Category: 2020 Tour of Honor

July 14

Left home 8:30 after voting in local elections.

I gassed up the bike and hit the road. Rather un-eventful since this the first hour and a half was on familiar roads. I did make an effort to keep my speed closer to the speed limit and pay attention to the scenery.

Once making the turn onto Hobbs Island Road after I crossed the Tennessee River south of Huntsville, the road was one less travelled. I followed the GPS’s guidance, willing to trust it. I had set some roads which I wanted to use to avoid others that I didn’t want to travel. The GPS led me on some unique and unfamiliar roads.

The ride to Mentone, AL was a route I have travelled in the past, but I was coming home from Mentone. I have only taken that route once, so it was not very familiar. If it wasn’t so far, it would be a great ride for the CMA or Harley group.

Crossing in to Georgia after the delay due to construction in Mentone, the GPS took me off the main roads. Very enjoyable.

My first Tour of Honor stop was at the Veteran’s Home in Summerville-Trion, Georgia for the doughboy statue. I got a few pictures to submit, then got a few with the camera of a higher quality. I returned the call from ARRL while stopped here to discuss the testing session from the weekend. All is good and my suspicions about re-instated licenses were correct. One person had an FRN, so I had submitted his on-line and his new call sign already has the upgraded permissions.

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If I were hiding a geocache, there was a perfect spot nearby. I checked to see if there were any in the area, but not within walking distance from the doughboy. Onward I went.

Next stop was in Chickamauga, GA at the Veteran’s Park. I rode the bike across the park and stopped under the Huey. A family was taking some pictures of the Huey and I asked if the little girl would be willing to help me. She held my rally flag while I got the picture of the bike, rally flag, and the Huey. I gave her a poker chip and to her family I gave a business card with my information and the website.

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I decided that I am not going to try to starve myself to lose weight. I need to eat at regular intervals, just not as much as I have. Though I didn’t want to stop at a chain restaurant, that was all I saw except for a few local Mexican places (not what I need to eat while riding!). I stopped at O’Charleys and had a burger and fries. The burger was huge, almost the size of what I would cook at home. I relaxed and let the blood flow in my butt again then hit the road.

Over 200 miles and I gassed up, only using a bit over 4 gallons. The low fuel warning came on as I pulled up to the pump. Expecting it to be $10, but afraid it might be more, I pre-paid $12 “just in case.” It took $10.25. As I was pumping the gas, I noticed that it had the chip reader which I feel is a little safer than sliding the card into the reader. I usually have been paying cash, but I may use the chip reader when I am in a hurry and when I start doing Iron Butt rides again.

When I had stopped for lunch, I checked over the route to Blue Ridge, Georgia from where I had stopped. A simple ride up US76 looked to be the plan. The GPS had other ideas, and I am glad I followed the GPS.

Though it was set to avoid interstates, it did give me a 15 mile stretch to “enjoy,” and that was mostly construction. Once back on the back roads, the GPS sent me on roads that paralleled the US and main state roads. It was AWESOME! Other than the stretch where I was behind an asphalt truck, at 20mph in a 55 speed zone, at 95 degrees, it was a great ride. A few locals that liked to stop and wait for traffic to clear for a couple of miles before going through a 4-way stop, but that was fun to watch, as I wasn’t the first car behind the offending idiot.

Once in Blue Ridge, Georgia, I got the pictures I needed for the Tour of Honor and looked around a bit. There were a few other people around, so I tried to stay out of their way, and them out of my pictures. I will have to review the pictures from the camera when I get home.

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I decided that the planned stop for the night was still over 2 hours away. It was already 5:00pm. I am going to start trying to make my nightly stops about 5:00pm to help me relax a bit in the evening. I might even take a bit more care in making sure to pack a travel bottle of scotch or bourbon on my trips. I picked the Comfort Inn in Blue Ridge which was only a couple of miles from the Blue Ridge memorials. I made the quick ride there and got checked in.

I have to mention Sabrina, the clerk at check-in. The service and cheerfulness were so refreshing. We chatted and I did tell her that I had not been treated that politely at my first visit to many hotels. I will have to comment on her when the hotel sends me the survey.

Relaxed in the room tonight, TV on for a bit, but turned it off to watch my videos. I did send Jeff a message about the Ride to Meet in Maggie Valley. I am not going to make the stop there, but there have been several people who are in that area who have expressed interest in a Ride to Meet in September. I will need to start working on that when I get home tomorrow and on Thursday. I want to have a better itinerary by this weekend and hopefully even have a block of rooms arranged for people.

July 15

Pretty good night sleep last night. I woke up a little before 6am. Showered and packed. Checked the phone and weather tells me it is 64 degrees. I only have a light armor undershirt which I have been wearing over a t-shirt. Sleeves have small holes to help keep me cool during hot weather, not designed to keep me warm at 64 degrees. I check the map and see that there is a Walmart nearby.

I check weather along my route and see that once I get off the top of the mountain, temps are going to rise. I opt to forego the Walmart stop and hit the road. It has already gotten up to 67 as I start rolling. As I hit the main road, it is now 70 degrees.

I had altered the route for today. I will skip Murphy, NC and Sweetwater, TN visits. I am also going to postpone a ride on the Tail of the Dragon. I need to make sure I am home by mid afternoon.

Only a few turns to get from Blue Ridge to Collegedale, most being once in Collegedale to get to the memorial. I use the shortcut that I used last year, riding from the back of the office complex along the maintenance trail and field to park in front of the memorials. I get the required pictures, then take a walk around. It sems that this has expanded from last year. No real access for motorcycles, mostly only a walking trail. I leave a poker chip at the Medic Memorial.

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I have the GPS set to avoid interstates, so I spend some time on the roads along the interstate which have businesses and stoplights. At one stoplight, I look up and see The City Diner. We ate there last year and loved it. I make the turn and circle the hotel attached to the diner. I custom order an omelet, Gyro meat, Feta cheese, and black Greek olives. It was fantastic!

After breakfast, I cross the Tennessee River and enjoy country roads to Soddy-Daisy. I pull into the lot for the park. I get a couple of pictures better than I took in previous years. I realize that I needed to start documenting the rides better this year on the website, at least I can use the notes from here.

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I leave Soddy-Daisy and follow the directions of the GPS. I make the turn off the main road and take off on a narrow country road. I go about a mile and make a turn onto an even more narrow road. The only thing I see on three sides of me is the side of a mountain. I make a curve and see that the road is heading up. There is a gate, which is open, that indicates that the gate may be closed at times based on the Sherriff’s Office. The GPS shows the route, and it looks odd. The road keeps climbing, then I see the first curve, or should I say U-turn. It is a very tight curve and a very drastic rise in elevation. The next 8 miles I ride at about 10 to 15 mph. The sign which forbade trucks over a certain length and did not allow vehicles with trailers makes a lot of sense now. I finally make the turn onto a main US highway. The next few miles into Dunlap is an easy ride, compared to the first few miles leaving Soddy-Daisy. I make the turn into the small parking lot for the park in Dunlap. I get the required pictures, submit them with a note about the park, then send MaryJo a note that my next stop will be home after I gas up.

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The rest of the ride is on familiar roads. I ride through Gruetli-Laager, I had planned to stop here for lunch at Brown’s Dairy Bar. I am still full from breakfast,  don’t think I can even enjoy a milkshake. A few twisties past Gruetli-Laager, then TN50 becomes US64, which is divided 4-lane and higher speeds.

As I make the turn toward Minor Hill, I know I am about an hour from home. I send a text to MaryJo and hit the throttle. The closer I get to home, the more tempted I am to call MaryJo and see if she wants to meet at St Florian Pharmacy for a late lunch, but I know what she has planned for supper.

Ride Recap

• Tour of Honor Sites: 2
• Huey’s : 5
• Doughboys: 1
• Amount of Wind Therapy: 581 Miles

June 24

Jeff got his license a few months ago, and got his first motorcycle a few days later. A casual comment like “why don’t we take a few days to ride?” can turn into an epic adventure. We had a few ideas for routes and kept bouncing ideas back and forth. We were leaning toward a ride to Key West along the eastern side of Florida, then ride up the western side, following the coast on into Louisiana. But, a minor kink in the plans came up when I had to be back in Florence for a one day event on the 27th of June. We talked over several options and decided to just take each day as it came.

I got up on Wednesday, June 24th and was ready to roll. The weather reporters the last few days had been like throwing darts to predict the weather. The skies were a bit dark in spots, but I could see blue skies trying to break through. As I got to Moulton, it was a sprinkle. Just past Cullman, it was a steady rain. I pulled over to put on the rain gear and call home. The rain was not conducive to working with the headset, it was acting flaky. I called home to let MaryJo know that I had turned off the headset, so I would not be able to answer if she called. Then I took off again.

I had set the GPS to avoid interstates. Since the rains had encouraged me to skip a few sites to save some time, I focused on getting to McDonough, GA. After I crossed into Georgia, I noticed that the GPS was going to do its best to avoid the interstate, but it was planning to take me through downtown Atlanta. NOPE, not happening. I hopped on the interstate and focused to get around Atlanta as quickly as I could.

Traffic and the occasional idiots are the norm when riding the interstates near big cities. This was my first having someone blatantly try to wreck me. Some kids tried swerving into me a couple of times, making obscene gestures, and even using profanity. But the most exciting part was avoiding the rock or brick that they threw at me. Times are a bit testy right now, but the police car a lane over and behind, who could watch the entire series of events, did nothing. So disappointing, but at least I made it past Atlanta alive.

I had stopped at McDonough last year for the Huey. This year there was a new memorial as well as the Huey that I could visit. The memorial was far enough from the parking lot that I wasn’t able to get a good picture of the memorial and the bike in one picture. To get a picture of the memorial, I enlisted the help of two children visiting the site with their mother. As payment, I gave them each a poker chip, and explained the Tour of Honor to their mother. I passed her a business card with my information and the website listed. Partly to show that I am not just another weirdo, but rather a special kind of weirdo. I stop by the Huey at the entrance to the park on my way out.

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A trip to Griffin, GA for a doughboy visit kept me on the back roads and away from too many crazies. One of my goals on this trip it to try to slow down.

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Warner Robins is a quick ride from there, all while staying off the interstate. I checked into the hotel and did some exploring. I found a quaint little Mexican place that had REAL Mexican food. My Spanish is non-existent, but I just explained what I wanted and they took care of me. Reminded me of the family who rented us their trailer when dad was TDY in Fort Huachuca, AZ. The mother would made tortillas from scratch for us to eat after school. Corn Tortillas with butter spread on them, my mouth still waters just thinking about that.

June 25

Today was going to be a busy day for me. I wanted to visit several more sites in Georgia, but had to be at Jeff’s office when he got off work. Though I did want to avoid interstates, I did need to put a lot of miles on the road in a short time. I hopped on the interstate heading south. I didn’t much more than get to rolling when it started to rain. I pulled over at the next stop and put on rain gear, then hit the road.

I got off the interstate and made my way to Nashville, GA for the Doughboy. The town was deserted, so I was able to get a nice parking spot for a picture.

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I enjoyed the farm roads into Waycross. Last year I got caught at a train crossing waiting on a train with over 150 cars, slowing into the station. Today I was coming from a different direction and left via another route, not train to slow me down today.

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I stayed on the country roads to Kingsland. I was expected a huge park, not a small park on the side road coming into town. This park was sort of tucked away, though the memorial could be plainly seen from the road. I parked, got my pictures, and walked around for a few minutes. I left a poker chip at the sailor for Pawpaw.

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St Simons was a quick ride up the interstate, then off to the coast. It was much better than I had expected. I didn’t realize how peaceful it would be at the lighthouse. I met a gentleman there who gave me information on rides throughout Georgia. I will share them with Jeff in case he doesn’t know.

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I hopped back on the interstate to get to Pooler. This was right off the interstate, almost missed the turn after I made the exit since I had to cross all lanes of traffic to made the left turn into the park. I parked next to the F-4C and got a few pictures. Now to back track to Fort Stewart.

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I made the stop at Richmond Hills to visit the K-9 Memorial. Jay’s girlfriend’s father was the trainer for one of the dogs memorialized there. I got the pictures and was ready to meet Jeff.

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The GPS had me leaving the park in Richmond Hills and not turning until I got to Jeff’s office. That was a nice road. I kept wanting to take the GS on the tank roads, but didn’t think the Army would have much of a sense of humor about that. Mentioning this to Jeff, he agreed that it was a good move that I didn’t try one of those tank trails since the tanks would be coming at me at about the same speed I would be going, and they didn’t maneuver very well.

We left his office and Jeff led us to the back gate to visit the Huey’s on Fort Stewart. The guard said that we needed a pass, which we had to get at the main gate, on the opposite side of the base. We decided to just head on back to Warner Robins for the night.

After a quick gas stop, Jeff let me led on into Warner Robins. We spent a lot of time on some nice sweeping back roads, but with the skies darkening, we need to make some time. We hit I-16 and mostly stayed dry until we turned onto GA-96 which led us into Warner Robins. No really hard rain, but it was fairly steady. We just slowed down and took it easy. The rain stopped as we pulled into the hotel.

We unloaded the bikes, put our wet jackets out to dry, then walked to the Mexican restaurant next door. A little higher class that Chipotle’s, and they had a bar! We got a full blender full of mango margarita and ordered supper. We sat at the bar and just relaxed. The bartender had her regular locals, a few that were trying to impress someone, and then there was Jeff and me. We just watch the others and carried on our conversation.

June 26

We made our way to Dunkin’ Donuts next door for coffee and breakfast. No hurry, avoid interstates, and have a good time. The headsets didn’t want to sync up, so we would have to use hand signals to communicate. One thing that I did know was that my tank was a little larger than Jeff’s, but my bike got much better fuel mileage. I would have to pay attention to him and when he would need fuel.

The goal for today was to visit GA2 (Columbus/Fort Benning), K-9 at Auburn, AL7 (Tallassee), AL3 (Leeds), AL6 (Talladega), AL2 (Gadsden and the Huey there), and AL5 (Priceville and the Huey also there). Should be a fun filled day with little interstate.

We talked with the desk clerk at the hotel for a while and realize that it is now 9:00am! We had wanted to be on the road much earlier, but the conversation was worth the delay. We top off gas and head west. We enjoyed some meandering curves through the Georgia farm land. Pecan trees and peach orchards, with a few solar farms, dot the countryside.

We spend only a few minutes on the interstate around Columbus and find our way at the Infantry Museum at Fort Benning. Jeff had been stationed here in the early 1980’s, but the museum wasn’t here at the time. We park the bikes and get a photo of the memorial in the distance. We talk a walk up the the memorial and look for a way to hang the flags. Jeff grabs them and holds them above his head while I take the picture. Might be his “best side” in that picture.

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As we are getting ready to leave, a couple of other Tour of Honor riders pull up. We talk for a bit and share quick stories. Jeff’s V-Star was out of place with the other three bikes being BMW GS models. We start to head out and the GPS doesn’t want to point to the next site, it keeps trying to redirect us back to the site we just left. I hit the button to skip the next waypoint and it does its magic recalculating. About 30 minutes later, I realize that we have missed our turn for Auburn. Not worth turning back, we will head on to Tallassee.

Jeff lets me know that his low fuel light just came on. We are pulling into Tallassee, so I will search for a gas station while he gets some pictures. I help him with a few pictures so he can be in them. I found a gas station about a mile up the road on the other side of town.

We pull into the gas station and take a break. It has gotten hot and and is close to lunch. While filling up, I see a sign that Prattville is only 30 miles up the road. I think of Jim’s Restaurant and the great food I have had there. I tell Jeff that we can change our route and got get a bite to eat or head to the next planned stop and try to find something there. We flip an imaginary coin and in unison say Prattville! Though we have to skip Montgomery, we don’t get caught in any traffic.

Though Jim’s was good, it wasn’t up to the expectations I have come to know. The food was okay, but the service was slow. Not being in a hurry, we took advantage of drinking lots of water. I look over the map and we talk about route options to Florence. We decide to go through Tuscaloosa and visit the Huey there, then head to Florence.

As we approached Tuscaloosa, the traffic became horrible. There was some construction which led to lanes being closed. And the lanes which were open gave the challenge of dodging the massive potholes and the grooved pavement.

We finally pulled into the shopping center with the Huey. Jeff laid on the ground int he shad for a bit. It was hot! I walked around the small park and read a few of the signs. I learned that the boots, rifle, and helmet at a battlefield grave originated in WWI, I thought it was started as a Vietnam era tradition.

On the north side of Tuscaloosa, we made another fuel stop and liquid replenishment break. Then enjoyed the deserted roads heading north. We saw dark clouds ahead and thought we might have rain again, but we managed to miss it this time. We pulled into the driveway as my bride was opening the garage door. We unloaded the bikes and relaxed.

June 28

We didn’t ride on the 27th due to a meeting that we attended, but we were ready to head out this morning. Goal today was to make it to Natchez, Mississippi for the night.

I installed the extra headset on Jeff’s helmet and we tested that the intercom was working. This would help a lot as we tried to communicate on the ride. No more hand signals and yelling at each other at stoplights.

We ride down the Natchez Trace Parkway until we get to Tupelo. We make a few turns in town and we are at the memorial in Tupelo. As we are getting pictures, another Tour of Honor rider pulls up. He had just gotten his picture and was about to leave when he saw us parking the bike. We talk with him for a bit and learn that he lives in Greenville, MS, and only gets to ride on the weekends. The three of us pull out together, he heads to the right, we head to the left to Kilmichael.

Being Sunday, the cemetery is open, but the office is closed. Jeff tells me about the bell tower and that there is usually a similar one at other military cemeteries. They all toll at 5PM each day.

We talk about lunch and I remember a great place in Winona, he trusts me even after the experience at Jim’s the other day. We pull into town square and I start to panic, there are no other cars in front of the restaurant. We park and I walk over, relieved seeing the “OPEN” sign brightly lit and people inside.

I learned that Jeff had never had fried green tomatoes. That streak ended today! He seemed to like them as an appetizer. I wanted to save room for the Reuben and the home-cut chips. He looked over the menu and picked the Reuben and chips too. Little did we know that we were about to experience the best potato chips we have ever eaten! They were piled on the plate so high that we had to eat our way to the sandwich. I was afraid that they tried to hide the sandwich, making us fill up on the chips before getting to the sandwich. The sandwich was one of the best that I have had. And the chips were the best. We enjoyed out lunch much longer than we had planned, and were starting to run behind schedule. But who cares? We are enjoying the ride.

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We head out to the Mississippi farm land and make a left turn to head to Benzoni. This was the longest stretch of straight road with ripples ever few seconds that we have experienced. the bumps and ripples were almost enough to lull you to sleep because of the rocking motion of the bikes. We make a shift to the right, then another shift to the left as we enter town. The memorial is on the far side of town. It is Sunday and the town is desolate.

We park on the sidewalk so Jeff can get a couple of pictures. While waiting, a lady pulls up and asks if we were with the protest group that plans to tear down the statute that evening. I explain that we are with a group that is here to honor the meaning of the memorial. I explain this is a WWI memorial and nothing about the Civil War. She gets in a huff and drives to the other side of the building and watches us from the parking lot.

We gas up as we start to leave town and head to Jackson. Once in Jackson, the roads have gone from bad to worse! The pothole lead us through a slalom course. Hitting one of them could do some serious damage to a tire or rim on the bikes. The 5 miles takes us 15 minutes. We pull in front of the building with the memorial. Jeff had seen my previous picture and takes off up the ramp and down to the front of the building. We get pictures on both side of the entrance. I see a parking lot on the side and we make our way there. I start to panic when the entrance is closed, leaving us no exit other than back across the front of the building and up the handicap ramp. Jeff spots another entrance which is open. It is much later than expected, so we set the GPS to a hotel nearby and plan to stop for the night.

The desk clerk at the hotel recommended Froghead Grill, which was on the other side of the interstate. Fairly close, so we hopped on the bikes. Supper was very good. Unique food, but we were hungry and tired.

June 29

We got up early and hit the road. First stop was the Doughboy memorial in Vicksburg. This memorial has a soldier on one side and a sailor on the other, both WWI statues. I forgot to put out my flag because I had forgotten that I had not visited this site yet this year. I sent a picture that did have the bike and the memorial to the scorers, begging for leniency. (They granted it “this time!”)

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Still early morning and we enjoyed the solitude of the roads. We made our way to the memorial in Natchez, I pointed to a spot for Jeff to park, I parked across the street in a parking lot. We got his picture and I walked to look around the park while he was one the phone. I met a lady and asked about a place for breakfast. She recommended Natchez Coffee Company. It looked a bit trendy, but we needed coffee and food in our bellies.

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Many of the roads were one-way streets, which caused us to have to do some back and forth to get to the breakfast stop. We parked near the little cafe and headed in. We were a little concerned that they might have limits on number of people, or if they would even let people eat inside. That was a false concern and we found a table in the corner.

Ericca took our order and brought us some of the best coffee that we have ever had. The biscuits and gravy were nothing to complain about either! Jeff and I talk about a few route options, then decide to catch the southern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway. We can take that all the way to AL20 near mom’s house, then a quick trip home.

Once home, my bride has a late lunch waiting for us. Jeff isn’t familiar to long rides, so the jet tub is filled with warm water for him. It has been a nice few days, now to plan the rest of the vacation.

July 2

Rains kept us at home on Tuesday, new parts for the bike and rain kept us home yesterday. Living only a few miles from the Natchez Trace for over 4 years, I have never ridden the entire Trace. After Monday, I can now say that I have, though not at one stretch. I have ridden from her to the northern terminus several times, but there have been parts of the road from home to Natchez, MS that I had not ridden until the past Monday. The northern terminus has a great little restaurant that I have visited several times. I ask Jeff if he would like to complete the ride on the Trace, he agrees and we are off and running after breakfast with the ham radio club.

There are many people in this area who claim that once you have ridden the Trace, it never changes. I disagree, they must not be looking at the things I am seeing. Not only do you get the change of seasons, the change in wildlife, but even the time of day and weather effect how it looks and rides. One of these days, I am going to ride to Loveless Cafe for breakfast, then take off for Natchez to ride the entire stretch at on time. Gas stations are not on the Trace, but usually within a couple of miles, even in the most remote areas. I wonder if I could manage to get an Iron Butt Saddle Sore 1,000 planned…

Sorry, I drifted off there for a minute. Jeff and I headed north from AL-20 on the Trace heading to Loveless Cafe. My timing was off and we got there earlier than I had thought, expecting a long wait due to the lunch crowds. We exited the Trace and I headed away from Loveless to find another place which would be less crowded. Jeff asks why the plan changed and I explained about the wait. He was willing to chance a 30-45 minute wait, we aren’t in a hurry.

I find a side road where we can make the U-turn to head back to Loveless. As I approach the traffic light near Loveless, it turns yellow. I hit the brakes. I hear Jeff scream and tires locked up. I check my mirror and his skidding is about to get out of control. I yell into the intercom to “gun it!” as I hit the horn and the gas on my bike, taking off through the intersection. he gives his gas and his bike straightens up. We make it to the Loveless parking lot and park the bikes.

At first, I am not sure which of us is the most shook-up. He for what just happened, or me for feeling like I caused it. I have ABS, he doesn’t; I have been riding for 20+ years, he has been riding for a few months. I should have been much more aware of his experience and not put him into a position like that.

We step off the bikes and I think he is the most shook-up. His first words are “where is the bathroom?” I point him to bathrooms at the end of the building and put our names on the wait list.

As we wait for our names to be called for a table, a gentleman and his teenage daughter come out and prepare to mount the Triumph parked next to me. We talk for a bit, he used to have BMWs and loved them. The service departments seemed to convince him that he needed a different bike. I keep looking at him, his face is familiar. As he leaves, I realize who he resembled, but know that could not have been that particular person, Neil Peart, who passed away a few months ago. But it sure looked like him and his daughter would have been about that age. This guy lives near Nashville and is retired, enjoying the life of solitude.

We get out table and order our lunch. I warn Jeff about the biscuits and the jams. We get 5 biscuits for the two of us. I lovingly take one of the biscuits, open it, apply butter and jam, and savor each bite. I look at Jeff and can see that he is loving the rest of the biscuits. They are good, I will not argue with him over these biscuits, especially since I came ride to get more most anytime I want.

I congratulate him on having ridden the entire Natchez Trace, he is thankful that he didn’t drop the bike at the traffic light.

We had talked about riding through Savannah, but the stop at Loveless was much longer than we had planned. We hope back on the Trace and head south. We stop for gas at Hohenwald, then jump back on the Trace. Once in Collinwood, we make the exit onto Chisholm Road and make the trip back to Florence.

Good ride, great food, and even better time being spent with my brother.

July 3

Most any time I have a ride planned, I have a hard time getting a good night’s sleep the night before the ride. Last night was no exception. I tossed and turned, woke up several times, and had so much going through my head. I got up a little before 6am, started the coffee, and headed to the shower.

We talked about the ride options over breakfast. MaryJo opened the doors and saw up off on our trek. Our first goal was to fill up with fuel! My low fuel light came on yesterday just before getting home, Jeff had filled up along the way. He only needs to top off his tank.

First stop on our trip was Priceville. There is one of the Alabama Tour of Honor sites as well as a Huey. I had already visited, so I walked around and let Jeff get his pictures.

Next was Gadsden. Coming into town, an SUV made a left turn across my lane. I slammed on the brakes and he was laughing as I came within a foot of hitting the side of his car. Jeff’s brakes tend to lock up, so there was also the panic that he was going to slide into the back of me. We got to the memorial in Gadsden, which I have already visited, and I walked around to recollect my nerves. Not sure which scared me more, the thought of hitting the SUV or Jeff sliding into the back of me. He had already had another incident where his brakes locked up, but I think that was partly due to the fresh pavement.

We headed to Anniston to get the picture of the Doughboy. I had visited here last year, but haven’t made it yet this year. I had scouted out parking before we left and found that there was a parking lot within view of the statue. We pulled into the parking lot and were able to get our pictures. We then talked about places to get some lunch.

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We took off for US431/US78/I-20 interchange which seemed to have a lot of options. Of course, we manage to get there at the peak of lunch hour. I had seen a home cooking style buffet, but when we rode past, it was closed. We decided to head to Cracker Barrel. We waited for about 30 minutes. As we pulled in, we saw some dark clouds ahead along our route. As we waited for a table, the storm hit, HARD! Lightning, thunder, heavy rains, and strong winds. I was starting to ease up when we got a table. We didn’t rush through lunch, knowing that the storm should pass through soon. When we were ready to leave, the skies were mostly clear. We talked about either riding to Tallapoosa, GA, Auburn, AL, or just head straight for Warner Robins, GA. The decision was to head to Warner Robins, but NO interstate!

The ride was fantastic. I had put on my rain gear before we left Cracker Barrel, but took it off when we got to Wedowee for Jeff to get a picture of the Doughboy there. Most of the roads were vaguely familiar, but I wasn’t sure if I had ridden some before until we got much closer to Warner Robins.

We checked into the room, resedt a few minutes, then headed next door for a pitcher of Mango Margaritas with chips and queso dip. Back at the room and talking about the ride for tomorrow. Jeff will lead to Hinesville and around Fort Stewart. Amberlee will make lunch for us, then I will head back to Warner Robins to get ready for the ride back home. We estimate that we will have ridden about 2,300 miles together once I leave him tomorrow. I have an extra 1,000 for the ride from Florence to meet him and the ride back after dropping him off. Not bad for about a week of riding. Been a long day and tomorrow will be as exciting as today.

July 4

Happy Independence Day! Jeff and I got up and leisurely got ready for his trip home. He led the way and I followed. It was nice to follow for a bit. We made a stop for fuel about 30 miles after leaving Warner Robins, he had enough to make it home.

Few turns on the route he picked, but it did have some nice curves. We got to his house and ate lunch before heading to Fort Stewart. At the main gate, we were told that no one was allowed unless they have been pre-approved by the company commander. That left me out. We circled around and I headed back to Warner Robins. I almost made it back to Warner Robins without getting fuel. I put 5.1 gallons in the tank, it holds 5.3. I was actually a few miles from the place where we had fueled up earlier in the day.

I have enjoyed the last week riding with my brother. Especially the talks that we have had, the experiences we have shared, and just being together. I know he is a few more year from retirement and being able to hop on the bike to ride whenever he wants, but I will enjoy being able to go on trips again with him. We have already started talking about riding to Key West and Las Vegas. We spent a week in Vegas in 2016, but we went in the truck, this time we will be on the bikes.

It took a bit to get used to the solitude again, not being able to talk with him, or to even listen to his excitement was we pass through areas. I make sure the phone is charged for tomorrow and I will turn on the music.

July 5

There wasn’t anything on TV last night that peaked my interest. I had forgot the power cord and didn’t want to do anything that might keep me working beyond the battery limit. So, I turned off everything and went to bed. Even with a little firework noise, I managed to get to sleep.

I had set the alarm for 5:30 because I wanted to be rolling by 6:00am. I was awake shortly after 4:00, so I got up and started packing. By the time I had everything loaded and checked out, it was a few minutes before 5:00am, an hour ahead of schedule. I checked the radar and it looked like clear weather until after noon. GPS said I would be home by 9:45am Florence time.

I hit I-75 and headed to Atlanta. By 6:00am, I was on the way out of Atlanta. I had set the cruise on the bike and was enjoying a mostly clear interstate. Traffic and construction were predicted, so the GPS wanted to send me through downtown Atlanta. Nope, I will take the western beltway around Atlanta and take my changes. GPS time bumped the time for Florence arrival had creeped to 10:00am.

I hit I-20 and headed toward Birmingham. Once I crossed into Alabama, the low fuel light came on. I pulled over in Heflin and filled up, 4.9 gallons in a 5.3 gallon tank.

I got back on I-20 until I passed Anniston. I made the turn on AL-77 and headed north, this will have me missing Gadsden, but getting me on US278. Once I made the turn on US278, my arrival time was now predicted as 9:45, back to the original time, and I was off the interstate the rest of the way home. US278 or AL-157, then Wilson Dam Road. I pulled into the drive as MaryJo was opening the garage door at 9:28am.

There is a “club” known as the 200 miles before breakfast. I put in 375 miles this morning before breakfast. Sad that this small journey is complete, but glad to be home for a few days.

This was a last minute trip. Some friends wants to go for a ride and asked if anyone wanted to join. Being cooped up, I accepted the offer, not sure where they were going. As we left on the ride, they mentioned where we were going for lunch, a fish place north of Anniston, AL (Top O’ the River, you HAVE to try it if you are in the area). I made a quick check of the map and saw that Tallapoosa wasn’t THAT far out of the way, only about 40-50 miles.

Over lunch, I asked if they minded if we made a “quick ride” over into Georgia. I admitted that if they declined, I might go alone, but thought they might like to see what I focus my riding on between April 1 and October 31. They accepted, but wanted to make a stop at the Harbor Freight next to the restaurant. 

I had to share this part of the story, because if goes back to meeting people. Mark ran into Harbor Freight, Audrey (his girlfriend) and I sat outside. As we waiting, a gentleman on a Versys rides up and parks next to us. We all chatted for a minute.

He was a few years older and asked where we were headed. I explained about the Tour of Honor, the various sites, doughboys, K-9’s, and the Hueys. At the Hueys, his eyes lit up. He was in Vietnam, Special Forces with heavy artillery, several times from 1969 through 1974. He explained that he loved Hueys. He said that the only reason he was still alive was because of Heuys. “They got me out of more trouble than I could get into!” I left a poker chip and card in his helmet when headed into Harbor Freight himself. 

Mark came out and off we went. Once we got to the park, I parked my bike under the Huey while Audrey and Mark explored the park. Audrey got a few videos and lots of pictures and videos. I focused on the pictures for Tour of Honor. There must be a shooting range on the other side of the lake, or they have  problems with trespassers. A lot of gun fire off and on while we were there. When the gun fire silenced, the area so eerily quiet, yet very peaceful. Audrey had remembered my stories of some of the Hueys having plaques with history and asked if this one did too. We looked but didn’t find anything. But we did find one about the F-105 which is the Tour of Honor site in the park.

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As I have said before, I am an introvert and don’t like to talk with or meet new people. The Tour of Honor is different.

Most rides are fantastic. Then you have those that bring a tear to your eye, not because of the memorial or where you go, but who you ride with.

This ride was very special. I have been riding off and on since mid 1970’s. I have had motorcycles off and on until 2007 when I have had at least one motorcycle in my garage. My brother, never really picked up the enjoyment of riding. He thought about a Spyder a couple of years ago. When my wife got one, he fell in love with it and has been trying to find a way to get a Spyder. A few months ago, he decided to take his riding course. The course was through his local Harley-Davidson dealer. He realized that he COULD handle 2-wheels. A week after his endorsement was added to his license, he got his first motorcycle.

Friday, he calls me to say that he has left his house in Georgia and is on his way to see us for the weekend. He shows up on at the door and has all his riding gear “just in case” he can rent a bike.

We spend some time on Saturday trying to find a place that rents motorcycles in my area, but no luck. A friend sends me a note Sunday morning and says that we can borrow her bike. Jeff has his boots on before I can get off the phone!

Back to why this ride was so special, I got to ride with my baby brother! He signed up for the Tour of Honor without having a motorcycle, or even a license! He has since earned his license and bought a motorcycle. But this weekend, he rode a friend’s motorcycle.

We had tried to take a ride yesterday, but about an hour into the ride, I wasn’t feeling well. My stomach started bothering me and I was getting a screaming headache. We pulled over at a parking area on the Natchez Trace. I explained to Jeff what was going on and he agreed to turn around.

We got home and Jeff admitted that he wasn’t feeling well either. We determine that we were both dehydrated. After some Gatorade and Pedialyte, we were much better.

This morning we tried the ride again. Jeff wanted to leave to head home by about 2:00pm, so we left early. A gas fill-up for both of us near the house and we were gone. We took a new route to the Natchez Trace, then south until we got to MS-30, then headed to our first stop, Boonesville, MS.

I had visited this Huey last year. Today, the town was empty. We parked on the side and Jeff and I worked to get some pictures. After the pictures that we would submit, I told Jeff to follow me. We walked around the courthouse and saw other memorials.

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We road back roads until we got to Ripley, MS. Jeff parked in front of my and got a picture. I had to show him that the statue he photographed was a Civil War memorial, not the Doughboy we needed to photograph. We get the photos and continue on back roads to Walnut, MS.

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Not only have to visited the Huey in Walnut already this year, but I have visited each of the two previous years I have participated in the Tour of Honor. I realized that the sample photo in the Tour of Honor app was my photo from last year!

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While in Walnut, Jeff starts explaining what he did for pre-flight and post-flight checks when we was the crew chief on the Huey helicopter. The excitement and enthusiasm that he has when talking about it, I was paying more attention to his face than to what he was saying, but I did hear a lot of what he said.

I sent a text to our friend to let her know that we had originally planned to be back by 11:00, but it is looking closer to 11:30.

As we start to leave, I ask if he would like to stop to visit the graves of our paternal grandparents. He has never been to their graves. Our grandfather was killed in an automobile accident a year before I was born. We remember our grandmother.

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We turn onto US-72 and this is the first time that we are able to get get up to highway speeds. I don’t doubt that he can keep up with me, or that he can’t handle riding at 65-70mph, but this is a bike that he is not familiar riding and now is not the time to test limits. Besides, the bike belongs to a close friend of mine.

We pass through Corinth, which is usually slow due to traffic. We pass one 18-wheeler in town, with only a few cars on the road. We get to Iuka, MS and exit US-72 onto MS-25. We make the turn to ride through town instead of the by-pass. We pull into the cemetery and I quickly find the mausoleum where our grandparents are buried.

We exit the cemetery and back track to US-72. MaryJo calls to tell me that she is at our friends’ house, I tell them that we are about 20 minutes out. They tell us to meet them at a gas station on US-72 near their house. Their driveway is gravel and this might be a better idea than Jeff and me riding on their driveway when neither of us know the nuances of their driveway.

We pull into the gas station and they are already waiting on us. We gas up the bike and chat for a few minutes. The smile on Jeff’s face is something to remember.

To the special friend who loaned us her bike for two days… Thank you!

Day 1 – May 20:

I got the bike loaded, a cup of coffee, bowl of cereal, and I was ready to roll!

I tried the video camera on the engine bar. When I got to an area I wanted to try it, I noticed that it had moved and was loose. I stopped and put the camera in the bag. I didn’t want to lose it.

Ride was wonderful. First stop was in Tuscaloosa at the Huey in the shopping center. I was taking the picture when a guy asked about the bike. We talked a bit, then the conversation turned to Tour of Honor. I gave him one of my cards and a poker chip. He said he might give it a try later this year or next year.

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My next stop was at Carrollton, Alabama. I don’t remember visiting this site in previous years, and it was a nice statue on the side of the Court House, which was in the middle of the town square.

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I made my way to Meridian, MS. I remember this one from last year. A Doughboy at the top of a memorial. I have pictures from last year, but got more this year. A couple of people commented on the bike and we talked about it.

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My stop for the night was Mobile, AL. The ride was higher speed roads with little traffic. I had been afraid of storms which had been forecast for Mobile for today and tomorrow. I got a light rain about 20 miles out, then cloudy skies. As I was taking my bags into the hotel, the rains came, but only lasted a few minutes.

Day 2 – May 21:

I woke up and felt great. At first, I thought that I must have overslept. I looked at the clock and it was a little before 6:00am. I repacked my bags and got everything ready to load on the bike. Saddle bags were the first load. Got a honey bun and juice to go back to the room. I took some Tylenol to help with the potential soreness of the ride and I noticed that my foot was a little swollen this morning.

The low fuel warning wasn’t on, so I decided to put a few miles on the bike before gassing up. I got out of the Mobile area before I needed gas. I kept seeing dark skies, but I didn’t get wet.

The first stop was a long ride, over 100 miles on interstate. I knew where the Dougboy was since I had been there several times. I pulled in front of the museum and got a good picture to submit. I took a few extra ones with the camera and edit them as needed.

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One exit up and I headed to the Maxwell Air Base for the K-9 Memorial. I pulled to the gate, showed my driver’s license and was politely asked if I had a valid military ID. I told the guard that I did not, he then explained the base is on lock-down and only military personnel was allowed on base. He watched as I made the U-Turn to leave.

I reset the GPS to get me home, while avoiding the interstate and tolls. I started north and was met with a toll-booth. I paid the toll and kept going. I soon realized that I was in Prattville. A great place to get a real breakfast. I make a turn off the planned route and pull into Jim’s Place. Biscuits and Gravy with a side of bacon. They have the best coffee I have ever had.

I add the Bessemer Doughboy to the route and follow the GPS. I took US31 north. I think every dump truck and yokel decided to take a drive today. 120 miles and 4 hours later, I get close to Birmingham. I know I am close to Bessemer, but I see an indicator on the GPS that there is a “saved favorite” nearby. This usually means that it is a Tour of Honor site. I check the GPS and realize that it is a K-9 Memorial in Helena, AL. I pull into the park and park the bike near the memorial for a picture. This wasn’t a planned stop, but I am glad that I made the stop.

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I make the quick trip to Bessemer. I see the Doughboy in the middle of the park, not an easy one to get a picture with the bike. I find a parking spot where I can get the bike and the Doughboy in the same picture. Not the best angle, so I walk to the Doughboy to get a close-up of him. I get a few pictures and head back to the bike. I am putting everything away when the couple who had been parked next to me start talking to me. He asked if I got pictures of all the plaques. I admitted that I didn’t. He starts to tell me a bit of history.

He and his wife look to be in their late 60’s/early 70’s. When they were kids, they would play in the park and climb on the statue. Over the years, the statue began to show signs of wear. A few years ago, the statue was taken down, as was the base, to have them repaired. The original statue had a plaque on each of the four sides. One plaque was the dedication, one plaque listed the dead from WWI, one plaque listed the “colored” who had died in WWI, and the last plaque listed the “jews” who had died in WWI.

When the statue and base were reinstalled, the plaque listing the “jews” who had died was not re-installed. Due to the large Jewish population in Bessemer, people quietly were questioning. No official statement was ever made, almost like the plaque had never existed.

I went back to the statue and took pictures of all four sides. I had not looked on the side with the “colored” list on my first stop, but I got a picture this time.

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As I get closer to home, the skies look darker. I wind through Bessemer and eventually get on US78 west, then turn onto AL5 when US78 merges with I-22. Mostly divided four-lane until Jasper. Once in Jasper, I make the turn and head toward Haleyville, Phil Campbell, Russellville, and on to home. The low fuel warning just came on, I’ll fill up tomorrow. MaryJo greets me with an open garage door and BBQ ribs.

Day 1 – May 11:

I could hardly sleep last night. I was so excited that I was heading out on this trip. I had a cup of coffee while I got the last few things loaded on the bike. On my next trip, I might try just using the waterproof bag for the tail rack. Not sure if it will hold as much as both saddle bags.

First stop today was Priceville, just outside of Decatur. This was a quick “two-fer” since there was also a Huey on display. As I pulled into the lot, I rode around the barrels. After the pictures, I left a poker chip at the memorial. As I left, I read the sign on the barrel. Seems that the park is closed, but people can use the walking trail and walk in the park, but can’t drive into the parking lot. Not sure about the logic, but there are a lot of things about the COVID19 that escapes logic.

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Second stop was Gadsden. Another “two-fer.” I didn’t see the Huey in the phone app, but I did submit it with a note that I didn’t see it in the app. I walked around the memorial and got some pictures of the area. A girl was driving in the park also taking pictures. As I rode to the memorial, she was sitting in her car. I was a little embarrassed, it almost looked like she was changing clothes, then she drove off.

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Next was the memorial at Leeds. I got some pictures of the various memorials, as well as the main picture I needed for submission.

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On to Talladega. I’ll have to review the picture so I can remember it. I saw so many today. I will have to update this section when I get back home!

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I then visited two sites from previous years, Lineville’s Huey and Wedowee’s Doughboy. At Lineville, the park was deserted, so I was able to get a good picture and walk around. A policeman slowed as he drove past, but didn’t stop. I also got a picture of a tank that was in the park.

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At Wedowee’s Doughboy, I park against the curb to get a good picture of the bike with the doughboy. I didn’t realize how busy that intersection would be! I had the flashers on for the bike, but people were cutting the corner so close that two people clipped the curb! I got my pictures and hurried to leave. As I was getting back on the bike, a policeman stopped to ask if I was okay. I quickly explained what I was doing, and that I was leaving. He smiled and said to watch out for the “crazies.” I guess that so many people have been cooped up during this COVID19 that they have forgotten how to drive!

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I make my way to a new K-9 memorial. The GPS tells me that I will have to “leave the road” at a certain spot. This usually means that there is a park and the GPS doesn’t know the entrance. As I approach, the location is a grassy field (with high grass!) in the middle of a mobile home park. Either there will be a K-9 memorial here in the future, or I got the wrong coordinates from someone.

I make my way to Tallassee. This is the only one that really required two pictures today. The memorial is surrounded by tall bushes and can’t be clearly seen from the parking lot. I park the bike, get a picture of the bike near the memorial, then head to get a good picture of the memorial.

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I had planned to visit the K-9 at Auburn Vet Hospital, but was ready to call it a day. I rode to the hotel and got checked in. I rode to a few places to try to get something to eat. Second Taco Bell that would not work with a motorcycle. I HAD to be in a car. I could not ride the motorcycle through the drive-thru, nor would they let me walk through the drive thru. I saw Jim’N Nicks across the street and got a salad there. I talked with the kitchen manager for a bit while I waited on my order. I gave him a card with the website on it.

Day 2 – May 12:

I was a few minutes behind schedule when I got to the bike. I had wanted to be rolling by 8am, I started loading at 8:15. Then the GPS had not finished importing the route I had loaded last night. I thought that It did load, but I guess not. As it was getting close to 90%, I knew a bit about where I would be heading, so I started right away. Once it had finished, I tried to pull up the planned route. Nope, not there. Luckily, the sites were there. I entered most of the sites I wanted to visit and took off.

I filled up with gas north of Eufaula since the warning light had been on for too long. I had to go to a second gas station since the first didn’t have anything other than 87 octane. Once I gassed up, I finished entering the sites and re-ordering then.

First stop was the Huey in Eufaula. I got a few shots and got the visit submitted. Next was the Doughboy  off Main Street in Eufaula. I think I got a good picture and it was submitted.

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I visited the Doughboy in Headland. I don’t remember visiting there last year, but I might have. I skipped the Huey in downtown Dothan and took the bypass around town. As I pulled into Daleville, I saw the Huey that I missed last year in front of the Visitor’s Center. I know there is a museum on Fort Rucker, but I didn’t have the time, nor did I want to go through the hassles of trying to get on post.

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As I approached the Huey for Enterprise, I remembered it from last year. I had approached it from the other entrance into the park and wound around what seemed like forever. Today, I saw the Huey before I entered the park. I turned onto the side road, only to find out that it was the walking path. Oh well, not the first time I have ridden the GS on a walking path, and it won’t be the last.

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The Andalusia-Sanford Airport has a Huey in front. I pulled into the parking lot while workers were moving pallets from the back into a truck. Temps had gotten warmer, so the UnderArmor thermal shirt was coming off! I got rolling again and quickly found the Tour of Honor memorial in Andalusia. Remember the comment about “it won’t be the last time I ride on a walking path?” GPS tells me to turn onto a small road, which turns out to be the walking path at the police station. I get a few pictures and head out before drawing attention.

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I had thought about trying to visit Florida and getting one memorial there. I have not ridden a bike in Florida, so I need to do that soon. I decide to scrap that memorial until later in the year with Jeff and head to Mobile. The closer I got to Mobile, the stronger the winds got. As I pulled into the park, the wind was blowing so hard that the flags were straight and looked like they were on a sheet of plywood!

I found the Huey and the K-9 memorial. Trying to get the pictures with the wind blowing the rally flag was a challenge. The park closed at 4pm, and I was leaving as they were getting ready to close the gates. I took the picture of the jet at the entrance which was the final Tour of Honor site in Alabama. One state down!

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I made a reservation on the west side of Mobile. I wanted to get farther along, but didn’t want to head to Biloxi which was another 45 minutes up the road. The wind was getting stronger and there was a huge cloud just offshore. Blue skies everywhere, but this one cloud almost looked green!

Day 3 – May 13:

I fell asleep early (about 10pm. I woke up with a text message at 6:00, but went back to sleep. I slept much later than expected. Got a late start, after 9:00 before I was rolling. My goal is always to be rolling by 8:00, earlier is better. With the delay, I did learn that the odd cloud from yesterday was actually a fire at a plant nearby that had been burning for a day or two. This morning as I was leaving, I didn’t see all the clouds/smoke, so I assume they got it under control.

My first stop was Ocean Springs. I found the Huey and got a couple of pictures. I started to take a picture from a distance of the main memorial, then realized that I was about to take a picture of the wrong memorial. I found the correct memorial, and noticed that I could ride to the other side of the park for better pictures. I got the required pictures. I then went to the large memorial. I took a video of it. There were pictures of men who died in Vietnam. There were some names without pictures. I did not see any notes about how the names were in that particular order.

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I rode to Biloxi and found a great parking place to get pictures of the Gold Star memorial. There were a few other memorials that I also took pictures of.

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Next stop was Camp Shelby outside Hattiesburg. The museum was closed, but I was able to get on post to photograph the Gold Star, Cobra, and Huey. While taking the picture of the Huey, I noticed that the sample/reference picture looked familiar. I included a comment when I submitted the picture. Once I got to the hotel, Eric (the scorer) told me that it was my picture from last year. They did edit the photo to remove the rally flag. He also told me to pay attention and I might find some other pictures in the app that are from the last two years. Now I have a challenge to recreate the pictures.

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Leaving Camp Shelby, I saw a satellite dish on the north side of a building. The dish was facing due south, about three feet from the edge of the building. Basically, the satellite dish was facing into the side of the building. An old army building, appeared to be stucco. I can only imagine the reasoning, and wonder if it is functional.

After getting back on US49, I see a repair shop for large equipment and trucks. Steel building, but parts look like they were removed with a can-opener. A few miles up the road, I see the metal sheeting. It looked like someone had just crumpled it like a wad of paper. Debris was all over the side of the road. Trash from a house that was taken down was piled on the side of the road, with a man picking through to get useful pieces of plywood. Farther up the road was furniture piled up. I looked up and saw a recliner in a tree, not put there to use, it was upside down. I learned that a tornado had come through recently. I had also noticed that the median of the road and along the side of the road had trees removed, but not clean cuts. It was due to the tornado tearing down trees and crews were doing the cleanup.

I made my way to Natchez. I have never been here, though we have been wanting to visit here. I rode through town to the Tour of Honor memorial. As I rode through town there were so many old/historic homes for sale. One block in particular had a For Sale sign in every front yard, both sides of the street! I found the site, parked on the street at the bottom of the steps. I got everything positioned and walked across the street to get a picture. As I started to take the picture, some lady with two little kids walked up the steps. This blocked the sight of the memorial, so I waited. She took her sweet time meandering up the steps, weaving along the path, corralling the little urchins, lighting a cigarette, and FINALLY getting out of the way for me to get the picture. I was patient, didn’t make a comment to her, she wouldn’t have noticed anyway.

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I left Natchez and found my way to the Natchez Trace. I had hoped to get at the starting point, but was at mile marker 10. I rode it all the way to I-20 in Clinton, MS, which is where I have landed for the night. I’ll get my Atlas Shrugged reading done then go to bed. I already have my route planned for tomorrow. I will get to downtown Jackson as early as possible, hopefully on the road by 6:30 or 7:00. Then head to Belzoni, MS, Kilmichael, MS, and home. I hope to get home by 3:00, staying ahead of the rain that is forecast for late tomorrow morning along my route.

Day 4 – May 14:

Like Sunday night, I had a hard time staying asleep due to the anticipation of coming home. I had set the clock for 6:00 so I could get on the road early. At 5:30, I got up and packed. Shortly after 6:00am, I was on the road.

My first stop for the day was at the American Legion Building. One of the Tour of Honor memorials was the WWI relief sculpture on the front of the building. It also counts as a Doughboy! One stop, two points. I pull to the side street and planned to get a distance photo with a close-up in another picture. The curvature of the street was not conducive to me putting the kickstand down. The bike wanted to lean the wrong way. Being about 6:30, and I was on the only one around, I rode up the sidewalk ramp and down the ramp to the front of the building. I got a great photo with the bike and the sculpture in the same photo.

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My next stop was Belzoni. As I passed through some construction zones, one had an electronic sign that I should use “COUSHUN” in the area. This was Mississippi, so Alabama didn’t get the lowest score in spelling. As I approach Belzoni, the GPS points me to turn on another road. I make the turn and see that I am about the cross the Yazoo River, the GPS tells me to turn left. Problem is that the road is about 100 feet below the bridge. I do some country touring and finally get into Belzoni.

The memorial was a quick find once I got into downtown Belzoni. It is near the end of the road, which is a dead-end road. I park, set up the rally flag, then walk across the street. Someone must have started a calling tree and told everyone in town that someone wanted to take a picture. Suddenly, this intersection is full of cars in all direction! Of course, none can stop to leave clearance for me to take a picture. I wait about 10 minutes for traffic to disappear. I take a couple of pictures, like the memorial in Jackson, this one also counts as a Doughboy bonus point.

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I now have about 2 hours of riding to my last stop of the day, Kilmichael. I spent the first 45 minutes on a wonderful back road. Straight as an arrow, but buckles every 50 to 100 feet. I finally turn onto the US82. No turns until I get to Kilmichael.

This memorial is in the Mississippi Veterans Cemetery. I visited here last year, so I know where to find the best spot for parking. I get my pictures, then enjoy the solitude. Though this is on a major highway, the only sound of the trucks is the hum as they passed. I stop in the office to visit with Lady Dix (yes, “Lady” is her given name). I thanked her for the memorial and that many people had commented on the location. I gave her a poker chip and told her that I was planning to bring my brother back in a few months.

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I got back on the highway and had less than 30 miles to get onto Natchez Trace. I called MaryJo to let her know when I would be home.

It was great to pull into the drive and the doors open. I unloaded the bike, hooked up the head set to the charger, and headed for the shower. Good ride the last few days.

Total miles: 1428
Tour of Honor Memorials: 12, 2 states completed
Hueys/Cobras: 10
Doughboys: 5
Gold Star Family Memorials: 2
K-9 Memorials: 1