We left Macon shortly after 8:00 a.m. and were pleasantly surprised by an uncrowded freeway. The Georgia pines gradually gave way to flowering crabs and cherry trees, as well as trees covered with sphagnum moss, which I had to
look up to make sure I got the identification right. Cattle grazed in the fields and racehorses seemed to be inviting passers-by to admire them. Where is that Kentucky Derby fancy hat when I need it? I thought about the Keeleys' (Gene Hackman, Dianne West) description of the drive from DC to Key West in
The Birdcage, and, like the Senator and his wife, was impressed by the vastness, variety and beauty of the land.
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| Welcome to florida |
An abrupt change at the Florida Welcome Center where we landed at about 10:30. Palm trees, orange juice, cameras. Full of northerners in their long pants and fleece jackets. A few kids in shorts. We stayed long enough to visit the facilities and then pressed onward. Traffic quickly multiplied and our heavy clothes felt a little uncomfortable in the rising temperatures. Time for AC.
The sides of I-75 are ugly in Florida, full of billboards. All very utilitarian. The brush is so thick that you really can't see much, but I wondered why the buzzards circled periodically over the jungle-like interior.
Traffic became really heavy as we approached Tampa. We finally rolled into
The Sunrise Resort shortly after 4:00 p.m.. We're a floor higher this year, and the view is spectacular.
