Friday, 31 May. Arrived in Tulsa from Eureka springs, Arkansas Wednesday night. Trip was off the Interstate on much less traveled roads. Beautiful country with a LOT of farms. I had no idea that Arkansas was such a heavily farmed area (at least on hwy 412). We are going to be staying at Bonnie and Lons' for several days to visit and wait out another impending storm. It rained and hailed this AM, but cleared up by noon. Rain is forecast for Tuesday, so current plan is to saddle up Wed and head out toward Denver. We went to the local HD dealership and bought another map....Stu has already planned our next trip....and we're not even home yet! Kyra called today to tell her grandpa that she did a 10 mile bike ride with her mom. This was her first real ride so she was excited (and tired). She has been watering all of our plants while we've been on the road and said they are really growing! She wants us to come home.....how much better can it get?

Custom made Baldwin pianos at the Gibson factory.  

Tuesday, 27 May.  All of our hunkering down for the big storm was an exercise in complete frustration.  Tuesday turned out to be a pretty nice day with zero rain (until 8:30 PM).  We rented a car from Hertz for the day and went into downtown Memphis where we toured the Gibson guitar factory.  This is a view of the back of the buildings in "tourist trap" area of Beale Street.  Photo taken from the Gibson factory as we waited for the tour to start.

Bike cleaned and under wraps at The Hampton Inn in Memphis.  We are hunkered down here waiting out the impending storm.  The clouds outside are dark and full of water just waiting for the right moment to dump!  This could last for 2 days, according to Weather Channel.  Stu has been looking thru one of the "what to do in Memphis" brochures and has the rental car look in her eyes.  I think my day is being planned as I write.

Stu doing what she really loves....checking out homes for sale in Asheville area (she found many she liked in the 3 million and up section).  And watching the Weather Channel.  Severe storm warning from Tulsa to Memphis...pretty much the route we are travelling.    

Second stop on I-40 after about 35 miles of no rain and almost dry roads. 

Toward Memphis on I-40.

Waitin' it out..... I'm really not sure this was any better than driving on the road, as the passing traffic, particularly the 18 wheelers, kicked up quite a lot of water.  But the company and conversation was great.

Here we are at mile 103 hiding beneath the overpass with Rick and Wanda from Memphis.  Visibility was quite limited by the rain so we elected to follow Rick to marginal shelter.  We were here for about 30 minutes.  It was great having company and conversation as we waited, and hoped, the rain would, at least, lighten up.  Rick is a truck driver and Wanda is a 3rd grade school teacher.  Naturally, she and Stu were able to carry on a pretty good conversation about the good and bad of the teaching profession.  The were riding a black Classic that was pretty close to being the twin to our bike.    

Monday, Memorial Day.  We could not decide whether to stay in Nashville or try and beat the weather and head to Memphis, TN. Far too late, as it turns out,  we packed up and headed out, fairly certain we could beat the incoming rain storm on the 210 mile ride to Memphis.  OK, we're packed, fueled up, helmets on, commo checked....we hit the road, deciding we would take a short break at the 100 mile mark.  As we cruised west bound in I-40, we congratulated ourselves on the dry roads, fairly light traffic and the warm tempertature.....our smugness was short lived, however.  As we joyfully cruised along, the temp took a big dip, the skies darkened and then "opened".   The photo under the overpass was at the 103 mile mark.......on schedule for the stop, but for the wrong reason! We have a genuine appreciation for freeway overpassesAbout 25 miles out of Memphis the rain stopped, the roads dried and the HEAT was on!  It was remarkable.....unbelievably hot with horrendous humidity!   We located the hotel where we made reservations and were happy to get into an air conditioned building.  We found a Macaroni Grill not far from our hotel and had a great dinner.  The storm was scheduled to start about 7:00 PM, so we went back to the hotel, cleaned the bike and put her under wraps.  The rain started about 8:30.

Yesterday was Maya's birthday so we called and sang happy birthday over the voice mail, as she was out playing with friends somewhere in the neighborhood.  Our grandkids are growning up far faster than we are groaning old!    

A McD's stop, Harriman, Tennessee.

This chair, being sold in the store, was supremely comfortable!

.This is an "old fashioned" store in Asheville.  They stock many items that haven't been in stores in decades.  They also have current stuff, but the atmosphere of the store is clearly very country.  We bought grandkid gifts

Stu's helmet.

More inside McD's.

Inside

Across the street from the entrance to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville.  This is McD's nicest restaurant.  The menu is the same, but inside it's quite nice and is a reflection of the grandeur of the Biltmore Estate.

Area around Asheville.

The kids got to do a very mini version.

About 1 blk from our hotel in Asheville, they were having a Fireman's Combat competition.  The contestants have about 120 lbs of gear on, run up the 5 story of stairs (previous picture) lower hose down on a rope, down the stairs, hammer a steel block weighing 50 lbs with a sledge hammer (simulating chopping thru a roof), charge the hose and hit a target with the stream and then haul a 175 lb "Rescue Randy" 100 feet to the finish line.  All the time wearing full turn outs and a Scott Airpac.  The guy with the gray T shirt (kneeling) is a 2 time WORLD champion with a time of 1 minute, 22 secs!  The competition is very intense and is participated in by hundreds of dept's throughout the U.S.  The best then go to the world championships competing with firemen throughout the world.  There is sponsorship by several large corps that manufacture fire fighting equipment. 

A very cute "Yorky" that stopped by to see our bike in Asheville.

Friday, 23 May.  Well, we really focused  on riding and made it all the way to Asheville, NC....all 120 miles.    We would probably have stayed on BRP, but several miles was closed due to construction and were routed off the Parkway.  After living in Atlanta area for about a year, we never managed to get to Asheville, so we decided to spend a day there just checkin' the place out.  Enroute to Asheville, we met 2 couples on bikes from Murrieta (Atlanta suburb).  They were just terrific and offered a few ridin' stories.  Their motto:  Live to ride, Ride to eat!  They were staying at a different hotel so we went our separate ways.  We are continually amazed at the number of motorcyclists on the road and how very friendly and open with complete strangers the riders are......it adds a lot of enjoyment to the trip.  See our photos for some of the stuff in Asheville.  

Sunday, 25 May.  Left Asheville on I-40 toward Nashville......about 300 miles.  This is the first time we have had the experience of many miles on the Interstate on the new HD.   I rode frequently on California freeways when I was a motor cop, but that has been many years ago and traffic conditions have changed quite a bit.  Stu squeezed my side on several occasions, but did not pound on my back and only yelled on the 2 way microphone a couple of times!  The bike ran great and cruise control is awesome!  Sharing the road with 18 wheelers after being off a bike for over 20 years is sometimes a tense experience!  As you look thru the photos, you'll notice that we stop at McDonalds quite a bit.....why?  Because they are almost always close to a freeway off ramp for easy off, easy on and the drinks are not bad and they usually have a shady spot to park.  It has been HOT today.....according to the clerk at the Hampton Inn, much hotter than normal for this time of year.

We monitor weather conditions very carefully.  Each nite we tune into the Weather Channel to see what the next day will bring.  The recent tornados in the midwest do not inspire us to go north of I-40.  They are expecting rain tomorrow and Tuesday here in Nashville, so we may be stuck for a couple of days.  Obviously, rain and/or hail do not make for fun riding.......

We have stayed at Hampton Inns the entire trip and have been very pleased with their service and willingness to assist bikers.  Most have a washer and dryer so we can wash our limited supply of clothes....Stu thinks this is particularly important since she is on back!  When we get to Tulsa, the bike will be beyond ready for a thorough cleaning.....I am certain we have 25% of the bugs on I-40 welded to the front of the bike.  The dead bugs are so thick I suspect it is reducing our gas mileage.  Stay tuned for tomorrow's adventures.

 

On the road at BRP.

Great lunch on the BRP.  The waitresses were not even close to being young, but were very southern and extremely pleasant.  Good food in a low key atmosphere.

There were a ton of bikers riding on BRP.  Almost all were going north to DC.  

Along BRP.  We were doing about 40 when Stu took this.

Inside the mill.

Mabrey Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Built in 1910 by Ed Mabrey, this is a fully functional water driven mill.  He milled lumber and grain depending on the season.  When the river was high, he would use the increased water flow to cut timbers into boards.  He lso made furniture and wagon wheels.  This is the most photographed place on BRP.

This very nice couple  live in Richmond, VA.  He is a WW II veteran who served in Italy.  There son rides a Harley and he was quite proud to tell us all about it.  He is 84 years old and doesn't look a day over 70.

We stopped at the post office in Roanoke this morning to mail some stuff to Jeff.  As you can see, this fella felt a need to ventilate the top of his van, so he attached two vent caps from a hot water heater to the top of his van.  Perfect.

We tried to make it much farther for our nite stay but made it only as far as Waynesboro, VA, near the entrance to Blue Ridge Parkway.  As we rode along Blue Ridge Parkway, we saw a LOT of other cyclists going the other way.  After talking to a few we learned they are going to the Patriot Memorial Day Ride in Washington DC.   They expect 750,000 riders.  That's right, boys and girls.....seven hundred fifty THOUSAND!  As we continued south, every time another group of riders passed going north, we felt like unpatriotic traitors!  I suspect many will later think we were the smart ones for going south.  We met a couple of guys from New Mexico and a group staying at the same hotel tonite, from Atlanta.  We elected to pull off Blue Ridge at Roanoke, VA so we could do some washing (did I mention we were on vacation?), eat a bit and just veg out a  little earlier than usual.  We stopped too many times on BRP and didn't make the mileage we thought we would.  We were fortunate enough to find an HD dealer near our hotel so we could add a few more pounds of air to the rear shocks.....our Grapes of Wrath load was quite a bit heavier than we thought it would be and needed a little stiffer shock to support the additional weight.  We're getting the unpacking/packing routine down much better, but still adjust each time to try to keep the weight as low as possible on the bike.  Tomorrow we head back to BRP and continue for about another 90 miles, then turn off toward the Smoky Mtns. 

Our 2 way headset between driver and passenger works quite well and allows us to communicate much more effectively than having Stu pound on my right shoulder for right turns and left for left.  She also operates the GPS when we are in town where we're pretty much clueless about which direction to look for food and/or hotel.   

Peaks of Otter.

Arnold Valley

Blue Ridge Pkwy.   Still.

Another remarkable view of Shenandoah Valley.  It's easy to see why European immigrants favored this part of America....it resembles their homeland.  The first step off this rock is a loooong one.

Another shot of the valley.  The farms in the valley are absolutely story-book in appearance.  Stu thinks it looks very similar to the Black Forest.

Stu looking for the roadside porta-potty.  Third bush on the right.

A beautiful farm right on Blue Ridge Pkwy.

A bit if history that is probably not well known.

On Blue Ridge with view of Shenandoah Valley.

Shenandoah HD, Staunton, VA.  We stopped to buy a few goodies.    A few more photos follow.   

Thursday AM.  Hampton Inn, Waynesboro, VA.  These people were terrific!  They showed us a spot to park our bike without being in the regular parking lot.  It was a well protected "slot" right near the front entrance.  We are going to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway south toward the Smoky Mtns.  Weather is absolutely fabulous! 

Luggage attached, gased up (the motorcycle!)...the road awaits us!  Not quite "The Grapes of Wrath", 2008 style.   Just before this photo, Stu had a cardboard box on her lap with all the stuff we are shipping home, which would have made it a little more "wrath-y".  We bid Jeff and Victoria good-by and headed south.  We're going to try to get to Peaks of Otter in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Overcast and cloudy.

Head 'em, up, move 'em out!

Can I go, too?  Who's shy? 

Yesterday, Tuesday, we picked up our bike from Patriot who did the 1000 mile service.  Back to Jeff's house to load up for the journey home.  Jeff's daughter, Victoria, is a very bright, active 4 year old, but, typically four, sometimes just wants to be shy and avoid the camera. 

Another photo of Gettysburg battlefield....it covered quite a bit of real estate.  This part of the "Driving Tour", which we have yet to do....perhaps on our third visit. When we got to the town of Gettysburg, we stopped at McDonalds to get a sandwich and had the distinct opportunity to arrive the afternoon of the high school prom.  Young girls in their very nice formal, prom dresses.......eating at McDonalds  One young girl with her date was nicely dressed as was her date in his black shoes, black pants, cumberbun, black vest and his camo hunting hat!  It was amazing how we were drawn to the hat before we noticed he was wearing his prom clothes.  A quite old gentleman sat in the table next to us and begin telling us how much he hated Gettysburg...."nothing but d*** tourists", but his wife got him there 25 years ago and so he's stuck there.  McDonalds is the place to see and be seen.