Riding Iron in the Quest of Barbecue

Some people like fine wines, other people search out the best cigars.  I myself am a connoisseur of Barbecue. So on a lazy Sunday morning sitting in my easy chair, I open up our latest issue of Southern Living and BAM this article jumps out at me.  The "10 Must-Visit Kentucky Barbecue Joints" and I say damn.  Don't I live 6 miles from the Kentucky border?

So this lazy Sunday turned into a Barbecue vision quest,  an Iron ride to Barbecue heaven.  It seems out of the 10 the Top 3 are a relatively short distance.  All located in western Kentucky.  So with number 3 being the only one open on Sunday, it looks like Dave's Sticky Pig it is.     Dave's Sticky Pig located in Madisonville is a short 67-mile motorcycle ride away.  Heck that's like a trip to the refrigerator here down south.  So we're off.

Madisonville is right on US Highway 41 a magical road that runs from Chicago to Miami.  This is a great road to take when you don't want to deal with traffic and see the scenery.   As we ride on Highway 41 we go through Hopkinsville on the way to Madisonville.  Hopkinsville a famous stop on the Chitlin Circuit.   Great musical acts cut their teeth here.  James Brown and Jimi Hendrix just to name a couple.  But let's not get off track it is Barbeque that were after and it's in Madisonville.

So we arrive for a late lunch and are not disappointed.  All the sides are made from scratch a true test of any authentic BBQ joint.  I have the Ribs and the Pulled Pork.  The ribs are fall off the bone, good.  Some of the best that I had.  Terri had a pork sandwich served on traditional white bread.  It was definitely worth the ride.

With full stomachs, we are ready to head down Highway 41. We enjoy the enjoy the state of Kentucky, but more importantly, we get back to the great state of Tennessee.  It seems to be a quicker trip back not saddled with the overpowering BBQ anticipation.  It feels good to have traveled another road less traveled.  To have been somewhere never traveled before.

Ride to Huntsville

We had never been to Huntsville Alabama and wanted to make the run straight south for quite some time.   The biggest problem of riding south is getting through Nashville the traffic is always bad and not motorcycle friendly.  On this trip, we discovered a great way around the city.  The lower 840 Beltway is relatively unknown with little traffic and the scenery is outstanding.  It is a great way to get around the city and enjoy some wide open high speed cruising with little to no traffic.

The 840 loop was supposed to circle the whole city of Nashville, but for some reason, it was only completed on the southern side.  So to get there we have to take state road 13/48 to Dickson. Then take Interstate 40 for a short ride to the start of 840 Loop.

Once on the 840 loop it fast high speed cruising through some great Tennessee Countryside.  This is a great way to get around Nashville.  We pass Franklin Tennessee and then get off on at the US 431 exit.   We complete our ride on US 431 which takes us straight into Huntsville.  We stop at the Alabama border to grab some pictures.  Then it's off to Huntsville.

We arrive in at our destination.  Before the end of the day, we see the Huntsville Train Station and the Botanical Gardens. It was well worth the trip,  Tomorrow the back way to Chattanooga.  It should be a helluva ride.  3 states and Lookout Mountain another adventure.

The Heart of the South Ride: 3 States and Lookout Mountain

I have been wanting to complete this ride for a long time.   Huntsville Alabama to Chattanooga TN over Lookout Mountain.  An incredible trip one that you must do yourself.  These are some unknown roads with some of the best scenery in the South.  Throw in a stop at the National Cornbread Festival you really have something to remember, something uniquely southern.  This is what this ride is all about; riding the heart of the South.

After a long ride to Huntsville Alabama we rest up and head out the next day.  We take US Highway 72.  This a marvelous cruising road that follows the Tennessee River Valley.  You are surrounded by the remnants of the Cumberland Plateau and Lookout Mountain as it cuts its way into Alabama from Tennessee and Georgia.  The river valley narrows as we cross back into Tennessee at South Pittsburg.

We stop for the National Cornbread Festival, what a great festival to see, a great southern town and a chance to eat some cornbread.  We don't stay long but we do take in the Quilt Exhibit.  We grab some lunch and some Italian Ices to cool off.  Then it's back on the road. This is the Heart of the South; Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.  All brought together by the geological feature of Lookout Mountain.

We cross the Tennessee River on State Road 156.  The Tennessee River is breathtaking, after a few miles we take a right on State Road 377 which changes in Alabama to State Road 73 as we cross the state line. We climb the ridge that overlooks Tennessee River valley.  Once on top of the ridge, we take a left on Alabama County road 90.  We cross into Georgia then start traveling down the backside of the ridge.  The twisting turns will challenge any motorcyclist skills.

We travel through the valley arriving in Trenton Georgia for the climb up Lookout Mountain again more twist and turns until we make the turn onto Lookout Mountain Parkway. We stop at a Hang Glide launch site for some pictures.  As we ride the parkway the views are spectacular.  On Lookout Mountain, during a clear day, it is possible to see 6 states.  From Georgia, we cross back into Tennessee on the Mountain Parkway.   The town of Lookout Mountain sits above Chattanooga.

We make our final descent into our destination of Chattanooga.  We complete our ride in North Chattanooga where we will rest up for the final push back to Clarksville the next day.