Here is a quick look at my route. While this was a tour, it was not a guided tour. Each rider was given an itinerary booklet. Now this is much like a menu in a restaurant. You could order everything on the menu and attempt to eat it all but you’d no doubt become ill. The same goes for the tour itinerary. You could ride all the roads suggested but you’d miss the destination attractions altogether. While that probably wouldn’t make you ill, it would certainly leave you in a sour mood.
The tour started at the Richmond Harley-Davidson dealership located in Glen Allen, Virginia. Along the way, various dealerships were featured for lunch stops and an evening parking lot party (complete with BBQ and live bands).
The Harley-Davidson dealerships and local HOG chapters played a significant role during the tour. A common interest in motorcycles (especially the H-D brand) goes a long way in establishing community and having *food* close by (and a lot of it) doesn’t hurt either. These dealerships and their HOG chapters served up major portions of southern hospitality.
Here are a few odd shots that don’t fit well anywhere else except for those random remembrances after a trip:
The gentleman by the large wooden hog is a restaurant owner from New York. His establishment serves BBQ and caters large parties where sometimes a whole hog is roasted. In another photo that I did not capture, he was kneeling to kiss the pig. He told the story that he initiates his wait staff by having them “kiss the pig” promising that such an act will bring good luck and large tips. Some of the listeners were repulsed by the story. When he saw their reaction, he told them “That’s nothin’! I make the cooks do it *before* the pig is cooked!” And this was during breakfast. (I still ate my bacon.)
Seen in the parking lot and no commentary required:
On packing light — Taking care to pack well, this rider demonstrates a clever and comfortable configuration of rider, bike, and baggage.
While on the return trip back to the house almost 500 miles from Maryville, it was time for a routine gas stop. No problem. This is the interstate and, usually, one can find gas near any exit. Usually. When this isn’t the case, when a gas station is not within sight of an off ramp, this is known as “chasing gas.” The large billboard read “SHELL – 2 miles left at Off ramp” accompanied by the large logo resembling a common sea shell. Well, I rode the said 2 miles and then chased gas for 5 more miles along a road that became ever so narrow and mostly unpopulated. And I then I found this:
A church, a house, and a laundromat. Welcome to back roads America. What you cannot see is the single gas pump and very annoyed attendant behind me. I awakened him from his afternoon nap. Hey, if he’d upgrade his pump to take credit cards, I wouldn’t have disturbed him.
I have a friend who is a railroad enthusiast. While on the trip, he was following the satellite tracker from which came the map image earlier in this post. During my overnight stay in Salisbury, North Carolina, he realized that I was within minutes of a famous railroad museum and emailed me to see if I could manage a stop for a few photos. I did and here’s one of the photos:
My GPS took me to the area just fine but the place is huge; I mean miles huge. I guess because most trains aren’t small.
Probably the most interesting thing about this shot is the fact that in order to capture the image, one needs to be mostly on the sidewalk. It was very early in the morning, the sun angle cast a harsh shadow, and there was no other way to avoid the shadow than by using the sidewalk approach. So I got on the sidewalk. But I never got off the bike. I was pleased that I got the shot. I was even more pleased when the city police car kept on rolling while I was idling on a path clearly not intended for motorcycles.
Statistics — here’s what I did:
(Iron Butt and LD Riders, put down your beverage and swallow any snacks prior to scrolling further. I don’t want you blaming me for any keyboard damage from spewing liquids or food particles. This was NOT a cert ride. It was just for fun and relaxation.)
Day1: 230.7 miles
Day2: 188.2 miles
Day3: 284.0 miles
Day4: 114.1 miles
Total tour: 817.0 miles
Day5: 474.0 miles (the ride home from Maryville, TN)
Total trip: 1291.0 miles
