Last night we drove into Daytona/Daytona Beach and were bowled away by the sheer size of the Daytona Speedway facility. This is a big deal. I guess the rest of the world already knew that. It was a revelation to me. And then as we neared the beach, a huge neon arc hung across the sky stating: "World's Most Famous Beach", and yes, since the grand-daddy of Nascar races takes place right next door, you can drive on this beach.
This morning we walked the beach walk accompanied by a battalion of brown pelicans flying in sloppy formation.
As we headed up the Palm Coast we passed fruit stands touting fresh Florida citrus. We couldn't resist a bag of sweet deep orange tangerines to eat in the car.
We drove through the Georgia Sea Islands over long arching bridges, and stopped on Jekyll Island. In the late 1800's a group of millionaires (including the Morgans, Rockefellers and Vanderbilts), bought the entire island and built summer homes there. They arrived in their yachts, as the island was only accessible by water in those days. They called themselves the Jekyll Island Club and combined efforts to build a spectacular "clubhouse." It's an uber mansion complete with turret. The grounds are studded with live oak trees draped with flowing sheets of Spanish moss.Their club lasted 54 years until World War II intervened.
We passed a sign for a terrapin crossing with instructions to stop and assist the turtle across the road in the direction it was going. Very critical.
We took an off-freeway route through rural Georgia, passing Darien a town established in 1736, a multicolored striped big-top with a sign announcing a tent revival, and the smallest church in America. The church is 10 feet by 15 feet and holds exactly 12 chairs.
States: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina Total: 14
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