POWERGRAMS

9 ENERGIZERS W hen you want to relax, you might want to consider a quick spin on a Honda Gold Wing – that works for Danny Baker. Despite riding motorcycles for more than 40 years, Baker never tires of the pastime. With spring's warmer weather, blue skies and flowering trees in bloom, it's almost as though Mother Nature beckons him to take a daily bike ride. "I've rode prey steadily since 1985," said Baker, who worked at Alabama Power for 42 years. "It's therapeutic. You almost become one with the road." At 8 years old, Baker's inaugural ride was on a friend's Cushman Eagle motorcycle, whose height and horsepower proved a lile difficult for a third-grader. Many years later, around 1974, Baker bought his first motorcycle, a CB750 Honda. Twelve years later, Baker became the proud owner of his first Honda Gold Wing, "one of the most comfortable places to spend time on two wheels." He's been hooked ever since. Riding along Alabama's picturesque vistas gives Baker – a country boy at heart – the chance to relish the rolling hills, craggy mountains and lush forests that he loves, without being stifled by heavy traffic. "Blount County is beautiful," said Baker, who grew up in the Curry community outside Jasper. "I've rode almost every country road in Blount County. One day, I got out and rode three and a half hours, and never got 35 miles away from home, just riding the back roads. I really enjoy riding in north Alabama." Baker enjoys riding the back roads of Blount County.

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