Central Alabama

Alabama Getaway

Where is it? I know it's around here somewhere. After all the pictures and movies, it shouldn't be that hard to spot, yet for some reason it seems to be eluding me in the early stages of the tour. Oh well, they say patience is a virtue and I know Alabama is as good a location as any, so I won't waver in my quest. I've journeyed here to find the South, and I'm going to ride until I do.

Think about it. When someone mentions the South, what states pop into your mind? Georgia? Alabama? Mississippi? Louisiana? The Carolinas? Tennessee? Those are all valid choices but I'll guarantee that if you left that list on the table, you'd hear some vociferous objections from residents of Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Florida and several others. My point being – the South is a huge area encompassing as many as 12 to 14 states depending on whom you're with when the subject comes up. With so many laying claims to their own piece of the sweet potato pie, I've decided to take my search straight into the Heart of Dixie.

A Little North, A Little South
In the early going, as the miles tick away while riding north out of Birmingham, it's almost a letdown to be on Route 121's curves, all rimmed with tall trees, steep rocks, and fast moving creeks. Normally, geography and roads like this are to be coveted, especially when riding a corner carver as perfectly honed as Aprilia's Tuono. Strange as it may sound, this is not what I'm after. Today's quest calls for swamps, cotton fields, and the arrow-straight roads that accompany them. But, as any hunter can attest, you only see turkey when you're looking for deer....

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