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M38A1
Admin
Date: 07/14/2009
Destination: Home (Austin)
Miles: 981
States: Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas
Man what a HOT long day. I have been blessed by the cooler temperatures experienced during this trip.
I rose early as to not wake the triplets. All three were still sound asleep on the couches with the little dogs and they never heard me move all my gear, pack and depart. I said my goodbyes to my sister in law and headed out in a coolish 72 degrees under a beautiful foggy pink sky at 6am sharp as a train was whizzing by.
I made my way down to Nashville, about an hour South of Trenton, KY where I was staying. Knowing I was heading into the blast furnace of Texas at some point, I opted for shorts and a T under the mesh gear. The ride was chilly for the first few hours.
I decided to ‘wing’ it for the return trip and go only on my GPS and no maps. Now remember, my GPS is 10 years old so let’s just say the navigation options are limited. I made it just fine around Nashville and decided to just beat-feet home.
After clearing Nashville, my next mark was Memphis but not before a fuel stop in Jackson, home of the Casey Jones museum.
As I rolled through Memphis, I fondly recalled driving up there to meet the Mrs during one of her trade shows a few years back. About Memphis the skies began to get darker and as I recall from the night before, yet another weak front was somewhere out there. Well, I found it. The temps were really sticky hot by now so on went the rain gear and then that all familiar smell – moisture in the air. Good call on the rain gear.
Welcome to Arkansas, the last of my missing states
.
I had rain from Memphis to Little Rock, AR. where I pulled over and ditched the gear when the cloud deck lifted. Good call again as I was turning into a clam-bake inside the rain gear. The clouds hung around with me until Texarkana at which point they all but disappeared when I crossed into Texas. I’m not kidding. Welcome to Texas and the clouds go away and I thought it was hot. Making my way towards Dallas as my next mark I fueled in Caddo Mills and asked a guy what the temp was. He said 104 with a heat index of 109. Nothing you already didn’t know, but I was shocked. I knew it was hot, but not that hot. I downed a Gatorade and made it around the I30/I20 mix to hit 35 South for a couple hundred mile walk in the park ride home.
Another fuel stop in Jarrell, through Georgetown, Round Rock and I found the house about 9:30pm. Some 981 miles and 15.5 hours later I was glad to be home. A quick shower and half a cold watermelon later, I called it a night.
Destination: Home (Austin)
Miles: 981
States: Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas
Man what a HOT long day. I have been blessed by the cooler temperatures experienced during this trip.
I rose early as to not wake the triplets. All three were still sound asleep on the couches with the little dogs and they never heard me move all my gear, pack and depart. I said my goodbyes to my sister in law and headed out in a coolish 72 degrees under a beautiful foggy pink sky at 6am sharp as a train was whizzing by.
I made my way down to Nashville, about an hour South of Trenton, KY where I was staying. Knowing I was heading into the blast furnace of Texas at some point, I opted for shorts and a T under the mesh gear. The ride was chilly for the first few hours.
I decided to ‘wing’ it for the return trip and go only on my GPS and no maps. Now remember, my GPS is 10 years old so let’s just say the navigation options are limited. I made it just fine around Nashville and decided to just beat-feet home.
After clearing Nashville, my next mark was Memphis but not before a fuel stop in Jackson, home of the Casey Jones museum.
As I rolled through Memphis, I fondly recalled driving up there to meet the Mrs during one of her trade shows a few years back. About Memphis the skies began to get darker and as I recall from the night before, yet another weak front was somewhere out there. Well, I found it. The temps were really sticky hot by now so on went the rain gear and then that all familiar smell – moisture in the air. Good call on the rain gear.
Welcome to Arkansas, the last of my missing states
I had rain from Memphis to Little Rock, AR. where I pulled over and ditched the gear when the cloud deck lifted. Good call again as I was turning into a clam-bake inside the rain gear. The clouds hung around with me until Texarkana at which point they all but disappeared when I crossed into Texas. I’m not kidding. Welcome to Texas and the clouds go away and I thought it was hot. Making my way towards Dallas as my next mark I fueled in Caddo Mills and asked a guy what the temp was. He said 104 with a heat index of 109. Nothing you already didn’t know, but I was shocked. I knew it was hot, but not that hot. I downed a Gatorade and made it around the I30/I20 mix to hit 35 South for a couple hundred mile walk in the park ride home.
Another fuel stop in Jarrell, through Georgetown, Round Rock and I found the house about 9:30pm. Some 981 miles and 15.5 hours later I was glad to be home. A quick shower and half a cold watermelon later, I called it a night.
You are really making me miss my 02 R1150GS.... I like the Strom 650, and it was only about 1/4 the price of the GS, but it just doesn't have that same level of Swiss army knifeness that the GS excelled at.
