Exploring Marengo County

[Guidedawg]

Although I had plans to join in on a group ride this past Saturday, once I saw that the Photo Tag was in Demopolis, I decided it would be a good opportunity to both grab the tag and pick up several sites on the National Register for Marengo County.

During the week I mapped out as many sites as I thought I could manage utilizing GPS coordinates and Google maps, and printing out copious sheets of directions and maps rather than my normal habit of taping a few note cards to my gas tank.

Since Demopolis is a 2 hour ride even taking a straight shot, I knew my meanderings and stops would make this an all day event.  I got an early start, but though I did immediately made one quick stop in Montgomery.





Krispy Kreme was giving away a cream-filled glazed doughnut to customers and I knew it would be very crowded later in the day!

Once that important task was accomplished, I headed down I-85 to I-65 and then on to Highway 80 past the airport and on to Selma and points beyond.

When I arrived at Uniontown, I deviated from the main highway to go to a few plantation homes in the Faunsdale area.  I knew that a few were private residences and I would be unlikely to see them from the road, but I wanted to give an honest attempt if I were marking them off the list.  The riding was rural – the first pic below is the intersection of County Road 78 and Old Demotropolis Road



I crossed a few wooden bridges with no rails and was grateful for a phone with good coverage since I used it to verify my location once or twice on unlabeled roads.







Although I wasn't able to see some of the homes, I did come across a few other interesting buildings





I rode through Thomaston, Dayton, and Linden, and found some areas that looked like they would be good locations for a zombie movie















Before long, I made it to Demopolis where I picked up the photo tag and all the Register sites that were in the city.  I found my way to beautiful homes and even a few out of the way spots





There were several motorcycles on the road and I discovered that just like my last excursion that took me past Lapine during a rally, this time I was in Demopolis while there was a rally in nearby Forkland.  Most of the riders were riding 2 up and ran the gamut from matching full suits, to shorts and tank tops.

The photos that I took of Demopolis and the other sites can be viewed at https://www.motorcyclealabama.com/rides/index.php?topic=2094.0;topicseen

I was disappointed to discover that I overlooked a few sites in Thomason.  I had intentionally omitted Jefferson as I plan to go by that way at a later date if I ever get around to a ride I hope to accomplish through west Alabama one day.

But if any other rider if that area can go by and post their bike at those sites it would be even better.  As always, I encourage you to choose a county and go get a picture of your bike at any or all of the sites for us to see.  Remember, Birmingham and Mobile have their own separate city locations outside of the normal county listings.  When you are going through any of these areas, take a minute to get a picture, or more to the point...use it as an excuse to go ride somewhere you have never been!

Okay, commercial over.

By the time I had finished finding the planned homes and buildings, it was hot and I was feeling it. My water had run out and it was time to head home.  Fortunately, my planning included looking through TripAdvisor and I already had plans to stop at A Slab and more BBQ.  I would have never driven past this way nor would I have stopped just by seeing it, but I'm glad I did.



I took a few wet paper towels to my face and neck to hold off heat stroke/exhaustion and enjoyed an excellent meal.

After that break, I headed back to Montgomery, this time following the direct route of Highway 80 which was both paved and divided 4-lane.  During the day I had passed plenty of agri and aqua culture typical of west Alabama – cattle, crops, and catfish farms.

I made my last break stop at the intersection of Highway 14 and 80 just west of Selma.  If I had extra time, I would have taken 14 into Prattville just to make a loop out of it, but I was ready to go home.  I knew from another group ride a few years ago that this service station appreciated motorcycles.  I was still pretty hot, so I grabbed a coke..drank most of it inside and then relaxed in the gazebo for a bit.





I did stop in Montgomery to take a pic for a new photo-tag in our riding games section, so one of y'all come my way and claim it..

When I arrived home, Mrs. Guidedawg had opened the gate to the back yard so I didn't have to get off the bike and greeted me with a wet towel for the neck.  Now that's the way to be greeted after a day of 2 wheeled exploration and fun.

[KevinB]

Nice job!

[Nice Goat]

Nice report, GD.

That's a part of the state that doesn't get enough attention.  Back when I used to join my dad at the Faunsdale Motorcycle Rally, I used to disappear for several hours on Saturday and go ride around by myself.  It's like stepping back to the 1940s...

[Jwwr]

Very interesting! That Marengo Dirt is calling my name. I've been wondering if it would be possible to piece together dirt roads and parallel Hwy 17 or the Tombigbee River through that area?