Knees in the Breeze – Serendipity Riders

Starting 2024

Okay, I will start with a couple of shorter rides that I have done to get the year started.

As some background, I had surgery on my hand in January. Nothing major, just a reoccurring issue that I wanted to get resolved during the cooler months when riding isn’t very probable.

The weekend after the surgery, we were hit with a snow storm that closed the town for a week. There wasn’t much snow, but the inch or two of ice left the town in a lock-down since our town doesn’t have snow plows or salt trucks.

February 7

I was able to get out for a day ride on February 7th. The doctor allowed me out on the Spyder, but not on either of the two wheeled devices yet. I took the Spyder for a short ride to get some AULDR points (this is a Facebook challenge called America’s Ultimate Long Distance Riders). I visited a few places, and ended up putting just over 300 miles on MaryJo’s Spyder.

I rode from Florence over to Iuka, down to Tishomingo, rode the Trace to the northern terminus, then headed back home. Along the way, pictures included the Apron Museum in Iuka, the 9-11 memorial in Iuka, murals in Cherokee, Tishomingo, and Collinwood, and a picture of dinosaurs just past the end of the Natchez Trace. Fun ride and greatly needed.

The last week in February, I was given full release to ride! I have another follow-up in June, but that should be the last for now.

March 3

March 3 lead to a ride. I headed out to just put some miles on the BMW. I haven’t been on two wheels since the middle of November. Since the BMW is the bike that is the most physical and mental challenging, I chose it. I knew that if I could handle the BMW, the Harley would be much easier.

I didn’t have a route planned, but I did have a deadline to be in North Courtland by 2pm. I stopped at the Harley shop to talk with a few friends before the shop got opened. It was the Sunday of the time change and I had not reset the time on the bike. I thought I was there at noon when the opened. Nope I was there at 11am as they were getting set up.

I took mostly back roads. I wanted to stay close enough that if something happened, I could call for help. I had the Spot with me if I got to an area without cell coverage. I rode down to Haleyville, then over to Bankhead Forest. Eventually, I made my way up to Moulton. Another windy back road led me to North Courtland. I needed to be there by 2pm, I was there at 1:30, time to talk with some friends before the meeting.

After the meeting, another back roads to lead me home.

March 6-7

After the December trip to Virginia and the Disney trip last month, I ordered a smaller travel bag for the bike. On the previous trips, I had used the initial travel bag that I got after getting back from Vegas last year. The bag is completely waterproof (if closed properly) and was big enough to keep over a week’s worth of clothes and other things. On both of those trips, my bag came back almost empty as we were able to consolidate things. I realized that the original bag would be too big for less than a two week ride. It was time to test the smaller bag on a two-day trip.

The plan was to ride the Natchez Trace the entire Mississippi section from Cherokee, AL to Natchez, MS. This would qualify me for a challenge coin from HOG for riding one of the 50 Rides, One Nation challenge. I would spend the night in Natchez, find a place close enough to walk to a place to eat. Then I would ride the Mississippi Blues Trail from Natchez to Tunica. This stretch would earn me a poker chip from HOG for one of the 2024 10-ride challenges. From Tunica, I would drop down to Oxford, then ride home on MS-30 through the William Faulkner Scenic Byway.

That was the plan. But, as Robert Burns has said “The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.”

Wednesday, March 6th, went pretty much as planned. I filled up the Harley at the gas station near the house to start my journey. I used my normal route to get to US-72 and over to the Natchez Trace.

With the exception of a gas stop in Kosciusko, MS, I enjoyed the cruise set near the speed limit on the Natchez Trace and listening to my music. The ride was recorded with the bike’s camera, but nothing outstanding to report on the ride. I was just beautiful and relaxing.

As I neared Natchez, MS, the GPS had set the location of the HOG waypoint. I would need a picture at that spot to prove to HOG that I had ridden the route. I got to the waypoint and there were no signs, not even a place to pull over. I kept going and pulled over at the next overlook. With cell coverage, I was able to get to the HOG website to find exactly what I needed. The sign was at the southern terminus of the Natchez Trace. I knew that sign and the HOG waypoint was off about 10 miles.

Back on the road and I make it to the sign. I got a few pictures for HOG. I was close enough to Natchez that I had great cell coverage. I made my reservation at the Stone House, a neat little Bed and Breakfast.

The place was very close to the Trace, I was there in about 15 minutes. I checked and had an email confirming my reservation. This was my first foray into a try Bed and Breakfast, so I was a little nervous and unsure what laid ahead for me.

Mr. Stone and Precious met me at the door. Well, Precious welcomed me when I got to the porch! After confirmations that I was who I said I was, I was given a little tour of the main house and of the cottage where I would be staying. A lot of history there. His family has owned the property since 1871. He has plenty of antiques that were part of the original house and memorabilia of his family dating back to the Civil War!

I moved the bike around the main house to the cottage and unloaded my things. I got my riding boots off and sneakers on. I was ready to walk. I spent a few minutes looking over the maps and city tour guides that Mr. Stone had given me. He made a few recommendations.

Supper was at Magnolia Grill. A couple of other places were nearby, but Google showed one just as a bar without food and the other as just quesadillas. Magnolia Grill had steaks, burgers, and a bar! I had a burger, sweet potato fries (with honey, thank you Jeff!), and a whisky sour with Maker’s Mark. To top it off, a piece of chocolate pecan pie. The perfect ending to a perfect day!

During the tour, Mr. Stone asked if I would prefer breakfast at 8:30 or 9:00. I like to be on the road as early as possible, with few exceptions. I had asked if 8:30 would be fine with him. He told me that I could come into the main house using the back door, he would have it open shortly after 8:00am.

I slept great! It is unusual that I get a good night sleep on the first night when I travel. Whether I am alone, with MaryJo, or someone else, I seem to sleep very restless. Not last night! Maybe it was the original owners whose pictures were over the bed that kept me comforted. I don’t know.

Before I go further, let me tell you about this cottage! This was a two bedroom cottage with a single bathroom. A small sitting area connected the bathroom with the two bedrooms. An entrance into the cottage was on a private patio and on the shared porch with the main house. The cottage is rented to a single party. This would have been great for Randy and me on our travels. He would have his room and I would have mine. Each had a TV and a comfy bed! It could sleep two couples, but the beds are full sized, not queen sized.

Back to Thursday…

I was up early, got ready, and packed up. I sat on the private patio and did my Bible reading. The sound of the water from the fountain and the birds singing made the time so relaxing.

I went for breakfast just before 8:30. As I walked in, Mr. Stone greeted me and seated me at the large dining table. Being the only guest, he sat me at the head of the table. I was so afraid because the furniture were antiques, as was the china! He assured me that though he has his family’s original china, the set he used was a different set. It may not have been the original to the family, but it was still old and I didn’t want to break anything!

Orange juice and water were already at the table. As I sat down, he poured me fresh coffee. I explained that this was not how I great up. My family wasn’t even high enough on the social ladder to even be pouring the coffee! He laughed and told me to enjoy the experience.

Breakfast was awesome. I won’t bore you with the details. Mainly because any description I give would not do it justice! We sat and talked.

I noticed pictures and drawings around the dining room. He said that everyone of the pictures is of a family member. I spotted one picture and asked if he was in it, telling him that one of the little boys looked like him. He smiled. He was so excited that I was actually able to pick him out.

We talked about his remaining family and the future of his home. His response was not too surprising, but I was disappointed. He is the last in the line. When he is gone, the house will probably be sold. His fear is that the items in the house will be auctioned off in pieces, then the house sold to someone who doesn’t know or love the history.

We shook hands I I needed to be on the road. It was almost 11am. A new route was planned for the trip home.

Though many people feel that once you have ridden the Natchez Trace, there is no reason to ride it again. I rode the same stretch of the Natchez Trace two days in a row and found each day with its own beauty.

My ride home was a simple retrace of the route down to Natchez. I dropped the bike at the shop for its 25,000 service. MaryJo came to pick me up in the truck and I enjoyed just being a passenger for the trip home.

A wonderful trip. It wasn’t exactly as I had planned, but it was what I needed.

2023 Tour of Honor – September

September 3^rd

We got an early start. I had a short devotional with MaryJo before I left the house. Randy and I met at the Circle K. A quick last-minute check and top off the gas. By 8:00am, then we were off! My starting mileage on the odometer is: 16,197.

A quick stop in Rienzi so Randy to get a picture of one of the Mississippi’s Tour of Honor sites that Randy needs. Instead of a quick photo and go, we walk around and read the various signs. <picture(s) from Randy>

We spend about 5 miles on US45, then make a turn onto MS30. Winding backroads through Holly Springs National Forest to Oxford. We stop for the Tour of Honor site south of Oxford. Relaxed a bit and were ready to hit the road again. <picture from Randy>

About 1pm, we pull into Trace-Way in Mathison for lunch. MaryJo and I have eaten lunch here on a previous ride. We have the option for the buffet or to order off the menu. Burgers and Philly Steak sandwiches for us.

After lunch, we make a quick stop at the Tour of Honor site at the Police Station in Mathison. Randy gets the required picture and we are on the road again. <picture from Randy>

A quick stop at the North Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery on US82 in Winona, MS. We both get out pictures here. Though it isn’t a primary Tour of honor site, it is a bonus site. I haven’t stopped here this year, so we both got pictures.

Kilmichael, MS – North Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery

About 2 hours on US82 and we pull into Greenwood, MS. Many neat stories here; some good, some not as good. We get to the memorial for Randy to get his picture at the Tour of Honor site here. <pictures>

I do some checking on restaurants and hotels close by. The hotel I had planned to use for tonight was open, but they don’t have rooms available. Parking lot is totally empty! Oh well, we went to the site that I was using as a backup plan. Rivals Steak House was a short walk for supper. Great way to end the first day. A great burger and a couple of cold beers.

Today’s route on Spotwalla: click here

Randy is already talking about our trips for next year!

September 4^th

This morning, we visited several sites in Arkansas; Star City and Little Rock. Nice back roads, but nothing really spectacular. We made a quick stop at Beebe for a Gold Star Memorial visit.

We saw an ad for Freddie’s and agreed that it would be the backup if the diner we had planned to visit for lunch ended up being closed. Being Labor Day, the diner was closed; so, Freddie’s it was! At lunch, we talked about the afternoon to Fort Smith and avoiding interstate. US-64 follows near I-40, so we could start on US-64 then get on I-40 if we wanted to make up some time. Looking over the map, I mentioned that there was no real reason to stop in Fort Smith; no memorials along the way. I suggested that we take the back roads to Fayetteville. Nice twisty roads, small town, but there was a chance we could get hit with some rain. We adjusted our plans and Fayetteville was now our target for the night. But first, we make a quick stop at the Tour of Honor site in Searcy.

About an hour in, the skies turn dark. We pulled over for Randy to get his rain gear and for me to zip up my gear. We hit a few spots of light rain, but the skies had serious dark spots. When we saw lightning and heard thunder, we pulled over to let the storm pass. We checked the weather radar and decided to wait it out for about 30 minutes. I made a hotel reservation for Fayetteville.

Once the skies cleared, we were quickly enjoying some beautiful roads! We pulled into the hotel about 6:30pm and we were exhausted. Serranos Mexican Grill and Cantina was our supper stop.

Got the route planned for tomorrow and loaded into the GPS. I know that I will be spending a lot of time listening to “RECALCULATING” once we get on Route 66; maybe I will just mute the GPS on the bike.

Already talking about options for the ride back. A ride through Vegas may be on the agenda. We will see what happens.

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 5^th

Short mileage, but long day.

We headed out from Fayetteville determined to stay off interstates; and we did it. Even with plenty of dark skies ahead of us, we managed to miss the rains.

First stop was Veteran Cemetery at Fort Gibson. Fairly easy access and we were in and out quickly. <pictures>

Next was the Tour of Honor site and Gold Star memorial in Broken Arrow. Since we wanted to stay off interstates and toll highways, this took about an hour longer; but the scenery was beautiful. <pictures>

If we had been willing to hop on the toll interstate, it would have taken less than 30 minutes to get to Happy Burgers in Sapulpa, but we enjoyed the 45 minutes going through towns. We were officially on Rt 66 as we neared Happy Burgers.

Was this the best burger we have ever had? Nope, but it was good. It was fresh and the fries were hand cut, not from a bag. We followed the signs which led us off the track that we wanted to take. I doubled back through town and got on the road I wanted to ride.

We got to the Heart of 66 Auto Museum less than 15 minutes after lunch. I had looked over their website and expected we would be in and out in about 15-20 minutes. Nope, we were there for over an hour. We may have even stayed longer if the curator hadn’t mentioned that the Seaba Motorcycle Museum was about an hour up the road and would be closed tomorrow. We were rolling.

The next hour was when it started getting hot. The temps were over 100 when we pulled into the parking lot of Seaba Motorcycle Museum. If the GPS had not given me warning, we would have ridden past. We stayed here for over an hour; both enjoying the motorcycles and enjoying the cool building. As we got ready to leave, we talked about how far we wanted to go today. We went through more drinks trying to stay hydrated.

I wanted to stop at Pops 66 and get a picture of the soda bottle out front. We decided to head there, get something cold to drink, and plot out where we would stay. We enjoyed Black Cherry Sodas while we decided to stay at the Sleep Inn in Edmond. I used points from other trips to give us a free night. Supper at the Mexican place next door was even better than last night, and the margarita was one of the best that I have had.

I had a scare since I couldn’t find my SpotX. I had put it in the front pocket of the cooler. Now I am trying to find the thumb-drive. I hope that I left it on the bike. I will check in the morning.

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 6^th

The thumb-drive was on the bike. I got the route loaded and everything was great.

We started the day on the interstate heading toward downtown Oklahoma City. We veered off and headed west before we go too close to the downtown traffic. We were soon back on Route 66.

Because we were heading out earlier today, we scrapped one of the museums (the one in Fort Reno, OK). We got the picture of the doughboy in El Reno and were on our way.

We spent the morning trying to take as little interstate as possible. A few stretches of Route 66 were actually part of I-40. We got a little side trip due to the GPS routing, but eventually got back on track. We stopped for an early lunch after visiting Lucille’s Gas Station.

We talked about a museum that was nearby, so off we went. There was a Huey in front of the museum and we planned to get that picture after we did a quick view of the museum. The “quick view” ended up being over an hour and a half. This meant that the other museums would have to be scrapped for today. That was okay with us since this particular museum was fantastic!

We spent most of the afternoon on the interstate. We visited the Tour of Honor memorial in Sayre, OK. and filled up the bikes after that stop. Our sights now set on Amarillo, TX for the night. I went ahead and made a hotel reservation so we would know that we had a place for the night.

Supper was at The Big Texan steak house. The service for the wait was awful. Almost to the point that we started to leave. I think a few years ago I would have just left. BUT, the food made up for the wait. Randy had a sirloin and I had a ribeye. We were both members of the “clean plate club.”

Tomorrow, we will head to Taos, NM. We will be there for a few days, then start our trip home. So far, we have 1300 miles on this trip. More to come!

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 7^th

Today’s ride was AWESOME! Had a few challenging moments, but overall, it was great. The day started with a beautiful sunrise!

We started the day heading to visit the Cadillac Ranch. At the intersection to get to the Cadillac Ranch was a statue that we wanted to get a picture of it with the bikes. Once we made the turn, it was about a mile or so to the Cadillac Ranch. After doing the visit, Randy realized that he lost his seat cushion. When we had stopped at the statue, he put it behind his spare helmet. It blew out while we drove to the Cadillac Ranch. We rode back up to the statue, both of us looking on the shoulders of the road for the seat cushion. Once we got back to the statue, neither of us had any luck. I was going to turn and get back on the interstate; Randy made a U-turn to get back on the road we had planned. As we got about halfway back to the Cadillac Ranch, we saw the cushion off to the side of the road. I pointed at it and stopped. Randy stopped behind me and I ran to pick it up. He was happy to have it back!

First half of the day was mostly interstate. We rode to Tucumcari for the Tour of Honor site, then on to Santa Rosa. We spent a little time at the museum. It was okay, be both like the museum from yesterday. It had about 30 cars, half of them were available for sale. Most were out of my budget.

I had scoped out a restaurant less than two miles up the road. We pulled into the lot and it was empty. I checked the sign and it didn’t open until 4pm. We decided to just continue on the route and pull into a spot that looked promising. That we did! Comet II was on the right about a mile up the road. We pulled into the parking lot and headed inside. Randy got the enchiladas; I got a cheese burger. Burger was better than most of the previous burgers. Randy liked the enchiladas. Once finished, they treated us with dessert. It was a flan like warm custard with nutmeg. VERY good!

The stop for lunch was much longer than planned. But like all the other diversions, worth it. We talked with the owner. He is a veteran and had moved back to Santa Rosa to take care of his aging parents (his dad had been sitting at the counter with another friend).

Our next stop was the hotel for the meet-up. We gassed up as we got close to Las Vegas, NM then enjoyed some twisty roads with great scenery. As I would enter a curve, I would check the mirror for Randy. At one point, I checked as I started into some tight turns that required a lot of concentration. When I came out of the curves, Randy was not behind me. There was no place for me to pull off the road, so I just sat close to the edge with my flashers on. I tried to wave down a few cars until I finally got one who stopped. I asked if they had seen a bike down within the last mile or two. They asked what color bike. I said that Randy was on a red bike. The lady in the car said that they had passed a red bike on the side of the road, but no rider. They offered to go back to check on him. A few minutes later, I saw Randy. The car that was checking on him was behind him. He had a nature call and had to stop.

We got checked into the hotel and relaxed at the bar for a bit. Randy and I talked, very good conversation. We ordered burgers from the bar. They were the best so far. Ran into Blaine, he talked about his move from Nashville to Phoenix. He loves it in Phoenix and his health is improving since he goes swimming almost every day. We are talking about a ride tomorrow.

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 8^th

Randy keeps starting a movie that I haven’t seen, gets me interested, then we miss breakfast! Yeah, that’s my story and I am sticking to it.

Got a text from Blaine that he was going to head to Madrid to see Maggie’s Diner. It was the major location of the movie “Wild Hogs” and is a souvenir shop now. I call him and he was about a mile up the road stopped for gas and would wait for us to catch up. Blaine led the way, Randy in the middle, and I was in the rear.

I didn’t want Randy in the back. I didn’t want Blaine and me to run off without Randy. Or, something happen to Randy and we not notice it for a few miles. Me being in the rear also gave me a chance to view the scenery a little more.

Blaine led us to Madrid and we found Maggie’s Diner with an empty parking lot. We got parked and headed in. It was neat to just look around. I got a patch, a couple of magnets, and several stickers.

As we were ready to leave, the parking lot was now full. I wanted to go up the street to another gift shop to find a cookbook for MaryJo. No luck on the cookbook, but some of the bikes and the truck in the lot had left by the time we got back. I led to the Harley shop and the Tour of Honor event.

The road in Madrid led us less than a block from the dealership. The traffic picked up as we got close to Santa Fe, but not bad. We pulled into the parking lot with a few minutes to spare for the group photo. We went to help finish off the lunch of Frito Pie.

Blaine led us back to the hotel. We had one incident where a car was tailgating me as I was trying to pass a slower car. Once I was able to move over, they took off with Randy as their target. Sonn traffic was clear. Randy’s low fuel light began flash with over 200 miles on the tank, so a quick stop for him to get a splash of gas. Safely back at the hotel. I will fill up in the morning; I currently have a little over 240 on my tank with still a ¼ tank of gas according to the gauge.

Supper was fantastic! I got pictures and sent to MaryJo.

Relaxed and worked on the route home. I have a tentative route, but last day will have a LOT of miles. I will talk with Randy about a couple of options. We will get to Vegas and California, but Colorado and Utah may not be on the route.

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 9^th

Had four delays due to construction. Two different areas, but we had to pass through going back and forth. They added about 45 minutes to our travel times.

Randy and I had breakfast across the street from the hotel at Taos Java. Good coffee and the breakfast empanadas were fantastic.

We started the day riding to Angel Fire, NM. On the way, we found our first construction area. We saw the sign that warned of construction delays and suggested we seek alternate routes. The alternates would have delayed us getting to the memorial in time for the group pictures, so we kept on. As we neared the construction site, we kept seeing bikes coming in the opposite direction; some even had Tour of Honor decals. I started to worry that the road would be closed. Once we got to the construction zone, only one lane of traffic could pass at a time; the pilot vehicle would lead a group through the area, then repeat in the opposite direction. We waited about 10 to 15 minutes.

At the delay, we met a local guy who wanted to know more about the Tour of Honor. He followed us to the memorial and even got his picture taken with us.

We opted for the same route to head back. The other route would have taken us much longer and we might have been later to the banquet. The spot with the delay was quick for us heading back; as we pulled up, we made the group to get through.

We made it back from the memorial in time for the banquet. Good food and great time with other riders. This will be the last Ride to Meet. The Brooks brothers would rather have regional area or states do a meet up. They asked me to consider doing something for Alabama and Mississippi. I will think about it.

It was about 4pm when we got back to the room. Randy asked if we could go to the site in Colorado. He didn’t have to force me into that! I called Blaine to ask if he wanted to go with us; he said that he was heading home early in the morning and would pass this time. The ride was beautiful. This led to the area with delays on our way to and from the site in Alamosa, Colorado.

We got back to the hotel after dark. With no light “pollution,” the stars were so beautiful on the road. We could see lights from towns about 30 miles before we got to them; though there weren’t many towns.

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 10^th

Randy and I had breakfast across the street at Taos Java again. Their breakfast treats were fantastic. Truly a place that I want to visit again.

We rode to Albuquerque and visited a few sites in the park. We ran into another rider from the Tour of Honor, though he was in his car. He is the state sponsor for Georgia (Wes McCann) and was in Taos for the Ride to Meet. <pictures>

The ride through New Mexico and Arizona was windy! On the interstate, we were struggling at 5-10 mph below speed limit. We stopped in Laguna, NM for lunch. Another burger place on Route 66.

As we were just getting back on the interstate and had just crossed into Arizona, I got a call from Blaine. Well, it was Blaine’s phone. The lady on the other explained that the owner of the phone had been involved in a motorcycle accident. They found the phone and my number was the last call on his phone. I did my best to explain who he was and how to get in touch with his family. I couldn’t remember his wife’s name at the time. (That evening, I remembered it was Wilma.) I asked how badly was he hurt, the lady said pretty bad. I said I would try to get in touch with his family, or at least get some information.

We made it to Winslow, AZ. Randy and I were both excited to get our picture “standing on the corner.” <picture>

While in Winslow, I checked the phone and tried to call Blaine’s phone. It was now going directly to voicemail. I found Blaine’s wife on Facebook and sent her a message. I hoped that they had gotten in touch with her or that at least she had a way to know his location. (This is a reason that I had a tracker with me when I am on the bike. If something happens, MaryJo can find me.)

Over the next few days, I learned that Blaine was killed in the motorcycle accident. They medics had transported him from Holbrook area to Flagstaff to medivac him. He died before in the ambulance. He had turned off the interstate (I-40) and was heading to Phoenix on AZ-377. He passed a semi-truck, not sure if he clipped the truck he was passing or was clipped by a vehicle coming in the opposite direction. Either way, his bike hit another vehicle and he lost control, being tossed off the road. The truck he was passing was able to stop in time to keep from hitting him.

We stopped for the night in Williams, AZ. I have scoped out this town since it is 1,520 miles from my house. Google says I could get there in 22 hours. Being shifted by one or two time zones (depends on whether in Daylight Savings Time or not since Arizona does not shift to Daylight Savings Time), I could use this for a Bun Burner 1,500 Iron Butt Ride.

We stopped at the Comfort Inn at the west side of town and walked to the Frontier BBQ and Beer Garden. BBQ for supper and we each had a nice tall beverage. No pictures, food was gone before we could take a picture. We got clothes washed for the trip home.

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 11^th

Started a few minutes later than planned, but we were rolling. Sun coming up made the ride even more beautiful. We spent about half of the day on the interstate.

A quick stop along US93 at about the 2-hour mark to stretch and drink water. The scenery even there was great.

We stopped at the visitor center near Lake Mead to get a view of the lake. Water levels are so far down that the intake is above the water level by several feet. We asked the ladies at the Visitor Center if they could recommend any places in Boulder City for lunch. They said there were several. Cornish Pasties was one that they both mentioned.

We got to Boulder City and stopped for a quick lunch. We parked a block from Cornish Pasties and walked over. We got a table outside and relaxed. Once we ordered, we were told that though the pasties were made fresh this morning, they would need to be heated about 20 minutes; much longer than expected. As we plotted the day, we decided to postpone the two sites in Boulder City until tomorrow. I made hotel reservations in Boulder City and we wouldn’t go to Pahrump.

Several sites that we thought about visiting that wouldn’t fit into our timeline, but we were going to visit Count’s Kustoms. We had some traffic in Las Vegas, but nothing too bad. We got to the showroom and we were in awe! Danny has some of his cars and other examples of the shop’s work on display. We found out that the crew had a signing session a few hours earlier. I teased Randy that his stomach caused us to miss Danny! We both got plenty of pictures. We also got some t-shirts. <pictures>

As we were loading things on Randy’s bike, Ryan (the painter) came out of the office and was walking across the parking lot. We got his attention and each got pictures. We saw a couple of the other guys from the show as we were leaving.

A little traffic as we headed back to Boulder City, but a quick shortcut reduced the trip by almost 10 minutes. Once checked into the room, I started working on tomorrow’s route and some other things while Randy got a nap.

Again, supper was good. We were expecting the Southwest Diner to be more of an old-style diner. It was more of a mom and pop. Food was good and decent price. The desserts looked fantastic, but neither of us had room for dessert.

I got in touch with Wilma’s (Blaine’s wife) and forwarded her information to a few others who she did not know how to contact, Robert Saunooke being one. She also gave me an update on the police report on the accident. Synopsis is that Blaine was passing a truck and clipped a car that was in the opposite lane, causing him to clip the truck. This sent his bike into a roll; the truck he was passing was able to stop to keep from running over Blaine. He was unconscious when the EMS arrived and he passed away while being transported to a waiting med-flight.

Blaine will be missed. A picture popped up on Robert’s timeline of the picture that Blaine, Jeff, and I had taken while we were on the ride three years ago today.

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 12^th

Long hot day. Visited three Tour of Honor sites and one cemetery. 429 miles. Three states. We got pictures of the California and Nevada signs. We officially rode in California.

After breakfast, okay, it was a breakfast bar and a small cup of OJ, we hit the road. As for the breakfast, they are starting to open the breakfast in a few weeks after not having the full breakfast for a couple of years.

We visited the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery for both the Veteran Cemetery bonus and one of the state Tour of Honor sites. I have gotten to the point where I am no longer in a rush. We have a few places that we want to visit on the way home, but I think that we will have plenty of time to visit them and still not to have to rush like I usually do. So, we relaxed and enjoyed looking around the cemetery and the Tour of Honor site. There were a few other memorials with the one we need to have a picture with. <pictures>

Leaving Boulder City, we headed to California. Not that we had any sites to see in California, we just wanted to ride into the state to be able to say that we had been there. We parked behind the “Welcome to California” sign. I noticed that it even had and “America’ Ultimate Long Distance Riders” sticker. We also managed to get a picture of the “Welcome to Nevada” sign. <pictures>

We crossed into Arizona and headed to Bullhead City. We rode into the park. Once in the park, the GPS was saying that we passed the memorial. We walked through the park and got a few other pictures. Then I looked for the specific memorial that we wanted for this town. Yep, we had passed it. It was the small marker at the entrance to the park. We got our pictures and decided it was time to eat. <pictures>

Randy and I have both gotten into the habit of looking for local places to eat. We spotted one a few blocks from the park and had a great lunch. Lunch was pretty good at Coyote Café, service was a little slow.

Over 200 miles to our target in Phoenix. We spent a lot of time on two lane roads with little traffic. We got to Phoenix and I decided to scrap going to the Arizona State Capitol. Several memorials on the grounds, but we didn’t want to handle the traffic. We headed to Casa Grande.

It was getting late as we were getting the pictures at the memorial in Casa Grande. I got the reservations for the hotel on the north side go Tucson, only about 50 miles away. It was still light, and would get there just after sunset. <pictures>

We pulled into the hotel, unloaded, walked next door to Cracker Barrel for supper, and were ready for bed. Other than a mix up on the reservations, but we got that resolved with a quick phone call.

Great day, not a lot of interstate riding, and the scenes were beautiful!

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 13^th

Today was a blast! We were behind schedule since the time we hit the road. We hit construction in Tucson that put us further behind.

We eventually made it to Fort Huachuca to visit the Veteran Cemetery and the Gold Star memorial. We spent some time in the chapel and got a picture of one particular quilt that was on the wall. It was a flag with the Huachuca Mountains in the background. This was the view from the chapel! This was supposed to be a 10-15 minute stop; we were there for about 30-45 minutes. <pictures>

Our next stop was Tombstone. We parked next to the historic courthouse. We took the tour of the courthouse. They said that since we paid for the courthouse tour, the bikes could stay in the courthouse parking lot.

We had lunch at the OK Café. We each had a Buffalo burger. It was very good. We took a stroll through town. We noticed the skies were getting dark, so we decided to hit the road.

We were able to stay just ahead of the rain storm. The road would turn to the east just as it would start to sprinkle. We got to the museum at Rodeo, NM where there was a memorial. We met another couple who were turning into the storm. We spent a few minutes at the memorial while Randy put on his rain gear. We got the picture for the Tour of Honor, and we were on the road just as the rain started. <picture>

Once we were on the road, we had only a few minutes of hard rain. A few miles down the road, we hit an area where gravel had been spread on the road. The first few miles it was rough; there was a lot of gravel and it was very loose. The last 10 miles wasn’t as bad. There was some gravel, but we could find a path to ride.

Once we were able to get on the interstate, we were able to get ahead of the rain. We made it to the hotel while the dinner area and bar were still open. We had 30 minutes to get our drinks and food for supper. We made it!

I worked on the route until late, I still have more work to do on it. There aren’t many options for places to stay on the route that was my primary route.

Overall, each day I am happier that Randy came with me. If he had not been with me, I might not have spent as much time in the chapel and seen the quilt. I am sure that I would not have stopped in Tombstone; though we missed seeing Boothill Cemetery. More importantly, Randy is forcing me to take breaks. I have tended to have blinders on that keep me focused on the next site instead of the trip.

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 14^th

We got a late start because I had to finish up the route. I did some praying last night for guidance on the route. Last night I had worked on two options; this morning, a third option came up. It worked out great.

We started the day at the Veterans Park in Las Cruces, which was only a few miles from the hotel. We got pictures for the state memorial, a huey, and the Gold Star memorial. <pictures>

We spent all day on the interstate. We had some areas of construction, but we didn’t lose too much time. I had two options for tonight’s stop. As we got to the first option, I was already tired. I needed to stop. I explained to Randy and he was good with it.

Supper was at another Mexican restaurant. This one was a family restaurant. Supper was great!

The route for tomorrow and most of the route home is done!

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 15^th

Overnight, a storm came through. I was sleeping well enough that I thought that MaryJo needed to check on Blue. When I realized where I was, I settled back to sleep, hoping that the rain would stop by the time we were ready to leave.

When we got up, the sun was out, though there were some clouds ahead of us. We agreed that we would stop at least every two hours. The plan was to leave at 8:00am. We were close, at least we were loading the bike at 8:00am. We rolled out about 8:15am.

We stopped about 10am for a stretch and a drink. That was a refreshing break and helped to keep us going. We got to the first stop of the day at noon. In Mineral Wells is the National Vietnam War Museum. There is a replica of “The Wall” which is in Washington, DC. This is the memorial that we were looking to find for the Tour of Honor. We also found the Huey and the War-Dog memorial. <pictures>

We stopped for lunch at Skinny’s Hamburgers in Weatherford. Another great hamburger. Though there was a line to place orders, it moved quickly. We got our food quickly, and it was great.

We headed to our next stop, Ennis, TX. We skirted Fort Worth, avoiding major traffic and only minor construction. We found the site. Randy went to use the restroom while I got the pictures we needed for the Tour of Honor and War-Dog memorials. <pictures>

When he got back, he noticed that there was an oil spot under his bike. We took some time to check that it was coming from his bike and not that he had just parked over an existing spot. As we talked, I told him a drop just fell from his bike. We called a couple of local shops. One didn’t even want to work on his bike. The other offered to at least take a look at the bike. We got the address in Waxahachie and headed to The Shop.

The owner looked over the bike and told Randy that he thinks it is the oil cooler. He doesn’t have the parts and would have to order them. The lines looked okay. Time to think about contingencies.

First option was that I would ask MaryJo to drive the truck to us in Waxahachie. Option two was for me to take off right away to pick up the truck and drive back to pick up Randy’s bike. Randy wanted to rent a truck and trailer to take the bike back. Though expensive, the wisest option was to get a truck here and take the bike back.

Randy called U-Haul, I called for a hotel room. We rode to the U-Haul store. If I had known where the store as located, I would have waited to get the hotel reservation. The hotel was only a few miles from the shop; the U-Haul was about 15 miles. We eventually got the bike loaded and Randy followed me back to the hotel.

MaryJo and I had talked earlier today that everything happens for a reason. I have gotten to know Randy and glad that we can now ride together. This trip has been fantastic, the best I can ever remember.

Randy and I talked about how God puts us where he needs us. I am glad that we saw the problem with Randy’s bike today when we could get a truck. What would have happened if the bike broke down tomorrow while we were in an isolated area?

Our plan for tomorrow is that I will follow Randy. He will set the pace in the truck with his bike on the trailer. We will see how tomorrow goes.

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

September 16^th

We got up this morning and it was different. Packing was much easier for one thing. Not that we packed more or less, it seemed like everything knew where it was supposed to go. Randy put the cooler in the cab of the van; this saved me a huge problem of tying it down. I will work on a new plan for that in the future.

Randy’s tooth was bothering him today. He only ate some yogurt. Last night he only ate about half of the salad. He wasn’t very hungry, and the tooth kept him from chewing or opening his mouth very wide.

I led to the gas station; Randy led after we gassed up. At about our two-hour mark, I called to suggest that we take a quick break. He pulled into the rest area and we stretched our legs and I got a drink.

We were focused on getting home; no sightseeing, no meandering, and as few back roads as possible. We just wanted to get home. We still took breaks every two hours in addition to our gas stops. Randy was able to get 300 miles on the tank in the van, I was getting over 200 on the bike.

The plug in the van for Randy’s phone did not charge it. His phone was about dead. I offered him my charging pack, but that was dead too! Because of that, I took the lead about 50 miles from West Memphis, AR. I was glad that I did. The signs weren’t very clear about the construction once I-55 crosses into Memphis. I led via I-40, then down I-240; this may have saved us 30 minutes or more plus the frustration.

Total ride today was 633 miles. I had stopped to top of the gas near the local Harley shop and pee. We decided to officially end our trip at that point. We had 5013 miles on this trip. I got in about 650 miles more than Randy since we had to load his bike on the trailer.

I am glad that Randy joined me. I have said it before, but it is worth repeating; he has helped me to slow down and not ride with blinders on. He has also helped me to keep a watch for new places. I am glad that we rode together.

Glad to be home.

Todays route on Spotwalla: click here

Entire trip on Spotwalla: click here

Iron Butt Ride #14

This is my 14^th Iron Butt ride since I got the wild hair to start doing this, it is the 10^th this year!

No pictures to include, they are only the DBR (“dated business receipts”) to verify date/time, mileage, and location. I do the tracking with new.spotwalla.com. Once I got that figured out, much fewer glitches than using just the Spot or SpotX. I use the phone (Bubbler app on Android/ SWTracker on iPhone). I have an Android. I think that a previous version wasn’t as reliable, or I wasn’t able to get it set up right. Either way, I like it not, though I like to have the redundancy of the SpotX.

Back to the ride…

Up before 2am on the 14th. My goal is usually to leave as close to 3am as possible. Not sure why I picked that time, but it has seemed to work very well for me. I have a gas station that is open 24/7 about a mile from the house, so it makes a great start/finish location.

I left the house shortly after getting up. I had set everything out before going to bed. Helmet charged, check! GPS has route, check! Route loaded into the bike’s GPS (remember, I like to have redundancy), check! Phone, check! Wallet, check! Printed copy of route with time at various checkpoints, check! MaryJo prayed with me and gave me a good luck kiss, I was ready to roll!

As I left the neighborhood, I realized that I forgot to get the SpotX. I had done this once before and called MaryJo to bring it to the gas station for me. I was only a few blocks from the house, I did a quick u-turn in Florence traffic (2am? Who am I kidding?) and went back home. I wasn’t sure if MaryJo would still be up. I pulled to the end of the driveway and the house was dark. I ran into the garage, grabbed the SpotX, and was on my way.

Getting ready, I turn on the SpotX, check the routes one last time, last check of gear; I am ready to start. I gas up the bike, press “YES” when asked if I want a receipt. Grinding noise, no receipt… I know I have 22 minutes to spare, but really didn’t want to use 5 minutes at the very beginning. I got in and get the receipt. It shows the correct time that I pumped the gas. That little incident cost me 3 minutes… I now have 19 minutes to spare.

I mentally adjust the time at the checkpoints to show I am leaving at 2:42am instead of 3am, an 18 minute adjustment.

My first checkpoint, Athens, AL as I turn onto I-65 to head south, I am ahead of time by 5 minutes. I will credit that to no traffic and catching all the lights green. I check the GPS for ETA back to CircleK; 12:15am. This give me a lot more time as a buffer.

Not much traffic on I-65 south between 4am and 7am on a Saturday morning. A few truckers are now getting up and rolling, but I still have the road mostly to myself.

On some of my Iron Butt rides, I get so anal that I plan out the gas stops. I do this especially when I have someone riding with me. This allows them to know when we will be stopping. I explain when we start that I do NOT plan to stop except at these gas stops. We will discuss lunch as the gas stop around lunch time.

First gas stop is in Prattville. The gas station is easy on and off. Gas receipt at the pump, logged the stop and got the required pictures. Body is doing fine, still waking up and very alert.

My next major checkpoint is at Mobile, AL (actually near Saraland, AL). Planned time is 9:05am. As I pass the checkpoint, my time is: 8:10am. Adjusting for the 18 minute earlier departure, I am 37 minutes ahead of schedule.

A gas stop in Moss Point, MS (outside of Pascagoula, MS). Another easy access for in and out. Still doing great, starting to have more cars and trucks on the road as the world is waking up on a Saturday morning.

I-10 has stretches of construction. Though none active today, the traffic cones, lane shifts, lane narrowings, and equipment on the side cause slowdowns; as well as the reduced speed limit in the construction zones. With slowdowns come traffic bunching up.

I past the Veterans Cemetery at Slidell. I know that there is also a Tour of Honor site nearby that Randy and I scrapped on our trip in August. Those stops would probably take at least 30 minutes of my buffer. I give it little thought, but I would rather try to make the trip here with Randy so we can both complete Louisiana’s Tour of Honor sites together.

My only encounter with Premier Level Jerk today. Doing 45, bumper to bumper traffic; this jerk driving along the shoulder doing a slalom with the construction barrels. He spots a gap of 3/4 his car length and goes for it. I guess he assumed that I would stop to let him in. Well, it was either let him in or my ride would be oven before 500 miles. I blow the horn and he waves back (well, sort of, he didn’t use all his fingers in that wave). Now he wants to switch between tailgating the truck in front of him and doing a brake check on me. He sees a gap in the right lane and goes for it. I am far enough back to know that he is win for a huge surprise. I fill the gap he left. He gets in that lane and realizes that he needs back where he was and starts to swing back in. The problem is that I an now fully even with him. He slows enough that he misses the rear of the bike, but just barely. He is so close that I can see a headlight in each side mirror. As he zooms up and slams on his brakes just before contact. Each time flashing his lights and blowing his horn; as well as getting closer to the rear of my bike each time. A car beside me sees that is happening and slows a little. On the jerk’s next zoom, I swing to the other lane to let him go past. He acknowledges my “act of kindness” by swinging toward me in the other lane. Not fully, but enough to get my attention. I won’t mention any details, but his tag is Louisiana, 480-DBT, on a dark Chevy sedan. I let him got ahead and leave PLENTY of space between us. In a few miles, we are out of the construction zone and he takes advantage for the shoulder to go on.

Jerk gone, traffic moving at close to posted speeds, rolling again!

Next slowdown in in Baton Rouge. I have always had some slowdowns here. Today, I see a warning sign: “Stadium Traffic/Right Lane.” I didn’t know if LSU was playing at home, or even who they were playing (yes, they were hosting Auburn). Minor slowdown.

Next time checkpoint is the turn from I-10 to I-49 at Lafayette. Planned time was 1:00pm, current time is about 11:40am. With the time adjustment for my early departure, I am an hour ahead of schedule. I like knowing that I am making a little progress along the way, even with the slowdown for construction on I-10/I-12. (I have been keeping the cruise only a few mph over the speed limit.)

I stop for gas once I get on I-49. I remember that gas stations on some stretches in southern states came be few and far between, especially when you are in areas that don’t have many human residents. A lot of swamps and farm land. It turned out to have more populated areas than I had expected. But the deserted areas were VERY desolate!

Speed limits picked up, now 75mph. I tried to set the cruise at 77mph. With higher speeds, I also got an increase in winds from the north (serious headwinds). My mpg started dropping. The next few gas stops weren’t at 200+ miles, but closer to 180 miles on the tank!

I had expected the weather to warm up a bit more than it did. I had added the exterior layer to the jacket and got put on a long sleeve t-shirt since it would be in the 50’s when it got dark.

Both the Garmin and the bike’s GPS had me take the loop around Shreveport. I saw signs that there was construction in area. I don’t know all the roads. The Garmin and the bike’s GPS seem to be in sync with the road signs. I follow the route. It may be a few extra miles, but if will be better than the long delays in the constructions zones.

Next time checkpoint was in Texarkana. Planned time was 5:15pm, current time is 4:00pm. With time adjustment for leaving early, I am just under an hour ahead of schedule. Winds have been rough.

Gas stop in Arkadelphia, about 190 miles on 4.6 gallons. Not as good as usual, but still decent. Back on the road! Traffic has been light since Texarkana has been fairly light.

Traffic starting to build as I get closer to Little Rock. I-30 has had construction for a while. Though it is in a much better condition that my trip in February, limited speed zones that are enforced with cameras. Having received a “letter” from a speed camera in DC letting me know that I owe them several hundred dollars, I decide to stay as close as possible to the posted speed limit.

The construction made the trip through Little Rock much easier and less stressful than on previous trips through the area.

Traffic picked up as the sun set once I turned onto I-40. Two lanes in each direction, 75mph for cars, 70mph for trucks. Much like I-81 in Virginia, this poses a problem when there are two trucks, one doing 65mph while to other is trying to pass doing 66mph. Cars that are able to do the 75mph backup in traffic. One nice thing that happened tonight is that the trucks stayed in the right lane to prevent the cars to backup in two lanes which would cause major irritation for the cars at the front of each lane.

A minor jerk cut me off as I was about to get my turn to pass one of the trucks. He must have thought he was special. The tag on his blue Challenger 5.7Hemi was ICULKIN. Once we both passed the truck, he thought that he has something special as he took off. I saw him look into his rear mirror. He must have been expecting a huge gap behind him. I wonder about the surprise when he saw me right behind him. Yes, I was a “little” over the speed limit. I backed off once we got to open roads and set my cruise at 77mph in the 75mph zone.

The winds started to ease up. I could also see clouds starting to form. I had checked the weather and there was no prediction for rain along the route. The clouds looked to be low clouds and I could see the red above the clouds of the reflecting sunset behind me.

I started trying to calculate my next stops. I wanted to take as few stops as possible, but didn’t want to push the distance too far and end up needing gas with no stations nearby. I plan for a stop at West Memphis. I thought that I would be able to get to the other side of Memphis if everything was smooth sailing. But coming through at 8pm, not knowing what events were going on in Memphis at either the Fed Ex Forum, at Liberty Bowl Stadium, or even just on Beale Street, I didn’t want to risk low fuel in Memphis.

West Memphis was a challenge to get my gas receipt. The pump didn’t print a receipt, so I had to go inside. Well, the person paying was having a problem, so she sent her friend to get her wallet from the car. Could she move over? Nope, she stood there and talked, mostly complaining. The lady at the register tried to ask her to move over since there was now a line of people wanting to check out. The person paying said it would only be another minute or two. It took about 10 minutes before I could get my receipt. If I hadn’t needed it so urgently, I would have left it.

Back on the road. The ETA to the checkpoint south of Nashville had gone from about 11:00 to 11:30. Planned ETA was 12:30, so I wasn’t concerned.

The ride through Memphis brought back memories. Some good, some bad. There has been construction to widen areas on I-40’s north loop around Memphis. Great, but I think the construction was only to add lanes, not repair or maintain the existing lanes. The lanes that have been there all along had chunks missing or those holes filled with gravel. I had my cruise cut off a few times from hitting large holes!

Finally on the east side of Memphis. The eastbound lanes go from 8 lanes to 7, 6, then 4, and suddenly there are two left by the time I go to the Arlington exit. Merging of all the trucks led to the time needed to sort our who was going to drive at the speed limit, as well as those 5-10 below and those 5-10 above. Eventually, things were worked out.

I kept a watch on the miles left to get home, as well as the miles on this trip. I thought about stopping near Jackson for a final gas up, but I hadn’t used 1/4 of a tank. I knew there were plenty of places where I could stop. I didn’t want to have an empty tank when I got home. I kept rolling.

About the time I crossed the Tennessee River, the weather was misting. Not enough to require rain gear, just enough to keep the visor spotted with water. The temperatures started to drop more. I didn’t want to check the actual temperature; I was afraid it would depress me.

Under 200 miles to go, fatigue is starting to set in. The cold isn’t helping. Oddly, the light rain is requiring me to stay very focused and alert. I slow down below the speed limit and plot my stop. I know that Dickson is just before I-840. There are several truck stops there. I see a sign for a Love’s at Dickson. Exit 163. As I get near the exit, the area is dark and unfamiliar. It says Dickson, and the road sounds familiar, I expect that I will recognize the area once I am off the interstate.

I make my way up the exist ramp. Still dark, except for the Love’s on the other side of the interstate. It is cold, I want to clean my visor and put on my rain gloves. I see that there is a 24hour McDonald’s; maybe a cup of hot chocolate will warm the soul. I make the turn toward the Love’s. The entrance isn’t well marked, nor well lit. I almost run off the road trying to find the entrance. Of course, the wet visor is making it hard to see clearly. I can’t pause to wipe the visor as I am working my way on turns as slow speed.

I get into the station and pull to a pump. I get gassed up, get my receipt and my required picture. I move forward to a parking spot in from of the McDonald’s. I go in, order a large hot chocolate and an apple pie.

I warm my hands with the cup, cuddling it like a prized possession. I take part in one of my old favorite hobbies, people watching. 10:30 at night at a gas station eatery does not bring out the highest on the social ladder. Travelers often tend to be rude since they will never have to see these people again. What a shame. As I was placing my order a teenager came and stepped in front of me saying he was in a hurry. The clerk told him to wait his turn. Soon this kid’s friends filled the seating area. Loud, rude, and demanding. One made a comment toward me. I just gave him a look that he understood, I wasn’t in the mood to be messed with. They all left me alone.

As I left, I saw another biker sitting on the phone. I waved at him and we smiled. What sort of idiots would be out on motorcycles at 10:30 on a Saturday night in the rain? Well, there were two of us there.

Mostly refreshed. I put on the rain gloves and was ready to go. Back on the unfamiliar road to the interstate, sharp/blind turn onto the ramp, and I was back on I-40. I have spent about 30 minutes at this stop. Much needed, I had some time to spare and this was quality stop time. Filled in tank on the bike, emptied my tank, warmed a bit, and got something in my belly! I realize that I have been so focused, I have only had about half a bottle of Gatorade and nothing to eat all day. I had planned to bring a granola bar or at least pick something up at one of my stops. Never did it. My entire diet for today has been a McDonald’s Apple Pie (much smaller than I remembered).

Nine miles up the road, I see another exit for Dickson. THIS is the exit I remembered! Well-lit and easier on/off ramps. No need to stop, I kept on in the rain. The rain is keeping me alert since I can’t let my attention wander at all.

I have noticed that my right wrist is hurting. The binding on the glove it cutting off the circulation on my right hand and causing some minor pain. I can’t stop since there isn’t much of a shoulder, and there is no lights on the road. Of course, the light rain isn’t a problem for the cars and trucks who blow past me. I am not going slow enough that I need to turn on my flashers, but I don’t think there are many people going slower than me.

I get to the ramp from I-40 to I-840. I am usually coming from the east and get on I-840 on the other side of Nashville. I-840 isn’t well lit on the ramps on the other side, neither is this side lit. The signs relied on the reflection of headlight to be visible. This doesn’t doo much good when you don’t see them until you get right up to them. I have to trust the lane advice on the bike’s and the Garmin.

No other cars at this point. That is good news/bad news. Good news is that I don’t have to deal with other cars. Bad news is that I don’t have other cars that can give me an idea about the road ahead. I finally get situated on I-840. 35 miles to my next time checkpoint.

I get to the time checkpoint at 11:47pm, planned time was 12:30pm. Adjusting the time, I am 43 minutes ahead of schedule. Not a major concern, but I am cutting into the slack that was built into the trip.

I-840 is dark with few vehicles in either direction. Though the Garmin and the bike’s GPS give me an indication of curves on the road ahead, I am having problem with distance perspective. Also, I have no idea about road elevations. Still raining, no stars or other night light that can give me a shadow of the area around me. This is one of the roughest rides I have had. I am cautious doing the speed limit, much less going above the speed limit.

When I had placed the time checkpoint using the route planner, I must not have put it exactly on the road I wanted to travel. Both the bike’s GPS and the Garmin wanted me take other exits than the Huntsville/I-65 South Exit. The bike wanted me to stay on I-840, go to the next exit, turn around, then head south toward Huntsville. The Garmin wanted me to take the Nashville exit, go to the next exit, turn around, then head south toward Huntsville. I saw the sign for the Huntsville exit at the last second. The BMW class may have been a lifesaver! Especially on wet roads, DON’T cramp on the brakes! And especially at a sharp turn. I eased up and took advantage of the left shoulder of the turn.

This particular interchange can be challenging in the daylight when it is dry. In the dark and on rain wet roads, this really forced me to stay calm, trust my training, and (more especially) trust the bike! I made the turn and was now on I-65.

This area is familiar, though usually driven/ridden in the daylight. I have been here in the rain, but never rain at night. Once outside the I-840 beltway, there isn’t much indication that this is an outskirt of Nashville. The roads are dark, and have been under construction for a few years. They are nearing the completion of the construction, but there are still signs in areas. I was able to stay near the speed limit, thought it was easy to tell that I was one of the few. The rain was still working to keep me focused.

I crossed into Alabama, knowing that I was close to a place to take a quick break. The rain was letting up and had become a mist in some areas; dry in others.

The exit for Athens is a yield sign for those turning right. No traffic coming, so I eased onto US72. A new Whataburger is located a block from the exit. It being open 24 hours a day, the parking lot is well lit! I pull in, revert back to my other gloves instead of the rain gloves. In addition to having in on too tight on the right hand, the fingers of the glove fit the circumference of fingers, but were about 1/2 inch too long. Also, the “wiper” part on the left index finger is on the top of the finger (my other gloves have this on the side of the index) and is much shorter. This resulting in it being difficult to wipe my visor for the last hour or so!

Taking a mental break and a prayer, I was on my way home. I was still a few miles short of the 1500 miles. I had thought that if I was close to the 24 hour mark, I would just stop at a store or ATM and get a receipt “just in case.” It was close to 1am. I had an hour and a half to make the last 40 miles. I was relaxed and knew I could do it since most of the road was 60-65mph, the rain had stopped, and I knew this road fairly well.

As I got back on the road, I said a quick prayer to thank God for the rain that kept me focused and safe, for the the rain being gone now. At that point, I hit about a quarter mile of a full rain! I laughed at the situation. I thanked God for His sense of humor. What else could I do?

I pulled into Circle K and immediately went inside. I got me a candy bar. My last receipt doesn’t have to be a gas receipt, just a DBR (dated business receipt). I want to do some work on the bike in the near future which will require removing the tank. That we extra gallons add a lot of weight to lifting the tank.

My ending DBR shows 1:45. My start time was 2:42. My time to complete this was 23 hours and 3 minutes, I made this ride with 57 minutes to spare! My planned time checkpoint was 2:38am. I even beat that time!

I relaxed a few minutes, then made to mile trip home. MaryJo opened the garage door as she heard me round the corner. I just turned off the bike and unplugged the Garmin. I usually take a shower right after my rides before going to bed. I was too tired. I washed my face, brushed me teeth, took my nighttime meds, and hit the bed. My watch said I hit the bed at 2:20am and it was almost 10:30 when I got up.

Was this a tough ride? Heck YEAH! Better planning might have helped a little, but I am not sure how much. Would I do this route again? Sure, but I would probably do it either in late spring or maybe in September. Just a little bit warmer, but not as hot as the summer months (also, summer months will have a lot of tourists along about half of the route.

1,500 miles in under 24 hours qualifies me for the Bun Burner Gold (BBG)! Will I attempt another BBG? Probably. Okay, who am I kidding, OF COURSE! I already have a route that I have been thinking about for a few years. From my Circle K to Williams, AZ is just over 1,500 miles; Google says I can do this is in under 20 hours. If I leave here in time to miss the end of Memphis rush hour on a Friday, I could get to Williams, AZ in time for a relaxing supper watching the sun set. An Arizona sunset is one of the the most beautiful things I have seen.

The link to my Spotwalla track of this ride is: here!

Monster 100 – Iron Butt #8

My 8^th Iron Butt ride and my 4^th of the year.

Before I can explain the Monster 100, I will need to explain the Mile Monsters. Before I can explain the Mile Monsters, I have to explain how I learned about the Mile Monsters.

When COVID was going strong and cancelling events, the Tour of Honor Ride to Meet was cancelled. That was to be in Gettysburg in September of 2020. The organizers commented that it people wanted to meet in smaller groups, we could set up regional Ride to Meet gatherings. Jeff and I already had planned to go; he had the time already planned to be off from work. We talked and decided to set up a meeting in Cherokee, NC. This would give people on the East Coast a chance to meet.

I contacted some riders in the Cherokee area to get recommendations. Robert Saunooke was one of the Tour of Honor riders who lived in the area and helped us find a place to meet up.

After working to get a mini-meetup planned, Blaine from Nashville and Robert were the only people who met up with Jeff and me. The four of us had a great few days of riding the area. Robert led us on a ride through some of his favorite areas. We spent a few hours with Robert and his wife, Amy, after our ride. It was like we were all old friends that had never lost contact. We laughed, joked, and were finishing each other’s sentences.

I have stayed in contact with both Blaine and Robert since then. So, when Tim and I were in Maggie Valley with our wives last October, I contacted Robert to see if he and Amy would like to join us for supper. He jumped at the chance.

Much like my previous visit with Robert and Amy, the six of us talked for hours. During the conversation, we talked about Robert’s shirt “Do Epic Shit!” He told us about Mile Monsters. He also told us about the Hoka Hey Challenge (I had known about it for a few years, but was starting to give it some serious consideration this time).

So, the Mile Monsters is a charity that raises money to support families who have a son with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. We started doing things to help support the charity. Then they announced a major fund raiser, the Monster 100. The idea is that over 100 days, a rider each day (total of 100 riders) would ride 1,000 miles and raise $1,000. The $100,000 would be used to purchase an accessibility van for Drew. The idea was so exciting that within days, the 100 days were filled. So, Riot decided to have two riders each day. The extra funds raised would be used to bring the boys that we sponsor to Sturgis with their parents.

I signed up in the first 100 riders and picked May 17 as my day. I was rider #114 and was on Team Respect. Tim had been talking about doing his first Iron Butt. So, this was the perfect chance. He also helped me raising money. With two of us raising money, our goal was $2,000; as of today (middle of July) was are just short of that goal at $1920.

Tim came over the day before we were to take off on the ride. He spent the night with us so he and I could leave early on the 17th. We spent some time going over the process, logging our stops, and tracking the ride. Tim was ready. I was going to mentor him to help him earn his first Iron Butt Ride.

Since this ride was in May, the theme for the Mile Monsters was to honor Moms. I kept my emotions in check while riding with Tim; but when I was alone on the bike, my mind wandered back to thoughts of my Mom. She passed away shortly after my Tour of Honor Extreme of Tennessee. My way of honoring Mom was to carry her picture and her Bible with me on the ride.

We left early. At the Circle K, we went over the process for our gas stops. I checked everything on my bike for the tracking, then we gassed up.

It was dark until we got to Nashville. Once there, we had a few bits of excitement with trucks not having rear lights and people being surprised when they got to the truck.

I was on the Road Glide, Tim was on his Pan America. My tank holds one more gallon than Tim’s; and I get better gas mileage that him also. First stop was outside Bowling Green, KY. We got gassed up and everything recorded. We spent about another hour on the interstate, then the Bluegrass Parkway over to Lexington. We then spent a few hours on I-64 across Kentucky and into West Virginia.

Next gas stop was also lunch time. We had lunch at Fat Patty’s. The burger was very good. Though it is a small/local chain, I would definitely stop at either here or another of the Fat Patty’s that I may come across. We gassed up the bikes and were ready to roll again.

At lunch, I checked the route. If we were to stay on I-64/I-77 through West Virginia, it is a toll road. I decided that we could take the two/four-lane roads that went along part of the Appalachian Mountains and through areas that I used to love to ride through. Many of the roads brought back great memories.

Eventually, we were back to interstate. We gassed up in Weber City, VA and joined I-81. We travelled along I-81 to I-40, then sought on I-75 to Chattanooga. We gassed up just north of Chattanooga, this tank would get us home.

After Chattanooga, we turned onto US72. We were now on the home stretch. Tim and I have both ridden US72 along the stretch so much, we could have taken a nap and known the road from memory.

We rode 1089 miles in just over 20hours. This isn’t too bad. We didn’t rush, had a nice long lunch, and spent some time on mountain backroads. A little traffic once or twice, but not enough that it would have effected our time.

Next morning, we went through the processed to submit. I gave Tim the link and address to submit his application. He didn’t realize that he could use the Premier link and submitted through the regular link. Since I was mentoring him, he could use the Premier link. Once we got that resolved, we both had our certificates within a few days.

2023 – ToH Extreme – Georgia / Iron Butt Ride #13

Ready for my 13^th Iron Butt Ride, the 9^th of the year!

I was up at 2am, showered, Bible reading, prayer, and got ready to ride. Today’s ride was my ninth Iron Butt ride of the year, yes, I said this YEAR! My original plan was to be a Bunn Burner Gold. Forecast of storms changed my plan at the last minute. With the last-minute change, I didn’t get to research the options as well as I usually do. The first part of the ride wasn’t a problem, but the last site was my downfall.

It wasn’t the site that was my downfall, it was the route to get to the site. I trusted the GPSs, using the time to the site as my priority. This wasn’t always the best option. Two GPSs arguing over the route, I had at least one going “Recalculating.”

I checked the weather, well, sort of. I checked the radar to see if there would be rain. No rain, I was good. I forgot to check the temperatures. I left home at 3am and it was about 70 degrees. Before I got across the state, it was in the 50s. I was only wearing a t-shirt under my jacket that was designed to keep me cool. I finally found a Walmart that was open (I thought some were open 24 hours, at least none where I stopped) and picked up a long sleeve t-shirt. That helped.

The first site actually had a bonus added. Summerville, GA had the state memorial, but also a Doughboy had been moved from a nearby Veterans Home which had been vacant for a few years. Only other person at the park was a lady walking laps. She passed as I parked, her next lap was as I was getting ready to leave.

The next site was at the Cedartown Library. I pulled into the parking lot. Only other person was a guy walking around the parking lot and grounds while on the phone. My paranoia kicked in and I watched him for a few minutes to make sure everything was okay. I wasn’t able to get the bike and the memorial in the same picture, so I had to get a second picture. That picture done, ready to roll!

The first two sites were fairly easy to get the pictures I needed, though I needed to get a second picture at each site. It was early enough that there were not any people to worry about. By the time I got to the third site, people were moving around. Streets were blocked at two of the next three sites. The other was easy to get the picture, but I was in a No Parking Zone to get the picture. I got the picture and left before anyone had a chance to call the police. The other two of those three sites had activity at the memorial sites. I couldn’t park near either memorial, so I got the picture at the memorial then a picture of the bike.

Between the second and third site, I had to get on the bypass around Atlanta. Another item I should have researched, construction. I spent over an hour walking the bike on the interstate. All day I would run into construction on the road which would slow me down.

The third site was Cornelia, GA. There was a fall festival going on in the downtown square. Luckily, the memorial I was looking to find was not in the town square, but a few blocks away. I still had to work my way around a few detours and road blocks. As I pulled into the parking lot of the memorial, I realized I was going to have to be very alert as to where I parked. The parking lot was very uneven, and there was an event at the center that was going to make finding a parking spot a challenge. There was a truck at a perfect spot where I could have gotten a picture of the bike with the memorial clearly in the background. But, I couldn’t get a good angle. I eventually found a workable parking spot, though I would need two pictures for this site.

The fourth location was fairly easy to find; but parking looked like it might be a challenge. As I sat waiting for the light to change to green, I decided to see if I could pull to the left shoulder since the road was one-way. I moved over and parked. Quickly jumping off the bike to work the rally flag and dodge traffic to stand back far enough to get the picture of the bike with the memorial in the background. Perfect? Nope, but good enough to meet the requirements.

It wasn’t too far for the next site, and Jeff and I have ridden to Washington in the past. We came while he was scouting sites for Georgia when he was the State Sponsor, then again the following year to visit all the sites in Georgia. I pulled into Washington and found roads blocked near the site. I managed to park at the same corner where the memorial was located, but not close enough to get a picture of the bike and the memorial together. There was another fall festival in progress. There was even a tent set up next to the site, but I managed to get a clear picture of the memorial. A second picture from the corner in a No Parking zone with a note to the scorers. I was gone before anyone complained.

Five sites down, Savannah and Donaldsonville were left.

Almost four hours from Washington to Savannah. About an hour and a half of interstate, then Savannah traffic. Savannah was as easy as could be expected to get to a memorial in the middle of a tourist and college area. No parking, lots of people walking and enjoying the park. Dodging construction, road blocks, and pedestrians who felt that the cross walk signs did not apply to them; they were too preoccupied with the cell phones. I managed to get close enough for a picture of the bike with the memorial in the background. I would have loved to have looked at the memorial, but I needed to move. I didn’t even submit that picture until later.

At the opposite side of the state is the last site, Donaldsonville. The trip was about 5 hours. I followed the GPS and some pleasant two-lane roads. It turned dark and I have no idea how the area looked on the way to Donaldsonville. Donaldsonville was the easiest to find and access. Parking was next to the group of memorials. I had to check them all to make sure I got my pictures of the correct one. There was both a 9-11 memorial, as well as the Tour of Honor memorial. It was dark, so I used the flash on the phone.

Seven sites visited in Georgia, but I am only at about 900 miles. I see that Dothan is 40 miles away, that will still leave me short. If I were to head home, a little over 300 miles, I would be about an hour over the 24-hour limit.

I started thinking about getting to the 1,000-mile mark and stopping for the night. I needed gas more than I needed a place to stay. If I didn’t get gas, I wasn’t going to have to worry about anything since I would have to stop.

Being about midnight, some gas stations were closed. While on my way, I hit another traffic delay. GPS said 30-minute delay. I kept on the current road since the detour on the GPS was dirt roads. I may have taken them during the day, but not at night. There was a serious accident which closed all lanes in both directions. By the time I arrived at the scene, the traffic in my direction was allowed to move. Traffic in the other direction was backed up for several miles. As I reached the end of that backup, I found an open gas station. I was over 1,000 miles! I gassed up and checked the map. I was only a few miles from the outskirts of Montgomery. I tried to make a reservation online. Since it was past midnight, the systems thought that I wanted to check in at 3pm this afternoon. I called one of the hotels directly and they had a room. I was on my way. A quick call to MaryJo to let her know I was stopping for the night.

No discount for last minute check-ins. I needed a room, so I wasn’t going to make an issue. I got a shower and made my notes. I didn’t have the laptop, so I had to just make notes. About 1050 miles in just over 21 hours.

Relaxing breakfast the next morning and I was on my way home. I avoided interstates on this final leg. I could have caught I-65 and been home in about 3 or 4 hours. I chose US231, am old familiar friend. I did vary from my usual trip, I made a left onto some county roads in Blountsville which led me to US278. Just outside Cullman, I made the right turn onto AL157. I knew I was close to home.

I pulled into the driveway just after 2pm. Tired, but not as tired as last night when I stopped. Glad to be home.

I checked the email and saw that the Tour of Honor had already sent me an email approving my ToH Extreme. Now I just need to get it submitted to the Iron Butt Association. I should have the certificate in a few days.

Iron Butt Ride #12

I got up about 2am and was on the road shortly before 3am attempting my 12^th Iron Butt Ride (my 8^th of the year). I’ll cut to the chase and spill the beans; in just under 17 hours, I rode 1007 miles! Ride completed. I still need to submit the paperwork and pay my fee, but that will be done later tonight or in the morning.

I rode the BMW today for the Iron Butt ride. I don’t have a stereo or the phone set to play through the headset; so, I think and pray. Sometimes more thinking, other times more praying. Today I got to thinking about what am I doing in retirement. Others who are retired have hobbies that keep them busy, I do too. Other friends are going back to school, I am taking courses that interest me. Others travel, I spend a lot of time on motorcycles. I look at others my age, and even a little younger, who look rather worn for the years. I like to think that I am in pretty good shape and look decent, at least I haven’t scared any kids in the neighborhood.

So, what do I do in retirement?

I try to start my day with Bible reading and prayer. I have taken the challenge to read the entire Bible in a year in a couple of different methods; reading from Genesis to Revelation, reading in supposed chronological order, or reading in a none linear manner. This last year, I have focused on reading one chapter a day. But I do more than just read it. I read it, then read about it, reading the notes and any commentary included. I then try to understand it better than just memorizing the words.

I enjoy doing things that make my wife happy. This is partially a selfish thing; when she is happy, I catch less grief. But I also like to see her happy. She has so many things that she does for me and others, I like to do things for her.

I have hobbies. I do enjoy reading, both fiction and non-fiction. I like to read travel and motorcycle magazines; they give me tips on what to do and where to go. Other than magazines, I haven’t been doing a lot of reading lately. I enjoy amateur radio. I am not as devoted as many people I know; but I enjoy training and leading the testing to help people get their licenses.

But, my passion? Riding motorcycles. I just checked. In May, I rode over 5,000 miles on motorcycles that month. So far this month, I have ridden over 4,000 miles; and I still have a few more days. This year, I have put over 19,000 miles on motorcycles. Only about 1,000 on the Spyder; 5,600 on the BMW; and over 12,700 on the Harley. I have a trip planned with Randy to go to New Mexico, that may be 4,000 or 5,000 miles alone. I do want to do another Iron Butt (I am trying to do one each month). I need one more Gold or Extended ride so I can earn Gold Mile Eater (20 rides, includes at least 5 Gold, Extended, or Extreme rides). I have 4 of the Extreme. I could get one for Arkansas or Georgia this year if I get focused.

Tired from the ride. I didn’t even put the bike away properly; it is just in the middle of the garage. I will park it in the morning. Of course, I may take it for a ride tomorrow to keep the day streak going.

2023 Tour of Honor – August

Randy and I left on August 13th and returned on August 18th. Great ride. I will eventually get photos added.

13^th

Randy and I had a great ride. We left shortly after 8am. Luckily, we both had plenty of gas, so we could put an hour or so on the road before filling up. First stop was at the Sheffield Tour of Honor site. I learned of this site from a friend on Facebook. He does metal detecting and mentioned that he was searching behind this particular memorial. I asked him for information on the memorial and my research began for this site. Once I learned it would be accepted as a site this year, I contacted some local people. Not sure who was the main one, but soon the VFW and some other organizations were involved in cleaning it up. This is a success story since the site was starting to show some wear and neglect.

We got to Huntsville before we had to fill up. We headed on to Scottsboro for the Tour of Honor site and to get a picture of the Huey in the park. Next gas stop was close to I-20 on AL-73

We topped off again and we will fill up as we leave in the morning. Randy thinks that his tank is about 5 gallons, mine is 6 gallons. I will start looking for a gas station at about a half tank on mine.

We hit a short area of rain. We were just on the edge of it, sometimes the road was wet but no rain; other times we had rain but the roads were dry.

Rode past a few sites that I thought might have potential for coming years with the Tour of Honor and we found a new 9-11 memorial in Ashland.

We ended the day near Auburn. We made a stop at the Veterinarian School at Auburn University to get a picture of the K9 memorial.

Score for today: We visited 2 Tour of Honor memorials (Sheffield and Scottsboro), a Huey (Scottsboro), a K-9 memorial (Auburn), and submitted the new 9-11 (Ashland, AL). We checked a couple of potential memorials, but none really worth keeping on the list.

Today’s route on Spotwalla: click here.

Tomorrow will be the long day. 400 miles, 12 or 13 stops. We will visit 3 of the Tour of Honor sites in Alabama and a couple of potential sites for next year. A few Hueys and a doughboy are also on the list.

14^th

Long ride today, hot. We cut out a few sites, but enjoyed a great lunch.

We knew that today’s route was ambitious. There were a few places were we had to stop, but several that were far enough off the main route that we could save for another year.

We stopped at the VFW outside Eufala to visit the Huey, then on into town to visit the doughboy. Those who don’t know, the Doughboy is a memorial to the veterans of World War I. While getting the pictures, I mentioned to Randy that his front tire looked to be thin on tread, almost slick.

We rode into Dothan for the Tour of Honor site. I had seen a potential site for the future and a Huey near this year’s Tour of Honor site. We pulled in and got the required pictures.

Driving through towns you get to see the darnedest things. We say a person, wearing pajamas, with a small backpak, walking on the side of the street. And, not just walking, walking like they had a purpose! We later checked the video from the bike and talked about it some more.

Once rolling again, we made our way to Geneva and the Andalusia-Sanford airport to visit a couple of Hueys. It was starting to get warm, and our stomachs were letting both of us know that we needed to stop for lunch.

Stopped for lunch at Hook’s BBQ in Andalusia. FANTASTIC! That is all I need to say.

Heat wasn’t too bad until after lunch. It got hot, REAL HOT. I think one person said it was 105 degrees. And it was humid. We stopped a few times to get something to drink. It was about 4pm when we were going through Bay Minette. I did the loop around the courthouse and was going to stop at the next gas station for us to get something to drink. I looked in the mirror, Randy wasn’t there. I panicked, thinking that he may have dropped the bike when going around the courthouse. I back tracked, but didn’t see him. I went back to the gas station where I had stopped. I got a text from him. He had pulled over at a gas station just as I started to go around the courthouse. He tried to get my attention, but I wasn’t paying attention.

Once we were back together, we decided to cut the sites short for today and regroup in the morning.

Score for today: We visited 1 Tour of Honor memorial (Dothan), 4 Hueys (Andalusia-Sanford, Dothan, Eufaula, and Geneva), 1 Doughboy (Eufaula), and a couple of possible sites for future years.

Today’s route on Spotwalla: click here.

15^th

Today’s ride had its own set of challenges. I planned it to be aggressive, but not as aggressive as yesterday.

We set out a few minutes earlier than planned. Leaving a few minutes earlier, we decided to scrap the interstate and do as much back roads as possible. The first stop was a scouting site in Silverhill, AL. Very good site that I may submit for next year for Alabama.

A quick ride to Foley for the Tour of Honor site, and another short ride to Robertsdale’s 9-11. Then we were on our way to Uriah’s Tour of Honor site. On the way through Bay Minette, we stopped at Walmart to pick up a cooler. Once we got to Uriah, we picked up some drinks to put in the cooler. At our gas stop a few miles after Uriah, we got some ice. Each of these stops were from 15-45 minutes that added to our time.

We wanted to stay mostly on back roads to the next site in Eastabuchie. We stopped in Waynesboro, MS to get a bite for lunch. As we were sitting, eating, and enjoying the AC, I noticed that Randy’s front tire didn’t look right. We already knew that his front tire was “lacking tread,” but it looked like the tread was completely gone now. We went to check it over. It was bald, but the thread wasn’t showing… YET. I told Randy that he should get a new tire, NOW. We checked and there was a shop in Laurel, about 30 minutes away. He called and they had a tire waiting when we got there. An hour later, we were rolling again.

All of the stops added several hours to our trip. It would be almost 7pm before we would get to our planned stop for the night. We decided to cut it short and regroup. We made the stop in Eastabuchie for the Tour of Honor site, then made a hotel reservation in Hattiesburg to call it a day.

We worked on the route, I washed clothes. Eventually, we were both hungry. We went to Outback for a steak, but couldn’t get service. Randy had kept talking about Italian, so we walked to Mario’s across the parking lot. It was fantastic. The Veal Piccata was wonderful, it reminded me of Armetta’s in Virginia.

After 10:30 and we have another long day planned to try to get back on schedule, but will have to scrap a couple of sites that had been planned.

Score for today: We visited 3 Tour of Honor Memorials (Eastabuchie, Foley, Uriah) and a 9-11 memorial (Robertsdale).

Today’s route on Spotwalla: click here.

16^th

Another day with an aggressive ride planned to try to catch up, but that didn’t go as planned. One good thing was that we only spent a few miles on the interstate.

We visited a couple of sites in small towns that were really neat. First stop was in Wiggins for the Tour of Honor site there. Both Randy and I like going to the small towns to find what the locals do. Local places to eat are usually the best. And the people working there appreciate the customers.

We left Wiggins and stayed on back roads to Osyka. We thought that I might have a mechanical issue. As we neared Osyka, we crossed some railroad tracks. As usual, I slowed a little as I neared them. But just as I got there, I knew I was in for some excitement. The other side of the tracks were not at the same level as the tracks, it looked to be four or five inches higher. Randy was able to get slowed more when he saw me going airborne! I spent a lot of the day paying attention for vibration or any other indication that I had a problem. I looked over the front rim later that evening and saw a spot which turned out to be tape on the front rim. I couldn’t get a good look at the rear rim, but I hadn’t noticed any issues. We had lunch at Sandra’s Southern Cooking in Osyka. The food was great.

Today I rode off and left Randy again. We had passed a memorial that looked like a good potential for the future and I saw him waving in the mirror. I thought that he was pointing it out to me. Nope, he was trying to get my attention that he needed to stop. I got through town and looked in my mirrors and he wasn’t there. I pulled over and gave him a call. He needed to stop for a few minutes and I waited on the side of the road for him. I had a couple of people check on me which was nice.

Backroads through Louisiana to Mansura’s Tour of Honor site. Then on to Ball’s Veterans Park. In the park, there is a Huey, a 9-11 memorial, and one of the Tour of Honor sites for Louisiana.

The hotel were we stayed is one where I have visited several times. As the hotel ages, renovations are expected. We got a room that was halfway through renovation. Some of the furniture was old and stained. There were two TV’s, neither had a remote that would work either of the TV’s. They moved us to another room, it was slightly better, at least the remote would work both TV’s.

For supper in Pineville, LA we ate at Buckets. Neither of us could eat all our supper, but it was fantastic. I got a menu for Sandra’s, but forgot to get one from Buckets for MaryJo.

Getting to know Randy more is nice. He likes to ride, but has problems finding places to go unless he has a reason to go. I told him that the Tour of Honor is a great way to find new places. He agreed.

Score for today: We visited 4 Tour of Honor memorials (Ball, Mansura, Osyka, and Wiggins), a Huey (Ball), and a 9-11 memorial (Ball)

Today’s route on Spotwalla: click here.

17^th

Today has been the culmination of a lot of eye-opening experiences.

I was able to talk with Randy about a lot of things. And, he has forced me to enjoy the ride more. Riding with him, I have quit focusing so much on the timeline and when I would get the ride done. Today, we got to the first of the two planned stops. We ended up spending almost an hour touring the North Louisiana Military Museum in Ruston. I have been here a few times to get the picture of the Huey; but today we stopped to get the picture of the Tour of Honor site as well. As we were getting off the bikes, a dog came up, followed by the owner. Dolly is the unofficial mascot of the museum and she had come out to greet us. We got the pictures we needed, then went to tour the museum. On my previous visits, the museum was closed. I enjoyed visiting. Both Randy and I talked about our dads and their military service.

Our second stop was Bastrop. The info on the site mentioned a couple of places to eat. We got information to get to one and were headed there after the pictures of the memorial. We ate so much that we needed a nap before heading out. We stopped to top off for gas and agreed that we would stop at about halfway from our current location and the day ending destination to discuss if we would need to make on quick splash and go, and if we would make a stop at one of the bonus sites along the way.

We spent about half the day on interstates. Tomorrow it will be almost all backroads.

We had a few drinks at the hotel before heading for supper at the nearby steak place. I told Randy that I appreciated him joining me; and I explained why.

Now, I need to start focusing on checking for places to eat along the routes. I also need to set my rides to stop at 3pm, then slow down along the ride and be a tourist. Eat at hole in the wall places, talk to the locals (or at least stop and listen!), and look around. Stop being in a hurry.

Score for today: We visited 2 Tour of Honor Sites (Bastrop and Ruston) and a Huey (Ruston).

Today’s route on Spotwalla: click here.

18^th

Last night I finished the route for today’s ride. I finished everything I needed to do by about 9:30. The thought was that I would get a quick shower and head to bed.

The hotel room was a suite; the beds were in one room and I had been working at the desk in the other room. I went into the bedroom and Randy was watching a movie on TV. I watched for a few minutes while he gave me the background to the current spot in the movie. The movie went until 11pm. When the movie finished, I was totally beat. Randy went to take a shower before going to bed. I don’t remember him going to bed.

I woke up about 6:15. I went to take a shower. When I came out, Randy was already packed. He said that he woke up about 6:30. He didn’t see me in bed, and didn’t hear the shower. He panicked that I had left without him! Then he heard the shower.

He had the TV on, we watch “The Twilight Zone,” a new version of the original. We got interested in the episode and it was after 8am before we went to get breakfast. Randy wasn’t impressed with supper in the hotel, but I think that breakfast made up for it. We didn’t hit the road until 8:50.

The plan was only two Tour of Honor sites and a 9-11 site. This would put us at close to 400 miles for the day, and about 2,000 miles for the week.

We hit the road with temps in the upper 70’s; a huge different from earlier in the week. We were also running much later than planned. We made it to the first site with no problems. Since we were much later than planned, we decided to eat at some place local. Haynesville isn’t a very large town; just a few blocks. The gas station across the street was packed, and it had a little café/deli. We decided to eat there.

Service was terrible, and my food wasn’t much better. The peach cobbler was pretty good. The rest of the meal was awful. Glad that this town is not on my plans for the future. We were ready to roll.

We visited the Fire Academy in Tuscaloosa and the 9-11 memorial there. We relaxed for a bit and got something to drink. Sitting in the shade was nice.

Our final stop was in Guin. This was where Randy grew up. It was nice to hear him talk about the towns as we passed through. He was acting like a little kid telling me what he used to do, how things have changed, and how some things are the same.

Familiar roads from Guin to home. We got the Love’s for Randy to top off his tank before he headed home. We considered this as the end of our joint trip, even though we were going to head home on the same road. I got caught in some traffic and could see him off in the distance. I hope he enjoyed the trip as much as I did.

A few things that I will do before the next trip. First, I will get another bag for my clothes instead of just the saddlebags. This will leave the saddle bags free for the things that I would need quick access to use.

Second is that I need to work out a way to keep the cooler stable and working. If I use the strap on the cooler, it pulls the outer liner down and puts a strain on the Velcro fastening holding the lid down. This may be the reason that the ice thawed fast. I don’t think that just strapping the back rest will be enough to hold the cooler on the bike, especially if I hit rough roads.

Third is that I need to wire the GPS to the bike instead of using the accessory adapter (cigarette lighter plug). The plug kept coming out of the adapter and I would have to push it back in. Luckily, this was easy enough to see because the GPS would indicate that it lost power and I could just push the plug back in.

Lastly, I need new mirrors. The stock mirrors are low against the handle bars. Trying to check on someone behind me means I had to keep looking down at the mirrors. I like the mirrors that I put on the BMW; they are larger and are on a RAM Mount that raises them higher.

Tired and ready for bed. Glad to be in my own bed again.

Score for today: We visited 2 Tour of Honor memorials (Guin and Hayneville) and a 9-11 memorial (Tuscaloosa).

Today’s route on Spotwalla: click here.

Score for the trip: We visited 14 Tour of Honor memorials, 6 Hueys, 4 9-11 memorials, a Doughboy, and a K-9 memorial. Let’s be sure to add 2004 miles of great memorials with a good friend and Brother.

2023 National Parks Tour

This will be my 6th year riding with the Tour of Honor challenge. Last year I decided to step up and give myself a little more of a challenge. So, I decided that I wanted to visit at least 50 Veteran or National Cemeteries. On the last day of the challenge (September 30), I visited my 50th cemetery.

To give myself a little more of a challenge this year. Where the cemetery challenge could be any 50 cemeteries in any state, the National Parks Tour requires that I visit at least 25 states and that the list of possible parks is limited to those selected by the Tour of Honor.

The rules are a little more challenging than the Iron Butt National Parks tour. For the Iron Butt challenge, the rider has one year from start to finish. The Tour of Honor National Parks challenge can start no earlier than April 1 and must be finished by October 31 of the same year. The Iron Butt Association changed their rules that only a “selfie” at the park sign with the bike at each park is sufficient to validate that the rider visited the particular park, the Tour of Honor challenge requires that you get the a stamp from the visitor’s center. This means that you must visit the park when it is open to the public. Not every park is open every day and the hours are different at each park.

With all of that said, I will use this page to document my progress. I will include at least two pictures for each park; one will be of the bike at the sign and the other will be a picture of the stamp in the book from the visitor’s center.

So…here we go

May 13

Brice’s Crossroads National Battlefield (MS)

I decided to take a ride to start off the challenge. I am already a month into the challenge and I am just now getting the first site.

Today was one of the days when the Brice’s Crossroads center was open to stamp the book. I talked with the staff and picked up a challenge coin. Since I am rider number 46 for the Tour of Honor, I picked up coin number 46 (each coin has its own number).

Since the center is not at the battlefield and the sign to the battlefield, I took a ride to the sign. The staff told me that there were several signs along the road at each entrance to the battlefield. I saw several of the markers that are along the tour, but finally found the sign that is put up by the National Park Service. I go the picture with the Tour of Honor flag on the bike with the sign in the background. I was back on the road.

Tupelo National Battlefield (MS)

At Brice’s Crossroads, I had stamped my book for Tupelo National Battlefield, so I decided to make the short trip to Tupelo. I had visited this particular marker two years ago and knew about how to get there.

I was taking some back roads and suddenly I realized that I was passing my aunt and uncle’s house. I did a cursory wave as I passed but kept rolling. I took a turn onto the Natchez Trace Parkway and stopped at the Visitor’s Center. They have a different stamp than the one I had gotten at Brice’s Crossroads center. Talking with the staff, I learned that the center at Brice’s Crossroads Visitor’s Center is not a National Park Service property. I did a quick check on the Tour of Honor site and realized that I needed to get the stamp for Tupelo from the Natchez Trace Visitor’s Center. (note: Tupelo National Battlefield does not have any staff on site since the park is one square block in Tupelo.) I got the stamp in my book from this visitor center and headed into Tupelo.

Once at the site, the challenge of getting a picture is waiting until traffic clears to get the sign and the bike together without other vehicles blocking the signs. After getting the required picture, now I had to get into the traffic to make a left turn onto the main road.

I got home and noticed that the date on the stamps from Brice’s Crossroads were a day off. I was there on the 13th, the stamps say the 12th.

May 24

Booker T. Washington National Monument (VA)

Taking a few days to visit my family in Northern Virginia. I mapped out a few places to stop along the way.

I left Abingdon, VA and wanted to avoid I-81 on into the DC area. I made the trip to the Booker T. Washington National Monument. I was able to pull the bike in front of the Visitor’s Center for the quick picture, then parked to go inside.

The staff was very nice and kept wanting me to take the tour and watch the video. As usual, I was on too tight a schedule to watch a movie, though I did look around a bit and read some of the displays. I got my passport stamp and was back on the road.

Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park (VA)

So much commercialization of the area. Yes, I know this is an important site, but there are too many people trying to sell “authentic replicas” everywhere. (Much like the signs in another area that says: “Antique Amish Furniture Made Daily.”) I follow the signs to the park and circle the parking lot a couple of times. I kept trying to find a sign. I managed to park the bike near the display, but it couldn’t be read. I walked to the visitor center for the passport stamp. Nice walk after being on the bike for several hours. Once back on the bike, I kept hoping to see a better sign where I could get a picture. As I was leaving the park, I found a sign at a parking area. I got the picture and was back on the road.

May 26

Manassas National Battlefield Park (VA)

I have a little time this morning before meeting my son and grand-daughters for lunch. I decide to make a quick run to Manassas National Battlefield Park. I lived in Dale City (across the county) and Centerville (less than 10 miles away on Rt 28) for about 30 years. I passed by the battlefield on a regular basis since it borders several highly travelled roads. If I have stopped in the Visitor’s Center in the past, I do not remember. Today, I make the trip to the Visitor’s Center to get my passport stamped and a picture at the main sign.

I head to see my son and grand-daughters. When lunch is over, it is nap-time. I decided to make a trip to visit a few other sites in the area.

Monocacy National Battlefield (MD)

I spend as much time on familiar backroads to get to Monocacy. Of the years living in Northern Virginia, I have never visited this particular site. I spend a few miles (more minutes that miles) on I-70 and I-270. It isn’t time for afternoon rush hour yet, but the traffic is starting to back up. Luckily, I only need to make a few miles to the exit to the battlefield.

I get a local map of the area and the staff give me some options to avoid I-70 and I-270 to get to Harpers Ferry. I get my passport stamped and my pictures then hit the road.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (WV)

I know that the park’s Visitor’s Center closes at 5pm, I think about making a quick trip to one of the other National Parks in the area, but decide that I don’t want to take the chance. I am only in town for a few days and very tight schedule of events.

I decide to take the interstate for the few miles then back on familiar roads. I get to the main gate, show my Senior Pass, then head to the Visitor’s Center. When it is my turn, I simply ask to stamp my passport. He tells me that all their stamps are kept in the bookstore, which is several miles away in the historic area of Harpers Ferry. As I leave the Visitor’s Center, I get my picture of the sign with the bike.

Harpers Ferry is built on the side of a mountain. Roads are windy and often very steep. Parking isn’t easy to find for a motorcycle. I remembered a parking lot a few blocks from the bookstore and make my way to it. As I get there, it is now a private parking lot; both full and chains blocking the entrance. I ride to the front of the bookstore. Hoping I can park there for just a few minutes to get the passport stamped, another ranger tells me that not only can I not park, this is a no stopping area. I have to keep going. A mile later, I find the park’s parking lot.

I make the walk back to the bookstore. As I open the door, I notice that there is a handwritten sign on the door. The bookstore will be closing at 4pm today; it is 3:55 according to my watch. I walk in and the clerk tells me that they are now closed and I need to leave. I only have time to get my passport stamped.

I head back to the hotel before I head back to my son’s to head for supper with the entire family.

May 31

Shiloh National Military Park (TN)

Out for a day ride working on a couple of challenges. Just made a loop around the area to get the required pictures and get my passport stamped. Met a nice lady at the bookstore and talked with her for a bit.

July 10

Stone River National Battlefield

I grew up near Shiloh. Though not an expert, I knew about the battle and some of the local lore. Not to far from where I grew up is Nashville. I never knew about the Battle at Stone River. I spent some time with the ranger learning about the battle. While both sides were taking it easy for the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Union attacked at Stone River on December 31, 1862, both sides rested on January 1, and the Union attacked again on January 2, 1863. The importance of the area was access to the river and to the major railroads.

July 10

Stone River National Battlefield

I left Stone River and headed to Oak Ridge. My goal was to get to the Oak Ridge site before they closed at 4:30pm. I had checked the website and saw that they were open Monday through Saturday, 8am to 4:30pm. When I pulled to the lot, the doors were locked. The daycare center was open. I learned that the Oak Ridge site was open on Sundays but closed on Mondays. I also learned that they don’t open until 10:30am. I got to the hotel and checked the website. Seems that I had misread the days and times for the Oak Ridge site. It would be a long day ride to come back, but I could do it if I need the site later this year.

July 11

Camp Nelson National Monument

I stopped to visit the Camp Nelson National Cemetery last year and didn’t realize that the park was here. I stopped at the cemetery for my Tour of Honor picture, then rode over to the park.

Like Stone River, I did not know anything about this park. I talked with the ranger and learned about the site. Not only was it a center for negro soldiers, it was also a medical center.

Iron Butt Saddle Sore #6 (Alfie’s Ride)

My Iron Butt Ride for March was to honor Alfie, one of the Heroes that the Mile Monsters sponsor. He has DMD and lives in Ireland. He loves boxing and classic Rock. I did my research and was planning to stop for lunch at an Irish Pub, visit the memorial for Loe Lewis, and get a picture at FAME Studios.

I had initially planned to leave at 3am. As I went to bed, I thought I would set the alarm for 4am. When the alarm went off, I just turned it off and decided that I would leave when I woke up. I ended up with almost 9 hours of sleep and felt fantastic. I hit the road at 7am.

Since the delay in starting would case me to spend more time in the dark on unfamiliar back roads, I decided to change my route. I wanted to start the day on the back roads and would end on interstate and divided four-lane. But, I needed to get some miles under my belt to get down the road. I went straight to I-65, then south to Birmingham and over to the Talladega National Forest exit.

My first stop was to honor boxing, so I visited the Joe Louis statue in La Fayette, AL. If this had been after April 1, I would have been able to get a few extra Tour of Honor bonus points. It was Sunday morning, and the streets were empty.

I was a short ride from Opelika, and I knew of a great Irish Pub where I have eaten several times. I parked the bike and walked to the pub. I walked to the door and pulled it open. As I stood there for a minute, one of the servers came from the back and said that they didn’t open for another 15 minutes. I walked outside and they locked to door behind me. I talked with another couple who was waiting.

The Irish Bred Pub has one of the best Rueben sandwiches around. Since it is fairly quick compared to a larger entre, I got the Rueben and fries with water to drink. The waiter brought the check with the sandwich. He said that he usually doesn’t do this, but he noticed that I seemed to be in a hurry. I explained the Iron Butt and Alfie’s story. I finished my lunch, left my payment with tip, and was on the road.

I needed to make sure that my route would be more than 1013 miles. The Iron Butt Association requires that the mileage be more than 1,000, but the Mile Monster ride increases the challenge to 1,013 miles.

In decided to spend some time on the interstate. I road I-85 from Opelika to Montgomery, then I-65 until I got to the Mobile area. I hopped on US-45 and rode north until I got to Starkville. The “Monster-In-Chief” with Mile Monsters has his son attending Mississippi State University, so I needed to do a “fly-by” in his honor.

From Starkville, a quick ride over to I-55 toward Memphis. Then I-69/269 to US-72 back toward home. I made a quick photo stop in Muscle Shoals at FAME Studios. Then home to enjoy some classic Rock of my own.

On the ride I spent a lot of time thinking. Though I started with what I thought was a problem with the bike and considered this was a sign to get rid of it, I realized that the problem was operator error and will be keeping the bike. I also considered if I were to trade the bike to the Harley shop and get either my original Pan America or get a new one. The reason for this was if I were to get selected for the Hoka Hey.

In the end, I knew I love the BMW. I like the Harley more for the interstate, but the BMW makes deserted back roads fun. Especially if they become less maintained roads. The Harley has a six-gallon tank and decent gas mileage, even at interstate speeds. I might use that for a 1,500-mile ride to Williams, Arizona in a few months. I would do a lot of the riding at night, so it would work out great.

Riding at night… I realized that I am not as comfortable as I once was riding at night. This may have been due to being tired and the face shield was dirty causing the bugs to leave a glare in the lights. My glasses getting dirty didn’t help much either. I was okay on the interstate, but trying to find turns on roads was really a challenge. I may need to adjust the angle of the lights on the bike, they may be angled too low.

The ride caused me to have to make some last-minute changes. I wasn’t going to have enough miles to qualify for the 1,000-mile certification. I made it home with the odometer showing 1025 miles ridden. I pulled into the garage at home shortly after 1am.

2023 – ToH Extreme – Tennessee / Iron Butt #7

My 7^th Iron Butt ride and my 3^rd for the year.

The last week or so has been hectic. Personal issues, I’ll not go into details. I needed to get on the bike. I have had a couple of ToH Extreme routes in the works for Alabama and Mississippi, but decided to visit the sites in Tennessee. I could also manage to do a ride for Drew of the Mile Monsters.

I had checked and April 9 looked like a good day. Since it was Easter, I would spend the day in prayer on the bike, enjoying God’s creation and handiwork.

I was awake much earlier than I had planned. I moved quietly though the house, getting things ready for the trip. MaryJo had been with me the last few days, so I let her sleep. I rolled the bike out of the garage and went to top off the gas on the bike.

Official start time was 3:04am on April 9, 2023. The first stop was near Memphis, so I took US72 to the Memphis area. I managed to get a state sign picture as I crossed into Mississippi and into Tennessee; both part of the requirement for Drew’s Ride. A turn onto I-269 around Memphis got me to I-40. I had planned to the Brownsville exit, but I wasn’t paying close enough attention to my location and the GPS told me to exit at TN222.

The ride was nice as the sun was just starting to come up. I turned onto US-70 and got to the first Tour of Honor site in Brownsville, TN2. This required two pictures, though at this time of day, I could have gotten the bike and the memorial in the same picture. I summitted two different pictures as required. One of seven Tour of Honor sites done.

I continued on US-70 until I turned on US-79 to take a quick side trip to Trezevant. I was looking for something that indicated making a wish. There was a restaurant named “The Food Genie.” I knew it would be closed, but I would settle for a picture of the bike with the sign or front window.

As I neared the address, I started to get a sinking feeling in my gut. There is a fresh “Building for sale/lease” sign in the parking lot. As I pull in, I see that the sign on the door says “CLOSED” and the restaurant sign was cleaned off the window. Now I had to find something else that signified making a wish.

I gassed up while in town, then headed to the next stop, Huntington, TN, TN4. This was another site that required two pictures. I was able to park across the street to get the picture of the bike, and walked across to the park to get a good picture of the memorial.

As I was ready to leave Huntington, the GPS couldn’t decide which way it wanted me to go. I made a couple of u-turns before finally making it out of town and was back on US-79, heading to Fort Donelson.

Drew is a fan of Fort-nite. So, one of the pictures for his ride was to find something that was related to either Fort-nite or a fort. I chose Fort Donelson as my picture. When I pulled to the Visitor/Ranger Station, a Ranger came out. We talked a bit and I explained about both the Tour of Honor and the Mile Monsters. I got a picture, then the Park Ranger gave me a Junior Ranger Guidebook for Drew and the Junior Ranger’s badge. Usually, they wait until the person completes the guidebook before giving them the badge; but for him, they gave it to me to pass to him once he finishes the book. These will be sent to Drew with some other items when I get home.

The GPS wanted to play more tricks on me. Somehow, the settings had gotten changed to use the most direct route, not the quickest. This had me going through neighborhoods and even trying to send me through mountain gravel roads! My trip from Fort Donelson has me enjoying some of the neighborhoods in Clarksville.

I finally reached the Tour of Honor site for Clarksville, TN3. This is a Doughboy statue in front of the Veterans’ Home. I have visited the Doughboy every year that I have participated in the Tour of Honor. The first year was what really touched me. I’ll not repeat the story, I did write about it in 2018 when I visited.

I got my picture there and headed for Nashville, then next stop. I hadn’t changed the settings on the GPS so it was winding me through Clarkville to get me to the interstate. It also tried to have me exit the interstate to wind through the city streets of Nashville even though the memorial was only a few blocks from the interstate. I checked that I had not set the GPS to avoid interstates; I had not set that option.

I got to the memorial in Nashville, TN6. I had scoped out parking and was able to find the empty side street where I could park. This site also required two pictures, and I fully understood why! I got the picture of the bike at the top of the park entrance. I then walked down the stairs into the small park where the memorial is located.

I was a bit taken aback. The park looked almost like a homeless camp. I stepped in what I thought was run-off from one on the sprinklers, only to realize that there wasn’t a sprinkler. The area was the entrance to a VA office and a museum, with the memorial in the center of the small park. Not many visitors stayed very long, myself included. I was ready for my next stop.

I had remembered the planning software had a quick route to the interstate, which was only a few blocks away. I ignored the GPS, knowing the exit I needed off I-40. Once I got to the planned exit, I filled up again.

TN-111 took me right to the memorial in Livingston, TN5. The wind made it a challenge for me to display my flag. I got two pictures “just in case”, though only one was required. TN-84 got me back to I-40 and I was on my way to stop number six.

As I got closer to Knoxville, the traffic started picking up. It was getting to be mid-afternoon and I guess that those partiers from the night before were now ready to get up was well as those who went to the noon Easter service were getting out of church. The traffic and GPS convinced me that I should take US-11W from Knoxville to my next Tour of Honor site. The GPS was still set to the most direct route, so it kept “recalculating” each time I passed a road on my left. Several of those roads would signs that either “Not a GPS Route,” “No Trucks Over XX Ft,” and one said “No Vehicles With Trailers, Multiple Switchbacks.” As US-11 curved to the right, I took the left exit onto US-25E. Four lane, divided highway with beautiful mountain vistas and fast twisties. I kept a close watch on the GPS as I neared the memorial.

The memorial was at an overlook with a parking area. This site is officially listed as Thorn Hill, TN7. A couple of RV’s, a few families, and a some motorcycles were parked. I was able to park in front of the memorial since most people were focused on the view of the valley below.

I had planned to get a quick picture and back on the road. A couple of things changed the plan.

First, MaryJo sent me a text that I needed to call home. I had forwarded all my calls to her phone, so no one could call me. I called to find that the doctors were prepping mom for surgery in the morning. I needed to be there. We talked for a bit and I knew I had to scrap plans for other rides this week.

Second, as usual with a bunch of bikers and “former” bikers, people like to talk about their bikes and comment on yours. I took this as an opportunity to talk about both the Tour of Honor and Mile Monsters. One guy came up after watching me take the pictures of the memorial. He mentioned that his uncle had helped with the planning of this memorial.

I had one more site to visit before heading home. I also needed something that would meet the “wish” requirement for Drew. I realized that a leprechaun would grant wishes if you could catch one. But, how to catch a leprechaun…?

I followed the route from Knoxville to get back. It was such a pleasant road, I wanted to enjoy it more. As I got into Knoxville, I jumped back on the interstate. Just before taking I-75 south, I stopped for gas again. I was getting pretty good fuel mileage, even at interstate speeds.

It wasn’t as far as I had expected to the Athens exit. The last of the Tennessee Tour of Honor sites, Athens, TN1. This memorial was in a small park in town. I took a short rest to stretch my legs and rejoice that I had gotten all the sites. I still had plenty of daylight.

I got through Chattanooga as the sun was starting to set. the passes through the mountains seemed to all be facing directly into the sunset. Of course the speed limit was 70mph, which meant that most people were going well over that.

I pulled into the Welcome Center off I-59 once I entered back into Alabama. This was the fourth state I had ridden in today. The pictures for Mississippi and Tennessee weren’t very good due to no sunlight, light reflection, and movement of the camera. I think that Tennessee was recognizable because you could see the shape of the state. Though I rode in Georgia, there were no Welcome areas on I-59 and the signs were on the side of the interstate where I couldn’t pull over.

At this stop, I found the setting to change the GPS from most direct route to the fastest route. When I put in the route home, it would be give me close to 1,000 miles. I wanted to make sure that I have a few extra miles, so I adjusted the route and was ready to go.

I called MaryJo to let her know my planned route home. I also talked with her about grabbing me a leprechaun, some Lucky Charms cereal. She thought that was a good idea.

Once back on I-59, I was enjoying the taxpayer dollars with the road construction. I am looking forward to my next pass through there since I hope that I will get to be on the new pavement, this reminded me of the pot holes, tar snakes, and uneven pavement that is a staple of Memphis roads.

I exited at US-278, a familiar road. Light traffic, but the traffic I did meet was rather slow with few chances to pass. I made the turn on AL-157 to I-65. I would usually have stayed on AL-157, but that would have been the hypotenuse of the triangle and I needed the miles from the two legs to make sure I had more than 1,000 miles. I exited at US-72 in Athens, AL, and knew I would be home within a hour.

At the Circle K, I topped off the gas, got my receipts, and took a few minutes to relax. The ride was over, though I still needed the picture of the Lucky Charms. 1,035 miles in 19 hours and 31 minutes.

Picture of Lucky Charms, MaryJo had even found a box that had a leprechaun trap, and I was done.

The letter from the Tour of Honor Scorers took more patience than the IBA processing the certification. Though I did have a few things fogging my mind that caused me to have to keep adding things to the IBA submission, the team there got everything processed.

I then realized that I now qualified for Mile Eater Bronze! This required five IBA rides, of which two had to be GOLD or Extreme. This ride was my seventh IBA ride and my second Tour of Honor Extreme. Paperwork submitted and it was processed within a few days.

I have three IBA rides this year, this one is an Extreme. I have a couple of other rides planned for this year, two also being Tour of Honor Extreme rides. If I do five IBA rides, with two being GOLD of Extreme, within one year (365 days), I will qualify for Mile Eater SILVER! Not a certification that a lot of people earn. I think I will get that this year.

Here is the link to the track from Spotwalla (click here).

Ready for more rides soon.

February 7

March 3

March 6-7

September 3rd

September 4th

September 5th

September 6th

September 7th

September 8th

September 9th

September 10th

September 11th

September 12th

September 13th

September 14th

September 15th

September 16th

13th

14th

15th

16th

17th

18th

May 13

May 24

May 26

May 31

July 10

July 10

July 11

September 3^rd

September 4^th

September 5^th

September 6^th

September 7^th

September 8^th

September 9^th

September 10^th

September 11^th

September 12^th

September 13^th

September 14^th

September 15^th

September 16^th

13^th

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