We woke up this morning in Virgina and checked the radar - YIKES! Nasty weather all over the place between where we were and where we needed to be.
Huge system coming in by Knoxville and another down by Chattanooga and bad weather blasting Birmingham and Huntsville (Huge bands of yellow and red with green all over). We thought about it and felt we needed to get on the road and get what we could miles.
Bikes had a little rain on them that needed to be wiped off the seats and windshields. Packed the bikes up and and soon as we sat down on them and turned the key - it started raining. We looked at each other and said, "What the hay - let's get what we can get." Twelve miles is what we got. 12 miles down the road you couldn't see a thing. JP and I are not fair weather riders, but there could have been an 18 wheeler doing 10 mph down the superslab and you wouldn't have known it until you made contact with it. Felt our way off the Interstate and sat it out at a gas station for 15 minutes or so and talked to a Harley couple that was waiting it out to boot - from North Carolina. It slacked up a bit so off we went again - for about 25 miles before you couldn't see a darn thing again - I mean, you have your glasses at the tip of your nose, your eyes up against the windshield to keep the rain from stinging you to death on your eyeballs and still can not see 2 feet in front of the bike - off the road to wait it out again. This one gave us time for some chocolate milk.
Third time is a charm right? Wrong! Another 20-30 miles and I had lost JP in the rain and saw an exit sign out the side of my vision. Limped over to the shoulder and watched for the white line to tell me where the exit was. Unreal!!! Sat it out for a while with another MC group at another gas station. JP and I finally felt that this was stupid and there was no need to put ourselves at danger since we didn't have to be back at any certain time. We asked the guy inside the station where the nearest motel was - we decided to give it a break today - the weather won. He told us there was one at the next exit and one about 23 miles down the road.
We limped to the next exit and when we pulled in, it was like a flea bag cartoon of the Norman Bate's hotel. We looked at each other and both shook our head NO at the same time - the rain had eased a bit, so let's do the 23 miles to the next one.
About 15 miles down the road, we top a hill and the rain stops and it just overcast as far as you can see. What?!?! Roll on! We never got another drop of rain on us until we hit Birmingham, Alabama!!!! The fact that the wind was up and it was overcast kept the temperatures down - awesome day for riding. Had to sit out a real nasty one in Birmingham, but got to talk to the guy at the station about his bike and answer questions about ours. Got in almost 500 miles - which wasn't bad concidering it took us a couple of hours to get the first 80 or so out of the way with the waiting on the squalls, etc.
Rolled into Tuscaloosa, Alabama early evening and got a room at our favorite Days Inn - Misfit, you will remember this one - it was the one that JP swoll up on the peanuts in!!!
After a cocktail, we decided it was time for our last dinner (we hope) on this trip. And what a way to end it!!!!!
Our waitress was a real cutie - Kennedy. She was cute as a button, pulled a stool up next to the table and had us tell her about this road trip and some of the others that we have shared. One of those one in a million kind. Ex military and a vet. Plus, you folks from Alabama and you Souther Boys will know what I am talking about when I say she had the most awesome Alabama accent - that Southern Belle / Country kind that will melt your heart. She even joined us outside for a smoke when we went. And did I mention she was cute as a button?
Well, the 20 oz Ribeye wasn't bad.....
But they loaded JP UP on the ribs ya'll!!!! Yes, he finished the last one.
Then it was back to the room so I could get the ride report out. Oh, did I mention that Kennedy was cute as a button? SWEET HOME ALABAMA!!!!!!!!!!!
Tomorrow we are off on our lest leg home. It was ball ya'll all the way around.
WE HAD A BLAST!!!!
