The Deep South
Epic Ride 2018
Sometimes the best rides aren’t about chasing mountain passes. This journey was about relaxed roads, historic towns, southern charm, and enjoying the simple pleasure of putting in miles from sunrise to sunset.
The Ride
A Week in the Deep South
This ride was planned with a simple goal: spend a week exploring the Deep South at a relaxed pace and experience the region beyond the interstate. Rather than chasing a single destination or famous road, we set out to discover the area’s history, culture, small towns, and scenic backroads, letting the journey itself shape the experience. It became a ride about slowing down, taking in the character of the South, and enjoying the freedom that comes from traveling on two wheels.
The Route
The Deep South Loop
Beginning in New Orleans, this route heads north through Mississippi before joining the iconic Natchez Trace Parkway, one of America’s most celebrated scenic roads. Following the Trace to Nashville, the ride winds through beautiful forests, gentle curves, and historic landmarks before turning southeast into the mountains of eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia. From there, the route heads south through Alabama and follows the Gulf Coast back to New Orleans, creating a memorable loop that combines one of the country’s greatest parkways with mountain riding, coastal scenery, and the rich history, music, and culture of the Deep South.
The Story
We rolled into the Deep South with no single road to conquer and no bucket-list destination to check off. Instead, this ride became a week of exploring the places, history, music, and culture that give this part of the country its character.
New Orleans was our starting point and our home base for several days. We wandered the French Quarter, listened to live music pouring out of every doorway, explored Jackson Square, and discovered that some of the best moments happened on the quieter streets just a block away from Bourbon Street. One afternoon we accidentally walked straight into a Pride parade that was making its way through the Quarter. We had no idea it was happening, but the music, costumes, and energy turned into one of those unexpected memories that still makes us laugh.
One of the biggest surprises of the trip came in the Louisiana bayou. We climbed aboard an airboat and blasted through the marshes, weaving between cypress trees and floating vegetation while our guide pointed out wildlife hidden in plain sight. Getting to feed wild alligators from the boat was something none of us had ever done before, and it quickly became one of the standout experiences of the entire ride.
Leaving New Orleans, we settled into the slower pace of the South. We rode beneath massive live oaks draped in Spanish moss, visited historic plantations, wandered Civil War battlefields, explored museums, and toured the battleship USS Alabama. Every stop seemed to tell another chapter of American history, and it was easy to lose track of time exploring places that had been standing for hundreds of years.
One of the most enjoyable stretches of pavement was the Natchez Trace Parkway. Instead of rushing from one destination to the next, the Trace invited us to slow down and simply enjoy the ride. The gentle curves, beautiful scenery, and complete lack of commercial traffic made it one of those roads you wish would never end.
The weather became part of the adventure too. Several times we’d find ourselves riding through another warm southern rain shower and then twenty or thirty minutes later the sun would be back out and we’d be completely dry before the next stop. After a while it just became part of riding through the South.
The trip eventually carried us north to Nashville, where the evening took on a completely different personality. Broadway was alive with music, and every doorway seemed to have another incredible band playing. We bounced from one venue to another, staying out far later than we probably should have, and while the nightlife was worth every minute, we definitely felt it when it came time to throw a leg over the motorcycles the next morning.
Looking back, Epic Ride 2018 wasn’t defined by one spectacular road or one iconic destination. It was a ride built around discovery. Every day offered something different—a famous city, an unforgettable airboat ride, an incredible stretch of parkway, a historic battlefield, a legendary music venue, or simply another road leading somewhere we’d never been before. By the time we rolled back into New Orleans, we hadn’t just ridden through the Deep South—we’d experienced it.
