We were well into the journey by the time we arrived at the second race in Macon, Georgia. Afterwards we drove nearly due-north until we crossed the South Carolina border.
By-and-large the route avoided Interstate Highways except for a tiny stretch of I-85 near the end. We passed through rural backcountry and small town America most of the day, other than a brush with Athens. I even followed the most direct route for once. Roadside attraction and county counting all fell along a convenient path, a rare occurrence indeed.
Old South
What should I make of the Uncle Remus Museum in Eatonton (map)? I felt conflicted. Its mere existence conjured images of Reconstruction and Jim Crow. Mentally I put Uncle Remus into a similar category as Aunt Jemima and mammy dolls, a controversial anachronism who’s time had long since passed. So the museum had to walk a fine line:
“For more than half a century the Uncle Remus Museum has conserved Joel Chandler Harris’ early years in Eatonton, GA. Harris voiced the African American critter tales he heard as a boy working at Turnwold Plantation through Uncle Remus, a composite character drawn from several local slaves who shared the stories with him.”
It was a challenging topic although softened in this setting. First it was a museum so it could provide context that differentiated it from, say, a Confederate statue on a courthouse lawn (although we ran into those too). Second, it focused more emphasis on the life of the author than the stereotypes and tropes presented by his works.
Another Day, Another Tree
Then we continued north until reaching Athens where the highway provides a quick, efficient bypass. We didn’t do that though. No, we drilled right through downtown Athens and Saturday afternoon traffic. This included clipping a corner of the University of Georgia and a scenic tour of the massive fraternity and sorority houses along Milledge Avenue. Students milled about everywhere on this beautiful spring afternoon.
Why would we subject ourselves to this? Well, because I needed to see another tree that owned itself (map). Apparently the one in Alabama two days earlier wasn’t enough. According to a marker at the base of the tree, William H. Jackson decided to “convey entire possession of itself and all land within eight feet of the tree on all sides.”
Unfortunately it may be too good to be true. Jackson’s ownership of this particular plot was in doubt. The earliest documentation consisted of a single local newspaper article from 1890. Oh, and the original tree died in 1942 so this one is a replacement.
And yet, fully understanding all of this well in advance, I still had to visit it. That says more about me than the tree.
Beer Festival?
So I felt I deserved a little reward for fighting my way through Athens traffic just to see a tree. I deserved a beer and I could select from several nearby breweries. Southern Brewing Co. required no detour whatsoever and that’s where we stopped (map).
There’s an expression we’ve all heard before: “it’s better to be lucky than good”. Maybe that’s not always the case but today it held true. Somehow we stumbled upon the one place along our route holding a beer and music festival that afternoon. It was a benefit for a breast cancer foundation and we were glad to contribute to the cause. Sadly we also had to keep a schedule and we couldn’t stay long. The bands would play and the beer would flow for several more hours after we left.
We hit three breweries that day. In addition to this one we stopped at Amici Brewing in Madison, Georgia for lunch and Keowee Brewing in Seneca, South Carolina for dinner.
Cromer’s Mill Covered Bridge
Yes, of course I wanted to stay at the brewery longer. Fortunately I found a consolation prize; another covered bridge to explore. The Cromer’s Mill Bridge near Royston, Georgia crossed Nails Creek just yards away from our direct route (map). This was an easy catch.
It dated to 1907, named for a pioneering family that operated a nearby woolen mill in the mid 19th Century. The bridge had seen better days, though. Gates prevented anyone from walking across it, much less driving.
Welcome to South Carolina
Eventually we crossed the border into South Carolina. I’m not sure why I recorded the sign; it didn’t mark the exact border. But it sat right at the Welcome Center outside of Fair Play along Interstate 85 (map). I guess I have a thing for road signs and rest stops.
Macon Race Recap
Once again I’ll hide the race summary down here at the bottom. The Georgia race happened in Macon, at Amerson River Park. This was a scenic spot with gentle rolling hills along the Ocmulgee River. I did my best 10K of the series that morning, 48:44, which equaled a 7:52 pace.
Articles in the Southern Hills Series
See Also: The Complete Photo Album on Flickr.
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