Guy Boutin's Motorcycle Touring and Travel Pages

Adventures in Sport Touring with the Honda ST 1100, 1300 and the BMW 1200RT

Exploring North America...One Road at a Time

One Days Ride
December 2005

This little ride is for all my weather challenged brothers, mired in early winter in much of country.  

I ride each bike a couple of hundred miles a week, weather permitting, and most of the time it does.  I ride often for 3 reasons. #1- I believe the worst thing for a large bike is sitting idle for days or weeks at a time.  I like to move the gas and oil in my machines, also the motor parts and transmission need working out, riding keeps the battery and electrics in top notch condition.  #2- it keeps my skills sharp.  I don't have to knock off any rust come spring.  Frequent riding also keeps me in riding shape, when its time for a long tour, I'm ready.  #3- I just love to ride.  I need the feelings riding a fine machine gives me, being free and in control.  I've often said it is like flying on the ground.  I'm very addicted to it.  Come spring my bikes and I are all ready to go.

But all that was not on my mind this fine day.  I had the morning off from training (only a afternoon run on Tuesdays) and wanted to enjoy it.  I wanted to lose myself for a day.  I took the Honda out today, for no other reason than I wanted to ride it.  So here ya go:

I started with a short ride to Wadsworth Grocery, located at SR 143 and CR 68.  My Aunt Joyce and Uncle Wayne operate this store about 20 miles from my house.  I spent time chatting with my aunt about a host of things.  It was a good day for a ride.  I had a bottle Coke and Cheetos, and helped my Aunt greet customers.  

A short ride later I was in Marbury.  A small community located north of Prattville off U.S. 31.  I pulled into a small cafe called Patsy's because my Aunt said they had good burgers.  I don't eat much meat now days, but I made an exception.  It was the Christmas season, and I said 'what the heck"

Patsy's is not a big place.  The waitress was friendly, and we spent time chatting about my travels.  The cafe closes at 2pm because "not much goin on" in the afternoons.  A local man, I guessed to be in his late 60s, was in the booth behind me, commented on his way out.  "I guess we're they only jokers around here without a job."  Over the miles and years I've ate in hundreds of places like Patsy's, people are people no matter where you go.

After lunch I went to see Confederate Memorial Park, just a few miles from Marbury.  This use to be a old soldiers home.  It was here a local man donated some land, and soldiers who once served their country were taken care off.  Most of the buildings are now gone, but the state operates a small museum on the premises.  It had been several years since my visit here.

Inside the park you will find this old cemetery.  Many of the residents of the home were buried here when they passed.

I left the Park on U.S. 31 to I-65.  I took the SR 145 exit and went through Wilsonville.  I've been riding these roads for 30  years, but I still enjoy their home feeling.  In Wilsonville, Alabama Power operates this huge power plant.  You can see the smoke stacks many miles away.  I can ride from my house to here (about 70 miles without ONE traffic light.  One of the reasons I ride this loop often.  That is really hard to do in Alabama.  In Montana no problem.

I left Wilsonville and took SR 76 over to U.S. 280 and Childersburg.  Most of rural Alabama is populated by hard working folks in modest homes.  This house, located somewhere on 76, is typical.  Nothing fancy, but the folks here will tell you life is good.  They have their home all decorated for Christmas and looking forward to it.  Something tells me lots of love to be found within those humble walls. Perhaps young kids or grandchildren to love and spread Christmas cheer.

The ride on 280 through Childersburg and Slylacauga is nothing special.  I stopped for a snack at a Exxon con store, where a man told me in 1977 he rode a CB 550 from Columbia, South Carolina to Anniston, Alabama in 21 degree weather.  Later I turned on SR 21 and then took this road, CR 29- another road I've been riding for 30 years.  As you can see it takes me into the hills of Coosa Country.  The surface is not all that good, but It matters little.

Mid December in Alabama.  Now you see why I ride this way often.  Alone with my thoughts I eased the 1300 along at 50 mph through the deserted country.  You will find this scene about 5 miles south of Weogufka.  CR 29 is nothing compared to the the famous roads I've been on the last few years, but it is home, and special to me.  I found this road when I was 15 on my Honda CB 175, circa 1970.  Not much has changed here over the years.

This old cabin sits empty in the rural countryside.  A large oak tree offers shade from the stifling summer heat of a Alabama summer.  But today that is not necessary.  The temp in these hills stood at 50 in the sun, according to the ST.  I liked the fact the cabin has a front porch for rocking.  While I was here not a single car went by.  I sat on the rail fence for a few moments, then got back on the road.  

By late afternoon I was at the one lane bridge on the south end of CR 29.  This time of year the days are short in Alabama.  It was only 3pm but it would soon be dark.  I needed to return home before that so I could run.  From this bridge I'm about 50 miles from home.  At Kelly's Crossroads I took SR 22 West.  

The 10 miles or so from Kelly's Crossroads to Mitchell dam is a pleasant ride.  A few sweepers and hills, but nothing I'd call challenging.  I came off the highway to Mama Jeans fish camp where I took this picture of the dam.  It was here a group of 15 year old boys from the city rode their motorcycles to swim.  The store at Mama Jeans closed during the Reagan years.  The bridge is SR 22.  Because of my present life, I feel 15 again.  I'm free to ride just like that young man from long ago.  Funny how your life can come full circle.