Last weekend while Harley and I were puttin' around the Alabama highways, we found ourselves riding through
Tallassee, Alabama. This little historic town is bordered on the east and west by two rivers... the Coosa and the Tallapoosa, and is home to a major hydroelectric power plant run by the Alabama Power Company. We actually ride through here a good bit and one of the coolest parts about it is the Fitzgerald Bridge, which crosses over the Tallapoosa River and the Thurlow Dam.
The biggest problem about riding across this bridge on your motorcycle, is trying to keep your eyes on the road! I am fascinated with the dam, the jagged rocks below and old historic looking buildings that are still standing around below the bridge. There's an old cotton mill that was built in 1844 and converted into an armory during the American Civil War. It's the only Confederate Armory that wasn't destroyed during the war, and it's pretty cool to look at it and imagine what life must have been like back then.
There's no place to stop on the bridge, but we parked at a Bank that's right on the river at the East end of the bridge to try and get some good pics.
When we zoomed our camera in, we were able to get this shot of Yates Dam, about a mile or so up river.
Tallassee is roughly 20 miles east of Montgomery, so we find ourselves on this little stretch of Hwy. 14 a lot. On this particular day, I saw the untimely passing come to one of our beloved Alabama Buzzards. Harley and I were following behind an older model van, that looked like an old painter's van with no windows. We were clipping along, around 68 mph., having a nice relaxing, guilt free ride through the country when...
BAM! All I really saw was an explosion of dark feathers at the right front bumper of the van. Then, as I passed by the area of impact, I saw the poor old buzzard dazed and still staggering along the side of road, fluttering what was left of a featherless wing. I felt sorry for that big ol' bird right then, realizing how quick his day just went from good to bad, all before you could even say "foo-bar".
While cruising around the state on Hwy. 14, we find ourselves making a stop in the little community of
Notasulga, Alabama, home to the infamous
Sammy the Cat. Even though Sammy's story has earned him a bit of notability, we missed the opportunity to meet him in person. You can be certain though, I kept my eyes peeled for any energies of the spiritual nature, since there have been so many reports of
ghost sitings in this area, that the residents don't even get excited about them anymore. We stopped here for a little stretch break, and while taking a couple pic of this old building, I wondered if there were any ghosts in there. Ooooooohhh!
Tucked away in the back of this old cabin is our little "Historic Out House" I posted about yesterday for my Pic Of The Week. I still think it's funny that the old privy is a protected antique!
Crossroads like these are such a treat when you ride. It's like your entering a time warp, and your rumbling iron steed is the only way you can travel from one dimension to another.
These buildings are of an era long gone, but not yet forgotten. I had to laugh at the handwritten sign by the door of the big gray barn. It says, "BARN DANCE 2nd & 3rd Thursdays 8:00 PM". The other one, in the window says "MUSIC LESSONS inside". I wondered how old those signs were. I sat for a moment, while I imagined a couple of old fellas lounging around in front of the Fred's feed and seed, watching the busy happenings in their little town of Notasulga. Ah, the good ol' days.
If you ever find yourself in our little neck of the woods, Tallassee is a great place to ride. Hotel Talisi serves a great little lunch and provides an atmosphere of historic preservation within it's walls.
There are rivers and bridges and broken buzzards too,
along with pretty country roads, to satisfy you.
You can just imagine, what treats you may see
when riding through our old, and historic Tallassee.
Ya'll come back now, ya hear!
Lady R
Harley and I make a game of finding new places to stop and stretch our legs while we enjoy a few necessary swigs of hydration, but the Tallapoosa River in Tallassee has always been one of our favorite stops. You might remember the Fitzpatrick Bridge and the Thurlow Dam from my previous "What To See In Tallassee" post, but this was the first time we ventured right down to the river's edge. Usually, there are folks fishing and we tend to shy away from crowds. LOL!
While we were there, we noticed this handicap fishing platform. I've never seen anything like that before but I thought... "how cool is that?"
It seems we gravitate towards water often when we look for places to ride, and with the summer southern heat... I can't believe we haven't taken advantage of a quick dip when we find some.
