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…

      

RAIN!!!

Day 11, Saturday, April 25, 2015

First of all let me apologize for not giving you the line up for last night.  We changed roommates.  Chuck/Bruce, Jan/C.E., Ken/Jake and J.B./Me. 

My alarm sounded at 6:30 AM.  Did I mention this before?  I got up immediately and got dressed.  I kept looking at J.B. and wondering when he would wake up.  I was trying to be quiet.  I packed by bags and was sitting on my bed putting the battery back in the camera.  I dropped my camera on the floor and J.B. stirred.  As I was picking up my camera, J.B. opened his eyes and saluted me.  I guess I taught him right!  I was done packing.  J.B. got up and started to get dressed.  I took a couple of bags down to my Motorcycle to pack them.  As I got outside, I saw that it was sprinkling.  I packed my bags and cleaned my Motorcycle.  I walked into the breakfast room and Ken and Jake were already eating.  The guys slowly came in for breakfast.  Chuck was almost the last one.  Now, THAT is the Chuck we all know.  Bruce was the last to arrive.  We all ate breakfast and we were not in any hurry.  As we were eating, it rained harder.  We were unsure as to whether we would leave or spend another night.  We looked at the radar and saw that there were two storm fronts and one was above us.  Chuck said that we would wait and leave between the two storm fronts.  We were finished eating and we slowly went to our rooms and gathered the rest of our belongings.  Our Motorcycles were all packed and some of the guys got their rain gear out and started to put them on.  We still had about an hour before we even thought about leaving.  Jan and Chuck checked their tires and put in more air.  Ken, Jan and I cleaned our Motorcycles of the bugs and road dirt.  We were just killing time.  It was getting closer to leave and we all checked out of our rooms.  Chuck told us that we were going to leave soon.  The rest of us put on our rain gear.  Since we all needed to gas up, Jan, Ken and I decided that we would leave and ride next door to the gas station and gas up.  It was not raining at this time.  We thought that we had escaped the rain for a while.  The rest came to the gas station and gassed up.  Well, guess what?  As we finished gassing up, it started to rain.  We left at 11:34 AM with Jake leading.

Jake led us in the rain north on Highway 267.  When we reached Highway 90, Jake led us east.  At this point, we were headed to Montgomery, Ala.  That was the initial plan that Chuck discussed with Jake.  As we rode Highway 90, we went on a bridge over Lake Seminole.  After we did, there was a sign that stated that we were now on Central Time.  This was at 12:04 PM, which now, after passing the sign, it was 11:04 AM.  We gained an hour.  We continued and stopped at 11:30 AM after riding 58 miles in Marianna, Fla.  Jake thought that we needed a pit stop.  OK, with the suggestion planted in our mind, we did!  While we were taking a break, Chuck was busy checking the map and his phone.  We all felt that the plans were about to change.  Chuck told Jake to find some place for lunch.  We left at 12:13 PM.

Jake led us onto Highway 71, north.  We continued north and at 12:32 PM, we crossed over to Alabama.  The Highway turned into Highway 53.  We continued north going through Cottonwood, ALA, not Arizona.  We continued on Highway 53 for a distance and, whoops, Jake missed the turn.  We had to make a u-turn.  That’s OK, we all do that.  We went north on CR-33.  This was a two-lane County road.  Everything was green.  We rode for a while until we reached a fork in the road.  The left road was CR-33 and the right was Sweetie Smith Rd.  Guess which road we took?  Yup! We went right.  Welcome to the Group Jake!  He led us to the first intersection and made a u-turn.  We rode back to the fork in the road and turned into CR-33.  Now we were on the correct path.  We rode for a while and came up to Highway 82 going east/west.  Jake got on the CB and asked for suggestions.  Chuck told him on the CB to turn left.  There was a gas station and other buildings close by.  We thought that maybe there may have been a Subway.  There wasn’t.  We had ridden 38 miles and stopped in Ashford, Ala at 12:59 PM.  Jake and Chuck checked the map, again, and Jake had his instructions.  Jake led us onto Broadway and Old Highway 84.  After riding for 2 miles, we stopped at a business, still in Ashford, at 1:14 PM.  Checking the map, again, Chuck told Jake a different plan.  We left at 1:24 PM.

Jake took us on Old Highway 84 to Pleasant Grove and turned north.  We rode on this road until we met up with CR-33 again.  We turned east onto CR-33.  We rode for a distance and at 1:41 PM, we crossed over into Georgia.  It was now 2:41 PM.  We lost an hour, again.  We were on Eastern Time, again.  We were now on Highway 62.  We rode for 26 miles and at 2:54 PM, we stopped in Blakely, GA at a Subway for lunch.  We had a relaxing lunch.  Just before we arrived in Blakely, I was listening to an FM radio station.  The disc jockey was talking about a “Tornado Warning” with wind gusts of 60 mph and half dollar size hail in the southwest area of Georgia.  We were in the southwest area of Georgia!  I told the guys during lunch.  Chuck checked the map again and spoke with Jake.  We were done with lunch.  We left at 3:42 PM. 

Jake led us back onto Highway 62 and turned onto Highway 39 North.  We rode around some City buildings and possible City Hall.  We were headed north on Highway 39 and I was still listening to the FM station.  The sky was very dark to our left and an occasional lightning bolt would flash.  We also heard thunder.  We were trying to beat the storm and were going up to 80 mph on the country road.  There wasn’t much traffic so it was safe.  We rode for 41 miles and at 4:25 PM we stopped at a small gas station in Georgetown, GA.  Just as we arrived, the sky opened up!  It rained!  We parked our Motorcycles, some under the canopy and some not.  It poured!  We got out our rain gear and started to dress into them.  The thunder, lightning and the rain were fierce.  We waited until it had lightened up.  We thought that it was OK to go so we left at 4:51 PM. 

Jake led up on Highway 39 and we crossed over into Alabama, again.  We went north on Highway 431.  As we rode on Highway 431, the rain would start up again and rain hard.  Then it would stop.  Start.  Stop.  We rode for 55 miles and at 5:47 PM, we stopped at a gas station in Phenix City, Ala.  Yes, that is spelled correctly.  They just don’t know how to spell it correctly like we do in the big city!  We didn’t know where we were going.  We knew that we wanted to go to the Holiday Inn Express in Phenix City.  J.B. told us that he had the Holiday Inn Express address set on his Garman.  He then led the Group and left at 5:58 PM.  J.B. left and didn’t check to make sure that we were all ready to go.  Chuck, Jan and I were left at the gas station and J.B. and the rest were nowhere in sight.  We rode east.  Chuck led us a few blocks, blindly, until we saw Bruce stopped at a traffic light waiting for us.  We caught up and he turned south, following J.B. and the rest of the Group’s path.  We rode a few blocks and could NOT see them.  We made a few turns and stopped at a small parking lot.  Chuck checked his phone while I checked my navigation system.  I could not find the Holiday Inn Express.  We left and headed through the city trying to locate Highway 431, where we had entered the city.  We found it and were on Highway 431, east of Highway 280.  Chuck checked his phone and found that he had missed a call from Jake.  Chuck called Jake and Jake told Chuck that they were at the Holiday Inn Express and checked in.  He also said that a Quality Inn was next door.  Bruce walked to the gas station to use the restroom.  Chuck checked his phone for directions to the hotel.  Jan suggested to Chuck that maybe we should ask someone.  Chuck said, “No.”  Bruce returned and Chuck led us, again, north on Highway 280.  We rode for about a mile or so.  I saw a sign that read, “Welcome to Georgia.”  We stopped at a stop light and I told Chuck about the sign.  He asked me if I knew where to go.  I told him that we needed to go the opposite direction and get back to Alabama.  He told me to lead.

I led the four of us and made a u-turn.  We got back onto Highway 280 and rode for about two miles.  Jan got on the CB and told me that he saw the Quality Inn.  We exited Highway 280 and onto the access road.  We finally saw the Holiday Inn Express next door to the Quality Inn.  We rode into the front of the hotel and the rest of the guys were there waiting for us.  Whew!  Our partners told us our room numbers and gave us our keys.  We unloaded our bags.  I unloaded my bags, took off my rain gear, put it away, wiped down my Motorcycle and covered it.  All of the Motorcycles were tucked in for the night.  Inside the Quality Inn was a restaurant called, “AJ’s” where, after putting our stuff in our rooms, we walked for dinner.

We had a good dinner and relaxed.  After dinner, we walked back to our hotel, collected our computers and maps and went to the breakfast room to work on our blogs and check the maps…and drink coffee!  The nice Hawaiian Clerk was kind enough to make up two fresh pots of coffee.  The guys finished doing what they were doing and I stayed and finished the blog.  Another late night.

As I told you at the beginning of this blog, we had intended to go straight to Montgomery, Ala.  Our plans changed several times.  We never made it to Montgomery and we went BACK to Georgia.  Who knows where we will end up tomorrow?  I know that about five miles from this location, we DO change to Central Time.  We were told that although we are in Alabama, this city chose to be on Eastern Time. 

Today, we rode for 229 miles.  We have ridden over 3,000 miles on this trip so far.  Tomorrow, At this point, the only thing I know, for sure, that we will do is ride west.  Of course, as you have read, it can change.  We shall see… 

See you later Jake and Bruce!

Day 10, Friday, April 24, 2015

Last night I was able to complete my blog while most of us were downstairs in the breakfast room.  We were having fun and drinking coffee.  I also finished my pictures, labeling them and posting some on Facebook.  J.B. and I were the last to leave the breakfast room.  I went into my room and C.E. was already sleeping.  I tried not to make much noise.  My alarm sounded at 7:00 AM and C.E. was already awake.  We got dressed, packed and took a couple of bags down to our Motorcycles.  We didn't have to get up very early because we didn’t know the situation with Jake’s Motorcycle.  We had breakfast and then we all went to our rooms and gathered the rest of our stuff and packed them in our Motorcycles.  Jake and Bruce were still in short pants.  They told Chuck that we should just go because they had plans to go to a museum.  What?  Chuck told Jake that we would meet them in Tallahassee.  Jake said, “OK” and Chuck said, “Bye!”  Chuck told Jake to keep in touch.  We left at 8:40 AM, leaving Jake and Bruce standing, looking at us leave.

Chuck led us onto Pine Forest Rd. and then to Highway 297.  We rode on Highway 297 until we got to Highway 90 and then east.  Prior to leaving, Chuck was leading and I was next.  He gave me a list of Highways that we were going to take to get to the south end of Pensacola to try and avoid downtown.  As we were going on Highway 90, Chuck turned right onto “A” Street.  What?  A couple of blocks down the road we stopped at a stop sign.  I asked Chuck why he had turned and not stayed on the planned route.  He told me that he didn’t know why he turned and then said that he wanted to get closer to the water.  Yeah, right!   We stayed on “A” Street until we got to the end of the road and then Chuck turned left onto Main Street.  We continued on in what appeared to be the very old part of Pensacola.  The street eventually met up with Highway 98, the road that we were eventually going to get on.  I saw at a distance a long bridge over a large body of water, Pensacola Bay, and a lot of vehicles on it.  I looked at my navigation system and saw that the bridge WAS Highway 98.  I told Chuck that the bridge WAS Highway 98 and he said, “I know.”  Again, yeah, right!  As we started to go over the 3.5 mile long bridge, there was a sign at the beginning warning people to check their gas gauges to make sure that they had enough gas to go over the long bridge.  I guess there have been prior vehicles running out of gas.  As we got to the end of the bridge, there was a “Toll” booth.  The charge for each Motorcycle was $1.  Chuck told the clerk that he was going to tell all of us that the charge was $5.  Nope, that didn’t work.  We were now in Gulf Breeze, on Pensacola Island.  It was a nice looking little town with all kinds of things to do, you know…Tourist Trap.  We continued on Highway 98, made a u-turn and then turned onto Highway 399.  Chuck had seen a sign that said that 399 was a “scenic” road.  We followed Highway 399 with the Bay to our Left and the Gulf to our right, and white sand on either side.  We stopped at a parking lot at Navarre Beach at 9:44 AM, after riding 34 miles.  We parked our Motorcycles and took some pictures of the Motorcycles and of us with the Motorcycles.  Chuck, Jan and I walked down to the water’s edge and took some pictures.  Chuck took the opportunity to test out his “waterproof” new boots.  We returned to our Motorcycles and continued east.  We left at 10:02 AM.  For your information, we were all running on fumes and our “low fuel lights” were on.

 

We continued east and after riding for 5 miles, we stopped at a Citgo Gas station at 10:11 AM in Navarre Beach.  We all gassed up and parked the Motorcycles together.  The guys went in and bought drinks and came out.  I was sitting on my Motorcycle.  Jan, Ken and C.E. were standing next to me when I felt something small hit me on my back.  Jan told me that a baby sparrow landed on my back.  I told Jan to take a picture and gave him my camera.  Jan took three pictures.  The bird then flew away.  We were done with the break and we left at 10:43 AM with Jan leading.

Jan led us north on Highway 399 to Highway 98 and then east.  We followed Highway 98 for a while.  Jan turned into a gas station in Inlet Beach at 12:01 PM, after riding for 58 miles.  Jan thought that maybe someone needed to make a pit stop.  He was right and I took advantage, as did J.B.  We left at 12:11 PM.

 

We continued on Highway 98.  It was getting close to lunch time and Chuck told Jan, on the CB, of a Subway on the left.  We turned in and had lunch.  We had only ridden for 8 miles and stopped at 12:21 PM in Panama City Beach.  We had lunch and we were getting ready to leave.  We left at 1:20 PM and were stopped at the edge of the drive to get across the divided highway.  There was a lot of traffic going west.  It was not safe for us to pull out.  I suggested to Jan that we should turn right and make a u-turn.  There was a dark gray Dodge Charger stopped in the median facing west.  Jan rode and stopped in the median next to the Charger, as did we.  The next thing we saw, and not expecting, was the Charger had a lot of red and blue lights flashing.  The Charger drove into oncoming traffic, stopped them to allow us to turn left.  We were all impressed!  If only the Officer knew that he just helped six Retired Cops from Phoenix.

 

Jan continued to lead us east on Highway 98.  It was warm and humid.  We rode for 55 miles and stopped at a gas station/mini-mart in Port Saint Joe at 2:40 PM and after riding 55 miles.  After we parked our Motorcycles, J.B. strongly suggested that it was time for an “ice cream” break.  That is what we all did.  It was good and refreshing.  It did cool us down a little.  Chuck got on his phone and contacted Jake.  He told Jake to meet us in Quincy, Fla, just west of Tallahassee, on I-10 at Exit 181.  We left at 3:03 PM.

Jan led us back onto Highway 98 and we headed east.  We rode through the middle of town on Business 98 until the road turned into Highway 319.  We rode for a while and then turned north on Highway 65.  As we were going north, C.E. rode up to Jan and told him that he was needing some gas.  He didn’t gas up at Port Saint Joe.  There was no place to stop for gas. We continued on and rode through a small town named Wilma.  There was a small gas station with, what looked like, crappy pumps.  Jan slowed down for a while.  I saw C.E. indicate with his arm to continue.  We really weren't worried that C.E. would run out of gas since he carries a gallon in a can in his trunk.  We came to another little town named, “Hosford.”  We had ridden for 88 miles and stopped at 4:47 PM.  We had lost another hour!  It was 5:47 PM.  C.E. gassed up and we were on our way at 5:37 PM.

Since C.E. gassed up and we didn’t, Jan continued to lead.  We rode north to Highway 22 and turned right.  We continued on Highway 22 and turned onto Highway 267.  Before we knew it, there was the Holiday Inn Express that we were looking for in Quincy.  We turned into the parking lot at 5:58 PM after riding 22 miles.  Jake and Bruce were not there yet.  Jan and I went in to “make the deal.”  Chuck and J.B. went next door to another hotel to check prices.  Jan and I got a good price and then Jan rode over to the Hampton Inn, behind the Holiday Inn Express.  Jan came back and told us that the Holiday Inn Express had the best price.  We went in and checked in.  As we were checking in, Jake and Bruce arrived.

We got our bags from our Motorcycles and took them up to the rooms.  The clerk told us that fresh, chocolate chip cookies were just made.  We got some and then left for dinner.  We rode about three miles to the West Side Grill Restaurant for dinner.  It was suggested by the clerk and it was good.  We returned to the hotel from dinner, parked our Motorcycles and tucked them in for the night.

Today we rode 270 miles.  We were at the beach and had some fun there.  We rode in the heat and humidity and it wore us down a little.  When we turned onto Highway 65, we headed away from the Gulf.  Our Gulf Coast ride came to an end.  Tomorrow we will head north and into Georgia.  I don’t know how far we will go but Chuck told me that we may turn westbound at the northern part of Georgia.  We don’t know.  So, until tomorrow… 

      

U.S.S. Alabama

Day 9, Thursday, April 23, 2015

We changed up the line up for partners last night.  I forgot to tell you.  Chuck/Jake, Jan/Bruce, J.B./Ken and C.E./Me.  My alarm sounded at the normal 6:30 AM.  I got up and started to get dressed and C.E. got up also.  We dressed and packed up our stuff.  We each took out a couple of bags out to our Motorcycles.  We packed our Motorcycles and cleaned them; however, they weren’t very dirty from yesterdays ride.  Even the windshields didn’t look bad.  We went in for breakfast and J.B. and Ken were already there.  Everyone arrived for breakfast and we had a good time visiting and eating.  We were done so we packed up the rest of our stuff into our Motorcycles.  C.E., Jan, Bruce and I were parked on one side of the hotel while the others were on the other side.  Jan had already moved to the other side of the hotel.  C.E. and I followed.  When we got there, Chuck was checking out his Motor.  It appears that when he was cleaning it this morning, he noticed that his rear light bar was loose.  Ken got his tools out and Chuck was lying on the pavement tightening the bolts.  Now it was fixed.  Bruce rode over and we were all ready.  We got ready and then we left the hotel at 8:53 AM with Chuck leading the Group on Highway 670 South.

Chuck turned onto Highway 90 and we rode through some beautiful countryside.  As we rode, we crossed over into Alabama at 9:37 AM.  After riding for 75 miles, we stopped in Grand Bay, Alabama at 9:42 AM for a pit stop.  While we were having a break, Bruce suggested that we stop at the U.S.S. Alabama, docked in Mobile, Ala.  Chuck checked with everyone and we all said that we didn’t mind.  We left at 10:00 AM.

Chuck led us on Highway 90 then Highway 19 and onto I-10.  We were entering Mobile when we went into the tunnel.  We have gone through this tunnel before.  I like going through the tunnel and honking my horn.  How many of you people out there do that?  How many remember your Dad doing that when you were children?  I do.  Anyway…when we exited the tunnel, we got off of the next exit for the Alabama.  We entered the grounds and came to a guard shack.  Since Chuck was leading, our rule is:  whoever is leading and we come up to a toll booth or place where they charge entry fee, the leader pays.  Chuck paid the $2 per each Motorcycle.  Chuck tried to tell us that he paid $5 per Motorcycle.  We heard the lady in the guard shack tell Chuck it was only $2.  We rode in and parked.  We had ridden 28 miles and arrived at 10:30 AM.  There were a lot of planes, helicopters, tanks and assorted vehicles from different wars parked on the grounds.  Then there was the ship.  The U.S.S. Alabama was there in all its beauty.  It was awesome to see.  We took a break and cooled off before starting the tour.  It was very humid and warm.  We all paid our $13, Senor Rate, for our entry.  Ken and C.E. didn’t tour.  They stayed in the gift shop area and waited for the rest.  There was a large building that housed several Historic aircraft from the WWII, Viet Nam and other eras.  The Submarine U.S.S. Drum was displayed.  Jan, Jake and Bruce went off together, while Chuck, J.B. and I went a different way.  We toured the Alabama and took a lot of pictures.  Both groups met up together after a while at the forward, top deck close to the big guns.  We were all sweating and also had enough and were ready to go.  We talked about having lunch in the lunch room by the gift shop.  We found that all of the food was “packaged,” and not fresh.  We decided to go elsewhere.  Before we left, I suggested to Chuck that we all park our Motorcycles in a row in front of the U.S.S. Alabama and take a picture.  We set up the Motorcycles and I asked a gentleman walking by to take the pictures.  He did and I didn’t have to set my camera on the tripod and have Jan or Jake click the camera and run to their Motorcycle.  It was easier this way.  After the picture, we left at 12:53 PM.

Chuck led us back onto I-10 and then onto Highway 90.  We rode for 19 miles and stopped in Loxley, Ala at 1:20 PM.  Where?  You guessed it.  Subway.  The Subway was empty when we arrived.  We surprised the young lady, Cheyenne, working alone.  Her eyes opened very wide when she saw us coming in.  Chuck told her that we were the “advanced group” for a busload of tourist that was going to stop at the Subway.  Her eyes got wider and her mouth opened.  Chuck told her that he was kidding.  She did a great job serving us.  She was pleasant and understanding .  We told her to just take her time, as we were not in any hurry.  While we were in line, a local Police Officer walked in.  He stood by the door, looked at the line and then left.  We were there for a while.  Chuck was checking the map, C.E. rode to the nearest gas station and filled up and we were just waiting on them to finish.  As we were leaving, I spoke with Cheyenne and told her who we were and what we were doing.  I gave her a Phoenix Police Patch and her smile went from ear to ear.  She was so happy that she told me that she was going to put it on the wall of the Subway.  Chuck told me that we were going to go to a Harley Davidson Dealer in Pensacola, Fla so that Jake could have the mechanic take a look at his Motorcycle.  It seems that Jake’s Motorcycle makes a funny noise when it is idling.  We left at 2:16 PM.

We rode on Highway 90 for a distance and then onto Highway 29.  We were in Pensacola now and looking for the Harley Davidson Dealer.  We crossed I-10 and a short distance later, we found the Dealer.  We had ridden for 38 miles and arrived at 3:07 PM.  We all parked in front while Jake rode his Motorcycle into the service bay.  Of course we had to go in and get a cup of coffee.  Some of the guys were happy that they were in a Harley Store.  Jake came in and told us that they would be looking at his Motorcycle when the mechanic was finished with his current job.  Chuck suggested that while Jake was with his Motorcycle, someone could stay with him, Bruce, and the rest of us could go and find a hotel.  Chuck had checked the internet and found a few hotels about 6 miles away.  Chuck told Jake that when we found a hotel, he would call him and tell him where we were.  We left at 3:40 PM.

We rode 6 miles away and stopped at a Best Western Plus, Blue Angle Inn at 3:52 PM.  Chuck and J.B. went in to “make the deal.”  Ken and I were with the Motorcycles.  I walked into the lobby and Chuck and J.B. were in the process of checking in.  I went outside and whistled at Ken and gave him the “thumbs up” sign.  We were all checked in now.  We got our bags and took them to our rooms.  The clouds were rolling in and it looked like it was going to rain.  Chuck called Jake and told him where we were.  We all went to our rooms to relax.  A couple guys went to the fitness center.  I went to my room to start the blog.

Jake and Bruce soon arrived.  Jake had told the guys that the “capacitor” needed to be changed and that it would be finished about noon tomorrow.  Jake went across the street and rented a car.  The repair is a warranty item.  Bruce rode and Jake drove their vehicles to the hotel.  We had decided to go to dinner at the Cracker Barrel.  Jake took C.E. in the car, since the Cracker Barrel was .8 of a mile away.  The rest of us walked.  Jake came back and met us after we had walked about a quarter of a mile.  He offered us a ride and J.B. and Jan took him up on it.  The rest of us walked.  We had a good dinner and when we were done, Jake brought C.E., J.B. and Me back to the hotel.  Jake then went back to try and pick up the rest.

We got back to the hotel and covered our Motorcycles and tucked them in for the night.  Today we rode for only 138 miles.  We did spend almost two and a half hours at the U.S.S. Alabama.  We also spent some time at the Harley Davidson Dealer.  It was a long day, it was warm and humid and we were all tired.  We don’t have to get up early tomorrow because Jake won’t be ready.  I don’t know what we will be doing, whether we ride somewhere or wait.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…

Mississippi

Day 8, Wednesday, April 22, 2015

I got to bed early last night.  At 6:09 AM, CRAMP!  A cramp in my left calf got me out of bed quickly.  I stretched it out and managed to get back to sleep.  Chuck never stirred.  My alarm sounded at 6:30 AM and I got up immediately…not as fast as I did when I got the cramp.  I got dressed and packed, as did Chuck.  He woke up soon after I did.  We took a couple of things out to our Motorcycles.  As I walked out to my Motorcycle, I remembered that I didn’t cover it last night.  My Motorcycle, and the others, were wet from the humidity.  It sure made it easier to clean them!  After I packed my bags and cleaned my Motorcycle, I went in for breakfast.  Most of the guys were up and having breakfast.  We all seem to be getting up early.  We sat around talking after breakfast as we were not in any hurry to leave.  As I said, we all got up early, ate early and were ready early.  This gave us some time to sit around and talk about things.  Chuck brought his computer to the breakfast table and was doing some work on it.  One of the guys asked if he knew where we were going.  Chuck stated that he didn’t know because he had not looked at the map.  Chuck looked at the map and had a conference with C.E. and gave him the instructions.

Last night when the guys went for dinner, on the way back to the hotel, a few of the guys gassed up their Motorcycles.  This morning, five of us needed to go and gas up.  We rode to a nearby gas station and gassed up.  We left the hotel and gas station at 8:58 AM with C.E. in the lead.

C.E. led us eastbound on Highway 14, through town, and onto Highway 90.  We rode for 70 miles and at 10:02 AM, we stopped in Morgan City, LA.  We needed a pit stop.  We stopped at a gas station/mini-mart.  We bought some beverages and snacks and took a break.  As I was buying a snack and drink, I had asked the female clerk if she could tell me what city we were in.  I had to have her repeat it three times before I could understand what she was saying.  Wow!  If sure could have used C.E. to translate.  We were done with our break so we got on our Motors and left on Highway 70 at 10:31 AM. 

As C.E. led us north, we were going about 45 mph through the city.  We were riding next to a canal on our right and C.E. pointed towards the canal.  There was a 4-5 foot alligator swimming on top of the water the same direction that we were going.  Maybe he wanted to join us.  He could have ridden with C.E.  C.E. does have more room on the Trike.  We continued on Highway 70 and then turned onto Highway 69.  The sky was cloudy, the weather was nice and the road was good.  It was a good ride.  We came up on Highway 1 and turned onto it.  OK, now Highway 1 had to have been the first Highway that was numbered, so, I’m assuming that it was the first highway in Louisiana.  It sure did appear that NO maintenance had been done on it since it was numbered!  What a crappy road.  I do have to say that the longer we rode on Highway 1, the better it got.  We continued and came to a large bridge.  It was the bridge over the Mississippi River and the road transitioned to I-10.  This bridge was huge!  It was very tall and long.  I took some pictures while we were riding over the bridge.  We were now in Baton Rouge, LA.  From on top of the bridge, I saw the stadium of L.S.U.  We continued on and after riding 76 miles, we stopped for lunch at 12:00 Noon at Subway.  I know, Subway?, in Baton Rouge, how about some specialty restaurant or something with seafood or some exotic place.  Subway?  Hey, most of us have Subway cards.  It doesn’t cost us any money at the time.  Besides, it is inexpensive, healthy, easy to find and it doesn’t get us bloated!  We also don’t need to study a menu the size of a large book.  When we finished eating, C.E. topped off his gas tank.  Most of us had a half a tank left while C.E. was close to empty.  We left at 12:55 PM.

C.E. led us back on I-10 and we turned onto I-12.  We went this way because we wanted to get away from the New Orleans traffic.  We had ridden in New Orleans and we just wanted to avoid the traffic.  We had talked about riding over the bridge of Lake Pontchartrain and back, however, that would have been 52 extra miles.  We continued on I-12 until we passed Lake Pontchartrain.  I-12 then turned back into I-10.  As we were now on I-10, at 2:10 PM, we crossed over into Mississippi.  We rode for a little while and C.E. turned off of I-10 and onto Highway 607.  The signs stated that this was the exit for the Mississippi Welcome Center.  We thought that he was going there so that we could make a pit stop.  We didn’t know it, but C.E. had been on this road just a couple of weeks ago.  We continued and we got on Highway 90.  We didn’t go very far and C.E. pulled into a gas station at 2:25 PM after riding 102 miles.  We were in Waveland, MS.  We found that the gas station didn’t have premium gas and only regular with, and without ethanol.  The Goldwings filled up while the Harleys were about to go further up the road.  There was a Harley that stopped at the stop sign next to the gas station behind a Jeep.  The biker revved up its engine loudly and the next thing we saw was that the biker was smoking his tire and pulled around to the right around the Jeep and stopped.  We guessed that the biker got impatient, waiting for the Jeep to turn.  They both turned left and drove a short distance where the biker stopped in the middle of the road with the Jeep right behind it.  The biker and the driver got into a physical fight and the traffic started to back up.  Jan told me that the biker was getting his a$$ whipped.  The Harley guys left while Ken and C.E. waited for me.  There were four Police cars that stopped at the fight and took care of the situation.  The Goldwing guys then rode to where the Harley guys stopped for gas.  Everyone was ready to go and we left at 2:47 PM with Chuck in the lead.

We rode Highway 90 and rode over a large bridge over St. Louis Bay.  We rode a short way and, there it was, the Gulf of Mexico.  The sand was very white and clean.  The water appeared to go on forever.  There were cargo ships in the distance.  We were on Highway 90 and the water was to our right and large houses and businesses were on the left.  We rode through Long Beach, Gulfport and Biloxi.  We turned into an area where we saw several cars on the beach side where people were fishing.  The ground was hard, packed, white sand and one would not expect to see full dresser Motorcycles maneuver on this kind of ground.  They don’t know us!  We rode to the very end of this area and parked.  We took pictures of the area, Motorcycles and ourselves.  We were just taking it all in.  Chuck checked the internet for a nearby hotel.  He found one and off we went.  We got back on to Highway 90 and turned onto I-110 North.  We rode through some construction and eventually made it to I-10, where we turned east.  We exited at Tucker Rd. and went north to the Best Western Plus, Cypress Creek.  We had ridden 44 miles and arrived at 4:35 PM.  I went in and “made the deal” with the clerk.  It was a good price so we all checked in, took our bags to our rooms and hung around the lobby for about an hour before we went to dinner.  While we were waiting, I started this blog.  I got about half way finished when J.B. came to the break room where I was at and told me that we were leaving for dinner.  I took my computer to my room and we left for Logan’s Steakhouse.  After dinner, we returned to the hotel, parked our Motorcycles and tucked them in for the night.

Today, we rode 292 miles and went over several bridges.  We didn’t even put on our jackets today.  The weather was that nice.  Tomorrow, we will head east along the coast through Mississippi, through Alabama and into Georgia.  We don’t know where we will end up.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…       

Louisiana

Day 7, Tuesday, April 21, 2015

OK, I need to clear the air.  I spoke with Laura, my Wife, and she told me that I misspelled, “Fairy.”  She told me that it is spelled, “Ferry.”  I told her that I did not misspell it and that I spelled it correctly and that I had put it in quotes.  I told her that it was a running joke with the guys.  Sorry if I offended anyone.  I will NOT use “Fairy” anymore.  I’ll use “Ferry.”

With that said, my alarm woke me up at 6:30 AM.  I got up and so did Chuck.  We got dressed, packed and he told me that I had not posted the blog from last night.  I told him that I thought that I had.  I checked it and, sure enough, he was right.  It was set up as a “Draft.”  I corrected that and posted it.  Chuck told me that I needed to correct the problem because some of the Family and Friends were going to get upset back in Phoenix when they find that the blog was not there.  They would be upset.  I don’t want to unset anyone.  I posted the blog.  We took a couple bags and loaded them in our Motors.  The Motorcycles were ready.  We went into the breakfast room and found that everyone else was already there.  WOW!  That is a first.  We had breakfast and went back to the Motorcycles.  C.E. rode his Motor to a gas station to fill up.  He needs to do that most of the time that we stop.  His range is not as good as ours.  He rides a Trike.  NOT that there is anything wrong with that!  We left at 8:29 AM and I was leading.

We rode north about a mile on Highway 35 and turned right on Highway 6.  Highway 6 was a two lane road that went through some small towns.  We were headed to Galveston…you know…Glen Campbell’s Galveston.  If Chuck was here he would have started singing the song.  He did earlier and we threatened him to keep quiet.  As we rode Highway 6, we came across a two car collision.  It was a good wreck.  There were cones on the street, Firefighters directing traffic, Cops investigating the wreck, a wrecker nearby, and an ambulance was on the scene.  Ahhh, memories.  I would have liked to diagram this wreck!  Anyway…we continued riding and got close to Galveston.  We went over some big bridges and saw the Gulf.  We arrived in Galveston and rode around a little in the Historic section of the City.  After riding 36 miles, we stopped at a Chevron gas station and mini-mart at 9:31 AM.  We made a pit stop and someone had to drink the coffee.  As we were waiting, I walked a little.  We saw a statute close by in the middle of the street on an island.  I walked over to it and saw that it was the statute of General Sidney Sherman.  We all thought, “Who in the hell is General Sidney Sherman?”  We didn’t know.  I returned to the guys and we were ready to go.  We left at 9:57 AM.  There was a “FERRY” to get on!  We rode a couple of miles and got in line to ride the “FERRY.”  We waited for almost a half an hour.  When we finally got on, we had asked how long the ride was.  We were told that it lasted 20 minutes.  We loaded onto the “FERRY” and had to stay with our Motorcycles until we were on the way.  After we started, we wondered the vessel, (how’s that?), and took pictures.  We were nearing the other side and I felt somewhat cheated.  It was only 17 minutes long!  I wanted 3 more minutes.  We continued onto Port Bolivar on Highway 87.  The road was very good and it was nice to ride and look either way and see water. We saw a lot of houses on 20 foot stilts. There were houses, schools, businesses, churches and even a “single wide” on stilts.  We got to the end of the string of islands to High Island and turned left, onto Highway 124.  We rode north and after riding 57 miles, we stopped in Winnie, TX at 11:37AM for gas and a pit stop.  Chuck spoke with Bruce, since it was now Bruce’s turn to lead.  He told Bruce to ride about a mile north to Subway for lunch.  We did and we had a good lunch.  It was time to move on.  We left at 12:45 PM with Bruce in the lead.

Bruce led us onto Highway 73 and we headed east.  We came up on Highway 82 and we turned onto it.  We rode over a very tall bridge for Sabine Lake.  Soon after we rode over the bridge, we crossed into Louisiana.  We crossed over at 1:24 PM.  We rode Highway 82 and loved looking to our right and seeing the Gulf.  The waves were coming in and out.  I took out my camera and took several pictures.  I had a thought about getting a selfie with my phone and posting it on Facebook while we were riding.  I took my left glove off, turned my phone on, put in my security code and took several selfies.  Just as I was about to log onto Facebook, we had to make a couple of turns at the Cameron “FERRY.”  We rode onto the “FERRY.”  I didn’t know how long the ride was.   I did get on Facebook and posted.  The ride was short and I had to put the phone away before I had a chance to post the “selfie.”  We continued on Highway 82.  One thing that I have to say about Louisiana is that there are a lot of “Louisiana Speed Bumps!”  You name the rodent and they are all over the road.  Road kill must be a sport here.  It was like we were riding through traffic cones or a slalom course.  We couldn’t look at the scenery.  We had to keep our eyes on the road.  We rode for 138 miles and at 3:30 PM, we stopped at a little store in Pecan Island, LA.  We needed a stretch break.  We went into the store and bought drinks and snacks.  One thing is for sure.  I’m glad we have C.E. with us to translate for us when the locals speak to us.  They talk funny!  Well, sometimes we need a translator for C.E., but, for the most part, we understand him.  Chuck looked at the map with Bruce and they knew where to go.  We left at 3:57 PM.

Bruce led us back onto Highway 82.  We were going to Abbeville, LA.  We saw a couple of signs that directed us to Abbeville.  Jan and I, on the CB, asked Chuck if we were supposed to turn at the sign for Abbeville.  Chuck told us, “No.”  From Highway 82, we rode onto Highway 35.  There was an intersection with Highway 335 and another sign that read, “Abbeville.”  It pointed to the right.  Bruce slowed, hesitated and went through the intersection.  He then turned into the parking lot on the northeast corner.  Jan and I made a u-turn in the street and then turned east on Highway 335, waiting for the rest.  There was another sign that read, “Abbeville 11 miles.”  The rest of the guys made the u-turn and the left turn and we were all going east on Highway 335.  We rode for about 8 miles to the intersection of Highway 82 and a sign for “Abbeville,” turn left.  There were signs closing the roadway for northbound traffic except for local traffic.  We had ridden 36 miles and stopped at 4:36 PM in a very small town named, “Perry.”  We stopped at the southeast corner at a business.  Bruce went in and asked about how to get to Abbeville.  They told Bruce that we had to go back to Highway 35 and go north.  We left at 4:38 PM.

So, back west on Highway 335 to Highway 35 and then north.  We rode on Highway 35 until we got to Kaplan, LA and turned right onto Highway 14.  We rode a short distance and after riding 25 miles, we stopped at a Best Western Hotel at 5:09 PM in Abbeville.  After checking inside, we were told that they were booked for the night.  Chuck asked if someone would go next door to the Magnuson Hotel and check to see if it was a good hotel and if we could stay there.  I rode over and made contact with the clerk to “make the deal.”  It was a clean hotel and the price was great.  The deal was made and I called Chuck on the phone and told him.  He said that they were all coming over.  We all secured our rooms and took our “stuff” into our rooms.  We found out where the local laundromat was.  I stayed at the hotel and did my laundry while the rest went to the laundromat. When the guys returned, Chuck told me that they were going to go to dinner at a nearby Chili’s.  I told Chuck that I would not be going because the clothes dryer is very slow and I still had a load in the dryer.  They left and I stayed to finish laundry and finish the blog.  I guess I’ll go to a nearby Wendy’s and grab dinner.

Today we rode for 286 miles.  We were fortunate to ride on not one, but two “FERRIES.”  We finally left Texas and are now in Louisiana.  I’m not sure where we will end up tomorrow.  We shall see…