and Punisher for putting together a great ride! Should have called this my "petcock and battery ride". I left out yesterday morning to meet up with Flamingobabe and ride up to Natchez on some nice back roads. Well, I got about 2 blocks from the house and my vacuum line (to the petcock) came off from 6 and brrr-brrrr-brrrrrrrr-silence. The bike died. Reconnected the vacuum line and killed the battery trying to get fuel back in the system. I had to call Red to bring some jumper cables and jump me off. She got there and eventually told me, after I got the bike cranked, I have two things to tell you..."First, my cheerios are getting soggy and second, you better make better time than this!" Hahaha. Shoot, 30 minutes to make 2 blocks - whatcha talkin about Willis?
Rode over and met with Flamingobabe on that sweet Spyder of hers and topped off with fuel and off we went - well, for about 20 miles. Right as I got to the intersection to get on 190 near Leonville, the bike died again. Vacuum line was still connected. Disconnected and reconnected the vacuum line and the bike started - only to die 3 more times in the next 15 miles. I pulled over in Krotz Springs and told FB that why didn't she go ahead - I might be awhile at this rate. She told me that she wouldn't leave me..."You wouldn't leave me would you?" She was a TROOPER!!!! What should have been a 2 1/2 hour trip turned into a 5 hour pain in the butt.
Sometimes I would go about 15 miles or so and other times, Traveler would make it 2-3 miles before sputtering out. Eventually, it was actually closer to keep limping towards Natchez to make repairs than to turn around and limp home. It happened so many times that my battery of 11 years (yes, still the original OEM Honda battery), gave up the ghost and everytime it died the last 4-5 times, I had to flag down a motorist with jumper cables and get a boost off.
(Somewhere in the middle of nowhere)
We were travelling down these two lane roads that should have been an awesome ride - but the bad thing was there was NO traffic on these roads. Would have been great if we were riding, but was a bummer if you needed someone to stop with jumper cables. We were in the middle of nowhere along the spillway on this barren 2 lane and the bike started dying every 2-3 miles. I finally told FB, we aren't going to make it this way, let me tear the petcock apart and see what I can find. So, we are in the direct sun, on the side of the road and the heat is turning up - well in the high 90's. So, off came the tank, tore apart the petcock, put everything back together and when I turned on the petcock, gas sprayed everywhere. I took my favorite bandanna and wiped as much as I could from the engine and threw the bandanna alongside the road since it was covered in gas. Back off came the gas tank, petcock tear down and reassembly and the tank went back on. The diaphragm was a bit cocked on one corner, so I shifted the position and checked everything out and cleaned what I could. After everything was together, no gas leakage...so might be good to go....Now, all I need is a boost. FB found a shade tree and moved her Spyder in the shade. I stood on the side of the road until I was seeing spots (literally) and flagged down the few vehicles that passed. 90% of them got in the other lane and speed up. The ones that did stop - nobody had cables. One guy even gave me a bottle of ice cold Gatorade because he said I looked so hot - and wouldn't take money for it. Finally after over an hour, a truck stopped with cables, jumped me off and off we went (with me still seeing spots because of the heat).
Traveler made it Natchez (about 40 minutes) without dying again. About 10 minutes after we took off, we got into rain and let me tell you, RAIN NEVER FELT SO GOOD!!!!! So, we rode in the blessed rain for 10-15 minutes and enjoyed the coolness. WHEW! Finally arrived in Natchez about 2 1/2 hours later than expected - but safe. Punisher was standing outside the hotel when we arrived. Turned Traveler off and told a lie or two after a big ol bear hug. Got back on Traveler to move her and brrrr-brrrr-click-click. Battery was dead. Punisher took out his test set and checked and the battery would not hold a charge. He took off to Walmart and picked me up a battery and a battery charger to give the battery the initial charge after adding the acid. What a buddy, let me tell you!!!! Plus, this was just the start of work that Punisher would do on Traveler yesterday.
Everybody started showing up and we sat outside with Highbinder and Lady Draco and told some real doozies! Smokin'Joe's group showed up and we heard about Jeff nailing the deer on the Trace on the way in.
Punisher took the battery in to start charging and we all got cleaned up and cooled off and the Hotel - very nice by the way - and great price, has a shuttle from the hotel to the casino. We heard that the casino had a seafood buffet for Friday and since FB and I had not eaten all day (glad we didn't because I would probably have given back when I was standing in the heat), we all figured we were gonna "tear a buffet up" and tear it up we did.
I mean...ummmmm....I had 4 deserts to see which one was the best! But, I did find someone (whom I won't give names) that actually beats me when it comes to desert. Well, checked out the casino, stole some flamingos out in front and went back to the hotel. Well, the security guard said if we were going to steal some, do it out front - so we just took him at his word.
Got back to the hotel and the parking lot party got into full swing with tire kicking, bike wrenching and major lie telling. We took the tank off Traveler and Punisher did a mechanical petcock mod doing away with my last vacuum line. He even had 2 vacuum line nipple plugs to close off the plugs on the petcock and number 6 vacuum port. Smokin'Joe found this funny and everyone was willing to lend a hand...
Well, close to midnight, the mod was complete - THANKS PUNISHER - YOU ARE THE MAN, BRO!!! Everything went back together and the lie telling resumed. I tell you what, people can say what they want about the VRCC, but THIS IS THE VRCC!!! (To me) The folks that you are hugging in parking lots, people that it's like a family reunion to see again, people who jump on their bikes to get you a battery at Walmart (and even read the book to see how to get it properly charged with the charger they picked up for you), people holding flashlights and grabbing tools out their bags and a group of people throwing a tank around and doing mods so that your bike is road worthy the next day - THAT IS THE VRCC. The same ones who pull over and whip out a portable bead breaker and changed Smokin'Joe's valve stem on the way down - yep, that is the VRCC. Shoot, I even had a group change my rear bearing in a parking lot in Minnesota - yep, that is the VRCC.
So, we closed it down well after midnight and I got a couple of hours sleep and after a cup of coffee, strolled outside for some daylight tire kicking and lie telling. When I walked out, my battery was already installed and the charger was packed away in my saddlebag and Traveler ran like a dream. At 8:00 am sharp, Joe blew his horn, everyone saddled up, 27 Valkyries/Goldwings roared to life and off we went. First stop was the Natchez Trace.
Weather was glorious and 27 experienced bike riders got on the Trace and followed Punisher and Joe through some beautiful country. That is the VRCC! Punisher led us off the Trace and to Windsor Ruins. Nice road getting there. The Windsor Ruins are major cool!!!
The Windsor Plantation at one time covered 2,600 acres (11 km²). Smith Coffee Daniell II, who was born in Mississippi in 1826, the son of an Indian fighter turned farmer and landowner, constructed the mansion itself in 1859-1861. In 1849 he married his cousin Catherine Freeland (1830–1903) by whom he had three children.
Basic construction of the house, which was designed by David Shroder (Shroder also designed and built Rosswood, which is located in Lorman) was done by slave labor. The bricks for use in the 45 foot columns were made in a kiln across the road from the house. The columns were then covered with mortar and plaster. There were 29 of these columns supporting the projecting roof line with its plain, broad frieze and molded cornice. This provided protection for the galleries that encompassed the house at the second and third levels. The fluted columns had iron Corinthian capitals and were joined at the galleries by an ornamental iron balustrade.
Skilled carpenters were brought in from New England for the finished woodwork and the iron stairs, column capitals and balustrades were manufactured in St. Louis and shipped down the Mississippi River to the Port of Bruinsburg several miles west of Windsor.
The mansion cost about $175,000.00 (this would be about 3.5 million dollars today) to build and was completed in 1861. However Smith Daniell lived in the home only a few weeks before he died at the age of 34.
When completed, the home contained over 25 rooms, each with its own fireplace and, among other innovations, featured interior baths supplied with water from a tank in the attic.
On the Main floor, flanking the broad hall, were the master bedroom, a bath, 2 parlors, a study and the library. In the ell off this part of the structure was located the dining room. Directly below in the above ground basement was the kitchen, with the two connected by a dumbwaiter. Also in this basement were a school room, an on-site dairy, several storage rooms, a commissary and a doctor's office.
On the third floor were an additional bath and 9 more bedrooms, each with their own fireplace.
Above the smaller 4th floor (which had a ballroom, but was never finished) there was a roof-top observatory.
During the American Civil War, the home was used by both Union and Confederate troops.
Confederate forces used the roof observatory as an observation platform and signal station. After the capture of the area by Union forces, the mansion was used as a hospital following the Battle of Port Gibson and as an observation station.
The home survived the war and continued to be used for social gatherings in the area. Mark Twain stayed at the home and is said to have used the roof observatory to observe the Mississippi River.
On 17 February 1890, a guest left a lighted cigar on a balcony (it is also said that someone dropped a cigar or cigarette in a pile of wood chips left by carpenters working on the 3rd floor). The family said the fire started around 3:00 in the afternoon. Having planned a seated dinner, they had gone into town to pick up the mail. As they were riding back, they saw flames shooting through the shingled roof. The fire burned from top to bottom making it impossible to extinguish, and the house was completely destroyed in the conflagration.
To give you an idea of the size, that is Highbinder walking next to the ruins.
After we left Windsor, man, we rode some awesome twisties from there to Port Gibson. I mean, it was an awesome road!!!!! Then we let all the bikes regather and back up on the Trace towards Jackson, Mississippi.
Well, I was able to get in about 100 miles with the group but I had to be home this evening since I have not spent a weekend night at home yet and promised Red I would BBQ tomorrow, so I peeled off at Jackson. After I stopped and waved at the rest of the group continuing north, I rode to Raymond. I was only about 6 miles from the supeslab but decided I had such a nice day of riding so far, why ruin it with 4 hour of superslab. I shot down 18 which is a great 2 lane back to Port Gibson. Got on 61 in Port Gibson and stopped at the Country Store for lunch. I have heard so much about this place, it was noon, so I figured I had to try it out. Alton Brown even did a show about the chicken at this place.
This is the owner of the place greeting people with, "We got gooooood fried chicken here!"
I gotta admit, it was some of the best fried chicken I have ever had - well, a lot like mama use to make.
You know, life is kind of good when you are grooving on some sweet tea, collard greens, mac and cheese, cornbread and awesome fried chicken.
Especially when you wash it down with blackberry cobbler and ice cream. Oh yeah baby!!!!!!!
Got back on the road to Natchez and crossed over the Mississippi River Bridge back into the swamplands of Louisiana. Came back the same way that FB and I had come up and stopped where I had burnt up yesterday and my bandanna was still there, so I was able to get it back.
Enjoyed an awesome day of riding today. Got in about 400 miles and the weather was beautiful.
Stopped and checked out an antebellum home just south of Simmsport.
Rode around Simmsport looking for the building that was the diner scene in Easy Rider. I rode all around it. I knew it was closed now, but they must have torn down the building too. I couldn't find anything that looked like it. Did get to see the caboose there though.
Rode 2 lanes all the way back home and stopped for a malt to bring back to Red and got back just in time to see the daughter and play with the critters. A great day of riding with friends and family. Yep, that is the VRCC. As soon as I petted the crits, called the gang to make sure everyone had arrived safe and they had landed up where they were going to spend the night and finishing the Trace tomorrow. I also got an update on Jeff.
Joe and Punisher - Thank you for putting on one heck of a gig bros. The ride was awesome and the fellowship was second to none. Pun, thanks for the help with Traveler bro! You are the man.
Anyway, that's my ride report since yesterday. A great time!!!!
