Statesboro

Day 54, May 25, 2011, Statesboro

0 miles, averaging 0 mph

Route – around Statesboro, GA on Rocket

Best Moment – Having the bike all tuned and ready for another 4,000 miles.  When I picked it up from the shop, I could tell it really had needed a tune-up.  It really is a much more comfortable bicycle to ride and feels so much more solid than the Cannondale.  (Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love riding the road bike, but on roads that I know.)

Worst Moment – The shop suggested that I replace the rear tire.  I was thinking – “didn’t I just do that?”  I had, but the inner layer was starting to show through – just asking for more flats.  I replaced the rear tire.

Statesboro is very much a little farming community.  It is a good thing that Georgia Southern University is here, or there might not be much of a town. Many of the small farming towns are being abandoned in favor of larger cities.  And Savannah is only 50 miles to the east.

I gave Neita three choices of things to do today and told her that she had to pick two.  While she didn’t choose the Georgia Southern University Botanical Gardens, I was able to talk her into a visit.  What a unique place.  There wasn’t anyone else around.  The gardens were supposed to open at 9:30.  We were able to walk through the gardens but the home wasn’t open.  There was another family walking in as we were leaving nearly an hour later.

They were very lovely.  One could almost imagine folks coming to visit up the magnolia, holly, and azalea lined front entrance as the Blands (they originally owned the home) waited to greet their guests.  There were lovely flower gardens, vegetable gardens and a collection of azaleas.  One of the most amazing shrubs was this huge gardenia bush.

After seeing all there was to see at the gardens, we took off for the Meinhardt Vineyards.  It was quite a trek.  The last mile or so was on a sand road – a little dicey on Rocket.  I had to keep one foot down just in case.  The vineyard mainly specialized in muscadine wines – not like anything I’d tasted before.  Even the drier wines were very sweet.   The winery was a very beautiful place.

Spent the rest of the day resting and relaxing – it’s a big day tomorrow – at least 95 miles.  It should be a bit cooler as we get closer to the coast.  I think that Walterboro was 10 degrees cooler today than Statesboro.  YEAH!