Ride Prep
Normally when I get ready for a "scheduled" ride, I will make some preparations the night before. This would include checking out the bike, laying out the riding gear, mounting some of the "farkles" on the bike. However this time - nothing. So my morning departure wasn't as early as I was hoping. Oh well, this is a leisurely ride and I intended to keep the pace that way.
Destination #1 - Beale Street
I had this ideal the night before about taking a picture of the ST1300 on Beale St. So if I departed early in the morning I could get downtown on Beale before anyone arrives and I could get my picture and be on my merry way. Boy, was I surprised when I got their around 8am. Beale was busy with post-Saturday night clean-up. Yes, the clean-up crews were in full force cleaning up the all the trash from the night before. Sanitizing the sideways, vacuum truck picking up paper, and maintenance workers cleaning up the rest. I'm not sure why I was shocked by the activity as if it would magically happen during the early morning hours - prior to my arrival.
Destination #2 - Millington
Upon leaving Beale St. I decided to ride from downtown to Millington, TN along Hwy 51 which picks up on the north side of downtown. This was the first time I had ridden this route and it went through a depressed portion of inner city Memphis. This area was probably once a very popular part of Memphis as I can see Hwy 51 being a major route "before" the interstate (I-40) was completed. The dilapidated buildings proved my point as I make the quiet morning ride.
Along the way to Millington, I passed up Shelby-Meeman Forest State Park and Miramichi golf course - which singer Justin Timberlake has some ownership in.
Arriving into Millington I see the signage for USA Stadium (baseball)...so I head over to check it out.
Once I arrive, the place looked as if it hasn't been used in a long while. I also noticed a white van present with people waiting in the van to get inside the location - I presumed. The van was a prison inmate work release van - with metal band strips covering the van windows - so these were definitely inmates.
I proceeded to get my pictures (with one eye) and exited the location without looking like I was "running". Stay cool / Stay calm. LOL
USA Stadium was the home for USA Baseball from 1986 through 1996 and hosted over 300 players who went on to play in the Major League. Eighteen foreign con tries have sent their national teams to Millington to play. 26 national championships have been decided at USA Stadium. More than 40,000 different college, high school, foreign and Olympic players have played in Millington.
I had been riding for a while, and was getting a little thirsty, so I decided to stop for something to drink. Should have brought the Camelbak for hydration.
Short 20 min break, talked with my wife a little then back on the road to Covington. I decided that I didn't want to take Hwy 51 straight to Covington - so I navigate the back roads and came across this little gem.
Somewhere / sometime in my life I became fascinated by old dilapidated barns that I would see passing along the highway in Brighton, TN. The older, the better. I really love to see them in large open fields like the one below. They are just very picturesque to me and the amateur photographer in me saw the shot and pulled over to grabbed it.
Destination #3 - Covington, TN
Arrival in Covington reminded me of Dyersburg and Summerville and Collierville and etc. However, I still love seeing town squares. They provide that nostalgic feeling when walking around the old store fronts. Some of the stores are modern businesses of course, but the vibe is still "old town".
Didn't get the name of the statue in front of City Hall - but I can guarantee that it is something / someone related to the Civil War era.
History of Covington
The Covington area was originally inhabited by Native Americans of various tribes. The nearby Mississippi River was used for much north-south trade by the American Indians.
During the 18th century, because this entire area consists of flatlands with long, hot summers, and adequate rainfall, the Covington area and the rest of West Tennessee grew to become the location of large plantations for growing huge crops of cotton (and a few food crops). Hence African slaves were brought to Western Tennessee early in its history, and West Tennessee was the nexus of slavery in Tennessee, since most of the rest of the state had relatively few slaves.
During the Civil War, one of the primary objectives of the Union Army and Union Navy was to split the Confederate States in two along the Mississippi River. The Confederate Army resisted this, but still the counties of Tennessee and northeastern Arkansas, including Tipton County, were among the early ones to be overrun and held by the Union Army. Thus, the war in the Covington area ended early.
Following the invention of the automobile, during the 1910s and 1920s the United States began to construct more and more intercity paved highways in various regions of the county. These developed into the U.S. Numbered Highway System, and U.S. Route 51 was established. This highway connects Memphis and points south, via Covington and Cairo, Illinois, with Chicago. Thus, Covington became a small town along a major north-south highway of commerce and travel.
In the South Main Historic District in Covington, about 50 houses from the late 19th century and the early 20th century are still standing.
Well, another Sunday ST ride (96 miles round trip) in the books and it was a enjoyable ride. Enjoy the read and I look forward to my next Sunday ride.
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