After last week’s ride through construction, I was hoping for better roads in Georgia. I spent a lot more time planning the route and various sites. I had only two places I had to be at a given time. Tuesday I had to be in Savannah by 5:00pm. Thursday I had to be north of Atlanta to visit a college friend, John. My Tour of Honor goal was to visit the seven Tour of Honor sites in Georgia and the one remaining site in South Carolina which I didn’t visit on my ride last week. There were a few bonus sites along the way that I would try to visit. National Park sites must be visited when the offices are open since a rider needs to get their National Park Passport stamped.
I have lodge on Monday night, so I plan as much as I can to prep earlier in the day. I have a few hours work to do in the lodge, so I have to have everything packed before lodge.
I start Monday by dropping off the Harley for its 30,000 mile check-up. Bike is two and a half years old, and I didn’t ride for several months last year due to my shoulder and sprained ankle. I think I still able to get plenty of miles on the bike.
I test load everything on the GS. I have gotten lazy about packing efficiently due to all the extra space on the Harley and the Spyder. I use a bag that I used on the back of my old Road Glide. I test various options for packing everything. Final packing plan: clothes in bag strapped on the back with a rain cover. Camera, rally flag, notes, and small miscellaneous items will go in the larger of the side bags on the left side. I will pack my rain gear (Harley Rain jacket and rain pants in their bag), laptop, and a few other small important items will go in the smaller of the side bags on the right side. I check the route for Georgia, split the route by each day, plan a couple of options for each day, and load the first day into the GPS. I’ll adjust days 2 and 3 at the end of the previous day.
Day 1
I have two goals for today. First, I have to get to Savannah by 5:00pm. Second, avoid Atlanta! Due to major highway construction in Birmingham, I have worked routes around there that will keep me on track. I plan to go AL-157 to US-278, US-278 to US-231, US-231 to join with US-280, follow US-280 to US-80 around Columbus, Ga, US-80 to GA-96, GA-96 to I-16, I-16 into Savannah. I have been watching the radar, knowing that a high chance of rain is possible.
I keep a watch on the radar and seem to be just missing the rain. A light sprinkle a few times, but nothing hard. I pull onto I-16 and take the next exit for a fuel stop. I talk with the attendant. There had been been rain at this stop very recently since there were water puddles in the lot. Clouds look like there might be rain ahead, but the clouds aren’t too dark. Clouds have kept the temperatures reasonable, low to mid 80’s most all day. The closer I get to Savannah, the darker the skies. As I cross Rt-1, the rain starts, HARD. The radar shows the storm to only be about 10-15 miles wide, I will just ride through it. The next update on the radar shows the rain continues into Savannah, this means I will be in the rain the rest of the way. I get into Savannah just in time to join the afternoon traffic on the interstate. Rain will slow traffic anyway, but with the afternoon traffic nothing is moving. I creep along with traffic while the rain continues.
I had an idea about the route to the hotel, I use the GPS to keep me honest. As I get a few blocks from the hotel, I think I may have programmed the wrong hotel into the GPS and make a left turn. The turn isn’t a bad thing, but I do have the right hotel in the GPS. My turn takes me through a few streets with little traffic. I make the turn into the hotel and park under the canopy. I sit on the bike for a few minutes to relax before checking in. I look around the lot for my brother (Jeff), but I don’t see him. I get checked in, put my jacket and helmet in the room and go out to get my bags. Jeff is walking up as I get back to the bike.
Overall, mostly dry. When I got wet, I got REAL wet. Main concern is that I was there safe. And the desk clerk told me to leave the bike under the canopy to keep it dry and she would keep a watch on it. I love when they take care of me like that.
After our meeting and going out to eat, Jeff and I head back to the hotel. He looks over my plan, makes a few suggestions, and I have tomorrow’s route loaded into the GPS.
Day 2
No time to be anywhere today. Getting the Albany would mean an easy ride to north of Atlanta. If I only get to Valdosta, I may have to cut out some of the optional sites. Jeff and I have a relaxing breakfast. We load the bike and leave early so I can spend more time on the road. Jeff has taken a half day off and follows me Tybee Island (GA-7). We take some pictures and he points to the light house in the background. We talk about geocaching and that the lighthouse is a benchmark. We say our goodbyes and he heads back to home to get to work. I hit the road.
As a crow flies, Port Royal is about 20 or 30 miles. By road, it is closer to 50-60 miles. I retrace part of the route from Savannah to Tybee Island, then turn to South Carolina. As I cross into South Carolina, I am met with the South Carolina state motto: “Road Work Ahead.” This work area is only a few miles, then back up to speed on the back roads. I make it to Port Royal and follow the GPS to Port Royal (SC-6). The buoy at this location had broken loose from its moorings in Port Royal, then it floated out to see, finally coming aground in Scotland. Scotland returned the buoy and it was placed here. Site visit and pictures taken. I have finished South Carolina! Next stop Kings Bay, Georgia.
I had spent almost 30 years traveling I-95, and I hated most of those trips. I leave Port Royal, retracing part of the route until I can make a quick trip to I-95. Based on the timing, I should miss most, if not all the Savannah morning traffic as I head south. I set the cruise on the bike and enjoy the higher speeds, making pretty good time. I see the exit for Kings Bay and follow the GPS’s direction to the memorial. I had checked the list with pictures of the various memorials, this one appears to be a submarine at one of the gates to Kings Bay. I see the memorial and turn into the entrance. Just before the gate, there is a parking lot next to the memorial. I park the bike and take a few minutes to stretch my legs. I walk around the memorial and make a call home. Pictures taken and St Mary’s (GA-5) is in the books.
My time on the interstate has come to an end for a while. The forecast is to expect isolated afternoon showers and I have been watching the radar. Nothing yet, though the clouds have kept the temperatures a bit more pleasant than the ride last week where high temp was 103, while sitting in construction traffic. I enjoy the backroads, the farms, the small towns, and the friendly people. A little after noon I find my way into Waycross, GA. I readily find the Doughboy and park across the street. This trip, I have added stop time at each site in my planning. I take a few pictures and explore the memorial for a few minutes. Next stop, Homerville, GA.
I make my way across town, make a left turn near the Coca-Cola distribution office in Waycross. There is a train crossing in front of me and a train coming. I think about beating the train to the crossing, but decide to not risk it. I ease to the crossing as the gates lower. Then I notice there are 7 engines! I don’t remember ever seeing a train with that many engines. I start counting the cars, 10, 20, 30, as the train speeds up. 40, 50, 60, cars behind me are starting to turn around. I turn off the bike’s motor to save gas, this doesn’t seem like this train will be done soon. Final count is 142 cars, plus the 7 engines, and 20 minutes that I hadn’t planned to be stopped. I am eventually rolling again.
US-84 is a direct route from Waycross to Homerville. The memorial is on the side of the Courthouse on Smith Street. I park the bike right in front of the memorial. I get my picture and ready to head to the next site. Homerville (GA-4) done.
I am really enjoying 2-lane roads with no traffic. Rain has held off so far. Small towns are so nice to visit. The Doughboy Nashville, GA is on the side of the courthouse. I pull around to the side of the courthouse to get a good picture. I make a u-turn and ready to head to my next target, Quitmann’s Doughboy.
I feel like a broken record, I am loving the 2-lane roads. As I cross I-75, I have a few cars sharing the road with me, the rest of the ride is mostly me alone. I have a few cars on the roads, but they quickly turn off. GA-76 is one of the best roads I have traveled in a while. I pull up to the Probate Court in Quitmann and with so many parking spaces free, I have my pick. I walk over to explore the memorial with the Doughboy. This is actually a memorial for several wars. I go to get my picture with the bike and a sheriff’s deputy pulls up. I expect that I will have to explain what I am doing. He waves, laughs, and tells me to wait so I don’t have him in the picture. I had managed to get one picture on the phone before he pulled up, but the pictures with the camera will have his car in the pictures. I load everything back in the bike and ready to roll again.
I have been watching the radar and the skies. I have Thomasville in my sights, but it also looks like rain may be in my way. I keep a watch on the radar, there is a serious storm ahead. The radar shows that my current road is going to just touch the northern edge of a small rain cloud, but that rain spot is some hard rain. I pull into Thomasville and the skies are dark. It starts to sprinkle and I know the bottom is about to fall out. I pull into a gas station under the canopy. I need fuel, so I will try to stay dry while this storm passes. As I turn off the bike, the rains come. I have to wait a few minutes to even go in to prepay my gas, then wait again to go out to pump the gas. I head back in to get my change. It is still raining hard. I can see clear skies to the west, north, and east. I can’t get a view to the south since it is behind the building, but the skies above are dark. I get a couple of drinks, sit on the front of the store, and wait. I relax for about 30 minutes, call home, then ready to ride across town. The sample picture is a bit puzzling at first, but it all makes sense as I near the location of the memorial. This is the grave of Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper and his parent. Lt Flipper was the first black graduate of West Point, and he was born a slave! The rains have turned to a soft sprinkle. I walk around the grave area, take a few pictures and read about Lt. Flipper. I have Thomasville (GA-6) done. I applaud Georgia’s State Sponsor. This memorial is fantastic. The history is touching. For many of the memorials, it is simply a picture and head to the next site. This one causes me to pause. The entire cemetery is full of history. I wish I had planned for more time here, but I have already lost a lot of time due to a train and a rain stop. One more site then I will stop for the night.
Rain seems to be gone and I have a short ride to Cairo (pronounced KA ro). As I approach the Huey, I don’t see parking nearby. I decide to do a BAD thing. I never felt comfortable with the Harley unless it was on dry, solid pavement. The GS should be able to handle a little off-road excursion. I make a quick turn on ride about 20 ft through the grass and park next to the helicopter. I get a great picture. As I am packing up, some kids come and ask if the helicopter is mine. I laugh, admit that the helicopter isn’t mine, but the bike is mine. They ask if they can take a picture of my bike. SURE!
I have less than an hour to Albany. I make a call home before I hit the road. I ask my bride to make a reservation for me. I know the hotel I where I want to stay is near a mall and was close to the US-19 loop.She willingly does that and sends me a text with the hotel information. Less than an hour later I am checked into the hotel. Across the street are a couple of places for supper. I have a steak for supper then plan my next day ride and visits.
Day 3
My plan today is to get north of Atlanta to John’s home by 5:00″ish”. Not knowing traffic and weather, I had adjusted the route to leave me about two hours of extra time. Quick breakfast, call home, bike loaded, and I am ready to head out. My first stop is Cordelle, GA to visit a Huey helicopter. I arrive at the park before the workers arrive, so I miss the entrance fee. I see a few tanks and other vehicles near the Visitors Center. The Huey is the farther from the parking, but I am still able to get a clear picture of the Huey and the bike. Quick stop and I am on my way to Americus.
I first thought that I have missed this guy last year when I had stayed with my son in Albany while doing a trip in Georgia last year. As I approach the park, I remember this was one of first Doughboys I visited last year. This one is a bit challenging, especially in the mornings. I park as close as I can, then adjust so I can get a picture of the Doughboy through the trees while still having a picture of the bike. Add to this challenge, I am facing east as the sun is rising. Same issue I had last year. Maybe next year I will visit here in the afternoon. I take a few extra pictures from different angles in case I need extra proof. Camera and flag back in the bags and I am rolling again. Next stop, Andersonville National Historic Site (NHS).
Last year I visited Andersonville since the Tour of Honor GA-1 was located in the cemetery of the park. This year it is part of the addition bonus included with the selected National Park Service sites. The NPS bonus is 50 sites in 25 states. I am not expecting to be able to visit 25 states this year, but this will give me practice for next year if these are still an option. A visit at a NPS site requires a picture at the main sign of the park and a stamp in your NPS Passport that matches the name on the sign. This means that you must visit the site when the visitor center is open, the times vary by location. I arrive in the park a little after 9:00am. I had checked the times and noted that the center opens at 9:30am. I’ll have to wait a few minutes, but I have planned extra time. I walk around and take pictures of the various markers in front of the center/museum. I hadn’t realized that there is also the National POW Museum at the center. As I wait a few others arrive to visit the museum. Two gentlemen arrive with Vietnam Vet caps. We talk for a bit until the rangers come out to post the colors. We stand quietly while the colors are raised. The rangers then open the doors for everyone. I head to the desk to stamp my passport and talk with the ranger there for a few minutes. She invites me to tour the museum, but I decline at first due to my time restrictions. I then rethink the offer and decide to go ahead and spend a few minutes. The few minutes turn into over 30 minutes. I have spent a good part of my reserve time here, and the day is still young. I have never been to the Holocaust Museum in DC, but I understand the feeling that visitors get after their visit there. How can anyone do those things to another human? I scan the radar and see that rain will be with me off and on most of the day. I put on my rain gear and make my way to the main road. I now need to get a picture in front of the sign at the main entrance. I park in front of the sign and walk across the road to get a picture. As I cross the road, it starts to rain. I get my picture and head to my next site, Forsyth (GA-3).
Before I get on the interstate to head to Forsyth, I make a gas stop. The rain has started, but mostly as a hard drizzle. Just enough to make the ground/roads wet and slick. I pull up to the pump and meet a gentleman selling bracelets to raise funds for friend who is sick. She has been on the VA’s waiting list for over 6 months, her primary doctor has told her that she has cancer in late stages. We chat, I make a donation, we pray for Sargent Joyce. I gas up the bike and a couple come over to admire the bike. He tells me that he wished he had one like mine when he took his trip a couple of years ago to Alaska. I laugh and tell him that was one of the reasons I chose this bike, so I could make a trip to Alaska. He then advises that if I am heading to Atlanta, there is a serious accident that has all north bound lanes blocked between Macon and Atlanta. I tell him I will be exiting about Forsyth, but could find an alternate if the traffic backs up that far. We shake and I am on my way.
As I tell people, most states have seven specific Tour of Honor memorials. There are several categories for bonus points, but the main goal is the Tour of Honor sites. At the start of the tour this year (tour dates are April 1 – October 31), there was a problem at one of the Georgia sites and it was replaced. GA-3 was moved from one location to another. However, unless you are seeking a trophy, you can earn credit for visiting either GA-3 location. I had both locations in my planning software. Forsyth was along the way, and I thought it was the new location.
I only have the light rain on my trip to Forsyth. The traffic I was expecting is eaither farther down the road or has clear by now. I exit the interstate and I pull up to the front gate of the Georgia Public Safety Training Academy . The security guard asks my business and I tell her about the Tour of Honor. She smiles and tells me that I am not the first, she needs my ID to share with the main desk to let them know I will be coming in. I hand her my license, waiting patiently while she does a quick check and calls the main desk. She returns with my ID and tells me how to access the visitor parking, letting me know that the memorial I am seeking is located in the courtyard through the building. I apologize for causing the line of cars behind me, she laughs and says that they will get over it. I ride over to the parking and park at the closest to the front door. I take a quick photo of the bike at the entrance, but the building in rather obscure with no building names. I go through the front door and see several people at the main desk. No security gates to go through, so I walk around on my own. I walk past an old Ford Police car and old Firetruck on display. I see a memorial in the back of the lobby and make my way to it. As I approach, I see a larger memorial outside in the courtyard. BINGO! I go outside and get a few pictures of that memorial.
Coming back in, I explore the memorial that I first noticed and get a picture of it. I look around and see that the cafeteria is full of police and cadets. Guess this wouldn’t be a good place to have lunch today, because of the crowd, not the clientele. I turn to leave and look up. I see a motorcycle on the second floor. I walk up the stairs and admire the display. I take a few pictures of the motorcycle and that memorial.
Heading back downstairs, I take a a few quick pictures of the firetruck and police car. I see that there are no other people at the main desk, so I go to talk with the receptionist. I apologize if I was supposed to check in with her before I started exploring. She laughed and said that I was fine. I explained what I was doing. She offered that I could ride on any of the roads on the campus unless it required me to pass an additional check-point. HOWEVER, no outside photos are allowed due to the security nature of the facility. I thank her and get ready to head to my next stop. What was supposed to be a quick stop has turned into about a 45 minute stop. If all goes well on the rest of the trip, I should make it to John’s house by 5:00pm. Almost all my spare time has been used. It was worth the delay. I applaud the Georgia state sponsor for picking this location.
I have a bad habit that once I set myself in meeting a goal, I forget everything else. This includes eating. Of course, I have been changing my eating habits and don’t eat as much. But I do get thirsty. I stop for gas and grab a drink. I make my way to Williamson. This location is off the main route and I will have to completely backtrack to get back on my route. Usually, Huey helicopters are on stands and can be seen about a quarter mile away. The GPS is showing that this helicopter is directly in front of me, but I don’t see it. I slow down and see it on the right at the last second. I make a left turn into the parking lot across the street. I didn’t see a better place near the helicopter, so I try to angle myself to a decent picture. The best I can do is get a picture with the bike and only the very front of the helicopter is clear. But this helicopter is different than the others. This one is clean, and under a canopy. I admire that this looks like it is ready to fly at a moments notice. I wasn’t able to get any closer, Maybe Jeff can make a trip to check it out and let me know? Picture taken and I am on my way.
Next stop if Griffin, GA to visit a Doughboy. I find this guy in the memorial park. Not only is there a memorial for WWI, but WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq/Afghanistan. I take a picture of the Doughboy and make an attempt at a quick video. (Note: The attempted video did not come out very well as it did not autofocus as I change the focal point.).
Heading toward McDonough, I am getting closer to Atlanta as there is more traffic on the roads. Still early afternoon, so most of the traffic is people just going about their day to day business. There is just a lot more of them now. I find the museum with the Huey helicopter outside. I circle around to check if there could be more helicopters and return to the one at the front. I manage to get a parking spot where I don’t have other vehicles in the picture. Ready to head to Conyers.
Conyers has a Huey and GA-2. I make my way to the Huey which is in front of the American Legion. I manage to get a decent picture of the bike and the helicopter. I walk over to look over the helicopter before I leave. As I am getting ready to leave, one of the guys from the American Legion comes out. We chat and he gives me some history on the Huey. This flew combat missions in Vietnam before being converted to a medical transport in Vietnam. One of the crew members from its medical transport days is a member of this American Legion post. He was in attendance when the Huey was dedicated and unveiled at its current location. I tell my guide about my travels and that my next stop is at the memorial across town. He tells me that it is a special place and that I will enjoy it.
I make my way “across town” which is actually about 10 miles/25 minutes away to Black Shoals Park. The attendant at the gate asks if I am only driving around. I tell her my goal and she waves me through. I ask about the memorial and she gives me directions. I wind my way through the park find the parking lot for the memorial. I am not able to get close enough for a single picture, so I get a picture of the bike in the park then make a walk to the memorial. It seems that vandals did some damage a few months back. A statue was damaged. The culprits were found with parts of the statue. Regretfully, it will take more time to repair the damaged statue. I walk to the memorial and really am awe struck. I walk around and admire the solemness of the area. I take a few pictures and try another video. As I walk back to the bike, I read about the future plans of this memorial park. I look forward to coming back again.
As I was making my way to the memorial, I had passed another Huey that I had not seen on my list. I pull over to get a quick picture of it as I leave.
Conyers is a suburb of Atlanta. It is about 4:00pm, which means I now have afternoon traffic full of people that want to go home. My next stop is in Buford, only a few minutes from John’s house. I send him a message letting him know that I am now on schedule to be there about 5:15pm. I have used up all my spare time and am now running late. Between the wet roads and the traffic, I am not going to try to make up any lost time. I patiently make my way past Buford High School. This is a HUGE high school campus, several blocks. I later learn that there is even a couple of satellite annexes. The Huey I am searching is in front of the American Legion. I enter the wrong parking lot and end up below the Huey. I am too tired to try to make my way to the other entrance so I take my pictures here. I still get the bike and the Huey in the picture. It is now 5:30pm. I send another text to John to let him know where I am and that I am on my way.
I follow the GPS directions as best I can. Paying attention to traffic is more important. I know that if I miss a turn, the GPS will find a new route. Yes, I missed a turn and had to wait for the GPS to continue “recalculating.” I make my way to his street. I had not put his house number in the location description, the planning software created the latitude/longitude for his house. It was wrong! I pulled into the driveway of what I thought was his house. The lady of the house comes running out on the phone. This isn’t John’s wife, so I now I am in the wrong place. I ask where John lives and she just points down the street. I quickly dig my phone out of my jacket to find his address. I am two houses off. I would have loved to turn around, but this is a rather steep driveway and the street is on a steep hill. I start rolling back to the street. As I hit the street, I lose my footing and the bike flips over. I lay the bike completely on its side, the wheels aren’t even touching the ground. In the process, I flip off the bike and roll down the hill. I get up and make my way back to the bike. I shut it off and pick it up. All those years of practice picking up a fallen Harley pays off. A driver stops to help and I get rolling again. I pull in front of John’s house to catch my breath and calm down. John’s daughter is walking her dog in the front yard. I can only imagine what was going through her head seeing some guy sitting in front of their house.
I make my way to the door and greeted by John and his family. I haven’t seen him in almost eight years and have only seen the kids in pictures. I can’t let another eight years go by, especially since he isn’t that far away, only about four or five hours.
Day 4
John keeps telling me about the best biscuits in the world. He agrees that Loveless Cafe outside Nashville has good biscuits, but he tells me they don’t compare to what he has in store for me today. I listen to him go on and on while we drive to breakfast. We pull up to a small little barn looking building. It is about 10:00am, so the usual breakfast crowd is gone. But there is still a line at the drive thru and we have to wait for a table or two to vacate. I will admit, The Little Barn in Lawrenceville, GA is FANTASTIC. Cathead biscuits with a large choice of options to go with them. I have the country ham biscuit. From the size, I only need one. We enjoy our breakfast and talk about old times. John and his wife have both recently retired and planning cruises. We talk about trips we are wanting to take. After breakfast, I have to get on the road. I knew we were going to breakfast, but I under estimated how long we would be there. I have more trips planned passing through the Atlanta area, so I promise that I will make their home a stopping over place.
Forecast is rain most of the day, some heavy at times. I have my rain gear on as I leave John’s home. I have only one more Tour of Honor memorial to visit before I can compete Georgia. I have set the GPS to avoid interstates and set my tracks to Cleveland (GA-1). US-19 isn’t really a backroad, but it isn’t interstate. Not a lot of traffic since it is now late morning and most people should be at work. I enjoy the relaxing hour ride to Cleveland. I find the memorial. GPS tells me to make a right turn, but it is a one-way street. I make the block and park near the memorial. I get my pictures and look over the GPS at my options. Because of the late start, I opt to scrap the Huey in Blue Ridge. I want to visit Helen and Dillard Georgia this summer, so I will be close enough to make a stop then. I make my tracks for Summerville.
I have seen dark skies all morning. I haven’t had any hard rains, but I also haven’t seen any sunshine. It is a 2 hour ride from Cleveland to Trion-Summerville. I make my turn off US-27 onto a familiar road. I had visited this Dougboy last year. I park in front and get my picture. Next stop, HOME.
I knew I would be in the Huntsville area in time for afternoon traffic on the major routes through town, so I plan to got around Huntsville. The guy that sold me the bike lives in a little town named Mentone, AL, which happens to be on my route home. I pass through Mentone, and make my way to Scottsboro. I am low on gas, the radar is showing a hard rain system just ahead, moving north. I may hit the south side of the storm. The skies darken and I pull into a gas station. As I get off the bike, the rains come. I know this won’t last long, so I don’t rush gassing up. I get a drink and call home. I wait out the storm and get rolling again. The roads are now very wet and slick. I like the “RAIN” mode on this bike.
I make a left off US-72 and head to New Hope. This route will carry me through some farm lands and take me south of Huntsville. Hopefully far enough south that I will miss any traffic. Roads through New Hope are dry and the sun has come out. I turn onto Hobbs Island Road then make the left onto US-231. A quick trip and I make the right onto AL-36. This will take me to AL-157 and through Moulton before I reach Muscle Shoals. Roads I know too well. As I pass through Moulton, the skies turn dark again. I see rain ahead. Looks like HARD rain. I consider making the turn onto AL-33 and try to go around these clouds, but that route will take me north which is where the storm is headed. I brace for the rain. When it hits, it hit hard. Not gradual increase in rain, it went from dry to heavy rain in an instant. several cars are going less than 40 mph. I’m not doing the 65 mph of the speed limit, but I am doing more than 40 mph! My jacket is keeping me dry, even though I have the vents open. The rain pants are keeping me mostly dry, but the sweat is the bigger problem than the rain. My gloves are soaked. I hit a spot in the road and water splashes all over me. Now my feet are wet. Just as quickly as it started, the rains stopped. I merge onto AL-20/US-72Alt then make the turn onto Wilson Dam Road. The roads are dry. I was expecting to have wet roads and a few serious puddles to traverse, but it looks like it never rained here. I cross the Tennessee River and make the few turns to get home. Wet, but safe. I am home.
Post-Ride Comments
I submit the photos to Tour of Honor as I visit each site. I check each morning to see if I have received credit for the visit. I notice that two sites haven’t been credited. I wait a couple of days and send a note about Forsyth/GA-3. I was informed that Woodstock was the official site for GA-3, NOT Forsyth. I replied that I thought I could receive credit for visiting either site.
I start making plans to take along day to ride to Woodstock. I receive an e-mail that I will be getting credit for GA-3. If I had been requesting credit for a trophy of a special ride, I would have to go to Woodstock.
The other site that was missing from my credits was one of the Doughboys. The scorer sent me a note that he forgot to hit the “SAVE” button when posting it to my record. It was resolved.
Final tally for this trip:
- 8 Tour of Honor Sites
- 1 in South Carolina
- 7 in Georgia
- 7 Huey Helicopters
- 6 Doughboy statues
- 1 National Park Site
- 1700 miles of riding
Not bad for 4 days on the road.