Picture: Shenandoah Valley from Skyline Drive
I got back home on Wednesday, Sep 12th and having had a few days to reflect on the trip it's time for some random thought, observations and comments. The Dubya got hauled from Kansas to Virginia to Georgia and back to Kansas for a total of about 2500 miles. This included taking the scenic route from W. Virginia to Virginia to avoid the hellish traffic of I-81 and a side trip through Maggie Valley S. Carolina to visit the Wheels Through Time museum. I put about 500 miles on the Dubya riding in Virginia and Georgia.
Traffic in the East/South is just awful and it is mainly due to the trucks. Someone really screwed when they let the railroads go to seed. A good rail system would keep the trucks off the roads and it wouldn't be half bad. Of course hauling a 400 plus pound motorcycle with a small pickup gives one a little taste of what the big truck have to deal with. Slow and downshift going up hills and speed up running down.
The idiot drivers that won't cut anyone a little slack are also on my list. No one does the speed limit, not even the cops. I finally found that my doing 5 mph under the limit everyone would pass and leave me alone.
Riding a motorcycle in the mountains is great fun until some mouth breathing redneck in a FWD gets on your rear wheel and because he/she has driven the roads all their miserable lives think you should be going as fast as they want to go. They don't have the balls to pass, they just want you to get the hell outa their way.
Two miles after you pull off the Interstate to use some dirty stinking, germ ridden bathroom at a truck stop there will be a nice clean, state maintained, rest stop.
Same thing holds true when you stop for gas, a mile down the road it is cheaper.
It sure would be nice to have some of roads from Virginia and Georgia here in Kansas. A lack of traffic and scenic curvy roads would be the best of both worlds. I get tired of the mountains quickly, it must be those long drop offs.
It is nice to know that when you see haze in Kansas it is naturally occurring and not man made smog.
The view from 4400' atop Reddish Knob
There sure are a lot of Harley’s on the road. I've learned that most of the Harley's have the turn signals on the bars, makes them easier to spot.
Most cruiser riders don't wear helmets or in the states where they have to they wear those stupid half helmets.
I just don't get it, folks will spend 7 or 8 hundred bucks on leather for protection but when it comes to their head they think a do-rag is all they need.
Not that the sporty rider with their helmets, flip-flops and shorts are any smarter.
I guess when you get old and have rubbed your arse on the blacktop a few times you think about these things.
Maybe it is just what you are used to but I like Kansas City BBQ better than Georgia BBQ.
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