Took a little ride to Texas.................

[3fan4life]

I have finally recovered enough from riding 3 days in 100+ degree heat to share some of the details.

As fate would have it Serk was looking to add an Interstate to his stable and I had a 99 Interstate that I was looking to sell.

He mentioned that he had an ST1300 that he needed to sell before purchasing an Interstate.

Since an ST1300 was on my short list of bikes that my mind thinks I'd like to have, I suggested to him that I could be open to a trade deal.

He was open to that idea so we began to make arrangements and preparations.

The Interstate would need a new rear tire to make the trek to The Lonestar State.

Since Serk was already a Darksider it didn't make sense to put on a MC tire that he didn't really want.

This would give me a chance to take a little walk on the darkside and see if I liked it.

So, I darksided her.

Before, I left I had to get a pic of all three phat gurls together one last time:



from L to R, 1999 Interstate, 2000 Interstate, 2001 Interstate

How I wound up with 3 black Interstates is a story in itself.


I left last Wed after work and headed west.

It doesn't take long from Roanoke to get to TN:



But it does take a long time to get from Bristol, TN to Memphis, TN.

My goal for the first night was to make it somewhere west of Knoxville.

I made it to Kingston, TN and got a room at the Lakeview Inn for the night.



This turned out to be a decent choice, it was clean, cheap and there was a restaurant and a bar within easy walking distance.

Miles covered on Day 1: 295

Early the next morning I made the easy jump back onto I-40 W and set out to make it to Hope, AR for the night.

I made it to Nashville before it started getting hot.

Nashville would turn out to be some of the worst gridlock that I would encounter on the entire trip.

Between construction and poorly designed interchanges it was bad!

Somewhere, west of Nashville the traffic came to a complete stop.

Since it caught me at an exit I jumped off and consulted a good old fashioned paper map for a detour.

Time and mileage wise the detour probably didn't make much sense but it would keep me from sitting in the hot sun for God knows how long.

So I decided to take it.


The detour turned out to be a pleasant diversion.

It took me along some decent twisties and let me see what I thought of the new CT.

And, I found a pretty good little place to eat at:



Coble General Store in Centerville, TN.

The store is mostly a restaurant that is ran by an older lady that specializes in home cooking.

The food was good and the conversation pleasant.  

After a few more twisties and a couple of small towns I was back on I-40W.

Memphis proved to be much easier to get through than Nashville but by now it was past getting hot and well on its way to being Damn Hot.

The Arkansas state line was a welcome sight, mostly because it meant that I was finally out of TN.

 

(There's always something cool about crossing the Mississippi River).

I hit the rest area to take a break and pick up a paper map of Arkansas.

By now the heat was becoming brutal.

For the first of what would be many times throughout the rest of the trip I used a spigot to drench myself with water before getting back on the road.

This helps but not for long.

By the time I got to Little Rock, AR the heat and the sun were so bad that I was riding beside 18 wheelers for as long as I dared just to be in the shade that their shadows were creating.

I was tired and getting hungry but traffic was really heavy (I had hit Little Rock during the evening rush) and I decided to wait until I got into thinner traffic to stop.

By chance I wound up getting off at the exit for JJ's truck stop.

Usually, I avoid truck stop diners but I was ready for a break and some AC.

It turns out that the meatloaf special wasn't bad.

After an hour or so in the AC and a pitcher of Iced Tea I was ready to finish the ride to Hope, AR.

The AC was already on in the room which was welcomed.

I turned it down to a nice 66 degrees and proceeded to sit down in the recliner in front of the AC unit for a few minutes.

That few minutes turned into a 2 1/2 hour nap.

No problem, there was a convenience store near the hotel where I could grab a beer.

It turns out that Hope, AR the home of former President Bill Clinton is in a dry county.  

The clerk informed me that the nearest place to get an adult beverage was 30 miles away.

I was really looking forward to ending my day with some cold beer but I didn't have 60 more miles of riding left in me.  

Total miles covered on day 2: 404


Serk and I were meeting in Atlanta, TX which wasn't far from Hope, AR.

So I could sleep in or do a little exploring, I chose the latter.

It turns out that I wasn't far from Broken Bow, OK which is on my short list of places to move to when the wife and I finally retire.

So I thought, why not check out Broken Bow, OK?

This would be the first time that I had been to Oklahoma.

While most states have rest areas or official welcome centers at their state lines:

 

Oklahoma has a genuine roadhouse bar.

Between that and the speed limit on this 2 lane road going from 55 to 65 mph, I'm thinking that I'm going to like Oklahoma.

Broken Bow is a small quaint little town and the few people that I met there were friendly.

I see a vacation there sometime in the near future.

Leaving Broken Bow the intention was to head to Atlanta, TX with a quick detour through Texarkana, TX to pick up some Coors beer.

Somewhere along the way the gps rerouted me without my knowledge (thanks a lot Google) and I missed going through Texarkana.  

I rolled into Atlanta, TX to meet up with Serk right around noon as planned.

It was definitely getting hot, I don't think that I've ever been so glad to walk into a McDonald's.

We kicked tires for a minute, exchanged paperwork, license plates and conversation and the deal was done.

Serk was now the proud owner of a 1999 Interstate and I a 2004 ST1300.


It's really funny how these Phat Gurls become a part of you.

I bought the 99 in 2006.

She was my first Valkyrie and the best running one of the three.

My emotions were mixed, I was a little sorry to see her go.

If I only had 2 Valks I doubt that I would've let her go, but I simply had no need for 3 Interstates.

Knowing that she was going to a good home and was essentially, "staying in the family" brought me assurance that this was a good trade.

So, Serk and I said our goodbyes and set off on our separate ways.

It wasn't long before my new stead and I were in Louisiana:



(Take notice of the cooler on the back)

While, I was taking the obligatory state line pic an elderly couple parked across the street got my attention and told me that I might want to take a picture over there.

From across the street what they were talking about looked like an ordinary highway marker.

It turns out that it marks the exact spot that Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas come together:


 


My goal for food was to enjoy some fine Cajun cuisine.

Through the internet and some suggestions from here place that I had picked was Herby K's in Shreveport, LA.  

By the time that I made it there the temps had soared to 106 degrees and the sun was brutal.

The food was excellent, and the beer was good and cold:



Leaving Shreveport my goal for the night was Natchez, MS

I wanted to see some of Louisiana so my plan was to stick to back roads.

My phone was getting pretty low on juice so I had written down the turn by turn directions before leaving Herby K's.

The heat was still brutal which resulted in a lot of required stopping for breaks.

This was a welcomed one:

 

I contemplated going for a swim but opted not to.

I've watched enough Swamp people to know that there are lots of Alligators in Louisiana.

It turns out that in Louisiana the pavement seams turn into speedbumps.

At this stop I discovered that one of those "Speed bumps" had relieved me of my cooler and the cold drinks that it contained.

Another thing that I discovered about northern Louisiana is that convenience stores are few and far between.

It would be awhile before I found that much needed cold drink.

I never knew that I could drink a 32 oz Gatorade in less than 2 minutes.

Somewhere along the way I began to think that maybe I had missed one of my turns.

So, I began to inquire of people how to get to Natchez.

It turns out that there is a place called Natchitoches and that when listening with Virginia ears Natchez and Natchitoches sounds a lot alike.

It seems that I may have spent a lot of time zig zagging first towards one and then towards the other.

This ate up a lot of time and kept me from making it to Natchez before stopping for the night.

The only thing that there is less of in Northern Louisiana than convenience stores apparently is hotels.

After asking several people (all of them friendly and helpful by the way) I found a room at the Motel Maxx in Pollock, LA.

It was clean and I had purchased a couple of adult beverages when I got gas so I was set for the night.    

Total miles for day 3: 364


Getting an early start was essential since I needed to cover some miles and cover as many as I could before it got unbearably hot.

With a full charge on my phone I was headed for Natchez, MS and the Natchez Trace.

Crossing the Mississippi River for the last time on this trip I left Louisiana behind and said hello to Mississippi:

 

Finding the Natchez Trace was relatively easy:



(notice that the cooler is now missing?)

Similar to the Blue Ridge Parkway in design, the Natchez Trace was on my bucket list of roads to ride.

So, I wasn't going to be this close and not take a little spin on it.

The Natchez Trace is all about the history of the Trace itself:



One of the more interesting things is the Sunken Trace:




It's pretty wild how centuries of people and animals travelling along the same path eroded it so significantly.

I would've liked to have visited the Windsor Ruins but with being pushed for time and the heat of the day starting to build in, I just couldn't manage the 22 mile detour.

Oh well, at least I have an excuse to come back someday.

I only rode the first 70 miles of the Trace to the exit for Jackson, MS.

I'll come back and finish it sometime, for now I needed to cover some miles.

In Jackson I found a little hole in the wall that served up some really good Catfish:



Riding Interstate was the best way to cover some miles, so I-20 East it was.


It wasn't long before I was in Alabama:



But by now the heat was beyond brutal, hitting 106 degrees.

I found myself stopping at every rest area along the way and drinking and drenching myself with water.

Just as an FYI: Driving through Birmingham, AL is not an experience for the timid or the faint of heart.

When the sun finally went down the temp reduced to a cool 95 degrees.

I really wanted to get as many miles behind me as I could before stopping for the night.

I gave up the ghost in Cleveland, TN around midnight and got a room for the night.

Total mileage for day 4: 645


I wanted to stop at Cycle Gear in Knoxville, TN to get me some new rain gear.

I wasn't far away and they didn't open until 10AM so I slept in a little bit.

It turns out that was a bit of a wasted stop because they didn't have any rain gear that I liked or was a comfortable fit.

Day 5 brought relief from the heat in the form of rain.

Normally, I don't like riding in the rain but the ST 1300 provides a good bit of rain protection and it was good to be out of the heat.

I made a detour through Pigeon Forge, TN to get a Fuddrucker's Burger, I Love me some Fudd!  

This also let me try out the ST1300 on some twisties that are along the back way out of town.

It likes twisties!

I rolled into the driveway about 9:30 PM, glad to be home and completely worn out.

But it was a good trip and an adventure!

Total miles for day 5: 393

Total miles ridden: 2,101

[msb]

Wow, what a great report... love hearing about and seeing pictures of places I've never been, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Also, what a unique experience ... one way on the Valk and the way back on the ST.... 
Thanks for posting.

[J.Mencalice]

Thank you for that great ride report, sir, of places seen, places eaten, and places ridden.
The most prominent takeaway that I garnered from it wasss...the South is a tad hot?during the summer and maybe nicer riding come cooler times?

Appears like you had a blast in spite of the road rap.

[hubcapsc]

Oh well, at least I have an excuse to come back someday.

The whole crowd of us needs to ride the Trace again sometime soon...

-Mike "a 400 mile long nice driveway  "

[Oss]

well done report  it was a pleasure to read

I could feel myself getting thirsty for a cold beverage in Louisiana

Perhaps when I eventually ride down there again (during cooler weather) I will take the Trace as well

It has been on my list of roads for years.

[henry 008]

 

[Jess from VA]

Wow, Mark, good story. 

I'm so tired and worn out after reading it, I'm taking a nap.   

PS:  How about some impressions of the ST from a longtime Valk rider?

       How was the seat?

[Beardo]

Enjoyed the read, thanks. 

Great that 2 people could come to an agreement and didn't have to go through the hassle of selling.

[f6john]

How was the heat coming off the 1300? I had read some early purchasers thought it was somewhat excessive. Great report, and what was that Cajun meal you had?

[Wizzard]

Great read and enjoyed the pictures. For about 10 years I would make an annual trip from here to Broken Bow OK  780 miles in one day on my Valk to visit a friend there and we would Kayak the Mountain fork river. Awesome time and great area. After 2 days of Kayaking I would ride 780 home in one day.

[The emperor has no clothes]

  great ride report 

[sheets]

I enjoyed going along for the ride  . Had me thirsting for a beer - in a dry county  .

[Mr Whiskey]

Glad ya had an adventure & scored a new steed!

[DenverDave]

  Thanks for sharing

[Pappy!]

Well??
Never said much about your impressions of the car tire on your ride to Tx. ??
Sounds like a fun ride even in the heat. One of those rides you can now lay claim to which is almost as good as bringing back the tee shirt!
Way to go!

[Hook#3287]

Great report Mark.

So how do you like the ST1300?

[Rams]

Excellent ride report!     

Have been through many of the locations you traveled through but, I was transporting someone else's junk on my rig.   Would have been a lot more fun on two wheels.  Envy is the best word I can come up with.

Rams

[3fan4life]

Oh well, at least I have an excuse to come back someday.

The whole crowd of us needs to ride the Trace again sometime soon...

-Mike "a 400 mile long nice driveway  "

I would like that too, maybe sometime in the fall of the year.

Wow, Mark, good story. 

I'm so tired and worn out after reading it, I'm taking a nap.   

PS:  How about some impressions of the ST from a longtime Valk rider?

       How was the seat?

Great report Mark.

So how do you like the ST1300?

There are many things that i like about the ST1300.

The seat is NOT one of them!

I'm trying to decide if I should spring for a Daylong or get Mean City Cycles in NC to modify the stock seat ($420 vs $175).

The next mod will be a set of Mick O Pegs.

After that I think that it will be good for long trips.

How was the heat coming off the 1300? I had read some early purchasers thought it was somewhat excessive. Great report, and what was that Cajun meal you had?

It was so hot that I really couldn't tell if any additional heat was coming from the engine.

There is a rubber pad that has been added underneath the driver's seat to deflect heat.

I'm sure that helps.

The cajun dish was grilled catfish smothered with crawfish etouffee.

And it was very good!

Great read and enjoyed the pictures. For about 10 years I would make an annual trip from here to Broken Bow OK  780 miles in one day on my Valk to visit a friend there and we would Kayak the Mountain fork river. Awesome time and great area. After 2 days of Kayaking I would ride 780 home in one day.

There were tons of places coming into Broken Bow to rent Kayaks or Canoes.

I'm seriously thinking about renting a cabin with some friends there for a long weekend to check it out.

Well??
Never said much about your impressions of the car tire on your ride to Tx. ??
Sounds like a fun ride even in the heat. One of those rides you can now lay claim to which is almost as good as bringing back the tee shirt!
Way to go!

I really liked the CT on the Interstate it proved to be very comfortable at highway speeds.

I didn't push it very hard in the twisties but it felt stable.

What I didn't like was slow speed maneuvering and that it was unpredictable in trying to track imperfections in the pavement.

[NewValker]

Thanks for the ride Mark!
Craig

[Red Diamond]

It is reports like yours that makes motorcycle riding a pleasure for me. Reading it sets in the feeling of adventure and longing to do the same as one follows along for the ride. Just as a laughing matter, I was wondering how you managed to leave Jackson, Ms headed west and windup in Alabama. LOL
Great report

[Valkorado]

That was a fun report, but I almost had a heat stroke just reading it!

[3fan4life]

It is reports like yours that makes motorcycle riding a pleasure for me. Reading it sets in the feeling of adventure and longing to do the same as one follows along for the ride. Just as a laughing matter, I was wondering how you managed to leave Jackson, Ms headed west and windup in Alabama. LOL
Great report

I'm just good like that.  

[old2soon]

            Most of the pics you posted and places you've shown I did in an 18 wheeler. In addition to the heat you were also in high humidity areas. While I do in Fact envy you your ride the heat and humidity would most likely would have done me in. I find myself more and more living the riding life vicariously through the road reports here. Specially in the high heat we've had. As long as both parties are happy then it are a Good trade!  And seems to me anywho that criteria has been met.  Far as bouncing off a cooler-did that the 2nd time I went to my Brothers place in Illinois. I imagine someone somewhere has a nicked up Coleman Swinger believe it were. Even 6 years ago after the sun came up my fuel stops had less and less distance tween stops as it warmed up.  Good ride and food and weather report!  RIDE SAFE.

[DDT (12)]

It is reports like yours that makes motorcycle riding a pleasure for me. Reading it sets in the feeling of adventure and longing to do the same as one follows along for the ride. Just as a laughing matter, I was wondering how you managed to leave Jackson, Ms headed west and windup in Alabama. LOL
Great report

Mark,

I agree with Red Diamond! Thanks for sharing your adventure... much recollection is always triggered from reading of the experiences of others... I felt like I was right there with you through your outing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

DDT

P.S. "Just as a laughing matter, I was wondering how you managed to leave Jackson, Ms headed west and windup in Alabama. LOL"
  Hey, I know all about how that works!!!

DDT

[baldo]

Well done, Mark. It sounds like a good deal all around, with both getting great returns.

I know what you're talking about with the heat. I was in Memphis at the same time as your trip, two weeks of the hottest weather I've ever seen. One day had a heat index of 109. Most nights it was still in the 90s at 10 pm!

I'll definitely be exploring that area in the not too distant future.....

[old2soon]

                 Long time ago I lived in Garrison Texas. My T V stations were out of Shreveport Louisiana. The bulb just went on a bit ago cuz I just rekemembered How one of the weather guys started his segment. Weather here in the arklatex today. That three corner stone you showed sorta got the grey matter kick started as it were. Again-THX fer the trip report.  RIDE SAFE.

[Serk]

Thanks for the ride report, and the bike!

Wish it hadn't been so murderously hot, and that I'd known about the 3 corner marker, that's the kinda thing I love to go to, and we were so close in Atlanta.... Oh well, as you said gives me an excuse to go back!

My side of the meet up ride was much less glamorous, and even hotter... (Actual temp, not heat index, of 111 on the ride home.)

When I started getting cold, shivering and started getting dizzy 45 minutes into the ride home I knew something wasn't right, pulled over and found AC and a drink. Drained the drink and cooled off. The rest of the ride home was done in 30 mile increments with 30 minutes sitting in whatever AC I could find guzzling as much water as I could. That heat was brutal, even for us Texans.

I was kinda glad the Interstate didn't have a thermometer on it, the one on the ST can be a curse sometimes.

Hope you're enjoying the ST, I've begun the progress of tweaking the Interstate (New grips, throttle lock, shifter seal replaced (Thanks for the part and the heads up!), turn signal switch cleaned up and lubed, etc. etc. etc.) and planning out what else needs to happen (Researching which after market seat I want is the biggie)

The kiddos are LOVING the back seat on the Interstate, begging me to take 'em everywhere and anywhere on it so they can sit in the back with the big comfy armrests.

I concur on the stock seat on the ST. Somehow my wife loved it so we never replaced it. We'd take multi thousand mile cross country (Well, cross Texas, but that's close enough) trips on it and she never had a problem with the seat.

Can't wait to hear the tales and see the pics of the ST carving up those awesome roads in your area! She'll definitely get more loving than she was getting here with the wife giving up riding and the ST and I never quite clicking.

BTW, mental note - if you're ever scheduling a meetup that requires some outside activity in the heat, don't schedule it for high noon when there are no shadows to be found!

[Ice]

Mark,
What a great read, thanks so much for sharing  almost felt like I was riding with you. Truly enjoyed the adventure you had and thanks for posting pictures to go with.
We miss riding with you guys and hope that fortunate winds will some day bring us back on the road together.
Say hey to Deb for us. 
Enjoy the ST.

[RainMaker]

Well done, Mark. It sounds like a good deal all around, with both getting great returns.

I know what you're talking about with the heat. I was in Memphis at the same time as your trip, two weeks of the hottest weather I've ever seen. One day had a heat index of 109. Most nights it was still in the 90s at 10 pm!

I'll definitely be exploring that area in the not too distant future.....

Plan your trip between October and April.  May-September can be brutal in the Republic.

RainMaker

[rocketray]

this website is the best!! great guys/riders and stories

[baldo]

this website is the best!! great guys/riders and stories

[baldo]

Well done, Mark. It sounds like a good deal all around, with both getting great returns.

I know what you're talking about with the heat. I was in Memphis at the same time as your trip, two weeks of the hottest weather I've ever seen. One day had a heat index of 109. Most nights it was still in the 90s at 10 pm!

I'll definitely be exploring that area in the not too distant future.....

Plan your trip between October and April.  May-September can be brutal in the Republic.

RainMaker

It might be longer than a visit. A possible relocation to the Memphis area is in the offing.

[Jess Tolbirt]

every year I go to Texas to visit my kids and do some riding, they live down below Houston, I go in Feb. and in the past 7 years every Feb has been perfect for riding. I moved to TN 20 years ago and I dont think I could handle the heat and humidity any more like i used to..

[The emperor has no clothes]

Well done, Mark. It sounds like a good deal all around, with both getting great returns.

I know what you're talking about with the heat. I was in Memphis at the same time as your trip, two weeks of the hottest weather I've ever seen. One day had a heat index of 109. Most nights it was still in the 90s at 10 pm!

I'll definitely be exploring that area in the not too distant future.....

Plan your trip between October and April.  May-September can be brutal in the Republic.

RainMaker

It might be longer than a visit. A possible relocation to the Memphis area is in the offing.

I think Mark (RainMaker) was referring to visiting Texas. But, the same might apply for the Memphis area also. (I know it applies for Lake Havasu) We went from a nice 65* in AK to the blast furnace of 117* yesterday.   To top it off the air conditioning unit iced up while I was at work today. 90* in the house when I got home.  

[Serk]

I rigged a stand alone AC unit up in the garage so I could work on New Valk the last few days... (It is kinda fun having a new semi-blank canvas to work on, but getting kinda spendy! )

[The emperor has no clothes]

I rigged a stand alone AC unit up in the garage so I could work on New Valk the last few days... (It is kinda fun having a new semi-blank canvas to work on, but getting kinda spendy! )

Be sure and save you a couple bucks for that new Russell. 

[Serk]

I rigged a stand alone AC unit up in the garage so I could work on New Valk the last few days... (It is kinda fun having a new semi-blank canvas to work on, but getting kinda spendy! )

Be sure and save you a couple bucks for that new Russell. 

Trying to decide between a Russell, an Ultimate or a Hartco...

I only wanna buy once ya' see...

[The emperor has no clothes]

I rigged a stand alone AC unit up in the garage so I could work on New Valk the last few days... (It is kinda fun having a new semi-blank canvas to work on, but getting kinda spendy! )

Be sure and save you a couple bucks for that new Russell. 

Trying to decide between a Russell, an Ultimate or a Hartco...

I only wanna buy once ya' see...

I have no experience with a Hartco. But for me, the RDL is the way to go. Might be an issue getting one soon though. I was reading today that Shasta Lake is evacuated because of the fire. Hopefully they will be back up and running soon.

[Serk]

]I have no experience with a Hartco. But for me, the RDL is the way to go. Might be an issue getting one soon though. I was reading today that Shasta Lake is evacuated because of the fire. Hopefully they will be back up and running soon.

Hartco isn't as common, but I've put over 100,000 miles on mine on my Valk standard... They're one of those seat makers where you call 'em up, tell 'em how tall you are, how fat you are, how wide your butt is and they make the seat to match your butt and height...

But I'm open to alternatives...

And sorry, not trying to hijack the awesome ride report thread for a "Which seat should I drop a grand on" thread...

[Hook#3287]

]I have no experience with a Hartco. But for me, the RDL is the way to go. Might be an issue getting one soon though. I was reading today that Shasta Lake is evacuated because of the fire. Hopefully they will be back up and running soon.

Hartco isn't as common, but I've put over 100,000 miles on mine on my Valk standard... They're one of those seat makers where you call 'em up, tell 'em how tall you are, how fat you are, how wide your butt is and they make the seat to match your butt and height...

But I'm open to alternatives...

And sorry, not trying to hijack the awesome ride report thread for a "Which seat should I drop a grand on" thread...

Serk, I don't think Mark would mind a hijack

I'd like to know the results of your search, when you make the move.  I gotta an I/S I'm considering upgrading the OEM optional studded seat on, although it's more comfortable than I figured it would be.

You could always start a new thread asking "What's the best seat?"  Probably be more decisive than asking about oil or tires.