2.21.2011 Ride: Day 1: Fayetteville, GA

12 hours after leaving home yesterday, I finally reached my destination in Inman, GA (just south of Fayetteville, GA).  Who would think that just hanging out in an airport could be so mentally draining.  This morning, I was in a muddled haze and eager to get my bike ride in to help clear my head.
The country store in the picture is one of a million that could be passed in numerous small towns.  I happen to know that the part of the building jutting out on the left with the Marlboro sign in the window, used to be the entrance for the post office for Inman, GA and that my late father-in-law, who died in 1999,  was the postmaster.

I thought I was going to head in one direction this morning, but when I got on Goza Rd (I love that name), I decided to re-trace in reverse the tail end of my route from Fayetteville, AR to Fayetteville, GA back in June of 2009.  This involved several turns and I wasn't sure I would remember them all but it was worth a shot.
Along the way, I came across this vulture that seemed to be standing lovingly over its dead mate.  Whenever I encountered vultures in Arkansas, they flew away before I even had a chance to pull out the camera, much less get this close.  I also wondered if I was witnessing an usual closeness between two mated vultures.  The vulture began hopping away and it became apparent that it could not fly.  I rode on.
A couple of times, I thought I had missed a turn but then the street name rang a bell.  I went from Goza to  McBride, Mask, Harp, Redwine, Ebenezer Church and finally Lester.

The Road Leading to Fayetteville, AR.  Only 925 Miles.

There's something very enchanting thinking about being at the beginning of a path that goes 925 miles.  True, the road I was on led to many, many different locales but I knew that there was one intimate path that would take me back to Fayetteville, AR.  This feeling was very similar to standing at the beginning of The Appalachian Trail in Springer Mt in Georgia and knowing that the humble foot path before me could take me all the way to Maine (no, I haven't done the entire AT).
I rode 45 minutes out and would have loved to kept going but I told Frances (my mother-in-law) that I would be back by a certain time and I already was pushing past that. 

Bob & Kelvin

At an intersection on the way back, I stopped two cyclists coming from the other direction and asked if I could take their picture: being the first cyclists I came across on this trip to Georgia was reason enough.  I'm glad I stopped them as we had a good exchange and it made my ride this morning much more memorable.  They are with the SouthsideCycling.com. 




Though the roads I was on felt rural, I knew I was in a county that had drastically changed since Carol left back in the 70s.  Fayette County used to be one of the poorest counties in Georgia and Carol didn't have indoor plumbing until 1961, I think it was.  Then, Delta employees began moving in and Fayette became one of the richest counties in the state.  This may account for why I didn't see old structures to photograph. Thee was this one building, just a 1/4 mile away from Frances' house.

Served as a Hospital in Early 1900s

 Not a very particularly noteworthy old building but it did serve as a hospital for typhoid patients back in the early 1900s.  However, what caught my eye as I was taking the picture was the rocking chair on the porch.

I arrived back at the house about a half hour past my due time but there had been no reason to rush as Frances was fast asleep.  And, by the way, on the ride back, the vulture was lovingly eating away at the other bird's carcass.

Todays' Ride: 80 mins.  Miles: 17.4.   53 degrees.  Miles YTD: 915.41