On The Road To Jacksonville

On the road…

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a drive into deep East Alabama to speak to the fourth graders at Kitty Stone Elementary School in Jacksonville. From my place in northern Shelby County, it east on county highway 41 to the community of Dunnavant, and then south on Alabama 25, which takes you over the top of Coosa Mountain and offers a spectacular view of the Coosa Valley.

From the mountain peak, it was down into the valley and into the community of Vandiver, where it was left onto county highway 55, a pretty drive which takes you into St. Clair County, and through the Wolf Creek community. That road dead ends at Cogswell Avenue in Pell City. After a couple of turns, I was on U.S. 231 heading north our of Pell City. Then, at Wattsville it was left onto Alabama 144, which takes you right past National Cement and into downtown Ragland.

Signs in Ragland remind you the community is the home of Rudy York, a Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Detroit Tigers (1934, 1937-45), Boston Red Sox (1946-47), Chicago White Sox (1947) and Philadelphia Athletics (194.

Once past Ragland, you drive right on top of the Neely Henry Dam on the Coosa River, and into Calhoun County and the community of Ohatchee. We did a Storm Alert show in Ohatchee a couple of years ago and the people were simply great. Alabama 144 winds up at Alexandria, where you turn left onto U.S. 431, and then right onto Alabama 204, the “Rudy Abbott” Highway, in honor of the former Jacksonville State baseball coach. Highway 204 leads you into the heart of Jacksonville and the campus of Jacksonville State. The kids at Kitty Stone Elementary were fun and great listeners. I have had the honor of speaking to the 4th grade at that school in May for many years. It is a great tradition.

The drive back didn't feature the "roads less traveled"; time was a factor and I came back through Gadsden and down I-59. Interstates are nice when you need them!