Thousands of motorcycles will pause their collective rumbles this September in the shadow of one of the most powerful rumblers to ever blast earth's eardrums.
Thousands of motorcycles will converge on the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in September as a stopping point for the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride. (Paul Huggins/phuggins@al.com)
The Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride announced Wednesday afternoon it has moved its midpoint stopover from a Madison shopping center to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
The move was necessary because the once vacant shopping center will be occupied as the new home of the Sci-Quest Hands-on Learning Center.
Using the space museum, home to the massive Saturn V rocket, brings several advantages for the ride, said Rod Wheeler, one of the original eight riders of the event that started in 1994.
Foremost is the museum is a great tourist attraction, which will help the commemorative ride draw more riders, he said. In addition, it keeps the stop near the middle of the trek from Bridgeport to Waterloo, meeting the need for a gas stop. Lastly, Huntsville public safety officials already understand the complexities of handling the miles of riders rolling through the city.
