Leaving Texas - Running East.....

I pulled up stakes this morning and rolled out of Azle, heading due east. I actually felt like I was making a run for it. It seemed that every repair to my Aunt Annie's house led to an additional repair, and there seemed to be no end to it! And working in the heat was not easy. And Aunt Annie was putting the pressure on for me to stay on a bit longer. Like forever!  But the truth was that the big stuff was taken care of, I'd spent the week doing chores, and I needed to get back on the road if I was ever going to make it back home.

And maybe I should write a little post about the "Girls of Azle", but I won't. What happens in Azle stays in Azle!

I fought my way through Fort Worth and Dallas traffic, which is almost as bad as DC sometimes, and don't let anyone tell you different. As I cruised through Arlington, which is between the two cities, I had fun memories of running into Michael Irvin the night before in Hooters, Arlington, which was cool. So was Michael, who gave autographs and happily posed for pictures for those who stopped by and asked. Heck, I did! I watched Michael Irvin catch a lot of Troy Aikman's passes for Cowboys touchdowns!

And I also hit Cavenders on the way out, convincing myself I could offset the cost of (another pair of) new boots by staying in cheap hotels on the way back. One more pair of 1883 Lucchese boots in the closet. This pair IS for riding so the last pair stay in decent shape. 

I-20, running east, gets you to Vicksburg, Mississippi via Louisiana. It is, without a doubt, the straightest, most boring road ever. It wouldn't be hard to fall asleep. I was glad I wasn't riding, and with the 105 degree heat, the combination would have been unbearable. I finally got out of Texas, looking forward to cooler temperatures and a change in scenery. Didn't happen. 

Louisiana didn't offer much more driving excitement, but I happily stumbled upon the "Boardwalk" built along the Red River in Shreveport, LA, which was really cool. Live alligators hanging out at Bass Pro Shop, and a Hooters for those who might be hungry....folks like me! I gassed up there for the last leg of the day's trip.

I hit Vicksburg, Mississippi, and found my economy hotel. Remember, I'm offsetting that boot purchase. I found out, again, that cheap hotels are cheap for a reason. The value of the combined contents of this room, including carpet and linens, wouldn't cover a payment on my monthly cable bill. Furniture is nothing but hand-me-downs from the upper class members of the hotel chain, and I think this carpet came outa the local Exxon station.

But it's only for one night, and tomorrow night, wherever I am, I'm climbing up at least one notch on the ladder of hotel ratings. Makes me really glad I'm traveling alone. Otherwise, I don't think this would be a pleasant evening. At least the sheets are clean...I checked and double-checked. Even I have limits as to what's endurable. Ask me sometime about the Travelodge in Brunswick, GA. Yuck.

This Vicksburg post wouldn't be complete without a mention of last year's Southern Comfort ride. I was here last year, and in the spot shown in the photo above, I rolled my Softail Custom right down to river's edge for a great shot with the riverboat in the background. As I was positioning it, I lost my balance and the damn bike fell over. With all the luggage and extra weight, I wasn't able to get it back up, but a big ole' Mississippi gal in a pickup offered assistance. With a mighty heave, we had it upright and on the stand. She wasn't even breathing hard. I made a mental note NOT to make any moves on her. She'd have killed me......

I'm rolling tomorrow, taking some route that won't overlap last year's ride. I'm thinking Birmingham next for another trip to the Barber Motorsports Museum. I was there several years ago, and I'm due for a refresher. After Birmingham, who knows.......

Cowboy

Intermission

SC 2011 has been interrupted by work. And horrific heat. Rather than update the blog with tales of contractors, time limitations, crazy laws about money and senior citizen assistance, Alzheimers, etc, not to mention temperatures that make riding ANYTHING but fun, I've just decided to ask everyone to read some old Southern Comfort articles now and then, giving me a couple days to get some things done and get back on the road before the paint melts off the Joker.

Thanks for your kind cooperation, dedication, and patience
Cowboy

Far end of the Loop....

Leaving Memphis

I'm now checked into my room in Lake Worth, Texas, and all done for the night. No late night bar runs on the Joker for me. A little Monday Night Football, I'll read a bit, and hit the rack.

I just checked mileage, and had I not taken the long, lazy route to Lake Worth, the distance would have only been 1,419 miles. But my route was anything but straight, putting an extra 105 miles on the Hummer and 305 miles on the Joker! 230 of those Joker miles were from the Tail of the Dragon/Hell Bender run, but that's still 75 miles worth of bar-hopping and sightseeing in Memphis! There's no dust collecting on me or the vehicles, and that's why I'm staying in. I'm worn out from having fun!

Fort Worth, or maybe Austin, is about as far away from home as I'm gonna get, so it is actually the far end of the trip "loop". From Texas, I'll begin making my way back and I still don't have the remotest idea what route I'm taking. It won't be the same, and I might run south to see what's between here and Alabama.

Feels good to be here in Lake Worth. My Aunt lives in Azle, just west of here on Jacksboro Highway, and Fort Worth is just east. Like a mile or two. I don't need a map here; it's like home. I learned to swim at Possum Kingdom, learned to water ski here on Lake Worth, and the family says I fell in love the first time (at 16) with Betty Joe next to the lake. Not sure where that rumour started, but it's hanging on after all these years. And just for the record, down here, second cousins are legal! 

And my late best-friend Spider (Paul Griffith) and I had a ball running the roads around here. Lots and lots of good memories here. My Mom is buried just up the road, and there's more extended family sprinkled around here and there on both sides of the grass. 

I've spent every summer here from birth well into my teens, and Texas is in my blood. I'm proud of my Texan heritage.

So that's today's update. Fortunately, on the way in I found a place that served wholesome food that will get me through the week ahead. I may go back for more.

Cowboy

Walking in Memphis......

Memphis snuck up on me. I wasn't actually expecting too much, and quite frankly, figured this stop as an overnighter on the way to the next point of interest. I came in through the back door of the city, which didn't help much, and having a panhandler hit me for money as I'm unloading the bike in the hotel parking lot didn't help to improve my viewpoint.

Still, I had some strong urging from friends to stay here and check the place out. Linda and Charlie stayed here, giving Beale Street rave reviews, with a special bit of advice to check out Coyote Ugly. Fred hammered away on Graceland and the Elvis stuff, insisting these hot spots simply shouldn't be missed.

So I finished unloading the bike, finding a halfway secure place to park it, but pretty sure the bike, the Hummer, and the trailer would all be gone the next morning, probably stolen by that panhandler. I checked in, resolving to give it at least two days before hightailing it west.

I found the Best Western Gen X Hotel at 1177 Madison on the H.O.G. Best Western Trip Planner link. 90 bucks a night, which wasn't bad, and no bitching about the trailer. Pretty nice room too. Recently remodeled. Location-wise, just 2 miles to Beale Street, and 5 to Graceland.

My fears of being ripped off turned out to be unfounded. The panhandler didn't get a thing, but he waved to me every time I went by on the bike!! There are many hotels nearer Beale Street, but I didn't see any strong indication of them being trailer-friendly. They all seemed to have typical high-rise parking facilities which could make getting a trailer in/out/parked a pain in the ass. And staying in Graceland puts you further from Beale, and Beale is where you'll be at night.

About Memphis....

It is kinda gritty, and retains it's character. No one's polished it up to impress anyone, and if they did, I think they'd ruin it. There's one thing particularly interesting, and it's that they still use trolleys. These cool little streetcars run back and forth moving peeps around. That's both good and bad. Good for the reasons stated; bad because the streets have tracks imbedded in them that add a whole new dimension to running the streets on a scoot. Get a wheel caught in one and who knows what's gonna happen.....

Sun Recording, the home of rock and roll is here, and looks exactly like it did in 53 when Elvis walked in wanting to cut a record for his Mom's birthday. And like it did when Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley recorded 40 songs together as the Millionaire Quartet. And like it did when U2 used that studio to record Rattle and Hum. Best yet, like it did when the very first R&R record was cut: Rocket 88. I took the tour of Sun Recording and it was the best, most enjoyable hour I've spent in a long, long time.

If I got any of those details about Sun wrong, let me know. I'm running from memory, and the tour guide was pretty hot so maybe I missed something!

Beale Street is about 3 blocks of fun, much like Bourbon Street in New Orleans. There is literally one cool bar after another, each different and fun in its own way. Music was everywhere and it was all good. Will Tucker was playing BB King's place, and he and his band were great. There was a band just as good playing in alley on a makeshift stage, with people partying and dancing.

I spent time in a voodoo shop, checking out the potions, and then discovered those nifty little dolls you stick pins in. I didn't know that there's actually a white and black pin. White gives your "victim" GOOD luck, and black puts the whammies on him/her. Extra black pins are optional at additional cost. No kidding.

Next I went into Memphis Music, instantly getting an unsolicited Blues history lesson from an ancient guy who also told me tales of his old pre-war Harleys. He called over another equally ancient guy, and the three of us laughed and BS'd for an hour. Those guys made sure I knew (just as at Sun Recording) that Rocket 88 is recognized as the first rock 'n roll recording. Remember that fact if you go to Memphis, and don't bother to argue with them. Seems they take this particular matter serious.

I ran into fun conversation and cool people to chat with everywhere. People were laughing and enjoying life, with no one seeming to pay much attention to being black, white, or whatever. And no one I met seemed to be down on bikers, which is also pleasant. I was also fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of my new buddy Joe from St. Louis ( I think that's right!), also a guest a my hotel who was in Memphis on vacation with his family. Joe has a Sportster, and has been riding for a while. We had daily parking lot discussions of Harley mods and the good old days, and he helped make the stay even more fun. Always good to meet folks when I'm on the road. Heck, that's why I'm out here!

I'll also grudgingly reveal that I was definitely NOT an Elvis fan when I rolled into town. I may not even be one right now, but I got a feeling I might listen to an Elvis tune or two when I hear 'em on the radio. The (hot) tour guide at Sun said there were two kinds of people in the world: Elvis fans and the rest who just hadn't yet had sufficient exposure to Elvis music.

To be sure, Graceland is a huge commercialized tourist trap, but make an effort to look under the surface, and there's something there worth seeing. I found myself becoming interested, and finally mesmerized by the story of Elvis, the rise to fame, and the sad ending. Being surrounded by the places it all happened lured me into wanting to get  to know more, and I plan to.

And yes, I got a Graceland Harley Davidson t-shirt.

To sum it up, Memphis slowly but surely charmed me. Made me comfortable, fed me well, kept a smile on my face, and made me wanna come back. I know some people who could stand to take a lesson or two from Memphis. Just saying.

Cowboy

PS A well-deserved thank you to Fred and Linda for suggesting this as a stop on SC 2011. You guys were right!

On the Road Again

On the road again...I think that's a great line, and Willy Nelson, you done good writin' it. And if he really didn't write it, please don't comment and ruin it for me.....

When I left Wednesday morning, I felt like I was escaping, and maybe on some level that's true. Once I got out of the Washington, DC snarl of traffic, and hills and trees began replacing concrete and glass, I started feeling the weight lift a little. I doubt if the stress will melt away as fast this time because I'm driving instead of riding, but I've got a stack of CDs loaded in the player and Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kenny Chesney, and the Allman Brothers are keeping me company. With that crew, plenty of Twizzlers and Gatorade Cool Blue on tap, I'm set. Well, maybe a little company wouldn't be bad either, but I don't want to think about that too much.......

I reluctantly took I81 to start the trip, figuring that was the fastest way to get some distance between me and DC, but got off 81 onto 26 South, rolling through some beautiful country including Sam's Gap, Tennessee (pics below) before rolling into Asheville, NC. Scenery like this is what makes a road trip worth doing. You miss all of it when flying here and there, and I, for one, forget how absolutely stunning the United States is. Tear up those plane tickets and hit the road!

Hunger set in, triggered in part by passing, of all things, a Hooters maintenance truck. Now who the Hell knew they even existed!

So I set off on a mission to find food, and not just any food, but Hooters food. The power of suggestions strong, and when it comes to Hooters, I'm weak. I set my trusty GPS to Hooters in Johnson City, TN, only to find out it was no longer in business. I quickly set out for Hooters in the next big city, Asheville, North Carolina, discovering that location had gone out of business too! WTF? Obviously there are no serious customers down here like me or Fred. I munched on more Twizzlers, deciding to wait out dinner until I checked into my hotel in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

Maggie Valley may not appear on the list of travel Hot Spots, but someone might want to at least get it in the Top 20. It's off the beaten path, but lots of lodging options and close to attractions like the Wheels Through Time museum of American transportation, with a focus on motorcycles. It's also pretty close to one of the US's top motorcycle roads, Tail of the Dragon. Finally, it's near many of the very best whitewater kayaking locations like the Green River, Nantahala, French Broad, Tuckaseegee, Little Tennessee, Chenoa, etc., and I've paddled all of them EXCEPT the Green, which is why I'm still alive and writing this article. That river is way over my ability....downright nasty.

You'll notice that many Maggie Valley and other area hotels have biker parking, biker this, and biker that. VERY motorcycle friendly, and while there's really nothing special going on right now, many hotels lots are full of bikes, and this is just another Thursday.

I tried sleeping in this morning, but I'm still in work mode, which I hope goes away soon. Fuck, I even had a "work dream" last night, and I hope that goes away too. But I got a pretty early start and rode over to the area where Tail of the Dragon starts. Basically you turn up 28 off Rt 19, and run through some pretty country along Fontana Lake and several miles into it, the road changes character and you find yourself on Hell Bender, which is a good Dragon warmup.

10 miles further and you hit Deals Gap Motrocycle Resort and the beginning of a seriously challenging set of curves. 312 curves in 11 miles to be exact, and the switchbacks will get your attention, with no room for error if you're pushing it. I blew past a few riders (and one blew past me) over the next 11 miles, and anything that could scrape on the Joker was scraping. I almost dropped a front tire over the edge on one corner and was literally holding my breath, but damn was that run a blast. On the top side of the Dragon, there's the Rt 129 Harley Shop which sells two things I needed bad. Gas and a Dragon T-Shirt! Got 'em.

Then I ran it in the opposite direction, which is like an entirely different road. Everything is backwards, but at least you sorta know the tougher spots and can get ready for them. I stopped at Deals Gap Resort again, this time for lunch. The resort is pretty cool. There's a motel there that is full of nothing but bikers, so if you wanted to stay right on the Dragon, that's an option to put on top of the list. It was packed, on a Thursday, so I reckon weekends are jammed. Call ahead.

Here's a few "Dragon" pictures....Joker and Cowboy having a fucking blast!

After that, I did Hell Bender again, and then the Cherohala (sp?) Skyway which was actually a little boring, but got me further west so I could double back and stop at Nantahala Outdoor Center where I took whitewater kayaking lessons a couple years ago. Nice place, and fun to visit.

And then through the Cherokee reservation, with a stop at Cherokee Harley Davidson, and back to Maggie Valley. Dinner in Legends Sports Bar, a place always full of bikes and fun peeps inside, and then back here. Legends, by the way, had a Joker Burger on the menu which had peanut butter as a topping. In spite of a made-for-me name, I passed on it. Peanut butter on/in a burger? Really?

Rolling to Memphis tomorrow, so I gotta get up early, load the bike, make a mandatory stop at Wheels Through Time museum and then get my ass on the road. Beale Street is calling... about 3 days worth.

Maybe by the end of Beale Street, Memphis, I'll stop having work dreams, and will begin forgetting what day it is....It happened last year, and hands down, was the best therapy imaginable. Zero stress level. I've got my fingers crossed.

Cowboy