Upbeat read

[fiddle mike]

I read a blog by a Kentucky rider who has owned all sorts of bikes and now pilots a Vulcan.  I liked what he had to say and got his permission to post it on WordPress.
http://bikerintexas.wordpress.com/2010/12/24/real-americans/

[Skinhead]

Nice post Mike, Merry Christmas.

It is amazing who you meet on the road, and when your out in nature, away from the population centers, you meet people in their natural state, relaxed, and enjoying life, not all worked up over the latest gloom and doom in the media or coming out of Washington.   There is nothing better than Smalltown, USA.

[f6john]

     Doesn't sound like they spent much time on the interstates, roads that is. I have yet to take a road less traveled trip. I need to plan that for this coming year.

[fiddle mike]

     Doesn't sound like they spent much time on the interstates, roads that is. I have yet to take a road less traveled trip. I need to plan that for this coming year.

John, once you travel that way the Interstate will never again be good enough for you.  My experiences are much like "Santa Claws'". Heck, a kid in Piggot, AR, liked our motorcycles so much that he insisted I test-ride his new bicycle.    That sort of thing can't happen when you whiz past a town at 70 mph.

[John Schmidt]

That's so true of those country roads. Once in Illinois I got turned around(lost) so finally spotted a farmer mowing hay and stopped. I walked over to the fence and was only going to ask for directions, but ended up comparing childhood stories...he was about the same age as I. I ended up going around the field with him for about 30 minutes, sitting on the fender of his tractor, talking about everything from the weather to crop insurance. Before I left, he called the house on his cell phone(didn't have that when I was mowing hay as a kid), asked his wife to get me something cold to drink....then gave me directions to his place. By that time, I didn't care if I found my way out of there or not. He had three youngsters that all wanted a ride so I unloaded the bag in back and one by one they climbed on. I took them down the road a mile and back, had as much fun as they did. After the last one got off, I noticed mama had changed from a house dress to a pair of jeans....you know what she wanted. Away we went, down past where her husband was mowing, laughing all the way. When she got off, the first thing she said was "we're getting one of those, it's just too much fun." 

Before I left, she asked what I wanted to drink and proceeded to name a few things....the last item was fresh milk from the wellhouse. That was good enough for me, a tall cold glass not more than six hours out of Bessy's bag, having been run through the separator and then lowered into the cooling tank. I've been back in that area since, but can never find that  place. Probably just as well, might ruin the memory.

[Hoser]

That's a pretty good story in itself, John.  It's the only way to travel!  Hoser 

[fudgie]

I prefer the interstate or high speeds of the highways. When we go to SD the only interstate we take it from Chi-town to north of Cedar Rapids iowa. Then its all 4 lane highway or 2 lane (65mph+). Its nice to smell fresh cut hay or fresh plowed dirt. Cant smell it on a I/S very well. The past few years we have taken time to chat with folks at our stops. 2 yrs ago we spent 2 hrs at a ice cream stand talking to a couple on a wing. This year we met a pair of ladies on a HD. We chatted at each stop over a ice cold beer. It makes our travels seem worth it.
The best non I/S we have been on is US 30 in PA on way to G-burg and US 20 thru NE from Souix City IA to Gordon NE.

[solo1]

Definitely true.  You meet the nicest folks off the beaten path, especially in the middle of America.

Hopefully, if my body agrees, I will go a little farther afield with the Vstrom come Spring and Summer.

That was a very good story John.  Motorcycling at its best!