All Around Alabama???

[Vance]

Many may recall the ride we have posted on our website called All Around Alabama. This is a great ride that circles the state going as close to the border as possible without crossing over. This is an awesome route that as I recall was laid out during the height of the ABEES days by Bob Steber and Martin Benson. I have ridden this route personally on two different occasions and it is a ton of fun and winds you through the varying geography of our great state. The gps routes for this ride are available for download from our website if you want to run it by yourself or at a different time.

I wanted to bring this to the forum to see who might be interested in riding the route this spring. It is not meant to be run as an Iron Butt style ride but rather as a tour. The route is about 1200 miles long and would require a bit of timing to make the ferry crossing at Dauphin Island and also an overnight hotel stop along the way. I would like to run this again myself so if you are interested in riding along, let me know. If we have a group of four or more we could plan this as an Alabama tour and set the trip for timing and the hotel stop.

My first tentative date will be Friday April 3 and Saturday April 4.....Who is interested?

[R90srider]

Hey Vance

All Around Alabama is indeed a fun and enjoyable tour. If it is attempted as a two day (one overnight) ride in early April starting at sunrise, you will ride a tad over two hours after sunset. It takes at about 14 hours (+/- one hour) to ride half way. Planning three days will allow you to enjoy the wonderful scenery for the entire trip. Also, there are several areas along the way that have heavy deer populations.

I'm working on an update for the various routes and should have them ready in time to take the tour.

[Vance]

good point Bob. Both times I have done it I took two days but you do have to keep moving. Allowing three days would indeed allow for a more enjoyable tour. thanks for dusting off the routes I look forward to doing this epic ride once again!

[R90srider]

I do too which prompted me to update the routes. I've ridden it twice, clock and counter clockwise, and was amazed with the roads and scenery each time. I'm thinking the next time to take three days and enjoy it more by riding only about 450 miles a day plus the mileage to and from the start/end point.

[R100R Rider]

The three day ride sounds better for us more mature riders. I have attached updated routes for the clockwise ride. These are done on the latest Garmin map update. The attached file is a gpd. Web site would not let me upload the gpx. I can email it if needed.

Attachment removed by poster request

[Vance]

thanks guys, I just downloaded the updated route with no problem...man that is a great ride! Now warm up so we can ride it! lol.....

[beemererik]

If you do it over three days, I might be game.

[Vance]

I think that is where we are headed with this. That April 3-4 weekend is Easter so if we were to keep it on that weekend I suggest we would start on Thursday and end up on Saturday. Or maybe pick another weekend but the calendar is getting slammed! Who would be interested in riding it....give us your thoughts....

[jdubeemer]

Is there any good food along this route?

[Vance]

hmmmm....can't remember ever missing a good meal on a ride like this...so, I think we are safe! lol

[eweturn]

Sounds like good company. I think I might be up for that one. It would be a good tuneup for the ride to Billings. Keep us posted. It has been a cold winter. ready to ride. After All it is the year of the sheep BAH BAH

[R90srider]

Is there any good food along this route?

Hey Jim,

There are good eateries along the way. Look in your ABEES guide for information. Restaurants and POIs are listed by towns.

[xwingnut]

I think that is where we are headed with this. That April 3-4 weekend is Easter so if we were to keep it on that weekend I suggest we would start on Thursday and end up on Saturday. Or maybe pick another weekend but the calendar is getting slammed! Who would be interested in riding it....give us your thoughts....

Please include this old codger. I've missed old friends too long and this would be fun. Hope I remember how to pack for 3 days
jb

[Vance]

Hey John, we talked about this some this weekend. A couple options are in the air at this point. To spend three days that would be two nights out....but Mike Scott mentioned he would like to go but would prefer the starting point being in Mobile. Starting there might make it easier to time the ferry crossing but that would mean those of us form central and north commuting down to and from the Mobile starting point...and that might add one more night to it.

My available times are the first and second weekends in April. I guess we need a headcount of who would be in. The first weekend is Easter so to be home by Saturday afternoon we would have to start the ride on Thursday and that means leaving Wednesday if we start in Mobile.

So let's see who is on on that time frame. If those weekends are not suitable ya'll feel free to work what is best for the group. Bob is working on cleaning up the routes a bit but we will also have to lay out the stopping points based on the total time we are taking. Got a little route work to do!

[beemererik]

I might still be game even with the Mobile start point. For me it would be ideal that I be home Sunday opposed to Saturday so I would burn one less vacation day. So that would mean Easter weekend is out. However plan for the rest of the group and if I can make it I will.