The United States Highway system was created in 1926 by Congress to help standardize the way roadways transition from state to state. They mostly follow a grid pattern, in which odd-numbered routes run generally north to south and even-numbered routes run generally east to west, though three-digit spur routes can be either-or. Usually, one- and two-digit routes are major routes, and three-digit routes are numbered as shorter spur routes from a main route. With US-40, aka The National Road, and US-1, the Atlantic Highway or the Old Post Road, running straight through Baltimore we are familiar with the system. Motorcycling has brought our love affair with the old highways to the forefront and we have tried to shun the interstates with their uniform blandness when possible.
Our plans include travelling some of the "unloved" US highways as Route 66 has been done to death and the Lincoln Highway (US-30) having documentaries devoted to them. To whet our appetites, we thought we'd start with a "little" one: US-17. Stretching from Winchester, VA to Punta Gorda, FL it traverses both the piedmont region as well as the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Our trip will be broken into two main segments as we stop at Jekyll Island, GA for a bit; conveniently just off US-17.
Day One: Baltimore to Winchester via I-70 and US-340. 340 heads southwest from Frederick, MD and crosses into VA briefly before WV near Harpers Ferry. Here along this stretch of road carved into the hillside we wind up getting stuck for 44 minutes in the Potomac Narrows on 340 near Harpers Ferry for roadside work. Made the day roughly an hour longer than originally planned.
Winchester, VA: 0 miles
US-17 begins with a yellow check engine light and a Spot tracker with dead batteries. Spot got fresh batteries in the spring but all the riding just plain ran them down easily fixable with a quick stop at Walmart near Warrenton. The check engine light was a little more troubling as the truck had recently been serviced with no surprises. After fumbling around a bit and updating the ODB reader app on the phone we discovered the light was a result of a misfire on the #4 cylinder; cleared the code and all is well. If it happens again then we'll have it looked at by a professional.
17 rolls through the Virginia countryside as mostly a dual lane, divided highway, aka country highway, with occasional traffic lights outside of the major towns. A quick off route diversion in Fredericksburg to return some supplies from the Fill in the Void Ride to Eat back in October and we back on the road that will be our friend for the next couple of days.
Our hotel in Newport News is average at best. Like most businesses in the hospitality industry they are finding recruiting and retaining employees problematic; given the long history of low pay, long hours and being treated like crap by both management and clients doesn't help either. Dinner is had at a Mexican restaurant within walking distance. The "regular" sized Margaritas are gigantic; probably all of 24 ounces with the right balance of tartness and sweetness along with a heavy dose of tequila.
Newport News, VA: 201 miles
Day Two: US-17 southward to Jacksonville, NC
Our hotel breakfast kinda sucked and we resorted to stopping at an IHOP thereby breaking our "no chains" rule. It had been several years since we've been to an IHOP; the pancakes were just as we remembered them, fluffy. Although the the difference between over easy and over medium was nonexistent, we enjoyed our IHOP experience. A quick spin through Christopher Newport University to scope out the venue for the upcoming Alton Brown show in April and back to 17 we go traipsing through a whole bunch of navy towns on the way to the Great Dismal Swamp.
Mostly a steady, dreary rain fell today which was fitting for the trek through the Swamp. Unseasonably cool, downright cold for early November with temps never getting out of the low 50's, the incessant then cold rain forced us inside the truck for lunch. More cold continued as we finally escaped the rain near New Bern.
We finish this leg off near the entrance to Camp Lejeune with a fabulous dinner at a brand new restaurant across 17 from the hotel. Flavor Hills is a gastropubby type place; high end food, made from scratch with a ton of craft beer on tap. One the walls are painted various phrases including "Waffles are pancakes with abs" and "Brunch (n)- a reasonable excuse for day drinking.
Jacksonville, NC: 232 miles, 433 total
Day Three: southward to Charleston, SC
The intermittent cold rain has returned; just enough to be annoying. We have plans to visit Brookgreen Gardens near Murrel's Inlet. First visited 33 years ago this month, the statuary gardens have grown to include several art galleries, a museum of the Low Country as well as cafe's and restaurants. The doggies get to have some day camp at a nearby kennel- A Dog's Way Inn- while the humans patrol the grounds of the gardens.
We had lunch on the grounds at the original kitchen building for the old mansion house just to get out of the cold breeze. The gardens are lovely as we remember them, more extensive and there are a host of new sculptures. The grounds crew is getting ready for "A Night of 1,000 Candles" their holiday light display that runs from Thanksgiving to the New Year. Consisting of 1,000+ actual candles and 1.2 million LED lights, even in daylight as the tests were run, it looked impressive. They have been setting up lights since Labor Day........ It will take them until Valentine's Day to get them all packed away for the summer.
In the new Low Country Museum there is an exhibit of African/ Gullah Textiles entitled the Sankofa Exhibit; this travelling group of pieces represents numerous artists and multiple techniques.
After we fetch the doggies, it's back on 17 to Charleston, just a couple of hours away, where we have our night's lodging at Ginger and Paul's house; they're up in the mountains for a long weekend and we get the place to ourselves. The rain picks up overnight and is downright cold, even for us "northerners".
Millers All Day in downtown of Charleston
Tucked in behind the passenger seat
Charleston, SC: 237 miles, 670 total
Day Four: onward to Brunswick, GA
The rain has switched to well past annoying. The windshield keeps fogging up and the constant switching between fan settings with the heat/cool balance is a real trick. As we chat, we decide that days like these are best for the interstates since you really can't see much. Just before we cross back over I-95 for the last time in South Carolina, there has been an accident involving a tractor trailer and a car, right on the northbound entrance ramp, blocking all 4 travel lanes. 35 minutes and we're released to continue the trek through a confusing ribbon of roads that is Savannah.
Lunch is inside again today at a local taqueria with a yummy red sauce. We've driven this section of 17 before just to escape the rush of 95 so other than a couple of roadway improvements, it hasn's changed much for us. A quick grocery stop in Brunswick proper and off to Jekyll for the next month. Our rental house is just about a block from the beach and half a mile to three of the four golf courses.
Jekyll Island, GA: 201 miles, 871 total
To be continued.....
[insert Jekyll photos]
our rental on Odgen
Golf course ranger
Too windy to fly
After nearly 5 weeks of relaxation on the jewel of the Golden Isles, Jekyll Island, we return to the target of finishing US-17 end-to-end. Part 2
Day Five: Brunswick to Winter Haven, FL
After getting the whole family back together from "the girls week" on Jekyll, we hit the road. The day started uneventful until we hit Yulee..... They were having their Christmas Parade and Festival right on US-17. There were no signs warning travelers to avoid the road [unlike Maitland]. Traffic was showing it was stopped on the Google maps. We could see the flashing lights off about a mile ahead of us but didnt know what was going on. There is no "old road" to follow either, so we tried to make up a detour around what we thought was an accident only to get caught up in the parade assembly area directly in front of the Yulee School. Before a state motorcycle trooper interceded, we were following Santa on the firetruck through the school grounds. One hour later, we finally clear Yulee, get back on 17 proper and head south again.
Can we have an adult talk about what unfettered sprawl looks like? If you think the Tysons Corners area of northern Virginia as a baseline, the greater Orlando megaplex is essentially the same level of sprawl just spread out over dozens of square miles. It was truly AWFUL. Relentless traffic lights, strip malls, shopping plazas and ranch style home developments [from the low 300's!!!]. It went on for miles and miles of miles and miles.
We had another small detour, this time marked with officers directing traffic, around the night parade through Davenport, FL.
Our hotel has a really good Mexican restaurant attached- San Diegos if you ever get to Winter Haven.
Winter Haven, FL 285 miles, 1156 total
Early this morning, like 5am early, the dogs wanted to go out. Our room has direct access to a large grassy area with a sliding door. Leashes in hand, we headed outside so they could do their business. The neighboring room has a large dog, unsure of the breed, but he went straight for Taffee, grabbing her by the head. Totally freaked out, Chili took off; we later corralled her near the pool. Rick started to wail on the dog while the dog's owner tried to pry its jaws open. The dog finally relented and Rick wrestled it to the ground while Jean snatched up Taffee. Quickly made arrangements to see the emergency vet and she will be fine- a couple of staples, some meds with a promise to visit our vet when we get home. The couple next door reimbursed the ER visit in cash. It's all good, but the US-17 end to end sill have to wait; we are heading home.
Taffee's staples
the gash in her harness
