2021 COG National Rally
Attractions
The SE team is very excited to be able to invite our COG family to bring YOUR families to N.E. Alabama to ride, see, and do. Y'all come now! It's AL here!
Most area attractions offer discounts for seniors, children, and veterans. Don't forget to ask.
Nearby attractions for you to visit during the Rally
Alabama
TennesseeBarber Vintage Motosports Museum
Chattanooga Area
Barber Vintage Motosports Museum
Address
6030 Barber Motorsports Pkwy
Leeds, AL 35094
Hours
Monday–Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday: Noon – 6 p.m.
Website: https://barbermuseum.org
George Barber’s zeal for speed ignited his vision for today’s museum. Having raced Porsches in the 1960s, Barber held an impressive track record—63 first place wins. A thriving business executive, Barber rediscovered his motorsports passion in 1988 and began collecting and restoring classic cars.
Since the world’s best and largest car collections had already been established, Barber heeded some wise advice. His longtime friend Dave Hooper – a motorcycle enthusiast as well as the person who ran Barber’s delivery fleet for 27 years – suggested that Barber shift his focus from cars to motorcycles. Being a man of big dreams, Barber seized the opportunity to accomplish what no one else had done – build the world’s “best and largest” motorcycle collection.
Barber has generously offered discounted admission to COG for Tuesday, June 15 – Thursday, June 17. The discounted prices for COG are:
- Museum admission: $15.00 less 20% = $12.00 + tax ($13.20)
- Guided tour of museum with behind the scene look at restoration: $30.00 less 20% = $24.00 + tax ($26.40)
- Parade laps (guided/paced) on the Barber race track. This is an add-on to either option above: $15.00 less 20% = $12.00 + tax ($13.20)
These options allow you to experience Barber in the way you prefer: self-guided tour only for $13.20, self-guided tour plus parade laps for $26.40, guided tour only for $26.40, or guided tour plus parade laps for $39.60.
Payment will be to the museum at the time of arriving. Admission will be good for all day. The museum will provide armbands to identify who is participating in what option.
Self-guided tours are anytime during the museum open hours (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.).
Guided tours will be scheduled for 10:30 a.m and 1:00 p.m. each day. Parade laps will take place one time only each day and begin at 12:30 p.m. Anyone wishing to do the parade lap must be on site by 12 Noon in order to sign a track liability waiver and participate in a safety meeting conducted by Barber Museum staff prior to track access. BVMM will provide a guide and pace motorcycle. The availability of these options is dependent upon the status of COVID-19 at the time of the Rally.
U.S. Space and Rocket Center
Address
One Tranquility Base
Huntsville, Alabama 35805
Directions: https://www.rocketcenter.com/directions
Hours
Monday: Closed for cleaning
Tuesday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Website: https://www.rocketcenter.com/
Plan your visit: https://www.rocketcenter.com/plan
Get tickets: https://www.rocketcenter.com/admission
History and Overview
Dr. Wernher von Braun and his team of rocket scientists transformed Huntsville, Alabama, known in the 1950s as the “Watercress Capital of the World,” into a technology center that today is home to the second largest research park in the United States and to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) with its world-class educational program, Space Camp®.
The transformation grew from the smoke and fire that birthed America's space program. It is here in Huntsville that:
- Rockets were developed that put the first U.S. satellite into orbit and sent men to the moon;
- Propulsion for the space shuttle was developed
- Modules for the International Space Station (ISS) were designed and built;
- America’s next great ship – the Space Launch System – is being designed;
- Science on the ISS is monitored 24/7 at the Payload Operations Center at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).
During the final months that von Braun and his team of scientists were refining the giant Saturn V rocket that sent Apollo astronauts to the moon, he was also preparing to launch another important project: a permanent exhibit to showcase the hardware of the space program. Von Braun was director of MSFC when he approached the Alabama Legislature with the idea of creating a museum jointly with the U.S. Army Missile Command and NASA. The U.S. Army donated land, and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center® opened its doors in 1970. Since then, nearly 17 million people have toured the Center. "Here, everyone can be an astronaut for the day!"
Little River Canyon National Preserve
Not yet a national park, but close. The rim ride is an intense 10–11 mile collection of twisties with canyon views. Very nice visitor center with free video where you can rest and cool down. Nice place to picnic and take a comfort break.
Lake Guntersville State Park
Rally Central is in a 5,909 acre state park, so...you know...It's AL here!
There are plenty of things to do without ever leaving the park.
- Activities at the Town Creek Fishing Center
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- Fishing. Temporary licenses are available through the website.
- Boat rentals. Pontoon, fishing, and paddle are available. Rates are shown at the website.
- Zip lines. Information is available at the Lodge.
- 18 hole golf course.
- Guided wildlife tour. Local rangers will show you eagles, deer, and other wildlife that call the park home.
Russell Cave, Alabama
https://www.nps.gov/ruca/index.htm
Russell Cave is an archeological site with one of the most complete records of prehistoric cultures in the Southeast. In the 1950s, archeologists uncovered a large quantity of artifacts representing over 10,000 years of use in a single place. Today, Russell Cave National Monument helps bring to light many cultural developments of phenomenal human journeys.
Note: It may be tempting to leave Russell Cave heading toward South Pittsburg, TN via Orme Road and Orme Mountain Road. This road is not suitable for large sport-touring bikes as sections are single-lane, unimproved roads.
Alabama Band / Ft. Payne
https://www.thealabamaband.com/
The band has a visitor's center in Ft. Payne (Alabama, of course). Pack a picnic and eat at the free city park downtown. Nice restrooms too!
Cheaha Mountain State Park
https://www.alapark.com/parks/cheaha-state-park/
Cheaha Mountain is the highest point in Alabama. There's nice riding in the vicinity once you get there.
Cathedral Caverns State Park
https://www.alapark.com/parks/cathedral-caverns-state-park
The first feature most people notice about Cathedral Caverns is its massive entrance. The huge opening measures 126 feet wide and 25 feet high, a possible world record for commercial caves. The grand entrance is only the beginning. Inside the cavern are some of the most beautiful formations Mother Nature has ever created including “Goliath”- one of the largest stalagmites in the world measuring 45 feet tall and 243 feet in circumference.
The first feature most people notice about Cathedral Caverns is its massive entrance. The huge opening measures 126 feet wide and 25 feet high, a possible world record for commercial caves. The grand entrance is only the beginning. Inside the cavern are some of the most beautiful formations Mother Nature has ever created including “Goliath”- one of the largest stalagmites in the world measuring 45 feet tall and 243 feet in circumference.
Guided tours are available for a fee. The caverns are consistently around 60ºF year-round, so dress accordingly.
Unclaimed Baggage Center
https://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/
Ever wonder where all that baggage the airlines "lose" ends up? It's in Scottsboro, AL, not far from Rally Central. Everyone who is curious should visit there once (twice if you are a frugal bargain hunter).
Covered Bridges of Alabama
Seven covered bridges are within a day trip of Lake Guntersville. You can experience all of them in a long day or take in a few while leaving enough time for a leisurely lunch. See this page for more information and a potential driving route you can pick up southwest of Lake Guntersville.
Some of the bridges can still be driven but some you will only be able to view.
(Wikimedia Commons/Mid74/M.L. Devall)
Chattanooga, Tennessee area
Tennessee Aquarium
Address
One Broad Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Directions (opens Google Maps in a new window)
Hours
Sunday–Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Website: https://tnaqua.org
Tickets: https://tnaqua.org/plan-a-visit/
History and Overview
The mission of the Tennessee Aquarium is to connect people with nature and empower them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife. Within two buildings, one will see exhibits that trace the path of water from the mountains to the sea. Come face-to-face with the fascinating native animals that live in our backyards and the amazing creatures that thrive in some of the most remote locations on Earth. The Tennessee Aquarium celebrates the rich biodiversity of the Southeast through its exhibits and is actively engaged in preserving and restoring that biodiversity through its work in the field. The Aquarium’s research arm, the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, has a focused expertise in restoring freshwater ecosystems and helping people appreciate the need for environmental health in this region.
It was a group of architectural students from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville who first suggested the idea of an aquarium near the downtown waterfront. These ideas came together in the “Tennessee Riverpark Master Plan.” Published in 1985, this 20-year plan called for $750 million of mixed-use development, enhancement and conservation along 22 miles of the Tennessee River corridor as it passed through Chattanooga.
During the 1990s Chattanooga started turning plans into bricks and mortar. The Tennessee Aquarium opened in 1992, the Chattanooga Visitors Center in 1993, the Creative Discovery Museum in 1995, the IMAX 3D Theater in 1996. The renovated Walnut Street Bridge opened as a pedestrian-only bridge in 1993. Directly across the river from all of this activity, Coolidge Park, featuring a vintage carousel, opened in 1999, spawning a retail renaissance on the city’s north shore. Private enterprise was rekindled, too, with at least a hundred eateries, shops and other businesses sprouting up to support the influx of downtown visitors.
Point Park Civil War site
https://tourmusiccity.com/lookout-mountain/
Leave the aquarium and ride up to Point Park overlooking the city of Chattanooga. (Civil war site) Ride the parkway south on the way back to Lake Guntersville. Small parking fee but a very beautiful free view and perspective on a Civil War battle during Sherman’s March on Atlanta.
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
https://www.nps.gov/chch/index.htm
If you'd like, ride down I-75 to Fort Oglethorpe a few miles south (toward Atlanta of course) for some more of the story.
Rock City
See Rock City
Made famous by the barn signs — 900 were painted by Clark Byers across 19 states between 1935 and 1969. Nearby to Point Park. You've seen the signs, now see the place. Kitschy but fun. Need we say more? (Photo: Wikimedia)
Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee Village Business Alliance website
The ride to Sewanee is beautiful in itself and ends on top of the mountain in the town. See the town, shops, and college. SEAD Ron Simmons says it's the best day ride he's found in the area. Some parts are very technical. Pack a lunch and stop to eat in Sewanee or on top of Monteagle Mountain near I-24. You could also consider an RTE to the Smoke House BBQ Pavilion (website), 840 W. Main St., Monteagle, TN (map).
Lodge Cast Iron Cookware Factory Store
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/locations
The original Lodge Cast Iron Factory Store is in South Pittsburg, TN, about 30 minutes outside Chattanooga. Home of the annual Cornbread Festival every April (http://nationalcornbread.com). Pick up a new cast iron pot, skillet, or other handy item.
Lynchburg, Tennessee
https://www.tnvacation.com/local/lynchburg-lynchburg-chamber-commerce
This may be the most famous city with a population under 10,000 in the region. The downtown area is a National Historical District. The town is heavily biker-oriented (though mostly toward the H-D types). There's a nice public welcome center with restrooms. Plenty of restaurant options are available. The most famous business in Lynchburg probably needs no introduction at all.
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