Yard Sale Addict

Atlanta to Valdosta

With the truck loaded we head out of Atlanta. I dread fast trips spent on interstate highways. I dread spending anytime on any interstate highway. While they have given us speed these soul sucking ribbons of asphalt have taken away any possibility of seeing anything of this nation while traveling. Nearly every exit is festooned with the same dire chain restaurants and gas stations. People behave horribly on these roads the scenery is often bleak plus you can’t slow down and stop to see things like roadside memorials or any other strange artifacts along these high speed halls of monotony. I 75 from Atlanta to Tampa is one of these highway fraught with tedium and boredom. Landmarks are sparse. South of Macon near Byron are the two large peaches. Far below the scale of South Carolinas legendary leviathan Peachoid the twin big fruit of Byron only offer minor landmark status. At dusk the larger fruit the water tower peach with its poor illumination resembles the exposed backside of some freckled behemoth. The lesser peach that looks more like an onion than a peach is normally affixed to the top of a tall post, where it serves no other purpose than promoting an antique store. Today it is resting on the pavement next to the antique mart. Perhaps they are planning some modifications to make it look less oniony. . Past Byron we are in darkness with only the images of illuminated billboards for hotels and fast food to light our way. We stopped in Valdosta after selecting the “American Owned” Briarwood Hotel on its for its thrifty rates. This basic inn showed better from the highway for we had to past the exotic Club Paradise and a truck stop advertising two types of chaw before reaching the Briarwood. At the entrance a sign warned against loitering. Across the parking lot a metal building housed an indoor pool with a wooden sign in front stating boldly “Pool Heat on”.
Since this Blog is not about cheap motels. I will not go into the details but we did get a restful night’s sleep. We did not visit the Club Paradise nor take advantage of the deals on chaw.