The Story

Beginning on June 14, 2013, I'll be starting a 6,000 mile ride taking me through Canada, the Black Hills of South Dakota, Wyoming, the ridge of the Rockies from Estes Park, CO to Santa Fe, NM, the Four Corners area of Utah, the Ozarks, the Smokies and back home. States I'll be riding through: New York, Ontario (Canada), Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

This blog will follow that adventure on a frequent (hopefully daily) basis. This means that everyone can skip the slide show when I return! Enjoy.

Saturday, June 29, 2013


Saturday, June 29, 2013 – Day 16 – Cherokee, NC – 5,000+ miles behind me
Today was exactly the type of day that God invented motorcycles for!  High 80’s, bright blue sky loaded with fluffy white clouds, very little wind …. perfect !!!  On top of that, I got to ride through some of the most beautiful countryside in America AND the road I was on was loaded with fun parts.  This was an absolutely perfect day.  This is precisely why I bought a motorcycle!
Despite the predictions of thunderstorms, I awoke to a sunny morning,  The train I told you about yesterday … SIX (6) passes down the track and to top it off, there was a crossing just down the tracks where he’d hit the horn!  Although frustrating, I really did have to laugh … I’m destined to be afflicted with little problems like this.
By 8:30, I was gone and as mentioned, the weather was pristine.  The roads through the Smoky Mountains were really incredible and although I mentioned previously that they are not as majestic as the Rockies, they are seriously beautiful.  I passed a number of beautiful lakes surrounded by tree covered mountains – stunning.
As I passed through Chattanooga, TN, I couldn’t resist stopping as I have always heard this is a lovely city.  In fact, it is and it combines elements of both the old and new South and it’s nestled in the mountains.  I cruised around just sightseeing for a while and I stopped to see the real Chattanooga Choo Choo … hey, in Chattanooga, it’s a big deal.  I wound up this brief sojourn with a cup of coffee at a little sidewalk café downtown.  Even on a Saturday, the place had a local crowd.  Then it was back on the road.
More beautiful country as I rode through eastern Tennessee and western North Caroline until I arrived at the beginning of The Dragon.  It’s only 11 miles long, but with all those curves, it is anything but an easy ride.  In fact, there was one wipe out … nothing serious except a smashed up bike and a serious case of road rash.  There are a lot of young riders on “crotch rockets” that frequent this thing and they let youthful exuberance get in the way of common sense.  They’re not at all serious and highly responsible like we were when we were younger …
Anyway, it was a great ride and well worth the extra miles I had to put on to get here.  Here’s a few pictures:

This shot and the one above are taken from the location where the crotch rocket pilot wiped out
This picture doesn't do it justice, but there are over 100 bikes at this gathering spot at the end of the run
The dragon himself
Tomorrow, I start the trek home but tonight, it’s casino time baby!  Directly across the street from the Fairfield Inn I’m staying at in Cherokee is a huge (and I mean seriously big) Harrah’s Casino.  As soon as I post this, I’m off for dinner and a little gambling time so I can win the money to pay for this extravagant trip I’m on.  How’s that for optimism?
There won’t be too much to write about tomorrow, but I will be posting “The Dickies”.  These are awards for the unique things I’ve seen and done on this trip. Stay tuned.