From A to B with R and R Along the Way

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

From A to B with R and R Along the Way

[A Tuesday / Thursday Feature of the First Road Blog]

It may be an image-of-God thing. For Judy and me there is rarely a time when we go directly from place “A” to place “B,” and we are not especially drawn to the mega tourist venues. For example, we occasionally pursue the non-green / non-blue roads on our map. That’s why Florida State route 301 North was our path of choice for the beginning of this year’s fourth annual Road Trip to North Dakota and New York. The highway guided us almost due north from the east side of central Florida, at Lakeland, to the west side of northern Florida, near Jacksonville. This offered a worthwhile change of pace from I-4 east and I-95 north. We enjoyed passing slowly through intriguing communities such as the modest city of Ocala, in a major race horse breeding region, and the once flourishing village of Waldo whose story ought to attract historical novelists. The ability to appreciate simple tastes allowed us to enjoy the McDonalds in Starke which offers a wooded picnic area as part of its ambiance.

Then there are the tiny red places of interest highlighted on the map as well as easily overlooked paragraphs in travel guides which beckon to inexpensive and often free opportunities which can linger long and well in the memory. I want to share some of those with you in articles which, hopefully, will follow this one in Thursdays and Tuesdays to come; but as long as I’m on the subject of good memories of simple things, let me mention – rest areas.

Seriously! Here are some of the places where we caught our breath and even found paths to walk. They remind me of people in my life who, although largely unnoticed by the more self-important than really-important, have been a breath of fresh air to our spirit when the pace is hectic or when the traffic is jammed. Scroll down. Take a look at some examples.