Last weekend I completed an epic road trip with my childhood friend Lyle Branton. We both are now 50 years old, and planned to motorcycle ride across the southern states, with specific objectives being riding the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway end to end, and riding across the entire panhandle of Florida beach front.
We met up north of Atlanta on Sunday, September 22, and rode through the foothills of north Georgia, through the beautiful valley of Chattanooga, then across the remaining Appalachians to Nashville. Tent camping for the night by a pristine lake, we rode west Monday to the north terminus of the Parkway, first enjoying the food and country music nostalgia of the famed Loveless Café. Then we started down our first stretch of the Parkway.
The Natchez Trace Parkway is approximately 444 miles long, winding through the hill country of Tennessee, down through the northwest corner of Alabama, then all the way across Mississippi to Natchez. We rode as far as Tishomingo, and made camp in a state park, again on a beautiful lake with the moon rising over the waters. We awoke to grey skies and drizzle on Tuesday, and got as far as Tupelo before hard rain forced us to hold up in a gas station/barbeque joint for two hours. When the worst had passed over the Parkway, we continued on, still in rain, but by the time we arrived in Jackson, the storm has cleared. We dried out in a hotel that night, and hit the road Wednesday morning in clear skies and warm temps to complete our journey down the Parkway. Finally reaching the famed road's southern terminus, we celebrated in Natchez with tamales at the local fave, Fat Mama's. After a some photos down by the Mississippi River, we blasted east across the state on Hwy 98, making for Mobile, AL, for an evening with my friend Greg Sweatt's dad.
Our journey along coastline began as we crossed Mobile Bay bridge at sunset. The colors in the sky were unlike any I had ever seen- all the pastels of the color palette were present, from bright gold of the setting sun, to brilliant orange, red, purple, various blues, even green, all reflected in the glass-like surface of the bay. Breathtaking. We spent a wonderful evening and Thursday morning with Mr. Sweatt, then loaded up and ran south through Fair Hope, then Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and on into Florida. We passed through Perdido Key, where my sister-in-law had a condo for several years, then Pensacola, Fort Walton, Destin, and made camp just off the beach at Topsail Hills State Park.
Friday we rode through Seaside, Laguna Beach, then Panama City. Finally beyond the tourism part of the Panhandle, we rode beachfront through quaint little coastal and fishing towns, around the "Big Bend" of what locals call "Old Florida". This was to be my favorite leg of our whole ride. Mexico Beach, Port St. Joe, Apalachicola, Eastpoint and Carabella, all with vistas out across Panhandle islands, peninsulas and keys. We crossed towering bridges over wide expanses of water, beheld tidal flats and rocky shorelines, under deep blue skies. I rode much of Big Bend in silent worship, unable to speak or even listen to music. The beauty was indescribable. We passed through Lanark Village and Panacea before swinging over to Perry, to spend a delightful evening with Lyle's oldest sister Peggy and her husband Dick.
Saturday we arose, said goodbyes to our wonderful hosts, and rode one last time down to the Gulf of Mexico, about a mile behind Peggy and Dick's place. Swinging north, we throttled up out of Florida into south Georgia, and turned east along Hwy 84 through Quitman, Valdosta, Waycross, Jesup, and Hinesville, catching I-98 then I-16 into Savannah to my daughter Ansley's place for the night. We enjoyed watching UGA defeat LSU, ate at the popular Crab Shack out on Tybee Island, then got a good night's sleep before our final leg home.
Sunday we said goodbye to Ansley, Savannah, and the Atlantic Ocean and blasted west on I-16 for home. We parted ways in Dublin, he toward I-75 and Fayetteville, me up Hwy 441 to my folks in Eatonton and then on home to Dacula. This was a fantastic adventure with a nearly life-long friend, celebrating our half century out on the open road. Nearly 2100 total miles through five states, from the hills of Appalachia to the Mississippi River, across the Gulf coast and over to the Atlantic coast. "Epic" is the word I use to describe the trip. God guided us through beautiful places, to wonderful family and friends, and a four-decade friendship was deepened. Worth every minute and mile.
