The first “Coin Hunt” of the year is on!
I’m stoked to hit the open road, explore new routes, and catch up with my riding buddy who started his trip a couple of days earlier, cruising through Louisiana. We’re meeting up at the Lynyrd Skynyrd Memorial (one of the “15 for 25” ride stops), then heading up north to Nashville via the Natchez Trace.
I kicked off my trip at 6 AM, riding through thick fog and drizzle into Alabama. Good morning, May weather!
After a couple of hours, it started warming up, and I enjoyed a backroad ride to Plains, Georgia. The hometown of Jimmy Carter also has a challenge stop – the “Smiling Peanut.”
Look at those smiles!
After a quick lunch in Plains, I hit the road towards Mobile, AL. Not much to talk about for the next few hours, just a lot of roadwork and red lights, making me sweat while idling on the tarmac.
I rolled into Mobile, grabbed a quick bite, and called it a day. Tomorrow morning should be interesting with a visit to the Battleship Alabama across the bridge from my hotel.
Starting early the next day, I arrived at the Memorial Park – which was closed, so visiting the USS Alabama wasn’t an option. At least the gates were open, so I got a good view. That works! There wasn’t much else in Mobile to see, and my planned coastal route showed road closures, so I decided to head northwest.
I stopped in the town of Lucedale, MS by coincidence, and it was still too early for a bakery to be open. But a guy sitting on a park bench saw my disappointment, walked over, and asked what I was looking for. “The sweet stuff behind the window!” I replied. He smiled, said “Come on then!” and unlocked the door. Turns out he’s the owner, and his wife was baking fresh goodies in the back. He hooked me up with an excellent fresh cupcake and Georgia Cornbread. How cool is that! So, if you’re nearby, check out this spot! (Short Cakes Bakery)
The nearby coffee house had local law enforcement getting their morning Joe. I walked in and got greeted by the Sheriff, who wondered whose bike that was. I got officially welcomed to his town! The guys gave me some great road tips and a hint to take it “nice and slow” (which, of course, I always do).
The ride to the Memorial was mellow on the roads the locals recommended. I had some time to kill at the memorial until Ken arrived, and some locals shared their stories about the plane crash, how they helped rescue folks, and how some almost got in trouble stumbling towards a house in the night. Very cool insights!
Once Ken showed up, we gassed up in Natchez and started our journey north towards Nashville – 420 miles to go on the Natchez Trace. I am back! We stayed overnight just north of Jackson.
Our journey continued early the next day, and we decided to have breakfast in Tupelo – a southern staple… Waffle House. A breakfast for champions! Then we visited Elvis’ birthplace for a photo with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. 🎸
The Trace was a nice ride, no traffic, very mellow. Back in the days, it must have been quite a journey on horseback or foot!
We started in sunshine, but dark clouds formed behind us, and the tailwind pushed them with us into Tennessee. Severe storms were forecasted for the evening, so we decided to head east, away from the Trace and towards home. Just in time! We dodged the storms for now, hoping they’d pass through Kentucky the next day so we wouldn’t have to deal with them in a couple of days when heading north.
BBQ, Bourbon, Cigars… good times. Good night.
Roaming Cage Free 
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