This past weekend I got an invitation to ride with some people to Tennessee. After getting my bike back in sorta shape I thought a trip would be in order to see if it was going to hold up. I took off to meet them at Harrison. The trip over wasn't bad. The road construction is no where as intense as it has been and I made real good time.
From Harrison we headed down Hwy 65 and as I have said before it's not a bad road, seems like it's trying to be an interstate. As far as the roads went on this trip I didn't find any that were all that bad. Since I was just "following" it was even an almost stress free ride. We made good time and 5 hours give or take and 300 miles. Might have been better time but there was some stopping and dawdling here and there. After pulling into Jonesboro these hail and hearty bikers decided that Dyersburg would just have to wait till tomorrow. As they were patting themselves on the back I chuckled to myself. I keep forgetting that I ride everyday and that the road takes it out of some people more than it does me. Also these guys haven't been on a bike since this time last year. All in all it was a good half day ride and the traffic was moderate. Not even a close call...
Gina and Tom who were sorta running this show got us a room at the Holiday Inn and then an early dinner at the Western "somethingorother" steak house. (I kinda like being the guide/mechanic) After dinner everybody settled in for the night. "we'll get an early start in the morning". I wasn't nearly as done in and ended up tooling around Jonesboro a bit and watching TV most of the night.
At about 9:00 am people had started to get up and going. I had found a close place to gas up and we finally got on the road. Dyersburg was about 100 miles and at the state line rest area we said our goodbyes and all that. They were almost home and were getting happier by the moment. I told them the next time they made a trip my direction to drop a line and I would be happy to run along with them. I had planned to post some pictures from this little adventure but as my luck goes I haven't been able to locate the memory stick. So I guess I'll add them at a later date.
Sunday I headed back home and for the most part retraced my trip over. The roads were good and the weather was getting questionable with rain and thunder storms looking like they were going to be right in my way. My luck held and I only hit rain 3 or four times. I took my directions from Map quest and a current state road map. Try it sometime, take a map and plan a trip. I always end up having lots of fun.
Stopping only for gas and restroom and the occasional kindly state trooper I still managed to pull in to my mothers place in about 6 to 6 1/2 hours, just in time to eat a birthday dinner with her and my brothers family.
It was good to just visit with my mother and brother and relax and plan for the next ride.
For a spur of the moment trip this was a good one with a bunch of people with hearts of gold.
Hope to see y'all on the road.
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