Saturday I rode factory skate park, which is just south of Atlanta in a small town called Newman. The park was great, it had a few good box jumps, a perfect mini ramp, and even a vert ramp.
Vertwall and few other things
Amazing wooden bowl, complete with wallride
At one point I climbed the stairs up to the top of the 13ft tall vert ramp and tried to convince myself to drop in.
Perfect mini ramp in the background
Eventually I settled on dropping in on the 10ft tall vert wall instead. I met some interesting people down there too, people who asked me questions like “Which territory are you from?” and “Ya’ll use the Euro up there, or you on the dollar?”
In general, everyone I talked to in the south seemed to have a very limited knowledge of what was going on in Canada. I remember watching “talking to Americans” with Rick Mercer and wondering if people were really that uninformed, it is unfortunate that this stereotype is true as far as the people I talked with. On the other hand, even after travelling across the US, I still have a terrible grasp on geography and state/capital names which I mix up constantly… “Ya, I crossed the border into Seattle“.
I took a less traveled highway to get a better view of the south
Last night I stayed in Phenix, Alabama, which is right on the state line. I woke up and drove to the Columbus, GA skate park. It was a good outdoor park, and it was actually nice out today.
Scared myself real good on this spine
Strange street section, ledges were like small quarters
Then I drove further south to Panama City, Florida. On the way I stopped and picked up some boiled peanuts. The guy selling them was a true hill billy, with the best south accent yet. He talked real slow with long pauses between each word. “Ya’ll don’t have boiled pay-nuts in cane-a-duh?” I also saw a sign that read “Gator Jerky next right” and regret not pulling over to check it out.
Best paynuts in the south, yessir!
opening these made more driving interesting
There also seem to be a lot of old Crown Vics with 20“ or bigger rims around here.
gangsta, gangsta
I arrived in Panama City and checked out the beach for a minute, then ate at this really bland buffet. The people running the place were very friendly though.
Beach was empty!
Most stores were closed till next summer
Now I’m sitting in yet another Wal-mart lot. Apparently this one has rules against overnight parking, but there’s a few other rigs here, so hopefully we don’t all get kicked out. I talked to a couple staying a few spaces down from me, they’re originally from Salem, OR, but just rolled in after a long haul from New Mexico. Their rig is an old motor home that looks to be in rough shape, but if this van has taught me anything, its that a vehicle may look old, but that doesn’t mean it won’t run like a top. Tomorrow I’m driving west down the south coast some more to Pensacola where there’s supposed to be a killer skate park.
Reading before sleeping...
Nov 2nd
Today I woke up early and took a swim in the Gulf and relaxed on the beach for a while.
water was so clear
After that I did some laundry then drove to Emerald Coast Dirt and Vert and rode their awesome, but thoroughly weathered skate park. The park was 8 years old and the salt water had taken its toll on the ramps, but it still had a decent mini, boxjump, spine, and vertwall. There were dirt jumps too, but they were crumbling away and won’t be rebuilt till next summer.
Mini ramp, small vert wall
Crumbling DJ's
Good BMX track with asphalt berms
Right now I’m sitting in a walmart lot in the state of Mississippi, somewhere along the coast. New Orleans tomorrow, gonna stay in a hostel for a couple days.
Georgia, Florida
Saturday I rode factory skate park, which is just south of Atlanta in a small town called Newman. The park was great, it had a few good box jumps, a perfect mini ramp, and even a vert ramp.
Vertwall and few other things
Amazing wooden bowl, complete with wallride
At one point I climbed the stairs up to the top of the 13ft tall vert ramp and tried to convince myself to drop in.
Perfect mini ramp in the background
Eventually I settled on dropping in on the 10ft tall vert wall instead. I met some interesting people down there too, people who asked me questions like “Which territory are you from?” and “Ya’ll use the Euro up there, or you on the dollar?”
In general, everyone I talked to in the south seemed to have a very limited knowledge of what was going on in Canada. I remember watching “talking to Americans” with Rick Mercer and wondering if people were really that uninformed, it is unfortunate that this stereotype is true as far as the people I talked with. On the other hand, even after travelling across the US, I still have a terrible grasp on geography and state/capital names which I mix up constantly… “Ya, I crossed the border into Seattle“.
I took a less traveled highway to get a better view of the south
Last night I stayed in Phenix, Alabama, which is right on the state line. I woke up and drove to the Columbus, GA skate park. It was a good outdoor park, and it was actually nice out today.
Scared myself real good on this spine
Strange street section, ledges were like small quarters
Then I drove further south to Panama City, Florida. On the way I stopped and picked up some boiled peanuts. The guy selling them was a true hill billy, with the best south accent yet. He talked real slow with long pauses between each word. “Ya’ll don’t have boiled pay-nuts in cane-a-duh?” I also saw a sign that read “Gator Jerky next right” and regret not pulling over to check it out.
Best paynuts in the south, yessir!
opening these made more driving interesting
There also seem to be a lot of old Crown Vics with 20“ or bigger rims around here.
gangsta, gangsta
I arrived in Panama City and checked out the beach for a minute, then ate at this really bland buffet. The people running the place were very friendly though.
Beach was empty!
Most stores were closed till next summer
Now I’m sitting in yet another Wal-mart lot. Apparently this one has rules against overnight parking, but there’s a few other rigs here, so hopefully we don’t all get kicked out. I talked to a couple staying a few spaces down from me, they’re originally from Salem, OR, but just rolled in after a long haul from New Mexico. Their rig is an old motor home that looks to be in rough shape, but if this van has taught me anything, its that a vehicle may look old, but that doesn’t mean it won’t run like a top. Tomorrow I’m driving west down the south coast some more to Pensacola where there’s supposed to be a killer skate park.
Reading before sleeping...
Nov 2nd
Today I woke up early and took a swim in the Gulf and relaxed on the beach for a while.
water was so clear
After that I did some laundry then drove to Emerald Coast Dirt and Vert and rode their awesome, but thoroughly weathered skate park. The park was 8 years old and the salt water had taken its toll on the ramps, but it still had a decent mini, boxjump, spine, and vertwall. There were dirt jumps too, but they were crumbling away and won’t be rebuilt till next summer.
Mini ramp, small vert wall
Crumbling DJ's
Good BMX track with asphalt berms
Right now I’m sitting in a walmart lot in the state of Mississippi, somewhere along the coast. New Orleans tomorrow, gonna stay in a hostel for a couple days.