An old roadside stand specializing in pecans and candy in
rural Tattnall County Georgia on US Route 25. The name “The Still” makes me
think of moonshine, and a nearby crossroad is called, “Old Still Road,” which adds
to my flights of fancy. But, alas, I have no evidence of any of my suppositions.
The Strand was opened in 1924, while the Jesup Drive-In
was opened in 1948 and closed briefly during the 1960s. It reopened in 1970
after the addition of a second screen. Both theaters remain in operation.
Strand Location: 169 West Cherry Street, Jesup, Georgia.
Jesup Drive-In Location: 3686 Savannah Highway, Jesup,
Georgia.
About 3.5 miles north of Kingsland, and 7.5 miles south
of Woodbine, Georgia, the former site of Moody’s Bar-B-Q sits abandoned on US
Route 17. It is a fascinating ruin that suggests it was once a popular eatery,
but it has clearly been out of business for quite some time.
A small green sign directs the attentive motorist on US41 to an unimproved (read: dirt/sand) road that constitutes the community of Montbrook, Florida. Today, it is a collection of modest houses with rather large plots of land. At one time, in the early part of the twentieth century, the town of Montbrook was a stop on the rail line. It is difficult to say whether the town was prosperous. Today, all that remains are two structures from that era: a general store/post office and a former hotel. I have yet to find any information regarding the general store, which has set abandoned and uninhabited for many years. On the other hand. the hotel, built in 1904, is a private residence. It was moved to its current location in 1974, about 400 feet to the west from its former location. During the move, the former hotel acquired a brick façade. Now a residence, the building still retains its original flooring made from Dade County Florida pine. Originally, the railroad tracks ran adjacent to the general store making it a short walk from the train stop to the hotel. At some point, however, the railroad tracks have been moved about a quarter of a mile east where it is still an active freight line.
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| The former hotel |
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| General Store / Post Office |
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| Pine Floor |
The
Wells Theater opened around 1942 and closed in 1965. After its closure it
became a plumbing supply company, then was remodeled for apartments in 1990. Currently,
the building still seems to house apartments, although somewhat dilapidated. It
is located across East King Street from the historic train depot.
The
Lincoln Theatre, a cinema for the African American citizens, was located on
North Lee Street in Kingsland, opening on 18 January 1950. Owned and operated
by the Odum Brothers, the theater sought to have as many programs as possible
featuring all-black casts. The Lincoln appears to be no longer extant.
Location:
123 E. King Street, Kingsland, Georgia.
After a grueling nine-and-a-half-hour drive to South Carolina, we awoke to find ourselves on the northside of Columbia, South Carolina. Today’s drive portends another seven-hour trip to northern Florida. An early morning walk yields exercise much needed to clear the mind and mentally prepare for the coming day. The area around the hotel offers little cultural or aesthetic interest, only cheap chain restaurants and soulless business developments. In fact, the surrounding area has the feel of a failed conurbation with empty lots and abandoned buildings. The sidewalks have no destinations; seemingly the only purpose they serve is a convenient place where Canada geese can defecate. I could be anywhere across the United States, same types of buildings, campuses, and plenty of rubbish and debris. Other than the occasional palmetto tree, there is little else to indicate I am in South Carolina. Yet, the open spaces, with trees and wetlands, is a haven for birds – at least temporarily until the next business plan comes along. I watch the brown thrashers, crows, mourning doves, mockingbirds, and Canada geese frolic and begin their day. The goslings are old enough to be almost indistinguishable from their parents. Although I find the area unfulfilling as a traveler, the birds can escape the humans for a while longer.
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| The geese are happy that it is available |
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| Where the sidewalk ends |
We are still uneasy about
traveling on the first day of our grand post-vaccine trip. There had been many
false starts and plans in the lead up to resuming travel. The preambulatory aspects
of our promise to my mother that once we were fully vaccinated, and the appropriate
time had passed to allow antibodies to develop, we would travel to see her had
been fulfilled. Our excitement about returning to travel was also mixed with
apprehension long baked into our pandemic minds and lives. It is not easy to
simply switch from being wary of interpersonal exchanges with those we do not
know to suddenly resuming a normal life. Additionally, the fraught politics of
the past seventeen months has not been easy, particularly the tensions over
mask-wearing or any behaviors that might slow the spread of Covid-19.
We packed lunches to minimize our contact with other people, stopping at a small bucolic rest area near Troutville, Virginia. The rest area, full of mature trees, was not systematically leveled but retained its rolling hills and a pleasant stream meandering through. The picnic tables had been abandoned to the cardinals and chipping sparrows until we arrived to disturb their diurnal routine. Soon another human and dogs arrived as well, and we were spotted by the truckdriver and two miniature Australian shepherds. After a minute’s hesitation, she made a beeline toward us. Her proximity made me feel uncomfortable, something she sensed but for the wrong reason. She assured me her dogs were friendly, even if vocal. It was clear, she was having difficulty reading the room. Soon, she was opining about the direction of the country since Biden’s election and “the millions of illegal immigrants” soon to be in the country. We held our tongues. But it is hard to listen to harangue about legality from someone who cannot control her dogs as it bolts away to confront other, leashed, dogs in the rest area.
