Day Five

Swainsboro, GA to Dublin, GA

Lodging availability once again determined my destination, and another short day was planned. I was going to Dublin, where I would have been two days ago if my ankles hadn't been sore. Less than forty miles, it was ideal for my still-not-100% tendons, especially the right one. The route was simple, too, just take US 80 west. Once again, I rode over rolling hills with a slight headwind. US 80 had a nice shoulder, a foot wide with no rumble strips. Most drivers were very courteous even traffic coming the other way moved over to allow cars headed in my direction to swing wide. I had a few minor run-ins with dogs, including one house with four of them. I shouted at them several times before they finally gave up. I have a yell that usually sends dogs running the other way, even my own (my dogs hide when I yell, even though I'm not  yelling at them).

There was only one town in between Swainsboro and Dublin, and that was Adrian. I stopped there to eat the last ham sandwich from the groceries I bought on Thursday and Friday. Several dogs were wandering the streets of Adrian, including one who walked on three legs, holding up the fourth. He looked hurt, but dogs are so stoic, he just went about his business of sniffing. Adrian was at roughly the halfway point, and it was only 1 PM.

The road to Dublin was much the same as it had been to Adrian. Traffic got a little heavier, and soon I was in East Dublin. Downtown Dublin was interesting to see, with several photo opportunities. That made me happy since I hadn't seen much worth photographing the past few days. There were lots of banners for Saint Patrick's Day, less than two weeks away. The Dublin Theatre was nicely restored, and the Carnegie Library, like many Carnegie Libraries, had become a museum for the local historical society. Of course, there was the requisite Civil War memorial, and a memorial to local police and fire personnel who died in the line of duty. However, the most unusual memorial was a simple stone block with a plaque entitled The Eight Patriots memorializing April 25, 1980. It took me a moment to recall  the event, my memory jogged by the inscription written by Evelyn Van Tine:

Greater love... Greater love hath no man... They came, these eight, from America the beautiful, of their own will, and with no fanfare... They went to a hostile place to rescue their countrymen, knowing that love is as strong as death. In a strange land on alien desert sands, on a dark April night when leaves in America were turning green, and Earth was awakening the blossoms and birds, these eight gave all that a man can give. Greater love, greater love hath no man, Bakke, Harvey, Holmes, Johnson, Lewis, Mayo, McIntosh, and McMillan greater love... Under the far stars they gave their young lives. They did not see the promise of another spring time... When the hostages returned home, the valient eight could not hear the drums, and the cheers, they could not see the flags and parades, and the joy. Their bravery lives in the heart of America. Greater love... Greater love hath no man.

The event was the failed Iranian hostage rescue mission. Staff Sgt. Dewey L. Johnson was from Dublin, GA.

I rode around town for more than an hour, taking pictures and checking out motels. The Irish Inn didn't look promising enough for me the adjacent vacant business overgrown with weeds didn't help. The Dublin Motel didn't make the grade, either, owing to the old mattresses leaned up against one of the units. Or maybe I just didn't feel like being adventurous tonight. I went to the Super 8 south of town, where the young lady at the front desk was impressed by my journey.

When I tried my 800 Internet service, it still did not work. After a third phone call to EarthLink, I finally got it cleared up. Unfortunately, when I finally got connected, it was at a pathetic 14,400 bps rate. Still, it was good enough to download my e-mail for the first time since Pooler.

Totals for the day: 48.67 miles in 4:12:00 for an average of 11.5 mph.

Click here to see today's photos, including a special feature of Dublin.

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