I’ll be off on my annual bike ride soon.  This year I’ll be leaving my camping gear behind.  Last year I think I only used it a couple times and although it’s a nice security blanket, it’ll be nice to not have to haul all that stuff around.  The plan this year is to travel back and forth to the east coast visiting friends and family and Diners Drive-Ins & Dives along the way.  I am flexible on my route though, so if you think of an interesting place or road you would like to recommend, I’d like to hear it – you can just leave it as a comment if you like.

SUBSCRIBE – if you’ve subscribed to my rides in the past, you’ll likely want to subscribe to this one as well – it is different.  The button is over there on the right, just enter your email address and click on the Subscribe to Red Rider button.  Above the email box (you just used it to subscribe) you will see the SPOT button.  Press that to be taken to a page where you can see exactly where I am – live.  I don’t think that button is available if you get a subscription – so, go to the web page to track me – RedRiderontheRoad.com

As most of you already know, I try to stay off “the slab” in general, but especially on these rides.  Not much to see on the slab, and slab experiences are seldom anything anyone else is interested in hearing about.  However — This morning I made an exception, and in an effort to “Get the Hell outta Dodge,” I did do some slab time.  But I was off the freeway and on my way eastbound before I got to Palmdale so it wasn’t that bad.

I had to get all the way to the other side of Twentynine Palms before I got to one of my kinda roads.  Hwy 62 east of 29 Palms takes you up into the Chocolate Mountains; and although it’s desert and fairly sparse out here, it’s still very peaceful and relaxing.  As you can see, I’ve got the road all to myself, just the way I like it.  It could use some curves….

On the other side of the mountains, the road dead ends at Hwy 177.  Turn right and you’re headed for Palm Springs – my left turn had me headed for Parker, Arizona.  Parker is a dam town on the Colorado River.  The Parker Dam began it’s four year construction back in 1934 and is the deepest dam in the world; the water it holds back is Lake Havasu (have-a-sue).  Lake Havasu City is famous (at least around here) because it is the location of the London Bridge – The real one – No Kidding!!  It’s a long story, but I’ll try to give you the Readers Digest version.  In 1831 the bridge was built across the River Thames in London.  Over 130 years later the bridge wasn’t strong enough anymore so it was dismantled brick by brick and sold for 2.5 million dollars and moved to Arizona.  The bricks were reassembled and now the London Bridge lives here in Lake Havasu City.  Well – almost.  This is a modern bridge made of reinforced concrete; the facade of the bridge is made from the outer bricks of the 1830’s London Bridge.  I found this London Bridge picture in the archives…..

It’s plenty warm in this part of the country, but I’m not even close to complaining about it. I have a feeling that the memory of a warm ride might be a comforting one as I continue my trek this year.  Don’t forget – all those blue letter words in the blog are links for you to click on for more information on that particular subject.  Okay time for my Whataburger!!  YUM Yum

Started today to go look at prospective properties.  For those of you that might not be aware, Robin and I are planning on vacating California and moving to Arizona.  As for where in Arizona, we are focusing more on pine trees than cactus.  Prescott is on the short list and we have searched around on line and found a couple 4 acre parcels in this area just north of town.  I figured I’d check it out in person since you can only see so much with Google Earth.  This is the view to the west from the highest point on our favorite property.  This is a definite possibility if it hasn’t been snatched up by the time we’re ready to buy.

This little guy was soaking up the warmth of the asphalt as he slowly made his way across the road.  He turned to look at me when I stopped to take the picture, but it was just a casual glance – he was not concerned.  Snakes on the road remind me of a story from my childhood.  On a camping trip, we ended up running over a snake sunning itself on the road.  After we got to our destination, my father needed to get under the hood of the pickup for some reason and there was the snake – curled up on top of the air cleaner.

The roads yesterday were pretty straight, today they looked more like this snake which is what really makes it fun.  Being one of the only people on the road allows you to go as fast or slowly as you want.  Slow down and take in the scenery, or speed up and enjoy the challenge of controlling your machine through the turns and the adrenaline rush that provides.  I prefer the second option, but it’s also very nice to take a break from that and appreciate where you are.

While I was in the Verde Valley area, I decided to stop at one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America – Montezuma Castle.  I understand that all most of you know about Montezuma is that he is one vengeful dude.  The explorers that discovered and named this ruin didn’t know much more than that either.  They named it Montezuma because they thought it was Aztec when in fact, the Sinagua people that built and lived in this five story, nearly 4,000 square foot structure from 1100-1425 AD abandoned the dwelling more than 40 years before Montezuma was even born.  Also, it’s not a castle but more like an early high rise apartment building with more than 20 rooms.  Accessibility to the dwelling up the 90 foot face of the cliff was most likely via ladders that could be retracted for security when necessary.  As always click the links for more information.

When we were looking for possible places to build in Arizona, the Payson area was first on the list.  We moved it to number two below Prescott but certainly haven’t eliminated it.  Tomorrow I’ll spend some time looking around this area before I head east.  I actually like it better here than Prescott, but getting 4 or 5 acres is difficult & Expensive here because it’s surrounded by National Forest.  Decisions – Decisions…..

I left Payson a little late this morning.  Payson elevation is 4,890 feet and it was cool there, but I was going up on the Rim where the elevation is over 7,500 – and it’s COLD up there.  The rim I’m speaking of is the Mogollon (MUGGY-own) Rim.  It’s basically a 200 mile long limestone escarpment (cliff) created by erosion and faulting that rises high above the land below.  While not a sheer cliff everywhere, in places the face is over 2,000 feet.  The tall Ponderosa Pines and cooler temps make this area a major attraction for desert dwellers when it gets hot down there.  When I lived in Phoenix, my family took more than one summer vacation in the Christopher Creek area.  I used to take off hiking (alone) in the morning and not be back until it was almost dark.  I’m lucky I didn’t get snake bit up there, putting my hands up where I couldn’t see.  The Rim is one of my favorite places.

These folks up here have a wry sense of humor….

Next stop down the road was Show Low.  I was just plodding through town when I saw a Donald Trump store.  Originally campaign headquarters, locals asked them to stay open after the election and stock Donald Trump merchandise.

According to legend, Show Low’s unusual name resulted from a marathon poker game between Corydon E. Cooley and Marion Clark.  The two men were equal partners in a 100,000-acre ranch; however, the partners determined that there was not enough room for both of them in their settlement, and agreed to settle the issue over a game of “Seven Up” (with the winner taking the ranch and the loser leaving).  After the game seemed to have no winner in sight, Clark said, “If you can show low, you win.”  Cooley cut the deck to the deuce of clubs (the lowest possible card) and replied, “Show low it is.”  Show Low’s main street is named “Deuce of Clubs” in remembrance.

I left Show Low on hwy 60 headed for Springerville, AZ.  I was almost immediately out of the pine trees and on high altitude plains.  Looking around you would swear that you’re in Wyoming or Montana – but not quite North Dakota.  I think that the wind must keep the trees from growing – it was plenty windy there today.  I had to put my Trump hat in a saddle bag.

When I got to Springerville I took a break and went into the Western Drug & General Store.  I can safely say that if it’s not food and they don’t have it — you don’t need it.

Still on 60 across the border into New Mexico and one of the first towns is Quemado.  Back in my Air Force days I rode (scratch that) I got on a bull in the 1989 4th of July Rodeo in Quemado, Texas; I still have the buckle somewhere.  That’s a story for another time though – remind me and I’ll tell you.

About 50 miles past Quemado, between the towns of Datil and Magdalena you will find the VLA.  I’m sure you’ve seen it before.  Maybe you remember it from the 1997 Jodie Foster movie – Contact.  The radio telescope comprises 27 independent antennae, each of which has a dish diameter of 82 feet and weighs 230 tons.  The antennae are distributed along the three arms of a track, shaped in Y configuration, each arm on the Y is 13 MILES long!!  Using the rail tracks that follow each of these arms and a specially designed lifting locomotive the antennas can be physically relocated.  There are four commonly used configurations and the observatory normally cycles through all the various possible configurations every 16 months; the antennas are moved every three to four months.  They are grouped very tightly right now.  The Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), an array of ten dishes located from Hawaii in the west to the U.S. Virgin Islands in the east constitutes the world’s largest dedicated, full-time astronomical instrument.

Fifty miles down the road is Socorro.  While I was getting gas I evaluated my situation and decided I would stay here for the night.  Socorro has an interesting story:  In June 1598, Juan de Oñate led a group of Spanish settlers through the Jornada del Muerto (journey of the dead man), an inhospitable patch of desert that ends just south of the present-day city of Socorro.  As the Spaniards emerged from the desert, Piro Indians of the pueblo of Teypana gave them food and water.  Therefore, the Spaniards renamed this pueblo Socorro, which means “help” or “aid”.  Although I didn’t come through the Journey of the Dead Man desert, dinner and a soft bed are certainly socorro for me.

Happy Easter

The day started with 25 miles on the slab and ended with a little more slab time; sometimes it can’t be avoided.  Most of the roads today were pretty straight.  There was some altitude change but it was not a challenging ride by any stretch of the imagination.  Don’t get me wrong – that’s not a complaint, just an observation.  These roads are a good way to cover a lot of miles – and I really do enjoy all of it.  Part of the time today I was putting along at 55 mph on a road just like this – total relaxation.

I was on hwy 60 almost all day.  One of the main tracks for BNSF runs very close to hwy 60 all the way through New Mexico, and today I saw A LOT of freight trains.  A wave at the conductor is almost always greeted with a long blast on the horn.

A little train history:  The BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) Railway is one of the largest freight railroad networks in North America, second to the Union Pacific Railroad.  It has 44,000 employees, 32,500 miles of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives!! It has three transcontinental routes that provide rail links between the western and eastern United States.  BNSF is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.  The track from Fort Worth through New Mexico was certainly a busy one today.

One of the great things about being on the road is the people you meet.  The high point of my day was meeting this guy.  Cam is riding his 1996 Electra Glide across New Mexico to spend Easter with his mom.  Then he is going to Arkansas, and after that, on to Indiana.  He says he’ll try to get out of Indiana before the snow flies and come on back to New Mexico.  He has a first place team roping buckle from a local rodeo back in 1994 and was very close to making some serious team roping money in Las Vegas.  He even carries one of his favorite ropes with him on his bike.  He rides his bike wearing that cowboy hat, which would be tough at 80 mph, but he seldom goes over 65.  We met at a gas station and swapped stories over $1.50 burritos and a Coke (breakfast).  We rode together for a while, then it was time to go our separate ways.  That long tube you see is a fishing pole – my kinda guy…..

I had to get to Amarillo in time to pick up a part at the Harley dealer here.  The kill switch on my bike is giving me problems.  Sadly, replacing the switch isn’t going to be a parking lot kinda deal.  But, at least I have the switch in hand and won’t have to wait for the part if I need to get it replaced.  After looking at the new switch, I think I can take the faulty switch apart if I have to, and hot wire it so it’s on all the time and turn the bike on and off with the key.  Seems like it’s always sumthin……..

It also looks like it’s time to start watching the weather.  I’ve got the rain gear handy but would rather stay dry if I can.  And uh, not getting caught up in a tornado would be nice as well.  I think I should be okay on tomorrow’s ride to Oklahoma City.

My Easter morning started out in “my” church.  And appropriate for the day – rays of light shining down through the clouds reminding me that today is about much more than just riding a motorcycle across the country.  I am truly thankful for everything I have and I’m very happy with the relationship I have with the guy that made all that possible.

This part of Texas and Oklahoma are cattle and cotton country.  The calves are on the ground and growing fast.  This little guy was at the fence but when I slowed down to take the picture, he hightailed it (literally) back to his mom.

Where I grew up they raised cotton and when it was harvested, there was cotton everywhere, on the ground, and still on the plants.  This is a cotton field here at the Texas Oklahoma border.  There’s no stray cotton around and the talks are picked so clean that you can’t hardly tell what was planted here. Would have been nice to run into a cotton farmer and ask him about the improvements in harvesting.  The green you see are weeds.

 In Texas, instead of “rest stops” they have “roadside tables.”  And, that’s about all there is, a couple tables, picnic bench style and usually covered.  For these guys, the roadside IS their table; and based on how many of them were picking at this skunk carcass, it must have been mighty tasty. About 100 miles from Oklahoma City my buddy Bert came out to meet me and guide me in.  I’ve been riding motorcycles with Bert for over 30 years.  He is an Indian motorcycle guy and a good rider.  I followed him into town where we met his mom, wife and granddaughter for a late brunch.  Absolutely wonderful German food; I was full as a tick.

After lunch/dinner it was back to Bert & Mary’s where we reminised about the old days and I played various games with Alexis.  Early to bed for everyone which was FINE by me!!

Nice to have such great friends, always enjoy my visits to Oklahoma City.

Where? Okay, it’s just southwest of Tulsa.  OKC to Tulsa? – that ain’t very far – you’re right, Be patient and I’ll tell you the story.  Oh, and it’s (sa-PULL-pa)

Bert is apparently tight with the owner of the Indian motorcycle dealership here in OKC.  Yesterday (Easter Sunday) he sent him a text and asked if my bike could be moved to the front of the line so I could get on the road.  The owner told us that the service department is normally closed on Monday but to bring it in and he would see what he could do.  I was waiting in the parking lot when the owner and his secretary (and daughter) rolled in on their Indians.  I knew I was going to like this guy when I saw that he was smoking a cigar while riding in to work.  I introduced myself to Scott and told him what I would like to get done.  We got the paperwork taken care of and he said, “Why don’t you take my bike and come back in a couple hours.”  COUGH!!  Ummm – okay.  So, I rode down to the Stockyards and back on this silver Indian.  I got lots of thumbs up, “nice bike”, etc while I was riding it around.  It’s a very nice and comfortable ride – but I’m not ready to switch teams just yet.

The Stockyards, if you don’t know, is a conglomeration of of shops specializing in all things western, you can outfit an entire ranch (cattle included) or just find a new pair of boots and enjoy a great steak. It’s home to the Oklahoma National Stock Yards, the world’s largest feeder and stocker cattle market, where live cattle auctions take place every Monday and are open to the public – I did not go to the auction.  What I did, was visit Doc’s Custom Boots & got fitted for a pair of hand made Bull Hide shit kickers.

In addition to Indian motorcycles, Scott is the dealer for the Polaris Slingshot.  You might remember, I borrowed my father’s Slingshot and did a “ride” up to Sedona, AZ back in October, 2015.  When I brought Scott’s bike back, I saw MY Slingshot parked out front.

Luckily for me – I have no garage space left so this will just have to go on the “damn, that’s nice” list.  It should do really well here, since the colors are Oklahoma State University.

i thanked Scott and Joe (the mechanic & I believe Scott’s son in law) profusely then hopped on the scooter and headed north for a while, then east.  The roads were good enough but most important, was that I no longer had the feeling that at any moment I could be on the side of the road trying to hot wire my kill switch.  One last time, Bert, Scott, Joe, and everyone else that helped make this happen – THANK YOU.

Braum’s ice cream company is iconic in this part of the country.  Their ice cream is delicious (personal knowledge) and always fresh.  They also own everything needed to make it.  They grow the grass, to feed their cows, they own the milking facilities, the trucks to haul the milk, the ice cream factory, etc.  In order to maintain the freshness of it’s products, the company does not open stores outside a 300 mile radius of the home farm in Tuttle, OK.  Even so, they have over 280 stores in operation, with 128 stores in Oklahoma, 99 in Texas, 27 in Kansas, 13 in Arkansas and 13 in Missouri.  So, if you’re ever in the area, forget about Baskin Robins, look for a Braum’s.

Today’s ride can probably best be described as – How to turn 170 miles into over 400.  it was really foggy this morning in Tulsa; the kind of fog that requires windshield wipers.  So yea, I was getting wet for the first half hour or so, but after that, the fog started to lift and the road ahead was visible once more.

Welcome to Arkansas.  That reminds me of a joke.  One guy asks another, “You’re from Arkansas huh.  Isn’t that where they -”  You know, maybe this isn’t the time for that joke.  Remind me and I’ll tell ya later.  Arkansas has some beautiful country – and today I spent most of my time in the Ozarks.  I was wearing out the sides of my tires for sure.  I must have ridden through over 1,000 turns today.

The fun started as soon as I got into Arkansas but really stepped it up a notch when I turned north off Interstate 40; it was like 300 miles of Malibu Canyon road.  I wanted roads with more turns though – Careful what you wish for……

Absolutely no problem filling up here.  I thought the gas in Oklahoma was cheap at just over $2.00 per gallon.  In California it’s over $3.00 per gallon AND they are about to add another 12 cents per gallon tax on gasoline and 20 cents per gallon for diesel.  On top of that, DMV registrations are going to go up AGAIN.  But, that’s a rabbit hole we don’t want to go down.  Besides – California isn’t going to be my problem for much longer.

This country is not flat at all but there aren’t really any “mountains” either.  When there is a spectacular view it looks like this.  A nice place to look around and more importantly, walk around and stretch your legs.

Near the end of the day, just as I rode through another turn and up over a rise this guy was right in the middle of the road (roughly the size of a half inflated basketball).  THAT would make you have a bad day for sure, not to mention what it would mean for the turtle.  He was alive but not very interested in moving.  I’m sure the roadway was warm and the traffic here is pretty much nonexistent so he doesn’t have too much to worry about.  Besides, even a car would be wise to steer clear of this guy.

Not too much to write about today.  Just a full day riding with tons of turns.  The Black Hills of South Dakota have nothing on the Ozarks.  If you are ever in the area and want to go play in the hills – this is the place.

Today I rode through Missouri (miz-er-AH), but only the boot heal portion.  Many of you probably don’t even know that Missouri has a boot heal.  It’s about 980 square miles worth of land that has several explanations for its existence.  The truth goes something like this – Missouri became a state in 1821. The original proposed southern border was a straight line that would have left John Hardeman Walker, an extremely wealthy land owner and quasi politician, in the Arkansas territory.  But John wanted to be part of the new state and was behind efforts to keep his vast landholdings and his political power in Missouri.  The new border was drawn and Missouri got its boot heal.  At the time, it was said of Arkansas “…full of bears and panthers and copperhead snakes, so it ain’t safe for civilized people to stay there over night even.”

I got through Arkansas without any issues, the same can’t be said for Missouri.  It was no big deal, just a little rain.  I could see the dark cloud to the south and thought I could out run it but about a mile from the Mississippi River it started raining and it didn’t stop until about two miles into Tennessee.  I thought of it as my toll for crossing the Mississippi.

The rain over the river was just a single cell with clear-ish skies around it.  The whole sky in front of me here was DARK.  I stopped and evaluated the movement of the thunder storms and thought that if I waited 15 minutes or so, I could shoot the gap.  I was so confident in my plan that i didn’t put on the rain gear.  I did take some precautions, namely electronics and my boots.  I certainly wouldn’t want to lose my GPS or heaven forbid my phone so they were secured.  The other concern was my boots.  Keeping my boots dry is almost as important as the electronics.  I only have the one pair and when they get wet – it’s not going to be good for my feet.  My plan to shoot the gap worked out perfectly.  I did get some moderate rain for about 20 miles but none of that red or pink stuff.  There is little chance I’ll be able to avoid a day or two of fully suited riding in the rain, but today it was fun to successfully dodge it.  Having a good weather radar app on my iPhone – Priceless.

I usually eschew larger cities and especially tourist activities but today I made an exception.  I’m a country music fan and Nashville is the self acclaimed Country Music Capitol of the World so I decided to go check it out.  At the recommendation of the hotel clerk, I took a cab down to Music Row – a very good decision.

Music Row is actually not a “row” but a district with hundreds of businesses related to Country, Gospel, and Contemporary Christian music.  I stayed on Broadway which is two blocks worth of bars, restaurants, and shops.  Every bar has a live band and there must be 25 of them.  You’re going to hear mostly country music but they play a little bit of everything else as well.  It is a crazy party atmosphere.  I talked to some of the security people and they said that on the weekends it is PACKED here.

And then there was THIS unique way of getting around while getting your drink on.

The performers in the bars are very talented.  Many of them are hoping to get discovered so every performance is like a job interview for them & they are really putting on a show.  Bottom line – 100% worth going to Music Row, best way I can describe it is Country Music Mardi Gras – and the cab ride back to the hotel was like Magic Mountain.  What a GREAT time.  But if you come on a weekend you’ll be paying a cover charge for every bar, and many of them are so full – it’s one in, one out.

After over 8 hours of throwing my bike around all those turns yesterday, I was ready to do a little more straight up riding today.  Even though slugging it out with the big trucks on Interstate 40 isn’t my favorite thing to do, sometimes you just gotta eat miles and there’s only one way to make that happen.  I started out rural and after I crossed the Mississippi started clicking off the miles.  A good and fun ride and a better time on Music Row.

If you happened to be watching my progress today (you can do that by clicking the SPOT link on the web page) you might have thought, what the heck is he doing.  It looks kinda like I was taking the Great Circle Route between Nashville and Morristown.  However, if you were watching my track and comparing that with a weather radar map of the area, you would have seen that I was actually dodging the rain.  What I’m doing, rather successfully, is staying between two lines of moving thunderstorms.  Kinda like being in the trough between two wave crests.  The roads I rode on today were most often wet, but I never got rained on, not even a drop.  I have to be careful though because hubris is rewarded with failure, and I had enough of that last year.  My 2016 Florida rain experience is indelibly burned into my brain.

You’ve likely heard of this place but don’t really remember anything about it.  The Cumberland Gap is a narrow pass through the long ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, within the Appalachian Mountains.  Famous in American colonial history as a key passageway through the lower central Appalachians.  Long used by Native Americans (Cherokee out here), the Cumberland Gap was brought to the attention of settlers in 1750.  The path was explored by a team of frontiersmen led by Daniel Boone, making it accessible to thousands of pioneers who used it to journey into the western frontiers of Kentucky and Tennessee.

I remembered “some” of that and thought – Hey, it would be cool to go through the Cumberland Gap – so I did.  I’d be lying if I said it was anything other than uneventful.  These days you go don’t go through the Cumberland Gap, you go through the Cumberland Gap Tunnel, and the clouds were so low that seeing that it was actually a “gap” wasn’t possible.  It is a long tunnel though (4,600 feet) and one of only two tunnels that cross state lines (Kentucky into Tennessee).

About 15 miles on the other side of the tunnel, was this overlook.  Scenery is a little tough to come by out here.  With all the trees everywhere – you can’t see the forest.  I think there’s some kinda saying about that…..That’s the reservoir you see in the background here is Cherokee Lake.  You can click on the picture to see the full size version.

I’m leaving you with a rather short post from a mostly riding day.  I did stop for a lunch in Corbin, Kentucky at the Col Sanders KFC Museum.  This is the town where he built his first restaurant, complete with a hotel.  However, that short story and this ceramic statue is about the only thing they’ve got going on at the “museum.”  It was like Col Sanders himself was telling me – “Eat your lunch and get back on your motorcycle, there’s nothing to see here.”  And that’s exactly what I did.

This morning I was on the road early.  Thunderstorms were once again a major concern.  To the north and west the sky was very dark but to the east the sunrise was shining brightly below an overhead overcast sky.  I lit right out with high hopes and without taking the time to put on any rain gear.  However, after having successfully done the old thrust and parry with Mother Nature for the past few days – today was a little different.

I needed to put some miles behind me today which meant that riding in the trough between the lines of storms was just going to take too long.  So, my plan was to duck my head and push through the leading wave.  With the clear sky to the east, I had grand designs on once again shooting the gap and getting through mostly dry.  Eh – not so much.  it wasn’t awful, but I did get pretty wet for about 30 miles.  The rain gear would have been nice but I figured it would be better to be 10 or 15 miles farther down the road than to be suited up.  The only regret there is that my boots got wet – the good news is that I was able to push through the front line of storms and by the end of the day, everything (including my boots) dried out.

I did have to pull over & wait for a particularly nasty cell to cross Interstate 81 at a place called Seven Mile Ford.  I was hoping to hide at a gas station but none was in sight.  The parking lot I pulled into belonged to the Interstate Campground.  One of the camp hosts cam out and I was immediately directed to a rain shelter and told I could stay as long as I wanted.  That’s where I met Kurt Edsel.  I’m guessing he was sitting in his trailer and heard a motorcycle pull up and came out to see who was there.  Kurt is a motorcycle enthusiast and has even raced them professionally on the AMA circuit.  He still rides today but pushing 60, his racing days are behind him.  Needless to say, we had PLENTY to talk about.  I’m sure we could have talked for hours.  As it was, it was a GREAT way to spend 20 minutes while waiting for the weather to improve.  Thanks Kurt – pleasure to meet you, safe travels.

Back on the slab I was getting pretty tired of the Interstate and after 275 miles, I decided to reward myself with some peaceful time and headed for the Blue Ridge Parkway.  With a watchful eye on the increasing clouds, I turned right at Lexington, VA and headed for some relaxing and more enjoyable time up on the Parkway.  At 45 mph and all the twists and turns, you aren’t going to put any serious miles behind you on this road but it is a great place to ride.  The Parkway travels along the ridge line of the the Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains.  I didn’t have the road to myself but I often didn’t see another vehicle for several minutes.  Views are abundant both on the east and west side of the Blue Ridge Mountains and there are plenty of pull outs to take pictures.

The clouds to the east were building and getting darker.  I sure didn’t want to end the day with wet boots, so I hopped off the Parkway and headed for civilization – UGH.  Traffic was NOT “Friday light” either.  I thought I might get as far as Richmond but that was just going to take too long with all the rush hour traffic, so my day ended here.  It’s not a bad place though, and the people are friendly enough; there’s just way too many of ’em.

It’s not very far from Charlottesville to Poquoson but you have to go through Richmond to get there.  After all the traffic yesterday, I was double extra glad that today is Saturday and the traffic was light.  It was a gray day, a little cool with spitting rain off and on throughout the ride.  I made sure my boots weren’t going to get wet and took a chance with the rest of it.  I was a little wet by the time I got here but it wasn’t bad.

This is a shot from I-64 between Richmond and Norfolk.  Some interstates are better than others.  In this part of the country, if you’re not on an interstate you’re on what amounts to a surface street, going from small town to small town with little to no open space between them.  So what I try to do is pick the best interstate – lesser of two evils.

What brings me to Poquoson is a couple of friends that I’ve had since my Air Force days.  The kind of friends that you can not see or talk to for years. and pick up right where you left off all those years ago.  Don & Judy came here for Don’s last active duty assignment and decided to stay.  Poquoson is a very nice comfortable little town at the end of the peninsula; it’s the kind of place you drive “to” not “through”.  They have been great friends over the past nearly 40 years and it was fun to spend a day and a half catching up.

On Sunday we went to church with Brian (Don & Judy’s son) and his wife Ronda (not Rhonda – ra-Honda) and their children.  After church we headed over to their house for a BBQ. The beer, food and company was outstanding.  Just look at those ribs!!

Brian and Ronda live close enough to a small lake that the ducks often stop by their front yard on their excursions for a handout.  Today, mommy duck brought her new ducklings over to show them where they can come for a free meal. 

it was a great couple days, as it always is.  Until next time…

Mildly wet this morning when I left Don & Judy’s for breakfast.  I met Kim (just off her graveyard shift at the hospital) at her house and we headed over to Pop’s Drive-In located in nearby Yorktown.  Pop’s is a local icon here and for breakfast you walk in, stand near the front door until you see a place with room for your party, then go sit down.  No hostess and you’re likely to be sitting at a table with people you’ve never met – but you’re about to.  Service with a smile and great food – who could ask for more.

I had some time to kill before heading for nearby Petersburg so Kim and I spent the time getting caught up and tackling a few handy-man chores that have been waiting for me.  Those chores required a quick visit to the local hardware store and out front I saw this tall Adirondack chair – looks good don’t you think?  I took several more pictures so I can make them myself and you can bet that when you come to visit – there will be one of these chairs on the back porch with your name on it.

Chores all done and it was time to head out.  All day I’ve been watching the weather on my cell phone hoping against hope that there would be a break in the action.  That wasn’t the case.  So I dusted off the rain gear and got suited up.  It’s less than three hours to Petersburg but it’s going to be raining all the way.  I hate getting all this stuff on but it’s better than getting soaking wet.  Over the years there are a few problems with this suit that will likely have me looking for a different one next time around.  So – farewell to Kim, who has been more like a sister over the years than just a friend, and off to see her daughter and her family.The ride in the rain wasn’t all that bad; wet for sure but no heavy downpours to contend with.  The tread on my rear tire is pretty thin so getting no heavy rain was a very good thing.  Heather’s husband is in the Army, and getting a visitor’s pass onto Fort Lee was a stark reminder of just how much I don’t miss the military way of doing things.  By the time I got to their house, the rain was just a light drizzle.

Kids are great and Heather and Bill’s two are no exception.  They are happy to have someone new to show everything to and play with.  We all had a blast and were plenty tired when it was time for bed.  I tried to get out of taking them to school the next morning, then I tried to get out of going in and being introduced to all of their teachers but the kids were having no part of that.  Unlike some kids, these two love their school and really wanted to show it off.

My visit with Kim and Heather was short but it was time to go.  Rainy weather once again so I packed myself back inside my suit, gave Heather a big hug & a kiss, promised that I would be back soon and headed south.

As I’m sure you recall, I was once again packed into my rain gear when I left Petersburg, VA.  Thankfully, after about an hour I was out of all my extra clothing and cruising peacefully on my way to Sumter, SC.  Sumter is the home of Shaw Air Force Base and the 20th Fighter Wing.  Currently they are flying F-16 fighters but in the past they have flown P-51’s and F-4’s among others.  I will NEVER get tired of the sound of fighters flying overhead – the sound of freedom.  I have a friend that was stationed here while training to fly F-16’s.  Previously he had been flying the A-10 Warthog (tank killers).  He said that flying an A-10 was like flying a barn door from the inside of a bathtub (A-10’s have a titanium enclosure that protects the pilots from enemy fire), and flying an F-16 was like sitting on top of a rocket.  Sounds like a difficult transition.  I’ve never flown in a fighter, but Robin has ridden around in an F-4, I’m sure she would be happy to tell you all about it some time.

I’m here to visit with Eric, Dawn and their daughter Kira.  Dawn is the daughter of a very good friend of mine that I was stationed with back in my Air Force days in Del Rio, TX.  I’ve known her and her sisters since they were born.  All three of them went into the Air Force and two of them have made it a career.  Dawn is a Master Sergeant and about ready to retire.  However she’s not going to be done working, she will continue doing what she does now, just as a civilian contractor to the Air Force.  Toughest thing at that point will be trying to decide what to wear to work.

Last time I was here Kira wasn’t even two years old and very scared of the big biker guy.  Two years later – she was thrilled to have someone new to play with.  We had a great time playing hyena vs. zebra (a chase game), and rough housing on the couch.  I am amazed at the energy of these kids!!  However after she stopped, she was sound asleep in no time.

I had a very nice (albeit short) visit with Dawn & Eric.  I have to say that their guest bedroom is my favorite room in their house.  It’s got lots of pictures of the girls as they were growing up and lots of stuff from the ranch days in Texas, including saddles and the registration for the brand.  I spent a lot of time out at that ranch.  It’s really cool stuff and I always see something new.  Dawn’s dad was one of my best friends ever and he passed away several years ago.  Their guest room fills my heart with fond memories.Dawn took the next day off and after breakfast at IHOP she and Eric took Kira to the zoo in Charleston.  Next time I’m going to plan an extra day here so I can go to the zoo with them.  We had a great breakfast; then it was time for one last picture.  You can’t see them in this picture but this little girl has a pair of cowboy boots that she just loves to wear.  Her mom says she even wears them with her pajamas sometimes – my kinda girl for sure.

It was sure nice to have such great weather when I left Sumter, not a cloud in the sky.  I was going to stay overnight somewhere on the way to Atlanta but didn’t really have an idea of where that would be.  I was just cruising the back roads heading generally west.  The clouds were starting to build but the weather girl said no chance of rain.

In this part of South In Carolina the corn is just starting to come up.  Trying to figure out what’s being farmed in the fields I ride by is something I like doing.  I doubt that I’m right more than I’m wrong about the crop – but I’m pretty sure this is corn.

I looked at a map and thought that since I was so close to Augusta, GA I would stop by and check out Augusta National Golf Club – home of The Masters golf tournament.  I knew I was getting close when I saw the 10 foot high chain link fence covered with that green cloth so you can’t see through it.  The fence itself isn’t all that visible with all the trees they have planted just outside of it.  The turn onto the property is best described as a 90 degree alleyway off a fairly busy four lane road.  And that’s as far as you’re gonna get.  I just wanted to take a picture down Magnolia Lane – No sir, you’ll have to leave – Now was left unsaid but certainly implied with as much southern hospitality as possible.  I don’t like being told what to do, but I was on private property and I do understand, so I turned around.  I was going to try to ride by slowly and snap a picture but I found one on the internet and it is exactly what it looks like.  Back in 2015 they installed those retractable bollards for increased security.  I thought – “those wouldn’t stop me” however, so far I’ve managed to stay out of jail on these rides and I’d like to keep it that way – but I was tempted.Augusta has a Harley dealership so I stopped by to see if they had time to put a new rear tire on my sled.  They did, and I enjoyed some kick back time on their plush waiting room couch while they were doing the work.  I spoke with one of the mechanics about the rattle coming from the top of my motor.  He rode it around after the tire was put on and thinks it’s something mechanical.  They would be happy to investigate but if they get the motor apart and have to order parts, I would be stuck in Augusta – so I thanked him for the tire and his diagnostic expertise and headed for dinner.  The girls in the motorclothes dept highly recommended Big Daddy’s Bar & Grill which was just down the street.  After having eaten there, I have to agree with them, so – if you’re ever hungry for some southern cuisine in Augusta, GA – Big Daddy’s is just south of Interstate 20 and slightly west of town.

Having new tires on a motorcycle is like switching from a pair of flip flops that are two sizes too big to a brand new pair of perfect fitting running shoes.  Cornering is smooth as silk and the ride is really smooth as well.  Then again, maybe it’s just the placebo effect from spending so much money; motorcycle tires ain’t cheap – Ha ha.  Regardless, I love riding on new tires and they made the back roads ride from Augusta to Sharpsburg (Southeast of Atlanta) even more enjoyable.

I usually spend a few days here so if I need to get work done on the bike Great South Harley Davidson is where I go.  They were more than happy to take a look at the rattle issue for me and told me that new lifters would be the cure.  I guess there was an issue with the lifters they used in 2013 – not enough to recall them of course, or even to give me a break on the cost.  However – after a couple days in the shop, my bike is running smooth and I’m thrilled to have new tires AND no more rattle.  Who could ask for more?

This is the area where three very special little girls grew up.  I’ve been coming back to see them for a whole lotta years.  Of course, they are grown now and have children of their own (17-5 years old) which just makes everything even more fun.  Most of you know these three but left to right are Laura, Missy, & Sara, below are their children.  Saturday was the big BBQ – with yours truly in charge of the cooking – it’s a tradition, when I visit, I cook.  A great time was had by all except one – Evan, the youngest, was at his dad’s house this weekend.  So I have included a couple pictures from his soccer game.

And since the day before the BBQ was my 57th birthday – I got a cookie cake.

Laura decided that she and I should go play a round of black light miniature golf.  If that’s not enough, they have 3D glasses for you to wear in there.  Our rule was that you had to put the 3D glasses on when you were putting.  Whew – that wasn’t easy.  I’m sure if you were a little stoned this would be a main attraction.  it was fun – once.

Another tradition is that I take care of little handy-man type projects that have been on the to-do list but just haven’t gotten done (I have to earn my keep).  Sara had a small list including a new faucet for her kitchen and putting a doggie door into the garage passage door so the cat’s food and litter box could be out of the house.  And fixing the shower in the spare bathroom.  All of that stuff got done along with a few other odds and ends.

There are LOTS of things to do in and around Atlanta, and I thought I’d be taking little day rides to some of these attractions and broadening both of our horizons.  However, I have been enjoying spending time with my extended family here so much that I never really did go on a bike ride.  Of course I did take the kids on their annual mini-ride through the neighborhood.  Soon enough they will have a helmet and clearance from mom to go for a much longer bike ride.

What a GREAT time.  I was looking forward to my next visit before I even left.  Thanks for everything girls I miss you already!!

It was cold leaving Sharpsburg and I had on just about everything I own trying to stay warm.  This is the first time I’ve had to put the cold weather gear on, and luckily I brought enough of it that I was mostly warm throughout the day.  All bundled up I’m sure I look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy spray painted black.  And even if it doesn’t look that way, it feels that way.  I was supposed to go to Montgomery, AL yesterday but all the rain all day kept me holed up where I was.  It was still spitting rain on me for the first three hours or so but it was MUCH better weather than what I would have been riding in the day before.

I was out of Georgia and into Alabama quickly this morning and spent most of the day riding the back roads in Sweet Home Alabama, the 22nd state admitted on December 14, 1819.  Alabama has some great roads and since this was going to be my last opportunity to ride the back roads on this trip, I took my time and enjoyed the relaxing ride.

After many tranquil miles, I came upon the town of Tuskegee, AL.  Sure, I’ve heard of the Tuskegee Airmen, they were the first squadron of black pilots (fighter and bomber) trained in the U.S. Military for service in WWII.  But there’s lots of stuff about Tuskegee that I didn’t know.  This area of the country is where the whole civil rights struggle took place, and this town was heavily involved.  Tuskegee was the subject of a U.S. Supreme Court decision on gerrymandering.  Back in 1957, seems they had a 28 sided “district” that excluded nearly all black residents, and included all the white residents – that’s bad, okay…..  One of the teachers at Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee University was George Washington Carver.  LOTS of history here – but I kept riding.

I can’t get out of the south without saying something about the kudzu. This stuff is all over the place and this house may not even be visible by the end of the summer.  Native to Asia, it’s been called “the vine that ate the South” – and that’s not much of a stretch.

My last fuel stop for the day was in a town named Florala – and you guessed it, right on the Florida/Alabama border.  That got me thinking – how many border towns are there that share the name of the states they are next to?  I’ve been to several; in Texarkana Main Street is the state border.  Walk on one side of the street and you’re in Texas, the other side is Arkansas.  Anyway – I was going to ask you how man you could come up with but someone has already figured it out.  These border cities even have a name.  Portmanteau names are a linguistic blend of words and that link will take you to a list of the towns if you’re interested – many that I’ve never heard of.

While I was at the gas station in Florala, I noticed a big rack of Moon Pies.  It’s been a long time since I’ve had a Moon Pie but they shore am gud.  Wonder if they have a RC Cola to go with it – that would be perfect!!  And so, there I was – standing next to my motorcycle and finally shedding some of my cold weather gear, enjoying a true southern treat – RC Cola and a Moon Pie.

It’s a fairly short ride from Florala to Pensacola and I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and get on the Interstate – It was an awesome day on the back roads, but it was time to quit lollygaggin’ around and get over to my friend’s house.  It’s time to go fishing – opening day of Red Snapper season is tomorrow!!

It was opening day of Florida’s Red Snapper season.  Our hopes were high but our expectations were realistic and we had pretty much resigned ourselves that any fishing would have to be done on Sunday because Saturday was just going to be too windy.  And that’s exactly what Saturday had in store – wind & Lots of it.

SO – we headed for West Marine to get the hardware we needed to tackle this little boat project that Ned has been working on.  It was definitely a two man job & the short story is that we got it done.  It took all day and half the night to accomplish and was akin to rebuilding an engine through the muffler!!  But the hard part is done and after the rest of the pieces are in place – the boat should automatically hold itself in one spot regardless of the wind conditions or water movement.

On Sunday morning the prediction was that it would be okay in the morning but the afternoon held another small craft warning.  We grabbed a quick bite on our way out the door and were on the water, headed for some of Ned’s most coveted fishing spots. 

Many of these structure points are just C-12 or B-4 on the plotter, but some of them have names like Oktoberfest or Christmas Tree.  These are secret spots and while fishing, you are also watching to see if any boats are headed your way.  If anyone starts coming toward you and your secret spot – you pull your gear and leave so they can’t steal it.  We ended up leaving a couple spots and not even trying some more just to be safe.

While we were fishing, this loggerhead turtle popped up to check us out.  I was kind of surprised to see barnacles on his (or her) back, I’ve seen big turtles before but never seen one with barnacles.  He wasn’t too impressed with our fishing ability and headed back down into the clear blue water.

Opening day should have been a day to really catch a lot of fish, but we weren’t having much luck.  Ned thinks that the Lionfish infestation is at least partially to blame for the lack of Red Snapper.  They eat what the snapper eat and additionally, they eat snapper fry.  Nobody around here has anything but disdain for the Lionfish.

We picked up a couple fish here and there but nothing great then this guy hit the end of Ned’s line.  He was pulling drag and we were hoping to see a big snapper – however this is a Trigger Fish; and they are off limits for all of 2017.  I’m told that Trigger Fish are excellent on the table but we tossed this one, and his twin brother, back hoping that they will still be around when the season opens again in 2018.

These fish have front teeth that look almost like human front teeth that they use for crushing crustaceans & mollusks.  Next time we’ll be taking him home for dinner.

However – we didn’t go home empty handed.  In fact, at our last stop we finished off a limit of red snapper.  It was just in time too.  The weather folks were right about the wind coming up in the afternoon.  The ten mile ride back inside the bay was bone jarring at times.  And after we got back to Ned’s getting the boat back up into the boat house with the wind blowing that hard was more than a little challenging.  But at the end of the day it was “All Good” and the fish were prepared for consumption.

Ned’s not just a good Captain, Guide, and Fisherman; he can also cook a little.  His wife Joan is also a wonderful cook.  Between the two of them, this was the feast I was treated to at the end of the day.  Red Snapper prepared two different ways, asparagus, and sweet potatoes – how good does that look!!  My plate was clean, even after seconds.

Ned and Joan will be up in Canada with us this year and you can be sure that we will be on the water, catching lots of fish and enjoying more fish dinners in just a couple months.  Thanks again for such a delightful last stop on my 2017 spring ride.