Tweet
Okay folks, here is the plan for May 10. You might want to print it out b/c it's kind of long. We will meet at 9:00 with kickstands up at 9:30. The meeting place is the Chevron at Exit 165 on I-20 East (Embry/Lincoln Exit).
NOTE: This ride will be a challenging one with many curves, some construction, amd one sort of pig trail road with pot holes. So you need to feel comfortable with riding under those conditions.
Lenn
Here are the details:
May 10 BMW Ride to Kymulga, Mt. Cheaha, Ashland, and Heflin
Amount of Cash needed – about $15 per person (please bring several $1 bills.) I will collect admission to Kymulga ($3) and Cheaha ($1) so we can all go through together. The remainder is for lunch (about $7 plus tip).
Ride Itinerary
Meet at 9:00 at Exit 165 on I-20 East at the Chevron/Huddle House. Our trip will take us down Stemley Road/CR 207 parallel to Logan Martin Lake. As we cross the first intersection at H’way 35, look across the street to the left and on the right to see a great restaurant called Stemley Station. It has very good food, prices and service. It’s a great dinner bike destination.
At the next intersection (Renfroe Road in Hezbilah) look again to the left and on the right for a really good catfish restaurant called Fincher’s. As we come into Alpine, look on the right for a beautiful Epicopal church.
Turn right onto Grist Mill Rd/CR 240 and go to Kymulga Grist Mill. There is an 1860s, 105-foot covered bridge spans scenic Talladega Creek that lies adjacent to Kymulga Grist Mill, Alabama’s oldest water-powered grist mill still operational.
Kymulga Grist Mill - Admission is $3.
Patenting an invention can be a tricky proposition-even in the 1860s, when G.E. Morris designed and built the Kymulga grist mill. Sad to say, a man whom Morris hired to build the mill's water wheel stole his design and beat him to the patent office in Washington, D.C., by a mere two hours. But Morris got the last laugh: He returned to his foundry and changed the water wheel's design, producing one that worked even better than the original. He ended up profiting from his new design, while the man who stole Morris' original invention went broke. The mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and still produces corn meal.
A few hundred feet upstream from the grist mill is a single-span, 105-ft.-long covered bridge. Built around 1860, it carried the Old Georgia Road over Talladega Creek. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is one of only three 19th century covered bridges in Alabama still located at their original sites.
Backtrack on Grist Mill Rd to Alpine. We will ride to the Strickland home, built in 1858. Also notice the Baptist church built in 1870. Continue on Grist Mill Rd. to H’way 21. Cross it and go to Whiting Rd. Turn Rt onto Whiting and go a short distance. Turn left onto Berney Station Rd/CR 302. Look on the right for an old church built in 1865. Watch out for curves.
Continue to H’way 77 and turn right. Go a short distance to Waldo and stop at the covered bridge.
Continue south on 77 slowing for construction areas. Turn right on CR 209 at Chandler Springs. There is also a sign for the High Falls trailhead. Road will change to CR 130/Idaho Rd at county line then take CR 12/Clairmont Springs Rd shortly after that.
Turn left onto Blue Ridge Rd watching out for potholes. Continue up to Skyway Motorway/SR 281. Stop at overlook then continue up to Mt. Cheaha.
Mt. Cheaha – Admission is $1.
Located in Clay and Cleburne Counties, Cheaha State Park is the pinnacle of natural beauty and awe in Alabama. Surrounded by the Talladega National Forest, this foothill of the Appalachian Mountains holds the reputation of the highest point in Alabama. Standing 2,407 ft. above sea level, it is no wonder why the local Creek Indians named this place “Chaha,” meaning high place.
After the state of Alabama acquired lands in 1933, which today comprise 11 of the 22 State Parks, a cooperative effort with the State of Alabama and the National Park System, paved the way for the Civilian Conservation Corp's (CCC) development and construction of Cheaha State Park. Its continuous operation since 1933, makes Cheaha, Alabama's oldest continuously operating State Park.
We will go to the Bunker Observation Tower – Alabama’s Highest Point.
Leave Cheaha and continue on SR 281 to SR 49. Turn right and go to CR 31. Notice old store at Highland. Continue in to Ashland. Stop at courthouse.
Ashland – Clay County Courthouse
The clock on the Courthouse was built in 1907 by Seth Thomas. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the courthouse is home to a gallery of paintings by local artist Judy Jordan, A WWI arms display, and the Hugo Black Museum. Hugo Black was a native of Ashland and went on to become a U.S. Senator and Supreme Court Justice. Ashland has the highest elevation of any county seat in Alabama at 1153 feet above sea level. The first courthouse was destroyed by fire and second was built of brick in 1878. Later in 1906 the county commissioners decided to replace it with a larger building which is the present courthouse. The cost of the new courthouse was $37,960. The Courthouse just celebrated the 100th anniversary with a big Block Party.
Clay County was created on December 7, 1886, formed from territory taken from Talladega and Randolph counties, land held previously by the Creek Nation and earlier Native Americans. Clay County is named for Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky. The town of Lineville, so named because it was on the line between Talladega and Randolph counties, became the temporary place for holding court until a county seat was decided upon. Ashland was selected as the county seat and construction of the courthouse began in 1867.
Continue on H’way 9 east to Miss Anita’s in Lineville for lunch. $6.84 buffet. 256-396-9101
In Lineville, take SR 49/Cheaho Rd north to SR 281 until it ends at US 78. Turn left onto 78 and go into Heflin to see the Cleburne County courthouse.
Our ride ends here so people can get home. However, if you want to go to Anniston, you can see the Church of St. Michael’s and All Angels, Berman Museum, or White Oak Vineyards. Check the ABEES book for other sites that you might want to visit on your way home.
NOTE: This ride will be a challenging one with many curves, some construction, amd one sort of pig trail road with pot holes. So you need to feel comfortable with riding under those conditions.
Lenn
Here are the details:
May 10 BMW Ride to Kymulga, Mt. Cheaha, Ashland, and Heflin
Amount of Cash needed – about $15 per person (please bring several $1 bills.) I will collect admission to Kymulga ($3) and Cheaha ($1) so we can all go through together. The remainder is for lunch (about $7 plus tip).
Ride Itinerary
Meet at 9:00 at Exit 165 on I-20 East at the Chevron/Huddle House. Our trip will take us down Stemley Road/CR 207 parallel to Logan Martin Lake. As we cross the first intersection at H’way 35, look across the street to the left and on the right to see a great restaurant called Stemley Station. It has very good food, prices and service. It’s a great dinner bike destination.
At the next intersection (Renfroe Road in Hezbilah) look again to the left and on the right for a really good catfish restaurant called Fincher’s. As we come into Alpine, look on the right for a beautiful Epicopal church.
Turn right onto Grist Mill Rd/CR 240 and go to Kymulga Grist Mill. There is an 1860s, 105-foot covered bridge spans scenic Talladega Creek that lies adjacent to Kymulga Grist Mill, Alabama’s oldest water-powered grist mill still operational.
Kymulga Grist Mill - Admission is $3.
Patenting an invention can be a tricky proposition-even in the 1860s, when G.E. Morris designed and built the Kymulga grist mill. Sad to say, a man whom Morris hired to build the mill's water wheel stole his design and beat him to the patent office in Washington, D.C., by a mere two hours. But Morris got the last laugh: He returned to his foundry and changed the water wheel's design, producing one that worked even better than the original. He ended up profiting from his new design, while the man who stole Morris' original invention went broke. The mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and still produces corn meal.
A few hundred feet upstream from the grist mill is a single-span, 105-ft.-long covered bridge. Built around 1860, it carried the Old Georgia Road over Talladega Creek. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is one of only three 19th century covered bridges in Alabama still located at their original sites.
Backtrack on Grist Mill Rd to Alpine. We will ride to the Strickland home, built in 1858. Also notice the Baptist church built in 1870. Continue on Grist Mill Rd. to H’way 21. Cross it and go to Whiting Rd. Turn Rt onto Whiting and go a short distance. Turn left onto Berney Station Rd/CR 302. Look on the right for an old church built in 1865. Watch out for curves.
Continue to H’way 77 and turn right. Go a short distance to Waldo and stop at the covered bridge.
Continue south on 77 slowing for construction areas. Turn right on CR 209 at Chandler Springs. There is also a sign for the High Falls trailhead. Road will change to CR 130/Idaho Rd at county line then take CR 12/Clairmont Springs Rd shortly after that.
Turn left onto Blue Ridge Rd watching out for potholes. Continue up to Skyway Motorway/SR 281. Stop at overlook then continue up to Mt. Cheaha.
Mt. Cheaha – Admission is $1.
Located in Clay and Cleburne Counties, Cheaha State Park is the pinnacle of natural beauty and awe in Alabama. Surrounded by the Talladega National Forest, this foothill of the Appalachian Mountains holds the reputation of the highest point in Alabama. Standing 2,407 ft. above sea level, it is no wonder why the local Creek Indians named this place “Chaha,” meaning high place.
After the state of Alabama acquired lands in 1933, which today comprise 11 of the 22 State Parks, a cooperative effort with the State of Alabama and the National Park System, paved the way for the Civilian Conservation Corp's (CCC) development and construction of Cheaha State Park. Its continuous operation since 1933, makes Cheaha, Alabama's oldest continuously operating State Park.
We will go to the Bunker Observation Tower – Alabama’s Highest Point.
Leave Cheaha and continue on SR 281 to SR 49. Turn right and go to CR 31. Notice old store at Highland. Continue in to Ashland. Stop at courthouse.
Ashland – Clay County Courthouse
The clock on the Courthouse was built in 1907 by Seth Thomas. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the courthouse is home to a gallery of paintings by local artist Judy Jordan, A WWI arms display, and the Hugo Black Museum. Hugo Black was a native of Ashland and went on to become a U.S. Senator and Supreme Court Justice. Ashland has the highest elevation of any county seat in Alabama at 1153 feet above sea level. The first courthouse was destroyed by fire and second was built of brick in 1878. Later in 1906 the county commissioners decided to replace it with a larger building which is the present courthouse. The cost of the new courthouse was $37,960. The Courthouse just celebrated the 100th anniversary with a big Block Party.
Clay County was created on December 7, 1886, formed from territory taken from Talladega and Randolph counties, land held previously by the Creek Nation and earlier Native Americans. Clay County is named for Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky. The town of Lineville, so named because it was on the line between Talladega and Randolph counties, became the temporary place for holding court until a county seat was decided upon. Ashland was selected as the county seat and construction of the courthouse began in 1867.
Continue on H’way 9 east to Miss Anita’s in Lineville for lunch. $6.84 buffet. 256-396-9101
In Lineville, take SR 49/Cheaho Rd north to SR 281 until it ends at US 78. Turn left onto 78 and go into Heflin to see the Cleburne County courthouse.
Our ride ends here so people can get home. However, if you want to go to Anniston, you can see the Church of St. Michael’s and All Angels, Berman Museum, or White Oak Vineyards. Check the ABEES book for other sites that you might want to visit on your way home.
Comment