Day 22: Dodge City, KS to Pueblo, CO
From flat and monotonous to the Rocky Mountains, today I crossed over into Colorado, and down to Pueblo. The Pueblo Riverwalk and dinner at Brues Alehouse Brewing Company.
Day 21: Emporia, KS to Dodge City, KS
Yup. Kansas is flat, and riding in Kansas is monotonous. But, Dodge City is cool. The Boot Hill Museum is really well done. I spent a couple hours there learning about the history of the town.
Day 20: Lake Ozark, MO to Emporia, KS
A fairly practical day. Riding to Kansas City to get my bike serviced, then down to Emporia, KS for the night.
Day 19: Cape Girardeau, MO to Lake Ozark, MO
Started off with some rain, but turned out to be a beautiful day of riding out the the Lake of the Ozarks. Dinner on the deck at sunset with live music. Life is good!
Day 18: Nashville, TN to Cape Girardeau, MO
An entirely practical day of riding back to Cape Girardeau to avoid the storms hitting the midwest. Not much to report or see today.
Day 17: Nashville, TN to Nashville, TN
A great day in Nashville. Good food. Good visits. And, great live Jazz at Rudy’s from HS friend Jody Nardone.e
Day 16: Cape Girardeau, MO to Nashville, TN
Cape Girardeau to Nashville through the Land Between the Lakes, a beautiful National Recreation Area. Wondering why the tortoise crossed the road?
Day 15: Evansville, IN to Cape Girardeau, MO
Great to have lunch with family in St Louis. Dodged some weather and headed down the highway to Cape Girardeau.
Day 14: Louisville, KY to Evansville, IN
Underground at Mammoth Cave—the longest known cave system in the world. It was a beautiful day. Who doesn’t love to be underground, checking out the bats and the amazing history of the cave. Highly recommend.
Day 13: Bardstown, KY to Louisville, KY
Sissy’s Tacos for taco Tuesday, and a really nice afternoon in Louisville, KY. Some tastings at Michter’s, a nice walk down Main St, and a great dinner.
Day 12: Lexington, KY to Bardstown, KY
Another beautiful day in Eastern KY. Red River Gorge. Natural Bridge State Park. Miguel’s Pizza. Nada Tunnel Road. Great service and cool lodging in Bardstown.
Days 10-11: Middlesboro, KY to Lexington, KY
A beautiful day riding in Eastern KY. Watch out for the gravel on Edward’s Cemetery Road. Other than that, a great day. Even the “Highway” (the Mountain Parkway) was nice. Stayed in Lexington.
Day 9: Sevierville, TN to Middlesboro, KY
A short day through Knoxsville and the Cumberland Gap tunnel, to the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park and stayed the night in Middlesboro, KY. Kentucky is just beautifiul.
Day 8: Suches, GA to Sevierville, TN
Suches, Blairsville, the Cherohala Skyway and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park all it one day. It was a good day, and a sad day.
Day 7: Brevard, NC to Suches, GA
Great scones. Good coffee. Friendly locals. Fun twisties. Long, scenic roads. A good day from Brevard to Suches, and staying at the famed Two Wheels of Suches. Had a fun, full day of riding and parked 10 minutes before the rains.
Days 5-6: Greenville, SC to Brevard, NC
The ride from Greenville, SC to Brevard, NC, with a stop near Charlotte for lunch with my Aunt Lise marks the start of the “meandering” portion of the trip. Goodbye to 100s of miles of highway riding each day for a while.
Days 3-4: US Rider Academy at the BMW Performance Center
I took the Two-Day Street Survival On-Road class at the US Rider Academy at the BMW Performance Center in Greer, SC, and it was awesome.
Day 2: Hagerstown, MD to Greenville, SC
More highway riding, and a nice visit with a fiend I hadn’t seen in 35 years. Arriving in Greenville for my riding class.
Day 1: NYC to Hagerstown, MD
Getting out of NYC is always…fun, especially in the rain. But the weather cleared up and I got some highway miles done.