on a St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop connecting St. Augustine south to Titusville and west and north through the DeLand area, up to Palatka, and back north and east to St. Augustine area. Pretty cool, with some parts completed, and lots needing support. Check it out at www.River2SeaLoop.org.
43.28 mi / 557.83
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