Chamblee54

This trip started in the middle of March, when Uzi mentioned that he had the first week of April off, and didn’t have anything to do with it. PG suggested the hostel in brunswick, with a few side trips to the beach. A little research about the hostel followed, and it turns out the hostel had no ac and charged $25 per person/night. It was decided to look for a cheap hotel, and maybe spend one night at the hostel.
The rest of March flew by, and before anyone knew it, the departure day was tomorrow. PG got on the phone, and discovered that the hostel was full. The focus was now on finding a cheap hotel that didn’t kill. The internet yielded lots of hotel suggestions, but few phone numbers. It seems like the various services want to make the reservation for you, and get their cut. A bit of digging did yield the phone numbers, and the cell phone long distance plan came in mighty handy. A Red Roof by I95 was found to have the best rates, and a reservation was made.
On Tuesday, April 6, PG got up at 630 am. This was a bit unusual for him, but he was excited by the trip and made the transition. By 900, PG was on his way to Uzi’s place to get him. Radio whiner Mike Gallagher was talking about the warm welcome Tiger Woods was receiving at the Masters, and oh what does this say about America.
930 saw the slackmen rolling down highway 400, in search of the promised land. With two people in the vehicle, they were privileged to travel in the HOV lane, where the commoners are to your right. The traffic going through downtown was not bad, and soon the honda was rolling through the pollen clouds of Henry county. A funnel of yellow dust leered at the travelers from down the roadway, getting thicker and thicker in waves.
At 1131, the riders got to Perry GA, and bought gas. Uzi was ready for lunch, but a decision was made to push down the road a bit. At the New Perry Hotel, there was a sign saying to turn left, that PG did not notice. In a couple of minutes, they were on a two lane road in front of a tractor repair shop, and someone decided that this was not the road to the beach.
PG turned around, and went up the road for a minute, until he turned into a gas station to ask for directions. No female comedians witnessed this. He got down to the proper road, and made another wrong turn. When that road ran out, he made a right, went back through town, and redeemed himself by finding the turn sign in front of the New Perry Hotel. They got on hwy 341, and the first crisis of the trip was over.
The miles started to knock themselves down, through Hawkinsville, Eastman, and on into Mcrae. By this time the clamoring for lunch became overwhelming, A chinese buffet was rejected on appearance, and then the Southern Star Grill appeared on the left. PG turned around and went there. Uzi got a meat and three, that featured home breaded fried okra. PG got a hamburger the size of his fist.
On hwy 341, on the first part of the “Golden Isles Parkway”, prisons are a big industry. It seems like every town on that road had a correctional institute. In his days as an in house blueprinter, PG heard more than he ever wanted to know about these facilities.
The rest of the trip down was uneventful, with the Red Roof appearing at 3:45. After checking in, the slackmen decided to go visit the hostel. This meant getting back on the interstate, going one exit down, up the road about three miles, make a u turn, and then slow down dramatically after the 11 mile mark. PG tried reciting Shakespeare, but was not in the least dramatic. The sign for the hostel soon appeared.
After you went in the driveway, another sign said that if you did not have reservations, to call a phone number. Uzi called the number, and got a confusing recorded message. The pair proceeded down the half mile driveway, which is not a smooth ride. They got to a gate, and decided that they should turn around.
The road that the hostel is on leads to Jekyll Island after you pass the interstate. This seemed reasonable, until another sign said there was a five dollar charge. PG turned the vehicle around, and they headed north for Saint Simons.
542 pm-Right after the Jekyll road is the Sidney Lanier Bridge, a true marvel. This bridge towers over the marshes and waterways below, in a suspension bridge glory. Going north, a restaurant called Spanky’s was on the right, although the exact location was a bit fuzzy. This would come into play later.
Soon, the causeway for Saint Simons appeared, and there was no charge to drive to the island. A parking spot was found in the village, and the slackmen headed to the water. Alas, there was construction by the pier, and to get to the sand you needed to walk around a visitors center.
600 pm-The island was crowded with families, of all shapes, sizes, and colors. This does not include all economic categories, as most of the people appeared to be wealthy, or at least comfortable. After a few minutes walking on the sand, it was time for the next part of the day.
Uzi brought a veteran camera with him, and it appeared to be senile. Refusing to focus, unresponsive to any adjusting, the camera appeared to be obsolete. This was a great vexation for Uzi.
Leaving the island, the gentlemen started to look for the restaurant they had seen earlier. It was on the left, across a divided highway, and a trip was made across the Lanier bridge, looking for a place to turn around. It took a mile of driving down the road, before a public works yard appeared to turn around in. After going back across the bridge, a left turn appeared, with a road going back to town. The restaurant was further down the road, and missed on this trip.
745 pm- The sun was about to go down. PG stopped at a dock, and took pictures. Next, they went across hwy 341 into downtown, which was settling in for the evening. PG turned onto Egmont street, looking for the Mckinnon Bed & Breakfast. He did not find it, but did see lots of beautiful old homes and live oaks. He decided to get an address for the b&b, and use that as a base for exploring a corner of the historic district.
On the road into Brunswick one sees a few signs for “Captain Joe’s”, which was on hwy 341 on the other side of I95 from the Red Roof. The waitress assures you, “you will not leave here hungry”.
PG got fried flounder, and loaded up on the soup and salad bar. He wound up taking most of his fish with him, which became sandwiches for the next day. Uzi got a mess of locally caught shrimp. The only unpleasant part of dinner was when they left, and the waitress said “have a blessed day”.