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Phil and Karen successfully tested my wandering route from HSV to Jasper Highlands where the Top of the Rock Restaurant and Brewery resides ~800’ above Kimball, TN. [ N35 03.369’ W85 41.262’ ] >> https://topoftherockbrewery.com/ <<
My route took us on some biker-friendly roads and several we’ve never visited in my 20-some AlaBeemer Second Saturday Rides-to-Eat as the new ride honcho. We rode about 100 miles in 2.5 hours; the weather was Very Favorable on the 17th of August in Alabama. All roads were paved, but some were certainly old and "in disrepair." One interesting and technically challenging section dropped from the North Alabama plateau at 1,440’ down into the Tennessee River valley at ~660’ and it had 11 very tight switchback turns. It’s Not recommended for any chrome covered, low rider, V-twins or any “beginner" motorcyclists! This was along Jackson County's CR-39 [ N34 50.106’ W85 58.179’ ] east of Skyline from AL-79 and CR-33.
To make it even more challenging, our uphill route to the Jasper Highlands community on the Top of the Rock, included a modest string of cars, trucks, and BMWs trailing a lumbering cement truck uphill at maybe 5 mph in Low Gear. My 6-banger GT was experiencing a severe overheating situation with hardly any airflow… We were eventually rewarded with a beautiful restaurant with lots of outdoor seating and a hazy overview of the Tennessee River in the distance. They offered a large 2-sided menu with many kinds of lunches as well as a separate list of “monthly specials.” We paid $14.95 each for an antipasto salad and a delicious Smashburger with house-cut frites. Not the cheapest lunch for two thrifty AlaBeemers, but ya gotta pay a little extra for that kind of ambience.
So it passed my test for a worthwhile rendezvous location, even if we have to cross a state line. That said, I’ve led two rides north to Tullahoma and another westward to Corinth, MS, so I do like to take new gastronomical adventures when possible (google slugburger). TOTR opens at 1000 on Saturdays; I hope my group of bikes will get there just after 1100 AM if anyone is up for a personal Ride to Eat in your own car or M/C! We call it the 2nd Saturday Ride so check your calendars. On my Arizona Highways calendar, that equates to 9/9/23.
Do not hesitate to ride your own easier straightforward route towards Kimball, Tenn! An RSVP to president@bmwmoal.org would be appreciated, so I can warn the restaurant how many chairs will be needed. Attached below is Phil’s Garmin waypoint-route File.
Hope you can make this particular luncheon at a venue recommended by a true connoisseur, Jim McCorstin!
Happy Trails, Phil & Karen
GPX file:
Here’s a view of the steep road up to Top of the Rock.
truck-climbing-hill.jpeg
Here’s a view of the Entrance to TOTR.
TOTR-Restaurant.jpeg
Here’s a view of the Tennessee River from the back porch.
Tenn-vw-Top-of-Rock.jpeg
Sept-23-R2E.GPX
My route took us on some biker-friendly roads and several we’ve never visited in my 20-some AlaBeemer Second Saturday Rides-to-Eat as the new ride honcho. We rode about 100 miles in 2.5 hours; the weather was Very Favorable on the 17th of August in Alabama. All roads were paved, but some were certainly old and "in disrepair." One interesting and technically challenging section dropped from the North Alabama plateau at 1,440’ down into the Tennessee River valley at ~660’ and it had 11 very tight switchback turns. It’s Not recommended for any chrome covered, low rider, V-twins or any “beginner" motorcyclists! This was along Jackson County's CR-39 [ N34 50.106’ W85 58.179’ ] east of Skyline from AL-79 and CR-33.
To make it even more challenging, our uphill route to the Jasper Highlands community on the Top of the Rock, included a modest string of cars, trucks, and BMWs trailing a lumbering cement truck uphill at maybe 5 mph in Low Gear. My 6-banger GT was experiencing a severe overheating situation with hardly any airflow… We were eventually rewarded with a beautiful restaurant with lots of outdoor seating and a hazy overview of the Tennessee River in the distance. They offered a large 2-sided menu with many kinds of lunches as well as a separate list of “monthly specials.” We paid $14.95 each for an antipasto salad and a delicious Smashburger with house-cut frites. Not the cheapest lunch for two thrifty AlaBeemers, but ya gotta pay a little extra for that kind of ambience.
So it passed my test for a worthwhile rendezvous location, even if we have to cross a state line. That said, I’ve led two rides north to Tullahoma and another westward to Corinth, MS, so I do like to take new gastronomical adventures when possible (google slugburger). TOTR opens at 1000 on Saturdays; I hope my group of bikes will get there just after 1100 AM if anyone is up for a personal Ride to Eat in your own car or M/C! We call it the 2nd Saturday Ride so check your calendars. On my Arizona Highways calendar, that equates to 9/9/23.
Do not hesitate to ride your own easier straightforward route towards Kimball, Tenn! An RSVP to president@bmwmoal.org would be appreciated, so I can warn the restaurant how many chairs will be needed. Attached below is Phil’s Garmin waypoint-route File.
Hope you can make this particular luncheon at a venue recommended by a true connoisseur, Jim McCorstin!
Happy Trails, Phil & Karen
GPX file:
Here’s a view of the steep road up to Top of the Rock.
truck-climbing-hill.jpeg
Here’s a view of the Entrance to TOTR.
TOTR-Restaurant.jpeg
Here’s a view of the Tennessee River from the back porch.
Tenn-vw-Top-of-Rock.jpeg
Sept-23-R2E.GPX
We also had to wait near the Tennessee border, near the town of Bryant, for two L-O-N-G freight trains to go by... It added to the ADVenture quotient, but it didn’t happen on our test ride.
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