Memorial Day ride

Don't have any pictures but I rode in two Memorial Day dedications. Seems like I've been unfurling and furling flags all day. Oh....I was!

Finally got some pics.
This was in Scotland Texas.




And this was Windthorst Texas.

There were no dedications here in little ol' Hobgood, Tarboro or Scotland Neck. But I rode all morning, came home and finished up the yard work. Mac the Wife has been out of town the past few days, so me and Radar, my red heeler cattle dog, settled in for the remainder of the afternoon and watched war movies together.

We have one of dem (well almost)

Rode the Blue Ridge Parkway north, had not been that way since road closed last fall due to sections broke up from rain. Rode two good connectors, Devils Whip, Hwy 80 and the Diamond Back Hwy 226A. About 160 miles of mtn road, rained on last 1.5 miles from the house. Everything from pretty cool wearing leathers at Mt Mitchell to shirt sleeve weather in the valleys. Was a blue ridge day...

MC, haven't been out that way in 15 years, since we moved out here. If my back ever gets better, I'd still like to ride west and take in Maggie Valley and maybe parts of the Great Smokies, too. Right now, I'm only good for short, local rides.

Very cool. Looked you had perfect weather too. Lucky you.


Tried to ride to Lake Placid. Weather showed only 30% chance of thunder showers. Met with my friend Mark on his '09 Crossbones and his GF on her '09 trike at the Windsor diner. I was recommending nixing LP and heading somewhere south and away from the weather. Mark confidently felt we could push thru the weather and we have rain gear.Thats what we did.

The further north we rode(Quechee/Woodstock/Rutland) the more it rained. As we rode towards Whitehall,NY I listened to my weather band and it said a front coming out of Canada and heading Northeast(us). When we got about 2 miles from Whitehall about 75-80 miles into the trip it started raing all hell so we pulled over on the rest stop and geared up. The lady on the trike said she was going home. LP was headng north and east right into the storm front. Mark wanted to oush on and hopefully thru it. The lady was bailing so I suggested that we leave together and we go home together and which is what we did.

It wasn't a lost cause,we took another way home. RT 7 South to rt 103 thru Ludlow,VT and on to to rt 133 stopping at Singleton's country store and bought a bunch of beef jerky and local grown lamb. Singletons is a cool old fashion non touristy Vermont country store with all kinds of old rifles hanging all over the ceiling.

A 400 mile day turned into only a 150-160 mile trip. I was okay with it as it is still early in the season. I think the lady on the trike may cause other problems on future rides if ever she accompanies us. She dictated the speed and ultimately the termination of the ride. Its difficult to find similar riding partners.

I knew dat! The F15 was built here as I'm sure you know. Photo was taken at a memorial outside the old Grumman/Navy facility in Calverton, Long Island. There's also an A7 Intruder on a pedestal.


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Rain..necessary evil for motorcycle riders. I have good gear. Slow speed down and proceed with caution.

Does your wife always ride her trike or sometimes with you? I'm fortunate as my wife prefers sitting in the back photographing and videoing away. She's a trooper. She's been with me on all the long rides...Pigeon Forge,San Diego,Key West,Nova Scotia, Marble Falls AR, etc.. She did have a bike at one time and she did take and pass the course.

Rain country...we almost moved to Roseburg or Phoenix/Talent/Medford area back in 1991-92. I hard the Willamet Valley area is a little less rainy?

I agree, hard to find good riding partners. I do ride with the chapter, but quite a lot by myself. Two buddies I ride with...one will go all day...OK with whatever...the other likes to stop often...got to pick the right ones for him.

Yea, I know ur back is an issue...still hope sometime u can make it...would love to show u around...

I have ridden most by myself but prefer the company of my wife followed by a good and honorable riding partner....not a dime a dozen. Lots and lots of Harley riders out there....not too many honorable ones though.

I've found a 400 mile day on a trip is the lowest I'll go throwing in a couple 5-600 mile consequetive days as needed. Like a job but riding from 8-4 instead. So on day trips I at least try to avg 400 miles as often as possible just to keep up my mojo.

My wife will ride as long as I will even to the point of her passing out and not saying nothing. She did that twice. I explained she cannot do that to herself or me. I don't know if she's tough or not to smart. I explained yes I like to make time but not at the expense of our safety.

Wow!! Both of them are very nice. They both look they have enough ballast not to get blown about.

Josh...you may want to consider trailering your bike to the area, then touring the area...no shame in that. As my father got your age thats what he did up until his last day he never missed Daytona,National Hill climbs, Laconia or Sturgis. He got him a conversion van, enclosed trailer with a flop down bunk and off he'd go. No shame in that.

Unfortunately, sitting is sitting - don't matter if I'm in the truck, on the bike or watching TV. But it is a little harder on the scooter. Another issue is that I don't like riding over 60 MPH. Too much wind buffeting if in a head wind. And I stop fairly often. I guess you could say I wouldn't be the ideal guy to ride with if you want to make time .

Wasn't always that way, though. I used to ride cross country on my ironhead and it wouldn't be uncommon to put in a 500 or even 600 mile day. That's a lot of riding, boys, on a Sportster with no fairing or windshield. 70 MPH all day long, no kidding. Thank God for bubble face shields in those days . . . .