Going to 11 (Georgia 11)

[ThomWill]

There are some roads / routes that are like comfort food, we ride them again and again and they never really get old, or stale but more beloved for the familiarity we gain with them. As I sit here this morning, prepping to run one of my favorite routes, again, I thought I would write it out for any of the local folks who wanted to give it a go.

 

Get thee, first, to Winder in Barrow County and head south on GA 11 (not business 11)... through Bethlehem,Monroe, and Social Circle and then south of I20 begins some of the nicest "horse" country that GA has to offer, ranches and plantations on both sides of the road. Not twisty, but rolling with occasional sweepers and long views of the fields, farmhouses and giant oak trees that guard them. Down to Monticello and through that lovely old square where 11 changes her nature and becomes more twisty as she follows the railroad tracks from Monticello through Hillsboro, Round Oak, and Wayside (a good place to pause for a moment) to Gray, GA.

 

Turn left on GA 22 and make the 4 lane run to Milledgeville and just before 441, turn left on GA 212. which takes one through lake country and rolls through the Oconee national forest back to Monticello and back through that square on 212 to the Dairy Queen next to the Monticello inn for a break (and maybe a cone).

 

212 then through Jackson and into Covington (where I pick up 81 back to Loganville, and then 78 or 20 to home, or hit some little back roads)

 

A figure 8 ride, allowing one to almost complete the square in Monticello.

[Kirby]

You are 100% corect in that there are some very nice country roads in our state. Last fall I took on the plan to visit all of the counties in the state of Ga. What I needed was to have a common place that all the counties have. That was, every county has a county seat and a county courthouse. Well, this past summer I completed visiting all 159 counties in the state of Ga and traveled over 7,000 miles in the project. I visited almost all of the war memorials and places that were dedicated to the veterans of all wars. Some of the most extravagant courthouses that you will ever see are in our state as well as many of the old which have been replaced or refurbished or turned into museums. Traveling over the whole state takes you over a lot of backroads and country towns that are never mentioned if you are just passing through on your way to one of the major cities. It was a lot of fun. I invite everyone to do this in their own state. You'll learn a lot about your state and have fun doing it!!

[ThomWill]

Funny you should say that... your town, McRae, is one of my favorite little towns in GA. Like Monticello it is a multi-crossroads town. (and y'all have that nifty Statue of Liberty). My daughter and I are trying to cross off all the covered bridges in GA, I think we have only the ones in the NW corner to go (save the one in Callaway Gardens that is not reachable at this time, by any vehicle or on foot). I love the county idea. The folks in Delaware will have to do something else though, because I was stationed there for years and can tell you with only 3 counties it is just a day trip.

[Kirby]

Last year I went on an Iron Butt Ride up in Newnan, and a guy on a Gold Wing put me onto the idea of visiting all the counties. I thought it was kinda neat so every chance I got I'd ride out a little further and further (being's how McRae is pretty much on a centerline between Columbus and Savannah). My wife had always wanted to visit Callaway Gardens so one weekend we headed off in that direction. When we got there they told us we couldn't ride the motorcycle in, so we did the counties that border on other states that weekend, 35 in all from McRae to Harris Co., to all the way around the top of the state, back down to Effingham, and back across by Candler Co. A little over 1,000 miles in all for 3 days but we did a lot of picture taking and site seeing. Mucho fun!!!

[Guest Cliff]

I'm trailering my 2004 white Venture from San Antonio, TX to Columbus, GA in January. I'll need it serviced. Can you recommend a shop? I read some threads on roads to ride and ask for all the ideas you got of places to see and ride. Cheers.

Cliff Bailey

"I'll try anything once..if I live through it I won't try it again..."

99 Road Star Blue & White

04 Venture Pearl White

07 Couch with a Corvette motor Blue Wing

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and beyond