Spotwalla link for the ride is: HERE
The plan was for me to go on a ride about 9am. Blue was still not doing well overnight. I decided to stay home and give MaryJo a break since she stayed up with him last night. Blue seemed to be doing better as the morning went on. He ate and was active. I sat on the deck for a while and let him lay in the yard. He seemed very content. MaryJo suggested that I go on a ride.
Usually, she wouldn’t have to tell me a second time, but I was a bit hesitant. She explained what she had planned for the day and that Blue was doing okay. Enough confirmation for me.
I looked at a few places I wanted to visit and set up a short ride. Okay, a short 300-mile ride. A quick pre-ride check and getting the Spotwalla set up; I was ready to go.
The lo-fuel light was on, so the first stop was at the gas station about 2 miles up the road. I reset the odometers for the tank and the trip. I head to the Trace. My goal is to head up the Trace to Franklin, then I would visit Moonshine Harley-Davidson, a site on the HOG Dealership Challenge. From there, I would go to the Harley-Davidson in Columbia for another point, then over to Bell Buckle. At Bell Buckle, I would visit the 9/11 Memorial at the Tennessee Fire Academy for an AULDR point. A quick stop in Shelbyville to visit a Masonic Lodge to earn another AULDR point, then head home.
As I was on AL17/TN13, I decided to visit the Masonic Lodge in Collinwood. This would give me the AULDR point for visiting a Masonic Lodge in Tennessee, it was directly on the route, and it would save me in the traffic in Shelbyville. I got my picture at the Collinwood Masonic Lodge #702, then made the left turn onto the Natchez Trace.
I love riding the Natchez Trace. Usually there isn’t a lot of traffic, and it is always beautiful. Only traffic I encountered was as I neared Nashville and my exit to Franklin. The traffic was bicycles. Thought they are allowed to us the entire lane, they are required to ride in a single file. Most were single file along the right shoulder. I did encounter a couple of groups that we two and three wide in the lane. I also encounter a solo rider who was walking the bicycle in the middle of the lane, going uphill. She seemed to have actually just stopped and was standing there. There were also some “crotch rockets” that were going much higher than the speed limit. This traffic was only for about 10 miles.
Once I turned onto TN96, I knew that I was going to get some traffic. I didn’t find as much as I was expecting as I rode to Moonshine Harley-Davidson. I got my picture, then planned my route to Harley-Davidson of Columbia. The plan is to get on I-65, head about 20 miles south, then spend the rest of the day mostly on two-lane
As I left Moonshine Harley-Davidson, I found all the traffic in Nashville. It was about a half mile, but it took me almost 30 minutes! Only one or two vehicles in each lane could make it through each cycle of the light. Once I finally got onto the interstate, it was a fresh break! Sure, there was traffic, but everyone was moving at or above the speed limit. The trip from Moonshine Harley-Davidson to the interstate took more time that the time I was on the interstate and getting to Harley-Davidson of Columbia, this was over 20 miles! I got a couple of pictures and was ready to roll again.
I was finally back on two-lane roads. Since there were no roads that went directly to the fire academy, I was twisting and turning on back roads, farm roads, and crossing major roads. The ride was worth all the traffic I has been through today. As I pulled to onto the campus of the fire academy, I saw the entrance gate closed.
I am an introvert; I don’t like to deal with people. But when I do, I do my best to be calm, polite, and nice. I rode up to the guard shack, turned down my music, and greeted the guard. I simply asked if I could visit the 9/11 and Fire Memorial that was on their campus. It was only a few hundred feet and could be seen from the guard shack. The guard smiled, asked if I knew the best place to park and opened the gate. I parked, got some pictures, then got a red poker chip from my saddle bag and put it in my pocket. I handed that to the guard as he opened the gate for me to leave.
I set the GPS to take me to Lynchburg. I knew that wasn’t too far away, and the back roads would be beautiful. Other than a mix-up with the GPS telling me to turn, then telling me I made the wrong turn, everything went well. A little traffic in Shelbyville, but that was expected. I noticed that the parking lot at Nearest Green Distillery was packed. I rode past here a couple of years ago for a BMW challenge point, I was the only non-employee at the time. I didn’t go in’ I just got my picture and left that day.
As I neared Lynchburg, there was a little traffic. I think that the distillery was getting near closing time, so everyone was getting ready to leave. I pulled to the Harley-Davidson of Lynchburg, parked at the door, got a few pictures, and was on my way home.
The road home was familiar. It seemed like the bike was on auto-pilot. It knew which lane to be in, when the speed limit changed, and knew when the lights would change. As I made the turn onto Minor Hill Road, the lo-fuel light came on. The range was a mile less than the distance to the gas station. Challenge accepted! I pass two gas stations, no concerns about getting to the gas station by the house. I pass the third and had a little concern. I see that the GPS had me going the long way home, I was going to go through St Florian which is a mile or so shorter. Bike says 10 miles of fuel; the GPS says the turn into the gas station is 9.1 miles. The bike now only shows the message that I have a low range of fuel, not the miles to empty. This is usually a sign that I need to get fuel NOW! I pass the gas station in St Florian. I only have 2 miles to get to my goal. I see the hill ahead with the warning that there is a stop light ahead. I only need to get to that sign; I could coast into the gas station from there!
The bike never sputters or stalls. I pull to the pump and turn off the bike. My fuel tank is 6.0 gallons. I put in 5.818 gallons on 294.8 miles. That wasn’t even close! I still had 9 miles! Assuming that I didn’t have to sit idle, accelerate hard, or ride hard. It might have been close to get home then back to the gas station.
MaryJo met me at the garage door. Supper was coming out of the oven. The best part of my rides is getting home to hold MaryJo!
After supper, I worked a little on the website documenting some of the rides from earlier this year.