Our first road trip back in 2005

On our first road trip we started off on July 30, 2005 and returned home on August 12. This was the first time we had taken an extended motorcycle trip, traveling across the country on our bikes. It had an almost a magical feel to it, probably because it was a first for us. Jim and myself, Jim’s brother Ron and his wife Barbara and daughter Rhonda and Jim’s brother Scott and his son Zack were all on that trip. On the way out we left Alabama and went through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. We made stops and saw sights along the way and finally made it to our destination in South Dakota. While in South Dakota we went to the Badlands National Park, Wall, Rapid City, Keystone, Custer State Park, Sturgis and Deadwood. While in the area around Sturgis we also went by to see Mount Rushmore and the Cazy Horse Memorial. On the way home we again went through Nebraska, then into Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and back home to Alabama. We traveled a total of 3,497 miles in less than two weeks on that trip and had loads of fun. Looking through the pictures of the trip has reminded me of all the sights we saw along our journey and just what a great time we had. What an awesome trip.

Jim's Bike with his N-Line trailer

Jim's bike with a new paint scheme

Jim's bike . . . before

Jim's Motorcycle

Jim has ridden motorcycles for most of his life. His first bike was a Suzuki 50, which he got when he was just 13 years old. In his teenage years he also had a Honda 350, a Kawasaki 175 and a 1972 Kawasaki 500 H1 [the fastest quarter-mile bike of it's day, don't you know!]. Not too long ago he purchased a restored 1972 500 H1, that was just like the one he had "back in the day". It's a cool bike, and gives him the chance to "relive the days of his youth" whenever he rides it! After we were married he got a Honda 650. Somewhere along the way, he decided that with such a great family and kiddos to think about he should "settle down" and sell it. After selling it, he went many years without riding. He always said that if he got another bike, he wanted it to be a Harley. He waited until the kids got a little older [and until he could finally afford to buy a Harley] and then in September of 2000, he purchased a maroon and black 2001 Harley Road King Classic. He later decided to get a new bike [I think he wanted one with a cruise control, which on these long trips I envy him for having and wish they offered one on my "bike of choice" - the Harley Deluxe]. He got a solid black 2005 road king classic. The road king classic has leather saddle bags but in honor of his 50th birthday, he purchased "hard bags" [both saddle bags & a trunk] and had a completely new custom paint scheme made for his bike. After all the modifications, it looks like a new bike! Now he thinks that his bike looks so good that he has more people looking at and commenting about it than I do mine, but we know that couldn't be true! Instead of a solid black, his bike is now orange and black with a bit of white/cream in the striping.

When he bought his first Harley, I thought it would be a great idea for him to get a trailer to hook up behind it. When I mentioned it I could see the salesman giving Jim "the eye" that seemed to be saying "where the heck did you find this woman?". At the time I just didn't know how uncool it is to pull a trailer behind your motorcycle. On our summer 2008 bike trip we rode through Sturgis, South Dakota and saw a guy pulling a one wheeled N-line trailer [www.n-line.com]. Unlike traditional 2-wheeled trailers, the N-LINE trailer stays with your bike and leans into a curve just like the bike does! It follows nearly the exact tire path of your bike. Because of my earlier faux pas regarding hooking a trailer to your bike, imagine my surprise when Jim started talking about getting one for our "50 day ride". Because I like to take some snacks along and carry a cooler for produce and other healthy goodies, he said he just couldn't see how we could do it without pulling a trailer [on past trips we have always had a "support vehicle" aka "the cage" going along that could carry the cooler and snack bag]. So before we left, he ordered the N-Line trailer, had it painted, and got the bike fitted with the special hitch that hooks it up to the bike. It's a great trailer and it really does stay with the bike and moves into the curves without taking away from the fun of riding a motorcycle. Jim says that as long as he has the trailer loaded right, he can't even tell it is behind him. It also gets lots of looks and comments along the way because they're not many like it on the road [compared to the number of 2-wheeled trailers you see].

With his new paint scheme, and his N-Line trailer he has a great looking ride don't you think!

He has to listen to me all day!

Once I started riding my own bike, the one thing I didn't like was not being able to communicate with Jim while we were going down the road. If I needed to stop or something was up, I had to try to get his attention [which never was easy, by the way]. Last year, before our annual motorcycle trip, we bought some blue tooth headsets [cardo systems, scala Q2] so we could talk with each other while riding. They were great, but the charge on the battery would only last about 7 hours. Because we generally ride longer than that each day, we would lose contact the last bit of our ride every day. We decided to get a second pair before this years trip [sadly, they don't have additional batteries so that you can change them out when they go down . . . you can only recharge them], and were happy to find that they had upgraded them so that they would last up to 9 hours. This gave us two sets so if we are still riding,even after 9 hours, we just had to change them out so we could continue to talk with each other [which was great as this year some of our days went 10 or more hours long]. This makes the trip feel a little more like something we share together, since we can talk all throughout the day instead of just when we make stops. Of course the downside for Jim is that he has to listen to me all day!

Ginny's Bike

Ginny's Motorcycle

My first experience on a motorcycle was many years ago when we had a clothing store in Pelham. We found that putting advertisements in paper boxes throughout local neighborhoods was the best means to increase business, so we did it pretty often. All the stopping and starting was tough on our car, plus I always had to find someone to go with me . . . one to drive and the other to put the "handbill" in the paper boxes [we started off putting them in mail boxes but "discovered" that the post office didn't really like us doing that!]. We found an inexpensive Honda 200 [new, still in the crate but several years old] at a dealership and purchased it so that I could go around on my own to do "handbilling", without wearing out our car. The first time I rode Jim sent me down the street where we lived at the time, which was very hilly. I did fine going up hill, but when I got to the bottom I tried to turn around in a driveway and didn't know how to maneuver it. A lesson or two would have been nice . . . . but in no time I had it all figured out and was riding my motorcycle to help increase business at our store. It never dawned on me then that you could ride a motorcycle for fun! Years later, Jim got his first Harley [more on that in the next post]. I was amazed at how fun it was to take motorcycle trips riding on the back of his bike. One weekend we went over to the 100th anniversary Harley Rally/Expo in Atlanta. On the way over, I was still a happy camper riding on the back of his bike. To this day I am not really sure where it came from or how it happened, but on that trip I became intrigued with the idea of getting my own bike. At first I only considered getting a sporster, which is the smallest Harley they make. Once I sat on one though, I found it to sit up too high. It didn't feel very comfortable so I moved "up" and purchased a Dina Lowrider. I had that bike for a couple of years and although I enjoyed riding it, I never felt 100% comfortable on it. They came out with the Softail Deluxe model for 2005 and after reading about it Jim became convinced that it was the bike for me. I was timid about getting another bike, concerned that I wouldn't like it any better than the bike I already had which would have been a huge waste of money! Jim purchased the bike for me without me knowing about it [Christmas of 2004]. On my own I don't think I would have ever taken the plunge to get a new bike, but I am so glad that Jim "knew" that it was the bike for me because it truly is. I have been riding my Softail Deluxe ever since and LOVE it! It started off in a classic black and white color scheme which we later changed out to a custom paint, black with blue flames. Even though I still can't explain it and there is a bit of mystery about it even for me, I absolutely LOVE riding my motorcycle. Prior to getting into riding, I would have never thought it would be something that I would enjoy doing. I guess it is my "alter ego" as it is a little out of character for me . . . but it is something that I enjoy more than I can really explain. This is the 5th road trip that we have taken. When you blend a love of riding with seeing the sights that we have seen and riding on the fun roads we have ridden on across the country . . . all I can say is amazing. Motocycling has added a fun demension to our lives that Jim & I both enjoy, we are hoping that many more trips are still ahead in the future!

Jim says . . . "next year . . . it's 51 days!"

What an adventure! We had a great time and feel very blessed to have had the chance to take such an awesome trip. I only regret that we didn't make it to Nova Scotia and the New England area, which was one of the things Jim originally wanted to do on this trip. After the trek out west and hearing me complain about the really long days that we had at times, he was concerned that it would be too ambitious a goal in the time we had left. So, we will put these destinations on a future trip plan. It's funny to be gone so long and to already be talking about a future trip. Truth is, if you give me a week or two to rest up . . . . I'd be ready to go again and I know Jim would be too! It's crazy because we are both home-bodies. I guess that is what motorcycling will do to you! In the next day or so I plan to give a recap on the previous 4 trips we have taken [just highlighting some of the places we traveled through]. We've taken a motorcycle trip every year since 2005 [although never taken one this long before], so I guess you can say this is a tradition. And it is one we hope to continue with for many years to come!

Is the trip really over or is the adventure just on hiatus . . . until we roar off again on our motorcycles?

We spent some time around Seacrest, Seagrove and Destin on Saturday and went for a late afternoon walk on the beach. The sun was shining and the sound of the waves of the ocean was soothing and relaxing. It was a great day! Sunday morning around 7:30 a.m, we left the beach townhouse where were staying. The sky was blue and it looked like a beautiful day at the beach so I really hated to leave. I would have LOVED to stay another week but knew that I needed to go home [you do have to go home sometime right? . . . isn't that why they call it home?]. The clouds rolled in on us within 20- 30 minutes of leaving the beach. We had checked the weather and knew that there was a big chance of finding rain on the way home, so we put our rain pants on before we left. I really don't mind riding in the rain anymore [although I don't like riding in major storms . . . wind with intense rain and lightening, OR riding in extremely cold weather when it is raining]. It is a bit of a pain though, to stop and put on the rain suit in the midst of a ride. There never seems to be a great place to stop to do that, and if it has already started to rain you get wet while doing it [which causes you to rush while putting the suit on, making it a bit stressful]. Actually, putting the jacket on is no big deal but to get the pants on you either have to put them on over your boots [without taking the boots off], which is too frustrating, or you have to take your riding boots off [one at a time while standing on the foot still in the boot] and teeter-totter while getting that leg in the rain pant . . . then putting that boot back on [rarely tying it tight enough the first time because of rushing] and then doing the same thing with the other leg. It seems we had this fun experience almost daily while on this trip. You think I would get good at it with all that practice! In any case when there is a good chance for rain, we find it easier to put the pants on that morning and then we just have to stop and put the rain jacket on if it starts to rain. So, we put the pants on before leaving, anticipating the possiblity of rain, but were happy that we never ran into rain. The clouds threatened most of the day and we did have a few sprinkles here and there. We made it back home in four hours, with only one quick stop for fuel. Home . . . sweet home!

Sarah Bearah at the Beach

at the beach

Seacrest Beach

We've stayed the last few days of our trip at a place between Seacrest and Seagrove Beaches [between Destin and Panama City]. It has been a great time spending with Ginny Laine and Sarah. The first couple of days down here it rained almost the entire time. We used the time wisely and did some shopping! On Friday we finally had a BEAUTIFUL day so we spent the morning at the beach. We made Ginny Laine a massage appointment so that we could have some fun grandparent time with Sarah! Later in the afternoon we spent a little more time at the beach before going to a nearby Mexican Restaurant for dinner [which was one of the best Mexican Restaurants I've ever been to by the way]. Ginny Laine and Sarah got up this morning and headed home. Sarah is having Daddy withdrawals so they had to get home to see him! If the weather stays pretty, Jim and I plan to ride the bikes along the beach front today. We head home for the final leg of our journey tomorrow. Mixed emotions because I am so excited to be staying at home for a while, but then also a little sad that the trip will be over.

riding in "the cage"

Sarah on her first motorcycle trip . . . riding in "the cage"

Stopover in Calera

We left Robbinsville and travelled along the Cherohala Skyway on our way back to Calera. We are headed further south, going to Seacrest Beach in Florida to finish up the trip. We stopped by the house on our way with plans to drop some things off and stay overnight before continuing on our journey. When we got off of I-65 at our exit, Jim went to down shift and realized that his shifter was not changing gears. He looked down and saw that the connecting rod was no longer attached to the gear box. He made it home in fifth gear! When we pulled up to the house, Jamie & Zoe came out and greeted us. Zoe jumped up and down doing an excited "dance" when she saw me, obviously very happy that I was back. Jamie didn't allow her heartfelt emotions to show outwardly to the same level, but I am certain that she was also very, very happy to see us too. :>) We met that night after dinner with the canine club and I was able to see how much Zoe has improved while I've been away [hat tip to Jamie and Zoe for hard work!].

The next morning Jim realized that our back tires had almost no tread left and needed to be replaced. He took my bike in to get a new tire and pick up a new shifter rod for his bike so that he could replace it. After fixing it, he took his bike in to have the shifter checked and get a new back tire. In between he went by work and checked on things there. That night we unpacked and re-packed the items that we would need for the last week of our trip. The next day we left for Seacrest Beach. Ginny Laine drove "the cage" and brought Sarah on her first motorcycle trip [riding in her car seat in "the cage" of course . . . not on our motorcycles!]. We were able to dodge the rain and stayed dry the entire trip down!

FootHills Parkway

Antique Cars in Pigeon Forge

slayed the dragon . . . again

After leaving Gatlinburg, we rode down to Pigeon Forge. We were amazed at the number of antique cars that were all over the area. Some were riding down the road and others were lined up along the roadside. We decided to park the bikes and walk around to look at some of them. We saw some great old corvettes and a cool looking thunderbird. Jim was looking for a 68 chevelle super sport. Unfortunately we only saw one and it was a 1967. Too bad it was the wrong year! We had a lot of fun looking at them & talking about them and then were ready to head to Robbinsville, North Carolina. We rode along the Foot Hill Parkway and then got on US129. We took time to "slay the dragon" riding on the 'tail of the dragon' - deals gap on US129. 318 turns in 11 miles. Great fun! We rode up the tail of the dragon on the way to Robbinsville, where we had booked a room. After checking into the room we road through parts of the Nantahala National Forest and along side a portion of the Nantahala River and eventually made our way back to Deals Gap. We ran down it and back up again. What a fun day of riding!

9-11 . . . . a day of remembering across our nation

Maggy Valley Fire Department Remembers 9-11

Maggy Valley Welcomes Bikers . . .Thunder in the Mountains . . . .Wheels Through Time

Maggy Valley, Cherokee,"Thunder In The Mountains", Gatlinburg

Next we went to Maggy Valley, where we stopped by the 'Wheels Through Time, Transportation Museum'. Lots of great vintage bikes & other vehicles. Driving through Maggy Valley, we saw lots of motorcycles and signs saying "welcome bikers" so we started wondering if there was a bike rally in town. Just as we thought, we found that this weekend is "Thunder In The Mountains" in Cherokee, NC. I always like going through and checking out the vendors at bike rally's so we looked around to see where they might be set up. When we spotted them, we also saw a sign that said that it was $40.00 to get into the area where the vendors were. $40.00 per person! No way . . . we passed it on by and kept driving through the smoky mountains in the direction of Gatlinburg. When we got to Gatlinburg, we checked into a hotel at the furthest end of the town. The restaurant that we decided to go to was on the opposite end so we decided to walk up, while checking out a few stores on the way . . . and getting some much needed exercise. We had a nice walk before dinner and nice dinner and a nice walk back to the room. Besides seeing lots of motorcycles in the area we've seen lots of vintage cars. After asking, we were told that there is a vintage car show in Pigeon Forge tomorrow. We plan to stop by and check it out before leaving town.

Grove Park Inn & Spa

Grove Park Inn

We spent some time at the Grove Park Inn and Spa, one of my favorite places in all the world! Sauna, steam room, hot tub, plunge [contrast] pool, massage . . . . a great time! There was a waterfall outside the window of our room. We left the window open at night and listened to the water falling across the rocks . . . very relaxing way to fall asleep! We also wondered around Asheville a bit . . . a really cool place.

Grandfather Mountain

view from grandfather mountain

Grandfather Mountain

As we were getting things started for our day, we checked the weather and found that they were calling for rain. Because of the weather, Jim decided he wanted to head back to Ashville, so we loaded up to move in that direction. After packing up the bikes and seeing that the weather didn't look too bad, I asked if he wanted to go to Grandfather Mountain on the way back down. We decided to take the same curvy road that we had traveled the day before. Since the roads were dry [they had been wet the day before] it was much more fun traveling on the twisting roads than it was previously. After a fun ride, we turned into the the drive for Grandfather Mountain. A lady came out and told Jim that he could not take his trailer on the road up. Evidently they are very strict about what can travel up the road because of the extreme tight turns on the uphill drive. Jim parked his bike and walked up to the gate to pay. The lady there gave further cautions, telling him that two bikes had wrecked the day before. She handed him a printed paper giving even MORE cautions directed at motorcycle riders. By this time I was beginning to get concerned. Thankfully Jim drove my bike and I rode on the back. Although Jim had no problems maneuvering up the mountain, had I been driving my own bike I am certain that I would have been challenged. There were numerous very tight uphill turns, but the cars ahead of us presented the biggest challenge. They were going extremely slow and even stopping at times [obviously even the car drivers were overly cautious of the roads]. If you didn't stay far enough back, you could encounter a need to stop in the midst of a uneven, crazy turn [impossible for anyone to hold a bike up in that situation]. No problem for Jim's riding skill level as long as we stayed back a bit, so we made it up without a scare. The view from atop Grandfather Mountain was amazing and crossing the mile-high swinging bridge was fun too. Glad we decided to stop by the site and really enjoyed it since the rain held off for us.

View along NC 194

Casket at Mast General Store

Mast General Store

First opened in 1883 offering everything from "cradles to caskets"!