hppants
Well-known member
Yesterday was hotter than – wait… yesterday was exactly as HOT as the 4th of July. But we went riding anyway. My friend Gary, my nephew Jacob, and I had a good time riding in and out of the swamps south of Interstate 10. The roads and sights were familiar, and we managed about 225 miles of it. I’ve got my ’14 FJR back together after a self-inflicted wound on my rear pumpkin. Gary just put a new set of PR4’s on his ’14 FJR, and from what I can see, he likes them very much. Jacob followed on his ’04 Honda 599 Hornet. He’s got about 5,000 miles on it since he bought it (10K total) and his riding has improved tremendously.
There were no themes, no revelations, nor wondrous lessons in life. We had no particular agenda – just ride and enjoy the day. Hope you enjoy the pics.
I agreed to meet Gary about 40 miles away at the Grosse Tete exit of the Interstate – I imagine he had about the same distance to go from Baton Rouge. The sauna is at full blast now, so an early 8:00 am meeting is called for. I get to Jacob’s house and he is pulling out of the porch. Looks like somebody took a wack a the mailbox.
Traffic on the I-10 Atchafalaya Basin bridge is surprisingly light this morning. Jacob is looking comfortable back there.
We arrive at the Tiger Truck Stop on time – kind of a motley crew, don’t ya think?
All drain plugs are still torqued tight, but I’ve got emergency provisions just in case…..
We rode an hour or so through the swamp and stopped at the shell station in Grand Bayou, Louisiana. I was glad to park the bikes under the shade. Boy, that ’14 FJR is one good looking motorcycle.
Then it was a short ride to Lake Veret, where I led us to a spot I like to stop and sniff. I’m not sure what Gary is looking at. Yes, we can all read – not everybody in south Louisiana is illiterate.
Nice view here.
I like my old dingy riding jacket.
Gary broke away as he is due home to meet his wife. Jacob and I continued south to Morgan City, and then turned West in the general direction of home. In Patterson, Louisiana, on the 4th of July, lunch options are very few and far between.
I have to admit, it wasn’t too bad. I think the grease was fresh and we waited 12 minutes for them to fry us up a batch. Jacob ate his so quickly, this is all I got for food ****….
Jacob and I got to catch up on things. He’s finishing his second year as a mechanical engineering major at our University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Kids’ got a tremendous future and I’m proud of him greatly.
While waiting for the chicken, a quick check of the radar and it looks like we are going to get wet.
I studied it for a second and learned that the storms are all moving east pretty quickly. I planned a nice ride around it and hoped for the best.
As we rode through the marsh, things ahead are looking kind of dark. The heavy cloud cover is keeping temperatures tolerable – it’s dropped from the mid-90s to around 85-87.
Jacob doesn’t seem too worried about it.
In New Iberia, I checked it again, and plotted another detour around the next batch of showers. Jacob likes his bike and I think it’s a fine motorcycle. It runs like a top.
About 10 miles from home, our luck ran out as we hit a moderate rain shower. I got to test out my new Cee Bailey windscreen in the rain and was very pleased. All my recently installed farkles worked very well.
Back home, I threw a bucket of soap on my bike and my wife’s car, and called it a day. Maybe not the most memorable 4th of July, but it was very relaxing and enjoyable to spend it with family and friend.
Stay thirsty, my friends….
There were no themes, no revelations, nor wondrous lessons in life. We had no particular agenda – just ride and enjoy the day. Hope you enjoy the pics.
I agreed to meet Gary about 40 miles away at the Grosse Tete exit of the Interstate – I imagine he had about the same distance to go from Baton Rouge. The sauna is at full blast now, so an early 8:00 am meeting is called for. I get to Jacob’s house and he is pulling out of the porch. Looks like somebody took a wack a the mailbox.
Traffic on the I-10 Atchafalaya Basin bridge is surprisingly light this morning. Jacob is looking comfortable back there.
We arrive at the Tiger Truck Stop on time – kind of a motley crew, don’t ya think?
All drain plugs are still torqued tight, but I’ve got emergency provisions just in case…..
We rode an hour or so through the swamp and stopped at the shell station in Grand Bayou, Louisiana. I was glad to park the bikes under the shade. Boy, that ’14 FJR is one good looking motorcycle.
Then it was a short ride to Lake Veret, where I led us to a spot I like to stop and sniff. I’m not sure what Gary is looking at. Yes, we can all read – not everybody in south Louisiana is illiterate.
Nice view here.
I like my old dingy riding jacket.
Gary broke away as he is due home to meet his wife. Jacob and I continued south to Morgan City, and then turned West in the general direction of home. In Patterson, Louisiana, on the 4th of July, lunch options are very few and far between.
I have to admit, it wasn’t too bad. I think the grease was fresh and we waited 12 minutes for them to fry us up a batch. Jacob ate his so quickly, this is all I got for food ****….
Jacob and I got to catch up on things. He’s finishing his second year as a mechanical engineering major at our University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Kids’ got a tremendous future and I’m proud of him greatly.
While waiting for the chicken, a quick check of the radar and it looks like we are going to get wet.
I studied it for a second and learned that the storms are all moving east pretty quickly. I planned a nice ride around it and hoped for the best.
As we rode through the marsh, things ahead are looking kind of dark. The heavy cloud cover is keeping temperatures tolerable – it’s dropped from the mid-90s to around 85-87.
Jacob doesn’t seem too worried about it.
In New Iberia, I checked it again, and plotted another detour around the next batch of showers. Jacob likes his bike and I think it’s a fine motorcycle. It runs like a top.
About 10 miles from home, our luck ran out as we hit a moderate rain shower. I got to test out my new Cee Bailey windscreen in the rain and was very pleased. All my recently installed farkles worked very well.
Back home, I threw a bucket of soap on my bike and my wife’s car, and called it a day. Maybe not the most memorable 4th of July, but it was very relaxing and enjoyable to spend it with family and friend.
Stay thirsty, my friends….
