Dixie Shunpikin' 2015 - Rush in NOLA, Tumble in Music City

Well, as many great adventures often do it all started with a napkin at Lucy's Retired Surfer's Bar in the CBD (Central Business District) of New Orleans. My buddy, Britbob and his lovely wife were visiting the States in June of 2014 for a couple of weeks and my wife and I joined them in NOLA for a couple of days to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Crescent City. Britbob and I met as he was on his bi-annual bike ride in the States just the year before in July 2013. We struck up a conversation in the Fowl Play Pub at the Little Switzerland Inn and learned that we had each, separately, been working our way down the Blue Ridge Parkway the past couple of days. I found out that Britbob comes over the State every two years, rents a bike and spends 10-12 days exploring the nooks and crannies of the USA. On this particular trip his final destination was my hometown, Birmingham, AL. He had plans to tour the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. Being from Birmingham I extended the invitation for my new buddy to stop in and have dinner with my wife and I when he made it to town.

Britbob and I decided to continue on down the parkway together the following day. We rode together the next couple of days and eventually went our separate ways after having fried pie ala mode at Mercier Orchard in Blue Ridge, Georgia. I struck out for home and then Britbob made it in to Birmingham a couple of days later for his tour of the museum. He stopped in that evening and my wife prepared a nice dinner for us, we chatted a bit about his prior tours of the States and just in general struck up a friendship that, if I am fortunate, will last a lifetime. On opposite years he and his wife enjoy a leisurely visit to the States for a couple of weeks. So it was only natural that when he and his wife came back to spend a few days in New Orleans in June of 2014 that we join them for a couple of days.

Well, as we enjoyed a few $1 "MANmosa's" at Lucy's on the morning of Father's Day we decided that when he returned in 2015 we would strike out on a tour of the Southern states that he had not visited before. We scratched out an outline of the route we thought we do and then after several back and forth emails over the next couple of months "Dixie Shunpikin' 2015" was born. We tried not to make it too aggressive in it's nature, but with so many great places to ride and visit it was hard keeping the itinerary in check. As it turned out, we had a couple of long days in the saddle planned but nothing that wasn't very doable.

Our focus for the ride would be to give Britbob a chance to experience as much Southern culture and ride as much of the Ozarks as possible in our limited time of 10 days. He also wanted to spend a couple of days in Nashville and experience the wonderful sights and sounds the Music City offers. After firming up our itinerary, which included Britbob flying into Birmingham, loading up on my FJR and me on my V-strom, we would strike out to Mississippi and catch the Natchez Trace in Tupelo then follow it to Jackson, swing over to Vicksburg and visit the Vicksburg National Military Park. From there our plan was to head to Hot Springs, AR the following day, spend one night there before taking Scenic AR 7 to The Hub where we would set up camp for three nights. Then on to Southern Missouri and spend a couple of nights along the Jacks Ford River in Eminence, Missouri before heading to Nashville for the final two nights.

Well, the itinerary had been set for several months when Rush decided to release their tour schedule for their 40th Anniversary tour. It just so happened that on the first night of Dixie Shunpikin' 2015 Rush would be playing at the Smoothie King Center in NOLA. We decided to alter our plans and make New Orleans the first stop on the tour and then head to Vicksburg the next day to get back on schedule. We would merely cull Hot Springs from the itinerary and that would put us back on schedule with no further changes necessary. Simple enough, plus we get to see Rush, on likely what could be their last tour AND our first night would be back in the craziness that is the French Quarter! No brainer.... So, enough of the backstory, on with the show.

After a long flight across the pond and a lengthy layover in Chicago, Britbob landed safely in Birmingham on the evening of May 21st. I "collected" him from the airport and we headed back to my place to try and get some rest, despite the anticipation of the early morning departure we had on tap for the next day. We got the bikes loaded up and stowed away for the evening and agreed to 7 am kickstands up. We rose the next morning and my wife prepared us a nice egg and cheese sandwich to get our day started off right. Washed it down with a couple of cups of coffee, said bye to the puppy dogs, kissed the wife and off we went.


DAY 1 - Rush to NOLA, to see RUSH!

Our planned route to New Orleans would take us through the Black Belt of Alabama, a region many from other parts of the world, or nation, or even people from our own state for that matter, ever see. Why? Well there just really aren't many attractions in the area that tend to call out to people. But on this most beautiful of all mornings, temps in the mid to upper 50's, somewhat brisk for this time of the year in our neck of the woods, we had a cloudless, blue sky that was illuminating the countryside of Alabama in all it's glory. We stopped briefly just outside of Montevallo, AL so that I could pay my respects to my parents who's remains are interred in the recently built Alabama National Cemetery.





We continued down AL 25, through the towns of Montevallo and Wilton, turned south on AL 139 to Maplesville, where we caught AL 22 to Selma, crossed the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of the Bloody Sunday civil rights incident, captured recently in the movie by the same name of the town "Selma".






From there we continued on AL 22 in a southwesterly direction through towns like Pine Hill, Thomasville and Grove Hill where we caught US 84 west to Laurel, MS.






In Laurel I introduced Britbob to a root beer float at Ward's, after we devoured our chili cheeseburger and chili cheesedogs, along with our "healthy option" sweet potato fries.






From there we slabbed our way to NOLA on I-59 so that we could get into town and enjoy a Hurricane at Pat O's before heading to the show that evening. Along the way, I received a call from a great friend who was also on his way to join us in NOLA for the show that evening. He learned of his father's passing as he was coming down I-59 so he and his wife had to turn around and make their way back home to be with his family. I was saddened because I was very close with both his mother and father and had spent many nights with them when I was a teenager. "Redbone" as we called him was 'good people', he'll be missed by those of us that loved him.

On to NOLA where the consummate professionals, Geddy, Alex and Neil put on a hell of a show! They are currently making their way across the US and portions of the Great White North. I strongly encourage each of you to go see the show.









Probably my favorite picture from the show! The older generation rocking the younger generation. These kids knew every word to every song!




Afterwards, we strolled back to the French Quarter, enjoyed the nightlife at The Swamp before heading over to The Dungeon before calling it a night (actually, morning).














It had been a long day but we knew it would be and it was everything I had ever dreamed it could be, and more! Awesome day - 400 mile ride, dinner at Lucy's, where the planning for the trip all began, Hurricane in the Pat O's piano bar, Rush R40, and nightcap at The Dungeon. WOW, what a day and what a start to the incredible adventure that lay ahead for us!

CLASSIC ALERT!

So, most all of us have seen the Hotels.com commercial with Captain Obvious, where Capt. Obvious is standing in the hotel hallway when some dude comes out of his room, in his underwear, and the door closes and locks behind him. Well, next time you see Britbob just ask him what it feels like when you realize you have just stepped into the hallway instead of the bathroom, in your underwear and the door locks behind you - at 3 am! And to make it worse, your buddy is in the room, passed out and can't hear you banging on the door calling his name - and other hotel guest walk by greeting you with wide grins on their face. And, you still have to PISS! What do you do? Go to the front desk and ask for another room key? Well no, you don't have any identification on you, remember? Fortunately, your buddy finally wakes from his stupor and hears your frantic banging. Obviously, this belongs in the classic category.

Fortunately for you, no photos of this event! --- see you tomorrow, for Day 2.

Epic as always, Turk! Looking forward to the rest of the journey. And I'm catching Rush in KC in July1

Thanks Craig! It was an excellent adventure and we're only getting started! BTW, I believe Rush is actually in KC on July 9th. You are gonna love the show! Get ready for a trip back into time. Wish I could join ya.


Well gang, I realize that the intro was long on words and short on pics, but if you made it through that part and into the Day 1 recap then you got a taste of the format to follow, much heavier on pics and lighter on the verbiage. So if you prefer a report to be pic laden then stay tuned.


DAY 2 - US Highway 61 aka The Blues Highway and/or The Great American River Road








Late to bed, early to rise. Even though we only had a 275 mile day planned, we needed to get into Vicksburg early enough to have at least a couple of hours to tour the Vicksburg National Military Park, that for whatever reason, closes at 5 p.m. We struck out of NOLA around 8 a.m. as planned, a bit early considering the cobwebs from the night before. But, again, we knew what we had signed up for long before the alarm blasted us out of bed that morning.

Despite missing our turn for the on ramp to I-10, fortune was on our side and we managed to avoid this catastrophe.




It was tough but we managed to negotiate our way out of downtown NOLA onto I-10 West. Our gas gauges were telling us we needed to find some fuel, but before I knew it we were on I-55 headed North towards Ponchatoulaand I soon realized this could spell tragedy. Turns out, I didn't get to spend a whole lot of time looking at Lake Ponchartrain because I was too busy studying the GPS for the nearest gas station.




When all of the sudden that dreaded sound occurred - bahhhhhwwww. Silence, except for the expletives I was saying into the microphone to Britbob! As they say, a picture says a thousand words.









Yep, it happened! What a dumb ass! Fortunately, only the V-strom's tank expired and I was able to jump on the FJR to run the last 1/2 mile to the exit to get some fuel. Once that crisis was averted, we headed on towards US 61 North, the Blues Highway.

We took a leisurely stroll up Highway 61, stopped for Britbob's first taste of watermelon. A gentleman and his son and daughter were selling melons from the back of their pickup truck. I have to say it was early in the season for watermelon and he didn't get a very good sample. But the gentleman and the kids were as nice as could be and we stood around, borrowing their shade from the now sweltering sun, while cooling off with our melon.









It was on to Natchez where we had a beer at the Underhill Saloon and then fabulous sandwiches at The Camp right next door to the saloon, and on the banks of the Mighty Mississip.







We saddled back up and struck out for the Natchez Trace.






About an hour later we reached the Fisher Ferry Road that we had planned to take to Vicksburg. We were running a little behind schedule in our efforts to reach the military park and still have a couple of hours to tour the park. So we hustled along without any stops, except for here at this country store slap out in the middle of nowhere!



Unfortunately we didn't get to the park until 4:30 so we had to hustle through and didn't get to take our time and read any of the placards or monuments, although we did stop at the impressive Illinois monument. Dedicated in 1906. Then it was onto the USS Cairo........ again not enough time to really do it justice, but a couple of photos and we were on our way to our accommodations for the evening. I recommend a stop at the park when you are in the area. Just do better than we did and allow yourself 3-4 hours to really take it all in. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicksburg_National_Military_Park







View from the steps of the Illinois monument. Just awesome!




We arrived at the Bazinsky House, a quaint B&B in the heart of downtown Vicksburg. To say I was BEAT is an extreme understatement.






After hauling my crap in and taking a shower I was down for the count - in bed at 6:30 pm!!! Britbob's daughter told him in a chat later that evening that I must be a lightweight. HA! She obviously had never seen a picture of me Anyway, Britbob was able to gather himself and take a little stroll thru the town of Vicksburg. I think he turned in fairly early as well, but at least he made it past sundown.

So that wraps up Day 2. Tomorrow, we strike out early on a 410 mile jaunt to The Hub in the Ozarks. Along the way we'll stop at The Highway 61 Blues Museum in Leland, MS. Stay tuned my friends.

On with the show.....

Day 3 - The Runners




The next day was an early rise. It was a complete resurrection for me. I woke up feeling like a million bucks and ready for our 400+ mile ride ahead. Plus, we were headed to one of my favorite places on earth, the Arkansas Ozarks. We packed our bags and even though we were staying at a "B&B" we had opted to skip the later "B" in order to depart earlier than breakfast would be served. Once we got packed the owners still weren't up but we still needed to settle up. So we jumped on the bikes and headed up to Waffle House for Britbob to experience this Southern mainstay for the first time. Actually, we had a great breakfast of eggs, grits, bacon and toast and we shared a waffle. Then we headed back to the B&B to settle up with the proprietor. Britbob went inside to take care of the business end of things while I confirmed our route on the GPS. When he came back outside he said the proprietor thought we had gotten up and stiffed him with the bill! He said he thought he had a couple of "runners". I mean I am FJRBandit, but I don't think I've ever skipped out on a hotel room charge. LOL - It's all good now so I think we'd be welcomed back on our next visit to Vicksburg - like in how many ever years.

On our way out of town we stopped at the overlook of the Big Muddy. Man, that is one big river right there!




Back to the Blues Highway and north on US 61. We saw so many dead animals on the roadway we began referring to it as the "Road of Death", but out of respect for the deceased I didn't take any pictures. But I did get a nice shot of the rows and rows of the recently planted soybean. I'm sure you are all glad of that!




Anyway, we had a treat in store for us on this Sunday morning. We had made special arrangements for a private tour of the Highway 61 Blues Museum in Leland, MS. It was Sunday morning and I had remembered from a prior stop on the way back from SFO a couple of years ago that the museum isn't open on Sundays. But their website says to call for private tours. I had spoken with James at the museum a couple of months prior and made the arrangements then called the day before to confirm. So we headed to Leland hoping that James would show up. He pulled up right at our designated time of 9 a.m. That's one place that if you are ever in the Mississippi Delta I highly recommend you make it a point to stop in and see the items on display. It truly is a wonder and a hidden gem for those that love blues music.








Blues legend B.B. King had just passed the week before. His funeral was scheduled the following week just right up the road in Indianola, MS. It would have been interesting to hang around for that, but we were headed west.




One of the most fascinating things about the museum is some of the original black and white photos hanging on all four walls of one room. Of course my photos of the photos don't do them justice, but as I stood and took them in I couldn't help but imagining what it would have been like to been there "in the moment" when these were taken.










A famous picture many of you have seen before I'm sure, well this is the original.




Britbob taking it all in.




It was time to say goodbye and we thanked James profusely for getting up on this Sunday morning and coming down to open up the museum specially for us. Nice guy and genuinely loves sharing his knowledge of the contribution the area and it's people have made through the years to Blues music. Stop in and say hello to James if you are ever in the area.




From there we started heading west on US 82, crossed the Mighty Mississip in Greenville, MS.







I'm not sure what that is growing out of Britbob's head.




Passed a few rice fields / patties - whatever you call them - in Arkansas. This field was getting a little dusting from the crop duster.




We rolled over to Hamburg and then caught AR 8. It's a great road that runs generally northwest towards Arkadelphia, AR with very little traffic and multiple opportunities for high speed sweeper action. I make it a point to either take that road to or from SFO every year. It never fails that I have a big grin the entire time I'm on it. There's nothing technical to it at all, but from an FJR point of view, it's a blast! As a matter of fact, I think this was one of Britbob's first real experiences of 75-80+ travel. When we got through the first stretch of the fun he told me over the com "That was a lot of fun mate!" Well, a couple more hours of fun and we made it to the shit that is Hot Springs traffic. I hate riding through that town, but it's a necessary evil when you are doing AR 8 to AR 7 and those of you that know the Ozarks know that AR 7 out of Hot Springs is a must.

We had planned to meet up with Cornbread and GPRIDER at The Ohio Club in downtown Hot Springs for lunch and a beverage stop. LA2wheeler and his compadres were going to meet us there too but they had to bail out of the trip at the last minute. Anyway, as we rolled into town so did a massive thunderstorm. We could see it off of our left flank and I called Cornbread to tell him of the impending doom but they were already at The Ohio and had just ordered lunch. I'm not one to worry too much about riding in a little rain, but AR 7 is such a fun road I hated the thought of not being able to really enjoy it if we didn't beat the rain. The Ohio Club wasn't having a very good day and by the time Britbob and I got there Cornbread and GPRIDER were still waiting on their lunch, which had been about 45 minutes since they ordered. So they just told them to forget it and we tried to beat the storm. Well, guess what ........





After donning our rain gear and dodging a few lightening bolts we pulled out into the Arkansas River, oh, I think that was AR 7 but it damn sure looked, and felt, like a river as we waded our way towards Hot Springs Village. Once we reached the village, about 20 miles outside of Hot Springs, the rain for all intents and purposes had finally subsided. But it had already beat us to the area and my beloved road was soaking wet. We just took it easy and made our way safely to Russellville, then to Dover, where we fueled up and took a break before our final push to The Hub.





We made it to The Hub around 7 p.m. that evening and Randal, who as many of you know, owns and runs The Hub along with his lovely wife Debbie, had prepared some pulled pork for everyone. Since we were coming in on Sunday the package store up the road from The Hub was closed. But when I spoke with Debbie the day before she offered to pick up our beverages of choice for us, which by the way were sitting on ice in a cooler in the office upon our arrival! I love those two people - and Happy The Hub dog too!








A few lies were told and then it was off to bed for a good nights rest in anticipation of the excellent riding we had planned for the next day.

DAY 4 - Lost Valley








So after a great's night of rest we were up and at 'em. We had a great ride planned for the day that included a little hike into the Lost Valley. But first we had to fuel up. So where else do you go when in the area? Well of course....





This young man had been playing the electric piano inside while we were enjoying our breakfast. He had stopped to take a break so I chatted with him a minute while Cornbread and GPRIDER suited up for the next leg of our ride.





We headed towards Ponca on AR 74 and then turned south on AR 43, which to me is one of the most beautiful places in all of Arkansas, Boxley Valley. AR 74 runs through the valley parallel to the Buffalo River and is the area where the State of Arkansas reintroduced elk in a conservation effort several years ago. Whether you see any elk or not it is a gorgeous ride!








Then it was on to Lost Valley for a little stroll in the woods in search of the natural bridge.




Gary was on the ready.




It wasn't long before we thought we had found it! The natural bridge!






I astutely determined that wasn't it so we continued onward.






Britbob saved the day and showed us his manly strength by parting the rocks so we could continue on.




We came up upon a steep climb of like a thousand steps and the sign read, "Natural Bridge" and essentially pointed to the heavens. We collectively decided it wasn't our time so we turned back. But we did find this cool watering hole with a creek coming out the the cave.





The Lost Valley hike was awesome but it was time to get back on the bikes. So it was back our to AR 43 and more Boxely Valley, then on to AR 21. We turned north and headed toward War Eagle, AR.








An hour or so later we arrived at War Eagle.







As you might have heard, the entire area of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri have had quite a wet season! The river at the mill was well out of it's banks so unfortunately the mill wasn't in operation that day.









We were going to have lunch at the mill but they didn't seem to be moving at a pace that was agreeable to us to we moved on to Eureka Springs. By now it was pushing 2 pm and some in the gang were getting hungry and some thirsty, so we stopped at the Pied Piper Pub and Inn. The service was ok, the beer was cold and so were our fries! My sandwich was so memorable I can't even recall what I had. Oh well, we've all had worse I'm sure. As we were waiting on our food Corbread realized that he had left his phone at a gas station in Huntsville. While we were looking up the number for the station, Cornbread's wife called me and said the station attendant had called her and alerted her that she had his phone. We called the station and told them we'd be back later in the day to pick up the phone. Crisis averted. We loaded up and headed out of town.




On to Beaver Spring, a quaint little village on Table Rock Lake. Not much here but serenity.






And one really cool old suspension bridge!








Then it was on to US 62 and back towards Eureka Springs, then Huntsville to retrieve Cornbread's phone.



Britbob relaxing at our last stop of the day. As the sign above him read, here's to "earning it!"



We had heard that there was a line of storms headed our way and due to be in the area around 6 pm. So we pointed it back towards The Hub and since we had eaten such a late lunch we just decided to pick up sandwiches for later.



We made it back to The Hub about an hour or so before the storms started rolling over the hills. We just sat on the patio and while we watched nature's light show in the distance, we enjoyed a beverage or two and told some more lies. Just another great day in the Ozarks!


Tomorrow, Oark and beyond!

DAY 5 - Welcome to O"ark"



The people at the Oark General Store obviously have a sense of humor. They must be doing something right, they've been in business since 1890. As I count it, they're celebrating their 125 Anniversary this year. Congrats Oark, we will be back!

As it has been documented previously in this report, Arkansas, along with Texas and Oklahoma have been ravaged by an almost constant barrage of rain and storms this year. Many of the rivers are out of their banks and unfortunately several people have their lost lives. 2015 will be a "high water" mark for many communities in those states.

Despite all of the rain and storms in the general area to this point we had only encountered the one ferocious storm in Hot Springs three days prior and then nature's light show on our first evening at The Hub. Other than the typical summertime heat we had been treated to near perfect weather, especially in the Ozarks where it really wasn't even that hot. Our average daytime high was in the low 80's, perfect riding weather! Day 5 started as no exception.



We headed back to Jasper to begin our morning at the Ozark Cafe again. I mean, with pictures like this hanging on the wall I guess you can understand why we keep going back.



After filling our bellies and chewing the fat we struck out for the day's ride. Our furthest destination today would be the Oark General Store. But first we have to swing through the Arkansas Grand Canyon and cross the Alum Cove Natural Bridge. We headed down AR 7 and then turned down into the Arkansas Grand Canyon via AR 374.



Some beautiful views down in the valley on our way to catch AR 123 and Mt. Judea!





Except for this one, for obvious reasons!



We arrived at Alum Cove Natural Bridge. Another hike ensued and we arrived at this.







As we neared the bottom of the steep trail Britbob said he needed to go back to the parking lot because he had left the key in the FJR ignition. I told him that there was no need to worry because it was an AE. If a local tried to ride off with it he wouldn't get too far before giving up on trying to shift! When we got back to the parking lot, just as predicted, it was still there!



Then we continued down AR 16 towards AR 21 and more beautiful scenery - and near zero traffic!





When we reached Clarksville we decided to take I-40 over to the Pig Trail (AR 23) and then come into Oark on AR 215. We stopped at the Turner Bend Store and they informed us that the landslide that had happened a few days before still had the Pig Trail blocked just past the turn off to Oark - a little local knowledge always helps! Finally, we arrived at The Oark General Store and Cafe.



Gary was headed to the "Resale Store" but couldn't find it on his GPS.



We are in Dixie after all!





Damn them burgers are good!



....and the blueberry pie - well, it's even better!





Cornbread was like, "I'm through smoking now, are you guys gonna load up or not?"



Due to all of the rain there had been a landslide on the Pig Trail (AR 23) so we couldn't continue north. So we headed back towards Clarksville, refueled and then headed up AR 123 to Sand Gap.

Crossing the one lane bridge over Bear Creak on AR 123.



GPRIDER



Cornbread



Britbob



FJRBandit and Britbob



Taking a break and shooting the bull at the Sand Gap store.



Then it was north on AR 7 again for the final 45 minutes back to The Hub where we were treated to a glorious sunset!



We had eaten such a BIG late lunch we decided to take a different route this evening, cheese and crackers topped with with summer sausage and washed down with liquefied corn and rye!





Good night, y'all! Tomorrow, we're headed to ride roller coasters. You better get a good night's rest.

Wow.. what a great ride report. That's funny stuff with Britbob and the locked door.

I bet the Rush concert was awesome. I just happen to be reading the book now by Neil Peart (Rush drummer) called "Ghost Rider" about his 14 month / 55,000 mile R1100GS ride after his wife and daughter died.

Enjoying this ride report. I see a lot of familiar roads and sights. Very good stuff. I passed an opportunity to see the Blues Museum in Leland that last time I went though. Next time I'll stop.

More, please.....

Thanks for the compliments guys! As Pants knows, these things take time and it's nice to know others are getting some enjoyment from them. I ALWAYS enjoy your RR's Pants, I just don't comment every time because it's always the same thing, pure amazement at the quality of not only your reports but also your introspection and appreciation for the time on the bike out among nature. It's always inspiring to me.

Teehaml - "Ghost Rider" is a wonderful read, as you well know. If I may, I also suggest that you check our "Far and Away - A Prize Every Time". It is a collection of short stories by Peart, often involving adventures while riding between shows. But not always, many of the stories are just his wonder and appreciation at the little things in life. Well worth the $15 or whatever on Amazon. AND yes, the Rush show is out of this world! If you have the chance it's a must see. Fascinating the way they set up the playlist that marches back in time through their 40 years of music. As they roll back through the years they dismantle the stage little by little to reflect the general stage set up used to match the era of the songs they're playing. Thus that picture with just the big red gym curtain backdrop and the two or three bright white lights on the stage in the photo in the Day 1 report with the young kids enjoying the show. It was simply incredible!

On with the show here. At this point we have five days behind us. We've traveled through rural Alabama, been to historical civil rights locations, spent some time in the French Quarter, seen the Rush concert, visited Vicksburg National Military Park, ridden many of the awesome roads of the Ozarks and now it's time to head northeast to Missouri.

DAY 6 - Rollercoaster!



That may not look like the Great American Scream Machine, but I guarantee you if you twist that throttle hard enough and hit those little peaks out ahead with enough force and speed you'll forget all about ever going to Six Flags again! That is some fun stuff right there my friends! This picture was take on US 160, likely east of West Plains, MO. But US 160 that runs east/west through the the very southern portion of Missouri parallel with the Arkansas border is loaded with the little whoop ti do's. In fact, I've found that southern Missouri in general is loaded with these type of roads. Trust me, they'll put a grin on your face like you've never seen if you attack them with just the right attitude.

So another beautiful morning at The Hub. We had generally packed the night before in anticipation of heading out around 9 a.m. Cornbread needed a set of tires so he had made arrangements with the Yamaha dealership in Harrison the day before. Although they open at 9 a.m., the service department didn't open until 10 a.m., for whatever reason. So we were in no great hurry to leave. The Hub parking lot was relatively empty but about to get even more so sparse.



Nice people at Harrison Yamaha, but DAMN they took forever with the tires. No biggie though, we had our shortest day of the trip so far planned for today. We were in no hurry.



While we waited we went next door to a Shipley's Doughnuts and had coffee and kolaches. We each had the smoked sausage with jalapeno's, they were fantastic! While we were sitting around shooting the bull this nice couple from Shreveport, LA came in and we struck up a conversation with them. Turned out they were on their way back home to Shreveport, after having been on the road for six weeks touring Major League baseball parks out West. I think they said they had been to San Diego, L.A. San Francisco, K.C. and seems like another that evades my memory now. Even though the wife had on a Rangers t-shirt they had not been to Arlington, the Rangers are her team. Anyway, they were really a neat couple and while we had an appreciation for what they do, they in turn had a keen interest in what we do as well. enjoyed my time chatting with them!

The Muslow's - Shreveport, LA



FINALLY, they got Cornbread's tires mounted up and we were ready to roll. It was time to say goodbye to Gary, as he was turning towards the Big D and heading home. Had fun brother, see ya in September at SFO!



Turns out, Gary should've gotten tires as well. He ended up having major tire issues on the way home and I think delayed his arrival something like three days, involved trailer's and all kinds of shit you don't want happening to you while you are out in the middle of nowhere.

For us, it was a nice stroll up the AWESOME AR 14 through Lead Hill, Peel and ultimately to the Bull Shoals ferry crossing. Decoration Day had been in full force the weekend prior in Arkansas and most every cemetery we passed all week long throughout Arkansas looked something like this.



The it was Bull Shoals, there's just something about crossing a body of water on a ferry, especially on a motorcycle.







We stopped for fuel at the Pioneer Store - general store in Protem, MO. Nice folks there!



Then our usual stop at Cookies for pie! How I came away with no pictures of the pie I'm really not sure.... but rest assured it's "A place to eat". They even say so on the sign.



In case you are wondering, Cookie's is on the banks of the Bull Shoals River, just as you cross the river at Theodosia on US 160.





Then in West Plains I saw something I haven't seen in a long time! Somehow I grabbed the camera and got this shot just in time. That's styling right there my friends!



Then it was on to more roller coasters, yeah haw!







After we finished having fun on the US 160 roller coasters, we turned north on MO 19. This road is awesome! It's a mix of twisties, sweepers AND rollercoasters. We found out real quick why the pavement was in such good condition...... it wasn't long and we were getting splooged by fresh tar just laid down by our friends at MDOT.... shortly after that we arrived in Eminence, MO.



We checked in to what would be our home for the next couple of days, the River's Edge Resort. It's a nice, clean family atmosphere kind of place. Britbob took a dip in the chilly waters of the Jacks Ford River while I sat on the porch and enjoyed a cold beer taking in the beautiful scenery.



...and this was the view from our porch. It was very peaceful!



Later, we strolled down to the quiet little town of Eminence for a great dinner of hamburger steak and mashed potatoes and brown gravy! Then on back to our quiet little abode for the evening. I had a few beers while Cornbread and Britbob started working on another bottle of Jack! They're such heathens!







That's a wrap for Day 6. Upcoming on Day 7 we'll go from 80 to .8 mph in just under an hour. Stay tuned!

Wow! Excellent documentation of your trip. Rush R40? I'm so jealous. My favorite band. Great itinerary. What a memorable trip. Thanks for sharing it.

Thanks for the kind words Pitt! I'm a rocker from way back and Zep, The Stones, The Who, Red Hot Chili Peps, Stone Temple Pilots, Stevie Ray, Clapton, Jimi, The Police etc... all fill my ipod. But clearly, to say Rush is my favorite band is like saying I sorta like beer. Rush, in a weird kind of way, you could say is my religion. I've lost count, but I presume I have seen them in excess of 20 times now, first show was on the Hemispheres tour in 1977 in Birmingham. Through the years I've seen them all over the Southeast and even saw them in Honolulu while stationed at Schofield Barracks in the mid-80's. I have traveled to Orlando and Tampa a couple of times, once on a bike ride, seen them in Cinci, Nashville twice, Atlanta countless times, NOLA twice, AND I am scheduled to leave on a 12 day, 5,500 mile ride in two weeks that will take me to the Denver show on July 11th and then Calgary on July 15th. That ride is somewhat in jeopardy right now, for reasons that will be explained later in the ride report. If I can't make it I will definitely be bummed, but shit happens.

Since it seems everyone following this thread are big Rush fans I'll share a little bonus footage from the show in NOLA.

Rock and Roll the Bones!



Yeah man!



Slappin' da bass!



Laser extravaganza!



....and the meek shall inherit the earth! They played the first side of 2112 in it's entirety. Getting goose bumps just thinking about it.



This one is such a classic it deserves a repost! Check out the stage set up now. This was towards the end of the show and the stage had been dismantled down to just the old high school gymnasium red curtain look and the stack of bright white hot spotlights. These kids couldn't have been more than 17 or 18 years old and I'm telling you they knew every word to every song. It did my soul good to see the younger generation rocking with Rush the way I have for 37 years now.



Every Rush show has been fantastic. But I must say the band is playing at a level I think even they say is probably the highest in their long career. They're tight as can be, amazingly Geddy's voice is holding up and Neil has somehow taken his drum play to new heights.

Anyway, pardon the interruption, we'll get back to the report now.... Day 7 coming right up.

DAY 7 - 80 to .8 MPH in less than one hour



Day 7 started out much like the previous few days had. Good night's sleep, awake around sunlight, perfect weather, Man, it just makes you want to get up and get out there! We had done some great riding on all of the prior 6 days of the trip. Originally we had planned to strike out to St. Louis and take in the Gateway Arch and tour the Budweiser brewery. That was going to be pushing 400 miles and we had a 400 plus mile day coming up the next day when we head for Nashville. We had already put over 2,000 miles on the odometer in the prior six days so we built in a relaxing day. That didn't mean we were going to be off the bikes all day, but we wanted to sort of take it easy today. Britbob had picked up a pamphlet in the hotel lobby titled "Ozark Hellbender". It was a 122 mile route based out of Eminence and noted to take between 3 and 5 hours. Perfect!

The Ozark Hellbender ride took us west out of Eminence on MO 106. The first 10 miles or so was about as good of any riding we had done on the entire trip. The next hour or so was a laid back ride through the Missouri countryside. We stopped for a nice breakfast in Raymondville before turning on county road VV. Yep, In Missouri all of the county roads are designated with letters instead of numbers. It may be that way in some other states, just none I have ever been to. So it's kind of interesting to see some of the letter combinations.

When I saw this one I thought of the late B.B. King.



Then this one reminded me of that little ole' band from Tejas.



I kept looking for other intersection of the likes of U P, I P, D and DD, I think Beavis and Butthead would have a field day in Missouri with some of the combinations they'd find. We did see the intersection of K and KK....

It wasn't too long and we came upon Montauk State Park. If trout fishing is your thing then you are probably already aware of this place, but if not, you need to be. I'm not so i wasn't. But the beauty and serenity of this place I think blew us all away.











Then it was over to K then KK and then south on the awesome road that is MO 19. Wow! Great road! Then we were back in Eminence around noon.

For the afternoon we had decided we would take a tube float down the Jacks Fork River. I made what turns out to be the second biggest mistake of the trip and didn't carry my camera with me for the float down the river. But we iced down a bunch of beer and Power Aide in a big hefty trash bag and headed to Windy's Canoe Rentals across the bridge from our hotel. They carried us six miles or so upstream and next thing you know we were like three teenage boys with nothing better to do than drink beer and float down a river. To say it was awesome just wouldn't do it justice. Our hefty bag full of beer had it's own personal float and I had it tethered to my tube. We had just gone 80 to .8 mph in less than an hour and over the next five hours we soaked up sun and suds and just had a blast!

I just hate I didn't have my camera with me. Damnit! But If you are ever in Southeast Missouri make sure you set aside some time to enjoy the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. You'll be glad you did.




Tomorrow we are off to Music City and we say good bye to Cornbread. Only three days left in the shunpikin' experience.

It would appear that I've got some exploring to do in Missouri. I didn't realize the riding there was that good, but checking the map on your route and I gotta admit, it looks mighty curvy.

Loaded up Rush 2112 on the CPU speakers and went back and re-read this RR up to this point. AWESOME!!!!!!

Many of the kids at the University where I work like my music - our stuff is timeless.

Listen to my music

And hear what it can do

There's something here as strong as life.

I know that it will reach you.

Ride on, FJRBandit!!!

Sorry I am late getting to the party. Very Good Stuff so far.

One of my HD riding friends is a huge Rush fan and he was also at that concert in New Orleans. I gave him a copy of Ghost Rider this past Christmas, I think that book is better if you are actually a Rush fan. He told me about the props and the stage setup and how they moved backward through time until at the end they had an amp sitting on a chair. Now that I remember, actually two of my HD riding friends were there. I was working of course.

I wholeheartedly agree with you about Hwy 7 through Hot Springs. It is like an extended trip to Walmart. Pure Hell. But, oh boy once you get out of there...

Better late than never RH! BTW, I think I saw your HD buddies at the show.

Yeah Pants, nice pull from the 2112 lyrics! At the risk of getting banned for political speech, here's the first stanza from the 2112 album for those that aren't familiar -

We've taken care of everything
The words you read, the songs you sing
The pictures that give pleasure to your eyes
It's one for all and all for one
We work together, common sons
Never need to wonder how or why

Sound familiar folks? Anyway, I digress.... back to the show.


DAY 8 - Tumble in Nashville






All I have to say is, at least the beer was cold! Well, I lied, that's not really all I have to say and it's damn sure not all I said. There were several four letter words uttered in the aftermath and several more since. To say I wasn't, and still not, very happy with myself is an extreme understatement. So just how did I end up with the makeshift ice bag on my left foot? But more on that later....

Britbob and I had left out of Eminence along with Cornbread around 7 a.m. that morning. We headed east on MO 106. This was the same road we had been on the day before going west out of Eminence that I felt was so good. Well, MO 106 east out of Eminence may be even better! The great riding even lasted longer than the western direction. Anyway, we turned south on MO 21 and then left on MO 34 and followed it all the way to Cape Girardeau. WOW, another fantastic road in Southern Missouri! I thought MO 34 was awesome...

We crossed the Big Muddy again, in what would be a quick, forgettable foray into Yankee territory. Now, before I get lambasted with history lessons about Missouri and it's Southern connection let's just accept the fact Missouri was an accepted member of the C.S.A. and technically, "Missouri typically is categorized as both a Midwestern and a southern state. The region was split on Union and Confederate issues during the Civil War. A small region of the state is called Little Dixie for the influx of southerners that settled there. " https://officialcitysites.org

I digress, again.








So we are in the Land of Lincoln and this is Dixie Shunpikin'. This can't be good. But for some reason, I have always wanted to visit Cairo, IL. I know what those of you that have been to Cairo before just said to yourselves, "WTF would you want to go there"? Well, now I get it. But before this waste of an hour of our lives I had no idea. Sorry folks, but if you are from that area and are offended I sincerely apologize. But that has to be the most depressing town I have ever passed through on a motorcycle trip. Cairo should be, and maybe was at some point in time, a great city. It's located at the confluence of the two great rivers, the Mississippi and the Ohio. One can only imagine the importance of this location back in the days when the rivers were America's highways, and this was really the reason I had high hopes for the town. But forget that! What a dump! First of all, we roll into town with me on fumes. Yeah, my mistake. But really, no gas stations - literally, no gas stations in a town of 2,600 people? With an interstate interchange and a chain hotel at the exit. You've got to be kidding me! Well, I am kinda stretching the truth a bit. My GPS told me that there were three gas stations just ahead. The first one we came to we pulled in and I swear I thought we had just been dropped slap in the middle of Hoodville USA! Of course there were no card readers on the pumps, "gentlemen" sitting on the curb drinking MD 20 20, the place looked like it had been bombed by a squadron of B-52's. I mean this place was bad. So I tell Britbob over the headset that we gotta get outta this place, fast! Cornbread isn't connected to us via headset so he looks over like WTF are we doing? I point to him with the universal, let's get the FFFFF outta here sign. My GPS is telling me there is suppose to be another station just a block or so on down. Well, it lied. Nothing. So, with me on fumes, now what? I've calculated that I have about 10 miles left in the tank, at best. We continue on another couple of miles and see this.




I'm thinking, cool, it's lunchtime, Cornbread is going to be departing for home from Cairo, let's stop, grab a great BBQ and piece of pie before we say goodbye. WRONG! People, trust me when I tell you, being from Birmingham, Alabama and with the expanded waist size to prove it, I KNOW my BBQ! This, in no uncertain terms was THE worst BBQ sandwich I have ever attempted to eat. It was this combo of pulled and sliced something on TOASTED LOAF BREAD! Are you kidding me? The BBQ had the worst, almost foul, taste and then they put it on loaf bread. Terrible doesn't even describe my experience at Shemwell's. Please, it you ever, for whatever reason MUST go to Cairo, please do yourself a favor and do not stop at this place. To top it off they didn't even have beer to wash it down!

At this point I can't even think. All I know is I need fuel and I have to get out of this place. I ask a couple of good ole' boys from the area (who for some unknown reason are eating there) where the nearest gas station is, other than the bombed out shell of a station we had passed a couple miles back. They started talking about gas stations 10 miles across the river.... well, that's not gonna work. So, I tell Britbob and Cornbread I am going to run back to the hoodville station and take my chances.



In retrospect, the picture doesn't quite do this place the injustice it deserves. But trust me, I wasn't messing around at this joint. I ran inside this place and gave Hadji three bucks. I figured that would at least get me on par with the fuel left in the FJR. To top it off, Illinois gas was $2.99!!! Not bad at times, but relatively speaking, the most we had paid in all of the previous five states we had visited so far was $2.49. Somehow I survived and headed back to that disaster of a place that calls themselves a BBQ joint, met up with the boys again and off we went.

The real reason I had always wanted to visit Cairo was to see the confluence of the two rivers and visit the fort that would naturally be found at such an important place, right? Nope, wrong again! What a freaking disappointment! They actually trick you with telling you there is "Fort Defiance" but this is what you get.




I mean, it's pretty and all, but really? No cannons or some old dilapidated brick buildings or something? Just add it to the reasons Cairo was a major disappointment. But I have to say, witnessing the confluence of these two great rivers was quite a spectacle. Note the muddy water from the Mississippi coming in from the right meeting the water from the Ohio on the left.









Then it came time to say by to Cornbread. He was headed back to Arkansas and Britbob and I had a date with Music City. Enjoyed it bro, see ya soon!




We strolled out of the park and stopped to check out some of the signs telling us all about Lewis and Clark camping at this very spot in 1803. The marker said they stayed there for six days. I'm not sure I could have lasted six hours! So we got the hell out of there and headed for the Kentucky side of the river.









We finally found a gas station in Wicklife, KY. It wasn't much better but at least the gas was $2.49 and we were able to pay at the pump. We didn't need a break so we pointed the bikes towards Paducah, KY. I had a treat in store for Britbob!




Well, that's probably what it should have been, but in reality it was this. The big blue monster in the background, US 45 crossing the Ohio into Illinois.



Crossing this bridge meant we had to head back into Illinois. We had just escaped less than an hour before, but decided to give it a run. At least once we reached the other side all we had to do was U-turn and come right back. This thing is truly freaky y'all!








I was flipping out trying to take shots with the camera with one hand while navigating the steel decking with only one hand on the bars. I assure you, these shots were taking in short quick burst and then it was right back to two hands on the bars.




One slip up and you are a gonner. But we survived and made our way to downtown Paducah. We spent a few minutes on the river bank behind the levy wall checking out the big mighty Ohio, which in the right of this shot, has just accepted the waters from the Tennessee, which is no small river in itself my friends!








From there we headed towards the Land Between the Lakes. The lakes are made up of waters from the Tennessee and the Cumberland rivers. If I'm not mistaken, that's the confluence of those tow rivers in the background, where the two dams discharge. But I'm not certain of that.



It is a national recreation area and is extremely beautiful. So beautiful in fact, I guess I was so mesmerized by the beauty that I forgot to take pictures.

Well, we rolled on into the home of the of the 101st Airborne Division, Ft. Campbell, which is located just outside of Clarksville, TN.



Then turned south on TN 12 and stopped about 20 miles outside of Nashville to refuel and take a final break for our final push into Nashville. We took a peak at the radar and saw that Nashville had some storms approaching. From the looks of the skies, the radar was correct.



Well, we discussed the matter in our headsets. I didn't have my rain gear on, didn't really care about getting wet. But my concern was for my electronics. My GPS, phone and radar detector are mounted on ram mounts on the bars and my tank bag contains the fused powerstrip and various connections. I do it this was so that it's simple to transfer power to my gadgetry between my two bikes by simply moving the tank bag from one to the other, then plugging into the powerlet set up on each bike. It all works fine if you remember to bring your tank bag rain cover, which I didn't on this trip! We had rigged up a temporary cover by using a trash bag and bungees cords but I was too stupid to pull over and take care of it, I just kept plodding along towards that big cloud since we were now down to 9 miles from our destination. Really the plan was to look for a little bar, pull in and wait it out. But there was zero along the highway before we ran into the first rain drops. I told Britbob we would u-turn and go back to the perimeter interstate we had just passed. My thinking was that would get us north of this rain and towards a mall in the area that I knew of. Certainly we could find a place to ride it out there.

Well, it was too late. The bottom dropped out on us and before too long I was soaked, and more importantly my electronics were exposed. I got focused on just finding an overpass or an exit at that point. Then, bad turned worse when we ran up on rush hour stop and go traffic. What to do.... I should have just pulled over, sucked it up and stowed my electronics but panic had erased all clear thinking by this point. I moved over to the emergency lane and "safely" proceeded up the shoulder. I must have been going a little too fast because Britbob told me over the headset that he had lost sight of me. It was freaking pouring and now we had lighting popping all around. But in actuality, he wasn't far behind me at all because I could see him easily in my mirrors due to the PIAA's being on. So I slowed enough for him to get me back in sight and we began approaching a construction zone, with orange barrels etc... we were going to have to merge back into the stop and go traffic. I saw three tour buses ahead that I wanted to get in front of so that they wouldn't be blocking our line of sight. I got focused on navigating between the barrels and then merging in front of the lead bus when all of the sudden, WHAM! That terrible sound of metal and concrete and the feeling Bruce Lee kicking the shit out of me in the ribs. My ass was down and I didn't even know what had happened!
Turns out, the pavement was in the midst of a rehab project and I had stuck the front tire into the one foot ledge. I'm talking it was like hitting a brick wall, without the wall being there.

Fortunately, since my speed must have only been around 10-15 mph I wasn't thrown off the bike and literally "thrown under the bus". Somehow I scrambled out from under the bike. My left foot was hurting like hell and I figured I had likely broken my ankle. My adrenaline kicked in and I hobbled over to help Britbob get the FJR stable since the shoulder was somewhat banked and it was still pouring. We got the V-strom uprighted and moved further away from the main road. The people on the buses must have had one helluva show and all of the people that had been cussing us for passing on the shoulder were now passing and I'm sure laughing that karma had won this round. Nobody blew their horn or even acknowledged us there, but you know they were laughing like hell!

I accepted the fact that all of my electronics were likely ruined but the bike didn't appear to even have a single scratch. The mirrors weren't even twisted out of place. So I just focused on getting on the bike and making it the final two miles to the condo we had rented for the weekend. Somehow I got back on the bike and rode the final two miles. It hurt to shift but I found a way to use the edge of my boot to activate the shift lever. We pulled up to our condo and I had a hard time dismounting the V-strom but I managed. Then I just stood there, dripping ass wet, not knowing what the hell to do. I couldn't go in the condo like this. I'll spare you the remainder of the details but suffice it to say we finally got inside.

We obviously scrapped our plans to hit the town that night so Britbob went out and got us some dinner and an Ace bandage for me. Wen he got back we discussed our options. It was fairly clear my riding had come to an end for this trip. I called a buddy who lived only about 1 1/2 hours away in Huntsville, AL to see if he might be able to come up to Nashville the next morning and ride my bike home. He just happened to be going to Birmingham the next morning to a wedding that afternoon. He suggested bringing his bike trailer and just towing the bike and hauling me the three hours back to Birmingham. So I we settled in and I just sat there drinking beer the rest of the night, cussing myself for screwing up our trip, with this as my view.

Ah, the joys of hindsight. I bet those electronics didn't seem like such a priority when you were lying on the side of the road. Fate has a way of re-aligning our focus and our priorities does it not?

On the slick side, you could have been seriously hurt, but you were not. You could have been riding the FJR instead of the 'Strom and you know it would have suffered crash damage. All in all it could have been much worse. Truly the biggest issue is that apparently the wonderful pics and commentary are coming to an end. Kind of selfish of you to let a little pain interfere with what was a fantastic RR. Why not just suck it up and switch bikes? The FJR AE has a shift switch, you could let your injured left hoof just sit on the peg.

I hope you have not suffered any permanent damage and that you will be back on the bike again soon.

I have ridden through The Land Between the Lakes and it is a very pretty place. Sorry you did not get any pics but it is not a spectacularly beautiful area with tall mountains or anything. It is a nice place to spend a few hours on your way to someplace better.

Yeah, you are exactly right RH - nothing like a little tumble in the rain to put it all in perspective, real quick. As you said, I was very fortunate that it wasn't a lot worse. As for switching bikes, that was an option we discussed. But the stride of the V-strom is a little too tall for Britbob AND the primary reason was, I was just too injured to continue.

DAY 9 - Dixie Shunpikin' Comes to an End for Me



So the next morning while I was waiting on my ride, Britbob was working on his journal that he methodically kept the entire trip.



My buddy showed up around 10 a.m. and the two of them loaded the bike on the trailer. Blasphemy I know, but really, I had no other option at this point.

Here are two of the best dudes you'll ever meet right here - my buddy Jim from Huntsville, AL and Britbob.



Since it was Saturday and we only had one more day planned before we arrived back in Birmingham I successfully encouraged Britbob to stay in Nashville and stick with the plan. I scratched out a little map for him for the next day to take him down the Natchez Trace to Tupelo, then break off and head towards Birmingham. So we shook hands and told him I'd see him at my place Sunday afternoon.



Jim is an avid motorcyclist and really probably the best rider I know. He has been doing competitive enduro motorcross for almost 40 years and has all of the broken bones to prove it. He's just one hell'uva guy and I am blessed to be ale to call him friend. Jim had brought a pair of crutches for me so I hobbled to the van, loaded up and we struck out for Birmingham. I kept the beers flowing to ease the horrendous pain in both my ribs and foot and waved good bye to Nashville, as the riding portion of Dixie Shunpkin' had come to an end for me.









Jim got me safely back home and then he struck out to the wedding, on my V-strom! He's an animal. Thanks Jim! You saved the day for me dude!

For me, I just sat around the house, crying in my beer and pissed at myself for screwing up our adventure. Eventually I just climbed in the bed and my little buddy Chester snuggled up with me. Somebody turn out the lights!



The next morning, I was in excruciating pain. My wife carried me to the ER and they did x-rays that didn't show any broken bones. They gave me a shot of morphine along with a script for some tabs and sent me to the house. As it turns out, I think I likely have a couple of small fractures in the joint behind the big toe, but a month later it has almost fully healed. The ribs are much, much better now as well.

Meanwhile, back in Nashville, Britbob is running the town solo. He's having a blast hitting the bars, eating (good) BBQ and waving at the ladies on the pedal tavern. He made it to the Nashville Sounds AAA baseball game on Saturday night like we had planned. I hated that I wasn't able to join him for that. We were looking forward to his first baseball game, enjoying a hot dog and a cold sud or two. The next day, Sunday, he struck out and headed over to Loveless Cafe, which he proclaimed as the best breakfast ever! He then took the Natchez trace for about 200 miles to Tupelo, enjoyed his day and made it back to my place safe and sound on Sunday afternoon. My wife grilled burgers for us, since the grill master was incapacitated. I took two bites and just couldn't eat. I was in bad shape my friends. So bad so that the next morning I called in to work and told them I wouldn't be in. Britbob had a 10 a.m. flight back to Blighty. So my wife delivered him to the airport for me and off he went.

And with that, Dixie Shunpikin' 2015 comes to an end. Thanks for reading and enduring all of my extraneous verbiage at times. As you can tell, with the exception of the tumble, we had a fabulous time and I look forward to our next adventure together! Now that my foot and my ribs are almost completely healed I'm still hoping to make my planned 12 day, 5,500 mile ride that will take me to see Rush again in Denver on July 11th and then Calgary on July 15th. If so, I'll be striking out of Birmingham on July 8th. Wish me luck!

Good luck. I can relate to the sore ribs, nothing seems to help that and there is no comfortable position.

At least the Northern section of the Natchez Trace from Loveless Café down to Tupelo is one of the nicer, more beautiful sections. I enjoy The Trace even though it is a slow relaxed pace. Sometimes a slow pace is just what the doctor ordered.

I hope you heal up fast and well. Do try not to let your personal weakness interfere with the completion of any more of our Ride Reports! You were doing so well...

Thanks for taking us along.

GRR....sorry about the get off.