HOME!!!

Day 21, Tuesday, May 05, 2015

My alarm sounded at 6:30 AM.  It hit me early this morning that this would be the last time that I would set my alarm on this ride.  Chuck and I got up and did what we needed to do.  We took a couple of bags down to our Motorcycles and packed them.  We noticed the sky to the south of us was very dark.  Chuck checked his weather app on his phone and saw that it was clearing and we should have good riding weather for a while.  We went back in and had breakfast.  By this time, all five of us were eating breakfast.  It was rather quiet this morning.  I guess that the “final day” feeling hit us all.  We finished breakfast, went back to our rooms and gathered the rest of our stuff.  We checked out and mounted our Motorcycles.  We left at 8:03 AM.

Jan led our Group onto Highway 550 east to I-25.  We went south on I-25 and we were soon riding in Albuquerque’s morning rush hour.  We rode through Albuquerque and ended up on the west side of the city and after riding for 25 miles, we stopped at 8:28 AM at a gas station so that we could all gas up.  We were still in somewhat of a daze.  Chuck had some coffee and we sat on a stone picnic table in front of the store.  We also took the opportunity to look towards the city.  We were elevated and could see a lot of the city.  The weather was great, cloudy and NOT raining.  We were done with our break and left at 9:02 AM.

Ken took over the lead.  We got back on I-40 and rode west.  It was a little cold and after riding for 77 miles, we stopped at 10:06 AM in Grants, NM.  While we were in Grants taking the necessary “pit stop,” we all put on more clothing.  The liners were put into the jackets, more sweaters were put on, heavier gloves were worn and “Turtle Fur” neck warmers were put on.  We left at 10:21 AM.

We got back onto I-40.  We rode for another 60 miles and stopped at 11:09 AM in Gallup, NM so that C.E. could gas up his Trike.  Just prior to arriving in Gallup, it had rained a little on us.  We left Gallup at 11:21 AM.

Ken led us back on I-40.  It has been a while since we have traveled this road.  It is a lot better that what we remember.  Of course, that’s not saying much.  After all, we are getting older.  WOW!  Did I just type that out loud?  We approached the Arizona State Line and crossed it at 11:42 AM.  As we crossed the State Line, we gained an hour so it was now 10:42 AM.  We are almost home!  We rode for 59 miles and at 11:10 AM, we stopped in Chambers, AZ at a gas station.  We all gassed up.  We left at 11:27 AM.

Since we entered Arizona, it was raining off and on.  I was now in the lead and we headed west on I-40.  We rode and enjoyed the Arizona scenery.  We hadn’t seen this in three weeks.  We rode for 76 miles and at 2:29 PM, we stopped in Winslow, AZ at a Subway for lunch.  NO, we didn’t go “Stand on the corner.”  We had lunch!  Just as we pulled in front of the Subway, it was sprinkling.  While we were inside, it started raining.  We all went out to our Motorcycles and got our rain gear.  Did all of you catch that?  We actually put our rain gear on!  We knew that we were headed to Flagstaff and that it would be colder and raining.  Some of us put on more clothing.  We took over the Subway store.  We were spread out putting on our rain gear and the patrons were watching us.  We left at 1:14 PM.

I got us back onto I-40 and we had discussed to go all the way to Camp Verde before we stopped again.  We rode and entered Flagstaff.  There was a lot of truck traffic on I-40 close to Flagstaff.  It had been raining since we left Winslow.  We turned onto I-17 and now headed south.  It started to rain harder.  At one point, it just “DUMPED” on us!  We had zero visibility.  We all moved over to the right lane and slowed our speed considerably.  The rain eased up and we were able to see better.  As we rode out of Flagstaff, it stopped raining.  The road was soon dry and we felt better riding on a dry road.  We rode for 115 miles and at 2:10 PM, we stopped in Camp Verde, AZ at a gas station where we filled up our tanks.  By the way, we also made a pit stop. I bet you didn’t see that one coming?   We all returned to our Motorcycles and talked a little and took off our rain gear.  Jan finally said, “OK, guys, let’s go home!”  It had a good ring to it.  We all said our goodbyes, got on our Motorcycles and left at 3:12 PM.

Chuck led us this time.  As tradition goes, since we started these annual rides nine years ago, Chuck starts us out and leads us home.  Chuck took the lead and away we went.  Jan was with us and when we got to the Prescott exit, he waved at us, peeled away from us and took the exit.  We continued.  We rode for 37 miles and at 3:42 PM, Chuck pulled into the Sunset Point Rest Area.  We took off our jackets and stowed them away.  We were not wearing any rain gear or jackets.  The weather was great for riding.  The road was dry and we left at 3:50 PM.

Chuck blasted south on I-17.  Ken was behind Chuck, then Me and C.E.  We stayed in a tight group.  We passed the sign posted, “Maricopa County.”  It was a good feeling.  We continued and soon passed the sign posted, “Phoenix City Limits.”  That was a great feeling.  I knew that we were home.  As we continued south, we reached the Loop 101.  I got off and rode east and C.E. got off and rode west.  Chuck and Ken continued south.  After riding 43 miles, I stopped at HOME at 4:26 PM.  My Wife, Laura, Daughter Lori, and Grandsons, Connor and Gabriel were all waiting for me on the driveway.  My garage door was open and I rode in.  I greeted my family and then unloaded my Motorcycle.  After unloading my Motorcycle, I tucked it in for the night.

Today we rode for 492 miles.  We rode in the rain…a lot!  We had fun and we are HOME!

This was a great three week ride.  We visited 12 States, some twice.  We rode for 6,486 miles.  Some had more miles some had less.  We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express 8 times, Hampton Inn 2 times, Best Western 7 times, La Quinta 1 time, Magnuson Hotel 1 time and a Sleep Inn 1 time.  Most of the hotels were very nice and had very nice people working that went above and beyond for us.  We met some very interesting people.  It was funny to see that when we stopped to look at a map, people would come to “the old guys on the Motorcycles” and try to help.

I would like to thank my Wife, Laura, for agreeing to let me leave her for three weeks.  The Grandsons, Connor 6 and Gabriel 3, were very happy to see me come home, and of course my Family for keeping an eye on Laura while I was gone.  Laura told me that she felt like she was “single” while I was gone.  I did tell her to have some fun while I was gone.  I hope that I didn’t create a monster!  Lol  No, It didn’t.  Laura is a keeper.  I love you!  

I would also like to thank Chuck Roseberry for putting on the “Annual Ride” again AND inviting me to be with the Group.

Thanks to you all who took time out of your day to read my blog.  I tried to let you in on what we were up to.  Of course, NOT everything was told!  We do have to keep some mystery.

By the way…HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!

  

It was not discussed as to where we will end up next year or WHO will go or not go.  We shall see.  So, until next year…

Wind and Rain!

Day 20, Monday, May 4, 2015

I had the room all to myself last night.  I got up when the alarm sounded at 6:30 AM.  I didn’t have to wait for my roomy to finish in the bathroom; I didn’t bump into my roomy as I was getting dressed and packing either.  I could get used to this.  No, it is fun to have a roomy.  Well, I got dressed, packed and took a couple of bags out to my Motorcycle.  As I uncovered my Motorcycle, I looked at it and it was filthy!  I packed my bags in the trunk and saddlebag and I HAD to clean it.  I went to the breakfast area and C.E. and Ken were already there.  The other two came in soon after.  We had a good breakfast.  After we finished, we sat around, killing time.  We then went to our rooms and got the rest of our stuff and loaded our Motorcycles.  It was a cool, beautiful day.  We left the hotel at 8:38 AM.

Chuck was in the lead, I was next, then Jan, Ken and C.E.  We rode on Highway 550.  This ride was awesome.  The road was good and the scenery was fantastic.  All of the surrounding mountains had snow.  We were on the Red Mountain Pass.  We rode for 61 miles and at 9:59 AM, we stopped in Silverton, CO.  We just so happen to park in front of a Harley Davidson Store.  I’m sure that none of you would have guessed.  The store opened at 10 AM.  The two Harley riders, Jan and Chuck, went in and just about bought out the store!  Just kidding, they bought two shirts each.  Ken, C.E and I went across the street to a local store and Ken came out with a nice looking shirt.  I’m sure that it was only half the price of the Harley shirt because it didn’t say Harley.  We got on our Motorcycles and rode around the corner to a coffee shop.  Chuck had to have some coffee.  I had to have coffee also, but I’m NOT allowed.  We looked at the sky towards the direction that we were going and there were snow clouds.  Chuck was done with his coffee so we mounted our Motorcycles and left at 10:57 AM.

Chuck got us back on Highway 550, “The Million Dollar Highway.”  Not ten minutes passed when we reached the top of Molas Pass.  When we got to the top, we had some snow flurries.  It wasn’t bad.  It only lasted for about a minute.  We continued riding the Highway and enjoying all of the twisties, curves, hills and scenery.  There was snow all over the place, except on the road.  This road was narrow and at some points, the “drop” on our side of the road was very deep.  There were no guardrails.  Some of the guys didn’t want to look down.  I took pictures…and a video.  We came down from Molas Pass, only to go back up onto Coalbank Pass.  We enjoyed these two Passes and soon, we entered the City of Durango.  Just as we did, at the sign welcoming travelers to Durango, there was a deer standing by the sign.  We rode for 50 miles and at 11:54 AM, we stopped at a gas station in Durango for C.E. to fill up his Trike.  We then rode a block away and stopped at a Subway for lunch.  The temperature was in the 60’s so we took off our jackets and got our lighter gloves out.  We went in for lunch.  When we were done, we went to our Motorcycles and the temperature dropped.  We all put our jackets on and broke out our heavy gloves again.  We left at 12:42 PM.

Chuck checked the weather south of us and told us that we could put our rain gear on if we wanted.  He wasn’t.  He thought that it would be dry.  We headed south on Highway 550.  We rode for a distance and we crossed the New Mexico State Line at 1:07 PM.  We rode for 38 miles and at 1:20 PM, we stopped in Aztec, NM to gas up.  We all filled our tanks.  We looked at the sky to the south and it was black.  Chuck felt that if we would probably hit some pockets of rain and that we would ride out of them soon.  None of us put our rain gear on.  We left at 1:36 PM.

Jan took the lead; I was next, then Ken, C.E. and Chuck.  We headed onto Highway 550.  We rode through a couple of small towns and then we were in Farmington.  There were very little signs posted along the road telling us where we were.  Apparently, we took the wrong road out of Aztec that took us to Farmington.  We stopped at a parking lot after riding 15 miles and it was 2:01 PM.  Chuck and Jan were confused with the map.  Jan felt that we needed to go a certain direction.  Jan rode his Motorcycle to a nearby car and a man was sitting inside.  Jan asked for directions.  Jan was right.  We left at 2:21 PM.

Jan led us on Highway 64 west.  We rode to a town called Bloomfield and turned right, onto Highway 550.  We were back on track.  We were headed south and there was nothing by BLACK sky.  The more we rode, the windier it became.  It was also raining!  Watching Jan as he rode in front of me, he was leaning, BIG TIME, to the right.  We had no place to pull over to change into our rain gear.  On a side note, we spent a lot of money on our rain gear.  They were all protected in our saddlebags.  That means that we will keep them longer.  Jan got a hold of me on the CB and told me that when we got into Cuba, NM, he was going to look for a Holiday Inn Express or Best Western.  We were riding and the rain was soaking through our jackets.  My right side was soaked.  There was a small casino and mini-mart on the left side of the road.  It was 19 miles from Cuba.  Jan pulled in to the mini-mart.  NO ladies, we DIDN’T go into the casino!  It was blowing strongly and it started to rain again.  We left at 3:48 PM.

Jan led us south on Highway 550.  It was DARK.  We rode for 22 miles and at 4:09 PM, Jan stopped at an abandoned gas station in Cuba, NM.  Jan told us that he stopped so that we could put our rain gear on.  After putting on our rain gear, we left, in the rain, at 4:22 PM.

We continued riding and it was raining again.  Did I say it was DARK?  It rained for awhile.  It felt much better to ride in the rain with rain gear on, although our clothes were wet under our rain gear.  We rode for a while and it stopped raining.  The road was dry and Jan bumped up the speed.  We were actually able to see the landscape of the area.  It looked good.  We rode for 66 miles and at 5:23 PM, we stopped in Bernalillo, NM at a Holiday Inn Express.  I went into the lobby to “make the deal.”  I got a good deal and went back outside and told the guys.  We all went in and checked into our rooms.  We got our bags from our Motorcycles and took them to the rooms.  We had parked our Motorcycles under the awning at the entrance and I went downstairs to make sure it was OK to leave them there.  It was.  I went back to my room and Chuck was already wearing his swim suit and ready for the hot tub.  I quickly got ready and we went downstairs.  Jan was already in the water.  We got in and Ken soon followed.  We had decided that for dinner, we would order pizza.  We didn’t want to ride anywhere because it was raining.

We had dinner and talked about a lot of things, including this year’s ride, the guys, our families and our Motorcycles.

Today we rode 334 miles and rode through a lot of rain, wind and a little snow flurry.  We protected our rain gear and got wet.  We survived.

Tomorrow is bittersweet.  We will head for home tomorrow.  We are not sure what the weather will bring us, but we will be prepared.  Hopefully we will use our expensive rain gear and NOT protect them by leaving them in the saddlebags.  So, until tomorrow…      

HAIL!

Day 19, Sunday, May 03, 2015

It was a rough night last night.  I was awake at 4:38 AM and couldn’t get back to sleep.  I turned my alarm off at 6:30 AM when it sounded.  Jan woke up also and said that he woke up very early and couldn’t get back to sleep.  He told me that he was going to stay in bed until I finished.  I got up, got dressed and packed.  Jan got up finally and started getting ready.  I took a couple of bags out to my Motorcycle.  It was cold!  It was 45 degrees.  Ken was already at his Motorcycle and was cleaning it.  I packed my Motorcycle and walked back into the breakfast area.  C.E was already there saving a table with five chairs.  The others came in slowly.  We were done eating by 7:30 AM.  We returned to our rooms and got the rest of our stuff.  We weren’t going to leave early.  We were hoping that it warmed up a little.  Three of us needed to get gas so we rode across the freeway to the Shell station and gassed up.  We were ready to go and left at 8:36 AM.

It was C.E.’s turn to lead.  He led the Group of five north on I-25.  We rode for a short time and then we turned onto Highway 160 west.  We rode through the city of Walsenburg, CO.  We could see at a distance the snowcapped mountains all around.  We rode for 91 miles and at 9:57 AM, we stopped in Ft. Garland, CO for a pit stop.  We bought some snacks and beverages also.  Chuck was waiting for a fresh pot of coffee to be made; however, he couldn’t wait any longer.  The two female employees were “cat fighting” and cursing at each other in front of the patrons.  Chuck didn’t want to stick around for that.  He would get coffee later.  We left at 10:15 AM.

C.E. continued to lead us on Highway 160.  It didn’t take long for C.E. to make a stop.  After riding 27 miles, we stopped in Alamosa at a Safeway gas station at 10:42 AM.  C.E. needed gas for his Trike.  As C.E. was gassing up, Chuck, Jan and Ken were looking at a map.  They were trying to figure out a new plan.  We all looked to the west and there was a very large, dark, rain cloud that we were headed for.  I stayed on my Motorcycle while they had a conference.  The decision was made and C.E. was instructed.  We left at 10:54 AM.

C.E. led us back on Highway 160 west until we arrived in Monte Vista, CO.  He then turned onto Highway 285 north.  We were not riding into the storm, but we were riding north along the storm.  At least we were not getting wet…yet.  We continued until we entered the town of Saguache, CO.  C.E. pulled over by the side of the road and we all stopped.  They were discussing the route, again, with the map.  We were also looking towards the west and the nasty looking sky.  I told the guys that while they were discussing, I was going for a pit stop a block west at a gas station/mini-mart.  I rode off.  For it being a little town, it sure was crowded.  I went inside and found the restroom.  There was only one and there was a line.  Before I knew it, Jan and C.E. were in line behind me.  I walked to the front of the store and Chuck was at the register buying his cup of coffee.  I walked to my Motorcycle and Ken was putting on his rain gear.  He told me that it was decided that we were going west, through the storm.  We all put our rain gear on.  It is always a funny sight watching us put on our rain gear.  We were all dressed and we left at 12:18 PM.

C.E. led us out of Saguache and onto Highway 114.  We were headed towards the nasty looking clouds.  We were on a nice country road. The clouds were threatening.  The sprinkles started and quickly turned into hail.  It was a good thing that we had put on our rain gear over our jackets and that we had helmets on.  The clothing cushioned the hail and you can hear the, “tink, tink, tink” on the helmet.  We weren’t going very fast and it hailed and rained for about 8 minutes.  The rain and hail stopped, but the road was still wet.  We got an occasional sprinkle, but it didn’t last very long.  We continued and came up to a “T” intersection with Highway 50.  C.E. turned left on Highway 50.  We rode for 73 miles and at 1:34 PM, we stopped at a Subway for lunch in Gunnison, CO.  We have been to this Subway before on an earlier ride.  We were riding US 60 East and US 50 West. We took off our rain gear and walked into the Subway.  We had good sandwiches and returned to our Motorcycles.  We needed to get gas and there was a Conoco gas station across the street.  C.E. had started putting on his rain gear and so did I.  The others chose to go get gas and then put on the rain gear after gassing up.  As C.E. and I finished putting on our rain gear, the rain started.  I saw the guys across the street, gassed up and in the rain putting on their rain gear.  C.E. and I gassed up and rode out to the open where the other three were.  We waited for them to finish dressing and we left at 2:30 PM.

Chuck was now leading and he had told us that he was going to lead as slow as or slower than C.E. led in the rain.  We headed out on Highway 50.  As soon as we left, it started to sprinkle.  The sprinkle turned to a good rain.  It rained for about 15 minutes and it stopped.  Once we got to dry road conditions, Chuck sped it up a little.  The road was well maintained and it was a good road.  We were riding at about 65 to 70 mph and it was fun on the curves.  We rode alongside the Morrow Point Reservoir.  It is a big reservoir.  We got to about the half way point and there was a bridge crossing the reservoir.  We went over the bridge and sped off.  There was not very much traffic on the road.  It was also cold.  I checked the thermometer on the Motorcycle and it got down to the 40’s.  We rode for 74 miles and at 4:00 PM, we arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in Montrose.  Chuck and Jan entered the lobby to “make the deal.”  I was my turn to room solo and Chuck told me the price.  I told him that the price was OK.  We all went in and checked into our rooms.  Chuck roomed with Jan and C.E. roomed with Ken.  We got our bags from our Motorcycles.  The rain and road dirt got the Motorcycles very nasty.  They were filthy.  They all needed to be cleaned.  This type of dirty Motorcycle couldn’t be cleaned with a wet towel.  This has to be detailed at home.  We parked our Motorcycles and tucked them in for the night.  Ken saw a Mexican Food Restaurant two businesses away from the hotel.  We would walk to dinner.

After getting our bags into our room, we put our swim suits on and visited the Hot Tub.  It was nice to get in to a hot Hot Tub after the ride we had.  We finished and met in the lobby at 7 PM to walk to dinner.  We did, we ate and returned to the hotel.  I returned to the blog and the rest returned to their rooms.

Today we rode for 319 miles and rode in the rain and hail.  We rode on some nice roads.

Tomorrow, I believe that we are going to head towards Durango.  Yes, we are headed south.  Our journey is almost over.  Durango was mentioned, however, plans change at any time.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…         

NOTHING & Wind & Farmland

Day 18, Saturday, May 02, 2015

OK, here we go.  My alarm sounded…at what time?  Yes, it sounded at 6:30 AM.  What did I do?  I turned it off and got up right away.  Chuck got up also.  We got dressed and packed our stuff.  I took a couple of bags to my Motorcycle and packed them in.  I parked under the awning at the entrance of the hotel.  The others parked a distance away in the parking lot.  I got my Motorcycle as ready as it could be while the others were doing the same.  I went into the breakfast area.  It was crowded.  I got a table away from the crowd and started eating.  The others came in slowly.  We ate our breakfast and returned to our rooms to gather the rest of our stuff.  With our Motorcycles fully packed and ready, we left at 8:30 AM with Jan in the lead.

Jan led us on Highway 81 north and got on Highway 62.  When we reached the city of Anadarko (sounds like something out of a Star Wars movie), we turned north on Highway 281.  Highway 281 was a “green dotted” highway.  Lots of pretty things to see.  After riding for 59 miles, we stopped at a Love’s Truck Stop at 9:33 AM in Hinton, OK, next to I-40.  We all gassed up and took a pit stop.  The sky was cloudy and we had our jackets on.  We were about done with our break and Bruce came over to the Group and told Chuck that he and Jake were done.  They were going to get on I-40 and go home.  I was talking with Ken and looking at the map when Bruce spoke.  I didn’t hear the reason.  Chuck said, “OK,” we said goodbye and we left north on Highway 270.  We left at 10:01 AM.

Ken was leading the Group.  There were five of us left.  We knew that this next leg was not going to have anything worth seeing.  Ken put the pedal to the metal and we were off at about 75 mph.  It was cloudy and windy.  The five of us stayed together and we zipped down the highway.  We saw a lot of wind turbines in this area.  We thought that there were a lot of them in California.  There seemed to be more than there are in California.  We had ridden for about an hour and Ken quickly stopped in a small town named Seiling, OK.  Ken pulled into a parking lot of gravel and pavement.  The business didn’t appear open.  He stopped, took his jacket off and packed it on his Motorcycle.  There was NO restroom, NO drinks, NO snacks…NOTHING!  It was all about Ken.  Ken got back on his Motorcycle and we were off.  Ken was trying to get some distance and after riding 100 miles, we stopped in Woodward, OK at 11:37 AM.  We made a pit stop, had a drink and snacks.  We were ready to leave and left at 11:54 AM.

Ken and Chuck talked a little about maybe with the next stop, we would have lunch.  Ken took off again.  We rode through farming communities.  The wind was still blowing and, on occasion, wind gusts were pretty strong.  Chuck later said that it was a Blustery Day in the Hundred Acre Woods.  We rode for 130 miles and at 1:52 PM, we stopped in Guymon, OK for gas.  Guymon was a larger town.  We gassed up and Jan spoke with the postman and got directions to the local Subway.  I was listening, since it was my turn to lead.  We left the gas station and rode on Highway 412 west.  We rode for a couple of blocks and turned north.  This road was also Highway 412, Business.  We rode through downtown and found ourselves on a rough road.  Looking at the road, it was all cobblestone, or bricks.  It was very old and not smooth at all.  We stopped at the Subway and had our lunch.  It was rather quick to serve five people instead of seven or eight.  We were served quickly and we ate.  We left the Subway at 3:14 PM.

I was the lead now.  We went north on Highway 412.  We rode fast, like when Ken was leading.  We looked at the western sky and it was very cloudy and they were dark, rain clouds.  We could see the rain falling from the distance.  We rode for 65 miles and at 4:09 PM we stopped at Boise City, OK.  We made a pit stop and looking at the rain to the west.  We were talking about waiting it out, but after talking about it, we decided to go.  We left 4:29 PM.

We were now on Highway 64 and still looking at the rain.  We were hoping that we could split the two storm fronts that were ahead of us.  The closer we got to the rain clouds, the windier it got.  We had ridden for about 30 minutes and it started to sprinkle off and on.  We didn’t get wet very much, but we could smell the rain and feel some drops.  The more we rode, the darker it got.  We didn’t have our jackets on at this time and it was getting colder.  At 5:00 PM, we crossed over into New Mexico.  We also gained another hour.  We rode for 45 miles and at 4:11 PM, we arrived in Clayton, NM.  Remember, we gained an hour.  We pulled into an abandoned gas station, under cover.  It was sprinkling and we were putting on our jackets.  We left at 4:20 PM.

As we were riding north, the sky was cloudy, but they were not rain clouds.  We continued riding on Highway 64.  We rode for another 85 miles and at 5:34 PM; we stopped in Raton, NM at a Best Western Hotel to check prices.  The prices were very steep and they only had three rooms left.  The clerk told us that the entire city’s hotels were pretty much filled.  We decided to continue on to Trinidad, CO.  We left at 5:54 PM.

Trinidad, CO was not very far north.  I led the Group onto I-25 and headed north.  A few miles north, we spotted some antelope on either side of the Interstate.  We rode for 22 miles and at 6:06 PM, we arrived in Trinidad.  I led the Group to a Holiday Inn, Jan rode to a nearby La Quinta and Chuck stopped at a gas station and put 5.7 gallons of gas in a 6.0 gallon tank.  Close!  I called Jan and he told me that he got a good rate and it was better than what I got.  The room price was one third the price from the Best Western in Raton, NM.  Chuck joined us and we all rode to the La Quinta and met Jan.  We all checked in, unloaded our Motorcycles and took our stuff to our rooms.  We parked our Motorcycles and tucked them in for the night.  We decided that we would eat dinner on the property.  We had pizza.  After the pizza, the guys went to the Hot Tub while I stayed in my room and worked on this blog.

Today we rode a lot of miles.  We rode for 506 miles.  We saw some rain but didn’t get wet.  We were just sprinkled on.  We rode through the northeast corner of New Mexico and we are not in Colorado.

Tomorrow, we will ride deeper into Colorado.  I don’t know how far.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…     

Oklahoma!

Day 17, Friday, May 01, 2015

My alarm sounded at 6:30 AM.  Sound familiar?  I was already awake at 6 AM.  I was just laying there waiting for the alarm to go off.  It did and I turned it off.  Chuck told me that I didn’t have to be quiet because he was awake also and just not moving.  Chuck got up, got dressed and we packed our bags.  Our Motorcycles were parked just outside our door.  We took a couple of bags out to the Motorcycles and packed them.  We then walked to breakfast with Ken.  We finished having breakfast and walked back to our rooms to grab the rest of our stuff and load them.  Chuck had to check the map to see where we were going.  When Chuck was done, we got on our Motorcycles and left on Highway 7 South a couple of blocks to gas up.  We left at 8:53 AM.

Jake led us on Highway 7 South.  We got to Highway 70 West and we got on it.  Highway 70 was a very bumpy road.  There were a lot of repairs on this road and it was not smooth at all.  We were bumped around a lot.  We continued on Highway 70 until we got to Glenwood, Ark.  There was a gas station at the corner with a lot of bikers there taking a break.  We had been riding for about 55 minutes and I thought that, maybe, Jake would stop and take a break.  We turned the corner and we were now on Highway 8.  We didn’t stop.  My mind started to wonder if there was another city close by, or maybe some trees or something in the near future where we could make a pit stop.  We continued and rode through several small cities that had nowhere for us to stop.  I was starting to worry about what could happen to me if we continued longer.  We rode into the city of Mena.  It has its own airport in the outskirts.  I knew that it was a larger city and that Jake WOULD stop.  I figured out a game plan for me as soon as we got to a stop.  I took off my gloves as we rode.  Jake spotted an Exxon station and we pulled in.  Everyone was parking and I quickly parked in front of the mini-mart, took my keys and, without taking off my helmet, went inside to the restroom.  Bruce saw that I was in a hurry and held the front door open for me and stayed out of my way.  If he was in my way, I was going to walk over him.  I made it on time!  This happens to all of us at one point or another.  Sometimes it happens to me more than others.  This is why I am only allowed ONE cup of coffee for breakfast.  Everyone took their turn taking a pit stop.  We bought some refreshments and took a little break.  We had ridden for 91 miles and stopped at 10:42 AM.  We left at 11:08 AM.

Jake took the lead again.  We were on Highway 8 again.  We rode and at 11:44 AM, we crossed the Oklahoma State Line.  The rode changed numbers.  It was now Highway 63.  The road was much better.  The countryside was absolutely beautiful.  Everything was green.  We rode for 57 miles and at 12:10 PM we stopped in Talihina, OK for lunch at Subway.  We finished lunch and we were on our way at 1:00 PM.

 

Jake got us on Highway 1 after leaving Talihina.  We rode for a distance and had to get on Highway 2 for a short distance and then get back on Highway 1.  Jake was given the instructions back in Talihina when we finished lunch.  We were on Highway 2 and then I saw the sign for Highway 1.  I watched Jake as he led.  We were getting close to the turn and he wasn’t slowing.  I got on the CB and told Jake, “Highway 1, Left…Highway 1, Left!”  Jake went right.  We were still on Highway 2.  We rode for about a quarter of a mile and he slowed and made a u-turn.  We all did.  We rode back to Highway 1 and turned.  No problems after that.  We rode for 54 miles and at 2:01 PM we stopped at McAlester, OK where we took a pit stop and filled up with gas.  Chuck got the map out and was studying it.  A couple of the guys went and looked at the map also…why, they weren’t leading next.  Jan went over to see the map because he was leading next.  We left at 2:25 PM.

Jan led the Group west on Highway 1/270 west.  There were two numbers but the same Highway.  The road was very smooth.  Jan rode at a faster speed.  Before we knew it, we had ridden for 61 miles and stopped in Ada, OK at 3:25 PM.  We stopped for a requested pit stop.  While we were stopped, it was warm, however, when we were riding, it was cool.  None of us were wearing jackets.  We took a break and someone mentioned ice cream.  We all went in and had some.  We were done and ready to continue.  We left at 3:54 PM.

Jan continued to lead.  We rode through some small towns and caught in the “rush hour.”  I swear that there must have been two or three cars in front of us!  Nonetheless, we couldn’t go our normal speed because of the “Sunday Drivers” ahead of us.  We finally got a break and no one was ahead of us.  Back to our speed!  Before we knew it, we had ridden for 89 miles and at 5:31 PM, we arrived in Chickasha, OK…Where?  We stopped at a Holiday Inn Express.  I went in to “make the deal.”  The clerk gave me a price that I, and we, thought was high.  Chuck and Jan rode to a nearby Hampton Inn.  They went in to check on prices and found that the prices were more that the Holiday Inn Express.  Chuck called me and told me to book the rooms.  Two of the rooms in the Holiday Inn Express were Suites.  The prices were more than the other rooms.  I asked if we could get a discount for four rooms.  The clerk gave us the four rooms, which included a couple of Suites, for the same price.  SCORE!  We all checked into our rooms.  We got our bags from our Motorcycles and took them to the rooms and returned to our Motorcycles and cleaned them.  We decided to go to a Mexican Food Restaurant across the street for dinner.  The guys went to the Hot Tub first while I went to my room and started this blog.  We walked to the restaurant and ate a good meal and walked back.  When we got back to the hotel, we tucked our Motorcycles in for the night and we all went to our rooms.  It was a good day.

Today, we rode for 352 miles.  We are pushing 5,000 miles total.  We really didn’t do much, other than ride, break, ride, break, etc.  We did see a ranch with numerous Buffalo on the property.  Also, there were several turtles on the road.

 

Tomorrow we are still headed west.  We are going to head toward the panhandle of Oklahoma.  I’m not sure where.  Chuck will have to look at the map and then tell us…hopefully.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…

Arkansas

Day 16, Thursday, April 30, 2015

Since we didn’t have J.B., Chuck roomed alone.  My alarm sounded at 6:30 AM and I was already awake.  I got up and got dressed.  Jan got up and got dressed also.  We packed our stuff.  I took a couple of bags down to my Motorcycle.  Jan was right behind me.  We then went to breakfast.  It was very busy in the breakfast room.  We weren’t in any hurry.  We were waiting for 9 AM for the shops to open.  A couple of the guys, including me, wanted to go shopping.  We did go shopping.  I was waiting for 10 AM.  My Daughter, Dr. Lori Walfoort, contacted one of her Chiropractors in her Network in Branson.  She told him that she had her Dad (Me), and seven of her “patients” were in Branson.  He told her to send them to him, no charge.  By 10 AM, I was in Dr. Bo Bandy‘s office.  He gave me a great adjustment and when I was done, I felt like I was walking on cloud 9.  My body was reconnected.  My limp was gone and so was my pain.  Jan went with me and watched.  We returned to the hotel and J.B. was there.  He was going to lead us to his house in Hollister.  We left at 10:46 AM.

J.B. led us to his house in Hollister.  We rode for 11 miles and arrived at his house at 11:05 AM.  We toured his house and spoke with Susie.  We left them at 11:33 AM.

Chuck was leading us after getting instruction from J.B. as to how to get out of his residential community.  We got on Highway 65 South and away we went.  As we were riding on Highway 65 South, at 11:46 AM, we crossed over the Arkansas State Line.  We rode for 33 miles and at 12:09 PM, we stopped in Harrison, Arkansas for lunch at Subway.  For being a small town, this Subway was very crowded.  We finished lunch and left at 12:54 PM.

When we left Subway, Chuck took us onto Highway 7 South.  We followed that for 19 miles and stopped in Jasper, Arkansas at 1:18 PM.  We stopped for a short time so that Chuck could look at the map.  He saw what he needed and we left at 1:24 PM.

Chuck led us through some awesome roads.  There were twisties, curves and hills.  We kept the speed up at about 65 to 70 mph and didn’t slow down very much, except when a car or truck got in front of us.  We all passed them and continued the fun ride.  Chuck led; I was next then Jan, Ken and C.E.  Jake and Bruce brought up the rear.  Jake and Bruce, most of the time, were not in sight.  We continued and then stopped at the Rotary Ann Rest Stop of the Ozark National Forest.  We had ridded 35 miles and stopped at 2:00 PM.  Jake and Bruce arrived two minutes later.  We took a break and took pictures of this area.  It was beautiful!  We got ready to leave and did at 2:20 PM.

We continued on this fun ride.  We did the same speed as before and attacked the curves.  The road was great as was the weather.  We rode for 37 miles and at 3:00 PM, we stopped in Russellville.  We had just crossed over I-40 when we stopped at a gas station/mini-mart.  Were a little tired at this point.  I had checked the internet for any hotels in Hot Springs, Arkansas and found several.  We all had drinks and snacks.  We were ready to ride and we left at 3:32 PM.

We were off again.  We rode this fun road again and enjoyed the ride.  We came into Hot Springs.  This town was a lot bigger that we had expected.  We kept riding through the city, and riding and didn’t see the Best Western.  We thought that we ran out of city and it kept growing.  We finally found the Best Western.  Jan and Chuck went into the lobby to “make the deal.”  Jan asked the clerk for the price and was told somewhere in the $80 range.  He asked her about the discounts and was told that the best discount was for Government Rate at $72 a night.  She asked Jan, “What kind of Government?”  Jan showed the lady his Retired Badge and Commission Card.  She charged us $70 a night!  That was great!  I gave her one of my Police Patches.  She was very happy.  We all checked in and rode to our rooms.  We took our bags to the rooms and Ken rode and bought some beer.  I went into my room and started the blog.  Exciting, isn’t it?  I missed out on the fun.  They also cater to the Motorcycle rider.  They gave us towels to wash the Motorcycles and told us that there was a “Hog Wash” on the property.  There was a picnic table next to the ‘Hog Wash’ where the guys sat and drank.  Some of the guys used the “Hog Wash.”

Those who washed their Motorcycles parked them by their rooms and we walked to “Rocky’s Corner” restaurant across the street and had dinner.  When we finished, we walked back and we tucked our Motorcycles in for the night.

Today we rode 328 miles and crossed into Arkansas.  We rode to J.B.’s house and “inspected” it.  It is a nice home.  We had fun on the roads and hope to have more fun tomorrow.  We are down one person.  The line-up for tonight is:  Jan/Ken, C.E./Bruce, Jake solo and Chuck/Me.

Tomorrow we are going to head west towards Oklahoma.  Who knows where we will end up?  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…  

Goodbye J.B.!

Day 15, Wednesday, April 29, 2015

So, last night I was able to finish the blog and transfer the pictures from my camera to my computer.  I also titled the pictures.  I was done early.  I left Chuck in the lobby.  Chuck was working on his blog.  I got to my room and Jan was watching TV.  I prepared for bed and got my clothes ready for tomorrow.  What a great time to get to bed early!  I was in bed by 10:30 PM.  Nope!  Jan and I talked and watched a TV program that he watches.  I liked it.  I guess I will watch it when I get home.

My alarm was set for 6:30 AM and I got up as soon as it sounded.  I got dressed and Jan got up soon after.  Jan looked out of our window and saw three guys already packing their Motorcycles and preparing them for travel.  We took a couple of bags to our Motorcycles and packed them.  Our Motorcycles were ready.  We went into breakfast and most of the guys were there already.  We had a good breakfast and had some laughs about the trip.  We were done and went back to our rooms to collect all of our belongings.  We checked out of the hotel and went to our Motorcycles and got ready to leave.  We left at 8:55 AM with Bruce in the lead.

Bruce led us to Highway 412 West.  I was in the back; Chuck was ahead of me and Jan in front of Chuck.  We rode on Highway 412 for a while and then we crossed the Mississippi River.  As we were crossing over the bridge, at the halfway point, there was a sign that read, “Missouri State Line.”  We crossed over at 9:09 AM.  We were now in Missouri.  The “Welcome to Missouri” sign greeted us as we crossed the Mississippi.  We continued on Highway 412 to Kennett, MO and turned onto Highway 25 North.  We rode north to Holcomb and turned onto Highway 53 North.  We rode for a short distance and after riding for 62 miles, we stopped in Campbell, MO at 9:59 AM for gas.  At this gas station, we had to go inside and give them our debit cards so that they could start the pumps.  There were two ladies behind the counter.  They were fun and gave us a hard time.  They joked at us and also asked where we were headed.  The restroom door had references to Harley Davidson Motorcycles and that the restroom was for Harley riders.  The guys thought that it was cool.  Ken, C.E. and I showed them.  We used the restroom and made it better!  Honda Better!  We left at 10:34 AM.

C.E. was leading us now.  There was construction just north on Highway 53 and the road was closed.  The ladies at the gas station told us to “just go around it.”  We turned left a block prior to the construction, rode a few blocks, turned right, rode a couple of blocks, turned right and rode a few blocks and we were back at Highway 53 and northbound.  It was either this or take the detour, which would have taken us about 50 miles out of our way.  It was a great tip from the ladies.  We continued on Highway 53 and turned onto Highway 160.  We rode for 58 miles and at 11:44 AM, we rode into Doniphan, MO where C.E. pulled into a Subway for lunch.  We had a good lunch and then left at 12:34 PM.

C.E. was still leading the Group.  We headed west on Highway 160.  The road was a two lane road with farms on either side.  It was very GREEN!  Also, thank you homeowners who were mowing their lawns as we passed.  I love the smell of freshly mowed grass.  At home, on Wednesdays when Roberto comes and cleans our yard and mows our lawn, I open the arcadia door and smell the freshly mowed grass.  Thanks Roberto!  I, also, get tired when the lawn gets mowed.  I get tired watching Roberto work.  Oh, I’m sorry, back to our ride!  As we rode more on Highway 160, the road began to curve, twist, become hilly and it was a FUN road.  C.E. led us like a pro!  He controlled his Trike very well.  We were going fast through the curves.  He didn’t let up.  We all knew that he was “working it!”  C.E., Ken, J.B, Al and Jan were the starting lineup.  Chuck, Jake and Bruce were the final three.  We were really enjoying this road.  We haven’t had very many roads like this on this trip.  We came to an intersection where we had to make a right turn.  We all stopped and waited for Jake and Bruce to catch up.  They had been out of sight.  One full minute later, they caught up.  We all made the right turn and continued.  After riding for 74 miles, we stopped in West Plains, MO at 2:03 PM for a much needed pit stop.   We praised C.E. for leading us through that fun ride.  We had fun.  We had snacks and took a short break.  Before we knew it, C.E. stated to us, “We’re losing daylight!”  WOW!  C.E. was cracking the whip.  We quickly got ready and we left at 2:22 PM.

Back on Highway 160 with C.E. leading.  The weather was nice.  It was a little cool.  Some of the guys had their jackets on and some didn’t.  We rode for another 57 miles and at 3:28 PM, C.E. stopped in Theodosia, MO…Where?  Anyway, the stop was a good stop.  We needed a pit stop and something to WAKE US UP!  We were getting sleepy.  We needed sugar for energy.  Most of us ate ice creams.  We were getting ready to leave, knowing that our destination, Branson, was about 50 miles away.  We left at 4:00 PM, WITH J.B. LEADING.

This was J.B.’s territory.  He knew the area.  Besides, we didn’t need for anyone to lead us to J.B.’s home town.  J.B. took us back onto Highway 160.  J.B., Jan, Ken and Al were the starting lineup this time.  C.E., Chuck, Jake and Bruce brought up the rear.  As we rode Highway 160, it was just as much fun, if not more, than when C.E. led.  J.B. rode fast through the curves.  We rode faster than when C.E. led.  As we took the curves and the hills, I don’t think that there were more than three car lengths separating J.B. and Me.  Remember, Jan and Ken were between us.  We kept the group TIGHT!  While we were riding in a tight group, I was riding “one handed.”  I was recording a video of the guys in front of me.  THAT made it more fun for me!  As we were riding, I kept looking in my rear view mirror and, guess what?  C.E. was keeping up with us!  He was a short distance behind, but, keeping up with us.  He was working it!  He is going to be tired tonight and sleep well.  We rode up to the junction with Highway 76 South, which was a left turn.  C.E. and Chuck stayed back and didn’t make the turn.  They were waiting for Jake and Bruce.  If nobody waited for them, they would have not known that we made a turn.  The four of us turned and rode a short distance, turned at a street, made a u-turn and waited for the rest to catch up.  We waited for four minutes before the other four caught up.  We continued south on Highway 76.  We soon rode into Hollister, MO.  Thank God that J.B. was leading!  There were so many turns and round-abouts that J.B. just rode without hesitation.  We rode for 54 miles and at 5:03 PM, we stopped in Branson, MO at the Best Western Music Capital Inn.  Jan and I entered the lobby to “make the deal.”  We did and got a good price.  We all checked in, took our bags to our rooms and met in the lobby.  J.B. had been in contact with his wife, Susie.  Susie made a reservation for all of us at a BBQ restaurant named, “Shorty Small’s.”  J.B. led us to the restaurant and we parked our Motorcycles.  J.B. told us that Susie was already there, waiting for us.  He saw her car parked in the parking lot.  When we walked in, Susie met us.  She lovingly greeted her husband, J.B., with a nice, warm hug and kiss.  She then greeted us with hugs and hellos.  There was a table ready for us.  We sat and had dinner.  The food was good.  When we were done, we said our goodbyes to Susie and J.B.  We will see them tomorrow.  We all rode back to the hotel where we parked our Motorcycles and tucked them in for the night.

Some of the guys went to the hot tub and I went to the lobby to type up my blog.  I hope that this will not be another long night for me.

Today we rode 305 miles.  We rode through two good, fun stretches of roadway.  Again, IT WAS FUN!  We got to see a little of Branson…again.  We had great weather, cloudy, and no rain.  We did get spit on a little, but not much.

Tomorrow, we will meet up with J.B. and Susie.  I believe we will see them at their home.  After that, my understanding is that we will ride south into Arkansas.  Chuck says that there are a lot of “green dotted” roads there.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…

Memphis & Beale Street

Day 14, Tuesday, April 28, 2015

I went to bed well past midnight last night and I had set my alarm for 6:30 AM.  I was not sure if I was going to get up at that time because Chuck had told me that they were going to the Laundromat in the morning.  I figured that I would have breakfast, clean my Motorcycle and then go back to my room and take a nap. 

My alarm sounded at 6:30 AM as did Ken’s.  We both got up and laughed at the fact that our alarms went off at the same time.  Ken said that we have been roomies for two nights and both mornings the alarms went off at the same time.  That’s 100% of the time.  WOW!  Now you have to wonder about our weird sense of humor.  We are probably punch drunk or have been on the Motorcycles for too long.  Anyway…we got up and got dressed.  We packed our bags and I was moving slower than normal.  Ken left the room before I did.  I couldn’t get motivated this morning.  I was looking forward to my nap later.  I went down to breakfast and several guys were there already.  I had finished breakfast and went to my Motorcycle and took the cover off.  I cleaned the Motorcycle and moved it out of the way.  It was parked behind Chuck’s Motorcycle.  I didn’t want it to be in the way when they went to the Laundromat.  I went back to my room and got my bags.  They were packed in the Motorcycle.  Ken was at his Motorcycle and told me that no one was going to the Laundromat this morning.  The guys decided to go later this day.  Crap!  There went my plans.  I dressed for the ride and was ready to go.  Since I was leading, Chuck came to me and told me that they weren’t going to the Laundromat.  He wanted to get to Memphis before the storm hit us.  He wanted to be northbound from Memphis by that time.  I told Chuck that I would not be leading very long because I was low on gas.  I’m sure that others were low on gas, also.  We left at 8:51 AM.

I led the Group north, about a block, and got onto I-40 West.  I set my cruise control on 80 mph and away we went.  I also set my heater on AND my seat heater.  My tushy was nice and warm.  We rode for 46 miles and at 9:24 AM we stopped in Stanton, TN to gas up at an Exxon Station.  We all gassed up, took a pit stop and we were ready to go.  We left at 9:39 AM.

Bruce got his instructions from Chuck prior to leaving.  Bruce led us back on I-40 towards Memphis.  We were headed to Beale Street.  Beale Street is famous for its parties and Jazz music; kind of like Bourbon Street is with New Orleans.  Bruce led us the 48 miles and at 10:26 AM we arrived in Memphis and parked about a block from Beale Street.  We parked on a parking lot next to Riverside Drive.  We all started walking to the Beale Street Party area.  It was two blocks away.  The street was barricaded closed.  One or two of the businesses was open.  Most were closed until 11 AM or Noon.  We walked up the street and back down.  C.E. stayed with the Motorcycles.  He can’t walk that far.  We took pictures and looked inside the stores.  When we got to the end of the street, what appeared to be a homeless female walked up to the Group and started talking to us.  She introduced herself as, Helen Hunt.  Funny, she didn’t look like Helen Hunt.  If it was, I would have talked to her!  She was asking for money.  She asked us for $10 to pay the Catholic Shelter to take her home.  Jake answered her and the more she talked, we all started peeling away from Jake.  Eventually, we left Jake alone with the homeless.  We later told Jake that we are no longer Police Officers and we are NOT required to talk to anyone, if we don’t want to.  Jake was heard to tell the Helen Hunt about our travels.  I thought that Jake was going to ask her to follow him to his Motorcycle and that he would take her anywhere she desired.  Anyway, the rest of us continued walking and site-seeing Beale Street.  We started to head back to the Motorcycles.  

Jan and I got back to the Motorcycles and C.E. was still sitting on his.  We told him that we were going to walk to the river.  The Mighty Mississippi River was only a block away.  There was a nice looking park.  We took pictures of this huge pyramid a distance away.  It was a Bass Pro Shop.  Jan and I agreed that we would have had more fun going to the Bass Pro Shop than walking Beale Street and its urine smell.  But, at least we can say, we have been to Memphis and Beale Street.  On a positive note, when we could smell it, the BBQ smelled very good.  We walked back to our Motorcycles and, soon after, we were joined by the rest.  We saddled up and got ready to ride.  We left at 12:22 PM.

Bruce had his conference with Chuck and got his instructions as to where to ride.  Bruce led us onto Highway 51.  It was a “green dot” road by the atlas.  Green dot means that it is a scenic road.  We rode for 18 miles and at 12:52 PM we stopped in Millington, TN at a Subway for lunch.  We went in and had lunch.  Chuck was being nice to us and bought a dozen cookies for us to share.  Hmmmmm, what does he want from us?  We took our time and then returned to our Motorcycles.  Bruce got his instructions from Chuck and we left at 1:59 PM.

We continued on Highway 51.  We went through a few cities and we stopped at a few red lights.  There were a few lights where Bruce and a couple of others made the green light and some of us had to stop for the red.  Bruce and others had to pull over and wait for us.  We rode for 63 miles and stopped in Dyersburg, TN at 3:15 PM.  We stopped at a gas station/mini-mart for a pit stop.  J.B.’s Garman showed a Best Western hotel very close by.  We were going to check it; however, Chuck walked back of the mini-mart building and saw some construction/demolition on a property not far from where we were.  There was a pole with what used to be a sign on top.  The sign was that of a Best Western.  Chuck checked his phone for a close hotel.  He found a Holiday Inn Express about a mile north of us.  We left at 3:33 PM. 

It didn’t take us long to get to the Holiday inn Express.  One mile away and we parked on the parking lot at 3:36 PM.  Bruce entered the lobby and found that the Holiday Inn Express was booked.  He was told that people were being referred to the Sleep Inn, about 300 yards away.  I rode to the Sleep Inn to check and, as I entered the lobby, I saw Bruce talking with the clerk.  He had “made the deal” and told the clerk that he was going to go and check with the guys.  I told Bruce that the deal was good and that we would stay here.  The rest of the guys arrived and we all checked in.  I went to my room with my bags and dropped them off.  If you remember yesterday’s blog, last night I went solo to the Laundromat and did my laundry.  Everyone else needed to go to the Laundromat.  They didn’t even unpack.  I went back to my Motorcycle and moved it from the front of the lobby.  I parked it and cleaned it.  It was now ready for our ride, later, to go to dinner.  The guys rode off to the Laundromat.  Jan and J.B. stayed at the hotel and did their laundry in the guest laundry room.  

OK, the line up for tonight.  J.B. told us that this would be his last night with us and that tomorrow, he would head for home.  Chuck decided that we would go back to the “Day 1” rotation.  So, that means:  Chuck/J.B., Ken/C.E., Bruce/Jake and Jan/Me.  It just so happens that the guest laundry was next door to Jan and My room.  Jan and J.B. did their laundry while I went down to the lobby and started the blog.

The guys returned from the Laundromat at 6:00 PM.  Jake and Bruce were walking through the lobby and told me that the Group was thinking about walking to a nearby Applebee’s for dinner.  With that said, I went out to my Motorcycle, put the cover on it and tucked it in for the night.  We all walked a short distance to Applebee’s for dinner and C.E. rode his Trike.  We had a good dinner and it was cold inside the restaurant.  When we were done, we walked back and then met up in the lobby to drink more coffee.

Today, we rode 176 miles and we stopped and walked Beale Street in Memphis.  Thinking about it, I would have had more fun going to Bass Pro Shop.  Did I type that out loud?  Sorry.  We had a good day and didn’t get wet.

Tomorrow, J.B. will be leaving us and riding home.  Susie, he should be home by the afternoon.  Be good to him, Susie, believe it or not, he was a good boy while he was with us.  Really!  I just learned that we will be accompanying J.B. to his home.  We will be riding to Hollister, MO and maybe spending a night in Branson.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…

    

Natchez Trace

Day 13, Monday, April 27, 2015

Let me start by telling you about last night.  I was working on the blog in the hotel lobby.  It was about 8:30 PM when most everyone went to their room because they were tired.  J.B. stayed in the lobby until 9:00.  He went to his room and I told him that I would soon follow.  WOW!  It was only 8:30 or 9:00 and they went to their rooms.  Lightweights!  I finished and went to my room and my room was dark and my roomy was already in bed.  I was still wide awake.  I tried to be quiet while getting ready for bed so as not to disturb Ken. 

OK, now the morning.  Both, my alarm and Ken’s alarm sounded at 6:30 AM.  We got up, got dressed and packed.  We went outside our door to our Motorcycles and saw the fog.  It was also 45 degrees.  We took our covers off of our Motorcycles and packed our bags.  We then went to breakfast and saw that J.B. was already there eating breakfast.  We joined him.  The others started coming in slowly.  Yes, you guessed it; Chuck was the last to come in.  We were all ready early, but we wanted to wait a little until it warmed up.  We were all set to go and C.E. rode off across the street to gas up his Motorcycle.  Ken was leading and we all rode to the front of the hotel and waited for C.E.  C.E. joined us and we left at 9:21 AM.

Ken led us onto Highway 231 North.  We rode for a while and got into an area where there were twisties and hills.  Ken was leading, I was next and Jan was third.  The rest followed.  The road was good and smooth.  The three of us were having a good time with the twisties and hills.  We noticed that we had left the rest behind.  Ken slowed and the others eventually caught up.  We continued and we did it again.  We left them behind.  We were really enjoying the ride and getting as much as we could out of it.  We haven’t had very many roads like this on this ride.  We rode through Shelbyville and then to Alternate Highway 41.  We followed 41A until we reached Highway 840.West.  Ken didn’t have any instructions as to which road to take after 41A.   We rode for 68 miles and at 10:38 AM we stopped in Rudderville, TN.  We stopped at a gas station and mini-mart.  They didn’t have a restroom inside that we could use, but they had a j-jon outside.  We had drinks and snacks and we talked about the fun we just had. Ken checked with Chuck with the map to see where we would be going next.  We were done with our break and left at 11:14 AM.

Chuck told Ken to continue on 840 West and we would eventually come to the Natchez Trace.  Ken followed 840 West and we saw a sign that said, ‘Natchez Trace one mile.”  Ken saw the sign and exited one mile later.  At the intersection, there was a sign that read, “Natchez Trace Right Turn Highway 46 North.”  Not wanting to go north, Ken turned left.  We all would have done the same thing.  We rode Highway 46 and enjoyed the scenery on the road.  It was a good road with many twisties.  Again, Ken, Jan and I had fun and pulled away from the group.  We got to the end of Highway 46 and were at the junction of Highway 96.  We didn’t know where to go.  We started to think that we had finished the Natchez Trace.  Ken turned left and pulled into a gas station to gas up.  We had ridden 42 miles and we stopped in Burns, TN at 11:57 AM.  Chuck came to us and told us that Ken had turned the wrong way.  That was NOT the Natchez Trace.  Ken needed to turn right, where the sign displayed the information about Highway 46 North.  It lead us to Natchez Trace going SOUTH.  We didn’t know.  It was one of those things that our leader didn’t explain.  No big deal!  There are other ways to get to the “Trace.”  We left at 12:24 PM.

I was in the lead now.  The plan was to ride west and stop, soon, and have lunch.  I led the group west on Highway 96.  We entered the city of Dickson, TN where we found a Subway and had lunch.  We rode for 6 miles and stopped at 12:34 PM.  We were there for quite some time.  J.B. rode to a nearby Wal-Mart for some personal items.  Chuck was on the phone for quite some time.  We were just milling around.  Finally everyone was done doing what they were doing and we left at 1:38 PM.

We were on Highway 70 through Dickson and turned onto Highway 46 South.  We rode for a while and it turned into Highway 7.  We rode for a while and there was the sign for the Natchez Trace.  We rode on the Natchez Trace.  It was a great road with beautiful scenery.  We rode for 56 miles and at 2:38 PM stopped at the Meriwether Lewis Memorial.  We parked next to the memorial and took pictures.  The woods to the north of us looked like they needed to be watered, so, we watered them!  We packed up and left at 2:58 PM.

We got back on the “Trace” and headed south.  We rode until we came to the junction of Highway 64 West.  We exited the “Trace” and followed Highway 64.  As we were westbound, Jan spoke to me on the CB and told me that we needed to stop and discuss our plans for the rest of the day.  It was getting late and we had hoped to get to Memphis.  After riding 59 miles, we stopped at a gas station mini-mart in Savannah, TN.  It was getting a little warm and some of the guys took their jackets off.  We discussed our plans and it was decided that we would go to Jackson, TN and find a Best Western Hotel.  We left at 4:27 PM.

I led the Group west on Highway 64 to Selmer.  We didn’t want to go through the city.  There was a by-pass to go around the city.  We were on Highway 64 and then onto Highway 45.  We were now northbound and didn’t go through the city of Selmer.  We continued north and then rode into Jackson, TN.  We needed to go to Chester and turn left.  That is all of the instructions that I was given about where the Hotel was located.  We got to Chester, but didn’t turn.  The next street was a one way in the opposite direction.  We went up one more street, turned left, turned left at the next street and then turned right at the second street.  We were on Chester again.  We took this street, which turned into Highway 45 by-pass.  We went about a mile or two.  We stopped at a red light and Chuck came riding next to Jan and me and told us that the Best Western was about three miles north.  We rode about three miles and there it was on the right.  We pulled into the Best Western at 5:45 PM after riding 68 miles.

Bruce and J.B. entered the hotel to “make the deal.”  The rest of us waited outside.  Jan went inside and I followed.  I checked and saw that Bruce and J.B. were getting their rooms.  The rest of the guys got their rooms.  We got our bags and took them to our rooms.  The guys sat around the lobby talking and drinking coffee.  I checked with the clerk about laundry on the premise and Laundromats nearby.  She told me about two Laundromats and the property didn’t have laundry rooms for the guests.  Ken rode to one Laundromat to check the hours and came back with a report that it was a dry cleaner.  I was anxious to find out because I needed to do laundry today.  I had nothing for tomorrow.  I rode in the other direction to check the Laundromat.  I found it about a mile away.  When I got back to the hotel, C.E. and Ken were riding their Motorcycles to O’Charley’s Restaurant in the strip mall behind the hotel.  I rode up to the restaurant and J.B. had also ridden.  The others walked.  We had dinner and finished a little after 8:30 PM.  I went straight to the Laundromat alone.  While I was there, I typed my blog.  I got most of it done when the laundry was done.  I packed my stuff in my Motorcycle and returned to the hotel.  All of the Motorcycles were tucked in for the night.  I parked my Motorcycle and also tucked it in.  I went into the lobby and finished my blog. 

Today we rode 299 miles and rode some of the Natchez Trace.  We went on some good roads and had some fun.  So far this ride, we have gone 3,774 miles.  Well, at least I have.  When we started this morning, we thought that we were going to get wet.  We were monitoring a storm coming from Texas.  We were lucky in that we didn’t get wet when we were riding nor did it rain while we were awake.  Maybe tomorrow it will rain.

Tomorrow, some of the guys will go to the Laundromat in the morning.  I won’t have to.  I was told that we may go to Memphis tomorrow.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…

   

U-Turns

Day 12, Sunday, April 26, 2015

I was able to finish the Blog and pictures at somewhat of a decent hour last night.  I set my alarm for 6:30 AM.  It went off and, as much as I wanted to ignore it, I turned it off and got up.  I got dressed and packed.  J.B. did not move or wake up.  I took a couple of bags out to my Motorcycle.  As I was walking past the breakfast room, I saw Ken sitting and having breakfast.  I loaded my Motorcycle and cleaned it up a little.  I went into the breakfast room and sat with Ken.  We had some laughs at others’ expense and then J.B. came in.  The others came in slowly.  We all had breakfast and Chuck was studying the map with J.B.  We all packed our Motorcycles and rode a short distance to a gas station.  We all filled up and it was J.B.’s turn to lead.  We left at 9:09 AM.

J.B. led us north on Highway 280 North.  After about 10 minutes, we rode into the Central Time Zone.  We gained an hour.  J.B. led the group.  It was a cool morning, some had jackets and some didn’t.  We rode for a while.  We came up on I-85 North and J.B. led us on it.  We rode for about two miles and we got off.  J.B. led us on a u-turn and back on I-85 South.  We rode for three miles, came up to Highway 280 West.  I thought that we were going to get off, but J.B. continued south.  Chuck rode up from behind me and in front of J.B.  We rode for a mile and Chuck led us off of I-85 South, made a u-turn and back onto I-85 North.  Chuck gave up the lead and J.B. took over.  On the CB, Jan stated that Jake probably feels better for yesterday.  We rode for a mile and got off at Highway 280 West.  WOW! That was fun.  Thanks J.B. for taking one major item off of my “Bucket List,” touring I-85 in Alabama!  We headed west on Highway 280.  We rode through several small cities and after riding 76 miles, we stopped at 9:17 AM in Alexander City, Ala for a pit stop.  Remember, we gained an hour.  We didn’t ride for 76 miles in 8 minutes.  While we were taking a break, Chuck bought a cup of “Boiled Peanuts.’  They just don’t sound good to me.  He ate them and liked them.  He did offer some to us.  Jake tried one and as he ate it, he said that it turned to “mush.”  No more for him.  We finished our break and we left at 9:59 AM.

J.B. led us on Highway 280 again.  We rode for a short distance and turned onto Highway 9.  We rode through the small town of Goodwater.  It was a nice, clean town, but I noticed that there weren’t any people out and about.  There was hardly any traffic.  I then realized that it was Sunday morning and I’m sure that the people were in Church.  We continued on Highway 9.  We rode for 63 miles and stopped at 11:05 AM in Hollis Cross Roads, Ala.  J.B. needed to look at the map.  While J.B. and Chuck were looking at the map, I rode across the street to a gas station to go use the restroom.  When I got out, the guys were already moving north on Highway 431, leaving at 11:14 AM.  I caught up and got into my position. 

We went under I-20 and turned left onto Highway 78 West.  We rode for 14 miles and at 11:29 AM, we arrived in Oxford, Ala at a Subway for lunch.  We took our time eating and relaxed a bit.  C.E. rode his Motorcycle to the gas station and gassed up.  We were done eating and relaxing and mounted our Motorcycles and left at 12:14 PM.

J.B. led the group north on Highway 431 North.  A short distance later, there was a fork in the road.  To the left was Highway 431 and to the right was Highway 21.  Can you guess which road J.B. took?  Yup, you’re right.  We went right.  We rode about a quarter mile and J.B. and the group made a u-turn, back to the fork and then north on Highway 431.  J.B. led for 58 miles and at 1:24 PM, we arrived at Boaz, Ala where we all gassed up.  It was now Ken’s turn to lead.  Ken told us that if we thought that there were a lot of u-turns with Jake and J.B., stand by for his lead.  We left at 1:41 PM.

Ken led us back onto Highway 431.  We rode into a town named, “Albertville.”  I liked the name…I don’t know why.  We then rode into Guntersville, where there was a lake.  We rode over several bridges.  There were a lot of boaters and fishermen on the lake.  We rode around the lake going from Highway 431 to Highway 79.  Ken did a great job leading us and it was flawless.  (He paid me to write this.)  Ken was AWESOME!  (Ken paid me to write this also.)  We rode north on Highway 79 and at 3:02 PM, we went over the Tennessee State Line.  Highway 79 turned into Highway 16 in Tennessee.  It was starting to get cold.  The sky was overcast and it was getting dark…at 3:02 PM!!!  After about two miles of riding in Tennessee, Ken motioned to me, I was behind Ken, to pull over and stop on the shoulder.  We had ridden for 71 miles and it was 3:04 PM.  We were in the middle of forest, on a two lane road.  Ken got off of his Motorcycle and told us that he was cold and was going to put on his jacket.  I had checked the temperature and it was 61 degrees.  We all put our jackets on and since we were “one with nature,” it was time to go and water the plants and trees.  For those who don’t understand, we needed a pit stop.  We took care of our needs, returned to our Motorcycles warmer and with no stress, and left at 3:13 PM.

We continued on Highway 16.  We were feeling much better. Jackets and warmer gloves did feel good.  I also put on my heater on my Motorcycle.  It felt good!  I checked the temperature a couple of times and it got down to 57 degrees.  We came up to the end of Highway 16 and the Junction with Highway 64.  Ken turned left, going west towards Fayetteville, TN.  We rode for a few miles, entered Fayetteville and Ken motioned for me to ride next to him.  I did and he told me to help him find a hotel.  Just after he asked, I saw a billboard for the Best Western in Fayetteville.  It directed us to turn left at the next light.  In less than a mile, there was the light.  We turned and about a half mile later, there was the Best Western hotel.  We pulled in, Jan and I went in to “make the deal.”  We were offered a good deal and then I asked for another deal, four rooms instead of one.  We got a lower price.  SCORE!  We checked in, got our rooms and unloaded our Motorcycles and put our stuff in our rooms.  We have new partners tonight.  Jan/Chuck, C.E./Jake, J.B./Bruce and Ken/Me.  We hung around the lobby drinking coffee and then we rode about two miles away to “Sam’s Place” Restaurant for dinner.  After dinner we rode back to the hotel and it was cold.  We parked in front of our rooms and tucked our Motorcycles in for the night.  We returned to the lobby for more coffee.  Do you think that, maybe, we like coffee?

Today we rode for 330 miles.  We made a lot of u-turns, thanks to J.B.  We made fun of him and we didn’t laugh with him, we laughed at him!  It’s all in good fun.  EVERYONE gets their turn!  It happens, we have fun and we move on…until next time.  Of course, some are concerned that they will be put on this blog.  I’ve told them before; NOONE is exempt from this blog.  It’s all in fun.  You guys get to read what we go through. 

Tomorrow we will head west.  Chuck mentioned that we might go to Natchez Trace.  We have been there on prior rides; however, we have not done the entire thing.  We may or may not do the entire thing this time.  As you have read, plans change time and time again.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…