Story & photos by ALLISON PARKER
FAVORITE RIDE
The Trace through Land Between the Lakes offers scenic picnic areas for a mid-ride break .
Small Town Tennessee Loop
Our associate editor ’ s trip down memory lane
These days , I ’ ve become so enthralled by all the great motorcycle roads around the world and on my bucket list that I forget about the ones close to home . For this ride , I retraced steps from my early riding days with a 140- mile loop around my hometown of Dover , Tennessee , which is located on the Cumberland River about 30 miles west of Clarksville and , as the crow flies , a little over 60 miles northwest of Nashville .
I was joined by my husband , Jake , on his Can- Am Ryker Rally ( see review on RiderMagazine . com or in the November issue ), and I was aboard a Honda Rebel 1100T DCT test bike . We started out at the Dyers Creek boat ramp , just across the river from downtown Dover . Then we rode across U . S . Route 79 and onto Bumpus Mills Road . This road has some of the best curves of the loop – the perfect way to get our blood pumping at the beginning of the ride .
When we got to the end of the road at the junction with State Route 120 , we turned north and stopped at the family- owned Bumpus Meals Diner . We had hoped to pop in for a bite of their handmade desserts and a cup of coffee , but the diner was closed that day
My husband , Jake , and I revisited many of the roads we explored as high schoolers with fresh driving licenses .
as the family and staff were enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend .
Oh well , onwards we went . The next stretch of the ride took us into Kentucky on State Route 139 . It can be tempting to pick up the speed on this road , but we knew we couldn ’ t get too carried away .
46 / FEBRUARY 2024 / RIDERMAGAZINE . COM