Atlanta Bypass

Crossing the Ohio River

Yesterday's day on the road was a snap! We went from deep winter to 20F and set off this morning full of optimism, sure that we would get to Florida -- or almost -- by this evening.

In fact, the journey was glorious through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and part of Georgia. We left Mount Vernon shortly after 7:00 a.m. and an hour or so later, the hills of Kentucky reminded me of spring. A little later, we saw our first green grass and my first robin of the season chirped merrily at the Blue Star Memorial Highway Tennessee Welcome Center. I was almost overdressed in my light fleece jacket.

Robin at Tennessee Welcome Center

We had lunch at McDonald's just past Nashville (The Grand Ole Opry will have to wait, I guess ) and drove on to Chattanooga, Tennessee, which reminded me of South St. Paul in Minnesota. We steeled ourselves for bumper-to-bumper traffic around Atlanta, and sure enough that's what we had. Somewhere around Chattanooga, we entered the Eastern time zone and lost an hour.

AAA steered us past Atlanta on the 285 bypass, so that we avoided I-75 though the heart of Atlanta. By this time, we were beginning to fade, but we had to press on. There was nowhere to go but forward.

After about 100 miles of speeds between 15 and 20  mph, we finally hit wide open freeway (that's what a freeway used to be, long ago) and made it to Macon, Georgia, after dusk had fallen. The first hotel off exit #169 was full, but we landed well at Courtyard By Marriott. A drink never tasted so good.