El Conquistador De Amore

So every spring I say I'm going to ride from SCT/Chief Ladiga Trail from Smyrna,GA to Anniston, Al.
I usually base this on going with someone else. Then it never happens. So this year , no matter what, I'm doing it. With someone or alone. My plan is to bike from the start to Cedartown (which is the home town to the original voice of Winnie the Pooh,Sterling Holloway) on the first day. Then day two will be from Cedartown to Anniston where I will call friends or family and guilt them into picking me up.
So my request is recommended hotels,restaurants, and drinking establishments in Cedartown and Anniston. I already have my lunch break in Rockmart planned.

Please chime in.

You can thank me later for the Winnie the Pooh trivia.

Grim

I hope your lunch break is planned at Frankie's in Rockmart and you are having the Tilapia Parmigiana! It rocks!

I have been wanting to do the same trip and hope to do it this year as well. I frequently ride Paulding chamber to Rockmart for lunch at Frankie's and back with some friends.

There is both primitive camping on the trail between Cedartown and Rockmart and a commercial campground in that area as well. There is reference on the STC site if that interests you.

Most people that I have heard about laying over in Cedartown stay at the Holiday in express about a mile north of the trail straight up Main street.

One of the people I work with lives near Cedartown (by "booger hollow" rd LOL) I'll see if he can recommend a good restaurant in town. Most of the bigger places are on 278 or 27 north of town. There is a El Napal Mexican joint by the Holiday inn as I recall. I use to eat at when I was driving through town when I worked up that way or had to go to the call center my company runs up there but it has been a couple years.

The streets roll up at dusk so not sure there is much in the way of nightlife close to the trail or hotel. The El Napal is probably as good as it will get. LOL

It could be done in a day but you will need to keep a good pace. Two years ago a guy from Marietta rode the trail end to end in 5 hours including stops. He was pushing hard as he could. He has since moved to California.

Cant help with Anniston. Never been there.



Now I am waiting for the connecting trails from Kennesaw Mountain to be made and I will just ride from my home in Marietta out one day.

Keep the tread going as you work out more details.

El Conquistador De Amore

Frankie's is the Italian place, right? Maybe I will go there. Someone had told me Bar L BBQ was supposed to be pretty good but now after thinking about it more, I'm not so sure a stomach full of bbq will be the right choice while biking all day. It seems like I recall Frankies is supposed to have good garlic bread or something too. So that sounds like a deal.

I think I would be capable of doing the full trip in one day but I want to be able to stop, take pictures, and just make it an easy going trip. When I stop in Cedartown I'll opt for a hotel room. I no longer really enjoy camping and after a day of biking I like a hot shower and a comfortable bed.
No hopping nightlife or fine cuisine in Cedartown, eh? I didn't think so, but I thought I'd ask.

I'm hoping for some type of statue of Winnie the Pooh or Sterling Holloway to take my picture with.



I'll keep ya'll informed as I continue my plans and post the results afterwards. Maybe starting this thread will force me to do it now.

sedges

I have been planning, much like you, to ride trail last fall, the spring of 2010 and the fall of 2009, but it never happened. The only time I have significant free time is in the heat of the summer and I may just do it in July this year.

My plan is to do a round trip. I like the trail enough that riding it both ways isn't going to be boring. It eliminates the need for a shuttle. I don't think I could do a century these days so my trip will be four days with Cedartown(twice) and Jacksonville as the stops. Eateries don't look great in Cedartown, but I hope for a surprise.

Four 50 miles days will be a challenge for my level of riding, but it won't leave me in pain.

Good luck getting your ride in this year!

seenoweevil

I'm riding the Chief Ladiga/ Silver Comet trail in June, the 10th through the 13th to be specific. Leaving from Anniston with a couple of friends(so far), spending night one in Cedartown, then Smyrna on night two, back to Cedartown, then Anniston. We're travelling light, motel camping, and moving pretty slow, if anyone else is interested in the ride! We'd love to have you along. I'll be posting this in a separate post, and in a couple of other forums as well.

Grim

50 miles is pretty easy day on 95% of the comet. The grade is less then 2% in all but a few places. I do a lunch ride every few weeks with some friends. We leave Paulding Chamber at 10:30-11: and usually getting to Rockmart for lunch by no later 12:30. Then back after a nice. Its a 38 mile round trip and it includes the Trellis and the Brushy Mountain tunnel.

seenoweevil

We aren't in any hurry, but we have discussed the possibility of just riding the entire length back on Sunday instead of taking two days back depending on how everybody feels.

FastFreddy

The only section with significant hills is Cedartown to Rockmart -- and there are some short but sharp grades -- be careful going downhill.

My favorite section is from the GA/AL line west to Piedmont, AL. The old railroad right-of-way cuts through the Appalachian mountains so it's very pretty.

If you're doing this in hot weather, think about the distance between water stops. One section that I can think of that's pretty long is Cedartown to Piedmont: about 23 or 24 miles.

Ex Pres 

I've ridden the AL side from the terminus at Weaver to Rockmart and back. The AL side really does spend a lot of time in the woods. You can pick up some drinks and snacks right on the trail in Piedmont, but we didn't travel off trail for me to suggest anywhere to eat either there or in Jacksonville. Late last summer there was a place being renovated right next to the trail, maybe to add a restaurant? somewhere between J'Ville and Piedmont. I think near Piedmont, but I'm fuzzy on the exact location. With JSU and the students, there's got to be somewhere off-trail in Jacksonville good to eat. But it's too near the end to be considered as an intermediate stop.

On our ride, we ate at Frankie's at our turnaround in Rockmart.

strow

In Cedartown you will find all the Sterling Holloway stuff inside the trail welcome center. Sorry , don't remember seeing a statue.

Enjoy your ride...........

FastFreddy

I visited the welcome center in Cedartown and enjoyed the display devoted to Sterling Holloway. There's no statue of him but there is a large plaque at the site where his childhood home stood (it burned down). I can't remember the location of that site but they have that info at the welcome center.

BlueRaleigh

I've been wanting to do this ride as well, but the difficulty of placing a 2nd vehicle out in Anniston is the main obstacle. I've yet to ride any of the CLT.

Grim

I have heard people taking the Bus back but you do need a box for the bike. Probably make arrangements with a Anniston Bike shop I bet.

Marietta would be the closest station. Could probably find a place to park close to the station and ride CCT down 41 to the end of Spring street where you can take the path along Spring over the the Marvel trail head.

I plan to round trip it over a long weekend probably a credit card tour the first time till I scope out the camping. .

bikethom

I didn't see it mentioned (maybe I missed it), but Amtrak comes through Anniston about 4 PM, I think, and gets to Atlanta about 7:30. You would still need a bike box, don't know if the Anniston station is big enough to stock them... Would beat a bus for sure, and you could have a celebratory drink in the club car!

sedges

Anniston is just a flag stop. No checked baggage on or off. The only person I know who rode the train back to Atlanta from Anniston was riding a Bike Friday tourer that fit in a suitcase-sized case. He also said the 7 miles from the end of the trail to the train station was rough traffic-wise. I have been regularly calling and emailing Amtrak about providing hang up bike service on the Southern Crescent. you should, too.Some other lines in the NE and CA have room to hang a few bikes in or on each passenger car. It doesn't have to go into baggage. I would love to get on the train at my little flag stop in Toccoa and ride to DC.

zzOtherlandzz

Just found out that a friend that moved from Florida to GA, moved to within 2 blocks of the Silver Comet trail. They own/manage a crash and dent store and said there is plenty of room for sleeping in the back of the store.... LOL And food in the store.. hahaha.. Now the hard part.... conning the 2 friends that ride with me into going on a road trip this summer.

El Conquistador De Amore

I just wrote to Amtrak. What do you mean by hang up service?

RonH

I just checked Amtrak's bike policy. Very interesting.
https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...=1241337895554

Bring Your Bicycle Onboard

We offer several options for transporting your bicycle with you on your Amtrak journey.

• Bicycles stored onboard in bike racks.
• Bicycles as checked baggage in a box or other secure container.
• Bicycles as checked baggage secured by tie-down equipment (not in a box).
• Folding bicycles brought onboard as carry-on baggage. Availability varies.

El Conquistador De Amore

Yep, that's what I asked them to clarify. I wanted to see if these were available on all lines, or at least on the Crescent line (New Orleans, Anniston, Atlanta, New York). Sedges post leads me to believe that maybe they aren't always available.

bbeck

I have also been talking of doing this ride for the last two years. we were planning to ride from Anniston to Atlanta and back in a weekend. sooner or later I will make the trip but haven't made the time for it yet!

El Conquistador De Amore

Booooooo. Hissssssssssssssss.
Below is the response I received from Amtrak.

"Regrettably the Crescent does not offer Bicycle racks. Since Anniston Al is an unstaffed station it does not have a baggage department therefore you will be unable to bring your Bicycle."

sedges

I know that Amtrak would like to be the most efficient train system possible. The only thing that could make it more efficient would be to eliminate the passengers! They are such a bother. I believe the train from DC to New Orleans would always arrive exactly on time if we didn't have to stop for all those pesky passengers. They are always wanting to put baggage on the train.

You know, there are trains in Canada that will stop at a river crossing and drop you off, unloading your CANOE from the baggage car. We can't even deal with a bicycle.

seenoweevil

Come ride with us! We're planning on leaving June 10th, and either riding in 2 or 3 days.

Grim

There is a group riding it in the next week or so I just heard from one of the people from Bike Cobb. They did a negotiated rate for hotel in Anniston. One day out one day back. Sounds like about 10-15 on the ride.

seenoweevil

Just had to move our ride back a week to June 17th. We'll be riding from the other end though, spending the night in Smyrna.