Mountains, swamps, and hot-tubs, oh my!

Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum

Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

FJRfarrier

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2014
Messages
396
Reaction score
679
Location
Findlay, OH
EOM, LA, SFO

That’s a lot of letters, but it means some pretty cool stuff.

Night before- I’m packing. Which entails me grabbing a bunch of clothes and throwing them on the bed. The cat was amused by my antics…

20181002154219-8cb5121e-me.jpg


Day 1- Thursday morning, off I go! Obligatory departure photo…

20181002154221-d51087f3-me.jpg


Left the house a little before 9am; I needed to stop at the bank on the way out of town, and they don’t open until 9am. Business taken care of there, and then I pointed the bike south. Jumped on the interstate and rode. Down into Kentucky before I stopped.
20181002154222-49a6f0ce-me.jpg


I like the parking and the restrooms at the Kentucky welcome center on I-75 there. I also proceeded to wet down the heat-off layers I was wearing while at the sink- hoping to stay cool. Venture on further down the interstate, and the GPS is saying there is a major delay on I-75 ahead. Oh, and I LOVE passing these trucks and trailers!!!

20181002154223-0d9299a2-me.jpg


Anyway, the delay ahead is saying 1 ½ hr delay. Yeah, I’m not sitting in traffic like that. So when I pulled off for fuel, I looked at the map and found a way around the back-up. But when I got back on the interstate, I noticed the northbound lanes were at a standstill, and there was not a single car headed south. Except for me and the pick-up truck that got on with me. Not a single vehicle… it was creepy!!!

20181002154224-c7c996fb-me.jpg


Come to find out, there had been an accident right after I got off for fuel. I was thankful it didn’t happen before I got to that point.

So anyways, I still have to maneuver my way around the other traffic back-up that was further south, down near Corbin, KY. So I got off the interstate and wiggled my way east and south. Found some nice roads! Also found a tunnel! Rt 25E, goes through a hill that is also the border of Kentucky and Tennessee.
20181002154225-1f7e321a-me.jpg


20181002154226-0e5efd38-me.jpg


Onto Rt 32, and found a beautiful overlook near Thorn Hill, TN.

20181002154228-0e528b15-me.jpg


20181002154229-a0e4cb71-me.jpg


Down the road, and I joined back up with Interstate 40. Passed a fleet of ServPro clean-up semis. I can only hope that they are headed towards the hurricane damaged areas on the Carolinas. Thank you!

20181002154230-9cfdc2e1-me.jpg


At that point, GPS said I could be to the hotel within an hour. Well, I just wasn’t ready to get there yet! So I jumped off the interstate, made my way to Gatlinburg, and then detoured through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Rt 441 is just so beautiful! And hitting it in the evening- wonderful!
20181002154231-28d6c44b-me.jpg


20181002154233-6a3bb1ea-me.jpg


Down in the meadows, was a huge herd of elk!

20181002154234-515d9eca-me.jpg


Big guy sitting on the hill near the road! I did not stop, I merely slowed down.

20181002154236-0ef04e96-me.jpg


And with that, I made my way to the hotel. Pulled in, met lots of people, and had a great time!!

 
Day 2, Friday- After talking riding plans the night before, Rob and Marie were kind enough to let me tag along on their adventure.

20181002161013-3134f1af-me.jpg


We made our way to a small town of Spruce Pine. There, they met with a realtor and we went and toured a house! We do a good job of parking 3 bikes into 1 parking space.

20181002161014-c5400da4-me.jpg


Lovely home, but the driveway was NOT motorcycle friendly. Lol.

20181002161015-f69f9cfd-me.jpg


Back into the town, Rob sits down and talks with the realtor. Marie and I walk across the street to see a cute shop. The man inside recommends to us to check out the doll exhibit next door. What amazing art!

20181002161017-90874d68-me.jpg


Made out of brushes!

20181002161018-2e639ff2-me.jpg


And one of my favorite childhood songs brought to life with dolls!!!

20181002161020-9d61e94b-me.jpg


After that stop, we ventured on our way to Little Switzerland.
20181002161021-8c5c94e9-me.jpg


We stopped there for lunch. DELICIOUS!! I didn’t take a picture, but it was so good!
20181002161022-2cbbc823-me.jpg


My first time riding this road!

20181002161024-481313db-me.jpg


And then we headed down the road! Rob and Marie are great riders considering they live in flat, straight Florida. Lol. I enjoyed watching them twist and turn and dip in front of me.

20181002161026-d38c8464-me.jpg


Marie eventually waved me past her, and I gave chase to Rob! What fun we had!!!

20181002161027-075633e1-me.jpg


Stopped for fuel, and then headed north on rt 80, and made our way back up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Stopped at a scenic overlook. Got some pictures taken… Someone looks like this…

20181002161029-45232cb0-me.jpg


So I can look like this!

20181002161030-5e6a1420-me.jpg


Adopted parents? Yeah, they’re awesome!
20181002161031-ebbe9b59-me.jpg


Marie posing for a picture while soaking up the serenity of the hills…

20181002161033-507c0127-me.jpg


A weeping wall of rocks along the Parkway…
20181002161035-4f588681-me.jpg


Back to the hotel, showered, and cleaned up. Then dinner with a group. Smiling faces and telling stories!
20181002161037-47439553-me.jpg


Waiter asks what I want to drink. Sweet tea!!!! After I downed the first glass rather quickly, he was kind enough to leave the whole pitcher for me!

20181002161040-0527224a-me.jpg


Crayons and writeable table coverings make for fun entertainment while waiting on the food! HAHA!

Evening social in the parking lot…

T-shirts with words make for fun times…

20181002161041-754ad82b-me.jpg


And Tyler. Oh Tyler. She’s my roomie this weekend and next!!!

20181002161042-0d5aab16-me.jpg


And with that, the night was over.

 
Day 3, Saturday- I wake up and make it my goal for the day to go and snag South Carolina. So off I go!

20181002161522-4a79d5af-me.jpg


Fog burns off to reveal the beautiful countryside.

20181002161523-b697eccf-me.jpg


Went down rt 276 and stopped at Looking Glass Falls.

20181002161525-f0dd28dc-me.jpg


Then made my way into a new state!!!
20181002161527-3bd53e20-me.jpg


Drove by a parking lot, wasn’t sure what it was. Could kinda see a clearing. So I turned around and went to check it out. Glad I did!! Turns out to be Bald Rock Nature Preserve.

20181002161529-105fefad-me.jpg


Wacky helmet hair, don’t care! I’m happy to be living life!!

20181002161531-d29864ee-me.jpg


Back on the road, and I venture through Pumpkintown. And I didn’t see a single pumpkin…
20181002161532-9de6d11d-me.jpg


Make my way to rt 178 and turn north. And see this sign. Yeah, this is gonna be fun!

20181002161534-fb8f82a5-me.jpg


Jump onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Head west. Stop at the high point.

20181002161536-d5349e94-me.jpg


Come across these bicyclists. Followed them for quite a bit- they were moving at a brisk pace!

20181002161538-d58f6c8e-me.jpg


Back into town, and headed to the hotel. Pass this trailer, with a pony in it!!!

20181002161540-fc6aa01e-me.jpg


Showered, and cleaned up. Group picture time! Thanks to Gerald for the drone- that way Tyler can be in the picture too!!

20181002161542-948d572f-me.jpg


Dinner was family style. And that chicken was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!!!!

20181002161544-c4743d5d-me.jpg


20181002161546-67e859d4-me.jpg


And these keychain fobs that Designflaw did are so cute!! I was having fun playing with them…
20181002161548-847a426e-me.jpg


20181002161549-8955d69c-me.jpg


And that evening’s social time was quite a fun time… HAHAHA!!! Inebriated Jason reading a brochure on woodworking…

20181002161551-386c7a29-me.jpg


And Bob and Jason trying to mount the bike so they could go for a ride… oh, good golly gentleman…

20181002161552-ff7e1e9e-me.jpg


Let’s call it a night with that.

 
Day 4, Sunday- I couldn’t sleep that night. Too much on my mind. So I packed my bags and headed out about 6:15am. It was dark. I had my all my lights on bright. I could see!!

20181002162015-2a598761-me.jpg


Made my way to rt 28, and rt 129. Got to the north side of the Tail of the Dragon, and stopped at the overlook.
20181002162017-029df8e6-me.jpg
20181002162018-1812cb91-me.jpg


Back down through the Tail, had a good run. Not much traffic on it at 8am on a Sunday…

20181002194739-0b0d3afb-me.jpg


20181002194741-03a297a0-me.jpg


20181002194742-62b12278-me.jpg


20181002194744-b3342614-me.jpg


Made my way to the Cherhola Skyway.

20181002162019-a02d76f2-me.jpg


And had a blast on the long sweepers!
20181002162021-8017385c-me.jpg
20181002162023-b98abb95-me.jpg


Fuel in Tellico Plains, and then jumped on the interstate. I-75 to Chattanooga. Then I-59 into Alabama. Horse butts!!!

20181002162024-4b4207b3-me.jpg


20181002162026-9edbce21-me.jpg


Stopping at a rest area for a break and for food…

20181002162028-b7a6d6ba-me.jpg


And then another rest area for a nap. The lack of sleep was catching up to me.

20181002162030-d92087cd-me.jpg


Then when I really started getting drowsy on the road, I knew it was time to find an end to the day. And get some real food in me. So I stopped for an early dinner at a Cracker Barrel just outside of Birmingham.
20181002162032-a990070e-me.jpg
20181002162036-998f63b7-me.jpg


And then made a reservation at a hotel about an hour and a half away. Crossed into Mississippi. Another new state for my map!

20181002162039-e30562a3-me.jpg


Hotel in Meridian, MS. Sleep came easily and quickly. But I did manage to stay awake long enough to make plans with Redfish for tomorrow.

 
Day 5, Monday- Breakfast in the hotel- they have biscuits and gravy!!

20181002162411-54afeac6-me.jpg


And off I go on an adventure through the countryside of Mississippi.

20181002162412-e7bb2de1-me.jpg


A website, roadsideamerica, brings attention to some weird and wacky stuff in the area in which you wish to travel. Found a town named Hot Coffee.

20181002162414-4973044d-me.jpg


Found a giant watermelon! In front of a shoe store. On rt 49, near Sanford, MS.

20181002162418-89a3708e-me.jpg


And a military tank and helicopter. In Sumrall, MS.
20181002162420-143fb3b6-me.jpg
20181002162422-c7878473-me.jpg


Passed a few cotton fields…

20181002162416-55e52d6f-me.jpg


And then I started coming across blotches of rain. Wet roads and sunshine anyone?

20181002162424-dd7ab3a7-me.jpg


Or how about pouring rain for 6 minutes?

20181002162426-62275c1d-me.jpg


Followed by completely dry roads?

20181002162428-b5475c01-me.jpg


And then LOUISIANA!!! Another new state for me!!!!

20181002162430-7f299663-me.jpg


Stopped at the welcome center, rest area.

20181002162432-78ea8ecd-me.jpg


Jumped back on the road and was looking like I was going to get pounded with rain…

20181002162434-b1cb8d45-me.jpg


But only got a bit of a drizzle, as I was able to beat it. (check out the sky in my mirror!)

20181002162436-1330eac0-me.jpg


And then I found a gas station… that had another FJR parked there!!

20181002162438-aef36fd4-me.jpg


Oh wait, I know him!!! It’s Redfish!! And he’s SMILING!!!!

20181002162440-aa4dc8c7-me.jpg


2 FJRs eagerly awaiting the next adventure…

20181002162442-8f7b4e02-me.jpg


Off we go, Redfish has a plan and I plan to follow along!

20181002162444-9d98f185-me.jpg


We stop at Tickfaw State Park.

20181002162446-732cf4ef-me.jpg


Shows me a water line from the flood of August 2016. Holy crap. It was taller than I was…

20181002162448-85f24023-me.jpg


Then we get off the bikes and take a walk through the woods. A swinging suspension bridge!!! And yes, I got to the middle and started jumping up and down and side to side to make it move…

20181002162451-171c9a3d-me.jpg


Didn’t see any large wildlife… but Andrew did find it entertaining to point out every spider along the way… eww, cringe!

20181002162453-8d0f4b67-me.jpg


A very old Bald Cypress tree…

20181002162455-a427e265-me.jpg


And a whole bunch of signs from all over! I sat there for a while, and I couldn’t figure out the reasoning behind all of them… but they are cool!

20181002162457-8cb03de4-me.jpg


Passed a few of these big trailers… had no clue what they are used for. Later Andrew informed me they are for Mardi Gras parades. Cool!

20181002162459-fb49ff42-me.jpg


And then rain. Lots and lots of rain…

20181002162501-53a35981-me.jpg


Smile, chuckle, and stay positive is the way to do it!

20181002162503-81645652-me.jpg


Luckily, we were getting closer to home base. I was able to pull under the carport, while Redfish pulled into the garage.
20181002162506-f3ecd235-me.jpg


Pops was manning the cooker… boy did it smell amazing!!

Out of the cooker, and getting sliced was Cajun injected pork. YUM!!!

20181002162508-6e2b0c06-me.jpg


Nate and Lauren came over for dinner, along with Andrew’s parents, and wife and son. A feast was had!!

20181002162511-bbeb89ae-me.jpg


Even with dessert…

20181002162513-30ddba48-me.jpg


Socializing was done, and tentative plans were made for tomorrow.

 
Day 6, Tuesday- Wake up, and mount up. Off we go on the bikes. Andrew had a couple things in mind for us to do… and I eagerly will go along with anything! I love these trees…

20181002163744-826411d1-me.jpg


Now, I was given a fairly extensive tree lesson… but do you think I can remember any of that now? Not really. Whoops.

And then he takes me by the place where he works- WOW! We don’t have places like that where I’m from…

20181002163745-75f079f0-me.jpg


And cemeteries where the graves are above ground!
20181002163747-5be80524-me.jpg


Original plan was to take a ferry across the Mississippi River. But, the ferry was currently not running. So we turned around. Headed for lunch. Trying something new! Boudin.

20181002163748-d2f71c0b-me.jpg


Boudin balls and boudin in a casing. The balls were the best!!

20181002163749-9393ec08-me.jpg


And because it looked like rain was coming in, we headed back to the house, and left the bikes and got in the truck. That made it nice. I could look around and not worry about driving. And Andrew and I could talk and he could tell me lots of things! So we headed to a bridge. Sunshine bridge?

20181002163750-1aef4c12-me.jpg


Wow! Look at the length of that!!

20181002163751-10e4a3a8-me.jpg


I like bridges…

20181002163753-9fb535cd-me.jpg


Rain. Right there! And the barges and boats on the river were cool to see!

20181002163754-cdd12603-me.jpg


Turned around and made our way to the Houmas House Plantation. It had stopped raining in time!

20181002163755-0e3bd955-me.jpg


Beautiful! Trees!!

20181002163757-8c7ed991-me.jpg


Inside was gorgeous.

20181002163759-85a325cc-me.jpg


Look at that wood!!!!

20181002163801-576f8d89-me.jpg


Mural on the wall, and an old map of the plantations from way back when.

20181002163802-5864a72a-me.jpg


Spiral staircase…

20181002163804-631e27e0-me.jpg


20181002163805-b985e63f-me.jpg


Old bit! And the mechanics don’t change much, we still use bits like that to this day.

20181002163806-258fb77c-me.jpg


Rooms are filled with old relics and artifacts…

20181002163808-a5464fc0-me.jpg


Cool chairs!! The one is for soldiers to sit on with their weapons at their sides. And the other one is where you straddle it backwards so you can read or do whatever on the easel attached to it.

20181002163809-cf948109-me.jpg


Outside, the ponds and landscaping is beautiful!! I call this my Tyler picture, because I bent over to get the flower in the shot. Lol.

20181002163810-f6055a67-me.jpg


And because Andrew had taken Tyler here when she was visiting, he knew where there was a Chihuly sculpture!

20181002163813-aea58009-me.jpg


Lovely Japanese gardens.

20181002163814-e48ba75d-me.jpg


And then the squirrels. A weird fascination with squirrels led Redfish to stand there and talk to the squirrel in the tree…. Lol!

20181002163816-7a608900-me.jpg


But I can’t say much… I made us walk around the entire grounds again so I could find the graves of the married dogs… (another roadside America finding…)

20181002163817-11509bb6-me.jpg


And then dinner! Andrew, his son Todd, and I went to Don’s Seafood.
Had Jacked Up Oysters…
20181002163818-2d543c17-me.jpg


Fried Alligator…
20181002163819-671b9172-me.jpg


Double Stuffed Grilled Shrimp…
20181002163820-e8657ac0-me.jpg


And Catfish and beans and rice…
20181002163822-a670cc80-me.jpg


YUM! Everything was delicious! First time for me for oysters and alligator.
Back to the house, hanging out, and thinking about tomorrow.

 
Day 7, Wednesday-

Today, we left the bikes sit. Threat of rain was right there, so we decided to jump in the truck and explore. Pops came over too!

We head out, and we stopped at a bridge. It’s a spinning bridge! If a boat needs to pass, instead of lifting up, it will twist sideways. I couldn’t understand when I had inquired about the bridges the other day. So today we stopped and walked out on it. Sure enough, there is a way for it to do it!

20181002164830-f820461d-me.jpg


And grating… which is always fun to stand on!
20181002164832-0b07e184-me.jpg


And we go to a boardwalk into a swamp. Taking a hike.

20181002164833-7217dbc6-me.jpg


Trying to keep quiet, and keep our eyes out for wildlife…

20181002164835-02bcc828-me.jpg


Such smiling faces… 😉

20181002164837-6d02a3b8-me.jpg


And though we did not see any wildlife… it doesn’t mean they weren’t there!! I can just imagine what it’s like under all that duckseed.

20181002164838-beb1b93d-me.jpg


Back on the road, and we come into Ponchatoula. I recognize this town name from roadside America! There is a giant strawberry somewhere in town! So, I find it on the map, and down a street or 2 and we find it!

20181002164839-63a9c9b4-me.jpg


We also find a Tesla plugged in…

20181002164841-ca3eb172-me.jpg


We head to lunch in Madisonville. All you can eat shrimp and catfish. None of us got refills because the first plateful was plenty!!!

20181002164844-de14477d-me.jpg


And then we start driving down a road. That’s slightly flooded. And full of potholes. I have no clue where we are going, but I’m still excited!! Oh, and I spotted an alligator in the ditch!!! YES!!! We eventually get to the end of the road, and all you can see is water!!!! It’s Lake Pontchartrain!

20181002164846-375bd343-me.jpg


WOW!! So much water!!! And then, a dilapidated boat…

20181002164848-6dc223bc-me.jpg


And what’s that there!?!?!? A LIGHTHOUSE!!!! I really like lighthouses…
20181002164850-2aedc250-me.jpg


Man your posts!!!! Everyone gets their own!! Haha!

20181002164853-7b315bac-me.jpg


Back in the truck, and we drive. At this point, I have no clue where we are but I’m enjoying every moment!! We end up at a house along a river. It is Andrew’s cousin’s home. Beautiful!

20181002164856-b9f4ffe1-me.jpg


Andrew pulling up traps. Caught a tiny fish and a blue crab.

20181002164859-d57b7f42-me.jpg


Stopped by a butcher house on the way home, and picked up some meat. YUM! Grilling steaks and asparagus…

20181002164900-803c8c45-me.jpg


My good golly, that was DELICIOUS!!

20181002164902-f6ede611-me.jpg


And with that, more socializing and the night was over. Oh, and I did get to meet Andrew’s sister too! What an awesome family!!

Now, I realize, that we didn’t take a group picture. Especially of Andrew’s dear wife, Amy, and son, Todd. They welcomed me into their own, and made it feel like a home. I was able to do laundry, and sit on a couch, and feel comfortable. Thank you for that!

 
Day 8, Thursday- After talking to Pants last night, we arranged to meet up at a gas station and head to SFO in Alabama together. Timing was perfect!

20181002165300-c6535a01-me.jpg


And off we go! I am following Pants, who may or may not have a plan…

20181002165301-1c1ed2ca-me.jpg


Went through Tylertown! Oh, Tyler…

20181002165303-4f378200-me.jpg


And more fun roads in Mississippi…

20181002165304-3231983e-me.jpg


Came around a bend, and I thought there was a large festival or something going on! Lots of cars all lined up on the hillside!! Come to find out, no… it is just a junkyard place. Well organized though…

20181002165306-3fa68114-me.jpg


Stopped for fuel. Having a good ride!

20181002165308-0459b30d-me.jpg


More roads… fun fun fun!!

20181002165309-2322ed25-me.jpg


Stopped for lunch. Union Station Fish House. We both had burgers.

20181002165311-89ed4cfe-me.jpg


Crossing a bridge over a beautiful area!
20181002165312-ecafcfa3-me.jpg


Into Alabama, and when Pants wants ice cream… Pants stops for ice cream…

20181002165315-3f1a8299-me.jpg


Ohhhh!! This looked like a nice place!!! I don’t really know where this was... but it’s pretty!

20181002165316-b6ca3276-me.jpg


I think we might get wet…

20181002165318-193052e3-me.jpg


Yeah… they had a blast of rain come through. Roads were flooded and water was running everywhere. Those red clay drives were running into the roadway. Not cool. But, we managed to keep both the bikes upright for the entire ride.

20181002165319-ed3f4e2c-me.jpg


Pants and I split as we got closer to the area, he needed to head north to the campground, and I headed south to the hotel. My rain riding skills has improved tremendously over the past couple years. To the point now where I don’t like getting behind slow vehicles in the rain!!!

20181002165320-b43d225f-me.jpg


I don’t think I had ever been so happy to see a hotel with a covered driveway…

20181002165321-c908f9fa-me.jpg


I think Marie felt the same way when they pulled in shortly after me! Hahah!
20181002165323-ce6d61ed-me.jpg


Taxi services were provided to get us from the hotel to the barn after we were all showered and cleaned up. Dinner was a chili bar! Spaghetti, chili, chips, cheese, sour cream, muffins, and toppings! Oh, and dessert was pie or peach cobbler. YUM!

20181002165325-2188a5a6-me.jpg


Socializing in the dry barn…

20181002165326-603cfe6f-me.jpg


20181002165328-9a3631a1-me.jpg


20181002165329-78714048-me.jpg


That night, back in the hotel room… Tyler and I set our stuff out to dry…

20181002165330-2f428479-me.jpg


20181002165331-d01286d7-me.jpg


 
Day 9, Friday-

Breakfast at Shoney’s! It seems to be a thing that we end up at the long tables in the back…

20181002165719-bba874aa-me.jpg


The bike stayed put today. Tyler, Wanda, Marie, and I all decided to not ride today. So we jumped into Mike and Wanda’s truck, which they were kind enough to offer to us, and for me to drive.

20181002165721-6e432a2e-me.jpg


Off we go to Selma, Alabama. We had a good chuckle at this cluster of street signs… and so we actually turned around and stopped to take pictures of it.

20181002165724-f99eb7d9-me.jpg


We parked near the river, and bridge in Selma. Across from the bridge, was a National Park Service Interpretive Center. Very educational, and emotional displays.

20181002165729-f4ced92e-me.jpg


20181002165731-8100d607-me.jpg


20181002165733-76b50c48-me.jpg


So then we walked over to the bridge.

20181002165735-101f9131-me.jpg


And walked across it.

20181002165737-bf71f046-me.jpg


What should be just a normal bridge, now stands for so much and has now been labeled a National Historic Landmark.

20181002165739-29fe6571-me.jpg


After our walk, we get back in the truck and drive the route that was marched in 1965. We stopped at another interpretive center.

20181002165741-825b8917-me.jpg


20181002165743-7c544de9-me.jpg


20181002165745-1c99af98-me.jpg


And then we headed into Montgomery. To the state capitol. Where the march ended.

20181002165747-0a5b9d2c-me.jpg


What a beautiful building!

20181002165749-3766703e-me.jpg


And then there’s Tyler…

20181002165751-18c0aef0-me.jpg


The 4 ladies- Wanda, Marie, Tyler, and me- who took an emotional adventure. We still had fun though!

20181002165753-483ffe41-me.jpg


So then, back in the truck, we stopped at a gas station for a small snacky lunch, and then up the road to a park. Love the trees!!!

20181002165755-4032197a-me.jpg


Jackson Lake Island.

20181002165757-4db76b2c-me.jpg


Welcome to Alabama… "where we don’t know how to spell, but we love our goats!!!"

20181002165758-06327515-me.jpg


The Town of Spectre! From the movie Big Fish! Now, I’ve never seen the movie, but it’s on my list now!
20181002165759-e992d352-me.jpg


There were goats!

20181002165801-2dd9c250-me.jpg


On the church steps!!

20181002165802-3b65a319-me.jpg


My new friend!!!

20181002165803-5b9e1679-me.jpg


Tyler taking our picture while the goats just wanted lovin…

20181002165804-39d25edd-me.jpg


This was a much needed relaxing and fun stop after the emotional roller coaster we had just come from!

20181002165806-0fab97ef-me.jpg


My new friend wanted her head scratched…

20181002165808-3a9985b5-me.jpg


And when I stopped, she forced herself farther into my lap to get the scratchies!!

20181002165809-63bb77f6-me.jpg


Marie taking a goat for a walk…

20181002165811-26ef35ed-me.jpg


And Tyler giving the goat what it wants!!

20181002165812-39a3deb5-me.jpg


This is the truck I got to drive… wowshers!!!

20181002165813-d5099ffe-me.jpg


Back to the hotel, and we picked up more people and headed to the barn for dinner. Shrimp boil.

20181002165814-804e4b0a-me.jpg


And a campfire…

20181002165815-949b93ff-me.jpg


What an awesome location to have a hangout!

20181002165817-4d4edc5d-me.jpg


 
Day 10, Saturday-

Breakfast at Shoney’s.

20181002195334-e81ddf82-me.jpg


And then we hit the road. Crossed a river place with a dam.

20181002195336-0dbe95f6-me.jpg


And some Alabama twisties.

20181002195338-1314462f-me.jpg


I was leading a group of 6. Me, Craig, Dan, Rob, Marie, Tyler.

20181002195340-a4d403d1-me.jpg


Got stopped by a train… so it’s group selfie time!!

20181002195342-c0712b15-me.jpg


And I was so excited to see this fresh pavement!!!! I thought they had paved over the crappy road!!!!

20181002195344-c4a374f2-me.jpg


But I was wrong. Though, it did look freshly chip sealed, and painted. So it wasn’t as rough and horrible as I remember, but the loose gravel in spots still made it unpleasant.

20181002195346-938ebc76-me.jpg


Stopped at an overlook on the east part of rt 281, in the Talladega National Forest.

20181002195347-94bc3bdd-me.jpg


And someone has to look like that…

20181002195349-51c31dcc-me.jpg


So we can look like that!

20181002195351-e23a48c7-me.jpg


And then we twisted our way on 281 to Cheaha State Park.

20181002195353-79722f29-me.jpg


Went into the park, and stopped at the highest point of Alabama.

20181002195355-3ab065ae-me.jpg


20181002195357-075713c7-me.jpg


Walked up the steps to the top of the tower… “hey everyone! Look down at me!!”

20181002195359-572f3af4-me.jpg


Yeah…. Those are my friends…

20181002195401-728576ea-me.jpg


Group selfie time!!

20181002195403-42445196-me.jpg


I have no clue what they were gawking at…

20181002195405-c5c7ffb8-me.jpg


And then we made our way to another overlook. Down a boardwalk to a bald rock.

20181002195407-ea968112-me.jpg


Craig sitting on the ledge…

20181002195409-84ee4eb1-me.jpg


And then we headed back onto 281. And I told them, “see you at the end! Ride your own ride, and if you want to stop at overlooks, go right on ahead.” Well, then Marie chewed me out for telling her what to do… of course, in that loving mother’s tone. Lol!

But ride we did…

20181002195411-fe4abc8f-me.jpg


I’m glad this Gold Wing didn’t have doors on it, because I would have blown them off! I don’t think he knew what came over him as I came up behind him and around him…

20181002195413-d1e618da-me.jpg


Got to the end of the road, and as I turned around and parked, Craig came over the hill. Followed by Rob.

20181002195416-f77c3930-me.jpg


Shortly thereafter, everyone had made it to the other end… and we were all smiles!!!

20181002195418-bbbbca2a-me.jpg


And then what do I hear down over the hill? 2 puttering dual sport bikes. Watched them pop up to the pavement, and low and behold- it’s Andrew and Pops!!! I yell at them, and they come and join us as we were standing around.

20181002195421-6e02e2eb-me.jpg


HAHAHAHAAHA!!!! Oh, this picture. It just might be the perfect snapshot of the entire trip!

20181002195423-01eb18d7-me.jpg


That’s Tyler’s nose… by the way… She just had to photobomb our wonderful selfie…

And then, well, and then, I spontaneously, and not really thinking, just feeling goofy, asked Redfish if I could ride his bike. Well, I’ll be darned, he said yes!!! So before he could renege on that… I jumped on the bike.
20181002195425-23010538-me.jpg


And off I go down a gravel road!

20181002195427-ebdcf06c-me.jpg


And then off the gravel road… because that’s fun too!

20181002195429-a15f4766-me.jpg


I was having way too much fun! But I knew I should turn around before the others wonder…

And I blasted back to the group. Way. Too. Much. FUN!!! And you know what I saw when I pulled back up to the group?

20181002195431-8c11f5e2-me.jpg


A SMILE!!!

20181002195433-9ca41b4a-me.jpg


And a LAUGH!!!!! From Andrew/Redfish!!!! I broke the scowl!!!!!

20181002195435-2817a09f-me.jpg


Those 2 right there are amazing! Andrew and Pops. What a team!

20181002195437-2d0bb7f3-me.jpg


So, they saddled back up and left.

20181002195439-536f105e-me.jpg


20181002195441-67006879-me.jpg


And Tyler headed out ahead of our group, so she could photograph us. I get the text saying “bring it!”, so off we go! And we find her in a corner… camera in hand!

20181002195443-4c17f7dc-me.jpg


And then up the road a bit, I pull over and watch the group buzz by me! Craig was not far behind me, and I wasn’t quick enough with the camera to catch him. So he gets a Sena picture.

20181002195446-d01137e8-me.jpg


Rob was not far behind…

20181002195448-3bcaea0d-me.jpg


20181002195450-18b044a9-me.jpg


Followed by Dan…

20181002195452-c33e0883-me.jpg


And Marie…

20181002195454-334105c0-me.jpg


And Tyler…

20181002195458-a3427ae1-me.jpg


And me!

20181002195456-2258020c-me.jpg


 
And after they were all by, I got to mount back up and give chase!!! Passed Marie who was pulled into the scenic overlook…

20181002195500-91b89539-me.jpg


And then caught up to Tyler.

20181002195502-104d458e-me.jpg


What fun to be following a friend through a curve and having another friend in your mirrors!

20181002195504-3b37160e-me.jpg


And at the end of 281, it turns to narrow gravel…

20181002195507-9ad9f5f9-me.jpg


I don’t know why they didn’t follow me. They were all just standing there looking at me when I turned around and came back… Lol.

20181002195509-26056609-me.jpg


Another social session in a parking lot…

20181002195511-2f378de0-me.jpg




And then back on the road. Rob and Marie broke off and went a way to find fuel, Craig and Dan headed their way to the campground, and Tyler and I went our way back to the hotel.

20181002195513-1d53ac49-me.jpg


Crossed the river again and saw a different dam…

20181002195515-b26ceecd-me.jpg


Pulled back into the hotel. If you walk in front of my bike while it’s running and I’m sitting on it… chances are I’m going to honk the horn. Lol!

20181002195517-c4aba05c-me.jpg


And then we showered and drove the taxis to the barn. Pants was holstered and loaded ready for the festivities tonight…

20181002195519-95a0a730-me.jpg


Dinner was BBQ. And omg, amazing!! My plate…

20181002195521-f06c87aa-me.jpg


Brian/Festar’s plate…

20181002195523-57b620ea-me.jpg


Max was trying desperately to get a piece. Brian wouldn’t share. Lol

20181002195525-0d0842c5-me.jpg


Evening dinner arrangements…

20181002195527-d725af7c-me.jpg


Brian’s empty plate. Yes, he ate everything. And almost licked his plate clean!

20181002195529-7057c984-me.jpg


Evening entertainment was a guitar strummin’ singer, and a campfire.

20181002195531-998472b4-me.jpg


Said goodbye and my huge thanks to Andrew and Pops.

20181002195533-88ccddc6-me.jpg


And then more fun was had that evening. It’s not going to be a “what happens at SFO, stays at SFO” thing... because, well, there were pictures. Lol. But I will say that it is probably one of those “you had to be there” things…

20181002201307-1c87651b-me.jpg


 
Day 11, Sunday-

Breakfast…

20181002201409-fe207e20-me.jpg


And this morning Brian noticed his rear tire was flat… again. So Mike pulled out his compressor, and him, Nate, and Brian checked the tire over. Eventually finding a small hole in it. Nate plugged it up, Mike filled it up, and Brian was good to go!

20181002201410-f91eef09-me.jpg


So on the road I get- somewhat late. Lol. 11:30am, I do believe. Up the road, making good time. Into Nashville. Traffic was heavier, and multi-lanes. So me being the impatient speedster motorcyclist… I cut to the far right lane. It was open, everyone was hanging out in the middle and left lanes!!

So I just about go to throttle it past everyone, when a car catches my attention up ahead. Well, lookie there, a police car. So I meander by slowly, only slightly above the speed limit- which is what the car in front of the cop was running. I get by, and shortly after I see the cop hot on the heels of another car! Phew, not me!!

20181002201412-f1de45f6-me.jpg


I get into Kentucky before I stop for another break. The bike was begging me to take its picture… and I must oblige…

20181002201414-7af3fc46-me.jpg


It’s almost 4pm. So I also pull up the map and decide where I want to call it a night. It’s Sunday, therefore I know Cracker Barrel has a wonderful meal of chicken as the dinner special. I find a Cracker Barrel an hour and a half up the road. Has a hotel right next to it. Good price for a room, and the reviews are positive. Reservation made.

Well, I’ll be danged! When I pulled in the driveway, I thought I surely had made a mistake! No way a hotel this nice looking has a deal that good on a room! The lovely front desk attendant even told me I could leave the bike parked right there- I didn’t even ask!

20181002201416-56277211-me.jpg


I explode in the room, shower, and chill on the bed for a bit watching TV. I then mosey next door to Cracker Barrel. Sit down, and excitedly order the Sunday chicken dinner. The waitress then informs me that they are out of that for the night. Well crap! Now I don’t know what I want to eat… so I decided on the roast beef. It was good, just not as good as that chicken!!!

20181002201418-c57e6b00-me.jpg


Walk back to the hotel, and admire the bike sitting there…
20181002201420-70078600-me.jpg


Back to the room, and hit the hay. I was tired!

 
Day 12, Monday-

I slept wonderfully!! Woke up, walked down the hall for breakfast. And boy was that good!!! Biscuits and gravy just might be my favorite breakfast food….

20181002201640-2d210a10-me.jpg


On the road, through Louisville with no issues, and coming down the hill into Ohio. Cincinnati skyline is straight away and looking pretty.

20181002201641-cd5c609b-me.jpg


Up through the metro area, and into Dayton. I veer off I-75, as I am making my way to another stop before I get home. Along the stretch of 675 around Dayton, my bike turns over 100,000 miles!!!!!
20181002201642-1ef5a29d-me.jpg
20181002201644-42154993-me.jpg


WOOO HOOOO!!!!!

I got the 2012 FJR on July 3, 2013 with 5,600 miles. Not too shabby, I gotta say!

Up to Richwood, OH where I stop and get some horseshoes and supplies that I will be needing for the next couple weeks. Run over to Waldo, and order up a bologna sandwich and fried pickles. Ride up the road to the rest area and have a picnic lunch.

20181002201647-022a4bf0-me.jpg


And then just a hop, skip, and a jump… and I am home. Pulled in the driveway, and shortly after that… my mom is on her way down with my cat and my mail. Lol. The perks of living just down the street from your folks means that you can walk to and from!

20181002201648-68080eb2-me.jpg


 
And here's a little video of my short ride on Redfish's DR650. The last minute of it is the moment I pulled back up to the group.... It just might be the best part of all of it...



 
Now, I usually do a decent conclusion to wrap things up... but, I can't think right now.

So some stats for the trip.
12 days
3,250 miles
2 FJR gatherings
6 vehicles driven
5 beds slept in
a few new stickers
9 states on this trip
3 new states to the map
45 states total now


And countless memories made...



20181003204719-130822ad-me.jpg


 
Okay, I am just a little bit pissed off with you Young Lady.

1. Posting Pics of me smiling. That is Wrong.
2. You LIAR! You lied to me and you did so repeatedly. "I don't eat breakfast" you said. "I don't really like breakfast" you said. DAMMIT! I Love to cook breakfast and because my fat ass was trying to be nice to you I suffered miserably without breakfast. I bet your parents would not approve of you lying.

Okay, where to begin... I guess I will post some of my pics and tell a little bit of My Side of the Story.

I will not go into all the details of getting the house ready for a visit from a Forum Diva but I would like it to be known that I cleaned toilets and bathtubs and vacuumed and swept and mopped.

I have already said that it has rained Every Damned Day here for about 50 days now. Of course it had to rain on us when you got here.



I had moved the boat out into the yard so you would have plenty of room.





Your supper that first night was pork roast with Cajun Injector marinade and fried in a greaseless turkey fryer. I did not take any pics but your pics were pretty good. Mom was kind enough to take care of all the side dishes and desert. (Thanks Mom)

The rain was all around us but I really felt we needed some FJR travel. First the rain, then the damned Ferry was out of service, I was getting frustrated.



This was St. Gabriel Catholic Church. It was being built while the English Colonists were signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776. I bet those Acadians were blissfully unaware of the war being fought a few hundred miles to the Northeast.



The boudin and boudin balls are a staple here in Ascension Parish. You can thank our friend BigJohnSD, he reminded me that this was something visitors should experience.

With the clouds gathering and rain all around us I went with my gut and we went home to retrieve The Truck. I am glad you got some decent pics of the Sunshine Bridge over the Mississippi.

As you already said, we visited Houmas House. I am not proud of what the Plantations stood for but it is History and we should learn and move forward.

It is a beautiful place.

That little Live Oak is probably 500 plus years old.





I was just thrilled to be there with you...



That evening's supper at Don's was fairly typical of a seafood restaurant in our area. I wanted to let you try some new things while still keeping you someplace you could get food your were used to eating. You were a Good Sport and my son and I really enjoyed your happiness that night. Of course he enjoyed that brownie and ice cream desert even more.

I REALLY wanted to take the boat out but I knew that was not going to end well with the current weather situation. That messed up My Plan. Dammit.

Fortunately Pop was able to join us and we just took The Truck.

Yes, the bridge rotates to allow marine traffic to pass. That was the Clio bridge over the Amite River BTW.





I hope you realize that you did not just "happen to accidentally" ride through Ponchatoula where that giant strawberry was located. I did not know where it was but you had mentioned it several times and Redfish does pay attention.



Our lunch at Orlando's in the town of Madisonville was average at best but that is still pretty good. I really should have tried to charm our waitress Ashley... Or not. BTW, you can see her arm tats here just in case you doubted my memory. She is in the purple shirt behind you.



We drove alongside the Tchefuncte River to the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. I had no idea you were going to like that as much as you did. That made my day worthwhile.



I never had a doubt that you were going to end up on top of that concrete sea wall.



Our stop at the meat market was a good one. The pic showing the water during the 2016 Flood was amazing, unfortunately we both failed to document that.

Supper before I screwed up and let the grill catch fire... (Yes, the asparagus was for YOU!)



Thanks for being a Good Sport while I tried to organize the Dual Sports and load the camper/toy hauler.



The worst part of this whole visit was when my 14 year old son Todd asked me, "Daddy do you think we will ever see Miss Julie again?"

 
Top