Well today the sun finally showed it face and it was now time to get the motorcycle and trailer cleaned up. First the trailer and this was quick and pretty painless because it is basically just a square box. Took the vinyl cover off and cleaned under it that and also gave the outside and inside of the cover a bath. I laid that out in the yard to dry and then moved the trailer in the grass to drip dry also.
Next came the Valkyrie and I was glad that I had given her a bath once on the road because most of the North Carolina and Virginia bugs had come off with the rain. Took me a good 45 minutes to an hour to wash and dry the bike because of all the chrome. Taking a good look at the paint after washing, I think I will have to give her a waxing very soon. So now with the trailer and bike clean, it is now time to turn to some needed maintenance.
The day before I went to the Honda shop and ordered a new front tire, which by the way I now know for sure that the front tire has 15823 miles on it, and I also bought engine oil, filter, and drive shaft oil. First up, warm up the engine and then change the oil. With that done, I turned my attention to the Drive shaft and got her done. Now I have to change the fluid in the lines for the Clutch, Front Brake, and Rear brake. I got the clutch fluid done and it was really bad. The color was so bad I couldn't see anything in the sight glass and there was stuff floating in the fluid. I ran out of Dot 4 fluid, so in the morning I will be off to the Honda shop to pick up 1 more quart of engine oil and more Dot 4. The Valk should be road ready again once I get these last items done and the front tire installed. The last 2 items that need to be done are modifications. I purchased some risers for the handle bars because on the Interstate rides, my neck was really starting to bother me. So I think pushing the bars back toward me will help with that angle. Also need to rewire the GPS to a different power source. Old dummy here wired it into the left blinker and every time I use the left blinker, the GPS thinks I'm cutting the power off. Duh!
Got to get the Valkyrie back to road ready quickly because Lori and I want to travel to Newport News to see the family soon over one of the upcoming weekends. I also would like to pull the trailer to a campground and do a little tent camping. Not sure if I will be able to get Princess to go along for the later trip. She doesn't do bugs!!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The Final ride home.
Doug and I had decided the night before that if there was rain in the area that we would avoid the Blueridge Parkway and just take the Interstate home. Neither of us really wanted to do this because riding on the Interstate with a motorcycle is terribly boring. The weather in the immediate area of Cherokee was 90% overcast and it looked like it the bottom would drop out at any moment. The weather radar indicated that we would run into rain about 90 miles into the ride on the Parkway, but if we cut north via back roads then joined I-81 just southwest of Bristol TN. that we not hit any rain until Bristol or northeast of Bristol. I quickly laid out a route based on weather, presented it to Doug and we agreed on the route.
All parties went back to their rooms, packed, and then we loaded our bikes for departure. The only thing left to do was to top the fuel tanks in each bike and we were ready to hit the road. With a thumbs up and the GPS ready to lead, we left on our set route for the long ride home.
Our first road was US19 over the hill and into Maggie's Valley and it had been many years since I run this short but fun little twist of a road. Since most of the Memorial Weekend Vacationers had gone home, hardly anyone was on the road. We made our way through Maggie's Valley and joined US 19/23/74 and took this to 209. The first 5 to 10 miles of US209 was innocent enough and then its evil side showed up and didn't let up what seemed like forever. The trees closed in on the road and overhung like a canopy, the road started to climb, and the straights turned into one wicked switch back into another and another. Deals Gap is 11 miles long and this stretch of 209 was 25 to 30 miles long and much tighter than Deals. One minute the road was dry the next it was wet and then the occasional dirt patch was thrown in just make sure that you were paying attention. This was a per adrenaline rush. Now just for fun, put a 300 pound trailer behind you and a wife and let's see you power into a downhill corner.
We got a little rest as we went through Hot Springs on US 25/70 but as we left town, this road had some high speed sweepers that were a hoot. Lots of room to run on this road. Our next road was US 208 and unlike 209, it was nowhere near as tight, but still the same amount of fun. Once we got around Grandpa, who would not move over and let us around like most folks did, the road was a pure joy. You could carry a lot more speed though the corners and the road was dry. You might be wondering why dry was so important? 90% of the tread that channels water on my tires is gone. In some spots on the side of the tire where you lean, zero tread. That leads to a no confidence from me when leaning into a wet corner. Call me chicken. After we finished with 208 we rolled into Greenville TN and took a short break for Lori. Seems that I shook the old bladder pretty good and she let me know about it.
From Greenville to I-81 was mostly just flat country roads that transferred us from point to point. We had decided that we would stop for lunch around 12:15 so as we were rolling down I-81, I was watching the weather in front of me and the food stops on the GPS. I decided that we stop just short of what looked like a major Thunderstorm in front of us in Bristol TN.. We stop and ate, refueled our bikes, took a look at the skies and hit the road.
We ducked and dodged the first Thunderstorm and that got us up the road about 40 miles, but it was not to last and we pulled over and suited up. We hit at least 3 or 4 major down pours from this point to just south of Roanoke Va., some of which slowed us down to 50 mph, which makes you nervous on the Interstate. I remember saying to Doug somewhere along are route that if I got below 50 mph, I was bailing off the Interstate and onto Route 11 so we would not get run over by someone not looking for us or worse yet, being plowed by an 18-wheeler. It never got that bad, but just south of Roanoke, it went from Thunderstorm that we drove through to a constant light rain for the remainder of the ride home.
Our rain suits kept us mostly dry, but there were a few leaks here and there. The main culprit was the temperature drop that caused me to pull over in Staunton area to put on my Winter gloves. No more stops were required and we pulled into our driveway at 6:15. The entire trip included several stops for fuel, gear, and food took us 9:15 minutes. This was the longest leg of the trip at 443 miles.
Conclusion: I woke up this morning ready to go for some more riding, so I guess you would have to assume that I had a good time the entire time. Yea it ended in a little rain on the way home, but the entire trip was driven in 90% sunshine, so I cannot complain. We saw lot's stuff and met a lot of nice people along the way. I had no hiccups with the routes laid out, motorcycle, trailer, wife, or myself. All the hotels and restaurants we visited were fine and there we some that we fantastic. So would I do it all again? Yep in a heartbeat, but next time I want to go west to California and back.
Today’s mileage = 443
Total for the trip = 6134
All parties went back to their rooms, packed, and then we loaded our bikes for departure. The only thing left to do was to top the fuel tanks in each bike and we were ready to hit the road. With a thumbs up and the GPS ready to lead, we left on our set route for the long ride home.
Our first road was US19 over the hill and into Maggie's Valley and it had been many years since I run this short but fun little twist of a road. Since most of the Memorial Weekend Vacationers had gone home, hardly anyone was on the road. We made our way through Maggie's Valley and joined US 19/23/74 and took this to 209. The first 5 to 10 miles of US209 was innocent enough and then its evil side showed up and didn't let up what seemed like forever. The trees closed in on the road and overhung like a canopy, the road started to climb, and the straights turned into one wicked switch back into another and another. Deals Gap is 11 miles long and this stretch of 209 was 25 to 30 miles long and much tighter than Deals. One minute the road was dry the next it was wet and then the occasional dirt patch was thrown in just make sure that you were paying attention. This was a per adrenaline rush. Now just for fun, put a 300 pound trailer behind you and a wife and let's see you power into a downhill corner.
We got a little rest as we went through Hot Springs on US 25/70 but as we left town, this road had some high speed sweepers that were a hoot. Lots of room to run on this road. Our next road was US 208 and unlike 209, it was nowhere near as tight, but still the same amount of fun. Once we got around Grandpa, who would not move over and let us around like most folks did, the road was a pure joy. You could carry a lot more speed though the corners and the road was dry. You might be wondering why dry was so important? 90% of the tread that channels water on my tires is gone. In some spots on the side of the tire where you lean, zero tread. That leads to a no confidence from me when leaning into a wet corner. Call me chicken. After we finished with 208 we rolled into Greenville TN and took a short break for Lori. Seems that I shook the old bladder pretty good and she let me know about it.
From Greenville to I-81 was mostly just flat country roads that transferred us from point to point. We had decided that we would stop for lunch around 12:15 so as we were rolling down I-81, I was watching the weather in front of me and the food stops on the GPS. I decided that we stop just short of what looked like a major Thunderstorm in front of us in Bristol TN.. We stop and ate, refueled our bikes, took a look at the skies and hit the road.
We ducked and dodged the first Thunderstorm and that got us up the road about 40 miles, but it was not to last and we pulled over and suited up. We hit at least 3 or 4 major down pours from this point to just south of Roanoke Va., some of which slowed us down to 50 mph, which makes you nervous on the Interstate. I remember saying to Doug somewhere along are route that if I got below 50 mph, I was bailing off the Interstate and onto Route 11 so we would not get run over by someone not looking for us or worse yet, being plowed by an 18-wheeler. It never got that bad, but just south of Roanoke, it went from Thunderstorm that we drove through to a constant light rain for the remainder of the ride home.
Our rain suits kept us mostly dry, but there were a few leaks here and there. The main culprit was the temperature drop that caused me to pull over in Staunton area to put on my Winter gloves. No more stops were required and we pulled into our driveway at 6:15. The entire trip included several stops for fuel, gear, and food took us 9:15 minutes. This was the longest leg of the trip at 443 miles.
Conclusion: I woke up this morning ready to go for some more riding, so I guess you would have to assume that I had a good time the entire time. Yea it ended in a little rain on the way home, but the entire trip was driven in 90% sunshine, so I cannot complain. We saw lot's stuff and met a lot of nice people along the way. I had no hiccups with the routes laid out, motorcycle, trailer, wife, or myself. All the hotels and restaurants we visited were fine and there we some that we fantastic. So would I do it all again? Yep in a heartbeat, but next time I want to go west to California and back.
Today’s mileage = 443
Total for the trip = 6134
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Day 26 - We are Home
It was a long day but we rolled into Stephens City a little cold, a little wet, but around 6:15pm, we safely made it home. I will post more a little later of the days events and all the totals.
You know what they say, "There is no place like home."
You know what they say, "There is no place like home."
Monday, May 25, 2009
Day 25 - Rain rain go away !!
We arose today with a thick overcast sky but no rain in sight. So we did a weather check and radar scan and we decided to make the run. We figured that traveling US441 toward Clingmans Dome that we would enter the clouds bases fairly soon but on the backside or west, we would drop out and be in the clear.
Our first stop was just a few miles from the motel at Mingus Mill. I had been there a few times over the years and it is a neat place to visit, so I stopped again. Doug had never seen the mill, so it was all new to him, and it is cool to see how they engineered things hundreds of years ago. Diverting water by digging trenches and then boarding the side to fight erosion was also clever. It was also clever how they channeled the water into the turbines and then the grinding process itself. It is all so amazing to see how they made it look so simple. Lori and I picked up a bag of corn meal and then we departed the fix.
Our second stop was Clingmans Dome and as we suspected we drove into the soup right around 4000 feet elevation. I was kind of hoping that we would drive through it as it passed or we would drive above it, but it was to be. We still made the last half mile hike to the top of the 6643 foot summit, but even though it was bright, we were still in the clouds. I took a picture of my GPS screen in the parking lot showing an elevation of 6333 and once we climbed to the very top we were showing 6700 feet. Doug found out today that climbing that half mile, 20 to 30% grade uphill, that he might be just a bit out of shape. Even Lori was huffing and puffing half way up the hill. It never fazed me a bit, :).
On the way to Gatlinburg, we broke through the clouds and stayed out the clouds right about 5000 feet. The roads were a little damp but nothing to slow you down. Speeding was never an issue because we had enough car traffic to maintain at least 5 mph under the speed limit at all times. Pulling into Gatlinburg and already 12:15pm, we were getting a bit hungry but stopping here was not an option. Gatlinburg was a total zoo with people crawling on top of people, so we just kept moving through. On the west side Gatlinburg and about 3 or 4 miles out, we found a health food store to stop and eat at called, McDonald's, so we ate here. That was some good stuff!! Right!
Now with all our site seeing behind us, driving looking for dry roads and curves was on our minds. The first part of the ride was pretty and we danced through a couple of showers by skirting the edges and staying dry. We managed to clear ourselves from all traffic and found a few nice sweepers when our fun came to a screeching halt. We could see the wall of water falling from the sky just quarter mile in front of us and I was racing to find a pull over to put of the rain gear. As we are putting on the gear, you could see the rain, heavy, falling just 300 yards away, that was cool. Hopped on the bikes and dove into the rain. I was moving very slow, 20 maybe 30 mph in a 55 zone, my faceshield and windshield both fogging because of the heat and moisture in the air. It took about quarter mile to clear out and then I was able to see in order to pick up speed. The heavy rain faded within a few miles and even the drizzle fade quickly, but the water on the road was not dissipating very well. There was runoff of water, rocks, dirt, and leaves falling from the trees hanging over the road that made the next 20 miles a very challenging adventure. Now add to the ingredients of uphill, downhill, and pulling a trailer with no brakes and I had a lot to think about. Doug and I both wished that the section of road that was so wet and cover with crap would have been dry so we could have had more fun, but that will have to be another day.
That was the end of the rain for us on this ride and we ended in Cherokee a little ahead of schedule because of a GPS malfunction. It is possible that it was human error, but I will not admit to that. It appears after we reviewed the weather forecast for Tuesday that this good be the end of this vacation. If it is raining in the morning, we will be blasting home via the Interstate system and wrapping this trip up. If it is not raining, we will just hop on the parkway and ride it north as far as our butts can stand it. Either way, I'll either be home tomorrow or Wednesday.
Today’s mileage = 164
Total for the trip = 5691
Day 26 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Our first stop was just a few miles from the motel at Mingus Mill. I had been there a few times over the years and it is a neat place to visit, so I stopped again. Doug had never seen the mill, so it was all new to him, and it is cool to see how they engineered things hundreds of years ago. Diverting water by digging trenches and then boarding the side to fight erosion was also clever. It was also clever how they channeled the water into the turbines and then the grinding process itself. It is all so amazing to see how they made it look so simple. Lori and I picked up a bag of corn meal and then we departed the fix.
Our second stop was Clingmans Dome and as we suspected we drove into the soup right around 4000 feet elevation. I was kind of hoping that we would drive through it as it passed or we would drive above it, but it was to be. We still made the last half mile hike to the top of the 6643 foot summit, but even though it was bright, we were still in the clouds. I took a picture of my GPS screen in the parking lot showing an elevation of 6333 and once we climbed to the very top we were showing 6700 feet. Doug found out today that climbing that half mile, 20 to 30% grade uphill, that he might be just a bit out of shape. Even Lori was huffing and puffing half way up the hill. It never fazed me a bit, :).
On the way to Gatlinburg, we broke through the clouds and stayed out the clouds right about 5000 feet. The roads were a little damp but nothing to slow you down. Speeding was never an issue because we had enough car traffic to maintain at least 5 mph under the speed limit at all times. Pulling into Gatlinburg and already 12:15pm, we were getting a bit hungry but stopping here was not an option. Gatlinburg was a total zoo with people crawling on top of people, so we just kept moving through. On the west side Gatlinburg and about 3 or 4 miles out, we found a health food store to stop and eat at called, McDonald's, so we ate here. That was some good stuff!! Right!
Now with all our site seeing behind us, driving looking for dry roads and curves was on our minds. The first part of the ride was pretty and we danced through a couple of showers by skirting the edges and staying dry. We managed to clear ourselves from all traffic and found a few nice sweepers when our fun came to a screeching halt. We could see the wall of water falling from the sky just quarter mile in front of us and I was racing to find a pull over to put of the rain gear. As we are putting on the gear, you could see the rain, heavy, falling just 300 yards away, that was cool. Hopped on the bikes and dove into the rain. I was moving very slow, 20 maybe 30 mph in a 55 zone, my faceshield and windshield both fogging because of the heat and moisture in the air. It took about quarter mile to clear out and then I was able to see in order to pick up speed. The heavy rain faded within a few miles and even the drizzle fade quickly, but the water on the road was not dissipating very well. There was runoff of water, rocks, dirt, and leaves falling from the trees hanging over the road that made the next 20 miles a very challenging adventure. Now add to the ingredients of uphill, downhill, and pulling a trailer with no brakes and I had a lot to think about. Doug and I both wished that the section of road that was so wet and cover with crap would have been dry so we could have had more fun, but that will have to be another day.
That was the end of the rain for us on this ride and we ended in Cherokee a little ahead of schedule because of a GPS malfunction. It is possible that it was human error, but I will not admit to that. It appears after we reviewed the weather forecast for Tuesday that this good be the end of this vacation. If it is raining in the morning, we will be blasting home via the Interstate system and wrapping this trip up. If it is not raining, we will just hop on the parkway and ride it north as far as our butts can stand it. Either way, I'll either be home tomorrow or Wednesday.
Today’s mileage = 164
Total for the trip = 5691
Day 26 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Rain, Rain, Rain......but it worked out ok!
I never did post a route for today's rides for a couple of reasons but the main culprit was the forecast. I knew in the morning, which was today, that it was likely going to wet. I got up and took my first peek out the window and the rain was just coming down. Argh! I guess I shouldn't complain since I have been mostly rain free the entire ride, but I guess I got a little spoiled by all the good riding weather we were having. We went ahead with our normal morning routine in hopes by 9am it would at least show signs of stopping, but the rain was still coming. So I asked Lori if she was game for riding 15 minutes in the rain to go for a 4.5 hour train ride. She agreed because it was better than sitting in the room all day.
We arrived in Bryson City at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad just in time to catch a ride on the Nantahala Gorge Excursion trip. We selected to ride in a Club Car which was enclosed, air conditioned, serve food, drinks, and had more comfortable sitting. The atmosphere was rustic, but with the services offered, it brought you back to now. Top speed was 20 mph and sometimes we were creeping along at 5 mph, but it was fun. The path took us along two different rivers and also over the Fontana Lake and this particular four trestle span was 1000' feet long. There have been several commercials, Magazine ads, and movies shot on this train line. The most famous movie was the Fugitive with Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The locomotive used and the two buses are still sitting in the same location near Dillard when the filming was taken place. We made one stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center which is where the do a lot of training and trails for Olympic kayaking. I have been white rafting, and done a little canoeing, but these people looked like they took their kayaking pretty serious. Apparently they have a level 6 rapid here and I took pictures of it, but I wouldn't know a level 6 from a level 1. We re-boarded the train and made a lazy scenic ride back to Bryson City. All in all we enjoyed the ride and would love to do it again in the fall. The scenery leaving the immediate area of Bryson City was not all the great, but eventually it was ok and just riding on the train was fun and different.
Once back in Bryson City, the rain had past and the mugginess of summer was in the air. Before we left we visited the Train Museum and this was a real treat. What surprised me most is that a friend of mine had never mentioned this and he is a train nut. The only thing I can figure is that he just never seen the signs for it or he has never mentioned it to me. I will definitely have to tell him about it. The model train yard they had setup I could stand around and watch for hours. The amount of detail they put into this was phenomenal. It is a must see if your into trains, and it is fun to see if you're not.
We decided that since the sun was out and the threat of thunderstorm was just that, a threat, we would take another chance and ride to Fontana Dam. I had not been to the Dam, oh since I was 10, maybe, and Lori had never been. It was only a 40 minute ride so off we went. We managed to dodge all the rain and nasty looking clouds on the way to the Dam. Once there we took some Damn pictures of the Dam and the here came the damn rain at the dam. Ok, I'll stop. I setup the GPS for the hotel, we put on the rain gear and back we go. The rain didn't last long, but the roads were wet and the three bikes in front of me were not very comfortable with wet roads, so we were just putting along. Finally the roads dried, and then went into 4 lanes, and I was free to fly. Back at the hotel we were looking for our guest, but so far a no show. We checked at the desk and the reservation had not been cancelled, so they must still be on the road. We hadn't been back in our rooms 20 minutes and my phone rings. Our guest rider had arrived. Doug Meikle, a former Air Traffic Controller that I worked with, made the trip from Washington DC area in an all day, 9 hour, 470 mile run to Cherokee. Once Doug got all settled in, and made his call home, we went out for Dinner at Grandma's Kitchen for a buffet style dinner. It was fast and it was good.
Tomorrow we are hoping for at least one more good day of riding, so Doug's trip will not be wasted. I have planned route that is about 208 miles long crossing from Cherokee through Gatlinburg swinging northeast to east around Smokie National Park onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and back into Cherokee. I would like to go to Clingmans Dome, because it has been about 15 years since I've been there and since it is the second highest point east of Mississppi at 6643 feet, I would like to see it again.
Overall, today turned out to be a very good day. The weather was not all the great, but we made the most of it. I think Lori enjoyed having a day off from riding all day long. Our little adventure is quickly coming to end and we will officially making that dreaded turn toward home after tomorrows ride. Bummer.
Today’s mileage = 98
Total for the trip = 5527
Day 25 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
We arrived in Bryson City at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad just in time to catch a ride on the Nantahala Gorge Excursion trip. We selected to ride in a Club Car which was enclosed, air conditioned, serve food, drinks, and had more comfortable sitting. The atmosphere was rustic, but with the services offered, it brought you back to now. Top speed was 20 mph and sometimes we were creeping along at 5 mph, but it was fun. The path took us along two different rivers and also over the Fontana Lake and this particular four trestle span was 1000' feet long. There have been several commercials, Magazine ads, and movies shot on this train line. The most famous movie was the Fugitive with Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The locomotive used and the two buses are still sitting in the same location near Dillard when the filming was taken place. We made one stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center which is where the do a lot of training and trails for Olympic kayaking. I have been white rafting, and done a little canoeing, but these people looked like they took their kayaking pretty serious. Apparently they have a level 6 rapid here and I took pictures of it, but I wouldn't know a level 6 from a level 1. We re-boarded the train and made a lazy scenic ride back to Bryson City. All in all we enjoyed the ride and would love to do it again in the fall. The scenery leaving the immediate area of Bryson City was not all the great, but eventually it was ok and just riding on the train was fun and different.
Once back in Bryson City, the rain had past and the mugginess of summer was in the air. Before we left we visited the Train Museum and this was a real treat. What surprised me most is that a friend of mine had never mentioned this and he is a train nut. The only thing I can figure is that he just never seen the signs for it or he has never mentioned it to me. I will definitely have to tell him about it. The model train yard they had setup I could stand around and watch for hours. The amount of detail they put into this was phenomenal. It is a must see if your into trains, and it is fun to see if you're not.
We decided that since the sun was out and the threat of thunderstorm was just that, a threat, we would take another chance and ride to Fontana Dam. I had not been to the Dam, oh since I was 10, maybe, and Lori had never been. It was only a 40 minute ride so off we went. We managed to dodge all the rain and nasty looking clouds on the way to the Dam. Once there we took some Damn pictures of the Dam and the here came the damn rain at the dam. Ok, I'll stop. I setup the GPS for the hotel, we put on the rain gear and back we go. The rain didn't last long, but the roads were wet and the three bikes in front of me were not very comfortable with wet roads, so we were just putting along. Finally the roads dried, and then went into 4 lanes, and I was free to fly. Back at the hotel we were looking for our guest, but so far a no show. We checked at the desk and the reservation had not been cancelled, so they must still be on the road. We hadn't been back in our rooms 20 minutes and my phone rings. Our guest rider had arrived. Doug Meikle, a former Air Traffic Controller that I worked with, made the trip from Washington DC area in an all day, 9 hour, 470 mile run to Cherokee. Once Doug got all settled in, and made his call home, we went out for Dinner at Grandma's Kitchen for a buffet style dinner. It was fast and it was good.
Tomorrow we are hoping for at least one more good day of riding, so Doug's trip will not be wasted. I have planned route that is about 208 miles long crossing from Cherokee through Gatlinburg swinging northeast to east around Smokie National Park onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and back into Cherokee. I would like to go to Clingmans Dome, because it has been about 15 years since I've been there and since it is the second highest point east of Mississppi at 6643 feet, I would like to see it again.
Overall, today turned out to be a very good day. The weather was not all the great, but we made the most of it. I think Lori enjoyed having a day off from riding all day long. Our little adventure is quickly coming to end and we will officially making that dreaded turn toward home after tomorrows ride. Bummer.
Today’s mileage = 98
Total for the trip = 5527
Day 25 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Day 23 and who moved DC??
It was a little brisk outside this morning at only 54 degrees, but it wasn't raining so we set out for another day of riding. Had to pull over again less than 10 miles down the road because someone got cold but better to stop and bundle than to hear the chatter in my ear. The first part of the ride was nothing to exceptional as far as curves or challenging roads, but it was pretty. Somewhere out in the middle of nowhere North Carolina, there was this custom bike sitting on the side of the road at what looked like a make shift Harley Davidson Dealer. The bike was twice the size of a normal bike. Checkout the picture link below.
We arrived in Tellico Plains right about lunch time, so we took time to refuel the motorcycle and eat lunch at Subway. There is not a lot to choose from in Tellico Plains and I knew we were at least hour or two from the nearest anything. So we ate the headed onto the Cherohala Highway. This particular highway is exceptionally beautiful and less traveled by visitors of the national parks in the area because it is out of the way. It gets a bit chilly up there around 5500 feet, but not that bad if you have the gear. This was the first time I think I bothered Lori just a bit. We got behind a group of Harley's, I would say 7, which was moving about 5 or 10 below the speed limit and not letting anybody around. Well, after about 3 or 4 miles of this, I started picking them off in groups 2 or 3 until I finally got passed. Lori keys up after all the passing and say's, "I sure hope they do not catch up and mug us or something." Funny thing is, they were likely all 60 years or older, with bad knees and aching backs. I better stop now; I'm closing in on all that stuff myself. :)
After running the Cherohala, someone I can't say who, wanted to go to the Deals Gap Store and to Pigeon Forge to eat and go shopping. You want to talk about a zoo, Deals Gap on Memorial Weekend on a Saturday no less was a packed house. I had to look around for a few minutes and try to figure out where to park so I would not get blocked in. This all made me a bit nervous. I do not ride in packs, and I do not particularly like crowds unless I have no choice in the matter. It is all just a pain in the butt to deal with. Ok, back to the story. Lori got off the bike looked around in amazement at the crowds of people and bikes. She took a picture and then I moved her along into the store. We found the Dragon Stuff animal that she wanted and then I ushered her out. I was doing my best to get her out of there, but she wanted a shirt, needless to say she got no shirt. Finally back at the bike, suited up, I wiggled my way through all the bikes and people and finally got back on the road pointed toward the Gap. I averaged 15 mph or slower the entire length of the Gap. Ugh! The worst ride ever! This will never happen again. Tomorrows ride I will likely plan my own or do the Ashville run again.
So we finally get away from the Gap and I start picking off Harley's again one by one until I get to the Foothill Parkway and I'm finally free. I blast across the Parkway, through Townsend, and into Pigeon Forge only to be met with more chaos with traffic only this time cars. I turned North on 441 to avoid the traffic and to find the Apple Barn for dinner. Ah yes, the Apple Barn Restaurant did not disappoint and I would highly recommend it to anyone that venture into the Pigeon Forge area. After dinner, I had my marching orders to take Lori to Tangier Outlet Mall to find the UnderArmour store. I followed my orders, she spent $170 and I was free to finally turn toward the hotel. Whew!
Finally back in Cherokee around 7:30 we were both spent. She had big plans for going for a walk when we got back, but needless to say, we are both just sitting here watching TV and I'm typing this blog entry. My 200 mile and 6 hour day, turn into 279 miles and 10 hours of which half were fairly stressful.
Tomorrow’s route is still undecided, but I think I will be running south and east of Cherokee and avoiding the Gap and Pigeon Forge. I will post the route when I get it figured out. I will also post a video showing just how busy the Gap was once I get it all sorted out. One more thing, my front tire is now officially smoked. It should get us home, but I'll be hoping on no rain for sure now.
Today’s mileage = 279
Total for the trip = 5429
We arrived in Tellico Plains right about lunch time, so we took time to refuel the motorcycle and eat lunch at Subway. There is not a lot to choose from in Tellico Plains and I knew we were at least hour or two from the nearest anything. So we ate the headed onto the Cherohala Highway. This particular highway is exceptionally beautiful and less traveled by visitors of the national parks in the area because it is out of the way. It gets a bit chilly up there around 5500 feet, but not that bad if you have the gear. This was the first time I think I bothered Lori just a bit. We got behind a group of Harley's, I would say 7, which was moving about 5 or 10 below the speed limit and not letting anybody around. Well, after about 3 or 4 miles of this, I started picking them off in groups 2 or 3 until I finally got passed. Lori keys up after all the passing and say's, "I sure hope they do not catch up and mug us or something." Funny thing is, they were likely all 60 years or older, with bad knees and aching backs. I better stop now; I'm closing in on all that stuff myself. :)
After running the Cherohala, someone I can't say who, wanted to go to the Deals Gap Store and to Pigeon Forge to eat and go shopping. You want to talk about a zoo, Deals Gap on Memorial Weekend on a Saturday no less was a packed house. I had to look around for a few minutes and try to figure out where to park so I would not get blocked in. This all made me a bit nervous. I do not ride in packs, and I do not particularly like crowds unless I have no choice in the matter. It is all just a pain in the butt to deal with. Ok, back to the story. Lori got off the bike looked around in amazement at the crowds of people and bikes. She took a picture and then I moved her along into the store. We found the Dragon Stuff animal that she wanted and then I ushered her out. I was doing my best to get her out of there, but she wanted a shirt, needless to say she got no shirt. Finally back at the bike, suited up, I wiggled my way through all the bikes and people and finally got back on the road pointed toward the Gap. I averaged 15 mph or slower the entire length of the Gap. Ugh! The worst ride ever! This will never happen again. Tomorrows ride I will likely plan my own or do the Ashville run again.
So we finally get away from the Gap and I start picking off Harley's again one by one until I get to the Foothill Parkway and I'm finally free. I blast across the Parkway, through Townsend, and into Pigeon Forge only to be met with more chaos with traffic only this time cars. I turned North on 441 to avoid the traffic and to find the Apple Barn for dinner. Ah yes, the Apple Barn Restaurant did not disappoint and I would highly recommend it to anyone that venture into the Pigeon Forge area. After dinner, I had my marching orders to take Lori to Tangier Outlet Mall to find the UnderArmour store. I followed my orders, she spent $170 and I was free to finally turn toward the hotel. Whew!
Finally back in Cherokee around 7:30 we were both spent. She had big plans for going for a walk when we got back, but needless to say, we are both just sitting here watching TV and I'm typing this blog entry. My 200 mile and 6 hour day, turn into 279 miles and 10 hours of which half were fairly stressful.
Tomorrow’s route is still undecided, but I think I will be running south and east of Cherokee and avoiding the Gap and Pigeon Forge. I will post the route when I get it figured out. I will also post a video showing just how busy the Gap was once I get it all sorted out. One more thing, my front tire is now officially smoked. It should get us home, but I'll be hoping on no rain for sure now.
Today’s mileage = 279
Total for the trip = 5429
Friday, May 22, 2009
Day 22 and we have reloacted to Cherokee, NC
When we pulled out of Helen, Ga. this morning I would have laid money on the fact that we were going to get wet, but we didn't hit a drop. As a matter of fact as the day progressed, the warmer and prettier it got. You can see in the pictures that we took in Helen and just outside of Helen, there was a heavy overcast and in some places the roads were wet.
It didn't take long this morning to find that first good zipper of a road and it was a wakeup call for the extra weight I was hauling. You can really feel the difference with the Trailer packed to the hilt or an empty shell on wheels, trying to decelerate downhill or just entering a corner. Add one more ingredient, wet roads, and it will force you to focus on the bike and the speed you're carrying. Temperature drop from Helen to the top of this first thrill ride was about 15 degrees or more, so I pulled over to let the wife put on some more layers to block the chill.
The roads, after route 348 swing fest, were mostly just mild curves with beautiful views and lot's of homes to see. There was also a fair amount of shopping that we just zipped right by, hehe, maybe next time Lori. We stopped for lunch in Franklin, NC and decided that we hadn't had pizza in awhile, so Pizza Hut was the winner. Well, it filled us up and that was about it and we were back on the road.
I found another little gem of a road that I never knew was there that I will have to save for a later date to visit. Route 28 leaving north out of Franklin and ending on 19W, was a dandy little adventure. Deals gap is known for its very short straights and tight turns and Route 28 had all of this mixed with scenery to boot. All I can say is Wow.
Once on 19W, I ran this to 74 to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This put me about 25 miles away from Cherokee and it was a nice way to finish the ride at elevations near 5 or 6000 feet. The fun part of the ride was a Kawasaki Concours trying to out run me in the corners. The boy needs to go to a track and practice a bit, because anybody with any skills would had left me without a second thought. I was hauling an extra 250 pounds out back in a trailer and had a passenger and there is no way I can lean in the corners like that Kawasaki can do. The old boy even passed cars on the double yellow only to have me reel him back in through the corners a few miles later. He gave me a friendly wave as we parted ways, exiting the Parkway, but I bet he was wondering what the hell?
After dinner we did a little walk around a small portion a Cherokee and took a few pictures. Things are changing here and it was surprising to me. Last time I was here, maybe 4 or 5 years ago, it was really starting to look very bad and very run down. They are doing a lot of building and road work to make some needed improvements. I'm only guessing that they are using some of the casino profits and putting it back into the town. I was also surprised to see that tonight; George Jones was performing at Harrah's and Sunday night Miranda Lambert would also be performing. Whether you know who they are or not, what is surprising to me is that they are actually coming here to perform. Good for Cherokee, I for one would hate to see this place just fall apart completely. I spent a lot of vacations in this area as a kid growing up and I actually took my Honeymoon just outside of town here. This whole entire area is just beautiful and is a must see for anyone that has never visited. There is something here for everyone from Cherokee, to the Smokey's, to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
Tomorrows run will be southeast out of Cherokee almost back to Georgia and then reverse course at Tellico Plains and ride the Cherohala Highway back to Cherokee. I will give you a link to read from the RoadRunner Magazine if you want to get a better idea of the ride.
Cherokee, NC ride 1
Today’s mileage = 206
Total for the trip = 5150
Day 23 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
It didn't take long this morning to find that first good zipper of a road and it was a wakeup call for the extra weight I was hauling. You can really feel the difference with the Trailer packed to the hilt or an empty shell on wheels, trying to decelerate downhill or just entering a corner. Add one more ingredient, wet roads, and it will force you to focus on the bike and the speed you're carrying. Temperature drop from Helen to the top of this first thrill ride was about 15 degrees or more, so I pulled over to let the wife put on some more layers to block the chill.
The roads, after route 348 swing fest, were mostly just mild curves with beautiful views and lot's of homes to see. There was also a fair amount of shopping that we just zipped right by, hehe, maybe next time Lori. We stopped for lunch in Franklin, NC and decided that we hadn't had pizza in awhile, so Pizza Hut was the winner. Well, it filled us up and that was about it and we were back on the road.
I found another little gem of a road that I never knew was there that I will have to save for a later date to visit. Route 28 leaving north out of Franklin and ending on 19W, was a dandy little adventure. Deals gap is known for its very short straights and tight turns and Route 28 had all of this mixed with scenery to boot. All I can say is Wow.
Once on 19W, I ran this to 74 to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This put me about 25 miles away from Cherokee and it was a nice way to finish the ride at elevations near 5 or 6000 feet. The fun part of the ride was a Kawasaki Concours trying to out run me in the corners. The boy needs to go to a track and practice a bit, because anybody with any skills would had left me without a second thought. I was hauling an extra 250 pounds out back in a trailer and had a passenger and there is no way I can lean in the corners like that Kawasaki can do. The old boy even passed cars on the double yellow only to have me reel him back in through the corners a few miles later. He gave me a friendly wave as we parted ways, exiting the Parkway, but I bet he was wondering what the hell?
After dinner we did a little walk around a small portion a Cherokee and took a few pictures. Things are changing here and it was surprising to me. Last time I was here, maybe 4 or 5 years ago, it was really starting to look very bad and very run down. They are doing a lot of building and road work to make some needed improvements. I'm only guessing that they are using some of the casino profits and putting it back into the town. I was also surprised to see that tonight; George Jones was performing at Harrah's and Sunday night Miranda Lambert would also be performing. Whether you know who they are or not, what is surprising to me is that they are actually coming here to perform. Good for Cherokee, I for one would hate to see this place just fall apart completely. I spent a lot of vacations in this area as a kid growing up and I actually took my Honeymoon just outside of town here. This whole entire area is just beautiful and is a must see for anyone that has never visited. There is something here for everyone from Cherokee, to the Smokey's, to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
Tomorrows run will be southeast out of Cherokee almost back to Georgia and then reverse course at Tellico Plains and ride the Cherohala Highway back to Cherokee. I will give you a link to read from the RoadRunner Magazine if you want to get a better idea of the ride.
Cherokee, NC ride 1
Today’s mileage = 206
Total for the trip = 5150
Day 23 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Done in Helen, time to move to Cherokee
We woke up this morning to some ominous looking clouds but doing a quick weather check there was no rain in the forecast or in the area. So we showered, ate, and walked outside and the clouds started breaking up. By 10am it was almost a picture perfect day.
Today's ride was short in comparison to most at only a 174 miles but what it lacked in distance, it made up in beauty. There were long stretches of roads where no cars could be seen and we felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. The trees on both sides of the road were lush and green and the forest looked deep. Quiet and calm the ride was for most of the day. We did have a few little quirks when my planned route ran out of asphalt and turned into dirt. Momma doesn't do dirt unless we have no choice in the matter, and I knew we had choices. So a few simple clicks of the GPS and we were back on asphalt with just a few modifications.
One town we went through, Dahlonega had some very cool looking old buildings and the only one I could ID was the Goldmine Museum. But that wasn't the best part; this town also put out flags along the roadside for Memorial Day Weekend and along side the flags,a white cross, name, and the war they died in. I thought it had class and a nice touch to honor the people they lived with and that died for them and country.
For lunch we stopped in Morganton, Ga. and had Quizno's. Lori had a salad and me a sub. So what do you think we did right after lunch? Ride? Nope, we found the local carwash and gave the motorcycle a bath. She was really looking bad after almost a month on the road. Anyways, $4 later and little elbow grease, she looked presentable but not perfect.
The rest of the day we spent riding back to Helen and we did hit one nice stretch of twisty's that I wished I had a the camera on for, but I figured most of ya'll have gotten the idea. I will record Deals Gap in a few days and whatever strikes me, so my video presentations might not actual be done. We had a small dinner at a local diner in Cleveland, Ga. and then rolled back into the hotel. Oh man, no TV, someone save me the wife might have ideas!!! :0
Tomorrow we say goodbye to Helen and we'll do a slow curvy route due northbound and land in Cherokee, NC. This will be our last official resting spot for the next 4 days of rides. There is a rumor that someone might join us Sunday night, but we will wait to see if the weather, traffic, and other plans hold out for them. Tomorrow we will also pass the 5000 mile mark on this trip and unless something dumb happens, the motorcycle will make it on the tires I left with. There will not be much left, but they will get home. Until tomorrow, take care.
Today’s mileage = 174
Total for the trip = 4944
Day 22 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Today's ride was short in comparison to most at only a 174 miles but what it lacked in distance, it made up in beauty. There were long stretches of roads where no cars could be seen and we felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. The trees on both sides of the road were lush and green and the forest looked deep. Quiet and calm the ride was for most of the day. We did have a few little quirks when my planned route ran out of asphalt and turned into dirt. Momma doesn't do dirt unless we have no choice in the matter, and I knew we had choices. So a few simple clicks of the GPS and we were back on asphalt with just a few modifications.
One town we went through, Dahlonega had some very cool looking old buildings and the only one I could ID was the Goldmine Museum. But that wasn't the best part; this town also put out flags along the roadside for Memorial Day Weekend and along side the flags,a white cross, name, and the war they died in. I thought it had class and a nice touch to honor the people they lived with and that died for them and country.
For lunch we stopped in Morganton, Ga. and had Quizno's. Lori had a salad and me a sub. So what do you think we did right after lunch? Ride? Nope, we found the local carwash and gave the motorcycle a bath. She was really looking bad after almost a month on the road. Anyways, $4 later and little elbow grease, she looked presentable but not perfect.
The rest of the day we spent riding back to Helen and we did hit one nice stretch of twisty's that I wished I had a the camera on for, but I figured most of ya'll have gotten the idea. I will record Deals Gap in a few days and whatever strikes me, so my video presentations might not actual be done. We had a small dinner at a local diner in Cleveland, Ga. and then rolled back into the hotel. Oh man, no TV, someone save me the wife might have ideas!!! :0
Tomorrow we say goodbye to Helen and we'll do a slow curvy route due northbound and land in Cherokee, NC. This will be our last official resting spot for the next 4 days of rides. There is a rumor that someone might join us Sunday night, but we will wait to see if the weather, traffic, and other plans hold out for them. Tomorrow we will also pass the 5000 mile mark on this trip and unless something dumb happens, the motorcycle will make it on the tires I left with. There will not be much left, but they will get home. Until tomorrow, take care.
Today’s mileage = 174
Total for the trip = 4944
Day 22 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Video from May 20th
Here is a video edited from yesterday's ride and depending on when you watch it, the sound will either be wind or music. I have so much video to go through and this is only a small bit. Enjoy.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Day 20 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Some title huh? A quick explanation, and then I will give you the rest of the story. Good, great roads and weather, Bad, trucks and cars, Ugly, road rage and on a motorcycle so you're defenseless.
Ok, the skies were clear and blue and temperatures were cool, but not as cool as yesterday. Lori put on the heated gear without power and I put on cold jacket with liner and no pants. Oh my! No heated pants, silly. The first road out of town was a thrill ride but not until I got out from behind a UPS truck pulling a trailer who would not let us by. There are signs on the road that say slower traffic use pull outs for faster traffic. This bozo passed three before I got angry. I let loose of the horn, but it didn't faze him, probably just made him laugh. Spent 7 minutes behind him until the road opened to a dual lane and I pulled up beside him, gave him the thumbs up, he cracked a smile, and I moved on. It is to pretty of a day to let that bother me.
After the thrill ride, though brief, we pulled into the town of Hiawassee which had a lake running throughout it. Very nice and I made one u-turn here to take a few shots, check the photo link. Lori and I discussed coming back here for supper, which we did later in the day. Next was about a 50 mile ride from Hiawassee to Sylvia on Hwy 64 which not that thrilling but it sure was a pretty ride. In the town on Sylvia we took a picture of a big white building on a hill that very old. Sorry we did not get the history on it, but I'm sure you could Google it.
Leaving Sylvia we pickup Route 107 and a Little Old lady. Oh my goodness, once again after the third pullout and sign saying move over, I blast the horn. If you do not remember, I put a new horn on the bike and just looking for an excuse to make you go we-we, this time she did a little wiggle in the lane. I had to laugh and when I went around her, she wouldn't even look over. If I had known she was 80, I might not have scared her. Okay, I would have. Clear of traffic, 107 was a really tight swing fest that made me back off more than normal because there was no room for error. At the end of 107, we stopped for lunch at the Old Smokehouse for some Barbecue in Cashiers.
After lunch we left Cashiers and followed more trucks until we turned off onto Hwy 106. This was another little thrill ride downhill and I wish the camera was working because this is where I got Lori to suck in a little bit. We went through a couple of blind switch backs and on the last one the pegs were dragging in the asphalt and bam there is a truck coming opposite direction tight on his line and with me already scraping pegs right. She knew there was no more right left. It really wasn't that close, but it was to her. Later during this same stretch and behind another pickup truck, I heard her say, "Don't zing him on the double yellow". Sorry patience running thin at this point, give me 300 yards and he's mine. Zing, no more truck.
So, what do you say or do to a wife who just said something you do not care for? I do not remember what she said, but I do remember what i did. Click it!!!
Today’s mileage = 229
Total for the trip = 4770
Day 21 - May 21, 2009 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Ok, the skies were clear and blue and temperatures were cool, but not as cool as yesterday. Lori put on the heated gear without power and I put on cold jacket with liner and no pants. Oh my! No heated pants, silly. The first road out of town was a thrill ride but not until I got out from behind a UPS truck pulling a trailer who would not let us by. There are signs on the road that say slower traffic use pull outs for faster traffic. This bozo passed three before I got angry. I let loose of the horn, but it didn't faze him, probably just made him laugh. Spent 7 minutes behind him until the road opened to a dual lane and I pulled up beside him, gave him the thumbs up, he cracked a smile, and I moved on. It is to pretty of a day to let that bother me.
After the thrill ride, though brief, we pulled into the town of Hiawassee which had a lake running throughout it. Very nice and I made one u-turn here to take a few shots, check the photo link. Lori and I discussed coming back here for supper, which we did later in the day. Next was about a 50 mile ride from Hiawassee to Sylvia on Hwy 64 which not that thrilling but it sure was a pretty ride. In the town on Sylvia we took a picture of a big white building on a hill that very old. Sorry we did not get the history on it, but I'm sure you could Google it.
Leaving Sylvia we pickup Route 107 and a Little Old lady. Oh my goodness, once again after the third pullout and sign saying move over, I blast the horn. If you do not remember, I put a new horn on the bike and just looking for an excuse to make you go we-we, this time she did a little wiggle in the lane. I had to laugh and when I went around her, she wouldn't even look over. If I had known she was 80, I might not have scared her. Okay, I would have. Clear of traffic, 107 was a really tight swing fest that made me back off more than normal because there was no room for error. At the end of 107, we stopped for lunch at the Old Smokehouse for some Barbecue in Cashiers.
After lunch we left Cashiers and followed more trucks until we turned off onto Hwy 106. This was another little thrill ride downhill and I wish the camera was working because this is where I got Lori to suck in a little bit. We went through a couple of blind switch backs and on the last one the pegs were dragging in the asphalt and bam there is a truck coming opposite direction tight on his line and with me already scraping pegs right. She knew there was no more right left. It really wasn't that close, but it was to her. Later during this same stretch and behind another pickup truck, I heard her say, "Don't zing him on the double yellow". Sorry patience running thin at this point, give me 300 yards and he's mine. Zing, no more truck.
So, what do you say or do to a wife who just said something you do not care for? I do not remember what she said, but I do remember what i did. Click it!!!
Today’s mileage = 229
Total for the trip = 4770
Day 21 - May 21, 2009 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Video from Tour 1 Helen Ga.
Weather has been updated and now Thr - Fri - Sat are looking good. Also find below the video from Yesterdays ride.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Day 19 All good things come to those that wait.
Ahh, it felt good to lean left then right and do it over and over again. To say that I do not miss the flat straight roads of Florida is an understatement. It was brisk this morning when we finally got outside to ready for the days ride. I believe that it was between 48 and 52 degrees when we stepped outside. I spent a good 15 minutes in prepping the bike and trailer for the ride. The bike was covered with the morning dew and the tire pressure in all tires was down, so I pumped up all the tires via my portable pump and wiped the bike dry. All that was left was to suit up and fuel up.
We didn't get 2 miles out of town and I made my first stop for some strange looking mound of dirt with a steeple on top. I read the marker, which I took a picture of, and moved another 2 or 3 miles down the road to the smallest covered bridge in Georgia, 34 feet. Took a picture of that marker also and you can read both in the picture section.
Let me first cover the only disappointment of the day. I took three videos with my camera and only one turned out. I managed to get almost 5 minutes of good riding off of the chip. I will post it as soon as Youtube allows.
Now for good stuff. The roads that Road Runner Magazine was right on the mark and I didn't make one wrong turn or U-turn for the entire ride. I made a couple of U-turns because of stuff I wanted to see, but that was it. Just past the second stop, I got my first taste of the twisty'es and I only shot half of what will show on the video. The second and longest set of twisty'es was east of Clayton and ran into North Carolina to Highland. Wow and I'm rusty. I felt a little slow entering most corners and going downhill into any corner was a little un-nerving at times hauling that extra weight behind me. There were lots of bikes on the roads today also.
After we returned to Helen from our ride, we ditched the gear and started to walk the town. The entire length of the town is maybe 2 or 3 miles, so walking was good. The temperatures by this time had reached 72 and the skies were still crystal clear. The building and atmosphere of Helen is German. My only complaint is not everything was open because the summer season is not quite here. Lori managed to find a few trinkets to buy and then it was dinner time. Dinner tonight in a German based town, drum roll, Mexican. We both love Mexican and it was good, so to each his own.
Tomorrow weather should be a duplicate of today, which is great, because the forecast for the remainder of the week is not looking all that great. We will head on a more north to northeast route out of Helen and then back and I will get a second opportunity to record at least part of the road between Clayton and Highland. Let's just hope doh doh bird remembers to press the go button this time. You can click the link below to read a write up on tomorrow's ride from RR Magazine.
Helen Ga. Ride 2
Today’s mileage = 172
Total for the trip = 4541
Day 20 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
We didn't get 2 miles out of town and I made my first stop for some strange looking mound of dirt with a steeple on top. I read the marker, which I took a picture of, and moved another 2 or 3 miles down the road to the smallest covered bridge in Georgia, 34 feet. Took a picture of that marker also and you can read both in the picture section.
Let me first cover the only disappointment of the day. I took three videos with my camera and only one turned out. I managed to get almost 5 minutes of good riding off of the chip. I will post it as soon as Youtube allows.
Now for good stuff. The roads that Road Runner Magazine was right on the mark and I didn't make one wrong turn or U-turn for the entire ride. I made a couple of U-turns because of stuff I wanted to see, but that was it. Just past the second stop, I got my first taste of the twisty'es and I only shot half of what will show on the video. The second and longest set of twisty'es was east of Clayton and ran into North Carolina to Highland. Wow and I'm rusty. I felt a little slow entering most corners and going downhill into any corner was a little un-nerving at times hauling that extra weight behind me. There were lots of bikes on the roads today also.
After we returned to Helen from our ride, we ditched the gear and started to walk the town. The entire length of the town is maybe 2 or 3 miles, so walking was good. The temperatures by this time had reached 72 and the skies were still crystal clear. The building and atmosphere of Helen is German. My only complaint is not everything was open because the summer season is not quite here. Lori managed to find a few trinkets to buy and then it was dinner time. Dinner tonight in a German based town, drum roll, Mexican. We both love Mexican and it was good, so to each his own.
Tomorrow weather should be a duplicate of today, which is great, because the forecast for the remainder of the week is not looking all that great. We will head on a more north to northeast route out of Helen and then back and I will get a second opportunity to record at least part of the road between Clayton and Highland. Let's just hope doh doh bird remembers to press the go button this time. You can click the link below to read a write up on tomorrow's ride from RR Magazine.
Helen Ga. Ride 2
Today’s mileage = 172
Total for the trip = 4541
Day 20 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Monday, May 18, 2009
Day 18 Transition complete,we are in Helen, Ga.
As expected this morning in Tallahassee it was cool, drizzly, and overcast. I fired up the weather channel as Lori was getting prepared for the days ride and it didn't look all that bad, but bad enough to start thinking about a different route. I knew we were an hour or more from leaving, so I would decide about a route when it was time to leave. Decision was to go as originally planned because all the green goo on the weather channel was clear of my route. Ha Ha Ha!! Not even close.
The first 20 miles or so as we crossed into Georgia wasn't that bad with light drizzle, mostly dry roads, 50 degrees, and overcast skies. We had both put on our Cold Weather jackets, liner, and heated overpants but I did not plug them into power. I was soon pulling over to change gloves to winter gloves. Then a few miles later, pulling over again to put on the rain gear, ugh! It drizzled and then hard rain and then back to drizzle until 20 miles south of Albany Ga. and then it broke. Finally, broken skies, no rain, but some very gusty cross winds.
The rest of the ride was cool and dry with the high temperature, even through Atlanta Ga., just short of 70 degrees I'm also glad that we did not hit Atlanta at 4pm or later because that would have been 5 lanes of grid lock that would have been very annoying. It was bad enough at 2:30 when we arrived in Atlanta and it rivaled anything that DC has to offer.
As we past Lake Lanier, we got our first glimpse of the mountains in the distance and what a welcome sight that was to my eyes. I said to Lori, "doesn't that look great"? "Hello" Damn, sleeping again. How does anyone sleep on a motorcyle? It is beyond my comprehension. Anyways, as we slid off the Interstate and onto are first set of twisties I heard my bike go Ahhhhh! Would you believe that I actually have a flat spot wearing on my front tire that is about 1 inch wide? This is a first for me and something I have never seen on any of my motorcycles. What does this say about Florida and her roads???
Tomorrows forecast? Clear with a over night low of 37 degrees, brrr, with a high of 72. What a change!!! Instead of me telling you what we will be doing tomorrow, I will post the route as usual below, but I will also provide a link you can click to read. It was written by a motorcycle rider who works for Road Runner Magazine. The best magazine ever put together for motorcycle enthusiast.
Helen Ga. Ride 1
Today’s mileage = 353 <---Longest leg to date.
Total for the trip = 4369
No Picture today, but tomorrow back to business. :)
Day 19 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
The first 20 miles or so as we crossed into Georgia wasn't that bad with light drizzle, mostly dry roads, 50 degrees, and overcast skies. We had both put on our Cold Weather jackets, liner, and heated overpants but I did not plug them into power. I was soon pulling over to change gloves to winter gloves. Then a few miles later, pulling over again to put on the rain gear, ugh! It drizzled and then hard rain and then back to drizzle until 20 miles south of Albany Ga. and then it broke. Finally, broken skies, no rain, but some very gusty cross winds.
The rest of the ride was cool and dry with the high temperature, even through Atlanta Ga., just short of 70 degrees I'm also glad that we did not hit Atlanta at 4pm or later because that would have been 5 lanes of grid lock that would have been very annoying. It was bad enough at 2:30 when we arrived in Atlanta and it rivaled anything that DC has to offer.
As we past Lake Lanier, we got our first glimpse of the mountains in the distance and what a welcome sight that was to my eyes. I said to Lori, "doesn't that look great"? "Hello" Damn, sleeping again. How does anyone sleep on a motorcyle? It is beyond my comprehension. Anyways, as we slid off the Interstate and onto are first set of twisties I heard my bike go Ahhhhh! Would you believe that I actually have a flat spot wearing on my front tire that is about 1 inch wide? This is a first for me and something I have never seen on any of my motorcycles. What does this say about Florida and her roads???
Tomorrows forecast? Clear with a over night low of 37 degrees, brrr, with a high of 72. What a change!!! Instead of me telling you what we will be doing tomorrow, I will post the route as usual below, but I will also provide a link you can click to read. It was written by a motorcycle rider who works for Road Runner Magazine. The best magazine ever put together for motorcycle enthusiast.
Helen Ga. Ride 1
Today’s mileage = 353 <---Longest leg to date.
Total for the trip = 4369
No Picture today, but tomorrow back to business. :)
Day 19 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Day 17 We are in Tallahassee
We left Lakeland this morning bright and early to make sure that we out ran the forecast in Tallahassee. It sounded like it was going to be really bad, so why chance it. We rolled into Tallahassee around 2:45 and only got hit by a few drops of rain about 80 or 100 south of Tallahassee. In nowhere Florida, I think the town name was Old Town where we stopped for lunch for us and lunch for the bike, fuel. We had some local Barbecue and we stopped there for two reasons. One, it smelled good when rolled by and Second, there were some other bikers there. Good reasons if you ask me. The food wasn't half bad and it gave us a chance to sit indoors to see if that nasty thunderhead in front of us would disappear.
Well it didn't go away completely and we debated a few minutes to dawn our rainsuits or dry suits. We choose dry, but 2 miles down the road I was pulling over to hide and cover. We put on the rain gear and off we went. We didn't get 2 miles down the road and it stopped. Crazy crap. After about 30 minutes, I finally gave into the heat, pulled over and got rid of the gear. Not another drop the rest of the ride.
Another thing that caught Lori and I off guard was when we entered a little town name Dade City, we actually saw rolling country. I mean actual hills and curves in the road and the terain. It didn't last long, maybe 20 miles, but we actually saw curves. For moment I didn't know what to do, but I leaned the bike and went though the corner, just kidding. To many straight roads makes one a little delirous.
So what do you think happened right at dinner time or 5pm? Boom, crack, and here comes the rain. I mean it was raining hard. The funniest thing I saw was a real cool Harley Rider coming into the parking lot of the hotel, no helmet, no rain gear, and the bike was just sputering. You had to laugh because he looked like a wet cat just pulled from the lake! After he checked in, dried off, he was underneath the canopy working on the Harley trying to get her running smooth again. Is that possible?
For our evening dinner plans, we order in. I had baked spaggetti and Lori had a Cheif Salad. Not very glamorous, but it turn out to be very good. The Desk Clerk made the reccommendation and a good one it was.
Tomorrow is one of the longer hauls of the trip at somewhere near 360 miles. The worst part of the ride will be going through Atlanta Georgia in the heat of the day. I also know, according to the weather forecast, the first hour or so of our ride will be wet. Should just be drizzle, but it will be wet. By the end of the day we should be in Helen, Georgia.
Today’s mileage = 240
Total for the trip = 4016 <----Rolling!!!
No Pictures Today..... :(
Day 18 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Well it didn't go away completely and we debated a few minutes to dawn our rainsuits or dry suits. We choose dry, but 2 miles down the road I was pulling over to hide and cover. We put on the rain gear and off we went. We didn't get 2 miles down the road and it stopped. Crazy crap. After about 30 minutes, I finally gave into the heat, pulled over and got rid of the gear. Not another drop the rest of the ride.
Another thing that caught Lori and I off guard was when we entered a little town name Dade City, we actually saw rolling country. I mean actual hills and curves in the road and the terain. It didn't last long, maybe 20 miles, but we actually saw curves. For moment I didn't know what to do, but I leaned the bike and went though the corner, just kidding. To many straight roads makes one a little delirous.
So what do you think happened right at dinner time or 5pm? Boom, crack, and here comes the rain. I mean it was raining hard. The funniest thing I saw was a real cool Harley Rider coming into the parking lot of the hotel, no helmet, no rain gear, and the bike was just sputering. You had to laugh because he looked like a wet cat just pulled from the lake! After he checked in, dried off, he was underneath the canopy working on the Harley trying to get her running smooth again. Is that possible?
For our evening dinner plans, we order in. I had baked spaggetti and Lori had a Cheif Salad. Not very glamorous, but it turn out to be very good. The Desk Clerk made the reccommendation and a good one it was.
Tomorrow is one of the longer hauls of the trip at somewhere near 360 miles. The worst part of the ride will be going through Atlanta Georgia in the heat of the day. I also know, according to the weather forecast, the first hour or so of our ride will be wet. Should just be drizzle, but it will be wet. By the end of the day we should be in Helen, Georgia.
Today’s mileage = 240
Total for the trip = 4016 <----Rolling!!!
No Pictures Today..... :(
Day 18 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Day 16 Another good day for riding :)
If your on vacation and your on a motorcycle all you can ask for is sunny weather and we had a full day sun for our fun. Yes it got a little warm in the afternoon, but who cares, it could be raining or something worse, I could be working!! We started out with a fast 30 mile sprint on I-4 into the Tampa area and rode across Howard Frankland Bridge. We road it into St. Petersburg and then we rode it back out for no other reason because I wanted to. We then jumped over to the Courtney Campbell Causeway to see the roadside beaches and to lead us into Clearwater. Did you know the Philadelphia Phillies do their spring training here. Nice place to train. Lot's of sun, warm weather, beaches, and bikini's, whoops did I say that? Oh well, the only way you miss'em is to close your eyes full time.
From Clearwater, Indian Shores, Boca, Bradenton, and Sarasota, I must say that what impressed me the most was all the public access to the beaches. Yes the white sand and the clear blue water was fantastic, but from what I have seen in my travels is that most public beach access is hard to come by when you have something like this that looks this nice. Big money and people that retire usually buy it all up and there is nowhere to park or to get on the beaches. Very nice indeed. Lori went ahead and informed me that this winter, this will be her first pick to visit on a weekend getaway. This time we will fly!
Tonight after getting back from the days ride, there was about a 40 minute rain shower, which gave Princess enough time to nap and recharge her battery. We decided that we would go to Olive Garden, her favorite restaurant, to celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary. Dinner was nice and afterwords, she even made me take her shopping again. The price we pay!
This was are last official planned ride to see anything in Florida and starting tomorrow we will start are 2 day, 600 mile track to Helen, Ga. There I have 4 rides planned that total close to 580 miles of riding. Tomorrow also sounds like it could be a wet ride depending on how fast this approaching cold front from Tennessee and Georgia sinks into Florida. Still sounds like a late afternoon event, but mother nature will do what she does whenever she wants to. If all goes well, we will be sitting in Tallahassee Florida by 3 or 4pm before the rain hits.
Today’s mileage = 241
Total for the trip = 3776
Day 17 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
From Clearwater, Indian Shores, Boca, Bradenton, and Sarasota, I must say that what impressed me the most was all the public access to the beaches. Yes the white sand and the clear blue water was fantastic, but from what I have seen in my travels is that most public beach access is hard to come by when you have something like this that looks this nice. Big money and people that retire usually buy it all up and there is nowhere to park or to get on the beaches. Very nice indeed. Lori went ahead and informed me that this winter, this will be her first pick to visit on a weekend getaway. This time we will fly!
Tonight after getting back from the days ride, there was about a 40 minute rain shower, which gave Princess enough time to nap and recharge her battery. We decided that we would go to Olive Garden, her favorite restaurant, to celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary. Dinner was nice and afterwords, she even made me take her shopping again. The price we pay!
This was are last official planned ride to see anything in Florida and starting tomorrow we will start are 2 day, 600 mile track to Helen, Ga. There I have 4 rides planned that total close to 580 miles of riding. Tomorrow also sounds like it could be a wet ride depending on how fast this approaching cold front from Tennessee and Georgia sinks into Florida. Still sounds like a late afternoon event, but mother nature will do what she does whenever she wants to. If all goes well, we will be sitting in Tallahassee Florida by 3 or 4pm before the rain hits.
Today’s mileage = 241
Total for the trip = 3776
Day 17 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Friday, May 15, 2009
Day 15 an unexpected treat
We woke up to clear skies and much cooler temperatures this morning after yesterday thunderstorms that ran from 5pm until around 11pm. I knew that it would not stay cool long, but it was refreshing for at least part of the day. The first leg of our ride today was about 100 to 110 miles riding in and out a very small communities. There are some very nice pieces of property on the out skirts of Lakeland and if wasn't for the scorching heat and flat straight roads, I might consider this place.
We stopped in a little town named Arcadia to refill the Valkyrie with fuel and then headed to our only stop on this ride, Solomon's Castle. I didn't know really what to expect other than a castle looking building made from aluminum plates. So we leave the gas station and I'm smoking through the country following the GPS and I blow by the wooden sign for the place. Make a u-turn and take the road back to small parking lot. To my surprise, we are not the only ones here. We are in the middle of nowhere, so I expected to see no one.
Get off the bike, walk the short distance through the driveway slant entrance and there it is, the Castle. It looks just like a Castle made out of aluminum. Ok, before we take the tour, we must eat. I knew that there was a restaurant here named, "The Boat in the Moat." What a cool looking place and the food was good to. After lunch we took the tour of the castle and this is where all the pieces started to come together about the castle and the restaurant.
Mr. Solomon is an artist that builds whats in his head using other peoples junk or recycling it. He never throws anything away knowing that something might come to mind that needs building. I'm not an art person in no form or fashion, but I do like mechanical things. I like knowing how they work and what makes them work. This artist builds things that sometimes function but what is more interesting is that he builds things with pipes, shocks, springs, barrels, coat hangers, wood, and anything that fits in his mind. He built the entire house/castle himself form recycled material. The aluminum hanging on the exterior of the house is from a local printing facility, so his material at the time of build was free.
Here is something else that was kind of cool. Most of the time when your looking at an artist stuff he or she is dead so you never really know the person. We were told during the tour that sometimes Mr. Solomon is around working in his shops or doing whatever. So we were wondering around the property and we entered the newest item that he created, the facial of the Alamo on the entrance of his workshop. That was some amazing looking work. There he was, working in the shop. So we mozyed in starting to look at the things he had recently created and was creating and he started to talk to us. We chatted for at least 20 or 30 minutes about things like where we were from, what he was using to create he new art, his collection of old cars, and marriage. During the tour they told us he was on his 5th marriage. Well Lori couldn't let that go and she had to ask the question point blank. Lori asked, "They tells us that you on your 5th wife." Then this frail, slightly bent over, 74 year old man got this sly little grin on his face and fired right back at Lori without a flinch, "I'm not on her as much as I liked to be." You should have seen Lori's Oh My Face!! It was priceless. She did not see that one coming. I laughed at that for the better part of the afternoon.
I wish that I could remember all the funny names that this man had given to each item of art that he created. He has some serious talent. The only way to see and appreciate it is to see it in person, but the next best thing is to check out the 40 pictures that I took. Look closely at the items and you will see some everyday items in most pieces. Pretty cool stuff. As far as the restaurant goes, he built a 65 foot boat that was going to be used as a gift shop, but his daughter and son-in-law converted it into a restuarant that is quit the conversation piece.
We ended our day back in Lakeland and once again with temperatures reaching 94 degrees. The same old thunderstorm came rolling in here once again right about 5 o'clock and lasted about hour and half. Then we walked over the Cracker Barrel to do dinner and called it a night.
Tomorrow we will heading to the Gulf Coast to see some beaches, shopping, and just stuff. I plan to let Lori do a little more shopping if she chooses to and we want to do that before the afternoon heat rolls in.
Last couple of things to mention, tomorrow will be Lori and I's 28th wedding anniversary. I have know idea how she did it. Daniel our second and last child, left the United States yesterday and should be in Spain now. From Spain he will go to Afghanistan, then to England, and then back to the United States. In case you do not know, Daniel is in the West Virginia Air National Guard. Should be a 5 day trip, but the last trip he took lasted 12 days. Ok, now to the pictures and tomorrow map.
Today’s mileage = 196
Total for the trip = 3535
Day 16 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
We stopped in a little town named Arcadia to refill the Valkyrie with fuel and then headed to our only stop on this ride, Solomon's Castle. I didn't know really what to expect other than a castle looking building made from aluminum plates. So we leave the gas station and I'm smoking through the country following the GPS and I blow by the wooden sign for the place. Make a u-turn and take the road back to small parking lot. To my surprise, we are not the only ones here. We are in the middle of nowhere, so I expected to see no one.
Get off the bike, walk the short distance through the driveway slant entrance and there it is, the Castle. It looks just like a Castle made out of aluminum. Ok, before we take the tour, we must eat. I knew that there was a restaurant here named, "The Boat in the Moat." What a cool looking place and the food was good to. After lunch we took the tour of the castle and this is where all the pieces started to come together about the castle and the restaurant.
Mr. Solomon is an artist that builds whats in his head using other peoples junk or recycling it. He never throws anything away knowing that something might come to mind that needs building. I'm not an art person in no form or fashion, but I do like mechanical things. I like knowing how they work and what makes them work. This artist builds things that sometimes function but what is more interesting is that he builds things with pipes, shocks, springs, barrels, coat hangers, wood, and anything that fits in his mind. He built the entire house/castle himself form recycled material. The aluminum hanging on the exterior of the house is from a local printing facility, so his material at the time of build was free.
Here is something else that was kind of cool. Most of the time when your looking at an artist stuff he or she is dead so you never really know the person. We were told during the tour that sometimes Mr. Solomon is around working in his shops or doing whatever. So we were wondering around the property and we entered the newest item that he created, the facial of the Alamo on the entrance of his workshop. That was some amazing looking work. There he was, working in the shop. So we mozyed in starting to look at the things he had recently created and was creating and he started to talk to us. We chatted for at least 20 or 30 minutes about things like where we were from, what he was using to create he new art, his collection of old cars, and marriage. During the tour they told us he was on his 5th marriage. Well Lori couldn't let that go and she had to ask the question point blank. Lori asked, "They tells us that you on your 5th wife." Then this frail, slightly bent over, 74 year old man got this sly little grin on his face and fired right back at Lori without a flinch, "I'm not on her as much as I liked to be." You should have seen Lori's Oh My Face!! It was priceless. She did not see that one coming. I laughed at that for the better part of the afternoon.
I wish that I could remember all the funny names that this man had given to each item of art that he created. He has some serious talent. The only way to see and appreciate it is to see it in person, but the next best thing is to check out the 40 pictures that I took. Look closely at the items and you will see some everyday items in most pieces. Pretty cool stuff. As far as the restaurant goes, he built a 65 foot boat that was going to be used as a gift shop, but his daughter and son-in-law converted it into a restuarant that is quit the conversation piece.
We ended our day back in Lakeland and once again with temperatures reaching 94 degrees. The same old thunderstorm came rolling in here once again right about 5 o'clock and lasted about hour and half. Then we walked over the Cracker Barrel to do dinner and called it a night.
Tomorrow we will heading to the Gulf Coast to see some beaches, shopping, and just stuff. I plan to let Lori do a little more shopping if she chooses to and we want to do that before the afternoon heat rolls in.
Last couple of things to mention, tomorrow will be Lori and I's 28th wedding anniversary. I have know idea how she did it. Daniel our second and last child, left the United States yesterday and should be in Spain now. From Spain he will go to Afghanistan, then to England, and then back to the United States. In case you do not know, Daniel is in the West Virginia Air National Guard. Should be a 5 day trip, but the last trip he took lasted 12 days. Ok, now to the pictures and tomorrow map.
Today’s mileage = 196
Total for the trip = 3535
Day 16 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Day 14 Easy day
Today we basically moved our camp from Fort Myers to Lakeland Florida in a nice and easy drive. It was a Interstate drive and we hit no rain, but the heat by the time we reached Lakeland was reaching 95 degrees. Once here we grabbed a quick lunch, then found me some windshield cleaner at the local Honda shop, and scooted over to the Hotel. At the hotel we finished up the laundry and we are hoping that will get us home. We also took a quick dip in the pool, then retired to our room for a little rest before dinner.
This is where things got a little interesting. I was hoping we could ride out for dinner then drive over and catch a Minor League baseball game. Well mother nature had different thoughts, thunderstorms came rolling in right at decision time. Before I knew it, I walking down the street in my rain suit to get dinner and bring it back to the hotel. Seems PRINCESS didn't want to get her hair wet and frizzy, since she just showered and got all pretty. Lord have mercy! The things I do! That's ok, we had a quiet evening with no worries.
Tomorrow we will scoot around on Mad Map Tour and one thing we will see is Solomon's Castle, click the link because it will describe it better than I can. Maybe after I see it tomorrow, I will be better suit to describe it.
Today’s mileage = 177
Total for the trip = 3339
Day 15 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
This is where things got a little interesting. I was hoping we could ride out for dinner then drive over and catch a Minor League baseball game. Well mother nature had different thoughts, thunderstorms came rolling in right at decision time. Before I knew it, I walking down the street in my rain suit to get dinner and bring it back to the hotel. Seems PRINCESS didn't want to get her hair wet and frizzy, since she just showered and got all pretty. Lord have mercy! The things I do! That's ok, we had a quiet evening with no worries.
Tomorrow we will scoot around on Mad Map Tour and one thing we will see is Solomon's Castle, click the link because it will describe it better than I can. Maybe after I see it tomorrow, I will be better suit to describe it.
Today’s mileage = 177
Total for the trip = 3339
Day 15 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Day 13 Cooler, Rain, Funnel, Pather, and Moving on
Well today's ride was going to take us through the Cypress Swamp and the Indian Reservation that resided in the same location. We also knew on departure that by 1 or 2 pm that some very strong Thunderstorms were forecast. First off, the departure temperature was only 71 degrees this morning and that was a very refreshing start. The skies were clear but within an hour into the ride you could see the boomers were building in bunches and unlike in Virginia, these boys were building in the east and moving to the west. How weird is that? Because the land is so flat here you can see much further in all directions, so seeing more than one thunderstorm in different regions of the sky must be normal around here. We danced around most of these storms all morning with no route changes.
By lunch time we were exiting the Swamp that wasn't and the Indian Reservation. I have seen swamps and this swamp looked more like the farm land that I have been riding through for the last couple of days. Nothing special to say about the Reservation either,so on down the road we go. Here is where I made my first route adjustment. This added 40 miles to my trip, but it steered me temporarily away from a strong looking storm and into the a small town named Immokalee. Here we ate lunch, just a salad at McDonald's, refueled the bike and got back on the rode.
Heading back on track, we ran into a warning sign, that you'll find in the picture link area, of a Panther Crossing area. Now here is something you do not see everyday. Lori and I shot some banter back and forth and what would happen if we broke down here and basically I decided she would be the first to go because her steaks were bigger. I will let your mind work on that for a bit. The further we tracked, the blacker and blacker the clouds got. I asked Lori to take some pictures and as we turned away from this storm something caught my eye. Damn, there is a funnel cloud. Let me repeat that, Damn there is a funnel cloud. Ok, it wasn't that big but it was big enough and we were close enough. Take the picture and let's move on.
About another hour down the road and also what was suppose to the prettiest part of the ride, the rain finally got us. We were now in full gear, getting a bath, and not taking any pictures. The housing in Naples is just as nice as what we saw in Palm Beach without all the traffic. We missed the worst of the rain, so we never stopped moving, but according to what on the news and the debris we saw near the edge of the roads, the rain and winds must have been pretty strong. Overall, a very interesting and cool ride. Never saw a funnel cloud in person before, so I guess I can check that off the list. Lori did get some pictures, so see if you can find it.
Tomorrow is a moving day for us and we will be relocating to Lakeland to setup camp for another couple of days. We still have a little bit more laundry to do and tomorrows ride should be an easy 170 mile ride and that will leave us time to get that done. In Lakeland I have 2 rides setup and this will be it for Florida. One more thing to mention, today put us through 3000 miles on trip so far and we still have 2 weeks to go.
Today’s mileage = 303
Total for the trip = 3162
Day 14 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
By lunch time we were exiting the Swamp that wasn't and the Indian Reservation. I have seen swamps and this swamp looked more like the farm land that I have been riding through for the last couple of days. Nothing special to say about the Reservation either,so on down the road we go. Here is where I made my first route adjustment. This added 40 miles to my trip, but it steered me temporarily away from a strong looking storm and into the a small town named Immokalee. Here we ate lunch, just a salad at McDonald's, refueled the bike and got back on the rode.
Heading back on track, we ran into a warning sign, that you'll find in the picture link area, of a Panther Crossing area. Now here is something you do not see everyday. Lori and I shot some banter back and forth and what would happen if we broke down here and basically I decided she would be the first to go because her steaks were bigger. I will let your mind work on that for a bit. The further we tracked, the blacker and blacker the clouds got. I asked Lori to take some pictures and as we turned away from this storm something caught my eye. Damn, there is a funnel cloud. Let me repeat that, Damn there is a funnel cloud. Ok, it wasn't that big but it was big enough and we were close enough. Take the picture and let's move on.
About another hour down the road and also what was suppose to the prettiest part of the ride, the rain finally got us. We were now in full gear, getting a bath, and not taking any pictures. The housing in Naples is just as nice as what we saw in Palm Beach without all the traffic. We missed the worst of the rain, so we never stopped moving, but according to what on the news and the debris we saw near the edge of the roads, the rain and winds must have been pretty strong. Overall, a very interesting and cool ride. Never saw a funnel cloud in person before, so I guess I can check that off the list. Lori did get some pictures, so see if you can find it.
Tomorrow is a moving day for us and we will be relocating to Lakeland to setup camp for another couple of days. We still have a little bit more laundry to do and tomorrows ride should be an easy 170 mile ride and that will leave us time to get that done. In Lakeland I have 2 rides setup and this will be it for Florida. One more thing to mention, today put us through 3000 miles on trip so far and we still have 2 weeks to go.
Today’s mileage = 303
Total for the trip = 3162
Day 14 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Day 12 around the big lake we couldn't see!
Well today's plan was to circle Lake Okeechobee because it was there and because it was huge. Did you know that it is the second largest fresh water lake in the United States second only to Lake Michigan. The reason you can't see this lake from the rode only 100 or 200 yards away is the 20 foot wall of dirt the Army Corp of Engineers built around the entire lake. Why would they do that? Well after 2 hurricanes in 2 years killed close to 3000 people because of storm surge in 1926 and 1928, the President wanted something changed and this is what they did. I just can't image how long it took to do this because the lake covers 720 square miles.
Ok, we didn't see much of Lake Okeechobee but we got a couple of pictures when crossing a bridge. The lake looks like a ocean from the angle we saw. The other thing we saw lot's of today was Orange trees and cattle. Acres and acres of trees and some of these cattle farms were gigantic. If it weren't for the orange trees, I might have mistaking this place for Texas. Sometimes you could lookout to almost a horizon distance away before you could see a tree on these cattle farms.
Straight and flat, so much so that we ran one section of road that was 61 miles long and I can't recall leaning the bike in a turn. That is an entire hour without leaning left or right. Once again by the end of this 270 mile ride, Lori and I were smoked once again because of the heat. In some places the heat index reached 104 with a temperature of 95. We had plently of water with us and about every 15 to 30 minutes I was passing the bottle back to Lori to make sure we were both ok.
Last thing to mention about todays ride was bugs!! I mean lots of bugs. My poor motorcycle ate so many bugs that I could barely see through my windshield by the time we stopped for lunch. I took a few pictures just so you could get the idea. Make sure you checkout the headlight shot.
Tomorrow, for our last full day in Fort Myers, we will roll though Cypress Swamp and also roll up the Western Gulf coastline. I expect that we will see a lot of nice homes tomorrow on the coast.
Today’s mileage = 270
Total for the trip = 2859
Day 13 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Ok, we didn't see much of Lake Okeechobee but we got a couple of pictures when crossing a bridge. The lake looks like a ocean from the angle we saw. The other thing we saw lot's of today was Orange trees and cattle. Acres and acres of trees and some of these cattle farms were gigantic. If it weren't for the orange trees, I might have mistaking this place for Texas. Sometimes you could lookout to almost a horizon distance away before you could see a tree on these cattle farms.
Straight and flat, so much so that we ran one section of road that was 61 miles long and I can't recall leaning the bike in a turn. That is an entire hour without leaning left or right. Once again by the end of this 270 mile ride, Lori and I were smoked once again because of the heat. In some places the heat index reached 104 with a temperature of 95. We had plently of water with us and about every 15 to 30 minutes I was passing the bottle back to Lori to make sure we were both ok.
Last thing to mention about todays ride was bugs!! I mean lots of bugs. My poor motorcycle ate so many bugs that I could barely see through my windshield by the time we stopped for lunch. I took a few pictures just so you could get the idea. Make sure you checkout the headlight shot.
Tomorrow, for our last full day in Fort Myers, we will roll though Cypress Swamp and also roll up the Western Gulf coastline. I expect that we will see a lot of nice homes tomorrow on the coast.
Today’s mileage = 270
Total for the trip = 2859
Day 13 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Here are the Video's from the Key West
Hi guys, I finally got them sliced up, then compiled, uploaded, and then attached an audio track. Be advised that one video is 8:30 long and the other is 6 and some change. The overall quaility is good even though the sun was directly in our faces most of the ride. My only wish is that the video on the longest bridge would have completed before the batteries died.
One thing that I got in trouble for with Lori was not mentioning the dinner at Latitudes in Key West. It was a great dinner and according to Lori very romantic. I think I missed that part. Shh, don't tell her because I will be in trouble again. Riding the boat back and forth to the private island was pretty cool. The atmosphere and the waiters were great. The sunset was the best and I think I posted 5 pictures on that alone. Ok, mission accomplished and I did what I was told to do. Now let's see those video's.
Now someone go tell Mark Sarrison his videos are here.
One thing that I got in trouble for with Lori was not mentioning the dinner at Latitudes in Key West. It was a great dinner and according to Lori very romantic. I think I missed that part. Shh, don't tell her because I will be in trouble again. Riding the boat back and forth to the private island was pretty cool. The atmosphere and the waiters were great. The sunset was the best and I think I posted 5 pictures on that alone. Ok, mission accomplished and I did what I was told to do. Now let's see those video's.
Now someone go tell Mark Sarrison his videos are here.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Day 11 - A major blunder avoided
We left Key West this after packing and eating breakfast around 8:45 trying to beat a little of the heat. The skies were clear but the forecast for heat to reach into the mid 90's was there in our face. It kind of made me sad to leave Key West knowing that from this day forward I would working my way back to Virginia. Not that that is bad, because Virginia is a beautiful State, but coming home means coming back to work. Who wants to do that?
Lori had the video camera on top of her helmet so I would be able to show a little better the water that was all around the roads and bridges. At first scan of the video there is good news and bad. The first part of the video looks good and I should be able to pick out pieces and put it all together for viewing by tomorrows blog. YouTube by far takes the most amount of work processing the video and sound. Can you believe passing the 65 to 70 mile marker today in the Keys we actually hit a rain shower for 45 seconds to a minute? I was shocked to see my first rain in the Keys, much less a cloud.
It did not take long for the morning warmth to accelerate into mid-morning sauna. I told Lori that unless she had a burning desire to ride deep into the Everglades, we were going to skip this section and skim the northern edge of the everglades along highway 41. We passed through Homestead Florida and was approaching highway 41 around lunch time. I did a quick scan for food on the GPS and it didn't take long to figure out that if we didn't eat now, it might be 2 hours before we saw anything else. So we hit a Subway and got back on the road. About 15 miles back into the ride something hit me dead in the gut. I looked down at my odometer and it was showing 144 miles and in case you don't know, most motorcycles do not have a fuel gauge. I have a 6.9 gallon fuel tank and been filling up around 150 on the odometer and putting in 5 gallons of fuel. Because I'm pulling the trailer, less fuel mileage. I reach down to the GPS, searched for fuel in front of me and the closest was 61 miles out. Uh, that is going to be really, really, close. I will be on reserve and if the station is closed, I'm most certainly toast. Decsion time, make a U-turn and retrace 15 miles for fuel or chance it? Up in front of me about 1/2 mile I could see a couple of signs, so I decided to go that far and if was nothing, a U-turn it would be. Lucky me!! It was a fuel stop. To show you how bad this could have been, next fuel station turned out to be 40 miles further and I had 0(zero) signal on the cell phone and it was 95 degrees. Let's just say Lori would not have been happy walking amoungest the gators and heat. Whew!
Gators! Yes we saw lot's of gators in the water along the road. I didn't really want to stop to take pictures because the way the road was laid out and it was hot. Riding in the Everglades is kind of weird because you get the feeling out there it is just you and no one else for miles and miles. Lori took some nice shots in the glades to show how there is nothing around and she also got a couple of nice shots of Thunder heads while we were rolling through Naples.
Tomorrow we ride around Lake Okeechobee on a estimate 275 mile ride. I heard on the news this evening that the Shuttle launched. Man, if this would have gone off 1 day later, I would have made the trip back over to the east coast to see it, but it wasn't meant to be. Tomorrows weather looks like 91 for a high with a 30% chance of afternoon Thunderstorms. Ok let me end this so I can start working on todays video.
Today’s mileage = 290
Total for the trip = 2589
Day 12 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Lori had the video camera on top of her helmet so I would be able to show a little better the water that was all around the roads and bridges. At first scan of the video there is good news and bad. The first part of the video looks good and I should be able to pick out pieces and put it all together for viewing by tomorrows blog. YouTube by far takes the most amount of work processing the video and sound. Can you believe passing the 65 to 70 mile marker today in the Keys we actually hit a rain shower for 45 seconds to a minute? I was shocked to see my first rain in the Keys, much less a cloud.
It did not take long for the morning warmth to accelerate into mid-morning sauna. I told Lori that unless she had a burning desire to ride deep into the Everglades, we were going to skip this section and skim the northern edge of the everglades along highway 41. We passed through Homestead Florida and was approaching highway 41 around lunch time. I did a quick scan for food on the GPS and it didn't take long to figure out that if we didn't eat now, it might be 2 hours before we saw anything else. So we hit a Subway and got back on the road. About 15 miles back into the ride something hit me dead in the gut. I looked down at my odometer and it was showing 144 miles and in case you don't know, most motorcycles do not have a fuel gauge. I have a 6.9 gallon fuel tank and been filling up around 150 on the odometer and putting in 5 gallons of fuel. Because I'm pulling the trailer, less fuel mileage. I reach down to the GPS, searched for fuel in front of me and the closest was 61 miles out. Uh, that is going to be really, really, close. I will be on reserve and if the station is closed, I'm most certainly toast. Decsion time, make a U-turn and retrace 15 miles for fuel or chance it? Up in front of me about 1/2 mile I could see a couple of signs, so I decided to go that far and if was nothing, a U-turn it would be. Lucky me!! It was a fuel stop. To show you how bad this could have been, next fuel station turned out to be 40 miles further and I had 0(zero) signal on the cell phone and it was 95 degrees. Let's just say Lori would not have been happy walking amoungest the gators and heat. Whew!
Gators! Yes we saw lot's of gators in the water along the road. I didn't really want to stop to take pictures because the way the road was laid out and it was hot. Riding in the Everglades is kind of weird because you get the feeling out there it is just you and no one else for miles and miles. Lori took some nice shots in the glades to show how there is nothing around and she also got a couple of nice shots of Thunder heads while we were rolling through Naples.
Tomorrow we ride around Lake Okeechobee on a estimate 275 mile ride. I heard on the news this evening that the Shuttle launched. Man, if this would have gone off 1 day later, I would have made the trip back over to the east coast to see it, but it wasn't meant to be. Tomorrows weather looks like 91 for a high with a 30% chance of afternoon Thunderstorms. Ok let me end this so I can start working on todays video.
Today’s mileage = 290
Total for the trip = 2589
Day 12 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Eating, shopping, eating, resting, eating
Ok, I think you get the jest of what we did Day 10 of this trip. We just relaxed did a little walking to see the things we wanted to see. The buildings and the layout is unique to this place, but I'm sure that someone more traveled than myself might say it resembles someplace they experienced. I could do a week down here just checking everything out, but that is not my plan, so tomorrow morning we hit the road. For the first time we will be pointing due north with the intention of working back toward Stephens City. We still gotta lot of traveling and miles togo, so Fort Myers here we come.
My plan is hit the EverGlades tomorrow, but with 375 miles to lay down, I might have to cut that out if the heat starts to work on us. I can cut that leg out and save 100 miles, but it just depends on the type of roads, and heat that is forcasted. Fort Myers is also going to be our first location where we might actually have to do laundry. Ugh, but with a 14 day supply of cloths, it is not going to be an option.
Video, I promised Mark Sarrison some video of the water on the bridges but I was not to happy with what I shot, so tomorrow I mount the camera to Lori's helmet and it should be good. The height of the Bridge rails and my previous camera mount, the water was mostly blocked from view.
We hate to leave, but first thing in the morning we will be north bound. Enjoy the pictures.
Day 11 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
My plan is hit the EverGlades tomorrow, but with 375 miles to lay down, I might have to cut that out if the heat starts to work on us. I can cut that leg out and save 100 miles, but it just depends on the type of roads, and heat that is forcasted. Fort Myers is also going to be our first location where we might actually have to do laundry. Ugh, but with a 14 day supply of cloths, it is not going to be an option.
Video, I promised Mark Sarrison some video of the water on the bridges but I was not to happy with what I shot, so tomorrow I mount the camera to Lori's helmet and it should be good. The height of the Bridge rails and my previous camera mount, the water was mostly blocked from view.
We hate to leave, but first thing in the morning we will be north bound. Enjoy the pictures.
Day 11 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's to all mothers out there in the World.
#1 Happy Mother's Day with Peanut Video E-Cards
#1 Happy Mother's Day with Peanut Video E-Cards
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Tooks us 9 days, but we are in Key West
We are here and we are none worse for wear. Yea it would have been nice if it hadn't been so hot the last 3 days, but here in the Keys not so bad. It's a different kind of place to say the least. When you come, do not have great expectations and you will be pleasantly surprised with the laid back atmosphere we have seen so far. There's a lot of Scooters to and I mean a lot. The other thing you want to keep in mind is that parking down here is a commodity. So be prepared to walk, which we did, or rent a bike, scooter, or a electric car which looked kind of neat. Either way, pick your lodging close to what you want to see and your set.
I picked Eden House and I'm very pleased with our choice. Do you want to see the live webcams of the Pool and Jacuzzi?
http://74.255.222.35:8003/view/index.shtml
http://74.255.222.35:8004/view/index.shtml
Lori and I tried both tonight and they felt great after a warm day riding and walking around in the heat. The link for the Eden House is tied to name above, so you can click that to see other information. It has a tropical layout and all the people that run the place seem to want to help you with anything you want. I will have to recommend the place to all.
Tomorrow we go nowhere. We will walk around and let Lori shop the shops and see what sights there are to see. In the evening, we are taking Steve Gruto's advice, made reservations at 6:15 at Latitudes restaurant to have dinner and to see the sunset.
Total mileage on the bike will be an estimate tonight because I forgot to get it off the bike. I will correct tomorrow morning if required. Pictures, Lori took about 28 or 29 shots from all points of view. So enjoy. I wish I had time to put a description on all of them, but that will have to wait. I will also sort through the video I took today and post the best I got as soon as possible. Till tomorrow enjoy.
Today’s mileage = 115
Total for the trip = 2299
I picked Eden House and I'm very pleased with our choice. Do you want to see the live webcams of the Pool and Jacuzzi?
http://74.255.222.35:8003/view/index.shtml
http://74.255.222.35:8004/view/index.shtml
Lori and I tried both tonight and they felt great after a warm day riding and walking around in the heat. The link for the Eden House is tied to name above, so you can click that to see other information. It has a tropical layout and all the people that run the place seem to want to help you with anything you want. I will have to recommend the place to all.
Tomorrow we go nowhere. We will walk around and let Lori shop the shops and see what sights there are to see. In the evening, we are taking Steve Gruto's advice, made reservations at 6:15 at Latitudes restaurant to have dinner and to see the sunset.
Total mileage on the bike will be an estimate tonight because I forgot to get it off the bike. I will correct tomorrow morning if required. Pictures, Lori took about 28 or 29 shots from all points of view. So enjoy. I wish I had time to put a description on all of them, but that will have to wait. I will also sort through the video I took today and post the best I got as soon as possible. Till tomorrow enjoy.
Today’s mileage = 115
Total for the trip = 2299
Friday, May 8, 2009
Day 8 and we are well done.....ssssss
First of note, make sure you scroll down to yesterday's entry to see the video that I finally got uploaded.
We are in Key Largo and we only have about 100 miles to go until we reach Key West, are ultimate destination. After today's ride we are starting to feel we need a couple of days of downtime to recover from the heat. It only reached 95 in places, but it felt like 110 when sitting stop dead in traffic in full gear. Poor ole Lori after 8 hours of riding needed a little help getting off the bike and she was not going to get back this day. Tomorrow morning after a night of rest I'm sure we will be recharged and ready to roll. Besides, we only have 100 to go!!!
Lori and I both want to know what some of these people do for a living. The houses, boats, and cars that we saw today running through Palm Beach were just incredible. I'm hoping all of Lori's pictures came out, because I have not reviewed them as I type this message. Either way, we saw one boat that had to be 100 feet long and it had a dingy loaded on the upper deck with a crane to lower it to the water and the dingy had a 250 hp motor and the boat was at least 19 to 20 feet long. The name of the main boat was Octopussy.
Once we bailed off of A1A around Miami, we got caught up in the go home traffic and it wasn't pretty. I would say that it ranked right up there with Washington DC without a doubt. We finally broke free of the majority of the traffic around Homestead Fl, and rode Route 1 into Key Largo. My first impressions is that is not all that, but I did not really have time to look around and will not take much time to do it tomorrow either. I plan on hitting the bridges to Key West as soon as possible so I will have more time down there. I will say that the water really started to turn that beautiful Carribean Blue around Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
Today’s mileage = 240
Total for the trip = 2184
Day 9 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
We are in Key Largo and we only have about 100 miles to go until we reach Key West, are ultimate destination. After today's ride we are starting to feel we need a couple of days of downtime to recover from the heat. It only reached 95 in places, but it felt like 110 when sitting stop dead in traffic in full gear. Poor ole Lori after 8 hours of riding needed a little help getting off the bike and she was not going to get back this day. Tomorrow morning after a night of rest I'm sure we will be recharged and ready to roll. Besides, we only have 100 to go!!!
Lori and I both want to know what some of these people do for a living. The houses, boats, and cars that we saw today running through Palm Beach were just incredible. I'm hoping all of Lori's pictures came out, because I have not reviewed them as I type this message. Either way, we saw one boat that had to be 100 feet long and it had a dingy loaded on the upper deck with a crane to lower it to the water and the dingy had a 250 hp motor and the boat was at least 19 to 20 feet long. The name of the main boat was Octopussy.
Once we bailed off of A1A around Miami, we got caught up in the go home traffic and it wasn't pretty. I would say that it ranked right up there with Washington DC without a doubt. We finally broke free of the majority of the traffic around Homestead Fl, and rode Route 1 into Key Largo. My first impressions is that is not all that, but I did not really have time to look around and will not take much time to do it tomorrow either. I plan on hitting the bridges to Key West as soon as possible so I will have more time down there. I will say that the water really started to turn that beautiful Carribean Blue around Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
Today’s mileage = 240
Total for the trip = 2184
Day 9 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Day 7 and first leg of A1A was good.
I had heard from a few people at work that I would not enjoy A1A and then a few others said it was a must do. I will say that I rather enjoyed cruising A1A today through all the different sights and sounds. In the beginning near Amelia Island I felt like I was in Nags Head. Later on down the road it was nothing plants, sand, and water which made you feel like you were riding on Ocracoke Island. Then you hit the larger cities and then Myrtle Beach came to mind. It was not all straight and boring roads with nothing to see, because there was always something to see.
In Porte Verda, FL we accidentally ran into a PGA Golf Tournament being held at Sawgrass Resort. Once we got through that traffic caused by everyone buying tickets from roadside scalpers and rushing to get into the event, all was good. There was never so much traffic to get on my nerves. The other thing that was noticeable was that if you got more than a half mile from the water, the air temperature went up 5 to 10 degrees. So riding along the ocean was nice.
The pictures we took today showed the Ferry we rode for all of 5 minutes to get from one part of A1A to the other. Also in St.Augustine when we pulled into town, there was a merry go round right in the middle of nowhere. Then there was horse drawn carriage that caught Lori's eye. There were a couple of boats docked near the draw bridge that caught us and I have no idea how old they were or what their names were. Maybe a little Google might fix that. Lori also snapped a few shots of the beaches we were riding by. So far, neither one of us has even stuck are toes in the water. Been to busy riding from point to point.
I managed to get some video today and I tried to different mounting locations. I have already shown in other post below the view from Lori's helmet, but today I shot from the nose of the motorcycle and I also shot from the side of the trailer. By far my favorite angle is the trailer because you can see the Motorcycle and it's passenger. So below you will find a youtube upload from the trailer. If I have time, I will try and put the other angle up.
Once we reached Vero Beach, FL the Princess was all yukky from the last hour or so of riding, so she took a bird bath and then we made off to dinner. She didn't ride the motorcycle anywhere, imagine that, so wee just walked to Cracker Barrel. After dinner the two of us walked over to the Outlet Mall and I let her loose like you would a child in a candy shop. She was re-energized like the bunny hopping from one store to the next. She bought a couple of tops then we finally came back to the motel so I could work on the blog.
Tomorrow we do the second leg of A1A which should be another 250 miles or so and end up in Key Largo. Tomorrows forecast is for Clear skies and highs between 88 and 90 from here to Key Largo. Looks like another good day for riding. The old Honda is really in need for a serious bath, but it might just have to wait until we get home.
Today’s mileage = 248
Total for the trip = 1944
Day 8 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
In Porte Verda, FL we accidentally ran into a PGA Golf Tournament being held at Sawgrass Resort. Once we got through that traffic caused by everyone buying tickets from roadside scalpers and rushing to get into the event, all was good. There was never so much traffic to get on my nerves. The other thing that was noticeable was that if you got more than a half mile from the water, the air temperature went up 5 to 10 degrees. So riding along the ocean was nice.
The pictures we took today showed the Ferry we rode for all of 5 minutes to get from one part of A1A to the other. Also in St.Augustine when we pulled into town, there was a merry go round right in the middle of nowhere. Then there was horse drawn carriage that caught Lori's eye. There were a couple of boats docked near the draw bridge that caught us and I have no idea how old they were or what their names were. Maybe a little Google might fix that. Lori also snapped a few shots of the beaches we were riding by. So far, neither one of us has even stuck are toes in the water. Been to busy riding from point to point.
I managed to get some video today and I tried to different mounting locations. I have already shown in other post below the view from Lori's helmet, but today I shot from the nose of the motorcycle and I also shot from the side of the trailer. By far my favorite angle is the trailer because you can see the Motorcycle and it's passenger. So below you will find a youtube upload from the trailer. If I have time, I will try and put the other angle up.
Once we reached Vero Beach, FL the Princess was all yukky from the last hour or so of riding, so she took a bird bath and then we made off to dinner. She didn't ride the motorcycle anywhere, imagine that, so wee just walked to Cracker Barrel. After dinner the two of us walked over to the Outlet Mall and I let her loose like you would a child in a candy shop. She was re-energized like the bunny hopping from one store to the next. She bought a couple of tops then we finally came back to the motel so I could work on the blog.
Tomorrow we do the second leg of A1A which should be another 250 miles or so and end up in Key Largo. Tomorrows forecast is for Clear skies and highs between 88 and 90 from here to Key Largo. Looks like another good day for riding. The old Honda is really in need for a serious bath, but it might just have to wait until we get home.
Today’s mileage = 248
Total for the trip = 1944
Day 8 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
We made it to the top
We left Gainesville this morning right on schedule and once again the weather was perfect. Speaking of weather, I have been trying to keep track at what is happening back at home and it looks like it has rained almost everyday and the temperature has barely reached 60. Sorry about that guys.
Today we rode an upside down S-pattern turning southeast out of Gainesville then east, north, west, back north and eventually to the east to end up in Fernandina Beach. Toward the afternoon hours it was back to being a scorcher reaching 92 degrees, but as we approached the beach it cooled back down. I bet when we wake up in the morning it might be as low as 55 degrees here on the shore. We are located at the very top of A1A at the furthermost northeast corner of Florida and tomorrow we point due south trying to reach Vero Beach. Vero Beach should be about 250 miles south.
Old dummy here tried to take some video on the motorcycle today, but the memory chip was full, so that was a bust. I will attempt to get some video of the drive on A1A tomorrow to make sure that I'm ready for the Key West bridge. We should arrive in Key West in just a couple more days.
Tonight for dinner we went out to a local restaurant with Martin and Mary Crane. They moved away from the Winchester area last September and getting to see them again was fun. The Crane's just had a baby boy 4 months ago and what happy baby he was. That was until he got hungry, then he was letting it be known. Did I mention Lori and I are empty nesters and now we know why we like it. Ah the joy's of parenthood. After dinner the Crane's took us down to Amelia Island to walk and have a little ice cream. There are some really old buildings here and I took a picture of a very pretty sunset off of one of the piers.
Some details of the pictures for the day, just wanted to show you just how much crap we are cramming into the trailer, Nice sunset shot, and a shot down an historic street on Amelia Island.
Today’s mileage = 306
Total for the trip = 1696
Day 7 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Today we rode an upside down S-pattern turning southeast out of Gainesville then east, north, west, back north and eventually to the east to end up in Fernandina Beach. Toward the afternoon hours it was back to being a scorcher reaching 92 degrees, but as we approached the beach it cooled back down. I bet when we wake up in the morning it might be as low as 55 degrees here on the shore. We are located at the very top of A1A at the furthermost northeast corner of Florida and tomorrow we point due south trying to reach Vero Beach. Vero Beach should be about 250 miles south.
Old dummy here tried to take some video on the motorcycle today, but the memory chip was full, so that was a bust. I will attempt to get some video of the drive on A1A tomorrow to make sure that I'm ready for the Key West bridge. We should arrive in Key West in just a couple more days.
Tonight for dinner we went out to a local restaurant with Martin and Mary Crane. They moved away from the Winchester area last September and getting to see them again was fun. The Crane's just had a baby boy 4 months ago and what happy baby he was. That was until he got hungry, then he was letting it be known. Did I mention Lori and I are empty nesters and now we know why we like it. Ah the joy's of parenthood. After dinner the Crane's took us down to Amelia Island to walk and have a little ice cream. There are some really old buildings here and I took a picture of a very pretty sunset off of one of the piers.
Some details of the pictures for the day, just wanted to show you just how much crap we are cramming into the trailer, Nice sunset shot, and a shot down an historic street on Amelia Island.
Today’s mileage = 306
Total for the trip = 1696
Day 7 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Day 5 and Last Day in Gainesville
Another beautiful day of weather here in Gainesville with the sun shinning bright with only a few clouds. Today's loop was more to the Northwest of Gainesville and the roads were long and straight. We ended up in a very small fishing community named Steinhatchee. Let's see you pronounce that one. Took a real nice shot of the Bike and the water at this location. Since it was to early for lunch, we return to riding.
After more long straight and somewhat abandon back roads, we ended up in a little town named Mayo. We stopped at a little restaurant named Two Sisters BBQ and when I ordered some pork, the waitress said, "sorry we are out of pork". Ok, then let me have a Philly sub, then, coming right up. I had to giggle. How does a BBQ restaurant run out of BBQ at 12:15pm. Anyways, the sub was good and Lori had something new that neither one of us had ever heard of, Corn Nuggets. Kernels of corn wrap in dough then fried. They were good and interesting at the same time. After lunch we road back to Gainesville in the heat of the afternoon which reached 91 degrees. I swear it felt more like 100 in town, but better than rain.
If you're ever on the road and your looking for a restaurant guide to help you out, I would suggest Tripadvisor. I used it yesterday and today and it was right on both times. For dinner I wanted Pizza and Lori had no preference, so we ended up at local place named, Satchels Pizza. What a unique place. I mean pizza is pizza, but for some reason theirs was actually above average. The decor of the place was a throw back to the 60's hippie generation and they even had a Volkswagen Van out front that was used as seating for the restaurant. There was seating inside and out. When ordering pizza, you had 20 to 25 toppings that you could choose from and it was just so good. Lori and I finish a medium size pizza and that never happens.
Tomorrow we leave Gainesville and do an upside down s-pattern route toward Fernandino Beach. This will put us close to the beginning of A1A for our eventual turn south toward Key West. We will be meeting the Crane's at their new home and going out to dinner. Martin use to work at ZDC and transferred to JAX after he got tired of losing to me in Racquetball. I will never hear the end of that comment, but it is my blog and my rules, unless Lori tells me to edit something out. :) Looking forward to seeing the Crane's again because they are good people.
Today’s mileage = 220
Total for the trip = 1390
Day 6 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
After more long straight and somewhat abandon back roads, we ended up in a little town named Mayo. We stopped at a little restaurant named Two Sisters BBQ and when I ordered some pork, the waitress said, "sorry we are out of pork". Ok, then let me have a Philly sub, then, coming right up. I had to giggle. How does a BBQ restaurant run out of BBQ at 12:15pm. Anyways, the sub was good and Lori had something new that neither one of us had ever heard of, Corn Nuggets. Kernels of corn wrap in dough then fried. They were good and interesting at the same time. After lunch we road back to Gainesville in the heat of the afternoon which reached 91 degrees. I swear it felt more like 100 in town, but better than rain.
If you're ever on the road and your looking for a restaurant guide to help you out, I would suggest Tripadvisor. I used it yesterday and today and it was right on both times. For dinner I wanted Pizza and Lori had no preference, so we ended up at local place named, Satchels Pizza. What a unique place. I mean pizza is pizza, but for some reason theirs was actually above average. The decor of the place was a throw back to the 60's hippie generation and they even had a Volkswagen Van out front that was used as seating for the restaurant. There was seating inside and out. When ordering pizza, you had 20 to 25 toppings that you could choose from and it was just so good. Lori and I finish a medium size pizza and that never happens.
Tomorrow we leave Gainesville and do an upside down s-pattern route toward Fernandino Beach. This will put us close to the beginning of A1A for our eventual turn south toward Key West. We will be meeting the Crane's at their new home and going out to dinner. Martin use to work at ZDC and transferred to JAX after he got tired of losing to me in Racquetball. I will never hear the end of that comment, but it is my blog and my rules, unless Lori tells me to edit something out. :) Looking forward to seeing the Crane's again because they are good people.
Today’s mileage = 220
Total for the trip = 1390
Day 6 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Monday, May 4, 2009
Day 4 peaceful and plesant
During a conversation with my younger son in the last few days he joking said that he was going to raid my house and plunder all the remaining food in the house. I told him to watch out for the 500 pound Gorilla and today I actually ran across one that's even larger. So Daniel, watch it, there is a new guard on the premises. Daniel also gave us the news that Thursday, May 7th, he may be flying to Afghanistan. Not to sure what I think about that.
All you FAA guys and gals reading this blog, make sure that you find Bob Alicudo in Bay 1 and tell him that I have a special picture for him on the blog. You can click this PICTURE or click the picture link at the end of this article. For everyone else out there, it is a joke that Bob likes to claim that I blind him with my white legs and socks.
Today's ride was relaxing because we had no time table to reach a point, so we took our time getting going and took our time riding. I knew were heading toward the Gulf Coast and I knew the weather was suppose to be sunny and a bit cooler. What I didn't know was that I was going to be riding through so many horse farms. They're apparently a big thing around here and there is even a Triple Crown Winner, "Affirmed" from 1978 that was breed along this route in Marion County. If your into bird watching there is 22,000 acres here setup and reserve here just for that. Nice riding, but flat and not to many corners. There is a Duh statement if I ever heard one.
The highlight of today's riding had to be the middle point when we reached Cedar Key on the Gulf Coast. It is small, quaint, and charming with it's very odd color combination's and rustic feel. We past one house where the driveway to the house was nothing but a pier 8' off the water and the house was built on a very small piece of land that required no grass cutting or planting of plants. There wasn't much in the way of eateries open, but the one we choose was good. We sat with a window view of the Gulf and the was food good and reasonably priced to boot. You will have to checkout the pictures to see what I'm telling you next, but there I was all alone in the bathroom and there was this writing on the wall. I busted out laughing because it describes men perfectly. I was glad I was alone so I could take a picture and not feel weird in the process.
Ok, since there is not much to chat about on the ride today, it is time to share another Husband and Wife moment and what happens when you've been together to long. To long meaning you can say anything and you know everything. So here we go, the headsets were temporary disconnected with each other because the Garmin GPS was given me instructions, so Lori and I could'nt speak. After the GPS was done and I knew it would not interupt anytime soon, I manually connected to Lori and before I could say something to confirm to her that we are connected, she says, "Hello". A simple statement but one that raised my curiosity and also got me in trouble. I asked a simple question, "So how did you know we were connected before I said anything to you"? Well she started rambling for like 2 minutes and one of the last things she said was,"it is sort of like static." Then Mark says,"You mean like the static that I've been listen to for the last 2 minutes?" I mean in less than 1 second I hear smack on the back of my helmet. That wasn't nice! What did I say that was wrong? I was just confirming the static!! Ok, I've been known to throw a zinger a two.
Today’s mileage = 223
Total for the trip = 1170
Day 4 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Quick Flash Update.
Since Lori is usually to tired and the brain is fried after a longs day journey to input on the blog, she reminded me this morning of something I thought was funny but backfired on her. Somewhere on the road Day 2 sitting at a stop light I got bombarded by a low fling Seagulf. Splat, right on the Helmet face guard. This required a pull over and cleaning and Lori thought it was the funniest thing. Well yesterday sitting in a rest area and getting ready to get back on the road, guess who gets hit? Hehe. not so funny this time. 9am Monday morning and it is time to ride, so bye for now.
Day 3 pretty cool but also a smoker
As I was finishing up yesterdays blog at midnight, I realized that I forgotten to check the ferry schedule from Charleston to Fort Sumter. I brought up the webpage from the National Park Service and figured out that we had to there by 9am for a 9:30am departure. Otherwise we would be extremely late arriving in Gainesville Fl. The second departure time was at noon. So I left Lori a note in the bathroom, knowing that she would awake much sooner than me and then set my alarm for 6am. To my surprise, Miss Early Bird wasn’t all the early and she only beat me out of bed by 5 minutes.
We dressed, ate, and packed and were on the road by 8am and it was only about a 30 minute ride to docks. As we waited to board, we roamed around the small museum and walked around the docks to see the sights. The weather was warm but breezy but not so breezy that it made the water rough. The cost per person was $12 and the boat ride to the Fort was about 20 minutes. The only complaint that I had is that you only had 1 hour to tour the Fort and you had to leave. If I wasn’t on a schedule, I would have requested to be left behind and rode the 2pm boat back. Course then I would arrived 9pm or later in Gainesville instead of 6:15.
Fort Sumter, if you’re interested in history at all, is worth the trip. The facts, the strategies, the reason for building, the reasons for takeover, all were very fascinating. Should I disclose them here, or make you make the trip? If you do not want to know, stop reading and close this page.
Fort Sumter was suppose to be a 5 year project started in 1829 to defend Charleston from sea attacks because of what the British did during the war of 1812. There was no island to build on; just a sandbar and they had granite stone shipped in from New England to create a foundation. The walls were built with solid brick 5 feet thick and 55 feet above sea level. A lot of things changed from 1829 to 1861, mainly that South Carolina was now part of a new country. The North Country built the fort, but South Carolina wanted it. They tried to negioate a peaceful transfer, but on December 26th, 1860 when Major Anderson moved his Northern troops in the middle of the night into the Fort, the people and government of Charleston were a little upset when they saw the Stars and Stripes flying over the Fort first thing in the morning. Needless to say by April 1861 things completely fell apart and the Civil War began.
The Fort when it was almost complete, it was never finished before war, was a sight to see. It was impossible for a ship to pass without being destroyed and the Fort was so well built, that you could fend off almost all attacks. By 1863, the Northern forces had new Rifle cannons that would reach 3 to 5 miles and had them setup on shores out of harm’s way and then laid siege on the fort. The Northern forces fired over 44,000 rounds totaling over 7 million pound a shells but never defeated the Southern troops. The Fort itself was almost totally destroyed except for the lower levels. Once the Southern Troops could no longer get critical supplies to defend the Fort and the City of Charleston, they abandoned the Fort and left it and the city, to fall to the enemy.
All pictures today are on the Fort and the surrounding area. Charleston is a city I will put on my list of cities that I will have to come to for a week or more to see all the history that is there. More Forts, old churches from the 1700’s, buildings that also date way back and then you have things like the USS Yorktown an aircraft carrier docked in harbor waiting to be seen. The Yorktown, if I remember correctly, was almost sunk during the battle of Midway in World War 2. She was also a much decorated ship with many accomplishments.
After all the tourist stuff was done, Lori and I pointed south and headed for our long haul to Gainesville. It was hot, hot, and hot and I was wishing for a rain shower just to cool off. We crossed into Florida at 4:30pm and arrived in Gainesville around 6:15pm. Neither one of us felt much like a big dinner because of the heat, so we each got a salad, drank lots of water, and I had some Macadamia Cookies. I bought Lori one, but she didn’t want it and I wasn’t going to let that cookie suffer, so I ate it.
Tomorrow and next two nights, we will be staying here in Gainesville to see some sites here. We are in the home city of the Florida Gators, so I guess I should not wear my Virginia Tech stuff out an about town. Enjoy the photos and I will enjoy my rest tonight.
Today’s mileage = 321
Total for the trip = 947
Day 4 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
We dressed, ate, and packed and were on the road by 8am and it was only about a 30 minute ride to docks. As we waited to board, we roamed around the small museum and walked around the docks to see the sights. The weather was warm but breezy but not so breezy that it made the water rough. The cost per person was $12 and the boat ride to the Fort was about 20 minutes. The only complaint that I had is that you only had 1 hour to tour the Fort and you had to leave. If I wasn’t on a schedule, I would have requested to be left behind and rode the 2pm boat back. Course then I would arrived 9pm or later in Gainesville instead of 6:15.
Fort Sumter, if you’re interested in history at all, is worth the trip. The facts, the strategies, the reason for building, the reasons for takeover, all were very fascinating. Should I disclose them here, or make you make the trip? If you do not want to know, stop reading and close this page.
Fort Sumter was suppose to be a 5 year project started in 1829 to defend Charleston from sea attacks because of what the British did during the war of 1812. There was no island to build on; just a sandbar and they had granite stone shipped in from New England to create a foundation. The walls were built with solid brick 5 feet thick and 55 feet above sea level. A lot of things changed from 1829 to 1861, mainly that South Carolina was now part of a new country. The North Country built the fort, but South Carolina wanted it. They tried to negioate a peaceful transfer, but on December 26th, 1860 when Major Anderson moved his Northern troops in the middle of the night into the Fort, the people and government of Charleston were a little upset when they saw the Stars and Stripes flying over the Fort first thing in the morning. Needless to say by April 1861 things completely fell apart and the Civil War began.
The Fort when it was almost complete, it was never finished before war, was a sight to see. It was impossible for a ship to pass without being destroyed and the Fort was so well built, that you could fend off almost all attacks. By 1863, the Northern forces had new Rifle cannons that would reach 3 to 5 miles and had them setup on shores out of harm’s way and then laid siege on the fort. The Northern forces fired over 44,000 rounds totaling over 7 million pound a shells but never defeated the Southern troops. The Fort itself was almost totally destroyed except for the lower levels. Once the Southern Troops could no longer get critical supplies to defend the Fort and the City of Charleston, they abandoned the Fort and left it and the city, to fall to the enemy.
All pictures today are on the Fort and the surrounding area. Charleston is a city I will put on my list of cities that I will have to come to for a week or more to see all the history that is there. More Forts, old churches from the 1700’s, buildings that also date way back and then you have things like the USS Yorktown an aircraft carrier docked in harbor waiting to be seen. The Yorktown, if I remember correctly, was almost sunk during the battle of Midway in World War 2. She was also a much decorated ship with many accomplishments.
After all the tourist stuff was done, Lori and I pointed south and headed for our long haul to Gainesville. It was hot, hot, and hot and I was wishing for a rain shower just to cool off. We crossed into Florida at 4:30pm and arrived in Gainesville around 6:15pm. Neither one of us felt much like a big dinner because of the heat, so we each got a salad, drank lots of water, and I had some Macadamia Cookies. I bought Lori one, but she didn’t want it and I wasn’t going to let that cookie suffer, so I ate it.
Tomorrow and next two nights, we will be staying here in Gainesville to see some sites here. We are in the home city of the Florida Gators, so I guess I should not wear my Virginia Tech stuff out an about town. Enjoy the photos and I will enjoy my rest tonight.
Today’s mileage = 321
Total for the trip = 947
Day 4 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
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