Charlottville Virginia, to Pittsburgh PA

This morning was again another beautiful day. I went over to the University of Virginia, what a very attractive school, and one of the top public universities in the country. I headed west on route 250 for about 150 miles over back roads of Virginia and West Virginia I really saw a lot. When I got to Pennsylvania it started raining a bit and when I got to my brother’s house it was nice, but then rained quite a bit, no problem, Pittsburgh is a very rainy place.

Tomorrow I will do some maintainance, probably change the rear tire, and the oil in preparation for the turn toward home next segment. I will return June 11 and back on the road June 12. Stay tuned …..

Fantastic history day

I got up this morning, and it was another beautiful day, got on the road and went about one hundred miles due east to Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, and Kitty Hawk. Having known the story of the Wright bros. and powered flight fairly well, when I saw the place, the notes they wrote, some of the tools they used, their systematic approach to problem solving, and final success, it brought tears to my eyes this morning. It may not be for everyone, but for me it was fantastic.

I then got back on the bike and headed north. Traveling up route 158, then 168 into Virginia, over and under the Chesapeake Bay on route 64 through Newport News, Richmond and on up to Charlottesville. Terrific ride, no stopping, traffic moving pretty well I really enjoyed it. Checked into the hotel by 4:00 and made it to Monticello in time for the 4:15 tour. This was another great life experience, I have always admired the image I have of Thomas Jefferson, what a guy!  The tour gives additional insight and Monticello is about as beautiful a house, on a beautiful hill top, as there is in the world.

This is a day I will never forget. Tomorrow I’ll check out the University of Virginia which Jefferson designed, (Neo-Classic) then over the Allegheny Mts and north to Pittsburgh, PA.

Charleston, South Carolina, to Williamston, North Carolina

The ride today was good but somewhat difficult. I followed route 17 all the way but found it to be disjointed. I did stop at an historic plantation, 50 miles from Charleston and far enough away that most tourists don’t go there. The Hampton plantation which was established in the early part of the 19^th century, failed after the civil war economically, because of the very labor intensive process to grow rice. This was particularly interesting to me because the plantation house has not been restored beyond the very basic. It is far from anything even now, and it is easy to see how self sufficient the people must have been.

Myrtle Beach really surprised me but it should not have. Huge hoards of tourists looking for something to do creates what is there. The shark theme, and the pirate theme, are used frequently, many, many restaurants and hotels. There were many nice looking golf resorts, as well, Orlando FL is very similar, but Myrtle Beach attractions are more concentrated in a line because of the coastal proximity.

The transition into the higher country in North Carolina was nice as well. The farms with no swamps in between and less thick tall pine trees was a welcome change.

The traffic was heavy today and there were hundreds of stop and go intersections, needless to say I didn’t get as far as I had hoped. I look forward to going out to Nags Head, and Kitty Hawk early tomorrow and on the return getting on the freeway and covering some ground. I hope to get up into Virginia by tomorrow evening.

Dublin, Georgia and Savannah, to Charleston, South Carolina

Wow what a day!  The ride to Savannah on route 16 was fast. You can see by the intervals on the GPS plottings. I got there and took a city tour which is usually the fastest way to get the highlights and the lay of the land. Savannah has a very long history with much of it in the 18^th century. There is a Classic as well as French architectural quality to the place. That part is really cool, but it has a sort of New Orleans feel to it, which I don’t like as much.

The ride to Charleston SC via Hilton Head was OK . Hilton Head is a beautiful resort area, very up scale, but it has a sort of Disney feel to it also …nothing is completely as it seems, looking good is everything, lots of very over the top entrances but the properties may not be all that when you look closely. I’m sure it is a wonderful place to go but I had a weird feeling about it.

The brackish marshes of the “low country” on the way to Charleston were very interesting there is so much of it, there is a whole culture and cuisine that developed around it. Lots of seafood, shrimp, clams, oysters etc. and they grow great vegetables on the islands as well. Charleston is quite historic and a bit more relevant than Savannah in my view.

I was able to experience some really great food here in Charleston and the rest is history.

Tomorrow is the outer banks and Kitty Hawk.

North Carolina to Dublin, Georgia

Today was a great day. Judy Davis picked me up at the airport in Atlanta today, and took me up to Franklin, NC where my bike was waiting. Jim had washed it, I couldn’t believe it, just like a brand new bike. Thank you both so much for helping me.

The ride down to Macon and then to Dublin on route 16 was spectacular. Temps were 70-80 and all the flowers are in bloom and grass very green, it is really the beautiful time of year.

Tomorrow is Savannah and Charleston, it should be of great historic interest and beauty.

Augusta, the first day of Masters practice, then Atlanta and home

The weather people have been predicting bad things for days so when I woke up this morning and it was raining hard and the wind howling, I figured my luck had run out. As I got ready to go to Augusta National for practice for the ’09 Masters the rain slowed and by the time I got to the golf course the rain had stopped. The roads were very wet, the bike was wet, but I was relatively dry, and it didn’t rain any more today. The temperature went from about 65 this morning to about 45 when I left for Atlanta I mean it was cold.

Augusta National is only part of what you see on TV, The flowers are like a flower show, and all the grass, I mean alllllll the grass is cut to exactly what is specified for wherever it is on the golf course. I never saw a thin or sparse spot, the edges were perfect even the pine needles were of even thickness and distribution. There is much more contour on the course than one sees on TV, and the elevation changes quite a lot as well.

It was nice to get to see some of the great older players, Tom Watson, Fuzzy Zoeller, Ben Crenshaw, Gary Player, to name a few as well as some of the up and coming younger players. It was a rare and really fun experience to be there today. I will say that the crush of the crowd, the over the top security (more than at the airport), the lines, and parking hassles, make sitting at home and watching on TV a satisfying situation for the future.

As I mentioned the temperature got quite a bit colder during the day so the ride to Atlanta was not comfortable. I did make it just great and Jim Davis was there to collect the bike and keep it until I return on the 24^th of this month to continue…..until then thanks for watching.   

Franklin, North Carolina to Road Atlanta, and then to Augusta

I keep watching the weather news and they keep threatening rain and snow but again today the weather was quite nice. I rode with Jim again this morning up to a town called Highlands North Carolina which was fantastic, the road followed a very large stream (river) which had several large falls right beside the road. The views off the mountain were also quite beautiful.

The ride down to Road Atlanta was very easy and the traffic moved really well. It was great to actually see Road Atlanta and walk around it, while watching all the AMA races there today. The races were quite good except in the context of this ongoing trip not quite as exciting as usual.

The ride from there to Augusta was a lot more of the same beautiful roads, 51, 316, and 78 for about 150 miles with many homes along the road with the usual architecture of the south. Several of the very old large ones had historic markings indicating they were plantation houses from before the civil war.

Tomorrow is the last day of this segment. It will be the first practice day in preparation for the Masters which starts Thursday, and I will be there….Then back to Atlanta and home…

Fayetteville Tenn. to Franklin, North Carolina

This has been the greatest day of riding on the trip. The weather was perfect as I came over on the 64 to Chattanooga where I hooked up with my friend and colleague Jim Davis and we rode about 250 miles of great and scenic roads through the Blue Ridge mountains. Cleveland Tennessee was the starting point where we followed US 64 to Ducktown, Tenn. North on 68 to Tellico Plains. Hit route 143 which is CherohalIa scenic parkway, for about 60 mi then 129 north to Deals Gap. I was able to ride the Tail of the Dragon, a very well known piece of road which has 318 curves over an 11 mile distance. It was a lot like the road up to Palomar only more curves. The fun is just doing it. From there we traveled 28 south east to Jim’s house in Franklin.

I will be staying with Jim and Judy tonight, and tomorrow Jim has another small ride for me to do with him in the morning, then I’ll be heading down to Atlanta and then to Augusta.

 

Little Rock, Ark. to Fayetteville, Tennessee

Today was the best ride of the whole trip to this point. The weather was perfect and the country is extraordinary. I took a bit of a tour around Little Rock then headed east to Memphis, across the Mississippi river. I went and saw Graceland, and it is not to be believed. This thing seems to have a life of its own and its growing. I have seen tourist traps but never on this scale. I should have seen it 25, or 30 years ago.

The ride east from Memphis was on route 64 which is good country roads, it was nice to be off the super slab but after 150 miles I wondered if I had done the right thing. I am going mostly due east 50 miles north of the southern Tennessee border. I’ve been through the center of all the towns along the way, lots of stop and go. One town proclaimed itself the center of Dixie. I saw several Confederate flags flying on some personal flagpoles. The gentle rolling hills with the dogwood and red bud trees blooming is really beautiful. Several times when I came over the top of a hill it looked like Disney’s Happy Valley, like some perfect world, really beautiful.

Tomorrow is continuing on to Chattanooga, and then to Franklin, North Carolina…..

Dallas to Little Rock

The flight over today was really great clear and smooth except about 250 mi from Dallas it got quite bumpy with some unstable air as there was some thunder storm activity. I took a shot of the white sands that we had a hard time with last week because of  the wind.

Richard picked me up at the airport which was so great! how easy, just load up the bike and head out.

The ride up to Little Rock was uneventful except that there was quite a bit of wind, and the roads were very wet, but it did not rain on me. Lots of state troopers with some very fancy looking radar equipment lots of cars pulled over. The terrain went from lightly rolling grass and oaks to more density and quite a lot of conifer trees, more streams and rivers, not so many big lakes as in Texas.

Tomorrow will be Memphis and across most of Tenn., Over back roads so I can really see the place. More tomorrow…