A Sunday morning ride around my hometown, Athens GA

[R5_350]

It was a beautiful morning for a ride. Even though I live in the middle of town, the scene on the right is only fifty feet from my driveway. You get the feel like you're miles away on an empty trail in the mountains.


Where do we want to go today? Let's ride downtown on this sleepy morning and see some sights.


Athens GA still has the look and feel of the "old south." With many grand homes of the past still stately and beautiful.


I came to school in Athens in the 70's, married an Athens girl and never left. My ZR550 parked in front of "The Arch" at the University of Georgia, my alma mater and current employer.


The old Kawasaki looks good in the morning light


For more text and photos of my Sunday morning ride visit my little blog pages.

Thanks for taking a look!

http://jscottsand.googlepages.com/test

http://jscottsand.googlepages.com/home

[pashnit]

Scott, this is a really cool shot! Sort of a glimpse into a window or picture of Americana is pure form. Just main street USA. Always enjoy shots like this no matter where in the world they are. Often when traveling across the state or the country for that matter, you roll into small towns and this is exactly what you see.

[R5_350]

Thanks, Tim! I hope everyone out on the left coast and anywhere in between will visit my little blog. I have more photos and text there.

I'm "Jones'n" bad for another "Pashnit" tour this year but research dollars are tight here at the University and I'm sort of in economy mode waiting for the federal budget to sort things out.

In a week my wife, dog and myself will be traveling up to the north Georgia mountains. I'll be on my bike and the wife and doggie in our Miata. We plan on carving some corners and enjoying several days of R&R closer to home. I'll be sure to post another story and pictures form our little trip to the mountains. It's absolutely beautiful this time of year!

I day dream about last June's Yosemite/Sierra mountain tour every day. You've got something very special and have made me a "pashnite" for life. Thanks again for a wonderful, life changing experience!

[Zrexmark]

Great shots of Athens and that Zephyr is really a sharp motorcycle. I'm planning on being in north Georgia in a couple of weeks for a ZRXOA get together. I love riding in that area.

[R5_350]

Hey Mark, thanks for the comments on my photos and "vintage" zeph ZR550. I suppose you're talking about the ZRXOA meet at Skeenah Creek? That sounds like a blast!
My wife, my doggie and I will be heading up that way next Monday the 5th. We have a really nice cabin rented just east of the Blue Ridge GA area on top of a mountain with awesome views. My wife doesn't like to ride on the back of my bike but does like to carve up the road in our miata(we've both done track events, car is well suited for spirited driving, prepped suspension, rollbar, ultra sticky dot/track tires ;-) We're planning on plenty of follow the leader rides/drives(I'll probably wind up chasing her on my bike) on hwy 60, Suches area, hwy, 180(wolfpen gap rd)/19/129... also probably a ride over to the Helen area one day and enjoy hwy 348(R.B.Russell highway) etc....I wish I knew more roads in that area, probably just stick to the good one's I'm familiar with.
My vacation starts Thursday at 5pm, taking in the Mitty at Road Atlanta, Fri-Sun before we head up to Blue Ridge Monday morning.

[Sbyllek]

Always wanted to visit Georgia...
Thanx for a glimpse

[JeffeVerde]

I spent a week in Augusta on business. That's some really pretty country there. I like the way everythings nestled into the woods. Stark contrast to SoCal, where you can drive for 50 miles without a break in the concrete and buildings.

[R5_350]

Hey Geoff, interesting your comment on driving 50 miles without a break in concrete and buildings; some of the recent research I've been involved with has been studying urban sprawl in the southeast. Some of our findings: For the past ten years in the 16 county metro area surrounding Atlanta, we're loosing 54 acres a day in tree canopy and gaining 28 acres a day in impervious surface. We're cutting trees and paving it over.....

However, overall for the state of Georgia, we have more trees than we did 100 years ago due to the fact that silviculture has replaced agriculture in many areas. So yes there are plenty of trees just not as many in the more populated urban areas. Also you must consider a forest of one type of tree (pine plantation) is not as Eco-friendly as a natural forest.

My wife and I flew out to Arizona in October and as beautiful as the desert was after a few days I started to miss the tress and the green......

[Loki]

Such a clean looking town you live in. Looks like the type of town we all dream about living in. I visited your blog and read all your stories. Great ride reports and photos. I recognized your avatar from a photo in your blog.

[R5_350]

Thanks Jim for your kind words. Athens is a nice town to live and work. Being a college town it has a young and vibrant spirit. Athens is a little island of liberal thinking in a sea of conservative values. It reminds me of some of the more liberal and free thinking parts of California. As I get older the rest of the population in town remains 20 something, it makes me feel younger than my years. I'm glad you enjoyed my little blog. I know it's very amateurish but I hope to improve it as time goes by.