Download GPS Routes For This Trip
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We started out with mostly cloudy skies and
a cool breeze, kind of unusual especially for July 10th. which is
usually a scorcher. Every year it has rained on our anniversary, on
the day we got married in Corinth, MS it came a FLOOD! But we're tough and a little rain don't hurt when you're prepared for it, my new goggles sure work better than my riding shades and the rain suit Kay got me for my birthday keeps the water out of my underwear, so as long as I can see and my butt stays dry I can handle it. Taking Hwy 70 E from home we turned at New Johnsonville on Long St. and headed south to Paint Rock Bluff on the Duck River, from there we got on Bakersville Rd. east to Punkin Creek Rd. to Hwy 13 S for a few hundred yards to pick up Hwy 230 E. |
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Weather got nasty before we got to where
I-40 crosses 230, we made a stop at the store for a little shelter
along with several other bikers that were getting off the
Interstate. We were the only dry ones, out of about 8 riders, one
couple was pulling a trailer with probably every thing imaginable,
except rain gear.
The bike on the left is from Arizona, you can see he has an extra seat strapped on, I asked him about it and he said he started out fine with it but after getting up around the east coast he was worn out so he called his wife and had her overnight his old seat for the trip home. |
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The gas canopy at the closed station made a temporary shelter for some of the riders caught in the storm, both bikes had bags and travel luggage and one was pulling a trailer but none had a rain suit. Most people traveling through doesn't realize that Tennessee has lots of summer showers scattered around this time of year. |
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These gentlemen were standing under the
porch of the convenience store when we pulled in, they had just
gotten there after riding a few miles in the rain on I-40, they were
both headed west, the guy in the white jacket is from Texas and the
guy in the leather is the one that owns the bike in the above photo
with the extra seat. We talked a while and I gave them a card with this website address on it and told them to check in a few days I would have them posted for the world to see. Sorry I didn't get their names, but if they see themselves here maybe they'll email me. Rain slowed and the sky lightened up so we all decided to go about our journey, hope they made it home without any more wet stops to make. Boop and I then headed farther down 230 and got on Hwy 100 at Fairview. |
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From Hwy 100 we got on Pinewood Road at
Tidwell and headed to Leipers Fork right off the Natchez Trace
Parkway and had lunch, this old historic area is full of antique
shops and places of interest, the old country store serves some good
vittles and beer, so if you're in that area stop in if you can find
a seat, they're usually crowded at mealtime. From there we got on Natchez Trace Parkway and headed north for about 20 miles to the start of the Trace near Nashville, by this time the rain had started again and we rode most of the way to Nashville in the rain. We turned around at the start of the Trace and rode south and was soon out of the rain but the clouds remained and kept the rest of the day unseasonably cool and pleasant. |
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Later in the afternoon we did get a few patches of blue sky but the air was still damp enough to be cool while riding. This is a shot from the Parkway bridge over Highway 96, yep, it is a long way down. |
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Boop at the Water Valley Overlook, this point of interest on the Trace overlooks Water Valley and Jones Valley Road. A beautiful site with the farms along the valley roads and the hills in the background. |
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We got off the Parkway at Napier exit and
headed southeast on 241 and on to 240 E, stopping at a little
country store at the intersection of 240/241. While taking a break
and having a snack a man came in all excited about this worm he had
found, asking everyone if they had ever seen anything like it, most
everyone commented that it was similar to a tobacco worm but the
spines on the head and big black spots that looked like "eyes" were not
exactly like any tobacco worm anyone had ever saw. I told him I'd
take a picture and see if anyone viewing this site could I.D. the
critter, so if anyone can put a name with this thing let us know. From there we rode over to Hwy 43 at Lawrenceburg and got a room just before another rain cloud moved over, this one didn't last long and we were out for a short ride around town and supper. |
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Friday morning we set out for the trip home
via several backroads and detours, at the edge of Lawrenceburg is
the Davy Crockett State Park, I had been by there many times but had
never took a tour, soon found out I had missed some great scenery
and a beautiful well kept park. It's not a big park and you could
ride every road in it in about an hour but be prepared to spend more
time than that, there's several places you'll want to stop to look
at.
Here at the covered bridge we stopped for a few photos and a rest. |
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Another scene at the Davy Crockett Park, here on
the lake levy were more Canadian Geese than I had ever seen in one
place, they were lined up as far as you could see from one end of
the levy to the other and up and down both sides. A couple of boys
were feeding them bread and popcorn when we stopped by and the geese
were following them to their car for more. We left the park and headed down Hwy 242 S. to the Alabama line at Iron City and then headed west on Hwy 227 over to the Natchez Parkway and turned north for a few miles to Collinwood and got off and headed for Hwy 13, must have missed a turn somewhere because the GPS kept trying to back-track us over a gravel road. |
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Finally after about 4 miles of gravel we
got back on track and got onto the Parkway again and found this
beautiful rest area at mile marker 346, if you're ever on the
Parkway a few miles south of the Hwy 64 crossing this is a nice
place to stop, sure would be a great place for a reunion of any
kind. A small creek in the foregound and a larger creek at the back
with plenty of shade and picnic tables. From there we went on up to Hwy 64 W and had lunch at Waynesboro and then got on Hwy 99 and headed north for a while and then west on a couple really backroads, Topsy Store Rd., to Big Possum Creek Rd. and out on Hwy 48 W over to Hwy 13 and up to Hwy 128 S and come out at Clifton onto Hwy 114 up through Bath Springs, Scotts Hill and into Lexington. From there we took Hwy 104 to Mill Creek Rd. and then on Terry Road to the homeplace. Great Ride! |
