Our Path to Jekyll Island:
On January 7th, 2022, me and my good friend Carson Davis, started on a nearly 1,000-mile road trip to the Florida Keys, in search of warmer weather, gorgeous sunsets, and a close runner up to a trip to the Rocky Mountains we had been planning for months prior. Despite being our second attempt at a winter road trip, things were not looking good on day one.
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As we loaded up the sidecar and said our goodbyes to Carson's family in Birmingham, we thought we were prepared for the worst, bundled tightly for the surrounding 28-degree weather, and meticulous in our route to avoid black ice, we backed out of the driveway just after nine. Carson jumped into the sidecar after assuring his mom this wouldn't be a fatal reenactment of the dumb and dumber motorcycle scene, and just as the last goodbyes were said, and parental worries seemed to be over, Carson tried to latch the sidecar. TINK. Out of nowhere, the left latch of the sidecar flew off, revealing some less than professional construction, and an abrupt end to our morning ride.
Eager to get back on the road, we raced to Home Depot, bought some bolts, and replaced the fading glue on my latch with five stainless steel bolts and washers. With a little blue Loctite for added security, we promised Carson's mom that this would be the only thing falling off the motorcycle that morning, and headed on our way.
After several grueling hours of riding along the cold and dark rural highways of Alabama and Georgia, we made it to paradise, Jekyll Island. Having just shivered for hours on end, with nothing but cows and fields in site, Jekyll Island was a night and day difference, with nothing but a bridge in-between. With our scenery rapidly shifting from fading haze and desolate yellow fields, to what felt like the tropics in Georgia, absolutely took me by surprise. With palm trees, thick-leaved vegetation, and Disneyland-Esque gates, Jekyll Island was immediately a warm and welcoming place.
Even at dusk, the island was adorned with helpful markers, and unique accent pieces everywhere you looked, from the sea turtle-shaped road markers to the custom street signs, Jekyll Island had an incredible atmosphere, completely foreign from the Georgia I grew up in. This was a place far more dynamic, with smells of sweet wood, deer crossings in several neighborhoods, and a view of the ocean around each curve of the road. Surrounded by this picture-perfect landscape, we made it to Jekyll Island Campground, and enjoyed our first real meal since the previous night: soy sauce flavored ramen noodles courtesy of Carson's camp kitchen.
After several grueling hours of riding along the cold and dark rural highways of Alabama and Georgia, we made it to paradise, Jekyll Island. Having just shivered for hours on end, with nothing but cows and fields in site, Jekyll Island was a night and day difference, with nothing but a bridge in-between. With our scenery rapidly shifting from fading haze and desolate yellow fields, to what felt like the tropics in Georgia, absolutely took me by surprise. With palm trees, thick-leaved vegetation, and Disneyland-Esque gates, Jekyll Island was immediately a warm and welcoming place.
Even at dusk, the island was adorned with helpful markers, and unique accent pieces everywhere you looked, from the sea turtle-shaped road markers to the custom street signs, Jekyll Island had an incredible atmosphere, completely foreign from the Georgia I grew up in. This was a place far more dynamic, with smells of sweet wood, deer crossings in several neighborhoods, and a view of the ocean around each curve of the road. Surrounded by this picture-perfect landscape, we made it to Jekyll Island Campground, and enjoyed our first real meal since the previous night: soy sauce flavored ramen noodles courtesy of Carson's camp kitchen.
On the morning of January 8th, we woke up to one of the best sunrises of my life, in warmer temps, dry clothes, and the iconic site of Driftwood Beach to ourselves, we sat patiently and played with our photography angles as that burning orange sun rose above the horizon, and shined its first fiery streak of light across the waters of the Golden Isles. As the sun continued to rise and the scenery kept changing, adding more colors and gradients in the sky, we continued with our pictures before packing up and starting our six hundred-mile journey to Key Largo.
As I write this now in Key West, I've gotten to see so much more sun, water, and time off of my motorcycle, and I can't wait to tell you about it in the following days. For updates on our trip check back in on the site, and to see more pictures, check out our Instagram at theamericanobserverig!
As I write this now in Key West, I've gotten to see so much more sun, water, and time off of my motorcycle, and I can't wait to tell you about it in the following days. For updates on our trip check back in on the site, and to see more pictures, check out our Instagram at theamericanobserverig!
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