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

Made it

I got rained on today. I suppose it's my own fault for bragging yesterday. It didn't last for more than about an hour, and I could see it coming so I had time to get all my rain gear on.  Actually the wind in East Texas was more of an issue than the rain. Part of Louisiana that I went through this morning grows a lot of sugar cane. I'm not sure I had ever seen it before, and I definitely don't know the logistics. Some fields stood at over six feet tall, looked like some fields had recently been harvested, some had recently been burned off, and some fields were full of shoots less than a foot tall.  I thought it was an interesting cycle, I just don't know when it begins, and when it ends. I also went by Ft. Polk in Louisiana today. I don't know if they had a unit that had just returned from Afghanistan or if it was a hold over from veterans day, but there were 100's of flags flying in all of the surrounding towns. The line of flags going into and out of the towns stretched for almost a mile, and there was a flag flying on every light and electrical pole. It was pretty neat. Only other thing I have to show you is some local art that you can purchase for your yard.  I'm not sure what is happening tomorrow, but I'm hoping for a little better weather.

Current location:Marble Falls, Texas
Today's mileage: 489
Total:  1415

If Only

If only every travel day could be like today weather wise.  Admittedly, it started off a little cold, but I can layer up my clothing and it's not bad.  Then after a couple of hours it's warm enough to take off the extra layers.  I had sunny blue skies, and temps that never exceeded 80 degrees.  It would be nice if I could depend on that being the case all of the time.  Aside from the weather, everything went pretty well today.  I had to do a little bit of backtracking in Mississippi, but it wasn't a problem. Some of the back roads I take aren't marked very well on the map, so I am sometimes guessing at what their numbers are, or I just head for the next likely town.  Unfortunately that doesn't always work, but it usually doesn't take long to figure out when something is not right.  I decided I wanted to enter Louisiana at Bogalusa for a couple of reasons. One is that I just think it's fun to say Bogalusa, and two is because it led me to a scenic byway through most of the state.  I like taking the scenic byways because first they are scenic and are usually the most fun roads to ride, and because they normally are not the most direct route from point a to point b, so there is less traffic on them.  This doesn't always hold true, but they are always worth a try.  Just a couple of photos for today.  The first is what a modern day cotton bale looks like. I don't think there's much "lifting and toting" going on with these things.  The second picture is of a grave yard in Louisiana with the raised burial sites.  Even the small country church cemeteries are like this.  That's it for now.  Hope to be in Marble Falls by tomorrow afternoon .

Current location:  Simmesport, Louisiana
Today's mileage:  513
Total:  927

Why Not

So I'm off on another trip.  There is no good reason for this one other than I wanted try to get in one more ride before it gets too cold.  I'm going to a BMW rally in Marble Falls, TX.  I'm really not into the rally so much, as it gave me a reason and a destination.  This is the first time I have done a trip this late in the year, and I have become aware of a few things already.  One is that even though the days are still pleasant for the most part, it is a bit brisk when the temps are in the low forties to start with.  Secondly, when the sun goes down, it gets dark really fast.  I don't think I will be riding as late on this trip as what I normally do.  It definitely gets darker earlier and quicker .  as far as today's ride went, everything went fine for the most part.  I was surprised that the smoke from the fires up in the mountains extended all the way south of the Atlanta area.  I'm not sure how much national coverage they are getting, but the southeast has quite a few wild fires going on right now.  The one picture I am posting shows the smoke haze South of Atlanta.  Moving on, as I came through South Georgia, I was passing by the Andersonville National Historic Site.  This was the site of the infamous POW camp during the civil war.  I stopped in and spent about an hour going through the museum and the grounds.  Lots of history here, and as always going through a national cemetery is a sobering experience.  Further down the road, l noticed this huge bird house that had a sign saying bird house farm. I thought maybe they raised Canaries or some type of exotic birds for commercial sales, so I went back to take a look.  It turned out to be a chicken farm.  That's it for today.

Location:  Luverne, Alabama
Today's Mileage:  412 miles
Total:  412

The Adventure Ends

Nothing very exciting to report today. I made some time and covered some miles today by riding the interstate down to Chattanooga Tennessee.  When I got off I covered some familiar ground and rode the Ocoee River  road and saw all the people rafting down the river. The rest of the route I have done a couple of dozen times so I didn't see anything new but it is a pretty area. About an hour from home I cruised on over to a couple of my favorite twisty mountain roads and headed for home.  So now my trip is over, I'm unpacked and it's almost time for Happy Hour.   Obviously not the smoothest of trips, but the major goals were accomplished. I got an extended day trip in, and I was able to spend a few days with my Mom. Overall, I had a good time.
Two final pictures.  The first is a Little Library that seems to be in the middle of nowhere. I'm a fan of the Little Library concept, and thought it was neat to see one sitting in a field.  I hope it is a big success.
The last photo is a tradition: one of my bike sitting in our driveway after a safe return.

Current location:  Seneca, SC
Today's mileage:  362
Total mileage:  3422

River Day

I started off today and was at the dealership right on time for my scheduled appointment. They got me in and out in a little over two hours and I was on my way by 11:20 am. Over the two hours I made new friends and they even gave me a free hat (of course free is relative when you consider BMW service rates).   I fought the traffic and hit the interstates to get out of St. Louis. Once clear of the area I headed to the back roads.  One thing I have learned when traveling cross  country is that you have to consider where you are going to cross major rivers at.  You can always cross on an interstate, but after that your choices thin out.  I located a crossing on the map and headed for it.  Whenever I see one of these older bridges I hope that they are better maintained than SC bridges. I crossed with no issues, and there on the other side to greet me was Popeye. Chester Illinois is the birthplace of the creator of Popeye and the town makes the best of it. I think there must be a city ordinance that says any sign or store name must have a reference to a Popeye character. Continuing on, my next challenge was to find a place to cross the Ohio River. I accomplished this, and I didn't even have to worry about a bridge. Although on close inspection of the ferry I'm not sure which was the greater risk.  After clearing St. Louis, today was a day of good weather and good roads.  It was just what I needed.  Originally, I was planning on being home yesterday. After my adventures, it looks like I should be home on Saturday. I have to admit, that the Siren Songs of home are calling me, so I will probably take a more direct route and bypass some back roads.  So just in case you are wondering, I'm loving the new bike.

Current location:  Clarksville, Tennessee ( In honor of Gwen and Phil)
Today's mileage:  376
Total mileage:  3060

This Is Better

So after two days of dealing with issues, I got to get back on the road again. It was a clear day with low temps, and good back roads.  The only hiccup, is that I am still breaking in the new engine so I have to be more aware of rpm and throttle position.  As I was cruising through a wind farm area, it suddenly dawned on me that what I was actually seeing was two types of farming coexisting.  I've been through theses areas before, but the thought never occurred to me. Maybe my slower speed gave me more time to think. When breaking in the engine, it is important to get a check up and have the break in oil changed around the 600 mile point. Some people can take over six months to reach this, I'm there after 16 hours.  I know there were more convenient places to head for, but I thought St. Louis seemed right, so I have an appointment at the dealership in the morning to have my service done. This will be my third and hopefully last dealership on this trip, but who knows, maybe I'll make some new friends.  Last photo today, is of another interesting looking courthouse.

Current location:  Breeze, Illinois
Today's mileage:  487
Total mileage:  2684

Oh Well

As with all adventures, you have to keep soldiering on and hope that you are making the right decisions.  Something I didn't mention yesterday, was that once I got my bike back home, I knew that I would never feel comfortable until I got a new wheel put on. The problem, is that even though I was ready for that, you cannot find a new wheel.  I mean you can't find one anywhere in the States, Germany, Europe, in the BMW supply chain or even under your Christmas tree.  If you search for a used one, there is exactly one to be found, and it is in England with a three week delivery time. So I did the thing that any logical male would do, I bought  a new motorcycle.  It looks just like the old one, only four years newer with 56,000 less miles on it.  As part of the deal, I wanted some things from my old bike put on the new bike (engine guards, bar risers, custom seat, and radio antenna).  This took awhile, so I didn't get on the road until three PM.  Even though I tried to stay out of Chicago area traffic, I didn't get very far today. But the good news is that I am now out of the area and should be able to get Farther  along tomorrow.  One thing about this trip, I'm starting to make friends at BMW dealerships in a lot of places. Today's photos are of my new bike, and some of my new friends.

Current location:  Pontiac, Illinois
Today's mileage:  143
Total mileage:  2197

Feeling A Little Snakebit

I woke up this morning to the sound of thunder and it was raining outside.  Not the best of starts, but the rain was not that bad and riding in rain doesn't really bother me.  So I started off and sure enough the rain stopped within a short time.  So just as I'm thinking that things are starting to look up, here comes another adventure.  To my utter amazement, I start to feel and hear my front wheel bearings starting to grind.   I stop to check, and look for the nearest BMW dealer.  This time I only have to go 50 miles.  I turn back and go about 1/4 mile and the grinding is more than I can stand.  Realizing I dodged a bullet the last time, I pull over and get a towing service set up.  I won't go into all the details, but after getting my second set of bearings in a week installed, I am right back  where I started at this morning.  Needless to say, this experience has me thinking about the future of my bike.  I'm going to have to give this some thought.

Present location:  Elgin, Illinois
Today's mileage:  65
Total mileage:  2054

Old Home Day

I'm back on the road.  Mom and I said our goodbyes, and I took off this morning. I went to the back roads and headed to the northeast corner of Iowa.  On the way I ran into a little early morning fog.  It was really cool seeing the wind turbines just suddenly appear out of the fog.  As always, the pictures just don't show it that well.  Once I got to the Mississippi River, I started heading down The River Road.  This is a National Scenic Byway that runs the entire distance of the river.  Unfortunately, due to heavy rains in the area, there has been some wash out, so there is a lot of construction and detours at the present time. After a couple of hours of this, I opted to a different plan. I was reasonably close to where we once lived in Illinois, so I decided to go see our old homestead.  It started to rain on the way there, so that put a little damper on this side trip, but it was fun to see the old neighborhood.  What wasn't fun was how much the surrounding area has grown and all the increased traffic that came with it.  So there re a couple pi three of the river, a couple of our old house, and a shot of yard art to round it out.

Present Location:  Elgin, Illinois
Today's mileage:  442
Total mileage:  1989

A Bonus Post

I've spent the last couple of days at my Mom's so I haven't done any riding.  My Mom and I took a ride around town and around the county ( Mom wouldnt get on the motorcycle, so we took her car), to see how things have changed, see what's new, and see some things that are still familiar. I'm posting a couple of pictures from our ride.  First is something called a Freedom Rock.  Evidently, there is an artist who is trying to place a Freedom Rock (a memorial to the military) in every county in Iowa (there are 99 counties).  I have seen a couple others along the highway during my ride, this is the one for my home county.  Next are some pictures of the Grotto of the Redemption.  This is actually a somewhat famous landmark.  When I was growing up, every time some one visited us for the first time, we ended up taking them to the Grotto.  It got to be so common place for us, that I'm not sure that I ever really appreciated it.  The next picture was one I just couldn't pass up.  When you see  a sign like this, you can be assured you are in the Midwest.  The final picture is self explanatory.  Back on the road in the morning.

I should have known better

I knew I had a good ride ahead of me, so I planned out a route that mainly stayed on major highways on a fairly direct route.  I had good intentions, but after the first 30 minutes I gave up on that and went in search of some lesser traveled roads.  I had to refer to the map more than usual to make sure that I was at least heading in the right general direction. I think I added a little over a hundred miles to the distance covered, but it was a lot more fun.  The day started clear, but I ran into some low hanging clouds early on.  The visibility wasn't terrible but with no other traffic, and the limited sight lines, it really gave a sense of being somewhat isolated.  It was a little eerie and cool all at the same time.  I did run into some rain for about an hour or more, but it was mostly a misting and light sprinkle.  After yesterday's heat, I am not complaining about overcast skies and temps in the high seventies.  Passing through California (Missouri), I caught a glimpse of the front yard shown below.  It seemed so perfect, I had to go back and take another look.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  I appreciated it, but know that my yard will never look that way, because I hate messing with that sort of thing.
So now I am in Algona at my Mom's for the next few days.  No real riding planned, until I start back on Monday.

Current Location:  Altona, Iowa
Today's mileage:  586
Total mileage:  1576

It's All Relative

So even though I was imagining the worst, everything worked out fine with my bike at the dealership.  The part came in, there were no real surprises, my credit card cleared, and I was on my way at 9:50 am.  I,m happy to say that the bike performed normally, and I am not expecting any more problems.  So other than spending a day in a motel room, and losing a day of riding, this has turned out to be a minor adventure.  Today might have been the day I should have been in a motel room.  It was hot today.  Highest temp I saw was 98 but it was more like a constant 92/93 for most of the afternoon.  Not sure what tomorrow is going to be, but I'm hoping for something a little cooler.  With the late start today, I traveled a bit more on major highways, by still hit some nice back roads.  Actually, I wish I had a little more time to spend in southern Missouri.  Some of these roads in the Ozarks are a lot of fun.  When I left Seneca, the plan was to be at my Mom's house in time for cocktails on Friday (I realize that for some of you this means anytime after 8:00 am, but I was planning on something a little more civilized).  I still think that I can do that, but with the lost travel day, I will probably have to take a little more direct route, and leave the back roads for another time.  So one of the things I like about these roads is going thru the smaller towns and occasionally seeing an old county courthouse.  I really thought the one pictured was nice, and obviously well taken care of.
So now that I've complained about a lost day spent in a motel room, and the heat today, I think of my brother  Tim who spent seven hours yesterday having his back operated on.  It's all relative.

Current location:  Salem, Missouri
Yesterday's Mileage:  109
Today's Mileage:  411
Total Mileage:  960

It's Never Easy

I once read and totally subscribe to a saying that states any trip either good or bad is just a trip, until something goes wrong.  Then it becomes an adventure.  Based on that, I am now on an adventure.  I took off this morning, and got on the interstate because I wanted to get to the Nashville BMW Dealer early.  Things started out okay and went well for the first forty miles.  And then I was reminded of one of the reasons I so dislike riding on interstates, construction.  Things came to a halt, and then proceeded at a stop and go pace.  25 minutes and less than one mile later, the bike was close to overheating, I was close to overheating, the traffic continued to stretch out in front of me with no end in sight, and I had yet to see any construction.  I was close to an exit, so I took a chance and got off.  Although I went an extra 40 miles to get to my destination it was well worth it in my mind.
So now I am at the dealership.  When I check my front wheel, the bearing is entirely out of the wheel casing, and there is not single ball bearing to be found.  Surprisingly it didn't affect the handling as much as you might think, but if it had been that way when I checked it before starting out, I would not have ridden the bike to Nashville.  I am then pleasantly pleased to find out that the  dealer's parts department has the correct bearings and should be able to replace them in about an hour.  Unfortunately, about 45 minutes later, the adventure began.  The ruined bearing had ground a burr into the axle which prevented it from sliding out.  The only option was to cut the axle in order to remove it, and they did not have an axle in stock.  So I am now sitting in a motel room that was conveniently located across the street, waiting for overnight delivery of a new axle.  The service manager swears that they always get their parts at 9 am.  Once they have the part it is about a ten minute job to get the bike back together, so he says I should be out of there by 9:30.  I hope he's right, but things aren't always easy.