Link for the route HERE
My goal is to try to get some of the AULDR site points for Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. There is one site point for each state that I can’t get until April 1, that is a Tour of Honor site. Okay, I am the Tour of Honor state sponsor for Alabama and Mississippi which means that I know the sites for those two states. If I have all the other site points, I will simple need to make a quick ride to one of the Tour of Honor sites in these states. Doing that will give me three points for each state (completing the state site points gives you a two point bonus).
I also want to visit a few Harley Davidson dealerships to take my picture with the Road Glide and me at the dealership’s sign.
I gas up and the first site is the 9/11 memorial in Florence. This is behind the museum in Veterans Park. I visit this site each year since I earn bonus points with the Tour of Honor. Actually, I earn two bonus points since there is also a Huey/Cobra also at the museum. One AULDR point.
I then head over to Sheffield. I have been in Alabama for almost nine years and have yet to visit the Sheffield Masonic Lodge. I know members, and many of those members visit us in at our lodge in Florence. Now that I know where the lodge is located, I will have to come back. I get the picture and on to my next stop. a second AULDR point for today.
I spend a lot of time, and money, at Natchez Trace Harley-Davidson. In January, they showed me about the HOG App and being able to earn points, and cash, by checking in at various Harley dealerships. The Ride 365 Challenge has annual and monthly challenges. On of the annual challenges is visiting dealership and taking a picture of the dealership’s sign with the bike and me. I did the app check-in January, but haven’t been able to get a picture of me at the dealership, until today! They usually have a lot of bikes right at the front of the door. Today, I was able to get a good picture of the sign, the bike, and me! Only one app check-in per year, but I did get the point for the HOG Ride365 picture, first today.
Next stop is Booneville. I have a few options to get there. I usually make the turn of US-72 at Iuka, today I decided to mix it up a bit and make the turn at Burnsville. As I get into Booneville, I see signs about road closed ahead, but never find the road closed. I pass Danny’s Italian Beef. Great sandwiches and I hope to get back there again soon. It is not time for lunch yet, so I will pass today.
Downtown Booneville is only a couple of blocks. There are several veteran memorials and a Vietnam Huey on display around the Courthouse. The 9/11 Memorial is at the train museum. Every time I visit, there is someone parked next to the flagpole with the memorial. I manage to park in front of the car and can get the bike in the picture. Around the corner is the Booneville Masonic Lodge. I get the picture there and ready to head to some twisty roads toward Southaven. Two more AULDR points in Booneville.
I head out of town and make the turn onto MS4. Wonderful riding, though slow for a bit behind some trucks with MS-DOT. That was a long 20 miles, but still great scenery. The trucks get a spot to pull to the side and let traffic pass.
Heading toward Ashland, MS4 joined with MS5. As I near Ashland, MS4 makes a turn to the left, but I need fuel! I pull into the gas station at that intersection. They only have 87 octane, I need 91 or higher. As I pull out of the gas station and plan to go farther into town, I check traffic and do a yield onto MS5 leaving the gas station. Once on MS5, I see a Sheriff on the side of the road. I slowly pass, making sure that I don’t speed. He pulls out as I pass him.
I see another gas station up ahead. The Sheriff is staying a bit behind, he pulls into the gas station as I pull up to the pump. The card reader at the pumps is not working, so I go inside to ask them to turn on the pump for me. They require my credit card and my Driver’s License. I have no problem with that and had it to the nice lady. As I look up, the Sheriff’s Deputy is walking in front of the building. I joke that if he asks me for my license, I am going to send him in to see her! She laughs and says he won’t pay any attention to me. I hold the door for him as I walk out and say hello.
I pump my gas and go back inside. The Deputy is paying for his lunch. He asks where I am from. I tell him and he says that I am a long way from home. I tell him that my wife said I needed to get out on the bike, and that God had given me a great day to go out to enjoy. He says that I look familiar. I comment that “those pictures at the post office were supposed to be taken down by now.” We both laugh and he replies, “That is okay, I know all about you.” He tells me to have a good day. I know that he has already run my tags and knows most he would need to know about me.
As I note my fuel stop, odometer picture, and get ready to start riding, he walks back to his car and parks at the end of the parking lot to enjoy his lunch. I know that if I had anything on my record, he would have taken the chance to have a longer talk with me.
I get back on MS4 and enjoy the nice rural roads. Not much traffic, and the air is so fresh. I don’t get close to the speed limit. The Holly Springs National Forest is beautiful. I ride around Holly Springs and decide to get on I-22. This takes me up to I-269 then to I-55 where I make my way to Southern Thunder Harley Davidson.
I see the dealership sign from the interstate. As I pull into the parking lot, I try to make my way to the side with the sign. Not getting there. Trucks blocking where I can’t even walk around to the side with the sign. I park in the parking lot and get the picture of the bike and the water tower in the background. I post my picture with a note that I wasn’t able to get to the side of the building with the sign. (The picture was accepted a few days later on the HOG Ride365 site.) A check-in on the app and my second HOG Ride 365 picture of the day.
I get on the interstate and make a quick ride to Bumpus Harley Davidson of Memphis, then back on the interstate to Jackson for my picture at Bumpus Harley Davidson of Jackson. My third and fourth HOG Ride365 pictures of the day.
Bumpus brings back memories, not the dealership, but the name. My great grand mother was from Bumpus Mills, TN. Her maiden name was Taylor, but I think that her mother’s maiden name was Bumpus. Bumpus Mills isn’t far from Murray, KY, where she lived when I would go visit. I doubt she ever remembered me when I visited, I was one of about 50 great-grandchildren of hers.
I leave Bumpus HD in Jackson and my interstate riding is done for the day. The ride home from here will be mostly on back roads, only a few miles of four-lane roads.
I had found a 9/11 memorial in Beech Bluff, TN. A small town where I have not visited. I had put the location into the GPS and trusted the route where it led me. I find the fire department and make a loop through the parking lot. Since it is gravel, I park at the post office across the road.
As I look around, a gentleman, Paul, delivering local papers asks if everything is okay. Everything is fine and we start talking. He rides BMWs, has a couple of them. He belongs to the BMW riding group in Memphis. We had a mutual friend in common, Robert passed away from cancer a few weeks ago. We talk a little about Robert and our riding. I tell him about my website (if you see this, Hi Paul!).
We talk about the memorial I am trying to find. He initially thought that I was geocaching. I didn’t bother to even check my geocache account to see if there were any in the area. From his comment, I expect that there was one or two.
We find the 9/11 memorial; a plaque on the flag pole. Since I am already parked, I take a picture of the plaque then a picture of the bike with the fire department in the background. Regretfully, my phone didn’t save the pictures. No AULDR points for this visit.
I follow the GPS route until I am on back roads that I know. I briefly think about deviating, but decide to stay on route. I eventually put into Savannah. The plan is to get the AULDR point for visiting the Savannah Masonic Lodge. That plan is is shot once I get home and find that the picture there was not saved either. I took a couple, none were on the phone.
I leave the lodge and pass Mawmaw’s house. There are trucks that look like people are working on her house. Well, it isn’t her house anymore, Gwenda sold it a few years ago and it looks like the new owners are going to try to renovate the house. It was old and I know nothing had been done to the house since the 1970’s. Pawpaw built the house and did the additions. I spent many summers there, and most Christmases growing up. SO many great memories. The first real motorcycle that I rode was at Pawpaw’s, I remember that Blue Suzuki, I think it was a 360cc. I rode it a lot over the summers. Not sure if Pawpaw got it for me or for James. Mom wouldn’t let me have it, and I know James loved riding it too.
I leave Harbert Drive and turn left on Pinhook Dr. I ride out to Airport Rd, I don’t remember what it was called when I was growing up. If I were to turn left, Neill Cemetery Rd will be on the right after I pass TN203. I could go that way and visit Mom, Mawmaw, Pawpaw, and many other ancestors. I make the right onto Airport Rd then the left of TN69/AL20.
I know this road so well. I head to Florence, make the turn on Cox Creek Parkway, then head home.
Ride was about 390 miles, about 125 miles on interstate. The entire ride was fantastic and I made a new friend.