After slogging through the rain all morning at Okefenokee, we were ready for lunch. Angela had read about a nearby town, Folkston, that had been on CBS This Morning and other programs because of it’s fame among rail fans around the country. Seems that all of the rail traffic going into and out of Florida has to go around all that swamp land, and it does so by being funneled through Folkston. Up to 75 trains a day pass through this little town, which must make it a noisy place, but they have embraced this reality and turned it into a community gathering place, complete with a watching platform, ceiling fans, wifi, picnic tables and a speaker that picks up the rail radio signals.
It was a little chilly by the time we finished our lunch, but we hung around for the next train to come through. With all it’s noise and clamor, the train gets everyone’s attention, but then again, that’s why you’re at the Folkston Funnel to begin with.
It was the kind of gathering place where I could see spending time in my retirement years. Going down to the platform, maybe with my radio to listen to a ball game, and watching trains go by.