Octobre 2002 - Abril 2003
Beginning odometer reading from Bethesda, MD: 8,910 miles
Day 1 - October 4, 2002
Odometer: 9,173
We met up at the Amoco Station in Marshall, VA., greeted by a host of MOFOs: Bruce and Wendy Norton, Steve Beck, Dillon Dickson, John Kozyn and Glenn Dysart. Bruce and Wendy came to wish their farewells and the rest came to ride theirs with the three amigos. We where headed to the Cave Mountain Lake camping area outside of Natural Bridge, VA..
We got a fairly late start at around 10:45am, but managed to make good time travelling on familiar roads through VA.
All day long it looked like rain and it finally did just 5 minutes prior to landing at our campground at Cave Mountain Lake.
Just another MOFO campout.
Odometer: 9,539
After saying goodbye the MOFOs that camped with us we headed toward Knoxville, TN to meet and stay with Hughs friend Pascal. They know each other from a job they worked together in No.VA.
Pascal grilled steak and chicken with pasta and dessert! Very cool. I know Dillon thought so after a couple of plates full ;)
We hit the sack early and woke early for the long day ahead.
Odometer: 9,739
I'm sitting here watching Craig do his magic. The fire he's got going promises to be quite a blaze once oll the timber catches.
We intended to make better miles today because we wanted to not have to deal with riding so many miles tommorrow. After having spent a relaxing evening with Hughes friend Pascal in Knoxville, we got a fairly early start. We planned to head over to the Jack Daniels distillery. Dillon stayed the evening and, though he wanted to join us, the mileage to and from and then home for him (including the time it would take to run the tour) was just too great. So we waved Dillon home at the I40 exit and went our way west.
Craig was sick. The previous evening he woke up with the shakes and vomited. We all thought it was possibly a touch of food poisoning but he was also complaining of a pain where his left kidney should be. This complaint persisted all day today. He is obviously in a lot of pain and Hugh and I are silently rooting for the best. Of course we are also lending words of encourgement.
We all realize that one or all of us run the risk of getting sick on the road, but none of us expected this, this early on. We will sleep in the State Park just outside of Huntsville and cross our fingers he feels better in the morning.
Hugh and I actually did the JD tour. Craig opted out for some rest.
Other then the bad news, the weather was just perfect. There is a little shower activity, but nothing substantial yet.
Tommorrow, Huntsville to Mobile meeting with Collin and Penny Fagen.
Odometer: 10,099
A long sunny day after a torrent of water in the early morning. We went to bed around 11pm central time and were waken to heavy lightning and a pour. It was instantly noted that these MOFOS have yet to camp this year together without some precipitation. We got hit really hard this morning.
Everything is wet in the Monte Sano state park we camped in and there is a lingering cold cloud resting right on top of us.
After packing all the wet gear we rode into Huntsville on our way to Mobile and came out of the cold into a clear but cloudy day. Today we spent the first 100 miles on I65 into Birmingham, AL where we finally stopped for a quick bite to eat.
From Birmingham we got on old rt 5 and enjoyed a nice sunny afternoon of backroad droning.
Craig is feeling better today and so will continue on with us. Hugh and I have discussed his current situation with him and reasoned for all the hard work he has put in to build his bike and plan for this extraordinary ride he would regret ditching so early on. He is rightly concerned for Sonja and so will probably leave us around Buenos Aires for home. In this way he will have fullfilled his dream of travelling to the southernmost tip of South America.
We made good time and arrived at the Fagans around 5:30pm. Penny and Collin were very gracious having fed us and providing air conditioned RV accommodations. We spent most of the next day taking care of some additional chores (shopping, etc..) and bid Penny, Collin and their son Conner goodbye and then headed for New Orleans.
Odometer: 10,229
We arrived late by about an hour and had a little trouble finding a place to secure the motorcycles. Other then that, New Orleans was uneventfull....
Unless you consider the heavy drinking and women exposing their tits uneventful!! I was escorted out of a bar due to my stumbling, babbling and falling asleep (the shame of it ;). Hugh waltzed in this morning around 9am with some fairly entertaining tales to tell.
Said to a bartender, "The only difference between Hitler and God is Hitler killed the Jews and God killed everyone else" - Hugh Caldwell. What a character.
We are sobering today in preparation for the final evening in New Orleans. We have a long ride for Houston, TX tommorrow so the drinking will be held down...I hope!
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Todd
This page last updated 09/23/2002
Home | The Plan | Ride Report | Special Events | The Riders
Day 2 - October 5, 2002
Day Three: Huntsville Alabama
Day Four: Mobile, Alabama
Day Five-Six: New Orleans, Louisiana