Wednesday March 30, 2022
54 f as I left Maggie Valley. Much better than the 26f it was last year.
Due to the threat of bad weather I left a day early. Rain in Muscle Shoals stopped me visiting the 2 recording studios. Maybe another day?
The ride to Montgomery was uneventful.
I slept through a tornado warning in Montgomery and my bike was tucked away under a metal staircase in a breezeway so it was protected from the wind and rain.
https://www.relive.cc/view/vKv21yNJj4qhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWe7u9Xqa-EThursday March 31
Onwards to Hattiesburg.
The road through the pine forest and farmland was mainly straight with a few undulations. Lunch at Mikes Kitchen near Pine Hill was one not to repeat. Burger squashed as flat as shoe leather and stale fries.
I hoped to stay at the Double tree Thursday night but no rooms available. Just down the road was the University Inn. Half the price and the shower didn't work so the ice bucket and a plastic cup sufficed to give myself a perfunctory wash.
https://www.relive.cc/view/vPOpZd44yRqFriday April 1
Go to New Orleans they said.
You'll like it they said.
You should see it at least once they said.
Welcome to New Orleans.
What a dump. Piles of trash everywhere, derelict houses - not Katrina ones, containers of house debris. The French Quarter smelled of feces, fried food, urine and sewers. Roads like a third world country and derelicts stumbling around.
Been there, seen that, no need to go back there.
Lunch at Cracker Barrel on the return leg was great. Maple bacon chicken.
A run out to the Stennis Space Center was a bust. Closed due to Covid.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/home/index.htmlThe 4 lane to the space center is in great shape but I could only get to 110m.p.h. on the 1800. I don't know if I filled up with bad gas? It just wouldn't go faster.
https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vj71gpBYOSaturday April 22, 2022
I decided I would ride with Smokin Joe and a few others up to Hellfighters in Laurel, MS.
The attendees gathered outside the main entrance to the hotel for a bike blessing and a minutes reflection about the VRCC founder Gale.
I started to prepare for the ride but no Joe to be seen. I asked a couple of other riders and was told he'd left with Reb.
Jumped on my bike and headed north up I 59. Joe had mentioned we'd meet Punisher about 15 miles north. There's a gas station there but no Punisher. A quick call to him and I rode up to the next exit to meet Punisher but no-one else was there.
Eventually they arrived having eaten a quick breakfast at Krystal near the Doubletree.
On to Hellfighters.
https://www.hellfightersmotorcycleshop.com/About-Us/Our-DealershipThen on to a couple of stores and lunch at Texas Pit BBQ.
https://www.texaspitmasterbbq.com/laurelA very large overhead fan!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IUdGRK-1pYI forgot to restart the Relive app after lunch. I left the group when they pulled into a gas station because I'd slow cooked the inside of my right lower leg by wearing short socks. Got back to my room to find a couple of blisters on my leg and the smell of long pig.
https://www.relive.cc/view/vwq1Bkn7RBvSaturday night was fun out in the round the corner parking lot.
Sunday.
Dashed homeward and nearly made it but my butt fell off in Blairsville, GA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDcyZAozvvUhttps://www.relive.cc/view/v36APP31NGOMonday.
Home
https://www.relive.cc/view/vPv4eeZneRO
