What Really Matters

I recently spent a long weekend with friends riding our motorcycles. Over 3 days, we covered a little over 1000 miles. That’s a little bit farther than I like to ride on a daily basis, but to tell the truth, the miles clicked away so easily, we just went with the flow.

MikeP and I have been touring together for years. Our friend John (JonJonBoo) has been working overseas for a defense contractor. He’d been over there 3 months and just returned home for some much need rest and relaxation. I was glad to hear he was home and ready for some 2-wheeled therapy. Over the past few years, the 3 of us have celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King’s holiday on the bikes, a tradition I shall very much like to continue.

Additionally, I received a private message from forum member NTXFJR (Craig) asking if I had any plans for a trip soon. I’d never met Craig before, but there’s no such thing as a stranger rider, so I convinced him to buy camping gear and give it a shot. Craig was a tad late to the party, as he had to work a full day Friday. But none the less he made it, and the 4 of us had a ball playing in and out of the Sabine, Angelina, Kistachie, and Homochitto National Forests.

A long weekend ride down here in January has to be planned with flexibility in mind. The weather is unpredictable, and the long range forecast kept changing on us. I was game to try anything, and was even willing to bail on the camping in favor of drier accommodations if Mother Nature wouldn’t cooperate. As we got closer to “go time”, the forecast actually looked favorable for camping. A frontal system approaching from the west would bring poor weather late in the weekend, but we felt like if we started in East Texas, and moved east from there, we could stay ahead of the bad stuff. It worked out great. We stayed dry all weekend, and the temperatures were very mild, with overnight lows at 55-60, and highs in the mid-70s. Even Craig made it home to the DFW area just before the bottom fell out Sunday night.

We rode places and ate things. We stopped and looked around at whatever seemed interesting. We built a couple of nice campfires, drank a few cocktails, and shared the meaning of life. We took the longer more curvy ways to get there. Nobody over pushed themselves, but when conditions and the mood felt right, we downshifted a gear and turned the horses loose a little. Nobody got hurt or broke down in the slightest. In the end, it was just a few days for us to enjoy good camaraderie and good riding.

And when you get right down to it, I guess that’s all that really matters.

I hope you enjoy the pics.


Day 1: Lafayette, LA to Boykin Springs Campground, Zavalla, Texas, approx. 375 miles

Mike agreed to meet at my house about 7 am. Work day traffic gets heavy, so we need to be on our way before the morning commute catches us. The coastal fog was thick as we rode out of town. A rural route northwest seemed pretty dangerous, with visibility down to perhaps a quarter mile. So we decided to just hit the slab and make some miles while the fog burned off. The interstate was actually pretty enjoyable as most of the big rig trucks must have slept in that day.

About 70 miles later, we exited near DeQuincy and took a break. Mike recently moved from an FJR to a Versys 1000 and he likes it very much. I think the color is GORGEOUS!



As predicted, the fog burned off and gave way to partly cloudy skies. The roads dried up, and we are off to the northwest riding through the piney woods near Toledo Bend Reservoir. We crossed the border into Texas and things are just fine.



We pull into Milam, Texas, which is really just an intersection of two highways, right about noon. We’ve eaten here before and it is always very good.



Now this is the way to eat on the road! The fried catfish dinners are just fantastic, but it’s really more than I can eat.



While I was pouring my iced tea, this guy asked me if I’m from Lafayette. I said “yes” and it turns out we’ve met before. So we asked him and his friend to join us.



Lunch comes with chocolate cake. I’m living large, friends!!



David and his friend are riding BMW adventure bikes and heading to Dallas for a major motorcycle show. After lunch, they tagged along with us for a short while.



In San Augustine, the Beemer dudes split off, and Mike and I started wandering in and out of the forest. The rural roads of East Texas are well maintained with very little traffic to contend with. I wouldn’t classify them as “twisty”, but they are plenty “curvy” and the scenery among the low hills and ranches is just fine.

“Uh Pants, stop taking pictures and let’s ride, man!”



We looped back around the San Augustine about 3:00 pm and thinking that this might be our last chance, we stopped at a grocery store for some local brew. This one was very good.



From San Augustine, we crossed the Sam Rayburn Reservoir, which was formed by the damming of the Angelina River.



Looking quite fine, my Kawasaki friend!



Meanwhile, John left his central Louisiana home about noon and got to the campground early. He picked a nice spot for us to call home that evening.





I’ve camped here many times and it is a very nice place. The roads are paved, the shower is hot, and the camp sites are very large and private. Mike has the passport card, so we paid a whopping $3 bucks for the site!!



Firewood was a little scarce, but we found plenty in the area adjacent to the camp site. Mike seemed challenged to assemble my camp saw.



But in no time, we loaded up the mules and headed back to camp.



We walked up to the camp pond to look around. The control structure they built at the spring is pretty cool



I believe John is on his 3rd or 4th beer by now. Does it show?



The pond was very peaceful that evening.



Now dark, I took a shower and after a couple of stiff totties, it was time to get down to some serious business.

This is a great “night 1” meal to cook on the open fire. Pre-seasoned thick cut pork chops frozen the night before will stay just fine all day in the insulated bag. They will cook well on the fire without drying out. Corn is simply wrapped in foil and thrown on the coals. The Bush’s “Grillin Beans” are delicious right out of the can. And with paper plates, there is zero mess to deal with after the meal.



After dinner, we burned some wood and told lies. John turned in early, and Craig pulled up about 9:30 pm. After some more conversation, we turned in for the night.

Day 2: Boykin Springs Campground, Zavalla, TX to Clear Springs Campground, Roxie, MS, approx. 350 miles.

We woke up pre-sunrise to some pretty thick fog that formed overnight in the woods. Craig apparently decided to not set up his tent for the night and closed his eyes on the camp chair, bringing new meaning to the term “roughing it”.

Be that as it may, the Baristas got started with the first order of the day, the making of coffee.



John stoked up our fire from last night and toasted the morning bagels for us.



Last night, Mike couldn’t finish his pork chop, so we saved it to share in the morning breakfast.



We took our time getting packed, as the fog was slow to burn off. But soon enough, the horses were loaded.



(Pants) “You ready?”

(Craig) “Let’s roll!!!”



I don’t think this is what he meant.



I’m not entirely sure what happened, but I think he got caught on a tree root and the bike tipped over. We rushed to his aid, uprighted the bike, rolled it to safety, and assessed the damage. Craig was not hurt, and from what we could tell, there was very little (if any) damage to the bike as it fell on some soft pine needles and dirt.

Not discouraged, we took a short ride to a fingerling of the Sam Rayburn Reservoir to look around. When I’m riding with someone new, I like the first leg to be short. Give everyone a chance to check the bike, check the load, fiddle fart around with whatever is bothering them, make sure riding expectations are being met, etc.

“Well guys, how are we doing so far?”

(John) “I’m so happy to be out of that freaking dessert! Hang 10, man!!!”

(Craig) “I’m still not so sure about you Cajun knuckleheads.”

(Mike) “Something is wrong with this GPS.”



There is a 300 horsepower motor on the back of that bass boat. Holy cow, that thing must fly!



I led the group across the lake. The fog is burning off, but there are still plenty of clouds abound. The air temperature over the lake dropped about 5 degrees, as the cold water was providing a natural refrigerator. Still, it’s only about 60 degrees, and for mid-January, I’ll take it.



Looking quite well, my friends!!



The lanyard attachment for my camera got caught in the slipstream.



Nice views of the water from the bridge.





Not sure what the heck this is all about. I was just pressing the shutter button.



On the other side of the lake, we turned into the trees and wandered through the forest and the ranches. The road was a bit damp and a little dirty in spots, so I’m holding back a bit in the interest of safety. My tires are serviceable, but near the end, and there is no point in pushing it any.

At our morning fuel stop, John and the others had trouble with the higher octane fuel pumps working very slow. Pants had no problems with the cheapie grade.



Regardless, we all topped off the tanks and took a bio break.



We took Hwy 21 back toward the Louisiana border (great road BTW!!!), and crossed Toledo Bend on the Pendleton Bridge. From there, I led us mostly East through the piney woods of the Kistachie National Forest. At a road change, while waiting for a very long red light, John accidentally tipped over his bike. Fortunately, the ST1300 has excellent tipover protection and I think the bike was just fine.



Well – how about it guys?

(John) “Are you talking to me?”

(Craig) “I’m REALLY not sure about these Louisiana boyz”

(Mike) “This GPS is even MORE stupid than I thought!!!!”



This is what qualifies as a Louisiana “overlook”.





Now I’ve made a serious miscalculation. Its lunch time and we are smack dab in the middle of nowhere. With VERY little choice, I led us to nearby Boyce, where we found this joint.



I’m fairly certain they haven’t had a health inspection in quite a while, but the chicken was decent none the less.



Then it was back on the horses, heading generally east through the center of the Louisiana boot (shape of the State). At one point, we passed a hot rod T-bucket like it was standing still and I think the ole boy got kind of torqued about it. Hey man – that thing is fast, but not this fast!!!

Our route took us right past John’s house, so we stopped for a bio break and to tell his wife hello.



And then we continued through the floodplains of central Louisiana, where they build up the roads as levees to keep water where it’s supposed to be.

In Ferriday, we crossed the mighty Mississippi River into Natchez. Now, I may have screwed up lunch, but I sure as heck wasn’t going to do the same thing for dinner. By now, it’s getting late and cooking seems impractical, so I asked for suggestions. John thought about this place, which is an excellent idea, so we stopped there and picked up some BBQ to go.



Mike and John broke off for the liquor store to pick up some much needed supplies (BEER!!!!), and I took Craig to a place in Natchez called Under the Hill for a photo op.



We regrouped with the others and the sun is starting to sink to our West.

Talk to me, boys!!!

(John) “Man, I’ve got some cold beer for tonight – Yee Haa!!”

(Craig) “I guess at this point, I gotta trust you Louisiana boys.”

(Mike) “If I have to look at this f-ing GPS one more time, I’m going to SCREAM!!”



I’ve got about 20 miles of 4-lane Hwy 84 to run, and with ZERO traffic to contend with, I set the cruise at 85 and we got there pronto.

By the time we found the last 2 camp sites available, and paid for them, Mike and I had to load the Sherpas in the dark.



I think the guys were too tired to use the saw – ah well, just let the fire cut ‘em.



Looks like Craig chose the brisket for his meal. Not a bad choice, if I don’t say so.



Pulled pork sandwich for Pants – delicious. The sausage was decent – not earth shattering, but I ate it.



After dinner, a gathering of the minds.

(John) “I think I’ll have beer number 5. Or maybe it’s 6.”

(Craig) “You Louisiana boys are all right.”

(Mike) “Anybody wanna buy a POS GPS?”



With the full moon rising, we walked over to the camp pond to check it out. The cloud cover obstructed the moon, but it was still a nice view.

Day 3: Clear Springs Campground, Roxie, Mississippi to Lafayette, LA, approximately 325 miles.

I hit my Rye Whiskey pretty hard last night. I hope I didn’t say or do anything inappropriate in mixed company.

Like clockwork, the fog settled in over the campground. The trees were dripping so hard on us, it kind of felt like rain.



We are in the groove now.



Mike’s sweetie of a wife makes AWESOME blueberry jam and I was blessed to have Pam’s Jam on my bagel this trip.



John has to head home this morning, so we wished him a safe ride home, and pressed on with just 3. I thought since we were so close, taking Craig on a short stint on the Natchez trace would be a good idea. Craig doesn’t seem to mind much.





We stopped at the Windsor Ruins to poke around.



While there, Mike and I shared some crackers and cheese for a mid-morning snack.



At Port Gibson, Craig split off as he has to get home to the DFW area and the weather is building from the west. We bid him a fine goodbye and vowed to do it again some time.

My back tire is starting to get mighty thin. I’m glad it is not raining.


















Pretty good roads in Mississippi if you know where to look.



So THIS is why they call it Rocky Spring…..





Now heading in the direction of home, Mike and I stopped for lunch at the Lorman General store.



I’d buy lunch from this dude – would you?



Sunday lunch buffet – this place is known for its fried chicken. I know – I had fried chicken yesterday. I figured my pancreas could handle one more batch.



From lunch, Mike and I took a very familiar and more direct route back to Lafayette. We rode the last 200 miles with only one stop to wee wee and share a chocolate bar.

I pulled in to home about 5:00 pm, a little tired for just a 3 day trip. My back tire made it, but I really don’t care to cut it this close.



So it was a nice weekend with old and new friends. We camped and took time to tell lies and share experiences. The bikes performed flawlessly and each of us really enjoyed the ride each day. For mid-winter, the weather was fantastic. I rode familiar roads and saw things I’d seen before. I suppose every trip can’t be a boundless and endless sea of unchartered water. And I don’t suppose most people care anyway.

In the end, we got to enjoy what really matters.

Stay thirsty, my friends….

Good ride report.

I rode solo Saturday to the Toledo Bend area, and came across something kinda strange on Hwy 191 just south of the Bridge. About 100+ ambulances on 2 big lots, with arabic on them. Assuming the arabic was spelling out AMBULANCE. Did you guys happen to see this?

Great ride report, as usual Pants. Enjoyable read!

Very nice report pants. Thx for sharing.

Good read as always, no cord no worries!

Jay - we did see those "ambulances" on Hwy 191 heading south about 10:30-ish AM. Did we miss you by much?

From there, we went the usual - Hwy 474 to Florein, Hwy 118 to Kistachie, .....

Great ride report hppants!Thanks for sharing!

Lots of work to put these togeather Pants. Thanks, oh and no pie or icecream, come on man.

Thanks for the RR! That cured my PMS for a while....

I too like the frozen meat and beans over a fire. Brats in buns and you can have chili dogs w/ NO PLATES!

Next month is the IMS bike show, so I figure Spring is right around the corner!

hppants said:

Jay - we did see those "ambulances" on Hwy 191 heading south about 10:30-ish AM. Did we miss you by much?
From there, we went the usual - Hwy 474 to Florein, Hwy 118 to Kistachie, .....

Click to expand...

I passed by around 2:30 pm. I ended up doing about a 355 mile loop...great weather for January!

Thanks, looked a lot better than my frosty streets.

great RR Pants!! Nice pictures and wonderful words. Had a good laugh at the many "thoughts of the men in the pictures". Haha!

Glad you are enjoying your riding in January. Keep up the riding and writing!

and glad to hear NTXFJR managed to not damage much in his tipover.

We rode places and ate things. We stopped and looked around at whatever seemed interesting. We built a couple of nice campfires, drank a few cocktails, and shared the meaning of life. We took the longer more curvy ways to get there. Nobody over pushed themselves, but when conditions and the mood felt right, we downshifted a gear and turned the horses loose a little. Nobody got hurt or broke down in the slightest. In the end, it was just a few days for us to enjoy good camaraderie and good riding.

Click to expand...

'Pants.. You are either a genius or psychotic. Either way, I enjoy your RR's immensely.

JSNS and

Hugs n' Kisses

...seems like I was there 'pants! Thanks [again] for another most excellent RR!

--G

Enjoyed the Hell out of the RR, Pants. It's been a while since I've seen one that good. :yes:

Nice RR, thanks

Thanks ya'll for reading my R/R. I appreciate your warm wishes.

Rodger - hang in there, man. Me thinks the PMS season may be short this year. It's supposed to reach 80 tomorrow - jeez!!

Carver - I've never been accused of being a genius, but I've had MANY people tell me I was crazy. Alas, a spade is always a spade.....

Yes, we saw those ambulances too. I thought is was strange as well. Who know what kinds of activities our tax dollars fund these days. Hope the Arabs appreciate our govt's generosity.