Southwest Alabama County loop

[Guidedawg]

I had to do some business in north Mobile County concerning my family home.  I was scheduled to meet at 10AM, so if I took the car I could sleep in a bit go down and be back early afternoon.



So, what did I do?  Naturally, I got up extra early so I could have time to pick up some southern counties I had not yet visited for the Dixie Abate Courthouse Challenge





Once again, I took the Interstate down to Evergreen so that I could make better time.  The sun had just come up when I left and I was wearing a fleece jacket and long johns under my jeans for the spirited ride.

From Evergreen I made my way to Hwy 31 because you are never too far from it at any point on I-65, and then I went to Brewton.  It was close to 7AM and people were waiting to get into the courthouse




Brewton is a nice area with murals and other photos opportunities, but I was on the clock and moved on south to Bay Minette for Baldwin County




It looked like I would be on time for my appointment as I made my way back to the Interstate just in time to go over the "Dolly Parton" Bridge and take the Satsuma/Creola exit for Highway 43 and home.

I made a stop in Creola and feeling it was time to lose the extra layers, but I waited until I got home.

I grew up in Calvert where Washington and Mobile Counties meet.  I took care of stuff there and had lunch with a buddy and then took a more leisurely pace to cover other counties on my way home.  I slathered on some sunscreen and chose one of 3 routes to take me toward Chatom, and off I went.

Fairford Road used to by a bicycle road for me as a kid, so the rutty, hot road filled with homes both nice and ramshackle brought back memories.  I went past the firetower location which was the limit of my two wheeled exploration back then and went on to the small area where my mother grew up before reaching the crossroad and taking other backroads into Chatom.

I got my photo, driving past the 4 way stop that I rolled through as a kid and failed my driver's examination on that first attempt (yeah, yeah, I passed the next time) and then I began taking roads less traveled, or at least by me, into southwest Alabama

Highway 17 was a main road and moved well until I came upon police directing traffic.  It appears to have been a collision with a log truck and another vehicle.  Some of the logs were in the road and the car was on its side.  Traffic was moving along under direction so the scene had already been cleaned some; I hope everyone was okay.

Log trucks are very common in the area and the backroads are usually open with pine on either side and lots of red dirt hills and embankments.  This is home to me.

I got my photo in Butler for Choctaw County



I took Highway 10 towards Camden.  I often travel it closer to Camden but this stretch was new to me and I wondered how close to familiar roads I would get.  It wasn't long before I turned north on 69 to go into Marengo County.  That section of road was surprisingly curvy for the area and an unexpected pleasure to ride.

I had already gone through Millry earlier and as I crossed the Tombigbee on the Nanafalia Bridge I could only reflect on ancestors I never met, but whose names and locations have become real to me through research.  Most of my family on both sides are from the Tombigbee River Region of southwest Alabama and I had several from Marengo County.  I'll have to return to visit some cemeteries one day, but for today I settled for the courthouse.



Since there was a nice mural across the street, I decided to grab that one for this site and to have one on the trip.



I utilized sections of highways 28 and 5 en route to Selma, both roads that I ride other sections are when going back and forth to home, but I'd never been on these.  I had a little traffic on both and did have to wait for some road construction



But for the most part, my trip moved quickly.


I went by both entrances to Old Cahaba (or Cahawba) before I got into the city and my photos there.





And then it was highway 80, all 4-lane and fast paced before I returned to the even quicker paced Interstates 65 and 85 to get home just before 5PM.

As always, it was a great time getting out.

[Nice Goat]

I love riding down around that area --- Linden, Thomasville, and Camden.  It's like going back in time!

[Chuck & Susan]

I'm shocked you didn't tag Mobile county. Let me know when your in tis area and it might be worth a free lunch. Good to hear when peeps get down this far south.

Chuck

[Guidedawg]

I thought the same thing after the fact.  I was so concentrating on courthouses that I didn't pull over at Ellicot's Stone or any other historical markers and I've certainly been to Mobile County a few times since I started this section!  Heck, my house is still on the Mobile County side of Calvert; I could have just driven a quarter mile and taken a picture of the Mobile County sign.

Oh well, there will be a next time.