Sixteen days, fifteen nights, June 14 through June 29, 2019. Twenty states. We left from Northern Virginia and then traveled through portions of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and home again. We stopped at numerous National Park Service sites (parks, shorelines, sites, monuments); traveled the shorelines of 4 of the 5 Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie; not Ontario), rode parts of Historic Route 66 and Lincoln’s Highway (Route 30), and visited many other places.
The route was designed to take us to geocaches, mostly "virtual" ones that were typically very historic, scenic, interesting, touristy, or all of the above; National Park Service properties (some to complete the Tour of Honor 25 state/50 park tour; additional ones to count toward the IBA National Parks Tour; and some, just because ...); cities named after U.S. states, and colleges named after states that don't exist (e.g., Kennesaw State), for the Team Strange States of Confusion Grand Tour; and some Liberty Bell replicas and 8-and-40 Merci Train Boxcars from past Grand Tours. We also stopped at places that we just wanted to see!
Most southern planned point: Montgomery AL; most southern actual point: Tuskegee AL (a bit north of Montgomery)
Most western point: Homestead National Monument of America, Nebraska
Most northern point: Copper Harbor, MI (Upper Peninsula)
Most eastern point: Springfield VA (starting and ending).
Highlight memories:
Our trip was no where near as challenging:
Friday, June 14: North Spingfield VA to Kings Mountain NC
A clear, sunny day. The Everett Copeland Memorial Trail led us to a peaceful wooded nature preserve, across a creek, and to the historic Occoneechee Speedway (North Carolina). The pine forest smelled so good! The area had several of the old cars and preserved buildings, quiet reminders of its history. It is also a nature preserve. Birds chirping and calling, sun-flecked creeks, and softly coated forest floors were a soothing respite from the hum of the road.
The historic towns of Hillsborough NC and Belmont NC were charming. We also visited our first NPS site, Guildford Courthouse National Military Park, with its monument to the British, commemorating a Revolutionary War battle that the British won, although they suffered heavy losses.
Day 1 of our trip wrapped up with some Mexican food in the town of Kings Mountain NC.
The route was designed to take us to geocaches, mostly "virtual" ones that were typically very historic, scenic, interesting, touristy, or all of the above; National Park Service properties (some to complete the Tour of Honor 25 state/50 park tour; additional ones to count toward the IBA National Parks Tour; and some, just because ...); cities named after U.S. states, and colleges named after states that don't exist (e.g., Kennesaw State), for the Team Strange States of Confusion Grand Tour; and some Liberty Bell replicas and 8-and-40 Merci Train Boxcars from past Grand Tours. We also stopped at places that we just wanted to see!
Most southern planned point: Montgomery AL; most southern actual point: Tuskegee AL (a bit north of Montgomery)
Most western point: Homestead National Monument of America, Nebraska
Most northern point: Copper Harbor, MI (Upper Peninsula)
Most eastern point: Springfield VA (starting and ending).
Highlight memories:
- Michigan’s Upper Peninsula smells wonderful! Piney, fresh, sweet.
- Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Cutest town ever. We need to go back!
- Too much rain has fallen in the midwest this year. The Missouri, Mississippi, and Ohio rivers, plus so many fields that should be planted with crops, are flooded. So sad.
- The rain has also closed many bridges, which had seriously adverse impacts on our planned route.
- It is both fascinating and scary to watch a “severe thunderstorm” roll across the prairie, especially when it’s not quite certain you’ll ride clear of it. No funnel clouds, fortunately.
- Wisconsin is remarkably average. Nothing outstanding, nothing bad … just “nice.”
- Cheese curds just taste like string cheese. Nothing special, nothing offensive. (Like Wisconsin).
- The scenery in Kansas is iconic Americana. Really, perfectly, so.
- I’m still in awe of Laura Ingalls Wilder as I have been since I discovered the Little House books in third grade. Her ability to bring everyday life to print is unparalleled. Charles Dickens, that includes you.
- The bugs in Iowa! A week later, I still have the bites.
- There were several very important Revolutionary War battles in the south. Huh! Who knew? History books in school didn’t cover those.
- Henry Ford manufactured and sold Models B, C, D, etc. between Model A and Model T.
The Piquette Factory historic site has them all lined up. - I wasn’t expecting white sand dunes in Michigan.
Our trip was no where near as challenging:
Friday, June 14: North Spingfield VA to Kings Mountain NC
A clear, sunny day. The Everett Copeland Memorial Trail led us to a peaceful wooded nature preserve, across a creek, and to the historic Occoneechee Speedway (North Carolina). The pine forest smelled so good! The area had several of the old cars and preserved buildings, quiet reminders of its history. It is also a nature preserve. Birds chirping and calling, sun-flecked creeks, and softly coated forest floors were a soothing respite from the hum of the road.
The historic towns of Hillsborough NC and Belmont NC were charming. We also visited our first NPS site, Guildford Courthouse National Military Park, with its monument to the British, commemorating a Revolutionary War battle that the British won, although they suffered heavy losses.
Day 1 of our trip wrapped up with some Mexican food in the town of Kings Mountain NC.
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| View of Kings Mountain, from across the state line. |
Saturday, June 15: Kings Mountain to Atlanta
Our day started with a walk up Kings Mountain at the Kings Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina. This historic trail up and around the mountain is both beautiful and educational, but better enjoyed when not wearing motorcycle gear!
Hebert Hoover gave a speech at Kings Mountain in 1930 to an audience of 75,000 people. How did that many people get there and where did they stay, Jeff wanted to know.
We stopped in Gaffney, SC, settled 1804, for a geocaching clue near its old Carnegie Library. Stumbling upon the historic log cabin of the town’s founder, Irish immigrant, Michael Gaffney, added to the charm of this little city.
Cowpens National Battlefield was the other end of a trail that we started in Kings Mountain. Together they trace part of the history of the Over Mountain Men, tough frontier patriots who helped drive the British out of the south. This beautifully maintain park has a driving trail, a number of historic buildings, and lovely wildflowers.
The South Carolina Academic Learning Environment (SCALE) is a park with paths and features that provide students with a scale-replica of South Carolina. The concept is interesting, but the realization of the vision has weaknesses. Still, we wandered through.
We detoured down a side road in the late afternoon to photograph the Anderson County Veterans Memorial, a Tour of Honor bonus. Anderson County is just southwest of Greenville SC, where the IBR riders and watchers were gathering. Therefore, we weren't too surprised when we saw a rider heading toward us as we were reentering the main road who looked like an LD rider. Perhaps that was our first sighting? Not sure if he was an IBR rider or not, but it was certainly not our last sighting!
We crossed the Georgia border late in the day and, with a few more geocaches, made our way to Marietta Georgia. The heat had completely exhausted me (starting with that Kings Mountain hike) and since there were no restaurants near our Super 8, we had our first experience with Door Dash. The pizza we ordered in was pretty good.
Sunday, June 16: Atlanta to Tupelo
The first part of our day was spent around, and then in, Atlanta. The town of Kennesaw was historic and charming – except for hosting the last outpost of the Confederacy. Happy to give that place a wide berth. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/15816
The lovely little park houses a 9-11 memorial, war memorial, a number of historical markers, and just beyond is an old train depot and converted warehouses.
Our expected ride up the mountain at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park was preempted because the road was closed to motor vehicles. Apparently weekends are for runners, walkers, and bicyclists. It was very pretty there anyway.
The drive into Atlanta brought us past the historic Varsity Drive-In Diner and the Howard School (under renovation), which was attended by Dr. Martin Luther King, Maynard Jackson, Vernon Jordan, and others. Our first stop was an art installation called “54 Columns” that was meant to invoke the Atlanta skyline.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park and Preservation District is a complex of multiple buildings including his birthplace, the Ebenezer Baptist Church, a Visitors Center with the Civil Rights Walk of Fame, and the Center for Non-Violent Social Change, plus several other historic buildings housing gift shops and various other functions. The Ebenezer Church visit was very moving. A recording of Dr. King resounded in the nave, powerfully recalling how he moved people to action.
Oakland Cemetery is the burial site of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With the Wind. She attended my alma mater, Smith College, for one year. Other notable people, including golfer Bobby Jones, are buried in this lovely and historic cemetery too.
Atlanta is also home to Georgia’s Liberty Bell replica. We added to our “collection” of state bell photos which we started in 2018 on the Team Strange Melting Pot Grand Tour. No fake crack painted onto this one.
Onward to Alabama! What a beautiful state! I had never been here until our April 2019 trip, and it was a joy to return.
Opelika and Auburn were personal stops for Jeff. It was delightful to see Jeff's son Joe and meet his girlfriend Zoë. Looking forward to Joe's move to Maryland later this year.
Unfortunately, our planned route took several detours. Our planned parks for Alabama were the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site. But somehow we missed their Sunday closures which eliminated the chance to get proof-of-visit park stamps. So, we ditched the planned stops in Montgomery and shot north to Horseshoe Bend National Military Park to fulfill our need for an Alabama Tour of Honor NPS site. No comparison to our planned stops! Instead of celebrating historic achievements, we learned about Andrew Jackson killing the Creek Indians. Ugh.
Our planned stops in Birmingham were derailed by a GPS malfunction. After a long stop in a McDonalds while Jeff did repairs and reprogramming, we reduced Birmingham to reading the signs outside the 16th Street Baptist Church since it was late and places were closing.
Our woes of the day were offset with a pretty sunset!
One last stop was for a photo to show that we were in Kansas – Kansas AL, that is. The local post office provided the classic proof of location, but the small sign made it difficult to get the motorcycle into the photo. But, as Jeff has often pointed out, you don’t need a license to ride on the sidewalk (or porches) and the sign said absolutely NOTHING about 2-wheelers.
The night’s hotel was a Baymont in Tupelo, Mississippi, preceded by late night pizza from Tellini’s (one of the few places with food at 9:30 p.m. on a Sunday night in Tupelo).
Our day started with a walk up Kings Mountain at the Kings Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina. This historic trail up and around the mountain is both beautiful and educational, but better enjoyed when not wearing motorcycle gear!
Hebert Hoover gave a speech at Kings Mountain in 1930 to an audience of 75,000 people. How did that many people get there and where did they stay, Jeff wanted to know.
We stopped in Gaffney, SC, settled 1804, for a geocaching clue near its old Carnegie Library. Stumbling upon the historic log cabin of the town’s founder, Irish immigrant, Michael Gaffney, added to the charm of this little city.
Cowpens National Battlefield was the other end of a trail that we started in Kings Mountain. Together they trace part of the history of the Over Mountain Men, tough frontier patriots who helped drive the British out of the south. This beautifully maintain park has a driving trail, a number of historic buildings, and lovely wildflowers.
The South Carolina Academic Learning Environment (SCALE) is a park with paths and features that provide students with a scale-replica of South Carolina. The concept is interesting, but the realization of the vision has weaknesses. Still, we wandered through.
We detoured down a side road in the late afternoon to photograph the Anderson County Veterans Memorial, a Tour of Honor bonus. Anderson County is just southwest of Greenville SC, where the IBR riders and watchers were gathering. Therefore, we weren't too surprised when we saw a rider heading toward us as we were reentering the main road who looked like an LD rider. Perhaps that was our first sighting? Not sure if he was an IBR rider or not, but it was certainly not our last sighting!
We crossed the Georgia border late in the day and, with a few more geocaches, made our way to Marietta Georgia. The heat had completely exhausted me (starting with that Kings Mountain hike) and since there were no restaurants near our Super 8, we had our first experience with Door Dash. The pizza we ordered in was pretty good.
Sunday, June 16: Atlanta to Tupelo
The first part of our day was spent around, and then in, Atlanta. The town of Kennesaw was historic and charming – except for hosting the last outpost of the Confederacy. Happy to give that place a wide berth. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/15816
The lovely little park houses a 9-11 memorial, war memorial, a number of historical markers, and just beyond is an old train depot and converted warehouses.
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| The historic Lacy Hotel |
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| The small white sign on the porch wall says "White History Year." Really. Wild Man needs to brush up on the part where the South lost. |
Our expected ride up the mountain at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park was preempted because the road was closed to motor vehicles. Apparently weekends are for runners, walkers, and bicyclists. It was very pretty there anyway.
 |
| Varsity Diner |
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| 54 Columns |
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| On the Walk of Fame |
Atlanta is also home to Georgia’s Liberty Bell replica. We added to our “collection” of state bell photos which we started in 2018 on the Team Strange Melting Pot Grand Tour. No fake crack painted onto this one.
Onward to Alabama! What a beautiful state! I had never been here until our April 2019 trip, and it was a joy to return.
Opelika and Auburn were personal stops for Jeff. It was delightful to see Jeff's son Joe and meet his girlfriend Zoë. Looking forward to Joe's move to Maryland later this year.
Unfortunately, our planned route took several detours. Our planned parks for Alabama were the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site. But somehow we missed their Sunday closures which eliminated the chance to get proof-of-visit park stamps. So, we ditched the planned stops in Montgomery and shot north to Horseshoe Bend National Military Park to fulfill our need for an Alabama Tour of Honor NPS site. No comparison to our planned stops! Instead of celebrating historic achievements, we learned about Andrew Jackson killing the Creek Indians. Ugh.
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| Although the Visitor's Center was closed, we could tour the Tuskegee Airfield grounds. Jeff spotted the very cool bug, below, during our walk. |
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| At the Tuskegee Institute - also closed. |
Our planned stops in Birmingham were derailed by a GPS malfunction. After a long stop in a McDonalds while Jeff did repairs and reprogramming, we reduced Birmingham to reading the signs outside the 16th Street Baptist Church since it was late and places were closing.
 |
| The Mickey D's stop. |
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| Birmingham |
Our woes of the day were offset with a pretty sunset!
One last stop was for a photo to show that we were in Kansas – Kansas AL, that is. The local post office provided the classic proof of location, but the small sign made it difficult to get the motorcycle into the photo. But, as Jeff has often pointed out, you don’t need a license to ride on the sidewalk (or porches) and the sign said absolutely NOTHING about 2-wheelers.
The night’s hotel was a Baymont in Tupelo, Mississippi, preceded by late night pizza from Tellini’s (one of the few places with food at 9:30 p.m. on a Sunday night in Tupelo).
Monday, June 17: Tupelo to Paducah
Tupelo has at least two claims to fame -- the first TVA city and its native son:
We had breezed through Tupelo for the Rock 'n Ride Rally, photographing no fewer than three Elvis statutes within a few miles of each other. I had been looking forward to our return visit and browsing a bit more. Unfortunately, our schedule did not lend itself to the full scope of typical tourist indulgences, so we limited our "touring" to a couple of downtown locations. First up was
the Tupelo National Battlefield, which was just a small park on a corner of land, but one that counted for the Tour of Honor National Parks Tour.
Fortunately, we did get to go inside of the Tupelo Hardware store, where Elvis bought his first guitar. (On our rally visit, we arrived long before it opened.) Aside from that claim to fame, it was a wonderful general store, where you could buy almost anything, including tools, pots and pans, hats, and weather vanes. Alas, nothing curbs impulse purchasing like the storage space on a motorcycle!
Only a couple of block away, we found the spot commemorating Tupelo's Woolworth Co.'s sit in, identified by a mural/bas-relief and a historical marker. We had visited the Greensboro site several months ago.
The stop after downtown Tupelo was completely different. Our purpose was to photograph a Vietnam Veterans' memorial. But as soon as we dismounted, our attention was drawn to this lovely little dramatic actress, who with her shrill cries and faked broken wing, tried to draw us across the street. Jeff noted that she must have a nest nearby and that proved quite true. When she realized we wouldn't chase her, she returned to her nest which could not have been closer to the road unless she laid the eggs IN the road!
We continued our journey with a short jaunt on the Natchez Parkway. In the parking lot of the visitor's center we chatted with a rider from California, returning from the BMW Motorrad National Rally. I had admired the Held inflatable vest draped over his bike, which appeared to have a much more comfortable collar than my Helite, while Jeff was checking out the black side and top cases -- exactly like his silver ones but with a sleek black covering. The rider extolled the virtues of the Natchez. While we believed him, our route deviated shortly after leaving the visitor's center; but we had our NPS stamp!
We veered off the Natchez Parkway to find Brice's Corner. Although about the same pocket-size as the Tupelo Battlefield Park, the display did a good job of explaining the battle's significance.
Tennesse. Another battlefield. This time Shiloh and the Corinth Interpretative Center. Then downtown. I liked the Corinth Depot. Apparently its L-shape was very unusual for Tennessee.
Then the Shiloh National Military Park. There were some bikes in this parking lot that looked like they might have been at the BMW event too.
Tennessee Ridge, TN checked another box for the Team Strange States of Confusion Tour and then Fort Donelson National Battlefield, Dover TN, on a bluff over the river, yielded some lovely scenery. In addition, many of the buildings in the Dover area had quilt squares attached, which were fun to spot.
On our way to Paducah, we traveled through the Land Between the Lakes which was very scenic. We paused to enjoy the hummingbirds at the Welcome Center. The bison were impressive too.
Jumping back to the States of Confusion, we stopped at Murray State University, at a location in Paducah, Kentucky which the university appeared to have abandoned. But it had a sign.
I would have enjoyed the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, but it was closed when we were there. We did see enjoy the murals on the walls of the levee and an interesting (and by "interesting" I mean "very odd") Lewis & Clark statue.
Paducah also has the grave of John T. Scopes (of the Scopes trial fame) and a wonderful Peter Toth Whispering Giant, this one named Wacinton.
Our hotel was on the outskirts of Paducah, but Jeff had one more surprise in store for me that evening, before we stopped for the day -- Metropolis, Illinois. When your name becomes famous before you do, just embrace it!!!
Many tourists apparently miss this statue down the street ... but we stopped to see Lois Lane too. And it was hard to miss the other super-sized guy in town, Big John (for when all that needs to be rescued is dinner. )
Another Baymont, but this one was a bit grim. Our room had a weird sizable red stain on the wall. Jeff pointed out that it was the wrong color to be dried blood, but it was creepy. Despite the very wet pavement and dark night, it was only a very short walk to an excellent Mexican restaurant, El Torito, along a wide shoulder of the road. Had we been on a rally clock, it would have been a perfect location since it had a Pilot, Minit Mart and Subway across the street (gas, food, and 24 hour receipts). The eggs at breakfast at the Baymont were good.
Tupelo has at least two claims to fame -- the first TVA city and its native son:
We had breezed through Tupelo for the Rock 'n Ride Rally, photographing no fewer than three Elvis statutes within a few miles of each other. I had been looking forward to our return visit and browsing a bit more. Unfortunately, our schedule did not lend itself to the full scope of typical tourist indulgences, so we limited our "touring" to a couple of downtown locations. First up was
the Tupelo National Battlefield, which was just a small park on a corner of land, but one that counted for the Tour of Honor National Parks Tour.
Fortunately, we did get to go inside of the Tupelo Hardware store, where Elvis bought his first guitar. (On our rally visit, we arrived long before it opened.) Aside from that claim to fame, it was a wonderful general store, where you could buy almost anything, including tools, pots and pans, hats, and weather vanes. Alas, nothing curbs impulse purchasing like the storage space on a motorcycle!
Only a couple of block away, we found the spot commemorating Tupelo's Woolworth Co.'s sit in, identified by a mural/bas-relief and a historical marker. We had visited the Greensboro site several months ago.
The stop after downtown Tupelo was completely different. Our purpose was to photograph a Vietnam Veterans' memorial. But as soon as we dismounted, our attention was drawn to this lovely little dramatic actress, who with her shrill cries and faked broken wing, tried to draw us across the street. Jeff noted that she must have a nest nearby and that proved quite true. When she realized we wouldn't chase her, she returned to her nest which could not have been closer to the road unless she laid the eggs IN the road!
We continued our journey with a short jaunt on the Natchez Parkway. In the parking lot of the visitor's center we chatted with a rider from California, returning from the BMW Motorrad National Rally. I had admired the Held inflatable vest draped over his bike, which appeared to have a much more comfortable collar than my Helite, while Jeff was checking out the black side and top cases -- exactly like his silver ones but with a sleek black covering. The rider extolled the virtues of the Natchez. While we believed him, our route deviated shortly after leaving the visitor's center; but we had our NPS stamp!
We veered off the Natchez Parkway to find Brice's Corner. Although about the same pocket-size as the Tupelo Battlefield Park, the display did a good job of explaining the battle's significance.
Tennesse. Another battlefield. This time Shiloh and the Corinth Interpretative Center. Then downtown. I liked the Corinth Depot. Apparently its L-shape was very unusual for Tennessee.
Then the Shiloh National Military Park. There were some bikes in this parking lot that looked like they might have been at the BMW event too.
On our way to Paducah, we traveled through the Land Between the Lakes which was very scenic. We paused to enjoy the hummingbirds at the Welcome Center. The bison were impressive too.
Jumping back to the States of Confusion, we stopped at Murray State University, at a location in Paducah, Kentucky which the university appeared to have abandoned. But it had a sign.
I would have enjoyed the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, but it was closed when we were there. We did see enjoy the murals on the walls of the levee and an interesting (and by "interesting" I mean "very odd") Lewis & Clark statue.
Paducah also has the grave of John T. Scopes (of the Scopes trial fame) and a wonderful Peter Toth Whispering Giant, this one named Wacinton.
Our hotel was on the outskirts of Paducah, but Jeff had one more surprise in store for me that evening, before we stopped for the day -- Metropolis, Illinois. When your name becomes famous before you do, just embrace it!!!
 |
| Note the phone booth. |
Another Baymont, but this one was a bit grim. Our room had a weird sizable red stain on the wall. Jeff pointed out that it was the wrong color to be dried blood, but it was creepy. Despite the very wet pavement and dark night, it was only a very short walk to an excellent Mexican restaurant, El Torito, along a wide shoulder of the road. Had we been on a rally clock, it would have been a perfect location since it had a Pilot, Minit Mart and Subway across the street (gas, food, and 24 hour receipts). The eggs at breakfast at the Baymont were good.
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