Epic Journey 2017
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 497
Likes: 187
From: Dallas area
Epic Journey 2017
Home from Epic Journey 2017 this past Tuesday! Nice trip overall but the last three days were a little tough running interstate because of gas shortage indications. Wasn't sure about gas in rural MO and AR so stuck to the major roads.
First of three installments:
Epic Journey 2017
8/22/2017 - 9/5/2017
15 days - 3,628 miles
Here is the route:
https://rideplanner.harley-davidson....0&locale=en_US
(might have to click ROADS at the lower left then "epic journey - maggie" at the upper left of the sidebar)
Day 1 - Allen, TX to Warren, AR 315 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2001
Up about 5:45. Pack up a few small things and ready to roll about 7:30. Checking the lights and the taillight is out. Remove the taillight housing to check the LED light and socket. License plate lamp is out, too. Check the connector under the seat and there is power on the downstream side of the connector which is good. Wiggle the rubber plug where the wiring goes through a hole in the fender. The lights flash off and on. There is a factory splice inside the rubber thingy. Cut it open and the splice is broken. Prep the wires and solder everything together. Now it all works! After I stop sweating and change shirts, I get on the road about 9:15. Toasty and humid today. Temps in the mid-90s. Not too bad when moving but I'm cooking going through small towns or stopping. My T-shirt is mostly wet. Burned a little of I-30 today since I lost time this morning. Not too bad for a change. Fairly light traffic. Speed limit is 75 but trucks are running around 65 which is about my speed. Get on US278 at Hope, AR and take US278 to Warren. Nice scenic road with hills and curves. Got to Steve's place about 5. I'm whipped from the heat and humidity. We hang out a bit then Steve starts a supper of pork chops, purple hull peas, and mashed taters. Good stuff! Hang out some more and in bed about 9:30.
Day 2 - Warren, AR to Hohenwald, TN 387 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2002
Up about 6, pack up stuff, and have cereal and coffee. Gotta have the coffee! On the road about 7:30. Stopped in Lake Village, AR at Mickey D's for breakfast. Cross the Mississippi River at Greenville, MS. Neat looking cable stayed bridge that from a distance looks like something from a science fiction movie. Stopped in Eupora, MS for a break and met a WWII vet who was 92. Sharp as a tack and his friend kept poking at him about his girlfriend. He asked me if I took care of my women as well as I did the scooter. I said "of course and you said 'women' being plural so do you have more than one?" He just laughed! Pretty cool talking with this guy. When you see a veteran or active service member, please thank them for their service to our country.
Temps much better today. Around 90 but less humidity. Really nice ride on the Natchez Trace today. Last couple of hours were in the 70s! Almost 400 miles today but not nearly as tired as yesterday. Just east of Hohenwald is a memorial for Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame. He died and was buried at this location. Only 35 years old. Got to Cousy's (yeah, not a real name) house in Hohenwald about 6:30. My shifter pedal had loosened up a little so we fixed that and had a couple of beers. He and his wife made smoked ribs and had all the fixins. Really good stuff! Hung out for awhile and in bed about 10:30. Thanks for the hospitality!
Day 3 - Hohenwald, TN to Tellico Plains, TN 267 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2003
Up about 6:15 am, pack up stuff. Cousy made breakfast. Thanks! On the road about 7:30. really nice day! 60s-70s most of the day, mid-80s later. Took US64 towards Chattanooga then other back roads to go north and stay off the interstates around the city. I've done that twice and that was twice too many times. Pretty nice roads with some twisties and scenery. Got to Tellico Plains about 4:30 and got a cabin at Hunt's Motorcycle Campground. Went into town for food and ate at Tellicafe. I had a vegetable plate with fried okra, collard greens, green beans, and tomatoes. Excellent!
Back at the campground, another guy pulls in to get a tent sight. The manager wasn't there so I sent a text to the manager for him. We were talking and he introduced himself by his last name, Malone. I said that's my name, too! He said "Cousin!" He was from New York and of Irish descent same as me. Now what are the odds of two guys on scooters meeting like that in a small town in TN? I started a load of laundry then had a beer with Cousin and shot the bull for awhile. Finished up laundry and out pretty early. Found that I had forgotten the cable to charge the camera. Need to find one in a few days before the battery is gone. Hope it's not some proprietary thing.
Easy day tomorrow about 110 miles to Maggie Valley on the Cherohala Skyway. I passed a milestone on the scooter today. Bought it in May 2008 with 5,877 miles on it. Rolled over to 105,877 which makes 100K miles I've ridden this scooter since 2008. It doesn't sit still very often.
Day 4 - Tellico Plains, TN to Maggie Valley, NC 110 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2004
Up about 7am and pack up stuff. Into town for breakfast at Hardee's. Pretty good actually. On the road about 10. Cherohala Skyway - Wow. Most excellent road! Hardly any traffic on the road and I never had anyone behind me. Nice relaxed ride. Got to Maggie about 2pm. A few folks for the Springer rally rolled in this afternoon. Ace, Mindie, Moparfan, and I rode to a local distillery, Elevated Mountain, to sample their products. Really surprised by how good their unaged whiskey was - 43 proof and not the fire and brimstone of moonshine. Pretty new place so it will be awhile before they have any aged products.
Hung out with the gang, stayed up pretty late. Always good to see these guys and gals, some I've seen before and cool to put names from the forum to the faces.
Day 5 - Maggie Valley, NC area about 125 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2005
Slept in a little. Breakfast at Country Vittles. Excellent food! Really busy but service was great! We hung out a little then about 7-8 of us headed out to ride The Rattler - NC209. Holy cow. This road is a workout and it will get your attention! We stopped in Hot Springs for a break then rode to Del Rio for another break. Christo said I had a turn signal not working. Swapped the bulb and no go. Maybe the connector under the seat is dirty or loose. I'll check when we get back to Maggie. Ace, Mindie, Cousy, and I headed back to Maggie on I-40. The rest went back the way we came.
Ben and his wife, Missy, arranged to have BBQ pork, smoked brisket, and fixins catered for the gang tonight. The food was outstanding! Nice job, Ben, Missy, and Paul the cook! Hung out with the gang for awhile and out around 11pm. Pretty easy day tomorrow up to Corbin, KY.
First of three installments:
Epic Journey 2017
8/22/2017 - 9/5/2017
15 days - 3,628 miles
Here is the route:
https://rideplanner.harley-davidson....0&locale=en_US
(might have to click ROADS at the lower left then "epic journey - maggie" at the upper left of the sidebar)
Day 1 - Allen, TX to Warren, AR 315 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2001
Up about 5:45. Pack up a few small things and ready to roll about 7:30. Checking the lights and the taillight is out. Remove the taillight housing to check the LED light and socket. License plate lamp is out, too. Check the connector under the seat and there is power on the downstream side of the connector which is good. Wiggle the rubber plug where the wiring goes through a hole in the fender. The lights flash off and on. There is a factory splice inside the rubber thingy. Cut it open and the splice is broken. Prep the wires and solder everything together. Now it all works! After I stop sweating and change shirts, I get on the road about 9:15. Toasty and humid today. Temps in the mid-90s. Not too bad when moving but I'm cooking going through small towns or stopping. My T-shirt is mostly wet. Burned a little of I-30 today since I lost time this morning. Not too bad for a change. Fairly light traffic. Speed limit is 75 but trucks are running around 65 which is about my speed. Get on US278 at Hope, AR and take US278 to Warren. Nice scenic road with hills and curves. Got to Steve's place about 5. I'm whipped from the heat and humidity. We hang out a bit then Steve starts a supper of pork chops, purple hull peas, and mashed taters. Good stuff! Hang out some more and in bed about 9:30.
Day 2 - Warren, AR to Hohenwald, TN 387 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2002
Up about 6, pack up stuff, and have cereal and coffee. Gotta have the coffee! On the road about 7:30. Stopped in Lake Village, AR at Mickey D's for breakfast. Cross the Mississippi River at Greenville, MS. Neat looking cable stayed bridge that from a distance looks like something from a science fiction movie. Stopped in Eupora, MS for a break and met a WWII vet who was 92. Sharp as a tack and his friend kept poking at him about his girlfriend. He asked me if I took care of my women as well as I did the scooter. I said "of course and you said 'women' being plural so do you have more than one?" He just laughed! Pretty cool talking with this guy. When you see a veteran or active service member, please thank them for their service to our country.
Temps much better today. Around 90 but less humidity. Really nice ride on the Natchez Trace today. Last couple of hours were in the 70s! Almost 400 miles today but not nearly as tired as yesterday. Just east of Hohenwald is a memorial for Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame. He died and was buried at this location. Only 35 years old. Got to Cousy's (yeah, not a real name) house in Hohenwald about 6:30. My shifter pedal had loosened up a little so we fixed that and had a couple of beers. He and his wife made smoked ribs and had all the fixins. Really good stuff! Hung out for awhile and in bed about 10:30. Thanks for the hospitality!
Day 3 - Hohenwald, TN to Tellico Plains, TN 267 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2003
Up about 6:15 am, pack up stuff. Cousy made breakfast. Thanks! On the road about 7:30. really nice day! 60s-70s most of the day, mid-80s later. Took US64 towards Chattanooga then other back roads to go north and stay off the interstates around the city. I've done that twice and that was twice too many times. Pretty nice roads with some twisties and scenery. Got to Tellico Plains about 4:30 and got a cabin at Hunt's Motorcycle Campground. Went into town for food and ate at Tellicafe. I had a vegetable plate with fried okra, collard greens, green beans, and tomatoes. Excellent!
Back at the campground, another guy pulls in to get a tent sight. The manager wasn't there so I sent a text to the manager for him. We were talking and he introduced himself by his last name, Malone. I said that's my name, too! He said "Cousin!" He was from New York and of Irish descent same as me. Now what are the odds of two guys on scooters meeting like that in a small town in TN? I started a load of laundry then had a beer with Cousin and shot the bull for awhile. Finished up laundry and out pretty early. Found that I had forgotten the cable to charge the camera. Need to find one in a few days before the battery is gone. Hope it's not some proprietary thing.
Easy day tomorrow about 110 miles to Maggie Valley on the Cherohala Skyway. I passed a milestone on the scooter today. Bought it in May 2008 with 5,877 miles on it. Rolled over to 105,877 which makes 100K miles I've ridden this scooter since 2008. It doesn't sit still very often.
Day 4 - Tellico Plains, TN to Maggie Valley, NC 110 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2004
Up about 7am and pack up stuff. Into town for breakfast at Hardee's. Pretty good actually. On the road about 10. Cherohala Skyway - Wow. Most excellent road! Hardly any traffic on the road and I never had anyone behind me. Nice relaxed ride. Got to Maggie about 2pm. A few folks for the Springer rally rolled in this afternoon. Ace, Mindie, Moparfan, and I rode to a local distillery, Elevated Mountain, to sample their products. Really surprised by how good their unaged whiskey was - 43 proof and not the fire and brimstone of moonshine. Pretty new place so it will be awhile before they have any aged products.
Hung out with the gang, stayed up pretty late. Always good to see these guys and gals, some I've seen before and cool to put names from the forum to the faces.
Day 5 - Maggie Valley, NC area about 125 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2005
Slept in a little. Breakfast at Country Vittles. Excellent food! Really busy but service was great! We hung out a little then about 7-8 of us headed out to ride The Rattler - NC209. Holy cow. This road is a workout and it will get your attention! We stopped in Hot Springs for a break then rode to Del Rio for another break. Christo said I had a turn signal not working. Swapped the bulb and no go. Maybe the connector under the seat is dirty or loose. I'll check when we get back to Maggie. Ace, Mindie, Cousy, and I headed back to Maggie on I-40. The rest went back the way we came.
Ben and his wife, Missy, arranged to have BBQ pork, smoked brisket, and fixins catered for the gang tonight. The food was outstanding! Nice job, Ben, Missy, and Paul the cook! Hung out with the gang for awhile and out around 11pm. Pretty easy day tomorrow up to Corbin, KY.
Last edited by gtmalone; Sep 10, 2017 at 05:26 PM.
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 497
Likes: 187
From: Dallas area
Second of three installments:
Day 6 - Maggie Valley, NC to Corbin, KY 312 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2006
Up about 7. Checking out the turn signal problem and after some detective work found the wiring to the light under the fender had fallen down, rubbed on the tire and was chewed up...grumble, grumble. Ace and Mindie asked me if I wanted to go to breakfast with them. YES! I need a break from this problem. Went to Country Vittles again and still good!
Back to the problem. Two options to fix it neither of which will work in a parking lot - remove the rear wheel or remove the rear fender to get to the wiring. Actually I had the tools to remove the fender but it is a pain even at home! Decided to try running a wire from the connector under the seat and sticking it into the shell of the bulb socket hoping it's the ground wire that's chewed and not the hot wire. I got lucky - it worked! Thanks to Vernon (friend of Bobby, another Springer guy) for having a roll of wire! I usually do but forgot it on this trip. D'oh! So anyways, I get on the road sometime around 11 or 12. Rode a little of the Blue Ridge Parkway to US441 through the Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park. What a great ride and scenery! Temps in the low 60s. Very nice. Got a few sprinkles on the ride but not enough to mess with rain gear. Took a break in Gatlinburg. Lots of people out but not much traffic. Got a few more sprinkles past Gatlinburg. Pretty nice ride up to Corbin on US25E. Got a tent site at the KOA in Corbin. Should have gotten a cabin with A/C. A little humid and no breeze. The KOA closed up the laundry at 7 so I couldn't wash my clothes...grumble, grumble. Oh, well, I have clean stuff for tomorrow. Weather not looking good in OH for tomorrow. May alter the route.
Day 7 - Corbin, KY to Richmond, IN 289 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2007
Up about 8am. Pack up the tent and stuff. Can't do laundry this morning since they don't open until 9. Head into town for breakfast at Hardees. Food is good and I especially like the ambiance of sharing space with a quick shop/gas station. Check over the maps for an alternate route. No rain yet but looks like it could start about anytime. On the road about 9:30. Found a really nice, scenic road with KY192 and hardly any traffic on it. Hit light rain east of Sommerset, KY. Pull into a quick shop and change into rain gear. Had light rain for about 2 hours. What is this? It's not any fun unless it's raining sideways! Took a few more back roads and US127 up to the KY-IN state line then crossed the Ohio River and onto IN156. Really nice road along the river up to Aurora, IN. A little further into IN, clouds started rolling in and got a few sprinkles near Richmond, IN. I was going to ride as far as Greenville, OH and meet up with another Springer guy, PaulG25, but decided to call it a day here since clouds not looking good to the north. Found a Best Western hotel for the night. I asked if they had a laundry and the gal said no, but she offered to run a load for me. Now how cool is customer service like that! While laundry is grinding away, I walk over to a Steak and Shake across the street for their Frisco Melt with fries, chili, and ice tea. Love it! Get back to the hotel, pack up my now clean clothes, check out the route for tomorrow, and out about 10:30.
PS- I call my lovely bride, Tonya, three times a day - mid-day, when I land for the day, and later in the evening to say nighty-night. I love these road trips but sure miss being at home and my sweetie. Note to self: Invent transporter to return home each night.
Day 8 - Richmond, IN to Jackson, MI 189 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2008
Up about 7am and breakfast at the hotel. Pack up stuff on the scooter. I had planned on seeing a couple of Springer buds in the Toledo area but Tim is still in Maggie (saw him there) and Rich had something blow up at work. Oh, well. I know what they look like and I doubt either one of them is any better looking than the last time I saw them. Change the route to head pretty much north into MI for either Jackson or Lansing and make it an easy day. I have no schedule. On the road about 9:30. On US127 in OH, seeing dark clouds to the northwest and north. Not good. I had seen a sign for a Harley store in Mendon, OH so headed there to check the weather and wait it out. Nice store! About 25 bikes on the floor and lots of clothes and accessories and nice folks running the place. Surprising to see this as Mendon is only about 700 people. I suppose the surrounding area supports it. Anyways, the radar is showing a big cell moving to the west about 50 miles north of here so I hung out at the Harley store for about 1.5 hours. Back on the road and more dark clouds and a little rain at Bryan, OH. Stop at a McD's to take a break and check radar.
Met an Air Force veteran and talked to him a little. Nice guy. He told me a story from when he was stationed in Casablanca in the late 40s. The Air Force still had a few piston engine planes there and a pilot asked him to check the carburetor on a plane. He said I only know jets but I'll take a look. He fiddled with the carb then got in the cockpit to run the engine and check gauges. He looked up and saw fire trucks all around the plane. The engine had caught fire! He was laughing big time and said those are the things you remember!
Back on the road. Light rain again at Hudson, MI. Pull into a gas station to wait it out. Waited about 20 mins then headed out. A mile down the road it was completely dry! Not the first time I've seen that either. Decided to stop in Jackson, MI. Rode around looking for hotel signs on the exits. One had a sign that said "lodging" with arrows pointing in both directions. Well, that's informative! Turned right and after about a mile, no hotels. I did find a state correctional facility that offers lodging but I didn't like the reservation requirements. Went the other direction on the same road for about a half mile. Ended up in a residential area. Inquiring here for lodging would probably result in a phone call that would fulfill the registration requirements at the correctional facility.
Went to the next exit up the road and found a hotel. I get the luggage cart and unload all my stuff. I'm always hesitant about leaving stuff on the scooter since it would probably grow legs and walk off. Walked over to the Red Lobster food place across the street. Hokey smokes...hadn't been to one in many years and didn't remember them being this expensive. Food was pretty good but overpriced in my opinion. Back to hotel, check out the route for tomorrow, and out.
Day 9 - Jackson, MI to Traverse City, MI 339 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2009
Up about 6am. Breakfast at this hotel was breakfast only in the academic sense. The eggs, or at least I think that's what they were, were yellow colored discs with a rubbery texture. I didn't bother with anything else except the poor excuse for coffee. Nice hotel but for 130 bucks a night I would have expected better food. It's really foggy this morning and not safe for riding. I went back to the room to sleep for another hour but that didn't work. Fog had burned off enough by about 8:30. Packed up and got on the road about 8:45. Took highway 106 towards Greenville, OH. Nice road but fog and visibility was about a half mile. Going slow.
Up until about noon today I wouldn't have given 15 cents for most of IN, OH, and MI. Most roads today and the past two days were pretty much flat, straight, and boring. I had considered turning around and working my way back home. That changed at about Oscoda, MI and seeing Lake Huron. Big water! Turning west to Traverse City, I got into hills, curves, and nice scenery. Nice ride on River Road from Oscoda to M65 and M72 to Traverse City. Beautiful day with temps in the 60s and 70s. I rode almost 100 miles without a break and I never do that! Got to Traverse about 6pm and found my hotel. While I was unpacking I met three other guys on bikes from the Dallas area. They had left Dallas this past Saturday and had been up through MN then across Ontario and now into MI. They definitely had put some miles down! We all went to dinner on a free shuttle bus since it had been raining. We found a really good Mexican place a couple of miles from the hotel. Nice guys, a father and son and a bro-in-law. They had a few scooter stories to tell, too! Back to the hotel, shower, and out.
Day 10 - Traverse City, MI to Saugatuk, MI 257 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2010
Up about 6:30. Coffee and sweet roll only, not really hungry this morning. Pack up and on the road about 8:30. 58 degrees! Leather weather! Nice ride over to Sleeping Bear near Empire, MI. There is a scenic loop through the area. Practically had the whole area to myself. Didn't see over a dozen people. "Wow" is about the only word I can come up with to describe the area. Pics don't do it justice. Beautiful views of Glen Lake, the dunes, and Lake Michigan (more big water!). I could have stayed here all day.
Nice riding on M22 to Manistee, MI where I stopped for lunch. I had eggs benedict and they had plenty of it as opposed to being "all out" at a friend's place in Tracy, CA sometime ago (a story from a previous trip - lol). Going through White Cloud, MI I saw a sign in a store window for "computer repair". Maybe they have a cable for the camera. I stopped and walked into a coffee shop/bakery with the computer business sharing the space. I asked a gal working there about a cable. She said she would get Paul who does that stuff. She walked over to the side door, stuck her head out and yelled "Paul, you got a customer!" She then told me Paul and another guy were trying to get rid of a yellow jacket nest out back. She said "I told them to wait until dusk when they won't be as active but they didn't listen." Paul comes in and I tell show him what I need. He digs through boxes and bags of cables and doesn't find anything. He said "I only live four blocks away. I'll run to the house and see if I have something there." So I wait about 10 mins. Paul comes back with a cable but it won't work. I say thanks for checking and ask to use their public computer and internet. He points to a little sign on the counter. It's 3 bucks for a half hour. I give him the three bucks and find a hotel in Saugatuk, MI. Meanwhile, some other folks come in and start gossiping about someone who isn't there.
So cool to see a slice of life like this. Folks are pretty much the same all over dealing with day to day stuff.
Pretty nice riding most of the day today except the last hour or so was on busy roads. I got to the hotel in Saugatuk around sometime that might have been late in the afternoon or thereabouts. I noticed one of the passing lamps was burned out but the hot wired turn signal is still working! I'll get a new bulb tomorrow in South Bend, IN. Wasn't really hungry so had a couple of granola bars for the main course and a Hershey bar for desert along with coffee. Shower and out pretty early.
Day 6 - Maggie Valley, NC to Corbin, KY 312 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2006
Up about 7. Checking out the turn signal problem and after some detective work found the wiring to the light under the fender had fallen down, rubbed on the tire and was chewed up...grumble, grumble. Ace and Mindie asked me if I wanted to go to breakfast with them. YES! I need a break from this problem. Went to Country Vittles again and still good!
Back to the problem. Two options to fix it neither of which will work in a parking lot - remove the rear wheel or remove the rear fender to get to the wiring. Actually I had the tools to remove the fender but it is a pain even at home! Decided to try running a wire from the connector under the seat and sticking it into the shell of the bulb socket hoping it's the ground wire that's chewed and not the hot wire. I got lucky - it worked! Thanks to Vernon (friend of Bobby, another Springer guy) for having a roll of wire! I usually do but forgot it on this trip. D'oh! So anyways, I get on the road sometime around 11 or 12. Rode a little of the Blue Ridge Parkway to US441 through the Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park. What a great ride and scenery! Temps in the low 60s. Very nice. Got a few sprinkles on the ride but not enough to mess with rain gear. Took a break in Gatlinburg. Lots of people out but not much traffic. Got a few more sprinkles past Gatlinburg. Pretty nice ride up to Corbin on US25E. Got a tent site at the KOA in Corbin. Should have gotten a cabin with A/C. A little humid and no breeze. The KOA closed up the laundry at 7 so I couldn't wash my clothes...grumble, grumble. Oh, well, I have clean stuff for tomorrow. Weather not looking good in OH for tomorrow. May alter the route.
Day 7 - Corbin, KY to Richmond, IN 289 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2007
Up about 8am. Pack up the tent and stuff. Can't do laundry this morning since they don't open until 9. Head into town for breakfast at Hardees. Food is good and I especially like the ambiance of sharing space with a quick shop/gas station. Check over the maps for an alternate route. No rain yet but looks like it could start about anytime. On the road about 9:30. Found a really nice, scenic road with KY192 and hardly any traffic on it. Hit light rain east of Sommerset, KY. Pull into a quick shop and change into rain gear. Had light rain for about 2 hours. What is this? It's not any fun unless it's raining sideways! Took a few more back roads and US127 up to the KY-IN state line then crossed the Ohio River and onto IN156. Really nice road along the river up to Aurora, IN. A little further into IN, clouds started rolling in and got a few sprinkles near Richmond, IN. I was going to ride as far as Greenville, OH and meet up with another Springer guy, PaulG25, but decided to call it a day here since clouds not looking good to the north. Found a Best Western hotel for the night. I asked if they had a laundry and the gal said no, but she offered to run a load for me. Now how cool is customer service like that! While laundry is grinding away, I walk over to a Steak and Shake across the street for their Frisco Melt with fries, chili, and ice tea. Love it! Get back to the hotel, pack up my now clean clothes, check out the route for tomorrow, and out about 10:30.
PS- I call my lovely bride, Tonya, three times a day - mid-day, when I land for the day, and later in the evening to say nighty-night. I love these road trips but sure miss being at home and my sweetie. Note to self: Invent transporter to return home each night.
Day 8 - Richmond, IN to Jackson, MI 189 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2008
Up about 7am and breakfast at the hotel. Pack up stuff on the scooter. I had planned on seeing a couple of Springer buds in the Toledo area but Tim is still in Maggie (saw him there) and Rich had something blow up at work. Oh, well. I know what they look like and I doubt either one of them is any better looking than the last time I saw them. Change the route to head pretty much north into MI for either Jackson or Lansing and make it an easy day. I have no schedule. On the road about 9:30. On US127 in OH, seeing dark clouds to the northwest and north. Not good. I had seen a sign for a Harley store in Mendon, OH so headed there to check the weather and wait it out. Nice store! About 25 bikes on the floor and lots of clothes and accessories and nice folks running the place. Surprising to see this as Mendon is only about 700 people. I suppose the surrounding area supports it. Anyways, the radar is showing a big cell moving to the west about 50 miles north of here so I hung out at the Harley store for about 1.5 hours. Back on the road and more dark clouds and a little rain at Bryan, OH. Stop at a McD's to take a break and check radar.
Met an Air Force veteran and talked to him a little. Nice guy. He told me a story from when he was stationed in Casablanca in the late 40s. The Air Force still had a few piston engine planes there and a pilot asked him to check the carburetor on a plane. He said I only know jets but I'll take a look. He fiddled with the carb then got in the cockpit to run the engine and check gauges. He looked up and saw fire trucks all around the plane. The engine had caught fire! He was laughing big time and said those are the things you remember!
Back on the road. Light rain again at Hudson, MI. Pull into a gas station to wait it out. Waited about 20 mins then headed out. A mile down the road it was completely dry! Not the first time I've seen that either. Decided to stop in Jackson, MI. Rode around looking for hotel signs on the exits. One had a sign that said "lodging" with arrows pointing in both directions. Well, that's informative! Turned right and after about a mile, no hotels. I did find a state correctional facility that offers lodging but I didn't like the reservation requirements. Went the other direction on the same road for about a half mile. Ended up in a residential area. Inquiring here for lodging would probably result in a phone call that would fulfill the registration requirements at the correctional facility.
Went to the next exit up the road and found a hotel. I get the luggage cart and unload all my stuff. I'm always hesitant about leaving stuff on the scooter since it would probably grow legs and walk off. Walked over to the Red Lobster food place across the street. Hokey smokes...hadn't been to one in many years and didn't remember them being this expensive. Food was pretty good but overpriced in my opinion. Back to hotel, check out the route for tomorrow, and out.
Day 9 - Jackson, MI to Traverse City, MI 339 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2009
Up about 6am. Breakfast at this hotel was breakfast only in the academic sense. The eggs, or at least I think that's what they were, were yellow colored discs with a rubbery texture. I didn't bother with anything else except the poor excuse for coffee. Nice hotel but for 130 bucks a night I would have expected better food. It's really foggy this morning and not safe for riding. I went back to the room to sleep for another hour but that didn't work. Fog had burned off enough by about 8:30. Packed up and got on the road about 8:45. Took highway 106 towards Greenville, OH. Nice road but fog and visibility was about a half mile. Going slow.
Up until about noon today I wouldn't have given 15 cents for most of IN, OH, and MI. Most roads today and the past two days were pretty much flat, straight, and boring. I had considered turning around and working my way back home. That changed at about Oscoda, MI and seeing Lake Huron. Big water! Turning west to Traverse City, I got into hills, curves, and nice scenery. Nice ride on River Road from Oscoda to M65 and M72 to Traverse City. Beautiful day with temps in the 60s and 70s. I rode almost 100 miles without a break and I never do that! Got to Traverse about 6pm and found my hotel. While I was unpacking I met three other guys on bikes from the Dallas area. They had left Dallas this past Saturday and had been up through MN then across Ontario and now into MI. They definitely had put some miles down! We all went to dinner on a free shuttle bus since it had been raining. We found a really good Mexican place a couple of miles from the hotel. Nice guys, a father and son and a bro-in-law. They had a few scooter stories to tell, too! Back to the hotel, shower, and out.
Day 10 - Traverse City, MI to Saugatuk, MI 257 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2010
Up about 6:30. Coffee and sweet roll only, not really hungry this morning. Pack up and on the road about 8:30. 58 degrees! Leather weather! Nice ride over to Sleeping Bear near Empire, MI. There is a scenic loop through the area. Practically had the whole area to myself. Didn't see over a dozen people. "Wow" is about the only word I can come up with to describe the area. Pics don't do it justice. Beautiful views of Glen Lake, the dunes, and Lake Michigan (more big water!). I could have stayed here all day.
Nice riding on M22 to Manistee, MI where I stopped for lunch. I had eggs benedict and they had plenty of it as opposed to being "all out" at a friend's place in Tracy, CA sometime ago (a story from a previous trip - lol). Going through White Cloud, MI I saw a sign in a store window for "computer repair". Maybe they have a cable for the camera. I stopped and walked into a coffee shop/bakery with the computer business sharing the space. I asked a gal working there about a cable. She said she would get Paul who does that stuff. She walked over to the side door, stuck her head out and yelled "Paul, you got a customer!" She then told me Paul and another guy were trying to get rid of a yellow jacket nest out back. She said "I told them to wait until dusk when they won't be as active but they didn't listen." Paul comes in and I tell show him what I need. He digs through boxes and bags of cables and doesn't find anything. He said "I only live four blocks away. I'll run to the house and see if I have something there." So I wait about 10 mins. Paul comes back with a cable but it won't work. I say thanks for checking and ask to use their public computer and internet. He points to a little sign on the counter. It's 3 bucks for a half hour. I give him the three bucks and find a hotel in Saugatuk, MI. Meanwhile, some other folks come in and start gossiping about someone who isn't there.
So cool to see a slice of life like this. Folks are pretty much the same all over dealing with day to day stuff.
Pretty nice riding most of the day today except the last hour or so was on busy roads. I got to the hotel in Saugatuk around sometime that might have been late in the afternoon or thereabouts. I noticed one of the passing lamps was burned out but the hot wired turn signal is still working! I'll get a new bulb tomorrow in South Bend, IN. Wasn't really hungry so had a couple of granola bars for the main course and a Hershey bar for desert along with coffee. Shower and out pretty early.
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Day 11 - Saugatuk, MI to South Bend, IN 96 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2011
Slept in this morning. After several years of road trips, I've realized I don't have to get up at dark:30 and be on the road by 6 or 7. Breakfast at the hotel and pack up stuff. I should start calling this "The Routine".
On the road about 9 or whatever time it was. Mostly busy roads today but stayed off interstate. Got to Christo's place early afternoon or whatever time it was. We hung out for a bit then went to the Studebaker Museum. Christo has a friend that is the assistant director of the museum. We received a personal guided tour. She told us a lot of back stories about the Studebaker's, Oliver Tractor, Polish immigrants working for Studebaker, and attitudes in South Bend when Studebaker went out of business. Cool to hear these stories instead of just nerding out on the cars (which we did anyway).
We went to a favorite Chinese place for diner. Christo and his family know the owner well. She sits at the table with customers and takes their orders and stands in the middle of the restaurant directing traffic for the servers. It was a hoot watching her!
Back to the house, hang out for awhile, and out.
Day 12 - South Bend, IN to Kokomo, IN 105 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2012
Up about 8am. Coffee. Christo and I went into town to get a new bulb for the passing lamp and pick up sweet stuff for a light breakfast. After that, attended to a few things on the scooter. Replace the pass lamp bulb, tightened a loose heat shield clamp, and adjusted the steering fallaway which required moving the handebars out of the way. There is a tool to make this pretty easy (not having to remove the handlebars) but it's at home and this it not something that goes out of whack very often. Got all that done and pack up stuff. Thanks for the hospitality!
On the road and got to Kokomo about 1:30. Still looking for the camera cable so tried the Best Buy in Koko. Nothing. Apparently not a common connector. Battery is about gone but I am surprised it lasted this long. I'm in Koko to see Steve's dad, Melvin. Steve is the one I stayed with back in AR on the first day. I had not seen his dad in probably 45 years. We had a really nice visit with him doing most of the talking and me most of the listening. That part hadn't changed much in 45 years! He fixed pork chops, purple hull peas, and mashed taters. Hey, didn't I have that same thing at Steve's last week? It's deja vu all over again. Hit the sack about 9pm. Getting and early start tomorrow. I turned on the ceiling fan in the bedroom and it's making a scraping sound. I stand on the bed and wiggle the housing around and it's a little better. After about 10 mins it resumes the loud scraping. More wiggle, more scraping. I remembered there was a small fan in the living room. I got that. I'm having to work for my room and board, lol.
Day 13 - Kokomo, IN to Chesterfield, MO 359 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2013
Up about 6am, the "routine". Altering the route to burn interstate and major roads the rest of the way home, oh joy! Melvin fixed breakfast. Nice! Thanks for the hospitality!
On the road about 7:30. Head south and pick up I-70 west of Indianapolis. Traffic is not too bad and the road is fairly scenic across IN. Can't say that for IL, however. Pretty flat and featureless to St Louis. I took US40 through St Louis. The overpasses have been updated and stuff looks better than it used to years ago. Most everyone seems to be in a hurry. That hasn't changed! Out in West County where we lived a 23 years ago not much is familiar. There has been a lot of development since then.
I get to JoeG's (another Springer guy) in Ellisville about 3. We hung out and visited a couple of his buds that are into cars. Joe has a "slightly modified" Corvette. Let's just say this thing is scary fast. We hit 130mph on one stretch of road and it didn't take long for it to get to that speed. Let's do it again! We stopped at Larry's Taven in Wildwood to eat and had what is about the best cheesburger I've ever had. Thanks for dinner, Joe!
One of his buds has a 1970 Nova with a large engine. The guys started it up. Cool. Nothing like the sound of a big block Chevy! While we were there we did some troubleshooting on the charging system of a '57 Chevy. The ammeter was bad so the charging system was open and didn't work. Joe fixed it.
We headed back to Joe's house at a slightly slower speed. I headed to Chesterfield to get a hotel for the night. Great seeing you again, Joe!
At the hotel, I run the "routine" with the luggage cart again. They sold beer at the hotel so I had a couple of Schlafly's, a St Louis beer. Out pretty early as usual. Interstate riding wears me out.
Day 14 - Chesterfield, MO to Joplin, MO 267 miles
No pics today.
The "routine". Breakfast at the hotel was pretty good. I used the luggage cart to haul stuff out to the scooter. I'm loading up and a guy walks over. He says "I saw you with the stuff on the cart and thought no way will that go on there but it did!". I laughed and said "There is a method and it's not my first time". I have no idea what time it is and it's not important. Work my way down to I-44 which is fairly scenic when you get past developed areas. Lots of traffic today but most of it seems to be going east. Traffic jammed up at little in a couple of places today but only for a few mins. It was nice early today then warmed up into the mid-90s. With the temps and interstate riding, I call it a day about 3:30 at Joplin which is about halfway from St Louis to home. I was going to stop in Miami (no, not that one) but with the holiday traffic and fewer hotels there, finding a room might be a problem Got a hotel, ran the "routine" and ate at Waffle House next door. Food is pretty good but everything is sticky and what's up with yelling out the order when you give the cook the ticket anyway? Maybe I'll try that at home...or not. I suspect that would be followed by a frying pan up the side of my head.
More interstate tomorrow but it's supposed to be cooler. Hitting the road early in case it's not cooler. No problems with gas so far.
Day 14 - Joplin, MO to Allen, TX 323 miles
No pics today.
Up about 5:30 and the routine. On the road about 6:30. Temps in the low 60s, Nice! A half hour down the road I realized I left the seat cushion at the hotel in Joplin. I pulled off at Miami (no, not that one) and called the hotel. They said they would look for it. Yeah, want it back it's kinda expensive.
Off I-44 at Big Cabin, OK and onto US69/75 to home. What a terrible road. Traffic is not bad but the pavement is in poor condition for almost all of OK and part way into TX. On the plus side it would be good to check for rattles and loose stuff on your vehicle. Note to self: avoid this road! Stopped for gas in Durant, OK. Out of premium and mid-grade and a $25 limit on regular. Gas was $2.35 and surprised it was not higher. Got home about 2:30. Always glad to be home and see my sweetie!
Day 11 - Saugatuk, MI to South Bend, IN 96 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2011
Slept in this morning. After several years of road trips, I've realized I don't have to get up at dark:30 and be on the road by 6 or 7. Breakfast at the hotel and pack up stuff. I should start calling this "The Routine".
On the road about 9 or whatever time it was. Mostly busy roads today but stayed off interstate. Got to Christo's place early afternoon or whatever time it was. We hung out for a bit then went to the Studebaker Museum. Christo has a friend that is the assistant director of the museum. We received a personal guided tour. She told us a lot of back stories about the Studebaker's, Oliver Tractor, Polish immigrants working for Studebaker, and attitudes in South Bend when Studebaker went out of business. Cool to hear these stories instead of just nerding out on the cars (which we did anyway).
We went to a favorite Chinese place for diner. Christo and his family know the owner well. She sits at the table with customers and takes their orders and stands in the middle of the restaurant directing traffic for the servers. It was a hoot watching her!
Back to the house, hang out for awhile, and out.
Day 12 - South Bend, IN to Kokomo, IN 105 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2012
Up about 8am. Coffee. Christo and I went into town to get a new bulb for the passing lamp and pick up sweet stuff for a light breakfast. After that, attended to a few things on the scooter. Replace the pass lamp bulb, tightened a loose heat shield clamp, and adjusted the steering fallaway which required moving the handebars out of the way. There is a tool to make this pretty easy (not having to remove the handlebars) but it's at home and this it not something that goes out of whack very often. Got all that done and pack up stuff. Thanks for the hospitality!
On the road and got to Kokomo about 1:30. Still looking for the camera cable so tried the Best Buy in Koko. Nothing. Apparently not a common connector. Battery is about gone but I am surprised it lasted this long. I'm in Koko to see Steve's dad, Melvin. Steve is the one I stayed with back in AR on the first day. I had not seen his dad in probably 45 years. We had a really nice visit with him doing most of the talking and me most of the listening. That part hadn't changed much in 45 years! He fixed pork chops, purple hull peas, and mashed taters. Hey, didn't I have that same thing at Steve's last week? It's deja vu all over again. Hit the sack about 9pm. Getting and early start tomorrow. I turned on the ceiling fan in the bedroom and it's making a scraping sound. I stand on the bed and wiggle the housing around and it's a little better. After about 10 mins it resumes the loud scraping. More wiggle, more scraping. I remembered there was a small fan in the living room. I got that. I'm having to work for my room and board, lol.
Day 13 - Kokomo, IN to Chesterfield, MO 359 miles
Pics: http://s471.photobucket.com/user/gtm...02017/day%2013
Up about 6am, the "routine". Altering the route to burn interstate and major roads the rest of the way home, oh joy! Melvin fixed breakfast. Nice! Thanks for the hospitality!
On the road about 7:30. Head south and pick up I-70 west of Indianapolis. Traffic is not too bad and the road is fairly scenic across IN. Can't say that for IL, however. Pretty flat and featureless to St Louis. I took US40 through St Louis. The overpasses have been updated and stuff looks better than it used to years ago. Most everyone seems to be in a hurry. That hasn't changed! Out in West County where we lived a 23 years ago not much is familiar. There has been a lot of development since then.
I get to JoeG's (another Springer guy) in Ellisville about 3. We hung out and visited a couple of his buds that are into cars. Joe has a "slightly modified" Corvette. Let's just say this thing is scary fast. We hit 130mph on one stretch of road and it didn't take long for it to get to that speed. Let's do it again! We stopped at Larry's Taven in Wildwood to eat and had what is about the best cheesburger I've ever had. Thanks for dinner, Joe!
One of his buds has a 1970 Nova with a large engine. The guys started it up. Cool. Nothing like the sound of a big block Chevy! While we were there we did some troubleshooting on the charging system of a '57 Chevy. The ammeter was bad so the charging system was open and didn't work. Joe fixed it.
We headed back to Joe's house at a slightly slower speed. I headed to Chesterfield to get a hotel for the night. Great seeing you again, Joe!
At the hotel, I run the "routine" with the luggage cart again. They sold beer at the hotel so I had a couple of Schlafly's, a St Louis beer. Out pretty early as usual. Interstate riding wears me out.
Day 14 - Chesterfield, MO to Joplin, MO 267 miles
No pics today.
The "routine". Breakfast at the hotel was pretty good. I used the luggage cart to haul stuff out to the scooter. I'm loading up and a guy walks over. He says "I saw you with the stuff on the cart and thought no way will that go on there but it did!". I laughed and said "There is a method and it's not my first time". I have no idea what time it is and it's not important. Work my way down to I-44 which is fairly scenic when you get past developed areas. Lots of traffic today but most of it seems to be going east. Traffic jammed up at little in a couple of places today but only for a few mins. It was nice early today then warmed up into the mid-90s. With the temps and interstate riding, I call it a day about 3:30 at Joplin which is about halfway from St Louis to home. I was going to stop in Miami (no, not that one) but with the holiday traffic and fewer hotels there, finding a room might be a problem Got a hotel, ran the "routine" and ate at Waffle House next door. Food is pretty good but everything is sticky and what's up with yelling out the order when you give the cook the ticket anyway? Maybe I'll try that at home...or not. I suspect that would be followed by a frying pan up the side of my head.
More interstate tomorrow but it's supposed to be cooler. Hitting the road early in case it's not cooler. No problems with gas so far.
Day 14 - Joplin, MO to Allen, TX 323 miles
No pics today.
Up about 5:30 and the routine. On the road about 6:30. Temps in the low 60s, Nice! A half hour down the road I realized I left the seat cushion at the hotel in Joplin. I pulled off at Miami (no, not that one) and called the hotel. They said they would look for it. Yeah, want it back it's kinda expensive.
Off I-44 at Big Cabin, OK and onto US69/75 to home. What a terrible road. Traffic is not bad but the pavement is in poor condition for almost all of OK and part way into TX. On the plus side it would be good to check for rattles and loose stuff on your vehicle. Note to self: avoid this road! Stopped for gas in Durant, OK. Out of premium and mid-grade and a $25 limit on regular. Gas was $2.35 and surprised it was not higher. Got home about 2:30. Always glad to be home and see my sweetie!
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 443
From: West Tennessee
This is the first time I've ever heard of anyone using Hohenwald on their route lol. Shame they don't open the elephant sanctuary to the public and make it a worthwhile place to visit!
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