on the road again...

...just can't wait to get back on the road again
the life i love is making music with my friends
i can't wait to get on the road again.

in some ways, willie said it best. i had a great time in orlando, but it was a little weird to be in one place for two straight days. especially since i got in so early on tuesday, it threw me off a little bit, especially when i got up this morning and started packing up.

it was actually a late start today. i slept in until 9am (it was a late night) and packed up, but didn't get on the road until around 12:30, to get some extra visiting in, especially since i had a relatively short day today. i took off out of orlando on I-4, then hit I-95 north. now before i sarted this trip, i was warned against I-95 by many east coast riders. bad traffic, horrible drivers, etc, they all said i should avoid it at all costs. my plan was to take it to jacksonville (getting some miles down) before hopping on 17 to head up the rest of the way to savannah. well, it turns out they didn't mention the wind. i was getting blown around so much it was ridiculous, i wa getting battered. after a quick look at the map i decided to hop on highway 1 (east coast version) to get off the interstate.

1 was much nice, and i escaped the wind. it took me up until jacksonville, when i hit 17N, which should have taken me all the way to savannah. unfortunately, i found the one highway in the US where drivers not only don't go 65 mph, but they insist on going 5-10 mph below the speed limit. i must have passed 6 cars in 2 miles, just because they were all going ridiculously slow. it got so bad that i ended up jumping back on I-95 for the last 50 miles or so into savannah.

it was a very subdued day mentally, which i think was due to my music. i switched to my folk mix which, though i like all the music on there, is just not doing it for me on the road. on the bike i just need that driving rhythm that only rock can provide. when it comes to travel, give me imelda may over gillian welch, the black keys over black prairie and the decemberists over...well, i have the decemberists on both mixes. so they're ok. tomorrow, it'll be back to the rock and/or roll, starting with my trip anthem by the lonely forest.

savannah is a really cool town. i almost took the quick and easy route and stayed at a hotel right on I-95, but instead on a last minute whim i decided to go the rest of the way in to downtown savannah. i'm very glad i did. i ended up taking a hotel right at the corner of the historic district and, after a quick shower, had a nice walk down river street before having dinner at the cotton exchange tavern. an excellent burger, local brew and a walk home through city market and a very happening late night scene. all in all, a good evening.

i'm getting really bad at taking pictures. to be honest, though, i've been in the south since sunday, and a lot of it really looks the same. plus, i barely got a peek of the atlantic, even though i was essentially travelling up the coast. so to make it up to you, here are some pictures of me at universal studios:



that's me throwing my name in the goblet of fire in hogwarts castle, and standing in front of the jurassic park visitors' center. yeah, it was awesome.

tomorrow i'm off to greenville, NC to hang out with my little bro (and possibly check out the blackbeard museum). i'm not sure which route i'm going to take yet, i need to check out some drive times and make sure there aren't any roads blocked left over from hurricane damage.

either way, this morning when i got back onto the bike i suddenly felt like i was exactly where i should be. it was a good feeling.

rftc,

scott