19 January 2009

Missing a sign

This holiday Monday found us back in the car. Again, at an early hour. Our Florida family obliged our desire to get on the road and everyone was up for a too-early breakfast and the waving.

The day dawned to dense fog, making the driving for the first two+ hours tense and dangerous. In the viscinity of Lake City FL our momentum was reduced to a crawl for a dozen or so miles with a horrible-looking, multiple car/truck wreck in the southbound lanes. Grateful on many levels (not to be in a wreck ourselves, that we were beyond the slowdown, seeing the fog begin to be overcome by pale sunlight) and ready for a rest, we stopped for fuel -- and another breakfast just as we entered Georgia.

As we neared Macon for the second time in four days, we began watching for instruction on an I-75-to-US129 transition. What we didn't know was that the map Tal was using was rather outdated, the interstate having undergone a major overhaul in recent years. Going south had been so easy with plenteous signage from US129 to I-75. Anyway, after navigating two sides of a triangle -- I-75 around the eastern side of Macon and having spied nary a sign, Tal directed me to SR83 and we "discovered" another route to I-20. I wouldn't want to travel it everyday, as it's narrow and full of curves, an invitation to eventual calamity. But, we remarked -- exclaimed, actually -- again and again on the beauty of the terrain, the Oconee National Forest on both sides of the road for many of the miles we covered.

Home did look good when we arrived at the gate. The dogs burst from the garage as the door lifted, a welcome party like none other, and one which coming home to is one of our greatest joys.

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