Day 6: August 30, 2001 A Couple of Campsites |
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Granny did not mention Cordele on the trip to Florida but did mention it on the return trip. We will not be passing through here when we return but spent the night here on the way south. |
Granny's Letters:
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Four Georgia cities Granny talks about in her letters. She also talked about the surrounding pine forest and its ground cover of palms. | |
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We made it to Florida and the town of Madison. Across the corner from the court house is the first restaurant we have stopped at that seems worth reporting on. The Stone Fox is small but friendly with good prices & a great menu. | |
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From Madison we headed to Live Oak and then Branford. In Branford, we visited the spring (next paragraph) described in Granny's letters. | |
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Where the Suwannee river passes through Branford, we visited what is undoubtedly the area in which the 1920 travelers camped. The area has surely changed since then and is now a small park with picnic shelters and other "improvements". Locals clearly enjoy the park and were fishing, swimming, and just relaxing. When I left Woodington, my unseen Uncle Eldon entrusted an ax to me that he had brought to Florida in the past and was along with Granddad on the 1920 journey. The ax was not only Granddad's possession, it was, as a blacksmith and carpenter, his creation. Here is a photo of that axe in a location where it was surely put to use some eighty-one years ago. | |
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Not far from Branford is the Ichetucknee river and another 1920's campsite. The area became a state park in 1970 and is now protected. It seems quite popular for swimming & tubing. Granny reported a total of 8 cars in camp when they were here for their Thanksgiving dinner -- rabbit with sweet potatoes and Irish potatoes. It's not too hard to picture a Model T or two parked under those trees. | |
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We passed through Fort White & High Springs before grabbing a motel near the I-75 crossover. Once again, the rain waited for us to park before coming down in force. | |
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