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!