May 6, 2019 – Day 9 of QC to CA trip

We have ridden 9 straight days in a row.

Our first day began with snow flurries; encountered rain in the 50’s, and today, rode in 89 degrees F with sun and partial clouds.

The last three days we finished the Blue Ridge Pkwy in Tennessee, stayed in the area of Dollywood, crossed the Mississippi, and today rode quickly across cattle areas of Oklahoma. We did see a few oil rigs which were not operating.

Now, with serious weather in the forecast for tomorrow, we are taking a day off the road and hunkering down in the Apache Casino and Hotel in Lawton, OK.

Laundry will be done, we will review our route and weather moving forward…and get some much needed down time in.

Facing the possibility of severe thunderstorms with hail and tornadoes we decided that it was a better gamble to stay over an extra day at the Apache Casino Hotel. If you lose at the casino you will still be alive.

Day 7 of QC to CA ride.

Long distance moto riding; it’s not just sitting on the motorcycle with the wind in your hair and vegging out.

It is about remaining physically and mentally alert. And being physically able to manipulate / maneuver a vehicle that – in our case- with bodies and gear is weighing in at over 900 lbs.

When I am wearing all my gear, it is an extra 20 lbs. I am packing. The helmet alone will weigh 4 – 5 lbs. Think about how your neck would feel after 5 – 7 hours supporting that weight, while leaning at an angle forward…

Everytime we stand a moto up from the stand, we are pushing weight upright with our leg, knee, and upper body.

Swinging our leg up and over the saddle, while trying to maneuver between the gear packed on the moto, is an exercise in flexibility. I have injuries I am contending with and tiredness and pain are my companions at the end of the day.

Roll on – roll off.

Twisties and slow moving congestion require up and down shifting. Clutching in/ out with the left hand, throttling on / off with the right hand, clutch lever up or down with the left foot…and braking occurs with both the right hand and right foot. Now coordinate all of the above for specific conditions, curves, and stop n go traffic!

Watch out!!! A deer has darted into the road and is running across 10ft in front of you! Yes, this happened to me a couple of days ago!

But…the adventure, the thrill, the challenge…physically experiencing the weather, the smells, the community and conversation with other riders is worth every second of discomfort – and at times – fear.

Challenging oneself, despite fear, and increasing ones proficiency are great life experiences.

Day 6 of QC to CA

After staying overnight in Marion, North Carolina, we hopped into Hwy 80 to connect back up to the Blue Ridge Pkwy. 80 ended up being an initial training run for a future ride on the Million Dollar Hwy in Colorado. 1st gear switchbacks heading uphill. Definitely a challenge and learning experience for me! The 20 mph curves on the Blue Ridge were a piece of cake after that!

We encountered additional switchbacks on 441 in the Smokies.. but not 1st gear ones.

Another beautiful ride finishing up the Blue Ridge and crossing the Smokies into Tennessee. Variable weather and big changes in altitude. We we’re as high as 6000ft and temperature ranges from 55F to 86F. Had obligatory rain at the higher altitudes (when it was coldest) and some heavy rain in the Smokies.

Of course, we were fully suited up for rain when we arrived in Gatlinburg, TN. We ended slogging / walking our motos through stop & go traffic. There was a 5 mile parade going on here – 4 of 6 lanes were blocked for the parade.

Does anyone else know that Gatlinburg = Dollywood?! It is built up like Orlando!! Who’d have thunk?

We did not see Dolly in the parade.

With the Blue Ridge Parkway!

We crossed from Virginia into North Carolina today on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Fabulous ride!

We started out with sunny skies and 79F. Later in the afternoon it turned to rain…but the ride was still beautiful.

Great road, little traffic, mountains, woods, meadows, small farms…and fabulous vistas! On portions of the road we were riding ridges where there were vistas on BOTH sides of us! Totally awesome!

Art and I are discussing coming back mid-October to spend more time riding and savoring this area. Passing through does not do this area justice. We aren’t done yet!!

Day 4 of QC to CA

Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Pkwy…Wow!! Awesome!! Must return!!

Although…Art and I have been discussing that part of the beauty of this ride has been that there has been virtually no traffic. Beautiful! We passed about three cars. Many of the campgrounds are still closed. This makes for a seamless ride.

A real experience reminder that, generally, people are good and helpful.

Art dropped his Moto at a Vista Point (didn’t check to verify kickstand was fully engaged).

We are parking our motos and suddenly, Art and a fully packed Moto were laying flat out on the ground! Ugh!!

I was imagining unpacking the whole Moto before we could lift it off the ground…then, a Harley Rider we had chatted with earlier pulls into the lot and promptly helped us lift the Moto off the ground! Thank you Marley!!!

Then…a motorhome stops and the couple checks in on us, and pull out their tool kit.

Their tools, and the ones I had packed on my Moto, allowed Art to remove his front left broken foot peg, and replace it with one from the back.. (my idea! Thanks for the experience of living on a sailboat…and McGiver!!!).

With that, we were able to continue the ride..

A big clap out to the basic goodness in people…and being able to experience it…

Day 3 of QC to CA Tues., April 30, 2019

Yesterday we saw some trees starting to bud..and 60 degrees F.

Today… green trees, flowers and 89 degrees F. Amazing when I consider that three days ago we rode from our house in a snow flurry! Tonight, we walked to a restaurant for dinner in short sleeves…

The ride today was…slogging through lots of big truck traffic, congestion, and construction on 81. Not a lot of fun; but we wanted to get south quickly to warmer weather.

Tomorrow…. Twisties on Skyline Drive and the beginning of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Really looking forward to the ride tomorrow!!!

We are keeping a close eye on the weather. So far, we’ve threaded the needle in regards to storms. There has been severe weather from Texas to north of Oklahoma. Right now the weather looks reasonable two days out…

The adventure continues, Cj

Yesterday we had every stich of clothing on we could wear.

One more day of cold before getting far enough south.

Frost on the ground this morning

A cold start to our trip! Snow flurries were falling as we swung our legs over the seats. Multiple layers were worn; I even placed toe warmers in my boots.

We made a new friend today! A big thank you to Bernard of Bernard le Boulanger. We found Bernard’s bakery while searching for a good bakery on our route. Had to have one last croissant in Quebec!

We only made 178 miles today.. then called it a day. Fighting the cold is very tiring. We stopped before mistakes were made.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton