Parker’s Store is one of those jewels of back road America not easily found. A mom & pop type of establishment disappearing fast from the rural landscape. In my youth stores like this were abundant. Stores with parking lots consisting of equal parts gravel and bottle cap, duo pumps out front, and next to the front door a Wonder Bread bench held down by some old timers. Near extinction these. Better get it in now or forget it. Located near the little town of Lavinia in West Tennessee Parker's is a favorite Sunday morning haunt of mine and a few other riders that have discovered the store's charm. David Bullington, member of the BMW Riders Association of the Mid-South (RAMS) and a local, first pegged the store as a breakfast destination and starting point for Sunday rides. The area is crisscrossed with some of the best roads to be had in this part of the state. Rolling farmland and long sweeping curves start where the parking lot ends.
An overhang out front shelters the front door and two picnic tables where coffee is mixed with a little bench racing. A mule resides in the lot across the road and across the road ain’t far. On Sunday mornings you will find motorcycles parked around helter-skelter and patrons exchanging small talk with the now familiar riders. Inside a mix of grocery shelves juxtaposed with a few tables and chairs and a small kitchen surrounded by a counter where you retrieve your coffee and place your breakfast order. Just give the cute girl your name with the order and she’ll holler it out when it’s ready. None of the coffee cups match, the pancakes are bigger than the plate and - oh yeah, the sausage is homemade. Homemade sausage will have you slapping somebody’s momma if not your own.
Try Parker’s some Sunday if you are in the area and want some good food and like minded riders for company. The coffee and breakfast are 8:00'ish and rides start about 9:00 or 9:30. Or, make your own ride. Myself, or any number of riders there can put you on to some excellent riding.
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An overhang out front shelters the front door and two picnic tables where coffee is mixed with a little bench racing. A mule resides in the lot across the road and across the road ain’t far. On Sunday mornings you will find motorcycles parked around helter-skelter and patrons exchanging small talk with the now familiar riders. Inside a mix of grocery shelves juxtaposed with a few tables and chairs and a small kitchen surrounded by a counter where you retrieve your coffee and place your breakfast order. Just give the cute girl your name with the order and she’ll holler it out when it’s ready. None of the coffee cups match, the pancakes are bigger than the plate and - oh yeah, the sausage is homemade. Homemade sausage will have you slapping somebody’s momma if not your own.
This past Sunday it was 28 degrees when I left the house. I had put on all my gear including the ancient Widder vest and, with the exception of my hands, stayed very comfortable. The ride to Parker’s from my house is a little over 50 miles and I tend to stick to the back roads. Makes for a nice early morning ride. There were only a handful of riders there when I arrived. Not too many daring the cold on this morning. Breakfast was great and, by the time I was ready to leave, temperatures had warmed into the high 40’s. Trying a different way home I discovered a road I had previously ridden parts of but not it's entirety. It turned out to be great ride and I’ll be sure to highlight the road in a future posting.
Try Parker’s some Sunday if you are in the area and want some good food and like minded riders for company. The coffee and breakfast are 8:00'ish and rides start about 9:00 or 9:30. Or, make your own ride. Myself, or any number of riders there can put you on to some excellent riding.
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Decimal: | 35.902, -88.575 |
| GPS: | N 35 54.142, W 88 34.481 |
| Deg., Min., Sec.: | N35 54 9, W88 34 29 |
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