Sep 07 Day 18 - The Old Spanish Trail - Otter Creek, KY

This morning I arrived in Otter Creek, KY where I'd stay overnight with my old Navy buddy Woody and his wife Linda. I unpacked and we visited, then it was time for Woody to have a lie-down and give his newly installed shoulder a rest so I scooted over to the nearby town of Hodgenville to see some of the Lincoln touristy stuff. I'd been there once before but I wanted to pick up a couple of gifts and take a few pics.

Hodgenville's downtown square 

I wandered into the Lincoln Museum where their primary focus seemed to be selling souvenirs to the unwary traveler. I glanced through an open doorway into the adjoining room and as I did so an officious looking man said "There's a $3.50 admission fee if you'd like to visit the museum room and the upstairs room." Somehow I couldn't bring myself to fork over even such a piddly amount to look at more artifacts so I changed my course and without missing a beat did an exit. 

Museum or souvenir shop?

 Back outside I decided to head over to the Lincoln statue and take a quick photo. As I approached there was a guy holding a selfy stick and grinning away at the camera on the end. Evidently he wasn't happy with the shot so he continued to shoot, then look at the result, then shoot some more. I found this entertaining so I started shooting pics of him and his selfy efforts but when he noticed me he sort of blanched and said "Uh, I'm just learning how to use this but I'll get out of your way". 

I shot a couple of pics and turned away so he came back and picked up the teddy bear he'd posed with but left sitting between Lincoln's shoes. This time he said sheepishly "I forgot this, it's been all over the world with me." I nodded and said "Uh huh." 

With the Lincoln statue photo session concluded I walked around the square a bit looking in the windows - most were closed since it was a holiday -  and eventually I went into the Almost Home foo-foo store. Those people seem to have accumulated the world's largest inventory of brick-a-brack; their items must have numbered in the thousands. I found a couple of gift things and called it good, stores like that make me nervous.

With my shopping done I headed back to Woody's where we had a fabulous dinner fixed by Linda, then we just sat around catching up on old memories from our days in the Navy and the years that followed. Woody's three days older than I am so I have to show respect and not challenge any of his recollections regardless of how unfounded they may be. 

You got that right sonny...show some respect

As holidays go, particularly Labor Day, this one was great.; I got to mingle with tourists and hang out with one of my oldest friends. It doesn't get any better than that.

Sep 06 Day 17 - The Old Spanish Trail - Columbia, KY

Tonight I'm staying at a Best Western Motel in Columbia, Kentucky which is only about fifty miles or so from my friends Dick aka Woody & Linda. I could have pushed on and made it tonight but I was getting pooped and they have a busy schedule on Sundays so this worked out better.

I took a few pics today but mostly I meandered around, checked out some small communities and generally saw some of the back country I'm fond of riding in. Yesterday Linda (mine, not Woody's) commented that I should post Google Maps of where I ride each day, otherwise no one really knows where I'm at. Good point but that's something I've never done so I'll have to learn how. 

So lookee here, a jpeg of a folded map. How cool izzat? Not? Oh.

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Update to today's post:

OK, I'm messing around with Google Maps and so far all I've been able to do is set up a link to the map. To see if it  works click on this: Today's route The thing is, this would be the route with alternates they would have you take so I'll have to figure out how to show the exact route I followed. I think that means I'll need the names of all the little burgs I visit or at least the highway designations.

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After another motel breakfast of manly food - flakes & OJ, that stuff, I headed north on the nearest freeway. A lot of Bonsai drivers live in this part of the country. 

I reached Tennessee fairly early which is what happens when you merge in with the Bonsais I mentioned earlier. Tennessee, unlike Kentucky is open to marking their state line with welcome signs. Kentucky didn't bother unless the road I took was so remote they simply didn't care to. In either event I was in Kentucky for quite awhile without knowing it.

We're not afraid

Happy Tennessee Bonsai trail

Eventually I bailed off the freeway and rode one of the scenic routes north. It was slower, less traveled, and went through small towns living what, off the land? When I ride through them I always wonder what people do for a living, where do they work, etc. Some times I ask one of the locals which more often than not results in a glassy-eyed stare like I'd just slipped in through the back door or something. 

Turning around after shooting a pic of the road sign my eyes fell on the Bonnie and I thought "What a clean bike it is" so I took another picture of it.

Then it occurred to me I hadn't posted a selfie for a few days and since it wan't raining it seemed like a good opportunity to do so. 

Mr Happy needs a new razor...

The Garmin Lady soon redirected me onto another route north - maybe I was having too much fun on the old one. Maybe I crabbed too much about how tacky some of their road signs are?

Our signs are not tacky

More exciting views of the freeway

So desperate was I for something of interest to photograph I actually turned back to take this one. No simple thing on a freeway. Did you know some freeways have one-way lanes?

Those Crockett guys didn't always plan so well. 

OK so they've got these little access lanes, so what?

One thing that's become apparent to me during my travels back and forth across the country is some states place little value on "rest stops". Tennessee seems to be one of them and when I spotted the sign announcing Standing Stone State Park I figured, uh, well maybe they'll have facilities. They did and as far  as I could tell there was only one in a really huge park. I found it.

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

In the far end of the park there's a big ol' damn thing holding back the water

Lookee here Linda, a Google Map! I stole it of course

After doing the tour of Standing Rock State Park I headed towards Kentucky again and eventually arrived there but without a clue how that came to be. All I can tell you is when I started getting tired and looked for a motel there were none around. I chased down two different ones both of which were too scary to stay at. Finally the GPS located a Best Western and took me there albeit via the back street behind it. Very weird approach but I was happy to find it.

The reception gal on duty directed me to a family restaurant called The Circle R which sounds more like a cattle branding iron than a restaurant but I went there just the same. I had their daily special, a barbecued pulled-pork sandwich with fries-for-my-thighs and sweet iced tea.

Riding back to the motel I felt some big splats of rain but so far nothing since and it's been more than an hour. I think I'll cover the bike anyway, at least the saddle will be dry if it starts in again.

Pretty exciting day, eh?

LL 

Sep 05 Day 16 - The Old Spanish Trail - Trenton, GA

Today and tomorrow I expected to take things really easy, just tool around wherever the Bonnie takes me, both days low mileage rides without an agenda.

For openers this morning I did the Quality Inn breakfast thing - mystery eggs, likewise sausages, OJ, milk, and yogurt. I had enough and to be fair it wasn't bad at all, kind of on a par with McDonald's fare.

My general direction of travel would be North and after looking the maps over I decided that highway 431 would be fun.

It's scenic, runs through some of Alabama's nicest country, past beautiful farms & cattle ranches, even an occasional cotton patch. For the most part the road surfaces are smooth and in good shape making travel on a bike particularly pleasant.

The weather today started out slightly cooler than it's been recently so I wore my leather jacket for the first time in several days. The sky was slightly overcast giving it that "I'm gonna dump rain on you" look but with a mild cooling breeze things looked good.

I rode slow, around 55 mph mostly and eventually arrived in the town of Lafayette, AL. Many southern towns of any size seem to sport courthouses and Lafayette has a huge one. I stopped for the requisite photo shoot of it and the commemorative plaque out front.

I really appreciate plaques as they provide exactly the right amount of information I'm looking for and no waiting.

Then much to my surprise I discovered a larger than life-size bronze statue of Joe Louis, the world champion heavy weight boxer they called "The Brown Bomber". He reigned as world champion for twelve years and I can remember listening to his fights on the radio when I was a kid. Coming across this tribute to him in front of the courthouse in Chambers County, AL was a total surprise for me, I had no idea where his roots were.

Lafayette also sports a huge water tower with their name displayed, typical of many towns across the nation.  What? You  can't make out the name? Try squinting. Real hard.

Once I cleared Lafayette I continued north on to Anniston where I stopped for lunch, then just past Gadsden I picked up Interstate 59 and headed northeast. Fort Payne caught my attention so I bailed off the freeway and rode through the town. It seemed to be one long main street lined with small businesses on both sides, not many of which looked like major concerns. My GPS was going bonkers the whole time but finally figured out a way for us to return to the freeway and that settled things down.

By then it was mid-afternoon, my butt was beginning to complain and since I had no time schedule I looked for a motel. I'd crossed over into the very tip-top of western Georgia and the next time zone and the small community of Trenton loomed ahead. 

With Day's Inn as the one motel my choices were limited so I checked in. The greedy buggers tacked on higher rates "Because eet eez a holeeday weekend you understond". "Nope", sez I, "I don't understand, you guys are just plain greedy, that's all." But when your game is the only one in town I guess the rules of hospitality go out the window.

We Be Greedy Buggers

So here I am and I can imagine I'll encounter more of the same tomorrow night as well. It seems that's part of the deal when you're traveling around.

Happy Saturday, we should all go out and celebrate.

LL

Sep 04 Day 15 - The Old Spanish Trail - John Skinner's Motorcycles

Today would be like a day off for me, I had a 9:00 am appointment at Skinner's Motorcycles to have the new tires installed plus an oil change. I'd already removed the panniers which stripped the Bonnie down making access to the rear tire easy. 

I left the motel early so I could stop and buy batteries for my camera and arrived at Skinner's right on the money. No one was there yet but just as I shot a picture of the empty street Allan the technician pulled up in his van and a couple of minutes later John and his wife (she does the books, etc) arrived. 

Angel, John's 3-year old Golden Retriever was there too, ready to get to work in the tail wagging department.

Hey,  anybody see my toy? Huh? wag wag wag

Seeming oddly out of place, a small Sears scooter sits on display in the showroom. John collects scooters with a special liking for old Sears branded machines, most of which were made by Puch, an Austrian maker in the 40s -60s. 

Allan and John confer on the day's scheduled work. I'm first up.

While the Bonnie is being worked on John tells me to look around the shop, he's got three huge rooms full of vintage bikes and replacement parts for them, all focusing on early British makes, especially Triumph and BSA. 

Small collectibles abound, Triumph restoration projects need these items

The morning wears on, tail wagging takes its toll making a nap mandatory

As soon as he's free from phone calls John takes me on a tour through the treasure troves in the rest of his building. He has three large areas filled to the gills with bikes and goodies. Restoration shops from all over the USA and Europe shop at Skinner's for special hard-to-find items.

John raced flat track motorcycles professionally for years before retiring. More recently the AMA invited him to return to the sport, this time for vintage trophy races. He's done so and is having a ball.

John's flat track bike

A room full of old scooters

This is a "Twingle" head, rare as can be

Hidden away in his most inner sanctum are mementos of his early days of racing. I asked if he could still wear his leathers and he said "Sure". I believe him, he's trim as a 30-year old. Good diet, exercise.... I'm ready to move along now.

With the tour completed it's time for lunch and John's wife goes to pick up Chinese food and Allan sets the table on the front sales counter. We all sit down for lunch but business carries on and John tends to two customers while we eat. You can tell everyone is accustomed to this, it's a very informal relaxed way of doing business.

I think guests should be the ones who clean up. Mmm?

Several used bikes for sale are rolled out in front of the shop during the day

With lunch finished it's time to get back to business. John takes the Bonnie out for a short ride to make sure everything is as it should be, then returns to the shop and we settle up. While there I decided I had to own one of their T-shirts and added it to my account. When I review the charges I noticed it isn't listed and ask John about it. He smiles and says "It's on the shop". How nice is that? Great hospitality, competent service, lunch, & a free T-shirt!

My cool new shirt

I head back to the motel and re-install the panniers making ready for tomorrow's ride. The new tires feel good, the bike's gassed up and ready to go. Tomorrow should be a great day.

The new front tire

The tread design is supposed to focus on touring. I like it.

Just for drill and the sake of cleanliness I throw my jeans into the tub for another washing; it's hot outside and they should dry in plenty of time for tomorrow's ride. I've no idea where I'll go for dinner tonight but if I get lazy and don't want to venture out there's always the Cliff Bars stashed in my bag.

See ya,

LL