Dalton, GA to Springfield, MO
I arranged for Day Two to be my longest mileage of the four days
to travel to Denver, CO. This would be a
603 mile day, traveling from Dalton, Georgia to Metropolis, Illinois (to see
the Superman statue in the town square) and then on to Springfield, Missouri.
As I rode to Chattanooga, I was able to see the fog capping the
tops of the mountains along both sides of the road.
I timed my departure from Dalton to avoid the
worst of the morning rush hour traffic through Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The tricky part of the day’s ride was also timing the passage
through Nashville, TN about two hours later.
Fortunately, I accounted for the change to the Central Time Zone and I
arrived at Nashville around 9 a.m., well after the rush hour.
I continued riding north on I-24 through the Tennessee mountains
to Clarksville. After Clarksville, the
terrain became rolling hills of farm land.
The hay was ready for harvesting and the corn was just starting to
grow.
Eventually I crossed the Tennessee River and entered Kentucky. The countryside continued to be rolling hills and farms. Finally, after four hours of riding, I reached Paducah, Kentucky on the Ohio River. Although I have travelled through Paducah during a couple of previous transits to Colorado, I never realized, until recently, that Metropolis, Illinois was just crossed the Ohio River. Metropolis, IL is home to a well-known roadside attraction – a large status of Superman in the center of town. I crossed the Ohio River and entered Illinois and within ten minutes was in Metropolis. The residents of Metropolis make full use of the Superman theme for their town. When you enter town, you are greeted with a sign welcoming you to Metropolis, the home of Superman.
Eventually I crossed the Tennessee River and entered Kentucky. The countryside continued to be rolling hills and farms. Finally, after four hours of riding, I reached Paducah, Kentucky on the Ohio River. Although I have travelled through Paducah during a couple of previous transits to Colorado, I never realized, until recently, that Metropolis, Illinois was just crossed the Ohio River. Metropolis, IL is home to a well-known roadside attraction – a large status of Superman in the center of town. I crossed the Ohio River and entered Illinois and within ten minutes was in Metropolis. The residents of Metropolis make full use of the Superman theme for their town. When you enter town, you are greeted with a sign welcoming you to Metropolis, the home of Superman.
The light poles down the main street display signs declaring it
“American Way.” Following the signs, I
quickly reached the town hall and saw the large Superman status on display in
front of the old town hall.
Across the street is the Superman souvenir shop, which I chose to
avoid.
While photographing the status, I
met a couple of gentlemen who introduced themselves as BMW motorcycle
riders. One of them said he was
preparing to leave for the Rubber Chicken Rally down in Huntsville, Alabama
this weekend. They recommended a nearby
restaurant that is the favorite lunch spot for the locals – Rube’s. I rode there, stopping briefly to photograph
another bronze status of Lois Lane, which has been placed on a street corner a
few blocks away.
At Rube’s, I enjoyed a
good home-style buffet meal – country-fried steak with all the fixings.
After lunch, I wander some back roads, dubbed the Ohio River
Scenic Byway, through the countryside bordering the Ohio River. This eventually led me to I-57. Interstates are not my preferred travel
routes when motorcycling, but with this being a 600 mile day, I had no choice
but to use them to cover the miles required.
I-57 took me across the Mississippi River into Missouri.
As soon as you cross the river, the terrain
becomes absolutely flat, and continues that way for what must have been 20 or
30 miles. This eventually gave way to
gently rolling countryside and later the northern foothills of the Ozark
Mountains. I followed Route 60 west
across the state and finally arrived in Springfield around 5:30 p.m. CDT.
My Garmin Montana GPS performed flawlessly today, so I was spared the
aggravating lock-ups of the day
before. It was a great day’s ride, with
temperatures in the upper 70s for the entire day. Tomorrow, I am off to see Big Brutus and,
hopefully, the Kansas Salt Museum and Mine.
More pictures from the day’s ride are available in my Picasa web album.
