Choices...

[DDT (12)]

 
 
Big ol’ grin on my face, fairly smooth roads for the most part, light traffic, great weather, albeit a bit brisk, and Gerbings set on ‘Max’… Hard to top that for a fabulous day out yonder cruising around. In fact, I wouldn't even know where to begin to top it.

Nope, I do not miss my former life in the least!!! It took a lot of work, sacrifice, and a bit of heartache, but also a lot of good fortune, and kindness from others to make all this possible. As far as this happy camper is concerned, it has all been well worth it!!!
 
We made the turn onto US HWY 60 and later crossed the ‘Big Muddy’, then traveled a very short distance away through less than a mile of Illinois, and crossed the Ohio River. I’d noticed while studying the map, a couple of alternative routes from there to Paducah, KY, so I took one I didn't recall ever having been ridden by us… Although it appeared to be a slightly shorter route, the mere fact we hadn’t tried it before made that the clear choice!
 
We then rode US HWY 68 all the way through Bowling Green, then we continued eastward on that same road… I’d started looking for a motel in Bowling Green, as by then it was rapidly nearing dusk, but I didn’t see one… at least one I wanted to stay in… Either too pricy looking, or no park-at-the-door rooms, or… not appealing at all. I was holding out for just the right place, but… it was never spotted!
 
We continued on, and the road became more like a rather narrow, country road instead of the major highway it had been. Ordinarily this would have been a very pleasing development, but that late in the day, it seemed to no longer hold any lodging opportunities, and fuel availability could even become an issue…
 
I thought about backtracking, but… nah… I hate doing that if it can be avoided… I just rolled the dice and ventured on… Many times, I later thought I just may have made the wrong choice!
 
I’d figured originally we’d be stopping in Glasgow, KY, and that proved the case. I had not figured on arriving after dark, however… I followed the signs along the highway until it became apparent I was on some sort of bypass, and no motels were to be found out there…
 
I made a turn onto some road that appeared it would take me into the downtown area… Soon enough I found a place to stop… It was much colder than it had been before dark, I had to ‘potty’ something fierce, and no public facilities had been noticed… A motel, any motel, would do, I thought to myself… and there one was…
 
“How bad can this be?”, I wondered to myself… It didn’t look too bad from the outside, and who knows, this may be the only one in town! I needed to either roll the dice and ride on with great haste in hopes of finding something more suitable, or take the gamble and choose this one… My bladder was clearly warning me to 'choose wisely, grasshopper!' I stopped!
 
I felt a twinge of apprehension as the guy was running my credit card, and I was reading the sign, ‘No Refunds’… never a good sign! Should I look at the room first? Could I restrain my 'burden' long enough to avoid an involuntary discharge if I didn’t want the room? I erred on the side of the shortest interval until relief.
 
A tough spot to be in, for sure, but there I was… Smiling at long last as the pressure build-up in my lower abdomen was easing, but soon enough feeling another twinge of apprehension when the commode wouldn’t flush!
 
This was on top of the fact, I was not impressed with the room at all! I would not normally have stayed in such a place, but… exigencies and 'urgency' can put us in uncomfortable positions sometimes, and force us to make calls we wouldn’t otherwise make…
 
I waited patiently as the motel guy and another guest worked to make the commode work properly… no joy, so by and by he moved me to another room… No better in appearance, but the commode did work (I checked that out first thing!). 
 
No, in this room, the heater didn’t work… WHAT! On a night like this?!!! The motel guy then produced a portable heater and assured me it would ‘drive me out’ if left on high… I left it on high all that night, but never found it uncomfortable, although it did keep me just warm enough throughout my stay.
 
The sheets were clean, though, or I would have just ridden on and chalked-up the price of that room as a very expensive bathroom visit… No bugs either, that I ever saw anyway, so it really wasn’t so bad, as it was just a less than desirable stay in a more than undesirable motel room … ” Oh well, it’ll all be just a bad memory tomorrow morning…,” I tried to console myself… And, at least I hadn't had to ride with wet pants on or risk an awkward LEO encounter!
 
Well, that became the reality! I was back on the road bright and early, by any standards! No incentive to hang around, and I was somewhat motivated to hasten the arrival of the memory phase of this not-so-great experience. Looking back on bad experiences is always better than living through them! There was a hold-over discovery, however, that prolonged the 'experience' a bit… and reignited the second-guessing...
 
Two blocks down the road, and half a block up another street was a much nicer motel with park-at-the-door rooms! I don’t know if I’d have even seen it the night before in my haste to find an alternative… really soon! Could be that I’d have missed it anyway, but who knows… It was now time to move on and get over it…
 
Around 10:30am, I decided it was time for some grits and eggs… and some bacon too, of course! I found such a place offering all that right across the street from where we’d stopped for a recharge to ALI's combustible power fluid supply… 
 
ALI does get a bit thirsty when we’re barreling down a modestly challenging road… when everything is perfect, and we’re taking some liberties with posted limits of various sorts… in the groove... you know exactly what I mean!
 
OK, I had missed a turn first thing that morning getting out of town and putting some time and distance between us and the experiences of the night before… Anxious more than truly distracted, but not completely focused on navigation either. 
 
We'd wound up on a state road going more or less in the right direction, though, but not exactly… I figured I’d just apply the knowledge that odd numbered roads ran north and south, even numbered east and west, so… 
 
I’d just avoid having to turn around and backtrack, I rationalized, and instead look for an eastward bound, even numbered road to correct for my boo-boo…and that we did. I’m seriously thinking about riding down to Louisiana and claiming that ‘free’ GPS offered the other day in another post thread! (Thanks, Gary!!!)
 
Anyway, by the time those grits and things were placed in front of me, I had indeed already accomplished the correction, and we were back on course… We rode the rest of the way to Clinton, TN, and a good day on the road was concluded… 
 
Something that grand deserves to be appropriately commemorated, of course, and that was done in fitting fashion… The ‘cool kids’ met for Mexican food and cold cervezas… even Cindy Mae May came out... and a good time was had by all…
DDT

[Rams]

 

[da prez]

  My brother Dennis (old2soon) and I were on our way back from Spearfish and stopped to see RJ. After the visit in Iowa , we headed toward Illinois. A pit stop on the border for food (?) and fuel and thought we would make it to my place in N/E Illinois , but it would be on the late side. We just crossed over the line and a storm came up from the south. It hit so hard and fast , we did not have a chance .
  The  rain was going horizontal and it went from daylight to pitch black in a heart beat. I was in the lead and pulled over with flashers going. Dennis drove right by me. I turned around and sat under a street light for a while. He finally drove right past me and just as I caught up to him , he made a left into a lit parking lot. I told him to follow close. We went up the road to a quick mart. The water in the drive way must have been over a foot deep.
  We asked if there was a motel nearby. Just down the road on the left , you will see the light.
  We went , we did. It was the Tajah Mahal.   We each got a $35.00 room. It was a place to sleep. The shower didn't drain. TV barely worked ,but it was dry and warm. We woke in the roach motel.
  Dennis is ex Navy and learned the meaning of the phrase ,"any port in a storm".
  (It took a month to dry my leathers and retreat them.) 
  Golden arches supper club for breakfast and coffee. Hit the road and chalked it to memory and experience.  That was the first time I ever shut down for weather.

                                                    da prez

[rocketray]

you could author a book...good writing/read-up!

[art]

Hate to say it but most motel run by Indians from India are run down. There are some good ones but most that I've seen are bad. I recently stopped in one in Needles Ca. and being late I had to stop from driving 700 miles. It was a dump and sorry I did stop there,never again.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Choices. Good title. It's really what makes life interesting. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. But choices always make things interesting . Good story Bruce.  I've always feared bed bugs in those kinds of places, but I guess they can be had even in fancy hotels too.

[Rams]

I read of Bruce's stay in Glasgow, KY while I was in Bowling Green, KY today.   Thought to myself, hmm, that's on the way back home, I'll just go through there.

Arrived, was topping off with fuel and someone mentioned that another motorcycle similar to my own had been through there just recently.   It seems that Sir Galahad and his steed made quite an impression.   Many of the ladies were wearing sorrowful faces that according to the men had been bright and shining in the not too distant past.   I was asked by several folks if I might be able to provide contact information with this knight in shining armor but, alas my phone was low in juice so, I declined any knowledge of the afore mentioned breaker of hearts.   Made me wonder but, I'm not one to start any rumors...................  

[Valkorado]

Thanks and keep 'em coming.  Had to hang up the helmet for the season, the literary ride alongs are helpful in the frigid months.

[Jess from VA]

A word to the wise on bed bugs.

Most people will never have a single symptom for about two days or more after being bit.  No itch and no red bite marks.

It happened to me, two+ days later, and I thought it was from MY bed, or something (didn't really think it was bed bugs).  As the bites appeared on my body in groupings, I looked them up on Google and then I knew.  And I knew I had not slept in my bed two days earlier.  Fortunately my clothes from that overnighter were still out in the trunk and not in my house. Though a thorough inspection (outdoors) revealed nary a one.  I still hot washed twice with bleach.

The last thing you want to do is bring some home with you.  But you cannot know for several days.  So, any time you stay in a motel you may be suspicious of (or any motel period), do not bring any personal items inside unless shaking them out and going right to a double hot wash and bleach (or maybe the freezer).  But I'd just wait; no bites appear, no worries.

Disgusting experience.  I itched.  I lived.

Closest other experience was chiggers, though the chigger bites itched far worse, and longer.  

If you didn't suspect it, no this is not me.  


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8lNAeHSDSg

[Oss]

Cant fault you for stopping,  asking to check room and use toilet first is never gonna hurt anything   Ive done it many a time but

 The only time I can remember calling it quits on a ride was in late March 2014 on the 1st leg of the trip to GOTF there was a nasty sandstorm which I rode thru. As I made the first of several left sweepers towards Gallup NM I thought I was over the wind but it suddenly picked up again and with a vengeance apparently over 70mph  acccording to the weather channel at the motel.    somehow I managed not to dump the bike and found a motel on route 66 at 2pm.  That was about as scared as I ever was except for an experience just past Limon Co and it took me hours  to stop shaking


Now I use the app on the phone to check radar when I get gas and if I see bright red or orange I look for a place to hunger down.  Plain rain wont get me to stop

Evening I stop regardless due to combo of the cataract and plain lack of vision once incoming lights hit me.  Bruce as I mentioned in my blog at the time, you are part of the reason I stopped in Gallup as you said when you get there is when you are supposed to get there, or not  Thanks !  and I did make it to Zion the next day.

[old2soon]

that sleepin spot Ross-da prez-mentioned was NOT a place either one of us would have chosen. But as my Brother stated-Any port in a storm. Thought I was back on the sea of Japan in a gooder blow. The mgr also had No problem with us putting the M/Cs under the canopy by our rooms. The mickyDs had good coffee that morning. Bruce-you need yer grits-Ross and I need our coffee! Good narrative Again Bruce.  RIDE SAFE.

[Thunderbolt]

Good read there Mr. Bugkiller.  One suggestion for you on the GPS thingy.  Either download or get Cindy Mae at the next watering hole to download Mapquest from Google Play on your smartphone.  Works just like a "real" GPS and if you turn the volume up and house the phone in your shirt pocket and turn the volume up "she" will talk to you if you put your destination into it before leaving for the morning and tell you where to turn as you drive.  Now it does require that you turn on the location feature of your phone and will consume your battery at a faster rate.

[Tailgate Tommy]

  My brother Dennis (old2soon) and I were on our way back from Spearfish and stopped to see RJ. After the visit in Iowa , we headed toward Illinois. A pit stop on the border for food (?) and fuel and thought we would make it to my place in N/E Illinois , but it would be on the late side. We just crossed over the line and a storm came up from the south. It hit so hard and fast , we did not have a chance .
  The  rain was going horizontal and it went from daylight to pitch black in a heart beat. I was in the lead and pulled over with flashers going. Dennis drove right by me. I turned around and sat under a street light for a while. He finally drove right past me and just as I caught up to him , he made a left into a lit parking lot. I told him to follow close. We went up the road to a quick mart. The water in the drive way must have been over a foot deep.
  We asked if there was a motel nearby. Just down the road on the left , you will see the light.
  We went , we did. It was the Tajah Mahal.   We each got a $35.00 room. It was a place to sleep. The shower didn't drain. TV barely worked ,but it was dry and warm. We woke in the roach motel.
  Dennis is ex Navy and learned the meaning of the phrase ,"any port in a storm".
  (It took a month to dry my leathers and retreat them.) 
  Golden arches supper club for breakfast and coffee. Hit the road and chalked it to memory and experience.  That was the first time I ever shut down for weather.

                                                    da prez

Sorry I missed that part of the ride with you guys

[John Schmidt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8lNAeHSDSg

Hmmm....lucky bedbugs!   

[Willow]

A word to the wise on bed bugs.

Most people will never have a single symptom for about two days or more after being bit.  No itch and no red bite marks.

It happened to me, two+ days later, and I thought it was from MY bed, or something (didn't really think it was bed bugs).  As the bites appeared on my body in groupings, I looked them up on Google and then I knew.  And I knew I had not slept in my bed two days earlier.  Fortunately my clothes from that overnighter were still out in the trunk and not in my house. Though a thorough inspection (outdoors) revealed nary a one.  I still hot washed twice with bleach.

The last thing you want to do is bring some home with you.  But you cannot know for several days.  So, any time you stay in a motel you may be suspicious of (or any motel period), do not bring any personal items inside unless shaking them out and going right to a double hot wash and bleach (or maybe the freezer).  But I'd just wait; no bites appear, no worries.

Disgusting experience.  I itched.  I lived.

Closest other experience was chiggers, though the chigger bites itched far worse, and longer.  

Jess, you're looking really good.  I'm beginning to question my sexual orientation.   

[old2soon]

  My brother Dennis (old2soon) and I were on our way back from Spearfish and stopped to see RJ. After the visit in Iowa , we headed toward Illinois. A pit stop on the border for food (?) and fuel and thought we would make it to my place in N/E Illinois , but it would be on the late side. We just crossed over the line and a storm came up from the south. It hit so hard and fast , we did not have a chance .
  The  rain was going horizontal and it went from daylight to pitch black in a heart beat. I was in the lead and pulled over with flashers going. Dennis drove right by me. I turned around and sat under a street light for a while. He finally drove right past me and just as I caught up to him , he made a left into a lit parking lot. I told him to follow close. We went up the road to a quick mart. The water in the drive way must have been over a foot deep.
  We asked if there was a motel nearby. Just down the road on the left , you will see the light.
  We went , we did. It was the Tajah Mahal.   We each got a $35.00 room. It was a place to sleep. The shower didn't drain. TV barely worked ,but it was dry and warm. We woke in the roach motel.
  Dennis is ex Navy and learned the meaning of the phrase ,"any port in a storm".
  (It took a month to dry my leathers and retreat them.) 
  Golden arches supper club for breakfast and coffee. Hit the road and chalked it to memory and experience.  That was the first time I ever shut down for weather.

                                                    da prez

Sorry I missed that part of the ride with you guys

                     Tommy-TRUST me on this un. You did NOT miss a thing. Had I been in a big truck I would have found a wide spot and parked it. When that storm blew up outa the south it picked up dirt and anything else what weren't tied down. And instead of goggles I had on clear safety glasses over my prescription glasses so I had light refracting on 4 surfaces. RIDE SAFE.