St. Augustine is the home of the World Golf Hall of Fame and I’ve heard from more than one person that it’s worth the price of admission so I decided to check it out. Overall I have to agree with my friends – definitely worth the price of admission. The road in and out of the Hall of Fame is tree lined and reminded me of the entrance to Augusta. It’s not Magnolia Lane but it’s a nice entrance.I won’t go through the whole place but this was one of the coolest areas. Every inductee has a locker and you could spend several hours in this room alone.You can take an elevator to the top of the tower an this is the view from there. What you’re looking at is a replica of the 17th hole at Sawgrass TPC. For a small donation you get a couple shots at closest to the pin; daily winners get into a monthly drawing and if you win that you get your name on a paving brick.I doubt that I would have been making a donation but the entry into the Hall of Fame includes one shot at the challenge – so what the heck. I head up to the tee in my cowboy boots and jeans, looking absolutely nothing like a golfer. 132 yards to the pin, 90 yards to clear the water, I select a 9 iron. Que the drum roll – I almost had to ask if a whiff counted as your shot – almost. I managed to catch enough of the top of the ball to roll it off the artificial turf, two bounces through the grass and into the water without a splash. They say every shot makes somebody happy – today it was the 15 guys waiting their turn.Back on the bike and northbound on A1A. When you get to the St. Johns River it’s time to get on the ferry. I met a couple motorcycle guys and chatted with them on the short ride across the river. After crossing I headed north again but the weather needed to be considered so I stopped for a cold drink and consideration. It didn’t take long for me to decide to abandon the coastal route and turn inland. When I got out to the parking lot I saw this advertisement. It reminded me that it won’t be long before Fishin is exactly what I’ll be doing.I’m leaving the coast for Waycross, GA. The name of the town is something I remember from a song called Miller’s Cave and one place is as good as another so why not Waycross – and I got here just in time. When I left the coast there was nothing showing on the radar here but I’d barely gotten the bike unpacked when the skies opened up.Kicking back watching it rain is WAY better than getting rained on. I managed to have a very successful day today – other than my failed golf shot. This is a short post so I’m going to share a couple sights from this week. These are the two extremes of the motorcycle world. The first is a very small scooter with training wheels and the second is a 48 inch chopper with a 95 cubic inch shovel head and suicide shift. Even though it’s a rigid frame the guy that rode it from Michigan says it’s a much smoother ride than a softail and that the Sugar Bear front end doesn’t flop at all. If I had a chopper, this one would do for sure.
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Day 31 – Sharpsburg, GA
I stuck around Waycross yesterday, just killing time and getting caught up on a couple things. I actually thought I’d get down the road a couple miles but the weather intervened.
The Okefenokee Swamp is just south of Waycross and there is a Civil War Prisoner of War camp fairly close so I packed the bike and headed out. At the entrance to the visitors center at the swamp they have signs warning that insect repellent is not an option. I don’t have hardly any skin exposed and mosquitoes don’t like me, so I figured I was safe. I walked outside to check out some of their exhibits and within 30 seconds I discovered a yellow fly taking a chunk out of my finger. I was warned about the yellow flies while I was in Milton, FL – very nasty little things and they secrete some kind of numbing agent so you really can’t feel them biting you until it’s too late – I didn’t feel a thing, just happened to see it.
Okay, I’m convinced – time to see if they sell bug spray, otherwise I’m going to have to pull the plug on this adventure. They have bug spray for sale – 100% DEET bug spray in a little spray bottle the size and shape of a test tube. I’ve heard that these yellow flies and other things that they have in abundance in the swamp are able to bite you through your clothes, so I’m applying this stuff liberally; especially since they are attracted to black & I’m wearing a black long sleeved shirt. It worked too, it tastes really bad, but even though there were yellow flies all over the place, I didn’t get bit again.
There is a guided boat ride through the swamp, pathways you can wander around on, and a train tour that uses some of the tracks the lumber companies put through the swamp when they were logging; wonder what swamp loggers got paid – not enough!! While walking around it’s important to stay on the paths, (no telling what’s waiting for you down in the water, but gators and snakes for sure) and to be very careful where you put your hands. This is poison ivy and it is EVERYWHERE out here.
I went on the boat trip, did some walking around and even watched a bit of a reptile show but 20 minutes before my scheduled train ride, I heard the thunder and headed for my bike. I got a little wet on the 15 mile ride back to Waycross and as quickly as possible checked back in to the Motel 6 where I’d spent the previous night. End of the adventure for today but very successful in my opinion – in and out of the Okefenokee Swamp without anything but pictures & a little yellow fly bite that itches like crazy.
This morning I got an early start and was headed for Atlanta; more specifically Sharpsburg which is a few miles south of Atlanta. I was worried that it might be another day in the rain because it was raining when I got up but that was the tail end of the storm and if these clouds didn’t cook up into thunderstorms it might actually be quite pleasant out there.It turned out to be a fantastic riding day. The clouds burned off and the nearly vacant and smooth back roads were a joy. This is rural Georgia and it’s not unusual to see these large stands of pecan trees on either side of the road. Wonder how old these trees are….After the skies cleared the shade provided when riding through the Georgia pines felt good. Another mostly peaceful day winding my way along, sometimes fast, sometimes slow – life is good, I’m thoroughly enjoying mine and wish the same for you.
Day 33 – Laurel, MS
The reason for my two day stay in Sharpsburg is that three of my nieces live there. I used to see these girls quite often when they were just little girls and whenever I’m in the area, I make sure to visit. I love my nieces to pieces.We always try to get everyone together for dinner and if it can be Mexican food where they make good margaritas – that’s perfect!! You know, I’ve always said, the only thing better than a good margarita, is another one. This is the brood minus one who is at her dad’s in Florida. There is never a dull moment with these guys around. They all play well together though and although they might have a spat or two here and there – they all have eachother’s backs whenever one is threatened. I got an early start this morning because Sara’s daughter had an all day softball tournament and the whole house was up and out of there by 7:00. And what a great morning for a ride. Overcast but not threatening to rain, it was actually almost cool enough to get the sweatshirt out. That’s unusual for mid June around here because you know how hot it gets here right? “It gets hotter than a hoochie coochie”
I picked out a route that would take me through as much of the Tallageda National Forest as I had time for. I was very happy that I took the time, it was a great ride all the way, winding roads, up and down hills, I guarantee you that this won’t be the last time I come this way. I think this was an old grist mill – how interesting would it would be to sit and listen to some old timer share the history of this mill and the area.The hills of Talladega National Forest turned into flatter areas that were dotted with farms and ranches and the occasional catfish and/or crawfish pond. I saw a few of these ponds but only got the one picture, this was one of the nicer places.I’m back in pup-wud truck country but luckily for me, they are mostly parked on the weekends.When you cross the border from Alabama into Mississippi, the road changes from a tree lined two lane into a cleared four lane, divided road. It was quite a surprise but a welcome one at the end of a 450+ mile day. The last 50 miles went by quite quickly at 75 mph.The reason I’m in Laurel, MS is that my father-in-law was from this town. The old parts of the town are mostly empty buildings but the downtown area has been revitalized. The brick streets are a bit difficult to navigate at slow speeds on a motorcycle but I managed without falling down. This picture is for all the Slade girls.Certainly not a straight line, but a great ride that I look forward to doing again.
Day 34 – Alexandria, LA
First off, I would like to wish all you fathers out there a Happy Father’s Day. Being a dad is no small undertaking and a lifelong responsibility. I think a lot of what needs fixing these days can be attributed to absentee parents. I would like to thank my father for, among other things, teaching me independence – a character trait sadly lacking in today’s society.
Another great morning for a bike ride – overcast with no chance of rain. Hwy 84 through Mississippi is 65 mph the whole way and just about nobody is going any slower than 75. I avoid the slab but it’s not because I’m more comfortable going slower, I’m good at just about any speed as long as the road is smooth enough to handle it – many aren’t. I avoid the slab because I don’t like having to try to anticipate what every brain dead idiot is going to do next. This morning on 84 was good – 75+ and virtually alone most of the day.
One thing I’ve noticed out here, starting in about Texas and going east, there are a lot of Dodge trucks doing what you see a lot of Ford trucks doing west of there. I asked someone about it and they didn’t know the real answer. This guy and the 4 guys with horse trailers following him were all driving Dodge trucks. Woulda liked to meet the Rodeo clown/bull fighter, Dodge probably sponsors him or something.I was looking for a place to eat in Natchez, MS where I could see the river and I lucked into the Magnolia Grill. Right down on the water, great motorcycle parking, and better food. I was there when they opened at 11:00 and it’s a good thing I was. After I sat down, they started putting reserved signs on all the tables and were turning away anyone without reservations – Father’s Day I’m sure and they no doubt figured I’d be out of there pretty quick. I thoroughly enjoyed my Magnolia shrimp but I wasn’t there more than 35 minutes.I don’t know how long this building has been here but that last pane of glass on the right has the flaws (waves and bubbles) in it that glass made back in the 1800’s used to have. I would have asked but my waitress couldn’t figure out how to get the front door unlocked and it was actually starting to get really busy with the Fahter’s Day crowd.Natchez, MS is the beginning of the Natchez Trace. A 440 mile trail through the forest that ends in Nashville, TN. It also links the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi Rivers. The reason for the foot traffic is that before the steam engine was invented, Natchez was the farthest north that anyone could get on the Mississippi River. Today the route is commemorated by the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway and Bridge, which follows the approximate path of the Trace. Think I’ll add that road to my list of roads I’d like to ride someday, looks like a good one.
One of the reasons for making this a sort day is so I could watch the final round of the US Open. Congratulations to DJ for getting his first major – he is due for sure. I was personally rooting for either guy in the last group; a fat redheaded Irish man, and a kid, who if he won, would have been a bigger story than Phil winning – none of that happened. Oh, and I heard there was a basketball game of some kind today as well. Until tomorrow…
Day 35 – College Station, TX
This morning it was actually a little foggy in Alexandria, but that didn’t last long. Soon it cleared and the sun was warming things up. I was still on hwy 84 but somewhere along the way my GPS gave me a turn that put me on county road 8. Now I’ve been rather unkind with my criticism of Louisiana roads in the past, but this was a very good road. Almost no traffic and very smooth – this road is one I’ll remember as a very pleasant exception to the Louisiana bad road rule of thumb. It actually seems like the road is getting better the closer to the Texas state line I get.
Well – this explains a lot. Great – no cell coverage so I can take a look at Google maps and plan an alternate route. Let the adventure begin. I head back east and take the first turn I come to; it happened to be southbound. And, it actually turned out okay – only cost me 30 minutes or so. But this bridge looks like it’s been out for a LONG time. I’ve updated my maps on the GPS so I’m a little disappointed about that but whatever – all part of the adventure.
Buying water in a gas station is difficult in some places. I guess people think – “Water, what, you want people to pay for water? Water is free, look around you it’s everywhere.” Louisiana is one of those places. They have one brand of water, it’s about 80 cents a liter and the bottle and labeling looks like something somebody put together in their back yard. I bought a bottle of this “water” and then I saw these Chick-O-Sticks. I’ve heard that these things are awful, but I’m gonna see for myself. On the wrapper it says crunchy peanut butter and toasted coconut candy. So with an open mind I tried it – Yuck.
The reason I picked College Station is that they have a Harley dealer here and I need to get my oil changed. I have all the stuff to do it myself but it can be a mess and it doesn’t cost all that much to get it done. I rolled into Independence Harley Davidson about 2:00 and they got me in and out and even washed and oiled my air cleaner. After all that rain in Florida I’m sure it needed some attention. Anyway – big shout out and thank you to the service dept at Independence H/D.
College Station is called that because it’s home to Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University – or Texas A&M for short. It’s the states first public institution of higher learning and has been making Aggies smarter since 1876. My grandmother went to college here and my father was all set up to go to veterinary school here before he had to put plan B into effect. It’s a big enough town to have a Harley dealership and that’s why I’m here; otherwise it’s San Antonio or El Paso & I don’t really like either of those towns.
First Day of summer is coming up tomorrow – my dad in Phoenix says that it’s supposed to be 120 there on Saturday, that should be fun & my wife says it’s Africa Hot there in Thousand Oaks – looks like I’m going to be riding into a furnace…
Day 36 – Del Rio, TX
It was a warm one today. Cloud cover is all gone and sun is shining brightly. I got an early start in hopes of beating the heat and I think I did fairly well in that department. I needed gas after about 55 miles and the gas station I stopped at just happened to have a bakery next door. In this part of Texas they have something called Kolache. I was introduced to this wonderful pastry two years ago when my buddy Rick took me out to breakfast. Imagine Hawaiian bread wrapped around some breakfast meat or fruit. This morning mine was ham and cheese – Very Good stuff. My lucky day to have picked this gas station.This area of Texas is more ranches than farm land. I would argue with anyone that said cattle are smart. But there has to be, “smarter than the average cow” – and that’s what these guys are. Hope they don’t get stuck in the mud – that happens some times.I ended up on this toll road and was amazed at the speed limit. The speed limit on the access road to this toll road is 65 mph. I did some checking and it turns out that this isn’t the only place in Texas where you can floor it. The fastest speed limit and the fastest average speed for all roads combined is right here in the Lone Star State. I think if they ever went back to a national speed limit of 55 mph, Texas would opt out and take the hit on the funding. When I was in the Air Force and stationed here, the speed limit was 55 and it was horrendous. I’d like to see some numbers to see if the higher speed limit equates to more deaths. Probably not, or you would have heard about it by now.This is the city hall building in San Marcos, Texas. It’s easy to see because there is no other building close to it that’s more than two stories. It’s freshly painted and stark contrast to the surroundings. Texas pride on display for the town of San Marcos.Many of you have seen this sign before. It looks the same now as it did 38 years ago. Someone is doing a very good job of keeping it painted and clean. I’ve always liked the sign and the idea. I’m expecting that one of these times when I ride my bike up on the grass to get this picture, some officer of some kind is going to need to have a chat with me, but so far so good – and I think this is the 3rd time…….
I stopped by the Rocking MK ranch to see an old friend of mine that bought some land when he was stationed here and decided to stay. Murry was an air traffic controller but he was a combat controller, and not only that – he was the head of the combat controllers. He was one squared away guy for sure. We sat on the front porch of his ranch house for a couple hours talking about old times and catching up. Looking forward to next time.
I’ll leave you today with this bit of humor that I saw yesterday:
Support the ban on the sale of shredded cheese.
Make America grate again….
Day 37 – Big Bend National Park, TX
I knew it was going to be a warm day so I got out of Del Rio fairly early this morning. My route today will often be very close to the Mexico border and some of the sights along the way are the same that I shared with you from Arizona & New Mexico. Here is something new though, this is one of those areas that they drag to count footprints and it has a memorial for someone. Must be something the Border Patrol sympathizes with because they haven’t gotten rid of it. Another story that I’d like to hear…You also see a lot of these around here. Windmills have been used for hundreds of years for various tasks but out here in the southwest. they are used to pump water. I took a picture of this one because I could get close enough to show you the tank that the water is pumped into. The sides of this tank are about 8 feet tall, and the water is likely fed to the house down the hill. When I was a kid we used to go swimming in these kind of water tanks in the summer. The cool water felt great – the water in the tanks we swam in was routed to watering troughs for livestock.About 4 miles west of the Pecos River and half a mile north of the Mexican border you’ll find Langtry, TX. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Langtry is where the famous Judge Roy Bean lived and practiced his version of justice as “The Only Law West of The Pecos”. This is the actual saloon and billiard hall where he held court and tended bar. The white building you see in the background was his home that he referred to as the Opera House.
One good thing about taking this southern route through west Texas is that it mostly avoids the flat plains area. The wind just howls through there, even when it’s not blowing anywhere else. The wind can blow a little here as well but today wasn’t a wind event day and I couldn’t be happier about that. Two years ago I came through this area but I only rode through a small portion of Big Bend National Park so as long as I’m this close, I’ll check out some more of it. This is the entrance to “The Basin” which at 5,700 feet is much cooler than the surrounding area.I was doing some research about where would be a good place to stay and picked the Chisos Mountain area. They have a lodge, restaurant, small general store, and campground there. I was going to tent camp but decided to check on a room since it was pretty hot and there were tons of gnats flying around in the campground. Luckily for me they had a room available and even better, I got a 30% discount for being a veteran. Had to show them a picture of my DD-214 but I was happy to dust that PDF off for 30% – thank you DropBox.
Dinner at the restaurant here was quite good and I met a very nice couple from Australia there. They are on a one month tour of the USA and will be in the Santa Monica area right before they leave. I told them to check out Crustacean’s crab and garlic noodles if they wanted a real treat. They said that they have enjoyed their visit well enough that they were going to be back again next year – maybe our paths will cross again, stranger things have happened. After dinner I went out to the patio and enjoyed the sunset.The plant you see in this shot is the Agave Americana. Where I grew up they were called Century Plant and I was told that they live near 100 years then near the end of its life, it sends up a tall, branched stalk, laden with yellow blossoms. After doing some research, they only live 30 years, not 100 – but the rest is accurate. Oh yea, they have a heavy spike at the end of their “leaves” that’ll go through your leather boots like a hot knife through butter. I think “back in the day” they were used as sewing needles.Another thing I had to take care of while I was here was to replace something I lost. Every year I try to pick up something that is unique to that ride. Two years ago, I got a hat that I wear after I take my helmet off and in states without a helmet law, it is my “helmet”. That hat has a little pocket on the side for a key or something – I have no idea. Two years ago when I was at the Terlingua Trading Post I found a little pewter horny toad that fit perfectly in the pocket and since then that hat has gone with me on most of the rides I’ve taken. Well – I won’t bore you with the details but I lost that hat the day I left the Grand Canyon. I replaced the hat and now need to replace the horny toad. But just any old horny toad wouldn’t do; if at all possible, it had to come from the Trading Post in Terlingua, Texas. Rachel was quite nice and we chatted a little while I checked out with the perfect hat ornament and a Lone Star longneck – “The National Beer of Texas”. So, now my hat and ornament from 2014 have been replaced and I hope that my stolen hat and horny toad bring nothing but bad luck to the thief. Karma can be a bitch!!
Day 39 – Peoria, AZ
The Motel 6 in Van Horn is right next to the freeway, but I managed to get enough sleep that I felt I could make my night time slab run through the desert. I left around midnight and was surprised at how light the traffic was on Interstate 10; mostly just me and a bunch of truckers. I was treated to quite a light show as I headed into El Paso; lightning everywhere on the horizon. I was somewhat concerned about the rain that was sure to come, and although I did get fairly wet a couple times, drying out happened almost immediately.
At night your biggest dangers on a motorcycle are animals and recapped tires that have come apart. They call those pieces of recapped tire you see on the road, gators or gator tails. If you hit one of those in a car, it’s going to cause some damage – if you hit one on a motorcycle, you’re probably going down. Although my headlights are quite awesome, at 75 mph they aren’t good enough to see a black piece of tire on a black piece of asphalt soon enough to avoid it. Therefore, my night time freeway tactic is to find a vehicle that’s going about as fast as I want to go and follow about 200 yards behind them. That way – if there is some kind of road hazard the vehicle ahead will see it first and since they will brake or swerve I’ll be alerted and have an extra 200 yards to slow down. It’s worked for me to this point and it worked last night as well.
Tucson is a couple hours south of Phoenix and by that time traffic was a factor and the sun was shining brightly and I was thankful that I decided to make most of this trip in the dark. It’s very nice here in the air conditioning of my parents house. I’ll spend today and tomorrow here and probably leave early in the morning to avoid the worst of the Phoenix and Palm Springs temperatures. I’d like to be riding my last thousand miles somewhere other than the interstate but ya gotta do what ya gotta do……
Day 38 – Van Horn, TX
When I woke up this morning I looked around and thought how I would have loved this place as a kid. Wherever my parents would take us I would try to find a hill and/or rocks to climb. I would be gone for hours on my adventures, and I think I’d like to take a stab at these rocks; just for old times sake….
I stopped on my way out of the basin this morning to look back at the sun rising on the Chisos Mountains and the road leading back to the lodge and campground. It’s kind of a far way to go to get here but I will likely be back.
The road from Terlingua to Presidio is one I’ve been on before and although it’s not in my top 10, it’s a good one and I was looking forward to riding it again today. The road is right next to the river in some areas and while you could hit a pitching wedge from I-10 in El Paso into Mexico, you could stand in the middle of this road and throw a rock across the river. Here’s a spot where you could easily walk across the river. I actually went down to take a closer look, and I think you could hop from rock to rock and get across relatively dry.Texas 170 is a great motorcycle road, but you’re gonna need to be on top of your game. In many places, the road turns immediately after the crest of a hill so you don’t see the turn coming and there’s no way to set up for it. The road itself is in good condition but this time through there were a few places where rain water had washed rocks and dirt from the hillsides across the asphalt. I took it easy enough that I never did scare myself but it was still challenging and a lot of fun. In this video you can see the river (border) in a couple places.
For the last two days I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to get across the desert. Yesterday it was 120° in Phoenix they are forecast to be near record temperatures there all week. The plan I’ve decided on is to get to sleep as quickly as I can in Van Horn and if I can get enough sleep in the afternoon and evening – make a night run from here to Phoenix.
Day 41 – Thousand Oaks, CA
I was up early but it was still 90° at 4:00 in the morning. It took me 45 minutes to get on the road and since Arizona doesn’t participate in daylight savings time, the eastern sky was already starting to brighten. It’s going to be another day on the interstate and this stretch of I-10 is one I know well. For the past 34 years I’ve been driving back and forth from Southern California to Phoenix. Many people say that the road is really boring but even after as many times as I’ve gone back and forth, I don’t mind the drive. Cooler would be nice, but I still find a way to enjoy the ride. There’s really only a couple ways to go that aren’t interstate and those routes almost double the time it takes; and since it’s all desert out there – that’s nothing I’m interested in this time of year.
Cooler temperatures is what I’m looking forward to and about the time I got to Simi Valley things were getting a little more comfortable. The ride was rather uneventful and I know it’s kind of anticlimactic to do a thousand miles of slab time at the end of my trip but that’s the way it goes sometimes. It’s been a great ride, I’ve enjoyed my visits with family and friends along the way and wish I could have seen more of you – next time for sure.
For those of you who have been following along, I hope you’ve enjoyed the narrative as much as I have enjoyed sharing my experiences along the way. It’s been 6 weeks and although I’ve really enjoyed the trip, I’m going to really enjoy being home again as well. Until our paths cross again…..
- When life throws you a curve, Lean into it….