2019 Visit to Gee’s Bend Quilts, & Ferry Ride

Gee’s Bend Run, June 22^nd, 2019

What a scorcher! It was indeed hot for our trip to Gee’s bend. I got home about 4:30PM, and I was tired – I blame the heat, and please don’t argue with me.  Regardless, I think it was a fine trip and we had a good turn out.

David Price and I arrived at Chappy’s Deli on Perry Hill Rd. a little before 8AM and after 15 or 20 minutes the troops started filtering in, Dan Byrne, Blitz and Amanda Welch, Tom Miro, Pam Bransford, Bill and Barb Berg, Russell and Cathy Whigham and Lee and Mary Oxford. Blitz and Amanda could only join us for breakfast , so just before 9AM, the remainder of us departed for Gee’s bend via I-85 South, to I-65 South, to Hwy 80 (Selma Hwy), through Selma and south down through Orville, AL, Alberta, LA and on to Boykin, AL home of the Gee’s Bend Quilting Community. We arrived about 11AM. 

We enjoyed looking at the quilting handiwork, but as much or more, I enjoyed the pictures of the local folks that make up the Gee’s Bend community family. I was ignorant of what hand made quilts are worth. A small one that I estimate was about 14 inches square, was priced at $200.00.  A large one that I would guess was for a full-size bed was priced at $4,500.00.  But they were very nice indeed. 

Since the Ferry left Gee’s Bend at Noon, we headed that way (about a mile from the Quilting House) at 11:40AM or so. The entree onto the Ferry was organized and well-marked and there was virtually no ruckus at all getting cars loaded onto the Ferry. The 10 or 15 minutes we waited for loading up was HOT. Fortunately, once we got out on the water, there was a nice breeze. As advertised and originally reported (to my knowledge) by Dan Byrne, the country’s only electric Ferry was an uneventful experience, in a very good way. Smooth and easy-peasey. The Ferry ride was about 20 minutes or so. 

Unloading was swift and within a few minutes we were all en route to the Rack and Reel Sports Grill for lunch. It took longer than most would have liked to get food served up, but they had cold beer on tap, so I didn’t mind so much J. My cousin Kenny Luker and his wife Elenore live in Camden so I called them once safely on land and they were able to join us for lunch. I enjoyed seeing them, but mostly I enjoyed the air conditioning! I was and am very grateful to David Price for driving so I could focus on navigation and communication. But I think he will agree with me that his Miata struggled against the furnace-like heat to blow cold A/C.  So, to me the free A/C was the best thing on the Rack-n-Reel menu!

Once everyone paid up, most of us caravanned back along Hwy 10, 28 and/or 21 to Hwy 80 and home by about 4 to 4:30PM. A long but enjoyable trip. And many thanks to all that joined – your participation mad everything better!

Andy Martin

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Note:  The June issue of Neighbor’s, a monthly magazine published by Alabama Farmer’s Federation, has an interesting article on the Gee’s Bend ferry, the only electric ferry in the country. Yep, battery powered, with more than enough juice to make the 2 mile,15-18 minute trip on the Alabama River, carrying a load of cars, pick ups and the occasional tractor or two.