After taking 2020 off in deference to the Covid-19 scare and associated panic, I’m back on the motorcycle, and will be enjoying the back roads of our great country.  And YOU are invited to go along for the ride.

Many of you are new readers of this blog, while many others have been here all along. For those of you that are veterans to these postings, I ask your patience as much of what’s written here will be something you have heard and/or read before.

The goal is to publish a blog post for every day of travel.  Usually these posts will be out the morning after the previous day’s ride.  I will email a link that you can click on to see the latest (and older) posts.  As of now, there is no SUBSCRIBE option – everyone that offers the service wants to use your email address and I’m not going to allow that.

Additionally I insert hyperlinks in the text that provide you additional information.  If you are at all interested – click the link.  Also, this is the 2021 blog – if you click that Mother Page link in the black banner above you will have access to all the older rides and some other stuff as well.  If you have any issues, let me know and I’ll see what I can do for you.

The links to the right are just fun stuff if you are interested.  The top link will take you to a live map of where I am.  It is a geotracking device I take with me mostly for safety, but an added benefit is that my friends can see where I am at any given time.  Enjoy the ride.

I would like to start this year’s blog out with an homage to my mother.  We lost her on July 11th and she will be missed.  The first couple days of this year’s ride will be a memory lane ride for me.  Back to some places I remember from my childhood.  I would also like to thank my brother-in-law for reminding me (in his own special way) that Motorcycling’s  Rule #1 is still the most important one.  I will keep that and you in mind.

Got up pretty early – planning to be gone with the sun.  After getting ready under the light of the Harvest Moon, I was riding off the ranch at 6:45 which I felt pretty good about.

When I got to town – I realized that I’d forgotten my bluetooth speaker.  So, I called Robin and she rescued me.  Not having a speaker when you’re going to be spending time in campgrounds is no fun so, I figured it was worth the 15 minutes.  Thank you dear.

Now it’s off to the Early Bird Cafe in Pine, AZ.  At least that was plan A.  Nice ride through the mountains to Pine – however….. The Early Bird Cafe is closed on Tuesdays.  The other place in town is HB’s place or something like that.  The wait was unimaginable, I was going to just get up and leave but thought – there’s a reason for everything…  An hour and 30 minutes later I was back on the road.

You’re out of the mountains and into the desert very quickly after you leave Payson.  The next big thing on this route is Theodore Roosevelt Lake or just Roosevelt (Rose-a-velt) to everyone I know.  Nobody even says the “Lake” part.  I fully expected the lake to be at an all time low – but it was only 16 or 20 feet from the high water line.

I covered them up with the grass but there are a couple guys in a bass boat down there in this cove.  They actually caught a little one while I was getting the picture.  That’s a mesquite bush on the left, and lots of saguaro cactus out on the peninsula.

Just past Roosevelt is the Tonto Basin and Tonto National Monument.  I was thinking about going up to see it and get my own picture (this one is from the National Park Service) but I’m already behind thanks to breakfast so I just kept on going.

I told you that this was a memory lane trip for the first couple days.  One of the things I remember from my early childhood was going from Willcox up to Riggs Flat Lake on the top of Mount Graham.  This is a picture of my sister and me from 1965? with a stringer full from Riggs Flat.  Notice the Rambler in the background?  That was our “camper”.

Safford is at the base of the mountain so I figured that would be a good place to set up camp.  I got my tent set up on the edge of Roper Lake (more on that later) and headed up the mountain to catch some of those trout.

That mountain is over 10,000 feet tall and the road up is a slow one.  Thirty-Five miles takes over an hour and a half.  The views are exceptional, and the drop offs are STEEP!!

You saw how young I was in that black and white – I didn’t know that this road wasn’t paved the whole way.  The last 10 or so miles were not paved and it’s a steep road and nary a guardrail to be seen.  Discretion being the better part of valor is contrary to the way I normally do things, but just this once – I turned around.  I’ll be back in my truck next time.

That’s okay though, remember Roper Lake?  I went on a fishing trip there with my dad when I was about 10.  As I recall, we caught several catfish before I went to sleep in the car – we were night fishing.  I’ll just fish down there.  I got back to camp about 5:00 and was disappointed to find out that the wind had quit blowing.  You know what that means – bugs, mostly mosquitos.  I tried fishing a little but I felt like I was the bait.

I couldn’t even turn my phone on, much less the computer, to do this update, out because the light attracts all the bugs that aren’t attracted by the CO2 you exhale.  I guess I could have tried it sitting Indian style inside my tent but sitting that way at my advanced age, has detrimental effects.

SO – I put everything away, (racoon problem here) took a shower, and headed for the sack. This guy was my escort on my walk over to the shower; went right through my campsite.

To end my day, the moon that saw me safely out on my departure this morning, put me safely to bed.

P.S.  The white line around the tarp is Comet clenser.  It’s a line that ants, and many other pests, won’t cross.  Hope it works on snakes as well.

I go to bed fairly early as a rule, but I get up early as well.  So, it should be no surprise that I had my tent all put away by the time the sun showed its head over the horizon.  There was a slight breeze which kept the bugs away a little more and it was nice and cool.

It takes a bit of time to pack the bike and after yesterday’s adventure I had some changes in mind that I hoped would add to my comfort.  All that was done and I was on the road early enough to need my sweatshirt.  I’ve decided that I’m going to explore US 191 northbound this year.  The first 100+ miles of which have been designated The Coronado Trail and a scenic by-way.   I had a chance to ride it with one of my riding buddies a couple weeks ago but I had a previous engagement.   SO – here I go.

I got onto 191 shortly after leaving Safford.  It is a good motorcycle road.  For me, that means plenty of turns that you can take some speed into.  Desert for now, mountains coming up.  A big surprize for me was that the road takes you RIGHT THROUGH the copper mine in Morenci, AZ.  It was like being on a self guided tour of a copper mine.

Arizona is “The Copper State” because of the abundance of mine-able copper.  According to the Arizona Geological Survey, Arizona produced nearly 830,000 metric tons of copper in 2018.  Copper processing is a complicated process that begins with mining of the ore (less than 1% copper) and ends with sheets of 99.99% pure copper.  I wrote a post on my trip up to the Bagdad Mine a couple years ago – fun little ride close to home.

From Morenci 191 goes up the mountain and along the ridge all the way to Alpine, AZ.  You better be careful up here though – LOTS of turns, BIG drop-offs and no shoulder.  That grass ain’t gonna do much to slow you down, and the next thing you’ll be doing is introducing yourself to St. Peter.  If you wanna enjoy the scenery you need to stick close to the 25mph speed limit.  No margin for error up here.

I couldn’t find out the name of the exact fire that burned here but there are several areas that have been burned so it was likely just one of many smaller fires.  In 2020 alone there were 2,520 fires burning 978,519 acres (395,993 ha) of land, it was the largest wildfire season in Arizona since 2011.  As I rounded the top of the mountain, the other side wasn’t burned at all.

It’s been fairly hazy both yesterday and today.  This is the west view from Blue Vista which as I recall is over 9,000 feet.  Imagine how awesome this shot would be if it were clear.

This is the east view from Blue Vista.

I’d imagine that this road might get some traffic on the weekend, but on a Wednesday morning the only other vehicles I saw was 3 or 4 Arizona DOT trucks.  The road was passable but so many tight turns that it was almost exclusively a 1st and 2nd gear ride for the first 65 or so miles.  However, after you pass Blue Vista, it turns into a GOOD motorcycle road.  Watch for gravel in the turns & have fun.

I was going to take a back road to to Show Low but it was time to get some lunch so I just stayed on 191 to Springerville.  McDonald’s has free wi-fi and I’ve used that to publish my blog before so I started searching for the golden arches.  Springerville is close enough to the Navajo Nation that the Covid protocols are still fairly strict.  While they do have very limited seating – I think they woulda been kinda disappointed if I set up my office for an hour or two.

Didn’t get a whole lotta sleep last night, and up here in the mountains it’s likely to be pretty cold in the morning, so I decided to get a hotel room vs. camping.  It was early afternoon when I checked in to my hotel in Heber.  Got the bike unpacked (mostly) and headed for the Mogollon Rim (muggy-own).  After we moved from Willcox to Phoenix, this is where we came to escape the heat.  I’ve always liked the Rim area, brings back fond memories.

We always fished for trout at Willow Springs Lake.  My original plan was to get over there with a fishing pole and some salmon eggs and watch a bobber dance on the water.  That activity is going to have to wait, but you can bet that it will happen.  My little take down fishing pole isn’t getting much use.

This is Christopher Creek.  When our family came up to the rim, we would get a cabin right on the creek.  You could sit out on the front porch and just listen to the babbling brook.  It’s a really beautiful place – probably grown by 10x from what it was in the early 70’s, with less water in the creek; at least today.

Looking forward to a nice hot shower and good night’s sleep

Had a bit of a sleep in this morning and wasn’t on the road until around 9:00.  But that’s fine because I don’t have that far to go.  Famous last words – more on that later.

They can’t all be great motorcycle roads.  Not much to see here, good thing it’s early in the morning and I’m not tired.  If you were in a car, you could run off the road and just drive back on, and all you would need is a quarter car wash to spray off the dust.

My travels this morning took me near a town called Greasewood – did you know??  To the Mexicans and Native Americans, Greasewood, or Creosote is powerful medicine, used as a remedy for intestinal distress. The leaves of the creosote are also used as a polutice for relief from aches, pains and topical bruises. It’s called Greasewood, because of its strong scent after a rain and the oils that it carries.  That oil is what they use on railroad ties to preserve them from bugs and the elements – greasewood is an appropriate name.

My first stop this morning was the Hubbell Trading Post.  This is a National Historic Site that is still in use.  I was thinking I might get a little Navajo trinket memento but I guess the Covid has kept the Navajo mostly at home and today pickins were slim.  They have a lady demonstrating the weaving of Navajo rugs – but she was at lunch.  I was back on the road.

An amazing amount of Arizona residents have never been to the Grand Canyon.  I was one of them for a long time.  I thought I’d been to Canyon De Chelly (d-shay) before but maybe I’ve just seen so many pictures that I figured I MUST have been there – Nope.  Did you know that some Navajo still live down in the canyon?  They farm & hunt just like their ancestors did.  Probably with more modern farming and hunting tools.

This is Spider Rock – 16 miles down the road from the visitors center.  Cool but I’m not sure I’d be back.  Careful – you can walk right out to the edge and the drop is nothing but air to the canyon floor.  I was impressed that this canyon is fairly long.  There are some lookouts, including their most popular one, that you can’t get to because you have to drive through areas where people live.  It’s a Covid thing – Here on the REZ they’re still wearing masks inside their vehicles and while they are walking down the road – alone.  Signs everywhere say “Stay Home – Stay Safe”.  At least most of the businesses are open.

Riding back from Spider Rock I had to stop to make sure I didn’t hit these horses you see running away from me.  They looked like they were going to come across the road.  No fences out here on the REZ I guess.  Just let your horses wander around and they’ll come home for food and water.  Of course if you wanted to ride one….  I guess they could be wild horses, but I think they were a little bit too big and fat to fit into that category.  It was cool to see them out running around regardless.  And nice of them to allow me time enough to get my bike stopped and camera out before they turned tail and skee-daddled.  They ran the same general driection I was going, so I got to see them a few more times dashing in and out around the juniper bushes.  Looked like they were just having fun.

I’m close to Monument Valley and there are several mini-monuments all around.  This town named itself after this one – Rock Point.  Get it – a ROCK, and a Point.  Okay, that might not be true, I didn’t stop to ask, but that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

Who needs Monument Valley – this is right beside the road just before you cross the Arizona/Utah border on US 191.  It was here that I noticed I’d traveled 1,000 miles, all while still in Arizona – what a great state.  Shhhhh don’t tell anybody.

Moab, Utah – I have NEVER seen so many rock crawlers, jeeps and side by sides in one place.  They are everywhere!!  I asked if there was some special event coming up and was told – “Nope, just the weekend.”  There’s lots of that stuff going on around here.  I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised, it’s just like all the sand toys going to Glamis.

Of course, you can’t come to Moab without going to Arches National Park.  I actually went there last night when I got here instead of going this morning on my way out.  The crowds in the morning are big and the line to get in can be over an hour long.  That would have been a deal breaker for me so I decided to see what it was like at 5:00 in the evening.  No line – no park entry fee, NOW you’re talking.  The park is open 24/7- 365 so that part was good as well.  I was going to say, “so I’m not going to get kicked out” – but we all know, that’s always a possibility…….

In addition to all the actual arches they have there are many other things to see.  Now I understand why it fills up in the morning – you could spend a whole day here.  And I only have a little time before it gets dark.  I did go all the way to the end of the road to find out if I could camp there (FULL).  But know that there are a few miles of roads – you’ll be doing some driving after you get into the Park.

Some of the arches require you to get out and walk a bit, but the pictures below were all taken from the parking lot in the Windows area, sitting on my bike.  If you click on the picture it should give you a larger version and maybe you can see the people under some of the arches.

I won’t likely go back to Canyon De Chelly, but I would definitely come back to Arches – with one of my good cameras and a tripod.  God provided a beautiful sunset on my way out.  If you look to the far right of the picture – that’s Balanced Rock.

Getting ready for the ride this morning I met a group of 4 riders that were on their own adventure.we chatted while we were getting the bikes ready for the day.  All of them were out with towels cleaning things up a bit before they got the packing started.  I smiled and told them that I remember when I used to clean my bike in the mornings.  Now it just takes too long and 100 miles down the road it looks just as bad or worse.  I don’t look through the windshield, I look over it so all the bugs don’t really bother me.  This chatting it up with other riders happens often and I never bother to get a picture – Need to get better at that.

Maybe if I hadn’t been chewing the rag with those guys I would have thought to take my leather jacket out so it would be ready when it got cold.  Normally I ride with a leather vest and if it cools off, I wear a sweatshirt.  I know today’s ride goes over the mountains east of Provo, UT and that it’s likely to be cold up there.  I stopped in Price, UT and unpacked the bike so I could get the cold weather gear out.  I have a feeling the heavy leather is going to see quite a bit of use this time around.  Probably even use my new Gerbings electric heated gloves once or twice.  Hopefully I’ll have the forethought to have them OUT and ready when them.

This picture is from the top of the pass going into Provo, Utah.  Doesn’t look cold – but I assure you, I’m glad I got the jacket out.

From Provo to Blackfoot was 230 miles on the slab, Interstate 15 to be exact.  Also I had to go through both Provo and Salt Lake City.  Not my favorite thing – as most of you well know.  However – if you have to be on the slab being able to go 90 mph (literally) really eats the miles up quickly.

I would like to thank the truck driver in southern Idaho that could have easily saved my life.  He had just merged from an on-ramp and was likely nearing the 70 mph speed limit for trucks when he suddenly swerved to the right onto the shoulder.  I was about 50 ft behind him in the passing lane and I thought I was going to see a crash.  I was hard on the brakes so I wouldn’t get an UP CLOSE view.  Right then I saw it – he swerved to miss something in the road.  It was big and flat – maybe plywood, but it was black and shiny near as I could tell.  I’m sure he didn’t want to hit it – but I REALLY didn’t want to EAT it.  After he got back on the road, I slowly passed and gave him a thumbs up and mouthed Thank You.  He nodded his head & returned the thumbs up.  WHEW!!

And some of you are likely wondering – “why Blackfoot, Idaho?”  This is why.

The Hansen’s are part of my extended family that left California a couple years ago.  Now I have a reason to go north on my bike rides.  For dinner Shad made white tail deer steaks and gravy with corn on the cob and mashed Idaho potatoes (of course).  ALL of which was scrumptious to say the least.  The next morning we had pancakes and eggs with home made syrup and home made bacon, every bit as good as last night’s venison.  I’m going to get his brine recipe because we have a pork belly in the freezer just waiting to be turned into home made bacon.

I had to leave too soon, but I could have stayed a week and my departure would have still been too soon.  Thank you all for your hospitality – I will be back soon.

Mid September is time for diggin the pratais (pray-teas – Irish for potatoes).  The Hansens have a large paper sack, bigger than a grocery bag, of them in their garage.  Also, on the way out this morning I saw some harvesting going on in just someone’s little 8 or 10 acre plot next to their house.  The Hansen’s have quite a bit of their 17 acres under grass.  It’s just about time to cut and bale it before it starts getting too cold.  And he’s got a tractor that can take care of every task involved.  Yes – I have tractor envy.

I was toolin’ along just south of Blackfoot, going through Pocatello on Interstate 15.  I was pushing 10+ mph over the speed limit and had 3 or 4 cars in tow.  There is a pretty large space between the northbound and southbound lanes where I see a puff of dirt – and here comes a black Dodge Charger (highway patrol).  And – the lights go on.  He’s pretty far ahead of me and after he gets out into the left lane he turns the lights off.  I smiled, another escort out of town.  I matched his 3 mph over and followed at a respectful distance.  About 8 miles later we were on the southern edge of Pocatello and he turned the lights back on for a second as he pulled off the road back into the “median” for lack of a better term.  I nodded a silent thank you that he never saw – and I kept it at or below ten over until I left the Interstate.

Going over the mountains I saw farms at 6,000+ feet.  Hmmm, I didn’t know that they could farm up in the mountains.  Most of it looked like hay of some kind but I swear I saw stalks sticking out of the ground.  Anybody know what the stalks would be??

Couple people asked me how many miles my bike has on it.  Today, in Soda Springs, ID.

That odometer was the last picture for today (insert sad face here).  I don’t know exactly what happened to my camera – but when I thought I was taking pictures with it – Nope.  So these two pictures I downloaded off the internets.I saw something up on a hill kinda out in the middle of nowhere and when I got closer I recognized it as an oil refinery.  But it was smaller and MUCH cleaner.  I thought it was propane but after doing some research, it’s more likely natural gas.  Past the refinery there was a couple miles at least of small natural gas wells all over the place.

They look like this – and there’s no smell like there is with oil.  Natural gas and propane for that matter have no odor.  The “rotten egg” chemical mercaptan is added during the refinment process so people will know if there is a leak.  I’m guessing these individual wells have pipelines that go back up to the refinery.  A very clean operation vs. oil for sure.

I had a couple little issues with my bike that I could have taken care of but I would have to find a Harbor Freight and get the proper tools.  Either that – or I could find a Harley dealer and see if I can get my “on the road” priority and let them take care of it.  The folks at Green River Harley Davidson said, “Come on Down.”  I was there for less than 30 minutes and it was all taken care of.  However – the damage was done.  Wha-da-ya think about this Harley??  Wouldn’t that be good out on the back roads in Arizona??  Come on…..

Did you catch the name of the town – Green River; and the Green River actually flows through the town.  I could not get that CCR song out of my head.  Did you know – John Fogerty wrote that song about a place he used to go as a kid in California, and the song title Green River came from a bottle of lime flavored soda pop syrup  “If you get lost, come on home to Green River.”

Okay, that’s enough for today.  Y’all take care now – talk to you tomorrow…..

Got out this morning with all the heavy leather on and the heated gloves going.  The report on the new heated gloves is – worth every dime.  As for the rest, I was warm enough.  Still have a couple things I can add to the mix if I end up traveling in lower temps all day.  It’s supposed to warm up later today.

I’ve seen lots of those open range signs but this trip I’ve seen more cattle next to the road than ever.  There was a BIG cow standing right next to the shoulder that I was going to take a picture of but when I slowed down she gave me that crazed cow look like, you have no idea what I’ll do to protect my baby.  I didn’t want to be involved any kind of collision with a cow, even if I’m not moving at the time.  SO – I rode on, and took my picture at a little safer distance.

Today I’ll be riding on the eastern half of the Flaming Gorge scenic loop.  The guys at the Harley dealer said this is the way to go and besides – it’s back on US 191 for me.

Major John Wesley Powell named Flaming Gorge for the brilliant sandstone exposed on the canyon walls by, you guessed it, the Green River.  In 1869 he made a voyage down the Green River all the way through the Grand Canyon.  That time was just to check it out – two years later he made the voyage again collecting scientific data.  That’s a boat ride the entire length of the state of Utah – and then some.  Those guys back then had SAND.

That little crack you can see in the ground is the Green River getting started.  This is already several miles in on the scenic by way – hope it gets better.

This is a little better, but the Flaming Gorge is on the other side.

Okay, now I see it.  I guess the other side of the loop would have been more scenic if you wanted to actually see the “flames.”

And finally – a look at what Major John Wesley Powell must have been talking about. Imagine what it might have looked like before they filled much of the gorge with water.  That happened in 1964. The depth of the lake is 436 feet, that would have certainly added to the flames. They say that the Green River used to run from barely a trickle to huge torrents of water washing away everything in it’s path.  The dam created a water source, electricity, and provided a river with predictable flow down stream, creating what they describe as a blue ribbon trout fishery.  In addition, it appears that there is some pretty good fishing in the lake.

From Flaming Gorge Reservoir the road would have been good enough without all the frost heaves.  Nothing like the ones up in Alaska that will blow out your fork seals, but enough that your back ain’t gonna appreciate the road conditions.  However – the views are still pretty good.

And then the road got better and the turns straightened out a little and it was ALL GOOD.

The smoother road and smooth turns continued all the way to Delta.  The temperature warmed up nicely and it was a great day to spend out in the back with just about nobody else on the road.

Today I’ll be riding down the Million Dollar Highway.  In the state of Colorado there’s a special highway built in the late 1880’s: the Million Dollar Highway, part of the San Juan Skyway. It’s one of the nation’s most spectacular drives.  Forget standard driving safety measures like guardrails and shoulders, there aren’t any.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  First, let’s talk about these mountains.  (remember click the picture for a larger view)

This is a view of the Rocky Mountains as I was riding up to them.  I never thought about the name until now, but after seeing them, I think they got their name because that’s what they look like.  Turns out – I was correct – just like Rock Point!!  It’s a translation of a Cree word that means Mountains looking like Rock (or something like that).  But I was impressed with this view, they do look like rock mountains and that’s where I’m going.

Wedged into a very tight canyon is the little town of Ouray, Colorado.  It looks like something you might see in the Swiss Alps and has a population of around 1,000.  It’s also the starting point of the Million Dollar Highway, which stretches about 25 miles from here to Silverton, CO.  Without stops it takes about 45 minutes to drive.

This view is from a pull out right after you get to the proper altitude for the drive.  If you look high up on the left you can see where the rock cut away for the road fell down the canyon.  I’m not “afraid” of heights, but I do have a healthy respect for them.  Riding down a road with a death sentence 5 inches right of the white line sure keeps me away from that edge.  I wasn’t in the oncoming traffic lane, but I was more than half way there.

You can see that I’m almost above the tree line here.  Heavy leather was worn all day and I was very glad to have it.  Forgot to charge the batteries for my gloves though – that was a mistake – but riding a bike, you’re sitting on top of a hand warmer.  Just as soon as you can ride with one hand on the handlebars.

Far as I can remember – this is the highest I’ve ever been on a motorcycle.  I wanted to go to the highest point in Colorado 14,130 because it’s the highest state high point in the lower 48, then the highest point in the state of Florida, because it’s the lowest high point in the United States at 345 ft.  Too far out of my way for the outbound leg at least.  I still might do the Florida one and get the 14,130 on my way back to the ranch.

This is where the road gets less dangerous.  The curves straighten out enough to be fun riding and it’s a pretty good road.  I would suggest that in order to get the full experience, you rent a convertable in either Ouray or Silverton.  Ride one direction so you can see everything while the driver pays CLOSE Attention, then switch positions and go back.  It’s very difficult on a bike because the dramatic views are UP and it’s difficult to drive straight ahead when you know you’re gonna die if you don’t and look up at the same time.  Not for the faint of heart – but fun.  Oh yea – for the most part I ride back roads and am mostly alone on them.  That ain’t gonna happen on this road, lots of traffic with the associated issues, be careful, your life depends on it.  Bonus: Why aren’t there guardrails? The area gets significant amounts of snowfall and because the roads are so narrow, plows must push the snow off the cliffs to keep the road open.

One of the things I need to do while I’m on these rides is keep track of the weather.  I have rain gear but knowing when to put it on is very handy.  SO – I watch the weather radar on my phone to predict precipitation.  I was heading for Santa Fe, NM and just south of Durango, CO there were a couple pretty good rain cells but they were moving fast enough that I figured I’d have some lunch and wait it out.  I checked out the Harley dealer but they were out of most everything so I walked across the parking lot to the Million Dollar Highway bar and grill.  There I met a very interesting man.  He is 87 and had story after story – with a couple repeats here and there.  Motorcycles, rock band filming and photography, animal photography, more motorcycles.  The rain was long gone by the time I was back on the bike, but I will be keeping in touch with my new friend.

Finally – do you remember these?  Well, there’s a place in northern New Mexico where it appears that they are still in use.  Everywhere else I’ve seen them the wires are broken and some of the insulators are missing.  Here, I didn’t see a broken wire or missing insulators for at least 4 or 5 miles.  I wonder if there’s an operator sitting in front of a switchboard somewhere – “One ringy dingy, two ringy dingy.”  “Have I reached the party to whom I am speaking?”  Ernestine

To quote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Thy fate is the common fate of all, into each life some rain must fall.  And of course, without the rain, there would be no rainbows.

I started out dry this morning but ran into a bit of rain before I made it to the Interstate.  It was still raining here but I had to get this shot with the bike and the rainbow.

Not a lot to see on I-40 unless you haven’t seen a Love’s truck stop, or all the trucks that you are mixing it up with while you’re on the slab.  But you gotta do wha-cha gotta do.  What, you might ask is so important.  Finally getting to go fishing.  But before we get to that, this was a bit of a surprise one of the times I pulled off for gas.  You’ve heard of the Cadillac Ranch out in Texas (top pic).  This place is the Bug Ranch. One man’s trash…

Bert is a motorcycle rider from WAY back.  For the last several years he has been an Indian rider and has had 5 or 6 of them.  When he bought his last one, he took his daughter with him to the dealership and they brought TWO Indian motorcycles home.  She had to take me for a ride around the neighborhood.  It was fun – Thanks Alexis.

This is the second time I’ve gone fishing for striped bass on Lake Texoma with Bert & Mary.  A fun half day boat ride and we had our limit and had switched to catch and release with an hour left to go.  That’s a good mess of fish….  If you’re ever thinking about a striper fishing trip on Lake Texoma – I highly recommend this guy for a guide.  Bring nothing (money and a fishing license of course) – leave with a cooler full of fillets.

Day 9

One of the things Bert does with his striper meat is make a smoked fish spread.  It is SO good!!  I’m going to have to find out how he makes it and see if I can get close.  I actually have a margarine tub full of it to take with me this morning.  That,  and a couple left over pieces of pizza from last night means I won’t have to eat the gas station sushi I’ve been eating while I’m on the road.  Thank you guys for everything.  See you on the way back.

Bert told me that I should check out the Talimena National Scenic Byway on my way to Missouri, but it was raining when I left OKC and I totally forgot about going on the scenic route.  What I was mostly thinking about was riding toward the light; lighter sky that is.  I was out of the rain in less than 30 minutes, and to tell the truth, it was never more than a light shower.

These are the roads I that feed my soul.  It’s a back road with enough twists and turns to make it interesting.  The road also has houses and farms right next to the road.  People out in their yards stop what they are doing and wave as you go by.  How great is that??

Just short of the Arkansas border I stopped at a Walmart gas station.  The attendant was very friendly and asked me where I was from and where I was going.  Then she came out from her booth of bullet proof glass and suggested that I take a road called the Pig Trail and stop at the Little Golden Gate bridge just outside Eureka Springs.  When she was telling me all about it, a customer came up to pay for their gas and she looked over her shoulder and told them that she would be right there.  She was thrilled when I told her that I was going to go to Branson via the Pig Trail, and would check out the Little Golden Gate.

The “Pig Trail,” is named for its use as a shortcut for University of Arkansas Razorbacks fans traveling to and from Fayetteville.  It’s widely-known by motorcyclists as one of the best rides in the state, if not the entire south. The Pig Trail cuts, zigs, and zags through the Ozark National Forest with just about every kind of scenery imaginable from rivers to waterfalls to mountain views. In addition to the twists, turns, and pretty views, the Pig Trail is also a part of American history, having been used by both the Union and the Confederacy during the Civil War. Put simply, the Pig Trail has it all… Exciting curves, beautiful scenery and centuries of American history.

What the heck – sounds good to me, why not.  Well – I didn’t even slow down at the crossroads.  It was DARK going that way and I was trying to stay in front of the line of thunderstorms that was blocking the Pig Trail.  I was mostly successful, but I ran into enough rain that my pants were wet as well as my boots.  By the time I made it to Branson, most everything was dried out.  I was a little bummed that I missed both the Talimena and Pig Trail roads not to mention that bridge – but there’s always next time.

It’s raining all around but I started out this morning with the idea that, I’ll just watch the sky and my weather radar app on my phone and I’ll ride wherever I can stay dry.  So, I wasn’t dressed in my frogg toggs rain suit when I left.  I didn’t have a destination, just generally wanted to go east.  So, it was just dumb luck that I stumbled onto US Route 160 along the southern border of Missouri.  What a GREAT road; without a doubt one of my top five.  One of these days I’m going to ride the full length of US Route 160 from where it starts in northern AZ to where it ends here in MO.

In addition to the good asphalt and twists and turns, the road has dips and climbs that are steep enough to nearly bottom out the suspension at the bottom of the dip and make you feel like you’re close to getting airborne at the top.  There’s not a lot of scenery but in my opinion, if you’re going slow enough to be gawking around – you’ll have more fun if you go faster.  The speed limit is mostly 55 mph but you’re almost never going that fast because of all those turns.

I realized that I was only riding and hadn’t taken a single picture.  So – here is a picture for y’all – but the star of today was the road.  If you’re ever east or west bound near the southern border of Missouri – you owe it to yourself to check out 160.

There was a line of weather 10 miles east of Willow Springs.  I wasn’t dressed for the occasion, and I was not the least bit interested in getting suited up.  SO – this is a very short post with almost no pictures.  I’d invite you to click around on this site cuz there’s lots of other stuff here.  If you haven’t already checked it out, scroll up to the top and click on Why I Ride in that black banner.  Also, you might enjoy some of the Shorter Trips.  They are just like this – but usually only a one day ride.

First off, I’d like to say thanks all for your comments on the postings.  I rarely reply to them, but I have to approve all coments before they show up on your end and I enjoy reading them and hope that some of the rest of you read the comments as well.

While I was hanging around in Willow Springs I decided to get a haircut.  My lovely and talented wife has been the only one to cut my hair for years, but it was getting a little long so I went to see Joe.  Very nice (and talkative) guy – been here in the same, one chair, barber shop for 50+ years.  I shoulda gotta picture of Joe and me but this is all you get.

This morning I knew I was going to be riding in the rain.  I was hoping that it might have moved on – but this is the same line I was looking at when I quit yesterday.  It moved a few miles east but it’s still there and must be crossed.  Obviously, I’m the blue dot.

I stopped at a small town gas station right about here (blue dot) to assess my progress.  I thought that since it was clearing up – I might be on the other side of the rain – Nope!  A good ol boy parked near me in his flatbed tow truck, looked over and said, “You gonna get wet on that thang.”  I nodded my head and he said, “All part of it I reckon.”  That about sums it up – All part of it…..This is what I was looking at – Only way to get through this was going to be, put my head down and ride.  I decided that I would ride until I saw blue sky and keep going until my gloves dried out.  250 miles of rain and some of it was pretty bad.  About 10 miles or so was an 8 out of 10 on my Worst Rain I’ve ever been in on a Motorcycle scale.  Visibility low, wind blowing, water pooling on the road – you’ve been there.  I rode 100 yards behind a semi with my emergency flashers on for those 10 miles of pretty bad.  We were going about 45 mph on I-40.  I rode there because I could see him (visibility was very low) and if he started to slow down I could tell, even if I couldn’t see his brake lights.  A full face helmet would be nice in situations like this – I don’t own one of those and wouldn’t lug it around even if I did.

The rain slacked off to light about 40 miles west of Nashville. Just past Music Row, I pulled into a Jack in the Box (in the WRONG part of town) and took off my rain suit in the parking lot – it started to rain :::sigh:::  Just a little…. but I was out of there and eastbound on I-40.

Back in 2016 I stayed in Lebanon, TN, and really enjoyed riding eastbound out of there on Hwy 70.  So, I decided this would be as good a place as any to end the day.  My gloves weren’t even close to dry but it was time for my faithful steed and I to be done for the day. If you want to eat at a good restaurant, look for law enforcement vehicles in the parking lot; if you want to find a cheap hotel, look for trucks in the parking lot.  Tally-HO!!!

And – these guys were cooking dinner on their BBQ in front of their rooms.  Just around the corner, I could smell smoke.  Not the something’s burning kinda smoke,  but the something’s being cooked kinda smoke.  I stopped and talked to the chef and turns out he is the boss of a paving crew up from Texas, much of their equipment what I saw in the parking lot. He tossed 4 racks of ribs and a couple dozen drumsticks in this smoker while I was talking to him.  When I came back from dinner, the whole crew was hanging out at the smoker enjoying a cocktail (see the brandy bottle) and celebrating one of the guy’s birthday.  I asked if I could take a picture & everyone said sure – but they scattered like their face might have been on a wanted poster somewhere.

This motel is a place to sleep and little more, but it’s good enough for me.  I’ve got all my wet stuff hanging all around the room and will surely be getting some of that sleep.

It was raining a little this morning, but it quit about an hour before the sun came up.  SO – I figured I’d do the rain prep for my boots, because of all the road spray if nothing else, and leave the rain suit in the saddle bag for as long as possible.  Hopefully all day….

It was one of those days that you love in the summer time.  Cloudy with an occasional shower.  Just enough to get you kinda wet, which provides evaporative cooling, then about the time you dry out, another shower.  This time of year, the dampness from the occasional precipitation is more cumulative.  Did that sound like a complaint?  Not complaining I assure you.

I told you that hwy 70 from Lebanon was a nice ride back in 2016.  Hwy 70N looks like it will not be a disappointment.  See that green mockingbird on the road sign?  That designates the road you are on as a Tennessee Scenic Byway.  Sometimes I wonder what the heck people were thinking when they designate their scenic routes – but this one I’m going to have to agree with.  A great morning to be out on the road.

Nice to see that the kudzu hasn’t all died off.  I guess there’s nothing to be done about this invasive vine.  I wonder what the long term effect of kudzu will be?

Culverts R Us – I don’t know what the real name of this business is but with all the rain they get around here, they need these culverts for sure.

According to my wife my GPS has a peculiar sense of humor.  However – I appreciate it when I’m on the bike. It usually it doesn’t take me down dead end roads, and quite a bit of the time I end up on gems like this. A remote country road that I would never have taken on my own. There isn’t even a speed limit on this road, but you never know what could be over the next hill or around the corner, so you don’t want to be peddling too fast.

For example – this guy was crossing the road as I came over one of those hills.  I didn’t come that close to hitting him, but I can’t imagine hitting a turtle this size and not having a considerable control problem. And, if you wind up needing assistance – might be A While.

My buddy the rain was back, but as a good friend of mine back in Thousand Oaks says, It’s……..

I found a gas station and got dressed for the change in the weather.  There were a couple places where it was raining pretty heavy but since I wasn’t on the interstate, slowing down to make things a little more tolerable was no big deal. I think what I really need for the heaver rain is a pair of Dale Earnhardt goggles.  Whatdaya think?

All in all – it was a good day on the bike. Even better I’m in Lexington visiting my favorite Aunt and her husband.  Can’t stay long but sure is nice to be here.

My aunt left for her cross fit training and I left Lexington headed generally east, no destination in mind.  It was a very nice morning to ride and after some brief time on main roads I was on the back roads of Kentucky and enjoying my solitude.  See the blue tint in the sky – that is not Photoshop.

One thing I was a little surprised to see was barn quilts.  Far as I know, this started up in Ohio (guess that’s not too far from Kentucky).  Anyway – they are usually a family quilt design and people paint them on their barns as a way of honoring a loved one.  This was the most intricate one I saw, most were more traditional.  I’d say that about one out of three barns on this road had a quilt.

Another thing you see quite a bit of in this part of the country is buildings that have just been left to fall apart.  I guess it’s too much effort, or maybe too dangerous, to take them down.  I would love to have some of this wood for projects back at the ranch.  Yea – Like I need more projects back at the ranch…….

Names of places are interesting to me.  Take for instance this place, Paint Lick, Kentucky.  Colonel William Miller was born in Virginia in 1747, came with Daniel Boone to mark the Cumberland Gap. He chose the site for Fort Paint Lick in 1776 and eventually a settlement with the same name surrounded the fort.  The name Paint Lick came about from the way Indians marked the salt licks in the area.  They would peel a piece of bark from a tree near the salt lick, thereby “painting” the tree and enabling them to locate the source of salt for their animals.  Betcha didn’t see that one coming – I sure didn’t.

Day 14 – Roanoke, VA

I have a “feel” for when it’s time to replace the tires on my bike.  I won’t bore you with the details but this time my feel was a little off.  I checked everything before I left Arizona and there was plenty of tread on the rear tire – I figured I’d just replace it when I got to Atlanta, which is where I usually do any necessary work on the bike.  I really like the dealership in Atlanta and the prices are quite reasonable.  Anyway – I got to thinking and I’ve ridden over 4,000 miles on this trip alone so I got down on my hands and knees and – Damn!!  Next thing I did was find a Harley dealer close and see if they could hook me up.

When you’re “on the road” you have priority in the service department at Harley dealerships which is very nice.  I’ve had to use that privilege more than once in my travels.  The good folks at Roanoke Valley Harley Davidson assured me that as soon as I got there one of their guys would drop everything and get right on my bike.  They didn’t have a front tire, but the rear was in stock and waiting for me.  SO – I left Norton on a mission.

It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day and the roads were drying out.  I still took it pretty easy though, the recently discovered condition of my rear tire not giving me the confidence required to lean the bike over very far.

Since I wasn’t going to have much fun on the back roads, I headed for the slab.  Interstate 81 to be exact – the Lee Highway.  This part of the country is so steeped in the history of the United States that I think it would be very easy for me to get wrapped up in it – if I lived here.  My wife’s uncle Jay lived in Spotsylvania, VA and was quite the historian.  He was a pilot in the war (and afterward) and had a most interesting life.  I could sit for hours and listen to Jay tell his stories and share his knowledge of the Civil War and the history of our great country.  World needs more people like Uncle Jay – and Aunt Peggy; because behind every good man…..

When I got to Roanoke Valley H-D they took me right in as promised.  I asked again about the front tire, and the service manager actually found one.  However, it had already been reserved by another customer.  The service manager actually called him on the phone and asked if he could give his tire to me and order another one for him.  WHAT – that never happens.  Short version is – I left with two new tires and some new wheel bearings.  I also was informed that my front rim was bent.  Excuse ME – they took me back the the service area and sure enough – guess I must have hit something, but it’s not a big deal.  Even though the rim is no longer a perfect circle, the tire seems round enough, and I’ve never noticed it.  Toss it back on the bike and get me outta here.  Big shout out to those guys – it’s never cheap, but new tires make SO MUCH difference.

For those of you that don’t know, new tires on a motorcycle vs old tires are like the difference between the golf swings of Charles Barkley vs. Fred Couples.  You should never ride around on tires like the one on the left – especially in the rain.  Okay?  Enough said. And yes mother, I can hear myself talk.  I’ll work on “practice what you preach”.

I decided that I would jump up onto the Blue Ridge Parkway this morning to have some fun with my new sticky tires.  Still a little damp out but these babies should grip like no other – so let’s run ’em, what do you say?

Best laid plans – it was very foggy and very wet.  Can’t see anything, including what might be on the road in front of you.  I rode the parkway for about 10 miles hoping things would change, but they didn’t – forget it.

I remember the first time I drove the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I flew into DC to see some friends of mine and they gave me their Toyota truck to drive down to Norfolk to visit the folks I’m on my way to see today – How long ago was that Vangie?

One of the things I like to do on these rides is check out a couple of famous “motorcycle roads”.  The first one I ever heard of is called the Tail of the Dragon.  It’s the road through Deals Gap, a mountain pass along the North Carolina–Tennessee state line, bordering the Smoky Mountains.  I was looking around in Roanoke Valley Harley Davidson and saw this poster.  Looks like they have made EVERY road in the area some kind of designated motorcycle ride. (remember you can click the pictures and they will be bigger if you’re interested)  So, instead of looking for a specific ride or route, I just figured I’d make my own up as I went along – looks like there’s some really good asphalt out there, should be easy enough.

Oh yea – just for grins, here’s something from the archives.  This is Robin and I back in 2014 on our Four Corners Ride.  We are riding the Tail of the Dragon.  Two up and towing a trailer – now THAT uses up the tires very quickly.

Found some of those good roads for sure.  One of the things I think about when I see buildings like this is – what if they could talk?  What if they could tell you the story about the people that lived there, why they left, what they road looked like when the house was built, etc.  Just one of the examples of why I enjoy riding around the country so much.

Here’s another one – I look at all the fields and try to figure out what’s growing.  I think this is tobacco.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen tobacco in a field before though – so I don’t know.  Seems like it should have been harvested by now…..  Any help here?

Not that much for y’all today. Mostly a good ride on new tires and great friends at the end of the road.

Meet the Colemans – I’ve known them and their family since I was in the Air Force, back in ’79.  “Back in ’79” – that sounds like something old people say, especially if you can make it sound like you have no teeth when you say it.  Take Care Y’all.

Chesapeake Beach, Maryland is the farthest north I’ll be going on this year’s adventure.  It’s been several years since I’ve seen these folks and it’s time to fix that.  Been a short visit here in Poquoson, but it was quality time for sure.  It’s a relatively short ride up to Maryland, so there was plenty of time for breakfast with Judy before I left.

I had to laugh – I just left the Coleman’s house and now I’m going over the Coleman Bridge.  That’ll be .85 cents toll for your motorcycle please.

I thought the road looked familiar but couldn’t be certain.  Then I saw this Volkswagen parked outside in the same place it was when I came through back in 2012.  Then I knew my instincts were right.  I’ve been down this road before – literally.

Today was one of the best days yet for a motorcycle ride.  High clouds, mid to upper 70’s: who could ask for more…. Well, there is one thing.  When you get out to one of the divided roads, people drive like #$%&.  It’s okay, I lived in CA long enough to know how to deal with aggressive drivers.  These guys are are the kings of speeding up to fill gaps so you can’t get in, going 70+ in a 55 zone, not paying attention, you get the picture.  I was a little disappointed – but hey, if there weren’t places like this, Arizona wouldn’t seem so special.

This time of year on the county roads you see lots of Halloween decorations.  This was one of my favorites – so far at least.

I’m so close to Washington DC that I can almost smell the cesspool that place is.  In my older age, I have ZERO tolerance for politics and politicians of ANY stripe.  No doubt that some of the local driving skills are inspired by all the kindness and understanding flowing from our nation’s capital.  Sorry about that, need to keep this as apolitical as possible.

No politics here, that’s for sure.  Nathan & Sophie are a couple of great kids and so are their parents.  Their parents aren’t really “kids” but I’ve known the mom since she was a very little girl.  Thanks for the hospitality (especially the pilau & greens) and I promise it won’t be so long before the next time, of course, you’re always welcome at the ranch.

Day 17 – Back to Newport News, VA

Going back over the Potomac River Bridge – it looks like they’re building another one.  That’s good – this one has been here since 1940 and is in pretty tough shape.  They say that the new bridge started in 2020 and should be done in 2022 – I doubt that.

I had plenty of time to get back down to where I came from yesterday so I decided to go check out the George Washington’s Birthplace National Monument.  Turns out the house is not really where he was born.  The plantation that his father bought back in 1718 burned to the ground on Christmas Day 1779.  George was born there, in 1732, but the house that’s there now was built on what they thought was the foundation of the original house back in 1931.  However, now they are pretty sure that’s not the right place.  SO – they are trying to figure that out so they can be more authentic.  No records though so it’s going to be a best guess.  So far, not too good on the best guess approach – just call it good and stop spending money is what I say.

George was for sure born on the property.  He only lived here for three years but he came back many times.  In fact, this is where he practiced his newly acquired surveying skills.  Regardless, this is a killer view facing north east with Pope’s Creek in front of you, and the Potomac River in the background.  There were many tobacco plant along the Potomac River and each of their landings was an international port of call.  A steady procession of ships sailed the river, collecting hogsheads of tobacco (a barrel 4ft tall and 3ft across) for shipment to England and unloading both the necessities and niceties of colonial life.

Back on the back roads, and back to farm country.  I’ve been seeing this crop for several days and couldn’t figure out what it was.  Come to find out – they are soybeans. Immature soybeans in the pod like these are what we enjoy as edamame.  If you haven’t tried them, they are pretty dang good – and good for you!!

To harvest soybeans, they let the plants die, that’s why the leaves behind the scooter are turning yellow.  Once all the leaves have fallen off and there’s nothing left but a stick with dried seed pods left – it’s time to go get ’em.  The harvester spits out all the chaff and only the beans go into the hopper.  Soybeans are mostly used in animal feed and to make cooking oil.  I know I’ve eaten a bunch of the immature ones……

Soybeans are a popular crop because they are often planted in crop rotation with corn. That means one year farmers plant corn, and the following year they plant soybeans, and then go back to corn the next year. Both crops perform better when grown in this rotation than they would under continuous production.  Here is a very good video if you have a couple minutes to watch it.  This kid does a very good job of explaining farming.  Can’t imagine you not finding it interesting.

So – that was the soybeans, this is the corn.  In the west the corn is harvested when the plant is green, before the sugar has had a chance to turn to starch – that’s Sweet Corn.

The corn grown out in this area is field corn – or Dent corn; see the dent in each kernel.  Dent corn isn’t harvested until the corn has dried – this stuff looks about ready.

Dent corn has a high starch and low sugar content, which means it’s not sweet and juicy. Most dent corn grown in the U.S. winds up as animal feed and because of its soft starch, it’s used as a grain in products like chips and masa (used to make corn tortillas).  The majority of corn grown in the U.S. is yellow dent corn.  Oh yea, Dent corn is also used to make moonshine and bourbon – gotta go back to Kentucky for that though.

I’m not going back through Kentucky – but next time I’m there I’ll try to find me some of that good corn liquor.

Back down here in the Norfolk area of Virginia for a couple days to visit with Kimberly and her family.  Kim’s been like a sista to me ever since I was in the Air Force, back in ’79.  Sometimes I don’t come this far north on my rides, but whenever I do – you can bet I’ll be making a visit to my sista and family.

Kim’s daughter Heather and I got pretty close over the years and we went out to shoot some pool at a local “biker bar” before heading out for dinner.  We wanted to ride over so she could roll up on a big loud motorcycle, but that damn rain…. we drove.  Hoss’s Deli is a nice little place with a local crowd & lots of license plates everywhere.  Heather found one that matched one of the nicknames I have for her.

This was kinda weird – when we got there the 3 ball was still on the table (left after the previous players finished their game) and after 4 or 5 games – that 3 ball was still the lone soldier left standing – Heather took this photo.

Time to go to dinner – just one more pic on the way out to prove that we were actually here.

Texas Roadhouse on a Saturday night. Packed to the max!  But the food is always good and worth the wait. You know – all these people I knew when they were little kids are having kids of their own and a couple of THOSE kids are having kids – but I never get any older, how does that work?  Dunno, but it’s working for me – at least so far.  It’s always too soon to leave – but it’s time to go. Great visit with another part of my extended family.

Pouring rain this morning but by the time we got back from church it had settled down some and I figured I had a 50/50 shot at staying dry-ish today.  And I was mostly successful. What I was doing for the first couple hours is a fun little game I play with the weather.  It was raining in front of me on my planned route, and there were rain cells all over but there were clear-ish patches of sky as well.  What I would do is ride one direction until I was blocked by black sky then turn towards the light trying to stay dry.  Here and there, in and out and like I said, mostly successful, and fun. Most of the roads were very lightly traveled very sparsely populated. I was thinking that there was a good chance that I could end up on a dirt road or a dead end – or both – but I was lucky, and soon enough the fun was over, scattered white clouds that weren’t leaking.  Oh well – fun while it lasted.  When I looked at the map – I noticed that for the time I was playing my rain game – I did a lot of riding around but didn’t go very far in the right direction.  Regardless it was time well spent for me.

This is one of the little towns I went through – downtown main street in Rich Square, North Carolina. It is Sunday – but how much busier do you think it would be middle of the week?

Hadn’t seen a cotton field yet this year – Guess I can check that one off my list. Don’t worry you’re not going to get another farming lesson – but if you’re interested Cotton 101.

And I thought this place would be ideal for a haunted house here in a couple weeks.  That’s what it would be if it were my place – At least very scary on the outside.  Probably walk across the porch and the roof would fall down on you – guess that would be scary.

It’s time to wrap this up for today – y’all have a good day, mine was Awesome.

I left Florence on a bit of a circuitous route this morning.  I wanted to go by Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina.  Shaw is home to the USAF 20th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16CJ Fighting Falcons.  These are the aircraft that fly the Wild Weasel missions. Their mission, to hunt down and destroy surface-to-air missile sites, tracking them via their radiation signature and even using their aircraft as bait.

The mission dates back to Vietnam, where they were carried out by F-105F Thunderchiefs and later F-4 Phantoms. The riskiness of the job is illustrated in this vintage unit patch, an anxious-looking cartoon weasel and the letters, “YGBSM,” short for “You Gotta Be Shitting Me.”

An F-4 would go out and find the missile sites by being lit up. After the Surface to Air Missile was fired at them, they would detect the radiation from the SAM – locate the launch location, evade the missile, and destroy the site. So they are essentially the bait, and the executioner. Wild weasel, goes back to hunting. Hunting weasels go down a hole and pull out the bigger prey.  While the military’s bait and destroy technique was successful, it also cost the lives of many pilots.  As F-4s transitioned out of the force, F-16s took on the mission, which remains active today.

I’ve got a friend that was an Air Force fighter pilot.  He flew the A-10 Warthog (a tank killer) and about that aircraft he said, “It’s like flying a barn door.”  He also flew F-16’s and described that experience as, “Sitting on top of a rocket.”  I almost got some time in an Air Force F-16 simulator – almost…….

The route I planned goes right under the departure end of the runway for the Shaw AFB F-16’s.  What I was hoping to do was have the good luck to be right under a flight of two taking off – or anything close to that. The sound of United States fighter aircraft always gives me the chills, the louder the better – “Sound of Freedom” I always say.  Not today though….

Down here there are churches that have cemeteries on the property.  This particular one has the biggest cemetery portion I’ve ever seen.  I looked around a little – the oldest date I saw on a headstone was 1907.  The church must have been rebuilt.

Another thing I was looking for this morning was breakfast.  Not just any breakfast though, I wanted Livermush.  Best way I can describe livermush is it’s kinda like spam but made with pork liver. Yum Yum!!  I had it in a little out of the way cafe North Carolina several years ago and haven’t been able to find it since.  I checked the GPS for a cafe when it was breakfast time and found one a ways down the road. Come to find out, it was a lunch and dinner only place.  SO – I just figured I’d go to Chick-fil-A right next door.  Covid protocol there was you can go in and order but you gotta go outside to eat.  Looked like they were doing quite well at the drive though.  Now that operation is a well oiled machine.

Oh yea – I forgot to put this in.  Right across the street from the church, I noticed this open mail box.  I went over to close it but as they say – I think that ship has sailed.

It was a good ride around this morning but after my chicken biscuit it was time to start putting the miles behind me to get to Sharpsburg.  Up onto the Interstate I went for a few hours.  The last 85 miles I bailed off the slab and enjoyed a much more relaxed ride.  On the way I ran across my new favorite front yard Halloween display.  This is one of those pictures you should click on so you can see all the detail.  Talk about going all out……

Always GREAT to be here in the Atlanta area with another part of my extended family.  There’s actually a couple of ’em missing from this shot.

Where in Florida??  Micanopy – (MIK-ə-NOH-pee) is the oldest inland town in Florida, having been included in a land grant made by the King of Spain in 1817 to Don Fernando de la Maza Arrendondo of Havana and St. Augustine.  It has a fairly tumultuous past as the Seminole Indians weren’t all that interested in the white man moving in.  If you’ve heard  John Anderson’s song Seminole Wind, it makes reference to Micanopy.  For more info on Micanopy  (short and interesting) – click here.

I usually spend a week or more in Sharpsburg; it’s where I do any motorcycle maintenance (Great South H-D is a really good dealership), and I kinda know my way around – and, there’s lots of people to catch up with.  Already put on the new tires I would have gotten here, about all that was left was to change the oil.  I took of that so I’m good for another 5K-ish miles – and it’s time to get started.  I had a close call in a little town about 5 miles from Sharpsburg on my way here.  In an effort to avoid another one of those, I gave all the soccer moms plenty of time to get back home from their daily school delivery before journeyed out on my bike.  Musta worked, no incidents – or anything even close.

This morning I was navigating via the sun – keep it off your left in the morning and you’ll be going south-ish. Staying on the road less traveled I ended up in Butts County, this is how I knew where I was.

I was going to bring up the very true saying, that a picture is worth 1,000 words and suggest an alternate graphic for the water tower (even had one all picked out) however, I decided to rise above that – I’m sure you “get the picture”.

When my Georgia family found out that I was going south to Florida for my next leg, almost every one of them said, “Oh, you gotta stop at Bucky’s.”  Uh – okaaay, what’s Bucky’s?  Come to find out it’s actually Buc-ee’s. A Texas-based, and Texas-sized, gas station chain that has developed a cult following for its clean restrooms, ample snacks, kitschy gifts, and lots of gas pumps (120 two sided pumps at this one.  It’s really a travel stop but could easily be a destination, no semi trucks allowed. I was impressed – More Info

What you see in the foreground are gas pumps, all the way down. And they have a few more that aren’t in this picture.  I’m telling you – this place is BIG.  You could easily spend an hour here, and if that’s your lunch hour – you would be fat as a tick on very good – not that expensive food & probably have some of their home made jerky for the road.  I doubt that I’ll be passing too many Buc-ee’s travel centers without stopping – just for a minute.  This location is just east of I-75 south of Macon, GA.

The rest of today’s ride was spent on I-75.  I spent so much time in Buc-ee’s that I thought I’d better put some miles behind me.  I was planning on going southbound as far as Ocala, FL, but I got tired and pulled off at the Micanopy exit just to stretch my legs.  There was a motel there – they gave me a veteran’s discount and that was that.  I would NOT recommend that particular motel, but I’m not that picky.

Left out of Micanopy early this morning – even before the sun came up.  It was warm and damp out here in Florida and as you might expect, there was patchy fog all around.

Some people see low riders and think how cool they look.  Me? – I’m from the other side of the road.  In my opinion, this family has it figured out.  Everything I saw on their property had some kinda lift kit; and the four trucks they were most proud of were prominently on display in their front yard.

I’d be happy with that yellow Ford down at the end of the line, that’s probably a 6 inch lift.  I know these pictures are a little dark, but it was still purdy early in the morning.

Potty Talk – In the past, getting to a bathroom while on these bike rides was no problem.  On the slab it’s still no big deal – plenty of truck stops and rest areas on the Interstate.  On the back roads, I used to just find a fast food joint.  Covid protocols out here have almost all of those fast food places restricted to drive through only. At most places you can’t even get in the door, and if you can get inside – the bathroom door is blocked off with caution tape.  There are a few places along the road where you can pull over and head for the bushes. However, out here in Florida, just about the time you get far enough into the shrubbery that you’re mostly out of sight, you’re very likely to start SINKING. Not to mention the mosquitos and yellow flies that will be there waiting for you.  That, by the way, is first hand knowledge. I’ll tell you my yellow fly story sometime.

One place you can always find good clean bathrooms is a Harley dealer.  I’m pretty sure they plan it that way because they know that the guys and gals out there riding around on their motorcycles will need a “rest stop” at some point and they want to have what you need so you’ll decide to “rest” there.  I was sure ready for some of that kind of rest when I saw the familiar bar and shield sign ahead and to the right.  Space Coast Harley Davidson (named Space Coast because it’s near Cape Canaveral) was as restful as they get. They did have this thing parked outside.  It used to be a Road Glide (same model that I ride) – probably zero parts left on it that are Harley Davidson.  If someone gave it to me – I’d sell it, immediately, and hope nobody saw me with it.

I’m mostly traveling on Florida’s Hwy 1 this time around.  The road along the coast is A1A and it goes right next to the ocean, kinda like Pacific Coast Highway in California.  I’ve been on just about all of A1A at one time or another, it’s kinda slow going and believe it or not, it was hot out here today.  Stop and go traffic in the heat is something air cooled motorcycles don’t appreciate, and neither do I.  So, this is as close to the Atlantic as I’m getting on this leg. If I don’t end up getting a picture right on the ocean, here is one next to the Intracoastal Waterway.

The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a 3,000-mile inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Boston, Massachusetts, southward along the Atlantic Seaboard, around the southern tip of Florida, then following the Gulf Coast to Brownsville, Texas. Some sections of the waterway consist of natural inlets, saltwater rivers, bays, and sounds, while others are artificial canals. It provides a navigable route along its length without many of the hazards of travel on the open sea.

THIS is not a picture of the ICW – this is the sunrise from my friend’s house where I’m staying here in West Palm Beach.  Twelve stories up in a condo on Singer Island.

I’ll be here for a few days – playing golf and just relaxing.  Plenty warm here in Florida and I’ve been told to enjoy it because back at the ranch in Arizona things are starting to get cold.  Lows near or below freezing and highs in the 60’s.  Looks like I’ll be needing the Heavy Leather again before this adventure is over.  Y’all take care & I’ll do the same.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in West Palm Beach. Played 3 or 4 rounds of golf at Scott’s Country Club, and otherwise mostly just R&R in an awesome setting.  Oh yea, we did eat a little here and there. This is a sushi boat for two, Tuna, Salmon, Red Snapper & Yellow Tail served two ways, and if that’s not enough – two sushi rolls.  It was outstanding.

This place did not have the best donuts in the world – but it did have the best apple fritter I’ve ever had, plenty of apples in these fritters.  It’s $4.50 but easily enough for two people.

It was time to say goodbye to my 12th floor condo on the beach and head for the west coast of Florida. While I’ve been in West Palm Beach the weather has been ideal; a bit warm and humid for me, but no rain.  On my way out of town, one of the tiniest of clouds sent down a little sprinkle. I didn’t consider it an omen but a blessing from Florida.  And a friendly reminder – be mindful of the water that falls from the sky.

I want to get over to the Tampa area by way of the Tamiami (Tampa to Miami) trail. This 275 mile road was started in 1915 and took eleven years to build.  It runs along the northern border of the Everglades, is one lane in each direction and has no fences so wildlife is free to cross. Sounds like fun, right? – I agree, Let’s DO this.

Side note: The guy that was in charge of building the Tamiami Trail is the guy that came up with the idea of two yellow lines down the middle of the road and a single white fog line on the edge.  The lines were easy to see in the fog and easy to tell if you were on the correct side of the road – yellow on the left, white on the right.

I wanted to get out of the city as quickly as possible, and I had plenty of time today so I headed in the opposite direction of the Tamiami Trail, just 35 miles or so out of the way though. I rode next to Lake Okeechobee also known as Florida’s inland sea. Five Florida counties split the lake up, from a point roughly in the middle of the lake. Not much to see from the road around the lake though.  Looks like you’re riding next to a large berm.  I guess that’s all they need to contain a lake with an average depth of only NINE feet.  I did see a sign for a Lake Okeechobee scenic route that appeared to take you up on top of the berm – but it looked like it might take quite a bit of time so I passed on that.

I missed a turn and was headed westbound too early.  I normally just go with it and travel on, but I really wanted to get to that Tamiami Trail so I turned around and made the route correction – less than 20 miles.  Back on the correct road, I noticed that the main (only) crop around here is sugar cane.  The soil down here is a black, extremely fertile, peat-based soil.  I’d imagine you could grow just about anything here, so sugar cane must be the most bang for the buck. I did some research – The U.S. is the world’s 6th largest producer of cane sugar. The area south of Lake Okeechobee is the largest sugar-producing region in the United States. It accounts for nearly all of Florida’s sugar production, and Florida produces about half of the nation’s sugar crop. The average American consumes 152 pounds of sugar per year!!  That’s a little less than twice as much as the nutritionists recommend.

One of the controversial things they use to process sugarcane is burn it.  Before harvest the growers light extremely hot, fast burning fires in the fields.  These fires burn off the leaves, leaving just the stalks for the harvesters.  Convenient for sure but as you might imagine – it ain’t making the folks over at the Sierra Club too happy.

Shortly after I took this picture, I noticed that the sky to the south was getting rather dark. The farther south I got, the darker it got.  I finally checked the weather radar app on my phone and turned around for the second time today. I was down here in Florida on a previous ride when I foolishly thought I could outrun a line of thunderstorms.  That day was the ten on my scale of worst rain I’ve ever ridden in and I vowed to never do it again. There wasn’t any way I could make it down to and ride along the Tamiami Trail without getting very wet.  And even though I have good tires now – I’m Out.

Thankfully an hour or so of 75 mph put the storm behind me and it wasn’t following me.  The rest of the ride went smoothly until I got about 5 miles from my destination.  Two lane road and the traffic was STOPPED.  You could have easily walked faster than we were moving.  It’s hot out and my motorcycle is complaining about not getting any air cooling.  I got tired of this quickly and rode on the very narrow shoulder for about 2 miles until I was past the mess.  I was hot, the bike was hot, and we both needed a break – one break, coming up…….

Now that is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I met my friend at his local bar and to my good fortune – they served Guiness & had a bar tender the knew how to pull a pint.  After a couple of these my attitude had improved immensely and the bike temp was back to normal.  All Good – y’all Take Care.

The morning after getting to Sarasota I did get to ride some of the Tamiami Trail. Some of the trail goes through towns along the gulf coast of Florida. I’m headed about 30 miles south of Sarasota to the town of Port Charlotte.  I missed stopping to see one of my wife’s cousins on my way up because of my route change – this morning I fixed that.

Karen was at work (Lowe’s if you don’t recognize the vest) so we just had a short visit but it was good to meet her and be able to put a face with a name.  While we were talking she told me about a really good Harley dealership in there in town with a very good restaurant right next door. Not pressed for time, I took her suggestion and she was right. A large Harley dealership with a BUNCH of used bikes – it was fun to look around. And the restaurant even had Guiness on tap.  Breakfast of champions – but just one.

Now – I need another T-Shirt and hat like I need to put on a few pounds, but who doesn’t want some swag from a place named Black Widow Harley Davidson?  A great name and good job with the artwork.  I really wanted a sweatshirt to replace the one that’s somewhere between Maryland and Virginia – that search continues.

When I got back to Sarasota we went to lunch at a large Tiki Bar/restaurant. Florida has to be the Tiki Hut capital of the world. The Seminole began building chickee (Americanized to tiki) huts, during the Seminole Tribal wars when U.S. troops pushed the natives into the Everglades. Original versions had elevated floors so the Seminole wouldn’t be eaten by the alligators. Today, tiki huts are exempt from the Florida building code if they are built by members of the Seminole or Miccosukee tribes. They don’t require building permits as long as they don’t have plumbing, electrical or concrete features in the construction. Lunch was BBQ and delicious; the Grateful Dead cover bands were almost as good as the food.  Thank you Phil & Shelly for the hospitality – see y’all next time.

I wanted to get an early start Sunday morning in order to get north of Tampa before church was out. I did get that accomplished and there was almost nobody else on the road in several places. I noticed a white car ahead of me kinda racing around.  I had no idea what it was, some white sedan speeding from light to light.  I caught up and we were at the red light together.  When the light turned green the Tesla left SO FAST – I was just shaking my head. The only place I’ve seen anything like that was at a drag strip.  I knew they were quick – but 0-60 in 2 seconds 0-100 in just over 4 seconds and 1,020 hp out of a 4 door is Amazing!!  I wanna go for a test drive – Wow!!  Tesla Model S Plaid

There was a Gun Show that I toyed with going to but I would have had to wait around for an hour for the doors to open, and there’s nothing I really need, so I passed on that one.  There was also a Tattoo Arts Convention in Tampa that would have been a cool place to walk around for awhile but it wasn’t time to walk around yet so I just kept going north.

Perry, Florida isn’t that special, but there is a very nice family owned and operated motel here that took care of me one year so if I’m ever in the area, I always stay with them.  Not a long day, but still good to be off the scooter and chill-laxing.

Florida is a BIG state, if you start near Miami and leave near Pensacola it’s roughly the same as the distance between Houston and El Paso – and you Know how big Texas is.  This morning I got a late start because I was just taking it easy.  I had no real destination in mind, just wanted to get some seafood in Apalachicola along the way.

Almost all the roads in Florida are pretty straight. This was a nice road that I had mostly to myself but as you can see – no turns to speak of.

I think you really have to be drawn to the water to want to live in this area.  All of the houses are built on stilts to allow the surging water to go under when the tropical storms and hurricanes show up.  This is a good example but they can also be like the one below.

This house is also built on stilts, the bottom portion is attached to the stilts and is sacrificial; when the big water comes, it goes away (along with everything in it) and the house and stilts remain – hopefully.  That’s what happens when it’s a glancing blow – a direct hit means you get to start all over.  I don’t remember the name of the latest big storm but the farther up the coast I rode, the more re-building I saw. I know my fishing partner’s house on the water in the Pensacola area had it’s bottom floor blown out and he lost some big stuff that you wouldn’t think would be gone without a trace.  He’s almost done with his two year rebuild (the second time they’ve had to replace the bottom floor) and says that he and his wife are thinking about relocating.  Who could blame them.

Tate’s Hell – A tale that has been told for many years recounts how Tate’s Hell Swamp got its name. A farmer by the name of Cebe Tate, armed with only a shotgun and accompanied by his hunting dogs, journeyed into the swamp in search of a panther that was killing his livestock. Tate was lost in the swamp for seven days and nights, bitten by a snake, and was drinking the murky water to curb his thirst. Finally he came to a clearing near Carrabelle, living only long enough to murmur the words, “My name is Cebe Tate, and I just came from Hell.” Cebe Tate’s adventure took place in 1875 and ever since, the area has been known as Tate’s Hell, the legendary and forbidden swamp.

I did make it to Apalachicola and out to a place called Half Shell Dockside.  You would never find this place without knowing about it.  It’s 4 blocks out of town and the only thing you can see from the road is a boat yard; no signs either, I had the address and thought I was in the wrong place.  Seemed like a locals place, at least during the week. The folks from the boat in the foreground are eating at the table just outside the frame.

Half a dozen on the half shell for an appetizer, lunch was shrimp and grits then another half dozen oysters for dessert.  Wonderful lunch – fresh seafood is just unbeatable.

Apalachicola is one of the most historic cities in Florida. The name “Apalachicola” is an Indian word for the ridge of earth produced by sweeping the ground in preparation for a council or peace fire. “Land of friendly people” is a common interpretation of the word.

The Apalachicola area has been an important area to many throughout history.  Remnants of native American cultures date back to 2,000 BC. Archaeologists estimate their population could have reached 40,000. They were attracted by the stable water supply and abundant game. Middens, or mounds, left by these early inhabitants are composed primarily of clam and oyster shells. Some larger middens were used as burial sites.  I didn’t see any middens….

There was however, this cool cemetery. It’s the final resting place of some of the founders of present day Apalachicola.  The cemetery dates back to 1831 and in addition to just regular folks, there are victims of yellow fever and a few shipwrecks.  There are also 70 soldiers of the Confederacy and 7 Union soldiers.  I didn’t do a whole lotta lookin around but you could easily spend some time here if you were of a mind to.On the way out of town I noticed a road sign for St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and had to check it out. I might have gone inside but I’d been doing enough lollygagging around, time for Red Rider to get back on the road.

My plan was to stay on the coastal route and spend the night in Pensacola – about 150 miles.  I went right by Tyndall Air Force Base no jet departures here.  All their F-22’s are being stored down the road at Eglin Air Force Base.  Hurricane Michael took out much of the base back in 2018 and they are still rebuilding – it’s a government contract…..  The Air Force has decided that the F-22 program will be moving to Virginia and Tyndall will be getting three squadrons of F-35 aircraft in 2023.  F-22 vs. F-35

I mentioned Eglin AFB earlier – well, it’s about 75 miles down the road from Tyndall.  They already have some F-35’s at Eglin, but they are also responsible for the development, acquisition, testing, deployment and sustainment of all air-delivered non-nuclear weapons. In addition, and more importantly to ME – today they were responsible for the end of my patience.  More specifically – the traffic jam caused when the base gets off work was responsible for the end of my patience.  I know it’s going to be slow going along the coast in Florida; I’ve done it before, but this was ridiculous.  Navarre is only 22 miles from Pensacola but at the rate I was going – it was going to take two more hours.  Nope, I quit.

The Captain’s Platter I had for dinner included my last half dozen oysters (fried this time) for the day.  Time to waddle back to the hotel…….

Kinda chilly out this morning 59°.  It was a little warmer by the time I was ready to ride, but not much. I welcome the cooler weather, cuz it’s been kinda hot the last several days, but I do know that I’ll almost certainly be cussing the cold before I get back to the ranch.

I’m thinking that I’ll head (round about of course) for the French Quarter in New Orleans. We went through there in 2001, on our way to Bike Week in Daytona, and found this restaurant – they had the best french toast in the french quarter, I can almost taste it…

After yesterday’s adventure along the Gulf my departure out of Navarre was northbound, away from the gulf.  The first town I went through was Milton, Florida.  Milton is a town of 10,000 people just a few miles north of Pensacola.  I don’t know how many multi-millionaires live in Milton but I do know that one does.  Even if you’re not a golfer, you have almost certainly heard of Bubba Watson; he lives here (or very close).  Something I didn’t know is that his mama named him Gerry Lester Watson Jr.  I looked around on my way through but didn’t see hide nor hair of Mr. Watson.

What I was VERY happy to see was that I finally ran across a road that was not straight.  So happy in fact, that I kept going northwest when I should have turned south.  Certainly not “technical” riding but after so much straight up and down, it was a blast to lean it over a little; like a breath of fresh air.

All good things come to an end – and my fun in the turns on virtually empty back roads was no exception. I pointed the bike south and got on the slab.  Not for long though, I was off I-10 at the Biloxi, Mississippi exit.  Now – you may have never heard of Biloxi, but many readers of this blog know the place fairly well. You see, Keesler Air Force Base is located in Biloxi, and Keesler is the only base where the Air Force does the initial training and screening of their Air Traffic Controllers.  Not really a trip down memory lane, because 43 years later – nothing is going to be the same. But I do know that Hwy 90 hasn’t moved and it runs right along the coast.  The fun I had in the turns this morning pretty much got the bad taste for coastal routes out of my mouth.

This is what most of the homes off Hwy 90 here in Mississippi look like.  I don’t know what’s different, but you don’t see many of those stilt houses around.  The only things between this house and the gulf is a small beach and Hwy 90; less than 200 yards.

I rode about 45 miles on Hwy 90 and that was enough.  On my way back to the Interstate I saw a sign for the Stennis Space Center.  I’m no huge space or rocket guy, but I’d never heard of it – so I thought I’d check it out.  Stennis is NASA’s largest rocket engine testing facility. Believe it or not back in 1961 Eglin Air Force Base was in the running but they decided to build a dedicated facility and Stennis was brought to life.  Turns out – No tours, personnel only.  Oh well – – –

Back on the slab cuz traffic was getting crazy again and I KNOW going into New Orleans on Hwy 90 would have been a caca show.  As it turned out – that show was playing on the interstate as well. My desire to wade down into the bowels of New Orleans looking for some restaurant from twenty plus years ago evaporated.  Now, all I wanted to do was make like a bird and get the flock out of there.  I usually try to locate my hotel/campground on the “other” side of the city I’m approaching so I don’t have to ride through it on the way out the next morning.  This afternoon, I didn’t even make it to Baton Rouge, much less get to the other side.  It was getting to be time for school to let out and I wasn’t looking forward to adding the soccer moms trying to drive while dealing with their kids to my traffic challenges.  I saw one of those “what’s at this exit” signs with several lodging options and bailed off the slab and off the bike for the day.

When I woke up the next morning – the weather channel was warning about a line of severe thunderstorms (with possible tornadoes) moving fast across Texas and heading straight for Louisiana.  I often have to spend a day cooped up in a hotel somewhere trapped by the weather.  If you’re eastbound you can try to outrun it but when you’re headed west, it’s time to hunt your hole.  So – that’s what I did; and that’s where I am, holed up in Gonzales, Louisiana, wishing I hadn’t picked my hotel based on the lowest price.  I managed to get my laundry done, so that’s a plus.

This will likely be the last post until I get back to the ranch.  I’ll be doing more riding and less writing.  But do watch for the “wrapping it all up” post in about a week.  Y’all Take Care.

Day 26 – Marlin, TX  I’ve ridden through Louisiana several times and I have yet to find a road that I wouldn’t try to avoid the next time through.  And it’s not just me, Louisiana roads are rated second worst in the U.S.  If you’re going to ride a motorcycle in Louisiana I suggest a kidney belt or back brace – if I’d had one, I would have been wearing it.

Quite a bit of sugar cane being harvested as I rode though, and nary a fire anywhere.  I wonder how much extra it costs per pound of refined sugar to not burn the fields……

Another thing I noticed, is down here, there isn’t much green farm equipment, it’s all red; that’s the color for the Case brand (formerly International Harvester).  I guess you’re kinda locked in depending on where you are.  You can get a John Deere but if there are no dealers, getting parts won’t be easy, and neither will getting service – so you go red.

Speaking of John Deere, remember my tractor envy from way back when I was in Idaho?  Well – I saw this one outside a dealership back in Oklahoma and had to stop; this one would make it All Good.  A 50% increase in power, slightly bigger, and an enclosed cab – including, heat, air conditioning, a stereo, and an air ride seat.  Now THAT’s what I’m talkin bout.  I doubt you’ll be seeing one at the Half Vast Ranch – but maybe……..

I’ve always said that Texas has the best roads (overall) of any state and I Could Not Wait to cross that border.  Sure enough – smooth roads with a generous speed limit.  I was in heaven for the first half hour or so.

Then my friend the wind showed up.  It’s windy in Texas – you gotta know that and expect it.  This time it was about 25 mph and very gusty; and it seemed to come from just about all directions.  It was bad enough that even though the speed limit was almost always 75, my personal speed limit was 60-65.  All that stuff strapped to my bike acts like a sail.

These Texas Longhorn Cattle didn’t care about a little wind.

Day 27 & 28 – Odessa, TX  &  Deming, NM  Not a whole lot to tell you about this portion of my adventure.  More wind on the way to Odessa, but the following day the wind was less than half and quite manageable.  Here is a shot of a typical two lane road and that speed limit sign isn’t a product of Photoshop.

Day 29 – Peoria, AZ  When I left Deming I wasn’t sure of my route – only my destination.  I started on I-10 because there are no good roads this far south in New Mexico so might as well get the H E double toothpicks out.  I left in heavy leather but was out of it and down to summer riding attire before I got to Tucson.  Getting out of all that heavy gear made me feel like exploring so I turned left and followed Ajo Way – All the way to Ajo.  Most of that particular stretch of asphalt is on the Tohono Oʼodham reservation and another road that I had mostly to myself.

I was thinking how nice it was that this year’s ride might just finish without having to make a roadside motorcycle repair. Turns out that was wishful thinking. Just about the time I made it off the interstate, I was having shifting problems and I knew what was wrong, it’s happened before.  I had to shift by hand because the foot levers didn’t work.  That’s harder than it sounds because the hand that you use to move the shift lever is also the hand you would be using for the clutch.  I actually carry the parts I need to do the repair.  But I figured I’d just wait until I get to my father’s house or until I get tired of the modified shifting procedure to fix it.

When the lever and shaft Fell OUT, the timing of the repair was decided. Luckily I was close to the Kitt Peak Observatory when things started coming apart.  So, in a corner of the empty dirt parking area, under the partial shade of a small Palo Verde Tree and beneath the watchful eye of one of the Kitt Peak telescopes, I got to work.  You can see the white telescope if you look real close.

One problem – I can’t find the parts, I’ve got all the tools – just no parts. I keep them in the saddle bag I have reserved for tools and such – but I cleaned that saddle bag out before I left and I guess that particular box didn’t make it back in.  Oops.

I made a slight modification and got things back together well enough that I made it to Peoria without further incident.  Arrowhead Harley Davidson had the parts I needed and my dad made a parts run for me while I was on the way.  Got it fixed, and everything was good as new for my ride home tomorrow.

Day 30 – Chino Valley, AZ  It was a beautiful morning, and while I was really looking forward to my ride home, I was kinda sorry that it was going to be my last day.  Taking “the back way” home is a great ride. It starts in the desert and ends in the pines, and of course has plenty of twists and turns.  I enjoyed every mile and it’s good to be home.

And so it is, after 6 weeks and 9,487 miles my 2021 ride is in the books.  If I end up adding a post or two to the shorter rides page I’ll send you a link; otherwise I’ll be shooting for a spring trip in 2022.  Thanks for joining me this year – I’ve enjoyed sharing the road with you.