It wasn't long before we really appreciated the truck and trailer as the wind was howling from the southeast as we made our way across South Dakota. Gas mileage sucked but watching the wind blow around the motorcyclists we saw riding in it made us feel good about our choice.
We spent Monday night in Fort Dodge IA and then headed on to CAV47's to unload and leave the truck and trailer.
After unloading the bikes
Josh led us on a little tour of the local covered bridges Tuesday evening, we stopped for supper and made it back to Josh's just after "Deer Thirty"
We stopped for supper somewhere in Indiana before making a "Pinkie Recovery" back at Josh's just after Sunset.
Wednesday morning Scott and I were on the road at 0730 heading generally southeast through Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky before arriving in Cookeville TN for the evening.
Josh's route kept us off of the main roads!
We supped at a local BBQ joint, "The Blue Pig" - the beer was good but IMHO the BBQ Ribs were only mediocre, they were dry rubbed - good flavor but had cooked too long and were quite dry. The cole slaw and potato salad sides were excellent.
I posted our location and a food porn pic on Facebook and received an immediate comment from JREW (John Wilson from California) also bound for EOM. John was camped 30 minutes West of Cookeville and said he would gladly rendezvous and ride to Maggie Valley with us.
Thursday morning JREW showed up right on time at 0800 and off we went riding a conglomeration of routes that eventually took us over the Cherohala Skyway, the "Dragon", NC 28, and a host of other good twisty roads arriving at Maggie Valley and the EOM around 1600.
Somewhere in Tennesee, we stopped for a sweetsie treat and to figure out a route to the Skyway
The Cherry Danish was OK but the "Flat White" was quite different......
After the Skyway we made our way to Deal"s Gap
JREW
Scott and JREW
While we were gearing up to ride the Dragon a friend from Sturgis and his wife walked up and said hello. Small world.
The Dragon run was excellent both ways, very little traffic, a few cars and Harley's let us by and no one pressed or passed us going either way
There were a few inmates in the parking lot to greet us when we rolled into the hotel.
Mexican Dinner in the hotel was good but I couldn't finish my Birria Tacos
Friday we rode the Blue Ridge Parkway adding Skip, Gary, and Mike to our band.
Gary and Mike in the background
The parkway was really nice during the first half (before US 74/23), then it got a little slow through the second portion before I-26.
Skip, Mike, and Gary
Scott
Taking the obligatory photos
It was a gorgeous day!
Even though all of our GPSs had the same route loaded, and the same mode of calculation and avoidance entered the damn things (3 XTs and one Garmin BMW Nav6) they would never seem to agree
. Lunch was at a BBQ joint somewhere as I recall.
I have no idea how we came back to Maggie Valley but there were plenty of smiles.
Friday's dinner was Fried Icecream, CraigRegs joined Scott, Skip, JREW, and I.
Saturday we left early taking 441 to Gatlinburg, we were going to stop for breakfast there, but the crowds were oppressive so we continued on to Trish's Mountain Diner along TN-321, damn fine, not crowded, a great waitress, and great breakfast about 1000.
We continued East on TN-321 and then headed South on TN-32 - possibly the best road of the trip! At the NC line, the road turns from paved to unpaved for about a mile or two to Waterville (JREW had no trouble on his FJR as the surface was hard dirt and smooth), from there we took some goat trails following conflicting GPSs to TN 25 and then to "The Rattler"
We stopped for ice cream at the Trust store before heading back to EOM HQ.
Sunday morning Skip, JREW, Scott, and I left Maggie Valley at 0700 slabbing it to Josh's in Georgetown IL. Skip rode with us as far as Newport Tn before heading off to rendezvous with his wife.
Scott, JREW, and I made it to Georgetown IL about 1600 riding in light rain showers from just East of Indianapolis.
We loaded our bikes, took the Josh-conducted fifty-cent history tour of the surrounding area, and enjoyed a good steak and sweet corn before an early bedtime.
Monday morning we were on the road at 0400 headed for home - arrived in Rapid City at 1930 and Spearfish at 2030. Headwinds again once we hit Sioux Falls and were heading West but the Ridgeline averaged 16.2 mpg while pulling the trailer with two bikes.
We leave for Carson City and California in the morning!
On the bikes - 1,600 miles
In the truck - 2,100 miles and $400 in gas
