Talladega Plan B Trip

[Guidedawg]

My wife is currently taking a computer class at EH Gentry technical school in Talladega.  Since we live in Montgomery, she has moved onto campus for a few weeks.  We realized we forgot to refill some medications when I moved her in on Sunday, so I decided I would get them filled and bring them to her on Monday.

Monday just happened to be a beautiful and warmer day, and since I wasn't transporting her or the dog, that could only mean a motorcycle ride.

I had been itching to correct my mistake when I attempted to get the photo tag back in October.  My wife and I went to Talladega for an event in January, and I drove my car to the church in question and then back out a scenic dirt road that I thought I could handle with the bike.  However, I had not had a weekend free to take a few hours to do that since then.

So I checked the website only to discover that it had been claimed this past Saturday. Oh, the humanity! (Which is somewhat ironic for a dawg calling out a goat)  My hopes of the glory of a photo tag rescue were dashed, but I was happy to see it back in action and it was worth it to see some pics of that beautiful Africa Twin.

I thought to myself, "Self..you could just take the car, listen to the book you've been enjoying, and take your lovely wife out to dinner to celebrate her first day of class"  Self looked at me as if I were insane, told me we were indeed taking the bike for no other reason than the simple pleasure of it, and that I could come up with another contribution for Motorcycle Alabama if it would make me feel better.

That had me looking at the Talladega County portion of the National Register of Historic Places to see if I could not at least grab a photo or two while riding in a new to me county (Well, I've passed through on the bike a few times but never stopped).

I took off from work at lunch to give myself plenty of daylight and time to make picture stops before she got out of class.

It's easy to make a loop from Montgomery to Talladega, so I turned off 231 just south of Tutwiler Prison in Wetumpka and took Highway 9.  Most of the time, I stay on 231 and 21 when going that direction, but 9 parallels and is practically the same distance.  In fact, Highways 22 and 280 intersect both. 

Traffic was light as I went through Santuck, which is not the case on the one Saturday a month they hold a large flea market there.  I also passed through the towns of Central,  Equality, and Nixburg (really just a spot in the road) before arriving in the metropolis of Goodwater.



I turned off to County Road 7, a road that had been suggested to me by a co-worker a few years ago and seconded by Gam and Mojo1 when I asked about it on MotorcycleAlabama.  It is a nice unhurried ride through rural communities with a few curves, farmland, and some nice views of the countryside.



My original plan was to cross Highway 77 and take Union T road along the creek bank to the church where I would get the photo and make my way into Talladega.  I was not aware of that route when I made my ill-fated attempt back in October.

Instead, I returned to what I did on that trip – I took 77 into Waldo to see the covered bridge.  I was thwarted by a bridge out on my last trip, not realizing that if I had just gone a bit further north on 77, I could have turned off and approached from this other side.



I think it is just as well I was unable to try this before, because what little I saw approaching Mump Creek Road made me think it may have been challenging for a fat boy on a heavy cruiser with one bald tire and another leaking air.

But at least I did get to see the bridge on this trip.







I continued on 77 into Talladega, turning off to stop at my wife's alma mater to make my plan for the historic registry stops.





Most of my stops were in close proximity so I explored the "Silk Stocking District" (a collection of very nice homes spread over a few blocks), the Courthouse Square Historic District and Talladega College (which was much larger than I had initially thought).  You can read about those sites and see pictures and video at https://www.motorcyclealabama.com/rides/index.php?topic=2079.0

Don't forget about that section of our website!  When you are passing through an area, look ahead and take time for a picture or two.  At least get some of those in your own county (or city for Mobile and Birmingham) If nothing else, use it as an excuse to go somewhere new.

I took the time for a few pictures outside of the Historical Register also (I'll admit, houses and commercial buildings can be boring, though I enjoy reading the histories of them).  I did a bit of geocaching in Talladega when my wife had her school assessment recently and discovered these places.



NASCAR fans don't have to go out to the track for tourist attractions.  The Davey Allison Memorial Park is right in the heart of Talladgea.


I didn't walk along the entire path, but this shows you the general idea of the Hall of Fame





It's just across the street from this spring








I realize the main drag through the area is Battle Street, but I had never stopped wonder why.







As we know from the Trail of Tears, Jackson was never a friend to the Indian Population.  I always think of Ft. Mims and Horseshoe Bend with the Creek War, but didn't realize he commanded a battle up here, particularly with Davy Crockett.



By this time, Mrs. Guidedawg was out of class, so I dropped off the medicine and other items I fit in my saddlebags and visited for a bit. I continued my role as delivery boy by going into town and grabbing some fast food take out for us to eat in the student center.

It was dark when I left and I took Highway 21 south to Sylacauga.  As many times as I have driven through on the main road, I've never stopped so I took the time to grab two easily accessible photos for the register (shown on the aforementioned link to that section of this site), and a few others since I was in the area.

After all, Sylacauga is well known for the marble quarries as depicted in this statue at City Hall





Not to mention the Blue Bell creamery


As I picked up 231 heading south, I was grateful for the truck ahead because it's easier to follow taillights to see the curves.  I'll admit that my night vision isn't the best, and the temperature was dropping, but the roads were smooth, the lines were well reflected, and the time passed quickly.

Even if I didn't score the photo tag, it's always a win when I get to work in an enjoyable solo ride!

[Nice Goat]

Ho Lee Chit!  What a great ride report!  There is so much great stuff out there to see, especially when you get in the smaller towns.

[Guidedawg]

Thanks.  I enjoy doing a bit of sight seeing at times.

I edited the report to include a map once I realized I omitted it.  I've also placed the Historical Registry link in bold and blue with hopes folks will follow for the other pics and (shaky) video.  I didn't want to stop at several houses, so I just strapped on a helmet cam and looked side to side

[Fencejumper09]

Thanks for taking the time to write this up! I really need to hit the registry locations throughout Bham!!

[Fencejumper09]

Also if you find yourself back in Talladega and want some chicken wings, Boswell's Wings and BBQ has some amazing wings!! I highly recommend a try!

[Guidedawg]

Also if you find yourself back in Talladega and want some chicken wings, Boswell's Wings and BBQ has some amazing wings!! I highly recommend a try!

I'll be going back and forth to Talladega a lot this year (primarily by car) so any recommendations are welcomed.  I noticed there are a handful of BBQ places and wondered which to try first

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

[Fencejumper09]

I'll be going back and forth to Talladega a lot this year (primarily by car) so any recommendations are welcomed.  I noticed there are a handful of BBQ places and wondered which to try first

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

It seems like a chain vibe but the wings were great

[lazeebum]

Thanks for sharing. A great ride report, and pictures!