We made it to Tuscaloosa today by about 2:30 EST or 1:30 local time. We rode a relatively uneventful 375 miles although by late morning it was incredibly hot! We did meet up with another Concours rider who rode with us for awhile. Apparently, he wanted us to exit the interstate with him so he could get gas but at 75 mph, it's kinda hard to communicate effectively. By the time we figured it out, he was on the exit and we were past it...oh well!
Once in Tuscaloosa, we got into our hotel room, cooled off and dumped our gear. We then took a ride through some of the hard hit parts of town. To say the least, it was shocking. The path of the tornado was clearly discernible and the level of destruction was beyond description. You expect to see wrecked houses but it's unnerving to see a shopping center completely destroyed. In the background of the second photo, you can see what remains of a strip mall. It was equally unnerving to see giant trees that were completely tore from the ground and flung away like pieces of litter. There were some areas that would have made for very dramatic photographs but after a point, you feel like you're trespassing on another person's misery so I just passed.
We did ride through the campus of the University of Alabama and met up with Bob Buckman. He's down here with his wife and daughter going through orientation for the fall semester. We went to a local establishment and enjoyed some wings and beer....thanks Bob! Alabama is a beautiful campus and served as a real contrast to the destruction less than two miles away.
It's after dinner now and we're just relaxing in the hotel room. Tomorrow we ride to New Orleans and it promises to be a good ride. It's the shortest to date and we'll look to get off the interstate and take some back roads down there. Until then...!
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