Off Again

I am on the road again.  Nothing fancy about this trip, but I will be on the road for ten to twelve days. It is a little different trip in that the first three days are at a rally in Kentucky. Then I'm heading to Louisville to met up with an old friend to ride for a few days, and then heading to Iowa to visit my Mom for a bit.  Yesterday's ride was a combination of both familiar and new roads.  There was just enough mix of twisty roads, small towns, and secondary roads to keep me interested the entire way. Saw a really interesting old roadside market that specialized in pumpkins and gourds.  It had obviously seen better times, but their collection of gourds was pretty impressive.  (Unfortunately, try as I might, I cannot figure out how to post pictures on this new device that I am now using.).   So today is supposed to be a poker run around the local area, however after looking at the radar and out the window, I'm not sure how much riding will get done today.   It's all part of the package.

Yesterday's Mileage:  338

Total:  338

Location:  Burkesville, Kentucky

im using a new computer, so I want to see if I can post to my blog with it.

test

How do I get photos. 

Trade offs

So it wasn't as cold when I started today, but it never warmed up as much as the last few. days.  I'm thinking that taking a trip in November was pushing the limits, but you never know.  I got a text from a friend in Syracuse who said they got 12 inches of snow when it was seventy degrees the day before.  There are always trade offs.  This was a good last day.  I stayed off the interstate all day, and was able to ride some fun roads thru northern Georgia.  A little more sunshine would have been appreciated, but yesterday I was complaining about how brutal the sun was.  There are always trade offs. All in all, it was a good trip, and I am glad to say it was not an adventure. A few photos before I end.  The first photo is a bit distant, but the eclectic collection of blow up caricatures was pretty interesting.  I wasn't sure if they were celebrating Halloween or Christmas.  The second photo of the fish is just because they were there.  Unfortunately I cut off part of the gun shop sign.  I'm thinking that the sign being there was not a coincidence, and maybe its just a different way of fishing, in Alabama. The last photo is one of the bike in the garage.  The safe return of another fun trip.

Present location: Home

Today's mileage:  302

Total:  2874

Hopscotch

The plan for today was to parallel the interstate on state highways. In reality, the highways often merged with the interstate for a considerable distance. It wasn't a total waste, but by the afternoon I decided to scrap the plan and just ride the interstate. Tomorrow should be better.  There was definitely frost on the pumpkin when I started out today. As always, the key is to dress for the cold. I'm thinking I will have the same issue tomorrow. Actually, the biggest problem today was the sun. I was basically headed straight East today, and the sun in the early morning is brutal for an hour or so. I was glad I was not on the interstate then, because numerous times I had to slow down when I would become momentarily blinded by the sun. I've left myself in a better position for tomorrow's ride, it will be in more of a northerly direction initially, before I turn eastward.  If all goes well, I should be home tomorrow.

Current location:  Henceville, Alabama

Today's mileage:  475

Total:  2572

Good Enuff

The plan for today was to ride up to the Dallas area to meet another old college friend and his wife for lunch, and then to just head east.   Basically the plan worked, but there was a surprise when I walked out to my bike in the morning and found it covered in icy frost. So after getting most of the frost off, I headed out in 32 degree temps for Dallas. It was chilly , but heated handle grips and seat helped a lot. The ride wasn't bad and then I hit Dallas. Since it was Sunday morning, traffic wasn't terrible, but going through the heart of Dallas is still a challenge. I did survive though, and had a good visit and lunch with people I don't get to see much.  From there, the best way to get out of the city and headed east was to get on an interstate.  I hadn't really mapped out a route, but thought that I could probably figure something out once I got far enough away from Dallas.  As it turned out, once I got settled into the interstate, it was just easier to stay on it and keep going. It's really not that interesting, but you do get a lot of miles covered. In the end, it wasn't great, but it was good enough. I'm going to try and figure out something better for tomorrow.

Current location:  Minden, Louisiana
Today's mileage:  475
Total:  2098

Hill Country

Today was a relaxing day.  I started later and did not ride as far.  As I was riding around the back roads I came across a store that was pretty much in the middle of nowhere that was a German import store. I really thought that was odd, because I didn't think there would be a large demand for lederhosen or drindle in central Texas.  I later found out that there is a strong German background in the area and that the store was not out of place.  Still, I didn't see any Texans wearing a cowboy hat and lederhosen. Since I was in the area, I thought I should go see Luckenbach, Texas.  All I can really say, is that I can now say I've been there.  There is not much to see, but I guess it is still a hopping place in the evenings.  I was surprised to see just how small the dance hall is.  From there I headed to New Braunfels to see an old college roommate and his wife for lunch. Always good to catch up with people you haven't seen in a while.  I'm still trying to figure out when he got so old.  Start heading for home tomorrow. 

Present location: Marble Falls, Texas
Today's mileage:  208
Total:  1623