Rock My Ride

webmost

July 8th I turn 70. To celebrate, I'll ride a murdercycle across country -- a farewell tour. I want to visit all my sisters, grand-children, and great-grandchildren. 

En route, I'm looking to beat July heat. So I've divided each day into three legs and a siesta. Leg one, I hit the road at the very asscrack of dawn & drain a tank. Then stop for a quick breakfast. Leg two, drain another tank. By now, it will be getting brutal. So I'll hole up for siesta in some cool spot offering cold beverages. Leg three, a dusk ride while the heat sizzles down, arriving at my lodging. Idea is, every blistering afternoon, I intend to hide under a rock, like any well educated jackrabbit would do. Common sense.

That's where you come in. I'm looking for a few good rocks. 

Each afternoon I'd admire to herf up with an internet brother & a good cigar underneath the right rock. Look at this itinerary I've sketched out below, and tell me if you know a relaxing spot roughly two-thirds along any such leg where you and I could burn a gar, drink lemonaid, & chill.

For example, say you live in Kansas City, and you like Isaac Char Cigar Lounge in Topeka... so you PM me and say "let's herf up at Ike's place on your leg from St Louis to Hays, Monday 2nd ... here's my digits." That simple. 

Of course, I'm also not averse to "I live in Twin Falls. There's no cigar lounge here. But we can burn stix in my basement. It's cool down there." Cool is key, see. I'll be toting tons of home rolled sticks, so I can supply the uppowoc, you supply the chair. That method saves bucks, and bucks are important too. Extra points if you have a pool.

Nor, for that matter, am I averse to saving a buck on lodging, if someone wants to put up with me, which is no mean feat. I'm shacking with Sketch in Grand Junction, for instance. I warn you I'll be fifty miles up the road by the time you wake up next morning. I'll have tent and bag with me... But my main focus right now is how to beat the heaking freat. I'm old. I don't need to get all exhausted & stroke out into the ditch.

Here follows the rough itinerary. Keep in mind that the last four JIC days are there for a purpose ... Just In Case days. So if it sets to thunderbumbling unreal in St Louis or if I get a flat in Sonora I might blow a JIC day, & that means every day thereafter gets pushed back. Nothing set in stone. 

====================================

Sat 30th Newark to Columbus OH 444m 7 1/2h

Sun 1st Columbus to St Louis 420m 6 1/4h

Mon 2nd St Louis to Hays KS 513m 7 1/2h

Tue 3rd Hays KS to Grand Junction CO 580m 8 1/2h

Wed 4th Grand Junction to Ogden UT 350m 7h

Thu 5th w/ Wade 

Fri 6th w/ Wade

Sat 7th Ogden to Boise ID 300m 4 1/2h

Sun 8th Boise to Bend OR 320m 5 1/2h

Mon 9th Bend to Susanville CA 400m 8h

Tue 10th Susanville to S Lake Tahoe 200m 5h

Wed 11th S Lake Tahoe to Loope CA 180m 4h

Thu 12th Loope to Sonora Junction 200m 5h

Fri 13th Sonora Junction to Riverside CA 375m 6h

Sat 14th w/ Andrea

Sun 15th w/ Andrea

Mon 16th Riverside to Henderson NV 230m 4h

Tue 17th w/ Patty

Wed 18th Henderson to San Rafael NM 480m 7h

Thu 19th San Rafael to Elk City OK 510m 7 1/2h

Fri 20th Elk City to Clarksville AR 350m 5h

Sat 21st Ozarks Piglet ride 180m 5h

Sun 22nd Clarksville to Bucksnort TN 380m 6h

Mon 23rd Bucksnort to Cruso NC 380m 7h

Tue 24th Cruso to Willsville 230m 7h

Wed 25th Willsville to Waynesboro VA 180m 5h

Thu 26th Skyline to Front Royal VA 100m 4h

Fri 27th home 220m 4h

Sat 28th JIC

Sun 29th JIC

Mon 30th JIC

Wed 31st JIC

YankeeMan

You're taking the northern route and will miss NC.  We wish you the best of luck and a safe trip.

jd50ae

Jealousy is a bad thing I am told.

webmost

YankeeMan said:

You're taking the northern route and will miss NC.  We wish you the best of luck and a safe trip.

If by NC you mean North Carolina, I will hit the Blue Ridge Parkway on the way back... which is the prettiuest part.

I was in High Point last week. Took the train down, bought a 2016 Kawi Versys 650LT, & rode it back. That's the one I intend to ride cross-country.

GaryThompson

Wow! I wish you cool temps,  clear skies and open highways/back roads! 

First_Warrior

@webmost You've been here before and you are welcome any time. Maybe Lucy will let you in the house this time.

First_Warrior

Davis FYI the Parkway is closed at Grandfather Mt as the causeway is being worked on. 221 is also closed from Grandfather to Blowing Rock as a landslide took part of it down the mountain. 

dirtdude

Am disappointed your travels do not bring you through AZ but understand avoiding  the heat.

Safe travels Davis 

TNBigfoot68

@webmost instead of Bucksnort, Columbia, TN might be a good destination. 

Trish

dirtdude said:

Am disappointed your travels do not bring you through AZ but understand avoiding  the heat.

Safe travels Davis 

Henderson NV is only a few hours away... just sayin... 

Thanatos0320

TNBigfoot68 said:

@webmost instead of Bucksnort, Columbia, TN might be a good destination. 

I agree with not stopping in Bucksnort. I feel like he's better off just going to Nashville if he isn't going to stop in Bucksnort. Nashville is 11 miles further than Columbia, but he'll stay on I-40 and save on gas...

ForMud

I'll wave to you as you cross the Delaware line.......A whole 2 minutes into your ride. 

webmost

First_Warrior said:

@webmost You've been here before and you are welcome any time. Maybe Lucy will let you in the house this time.

HA! That's funny, too. I'll take you up on that. We'll roll a couple and burn 'em too.

First_Warrior said:

Davis FYI the Parkway is closed at Grandfather Mt as the causeway is being worked on. 221 is also closed from Grandfather to Blowing Rock as a landslide took part of it down the mountain. 

Schmidt happens like that fairly often. There's always detours. 

TNBigfoot68 said:

@webmost instead of Bucksnort, Columbia, TN might be a good destination. 

How the hell do I pass up a place called Bucksnort? If there's a Bucksnort T-shirt anywhere in town, I want one.

Wylaff

Tuesday the 10th. Susanville to S. Lake Tahoe. That'll put you in Reno right at the 2/3 mark. I don't have AC, but there's plenty of nice places to smoke around here, and it would be great to meet you Davis.

Bob_Luken

This is very cool. I'll be interested in meeting up with you. Sunday the 22nd your 2/3 spot might be Jackson TN. That could be a good rock to hide under and if all these TN boys can get there you might could meet four of us. @jd50ae @Amos_Umwhat both live in west TN and @TNBigfoot68 and me might could drive west to meet up. But the problem would be that by that point you wouldn't be coming through on a Sunday due to delays. Weekdays would be another story as to anyone's availability to meet up. If delays happen, we will just have to see how our weekday schedules line up with your schedule. 

Now, about Bucksnort. There's no town remaining. Just an exit called Bucksnort. http://offbeattenn.com/bucksnort-exit-sign-town-longer/ 

But there's a convenience store and a motel by the interstate and I'm sure the store has a tshirt for sale. Heck, If they have can coozies, bumper stickers, shot glasses and coffee mugs, surely they got a tshirt for sale too. (Found this photo on their facebook page)

Yakster

Sounds like Bucksnort TN just needs a good country song to get it up on Luckenbach Texas' level.

silvermouse

webmost said:

How the hell do I pass up a place called Bucksnort? If there's a Bucksnort T-shirt anywhere in town, I want one.

Who wouldn't? I'm thinking of moving there just for the return address.
just checked and they don't even have a post office. But there's this in Idaho:
https://www.bucksnortsodas.com/ and they do have tee shirts....

silvermouse

http://offbeattenn.com/bucksnort-exit-sign-town-longer/

Amos_Umwhat

Things to think about:

I'm just 60 miles north of Jackson.  

Also, I have a watershed on my property, a 60' x 120' shop with concrete floor, I smoke in the house, have a spare bedroom, and no one gets up earlier than me unless they just don't go to bed.  

Also, anytime I go east on I-40, I go right through Bucksnort.  I've done it 6 times in the last 6 weeks either going to Nashville and back, or Centerville and back.

Also, I can tell you of some great riding that you would have to miss if you go through Bucksnort.  Come to think of it, some great riding between here and Bucksnort that a person would ordinarily miss.

@Bob_Luken makes some great points.

webmost

PM me a town, Amos. I see a fine detour via 412... is that where you are at?

Amos_Umwhat

Close.  Any time I've ridden out west that's the way I go.  Only pain is RV's in your way in Arkansas, but it's still my preferred route.


@Bob_Luken
@jd50ae
@TNBigfoot68

If this happens, give some thought to coming out.  

Thanatos0320

Amos_Umwhat said:

Also, anytime I go east on I-40, I go right through Bucksnort.  

Same. I'm in Memphis. I might be moving to Nashville soon though.

Thanatos0320

Bob_Luken said:

This is very cool. I'll be interested in meeting up with you. Sunday the 22nd your 2/3 spot might be Jackson TN. That could be a good rock to hide under and if all these TN boys can get there you might could meet four of us. @jd50ae @Amos_Umwhat both live in west TN and @TNBigfoot68 and me might could drive west to meet up. But the problem would be that by that point you wouldn't be coming through on a Sunday due to delays. Weekdays would be another story as to anyone's availability to meet up. If delays happen, we will just have to see how our weekday schedules line up with your schedule. 

Now, about Bucksnort. There's no town remaining. Just an exit called Bucksnort. http://offbeattenn.com/bucksnort-exit-sign-town-longer/ 

But there's a convenience store and a motel by the interstate and I'm sure the store has a tshirt for sale. Heck, If they have can coozies, bumper stickers, shot glasses and coffee mugs, surely they got a tshirt for sale too. (Found this photo on their facebook page)

It used to be a  pre-civil war mining town that focused on iron ore. There is a forge that still stands for people to see. This was only for 20 years before the ore ran out.

TNBigfoot68

@webmost i said Columbia because you can crash at my place, I know it would cause you to go south of Nashville out of your way, but hey, you said you were looking for a rock to hide under. 

IndustMech

Bucksnort = chocolate ice cream with green pistachios. 

Amos_Umwhat

Thanatos0320 said:

Amos_Umwhat said:

Also, anytime I go east on I-40, I go right through Bucksnort.  

Same. I'm in Memphis. I might be moving to Nashville soon though.

Add yourself to the list above if you can.  I had thought you'd moved to PA for some reason.

TX98Z28

@webmost your massive planned bike adventure is soundin like a blast! Got me wanting to start looking.

webmost

I like Amos Umwhat's generous offer a lot. I am going to bag Bucksnort and head instead straight to the ever stately and magnificent Umwhat Castle in Dresden for that leg of the journey. 

I warn you, however, that by this late in the schedule a day or two delay is to be expected. In fact, I would be astonished if a rain day didn't get burnt by then.

Just now came in from the garage. Wrenching on the Versys. Had removed the windshield ten miles into my return from NC. Just now removed the brackets. Installed some doodads to lower the pegs, some bar risers. some highway peg brackets. Have a USB port on the way. Just about ready to go. If my time were my own, I'd have left yesterday.

Amos_Umwhat

Anyone know how this is going?  

Davis, I was just in NW Arkansas last week on the bike, not sure what the "piglet" is, but I took route 9 from Salem down to Mountainview, then back up 9 to 14 up through Yellville and beyond, then back down to Eureka Springs.  GREAT roads!

dirtdude

No Davis sightings? Did he make it through GJ @Sketch6995. It's late but happy birthday @webmost.

Sketch6995

@dirtdude

Ya he stayed a night and split early the next am heading for Idaho.