Tuesday morning in St. Louis appeared dry but overcast. The sun was rising and all looked clear to the East. So off I went to the Hardee's on I-64. No one had scheduled to meet me there but to be safe I stopped and hung out for a bit. Time for a self portrait before the 7 am kickstands-up.
30 miles on the road and a light sprinkle started as I passed under an overpass. 300 feet more and the bucket dropped, I got pretty wet before reaching another bridge. Stopped and suited up ... using up about 20 minutes for my first experience of donning the rain gear.
Robert Russell and Hacksaw1945 had been waiting about 30 minutes when I arrived at the high and dry meeting place in Mt. Vernon. As promised, Bob brought clear weather with him that would follow us for the entire trip. I took the lead and set the pace around 75 or 80, though my speedo was reading 70-75, flipping up and down a bit. More on that later. In the left lane we came upon a white Crown Vic driven by a 65-speed-limit-goer. Too late ... realizing it's a LEO! He went to the right lane and slowed, pulled in behind me and turned on the bubble gum machine.
"Are you capable of doing the speed limit?" I thought I was. "Got you on radar doing 71 MPH." After the obligatory license and call-in delay he gave me a stern warning and we were off with Hack in the lead. Hey! We just want to ride our bikes and not get hassled by the MAN!
Even after that slight pause to refresh we arrive in Paducah on schedule to meet up with the remainder of the crew. kYpondman was seen off by his wife, Paulette. The Jim and Tim Show joined us here. Jim (postrucks) and his friend Tim (Elvis on his CX500) had ridden from Kansas City the previous day.
From the left, Roady (Steve), Elvis (Tim), hacksaw1945 (Hack), kYpondman (Claude), postrucks (Jim) and Robert Russell (Bob). Thanks to Paulette (Ms. kYpondman) for clicking pictures with everybody's cameras.
And ... they're off! We traded off the lead about every 75 miles and kept a brisk pace. My compliments to all of the riders for well orchestrated lane changes and a semi-tight formation. It just came together without much discussion. That's what you get for riding with seasoned (um, older) veteran riders.
Thanks to Postrucks for grabbing the lead as we neared Nashville. He took us up over the top and got us easily to I-40. I'd only ever gone straight through on I-26 and was really dreading that mess. After clearing most of that town we stopped to gas the bikes and grabbed a bite at Ronny Mc's place.
The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful though we did get to stop in Crab Orchard to gas up. Seemed like everywhere we stopped there were people interested in the bikes. Elvis and postrucks split off toward their hotel in Cherokee as we went thru Knoxville. Claude led a spirited charge, in the dark, down the last twisty portion of I-40 to the turn off to Maggie Valley. We arrived at the 3 Pines Inn about 7:30 so with the time difference, I was on the road for 11-1/2 hours to do 600 miles. Not bad with a group of this size. Turns out, all of the restaurants close up around 8 ... except for the Mexican joint. That worked out good because Claude got his pitcher of margaritas and we all had a decent feast.
We met up early the next morning with Sagebrush (Dean), Terrie (Ms. Sage) and their Grandson Cody at the pancake place across from their hotel. Man! Blue and Yellow do look primo! Dean was definitely in charge and had the day mapped and taped for a 4 states tour. Terrie took the day off. As we rolled out, Cody brought up the rear, he an Dean were wired for sound and kept good track of us all day. Check out this post for his route maps.
As we entered the Blue Ridge Parkway there was a lot of rubbernecking going on. Maybe Dean noticed because he grabbed a turnout pretty quick and we got our fill of pics and gawking.
Postrucks and Elvis met us after about an hour of riding at a visitors' center on the Parkway. Then it was on with more twisties and awesome sweepers and forests and birds and rocks and scenery that we could not look at. And it was a beautiful day! We entered the Tail of the Dragon from the top and ended up at the store. The Crossroads of Time.
What can one say about the Dragon? You gotta do it. I spent 15 years in Melbourne, Florida where we have 11 curves in 318 miles. Not so, the Dragon. The Wing handles so nice and with tutelage from Dean it handled so much better. He told me, "Watch the white line, not the yellow." That alone improved my cornering skill at least 30%, and I've been riding bikes since I was 12!! There were several bike accidents while we had lunch so Dean had to improvise our route but it was excellent anyway. We got back to our beds around 9 after a most filling buffet dinner.
Man, what a day. The best day of riding I have ever had. And that is no exaggeration. Thank you Sagebrush and Cody. Near the end of the day, Elvis screamed after a particularly good run on the Foothills Parkway, "I will follow you anywhere! Anytime!" Ditto that, from all of the riders.
Thursday morning at breakfast we found out that the shifter on Elvis' CX500 had snapped off the previous night on their way back to the hotel. They'd tried to JBWeld it but failed. So postrucks and Elvis were off to find a welder. The rest of us followed Dean onto the Parkway headed toward Bedford with Terrie bringing up the rear on her trike. A very nice, sunny day and a very pleasant ride. The Jim and Tim Show managed to find a man who created a new shifter for the CX. And they must have charmed him because he didn't charge them anything for the privilege of working for them. How does that work? After a fast run on the highway they pulled onto the Parkway just as we went by and they joined up at the back of the pack. Sometimes things just come together in magical ways.
The day was overcast but we only had a few sprinkles. We had a little side trip up to the top of Mt. Mitchell, the highest point East of the Rockies.
And here's the proof.
Some time after that, Hack, Bob and I needed to take a little break and peeled off from the group. The pause that refreshes.
We split up near Sparta, NC. Bob, Jim, Tim and I went camping and the softies spent the night in a hotel.
Home sweet home, a tent in the woods. And all kinds of strange (but not unusual) noises in the night.
Back on the Parkway on Friday we met up with 05c50 and his wife Linda at the Old Mill Visitors Center. A very interesting stop and pretty educational too. As we left there we drove into the clouds and slowed to 10-15 MPH. My visibility dropped to less than 10 feet and I got pretty darn scared so I pulled off. Then I discovered that though I'd been wiping my face shield, the inside of it had fogged. Kinda helped to clean both sides of it and we finally met up with everyone at the exit to Hwy 8. Waiting for Terrie ... again. Or are they waiting for Roady to finish his cigarette ... again.
So we made it to Bedford, got cleaned up, met a bunch of really nice people from this board and generally had a fine time on Friday afternoon and evening.
On Saturday it rained cats, dogs and all other kinda critters. But that was a good thing. Few people left the hotel grounds so there was lots of jawin' and telling lies and such. I thought it was perfect weather for a rally. I got to meet lots of people and talk a lot. Kinda what I like to do anyway. Riding has its place and can't be beat, but getting face-to-face with so many folks that I've only known through NGW was really cool.
Whiskerfish and Puffy75 (Ross) put on an excellent seminar about ignition that turned into a knock down, drag out about how everything-affects-everything.
Then Ross got out a magical electronical deeevice that told him all kinds of secrets about our bikes. They tested and recorded information about voltage levels at the spark plugs. Over 25 attendees pulled their bikes in under the tent to be tested. WF will be compiling this and they'll publish their findings on NGW.
Ross even demonstrated how he can sync carbs by ear. Magicalness in mechanicalness.
The banquet that evening was great. Rain was pouring down but a few of us hard-core riders (WF and me) rode the 2 miles to get there. No taxis for us tough guys. My shoes were sloshin'. Awards and prizes were handed out and Randakk gave a very interesting talk. Thanks Randall for the great opportunity that you offered to everyone. And thank you for all that you do to help us keep our old gals runnin' fine.
Sunday it was time to say goodbyes. Bob, Jim, Tim, Hack and I saddled up and headed out toward the Swinging Bridge and a lunch of buffalo. To our surprise, Sagebrush wasn't done with us yet. He and his group caught up with us about half way to Roanoke and he said, "Follow me!" Off onto another excellent set of twisties and back roads instead of the slab. Thanks again Sage, you never cease to amaze me!
When we got back to I-81 heading South into Roanoke, postrucks signaled me that something was wrong with his bike. We pulled over and he said that he was having trouble in 5th going up the slight grades and was worried that she was running too lean. Off we went to find a parts store and he gave us a lesson in GL1000 carbs.
Meanwhile, Elvis kept the rest of us busy replacing the fluid and bleeding his front brake. Probably a plan to keep us from helping Jim too much.
Jim got his float baskets cleaned out, they had been polluted by petcock rubbers that had recently disintegrated. He buttoned it back up and we were off ... to lunch. At a buffet. RIDE TO EAT, EAT TO RIDE! But we did not get to the Swingin' Bridge or the buffalo meat restaurant. Then we went a few miles and it was time for me to go South and them to go North. I left my cell phone at the Inn in Maggie Valley and was going back to get it. Also, I have 3 more days of riding backroads to get back to St. Louis. Gonna meander. As you can see from the map below I didn't get too far from Roanoke on that first day. Sagebrush had recommended a route for me (another dayum fine piece of roadage) but it got dark and cold so this is all of 42 that I got on Sunday.
Monday started early and I was back on 42 after missing the turnoff (Sage told me it was hard to find) and making an alternate connection on 730. That's the squiggly part at the upper right of the map. But 730 was pretty darn awesome so I don't feel too deprived.
As I was passing through Saltville I spied a couple of old locomotives and just couldn't resist stopping. These things are so huge and powerful they just draw me in. That's C.O. Clear and his brother James in the pic. They gave me the lowdown on the town history. Saltville was the salt capital of the Confederacy and they supplied the fuel for the Apollo missions. Whodathunkit?
With no route plan I just headed south from Saltville and crossed I-81. Since Winnie is an '81 I thought it might be time to get some pics and come up with a new avatar. Here's a preview... wish me luck.
In my wandering after that I stumbled upon some very remarkable twisties that some enterprising folks have decided to dub, The Snake. There's even a store / restaurant / biker bar kinda place.
My route was 91 South out of Saltville, VA through Glade Springs to Damascus. Then 91 dove into some intense twisties as I made my way to Shady Valley, TN. After a short break there it was back on 91 to I-26 and a fast blast to Asheville and I-40 back to Maggie Valley to retrieve the phone.
A tentsite was 20 bones but Derrikk at the Applecover Inn offered me a room w/a bed and bath for $25. Hard to refuse that when you're cold, tired and hungry. Seems I carried that twenty pounds of tent, bag and mattress for just one night out in the woods. Live and learn.
Early to bed, early to rise ... I was up at 4:30. Tough to find coffee at that time and too cold and dark to get rolling. So I packed and waited for Mike's diner across from the Inn to open. My Tuesday route was hatched over pancakes and an egg and I was off on 19 South to Cherokee. On the way, the speedo started acting really strange and screaming bloody murder. And I couldn't tell if I was going 10 or pegging it at 85. I took Bob's advice and stopped at NAPA for a tube of White Lithium grease. Then I removed the cable and put 5 or 6 dollops up inside the housing. I figured it couldn't make it any worse than it already was. It's like magic. The needle is now steady and quiet and seems much more accurate. Thank you Robert Russell, you should write a How-To for that tip!
Tuesday's first leg was 19 South to Culberson. I wanted to touch Georgia (which we may have done on Dean's Wed. ride) just to add another state. Then right on 60 to McCaysville, right on 5 and on into Tennessee to left on 64/74/40 into Dayton, TN. That road went over several mountain ranges so there was more challenging riding to test my new skills.
Just before Mufreesboro I stopped for a picnic lunch at a shady national park in the mountains. Triscuits, cheese, potted meat, an orange, and some fig newtons. Yummy.
Stomach full and feeling free, it was on to 70S and Mufreesboro where I stopped into Tractor Supply and picked up a pair of insulated waterproof gloves for $12.99. Excellent, warm and comfy but a pain to get on and off. Then I wandered around until finding 96 to Triune and Franklin to Burns where I got onto 46 to Erin. Best laid plans ... camp out in The Land Between the Lakes Nat'l Park. But by the time I got onto 46 it was dark and getting cold-errrrr. I need to go back and do 46 in the daytime, it was excellent but a little scary in the dark. I made it to Erin and found a cheap, broken down but clean motel for the night.
An early start as I got onto 49 from Erin through Carlisle to Dover. But 20 minutes out I was lost and stopped into a little restaurant in Tennessee Ridge where the local boyz were gathered to watch the sunrise. We got to talking about motorsicles and such ... I got my coffee (in a real mug!) and hung around on the porch with Billy Lee, Bob and Cleetis(?) for a while to watch the sunrise, smoke cigs and tell lies.
Warmed up a bit, I wound through some nice country on 49 and got up to The Trace. Of course, I missed another turn and had to U-turn back to find the entrance. Amazing what you don't ever get to see if you always follow the planned route. The Land Between the Lakes is an amazing National Park. There's everything from camping to four-star inns, hiking, boating, off-roading, animal rehab, bird santuary, buffalo, 19th century working farm ... I could have spent a week there. But I pretty much just drove through after stopping to pick up a map at the South visitor's center where I met Clyde who went on, highligtin' the map and keeping me there for a good thirty minutes. I think he was lonely.
Clyde did recommend Miss Scarlett's, a restaurant where The Trace meets I-26. I had an excellent country breakfast in this movie memorabilia festooned place with good-lookin' and friendly waitresses. Here I picked the next, and last phase of my back-roads journey home. I saw a "Free Ferry" on the map that would get me across to Cave-in-Rock, IL so off I went. More good roads to get there and I hooked up with a local H-D rider who led me there.
We all loaded up on the ferry and took a ride on the water. On board there were mostly bikers and bike trailers headed to a huge H-D rally/biker event at Cave-in-Rock.
Oh, for a couple more days out. The 8th Annual Hog-Rocktoberfest (Warning: nudity & adult content) was on for the weekend.
Winnie had been on reserve for about 10 miles before the ferry so I planned for a gas stop in Cave-in-Rock. But with all the good conversation and the ferry landing, we all roared off and headed up Hwy 1. And I forgot gas ... until about 15 miles up the road and I started to worry.
The trip meter was on 211 miles, there's a farmer on his atv, how far to gas? "At the crossroads." How far is that? "About 9 miles up the road." Okay, Winnie, it's up to you. If you want fuel you have to get us there.
And so she did, in fine fashion. Whew!
She drank her fill in Equality, IL. Those numbers figure out to 45.23 MPG. I'm guessin' that tank is nearly 5 gallons.
We went on up 1 and caught 45 at Norris City. No map for Illinois since I was just heading for the barn. I-64 came up quick, it's 24 miles to Mt. Vernon and I'm hungry so a blast on the slab was in order. But off to the right I saw these gorgeous golden fields of soy beans and can't resist a good photo op so over to the side we go and shut 'er down. Wait, there's a better angle with some trees about 100 feet further on. Off with the helmet and I run across to the median to get the pic.
Serendipity seems to have been the theme of this trip. And it just kept getting better. About a week before starting off, I bought a Cramp Buster for the throttle. It's great and really helps me to relax my hands. Well, I'm standing on the right side of the bike getting suited up and I look down past my right grip. There, about 2 inches off the road and in the grass, is my Cramp Buster. How the heck did that fall off? Reaching down to pick it up I see that it's a different model than the one I got. And mine is still on the grip. So I now have a spare.
Magical Mystery Tour
When I'd taken off those TSC gloves the previous night, one of the wrist straps broke and one of the liners pulled out. You get what you pay for. But as I pulled onto Hwy 15 from I-64/57 there was a TSC. I'd cut off all the tags and tossed the receipt but I figured I'd give it a try anyway. "No problem, yep, we can replace those." They had XL in a slightly different style that goes on and off better.
Highway 15 into Belleville was a nice ride but directly into the sun. I improvised a visor with some black tape and that helped. The Illinois roads are not too twisty but I did realize that if I took these 40 MPH recommended curves at 60 to 70 that they are quite good.
Great ride. Trip of a lifetime. Met some of the best people in the whole world. And I still have more stories to tell.
... because of the email outage today.
