Need an entertaining route from Deal's Gap to Birmingham

[Dangerous Dave]

Damn fellas, that's ALOT of info! Probably going to detour off 19 for awhile and take 60 down to Suches...looks twisy and gets the Haulin' Ashe seal of approval. :lol: Hoping to do lunch at T.W.O. in Suches, but they keep such wierd freaking hours there, who knows if they'll be open. 78 seems to be getting mixed reviews, so looking at my Garmin Mapsource software, it looks like maybe I could jump off of 19 at hwy 9 near Cumming, and come down through Roswell, Marietta, Dallas, Buchanon, Edwardsville, down to Heflin, and then get on 78 and avoid Atlanta altogether, and maybe catch a few curves along the way. Looks like it actually changes highways several times (hwy 9, Alpharetta rd, Roswell rd, Dallas rd, Hwy 120, etc), but keeps going in the right direction. Then maybe just relax and take 78 the rest of the way to Leeds. We'll be passing through that way on Thurs afternoon the 29th, if anybody has an opportunity to meet up anywhere along the line. I do realize it's a workday for non-vacationing folk, but ya just never know how people's schedules run.

Ray, I did get all the info you sent, jut been way busy to go through it all, but I still have a little time.

Fencer, Hopefully I'll get to do your Leeds loop, but we'll be a little more pressed for time once we get there, just have to wait and see. Maybe Thursday night if we don't roll in too late. Doing the Barber Museum Friday, and Keith Code's Superbike school Saturday. Sunday it's a 550 mile sprint back to Dayton (Ohio) to go back to work on Monday...for a few days. Then off to do the Lake Erie Loop and see Niagara Falls. I'm really torn on whether to try to get through the first leg of the trip on my current rear tire, or just throw on the fresh one in the garage. I figure even if it survives the first leg, I'll have to put on the new one before heading for Niagara Falls. I hate to pull off a tire that still has a decent amount of tread on it, but I'd hate even more to pay some exorbitant price for a tire while on vacation if this one gets too shagged halfway. Decisions, decisions.

 

[2wheelingdawg]

120 is a nice ride once you get out of Marietta, the traffic goes away. Then you can tell everyone you saw the big chicken on your trip through Atlanta. You'll know when you see it. (local landmark in Marietta) Yesterday I got off at exit 153 (i-20) in Al to detour around a wreck. It is hwy 78 and looked pretty good for 5 miles until i cut back to the highway. Sucked in a truck with 80,000 pounds, but putting that one down on the to do list next time we ride to Barber. Wish i could tag along, but work says otherwise.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

120 is a nice ride once you get out of Marietta, the traffic goes away. Then you can tell everyone you saw the big chicken on your trip through Atlanta. You'll know when you see it. (local landmark in Marietta) Yesterday I got off at exit 153 (i-20) in Al to detour around a wreck. It is hwy 78 and looked pretty good for 5 miles until i cut back to the highway. Sucked in a truck with 80,000 pounds, but putting that one down on the to do list next time we ride to Barber. Wish i could tag along, but work says otherwise.

Thanks Dawg. I also got some info from Scab about some roads in his neck of the woods near Heflin. There's a "Skyway Mountainway" that comes off of 281 and then rejoins 281 later. Looks/sounds like it's worth the trip. After that, we'll probably get back on 78 and take that most (if not all) of the way to Irondale, which is where the motel actually is. Apparently it's very close to Barber, which is good, because Mr. Code insists everyone be in the pits at 7:00 A.M. SHARP! Less travel time means more sleep...theoretically. :huh: I'm getting pretty excited at this point. I NEED a vacation! I decided I'm going to go ahead and fit my new Roadsmart rear before heading out. They seem to be getting rave reviews here, so I guess I'll find out what all the hubbub is about. I swore off Dunlops 6 or 7 years ago, so this is a big leap of faith for me. I'm not really expecting to be disappointed, it just feels wierd to me.

Thanks to EVERYBODY for all their tips on this. I'm still staring at maps and putting all my routes together. Planning is half the fun though.