North to Alaska (just kidding!)

This morning I started out in Jacksonville, Florida with warm, drizzling weather.  I hated to leave the beautiful green everywhere, especially the palm trees we never see in Kentucky, and the marshes, but I'll return south some day.    

Driving north to Interstate-95 was traffic-less and easy.  This trip I noticed all the signs indicating that a particular route was a "Hurricane Evacuation Route."  How practical and scary!

I spotted the name of the tall bridge leading into Jacksonville, "The Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge.  It is quite impressive in any weather!  The view from the top of the bridge (where cars travel, not the very top of the structure!) is impressive.  You can see the entire harbor with numerous massive cranes that load cargo containers on outbound ships.  There are yards with hundreds of containers of different colors.

Around the corner on I-295 connector, and the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge appears!

View traveling on top of the bridge, on a foggy day, 11/23/14.

There are still many colorful red, orange, and yellow trees along the sides of the Interstate 95.  Exit 373: Amelia Island, on the northern most east coast of Florida.  I'd like to go there sometime.  I carry a tote bag brought back from there by one of my daughters.  It was 73 degrees warm about then.  How long would this lovely warm weather last today!

Ah, again the sign, "Welcome to Georgia, We're glad Georgia's on your mind."

A beautiful clump of palm trees in the Georgia Welcome Center, south side.

Exit 7: Harriet's Bluff Road.  I wish I could've taken a photo of the sign for that for my friend, Harriet! I drove over an especially long bridge over the Crooked River, actually mostly marsh.  I glanced at my GPS and noticed it really is quite angular, "crooked."  The fog on I-95 was very thick this morning.  There was a big bridge over the Turtle River.  Mostly, the water couldn't even be seen, due to the fog.

Exit 36 to Brunswick, Georgia: I noticed the outside temperature has dropped to 68 degrees.  There is a Super Seafood Buffet at the Pelican Point Restaurant.  Sounds interesting but it was too early for lunch!  I passed "Youngs Swamp Creek."  This wass different.  There are swamps and there are creeks.  This is a swamp creek.

Ahead in traffic appeared what looked like a motorcycle with a sidecar - in the heavy rain and fog.  As I inched closer, I noticed that it was two motorcycles; one was a two-wheeler and the other a three-wheeler.  Both had two passengers, wearing rain gear and helmets.  It looked dangerous with all the cars in the swirling rain.

Can you spot the two motorcycles?  Most unusual on the interstate!

"Texting while driving is illegal in Georgia": sign over all lanes of I-95.  The rain increased to the point where I had to take off the car's cruise control but still never had to put the windshield wipers on "high" today. As I left I-95 and turned onto I-26 to go more west, I noticed the temperature had again dropped: to 64 degrees. I passed under Five Chop Road.  I love all the unusual road names!

Close to Columbia, South Carolina, the temperature again dropped to 59 degrees.  It is noticeably hillier and the road is winding more.  I had to put on my hooded sweatshirt but the rain let up somewhat.  By 4 p.m., I reach my goal, Spartanburg, South Carolina, and am more than ready to rest in a motel for the night!  I've driven 388 miles today!  Tomorrow will be fewer miles (approximately 348) but the roads through the mountains are more challenging.  Good night!