The River Road Ride

I was looking over all the rides that I've posted to date and realized that the majority of them are on the east side of Jacksonville, so here is a really great one that encompasses about half of the western area that I was looking to find a decent road in. My fiance' recommended this one since she had to take a bus ride to a farm out in this area for a field trip with her students. She said that she was enjoying it a lot, even on a school bus of all things, so there is no reason to believe that it wouldn't be great either on a motorcycle or in a car with the windows down. I've been chomping at the bit to do this one since she told me about it. Depending on which end of the route you decide to start on (301 or Lem Turner) it is a bit of a trip to get there or return to the city, but it's definitely worth it either way.

Today we will start on 301, right of of I-10 west. Keep to the left when you come off of I-10 and take a left onto 301, then another left shortly after it dead ends into Lake City Road/90. Follow this for a little bit then take a right onto C.R. 121. Keep your eyes peeled for the sign for this road on the right, as it is very faded and could have a tendency to sneak up on you. Take a right onto 121 and enjoy the ride on this beautiful 2 lane road. Here you will travel up the Florida/Georgia border and enjoying nice curves and an overall lack of other travelers. Seems that this side of Jacksonville is more rural farmland and ranches than anything else, and makes for some great views along the way. The speed limit here is also surprisingly high, which adds to the fun as well. Continue on 121 until you reach river road. You want to look out for a run down gas station to your right after passing a sizable church, also on the right. After you take your right onto River Rd., you will find more great photo opportunities. Plenty of farms, ranches, and rather large houses to keep you entertained. Once you reach the railroad tracks you will be reaching the town of Callahan. Not a whole lot going on here. Since it is quite a small town, there is bound to be a decent mom and pop restaurant there if you decide to stop and grab a bite to eat. Take your first right a the first major intersection where River Rd. and South Kings Rd meet, stay on this for a short while, staying to the left. When Kings Rd. begins to veer right, you want to head left onto Lem Turner Rd. If you miss it, take a left at 5th Avenue and you should merge right into where you need to go. Lem Turner has a few nice curves itself, but is much more residential than 121 and River Rd, so keep an eye out for folks in front of you. If you are ever participating in a motorcycle picture game, a nice tag that you can make could include the giant golf ball you will see along the way back to 295.

This ride will add a decent 46 miles to your bike, plus the distance it takes to get to the start. I would make this the center point of a weekend ride since it will take about 1 hour and 15-30 minutes plus however long it takes to reach the start and get back home. Pack a lunch or plan on stopping somewhere along the way.

I'll give this one a 5 out a 5 due to its hefty distance, wonderful views, and quiet, curvy roads. The only thing I could say that it is missing are hills or some sort of grade here and there, but I highly recommend this one!

The San Jose Ride: Updated

Depending on the time of day you choose to do this ride, it can either be rather enjoyable or a nightmare. It can be a pleasant late evening or Saturday jaunt, but avoid making it part of your Sunday list of things to do since there are loads of churches along the way. The Friendship Fountain, a prominent Jacksonville landmark, is where we will be starting today. It isn't that hard to find, but if there is any confusion, try looking up The Museum of Science and History or River City Brewing Company, as they are right next to it. There are plenty of picture opportunities before you even get started here. Now we go around the roundabout and head south on San Marco Blvd. At the start, this road will be quite rough going over railroad tracks and dealing with lights, but it won't last that long. For the time being, there will be detours that take you around some construction on San Marco, but it is acceptable since there are nice houses along the way and it takes you by a great vista of the St. Johns River. Once you get to San Marco Square, you will know. I recommend that you stop and take a look at some of the local Jacksonville businesses or maybe even stop for a bite to eat depending on when you're passing through. Continue on until San Marco merges into Hendricks Ave and follow this for a bit. Now you can either veer right to go on a nice curvy section of San Jose or choose to stay on Hendricks. The San Jose bit is fun, but if you are making this a night ride, there is an impressive stained glass display on a church that will be to your left if you stay on Hendricks, but you can always figure it out to where you can see both if you'd like. Regardless of which way you choose to take, you will end up back on the main stretch of San Jose. For a while now, you will have to deal with a standard busy boulevard until we reach the next nice section. There are plenty of shopping centers and restaurants along the way if you feel the need to stop and take a breather from Jacksonville drivers. Keep heading south until you see Roberts Rd. This is where the second nice section begins. San Jose goes from six lanes across down to two and leads to an excellent windy stretch, with the signs to prove it. There isn't much to see here, as it is quite sleepy and wooded, but still fun nonetheless. The end of our ride is at the junction of San Jose and S.R. 16. Taking a right will lead you to Green Cove while going straight will take you the back way to St. Augustine.

Roughly 28 miles with be added to your bike if you stick to this route and can take you about 50 minutes to an hour if you make it a straight shot and depends heavily on the traffic along the way between San Marco and Roberts Rd.

I think this one will be our first 2 out of 5 twists of the throttle. If the middle section could be removed and the San Marco and area south of Roberts Rd. could be butted right up next to each other, it would make for a much shorter ride, but much more enjoyable overall. Still one to take if you are absolutely itching for a ride.

Update: A Jacksonville is growing, the infrastructure needs to grow with it. There is plenty of construction (which translates into unwanted traffic) in the northern stretch of this ride. Be patient. Even the locals don't even know what to do sometimes. I have also included a waypoint that is worth stopping for once you get further south. Twisted Compass is a locally owned cafe and they serve up a pretty mean latte'. More development is happening south of Switzerland, too, so be wary of construction vehicles leaving and entering the roadway.

Happy riding!

Click this link to get to the .GPX file on dualsportmaps.com.