St. Augustine is the home of the World Golf Hall of Fame and I’ve heard from more than one person that it’s worth the price of admission so I decided to check it out. Overall I have to agree with my friends – definitely worth the price of admission. The road in and out of the Hall of Fame is tree lined and reminded me of the entrance to Augusta. It’s not Magnolia Lane but it’s a nice entrance.
I won’t go through the whole place but this was one of the coolest areas. Every inductee has a locker and you could spend several hours in this room alone.
You can take an elevator to the top of the tower an this is the view from there. What you’re looking at is a replica of the 17th hole at Sawgrass TPC. For a small donation you get a couple shots at closest to the pin; daily winners get into a monthly drawing and if you win that you get your name on a paving brick.
I doubt that I would have been making a donation but the entry into the Hall of Fame includes one shot at the challenge – so what the heck. I head up to the tee in my cowboy boots and jeans, looking absolutely nothing like a golfer. 132 yards to the pin, 90 yards to clear the water, I select a 9 iron. Que the drum roll – I almost had to ask if a whiff counted as your shot – almost. I managed to catch enough of the top of the ball to roll it off the artificial turf, two bounces through the grass and into the water without a splash. They say every shot makes somebody happy – today it was the 15 guys waiting their turn.
Back on the bike and northbound on A1A. When you get to the St. Johns River it’s time to get on the ferry. I met a couple motorcycle guys and chatted with them on the short ride across the river. After crossing I headed north again but the weather needed to be considered so I stopped for a cold drink and consideration. It didn’t take long for me to decide to abandon the coastal route and turn inland. When I got out to the parking lot I saw this advertisement. It reminded me that it won’t be long before Fishin is exactly what I’ll be doing.
I’m leaving the coast for Waycross, GA. The name of the town is something I remember from a song called Miller’s Cave and one place is as good as another so why not Waycross – and I got here just in time. When I left the coast there was nothing showing on the radar here but I’d barely gotten the bike unpacked when the skies opened up.
Kicking back watching it rain is WAY better than getting rained on. I managed to have a very successful day today – other than my failed golf shot. This is a short post so I’m going to share a couple sights from this week. These are the two extremes of the motorcycle world. The first is a very small scooter with training wheels and the second is a 48 inch chopper with a 95 cubic inch shovel head and suicide shift. Even though it’s a rigid frame the guy that rode it from Michigan says it’s a much smoother ride than a softail and that the Sugar Bear front end doesn’t flop at all. If I had a chopper, this one would do for sure.
The Okefenokee Swamp is just south of Waycross and there is a Civil War Prisoner of War camp fairly close so I packed the bike and headed out. At the entrance to the visitors center at the swamp they have signs warning that insect repellent is not an option. I don’t have hardly any skin exposed and mosquitoes don’t like me, so I figured I was safe. I walked outside to check out some of their exhibits and within 30 seconds I discovered a yellow fly taking a chunk out of my finger. I was warned about the yellow flies while I 
was in Milton, FL – very nasty little things and they secrete some kind of numbing agent so you really can’t feel them biting you until it’s too late – I didn’t feel a thing, just happened to see it.
There is a guided boat ride through the swamp, pathways you can wander around on, and a train tour that uses some of the tracks the lumber companies put through the swamp when they were logging; wonder what swamp loggers got paid – not enough!! While walking around it’s important to stay on the paths, (no telling what’s waiting for you down in the water, but gators and snakes for sure) and to be very careful where you put your hands. This is poison ivy and it is EVERYWHERE out here.
It turned out to be a fantastic riding day. The clouds burned off and the nearly vacant and smooth back roads were a joy. This is rural Georgia and it’s not unusual to see these large stands of pecan trees on either side of the road. Wonder how old these trees are….
After the skies cleared the shade provided when riding through the Georgia pines felt good. Another mostly peaceful day winding my way along, sometimes fast, sometimes slow – life is good, I’m thoroughly enjoying mine and wish the same for you.
We always try to get everyone together for dinner and if it can be Mexican food where they make good margaritas – that’s perfect!! You know, I’ve always said, the only thing better than a good margarita, is another one. This is the brood minus one who is at her dad’s in Florida. There is never a dull moment with these guys around. They all play well together though and although they might have a spat or two here and there – they all have eachother’s backs whenever one is threatened.
I got an early start this morning because Sara’s daughter had an all day softball tournament and the whole house was up and out of there by 7:00. And what a great morning for a ride. Overcast but not threatening to rain, it was actually almost cool enough to get the sweatshirt out. That’s unusual for mid June around here because you know how hot it gets here right? “It gets hotter than a hoochie coochie”
The hills of Talladega National Forest turned into flatter areas that were dotted with farms and ranches and the occasional catfish and/or crawfish pond. I saw a few of these ponds but only got the one picture, this was one of the nicer places.
I’m back in pup-wud truck country but luckily for me, they are mostly parked on the weekends.
When you cross the border from Alabama into Mississippi, the road changes from a tree lined two lane into a cleared four lane, divided road. It was quite a surprise but a welcome one at the end of a 450+ mile day. The last 50 miles went by quite quickly at 75 mph.
The reason I’m in Laurel, MS is that my father-in-law was from this town. The old parts of the town are mostly empty buildings but the downtown area has been revitalized. The brick streets are a bit difficult to navigate at slow speeds on a motorcycle but I managed without falling down. This picture is for all the Slade girls.
Certainly not a straight line, but a great ride that I look forward to doing again.
First off, I would like to wish all you fathers out there a Happy Father’s Day. Being a dad is no small undertaking and a lifelong responsibility. I think a lot of what needs fixing these days can be attributed to absentee parents. I would like to thank my father for, among other things, teaching me independence – a character trait sadly lacking in today’s society.
I was looking for a place to eat in Natchez, MS where I could see the river and I lucked into the Magnolia Grill. Right down on the water, great motorcycle parking, and better food. I was there when they opened at 11:00 and it’s a good thing I was. After I sat down, they started putting reserved signs on all the tables and were turning away anyone without reservations – Father’s Day I’m sure and they no doubt figured I’d be out of there pretty quick. I thoroughly enjoyed my Magnolia shrimp but I wasn’t there more than 35 minutes.
I don’t know how long this building has been here but that last pane of glass on the right has the flaws (waves and bubbles) in it that glass made back in the 1800’s used to have. I would have asked but my waitress couldn’t figure out how to get the front door unlocked and it was actually starting to get really busy with the Fahter’s Day crowd.
Natchez, MS is the beginning of the Natchez Trace. A 440 mile trail through the forest that ends in Nashville, TN. It also links the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi Rivers. The reason for the foot traffic is that before the steam engine was invented, Natchez was the farthest north that anyone could get on the Mississippi River. Today the route is commemorated by the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway and Bridge, which follows the approximate path of the Trace. Think I’ll add that road to my list of roads I’d like to ride someday, looks like a good one.
Buying water in a gas station is difficult in some places. I guess people think – “Water, what, you want people to pay for water? Water is free, look around you it’s everywhere.” Louisiana is one of those places. They have one brand of water, it’s about 80 cents a liter and the bottle and labeling looks like something somebody put together in their back yard. I bought a bottle of this “water” and then I saw these Chick-O-Sticks. I’ve heard that these things are awful, but I’m gonna see for myself. On the wrapper it says crunchy peanut butter and toasted coconut candy. So with an open mind I tried it – Yuck.
College Station is called that because it’s home to Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University – or Texas A&M for short. It’s the states first public institution of higher learning and has been making Aggies smarter since 1876. My grandmother went to college here and my father was all set up to go to veterinary school here before he had to put plan B into effect. It’s a big enough town to have a Harley dealership and that’s why I’m here; otherwise it’s San Antonio or El Paso & I don’t really like either of those towns.
This area of Texas is more ranches than farm land. I would argue with anyone that said cattle are smart. But there has to be, “smarter than the average cow” – and that’s what these guys are. Hope they don’t get stuck in the mud – that happens some times.
I ended up on this toll road and was amazed at the speed limit. The speed limit on the access road to this toll road is 65 mph. I did some checking and it turns out that this isn’t the only place in Texas where you can floor it. The fastest speed limit and the fastest average speed for all roads combined is right here in the Lone Star State. I think if they ever went back to a national speed limit of 55 mph, Texas would opt out and take the hit on the funding. When I was in the Air Force and stationed here, the speed limit was 55 and it was horrendous. I’d like to see some numbers to see if the higher speed limit equates to more deaths. Probably not, or you would have heard about it by now.
This is the city hall building in San Marcos, Texas. It’s easy to see because there is no other building close to it that’s more than two stories. It’s freshly painted and stark contrast to the surroundings. Texas pride on display for the town of San Marcos.
Many of you have seen this sign before. It looks the same now as it did 38 years ago. Someone is doing a very good job of keeping it painted and clean. I’ve always liked the sign and the idea. I’m expecting that one of these times when I ride my bike up on the grass to get this picture, some officer of some kind is going to need to have a chat with me, but so far so good – and I think this is the 3rd time…….
You also see a lot of these around here. Windmills have been used for hundreds of years for various tasks but out here in the southwest. they are used to pump water. I took a picture of this one because I could get close enough to show you the tank that the water is pumped into. The sides of this tank are about 8 feet tall, and the water is likely fed to the house down the hill. When I was a kid we used to go swimming in these kind of water tanks in the summer. The cool water felt great – the water in the tanks we swam in was routed to watering troughs for livestock.
About 4 miles west of the Pecos River and half a mile north of the Mexican border you’ll find Langtry, TX. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Langtry is where the famous 
I was doing some research about where would be a good place to stay and picked the Chisos Mountain area. They have a lodge, restaurant, small general store, and campground there. I was going to tent camp but decided to check on a room since it was pretty hot and there were tons of gnats flying around in the campground. Luckily for me they had a room available and even better, I got a 30% discount for being a veteran. Had to show them a picture of my DD-214 but I was happy to dust that PDF off for 30% – thank you DropBox.
The plant you see in this shot is the Agave Americana. Where I grew up they were called Century Plant and I was told that they live near 100 years then near the end of its life, it sends up a tall, branched stalk, laden with yellow blossoms. After doing some research, they only live 30 years, not 100 – but the rest is accurate. Oh yea, they have a heavy spike at the end of their “leaves” that’ll go through your leather boots like a hot knife through butter. I think “back in the day” they were used as sewing needles.
Another thing I had to take care of while I was here was to replace something I lost. Every year I try to pick up something that is unique to that ride. Two years ago, I got a hat that I wear after I take my helmet off and in states without a helmet law, it is my “helmet”. That hat has a little pocket on the side for a key or something – I have no idea. Two years ago when I was at the Terlingua Trading Post I found a little pewter horny toad that fit perfectly in the pocket and since then that hat has gone with me on most of the rides I’ve taken. Well – I won’t bore you with the details but I lost that hat the day I left the Grand Canyon. I replaced the hat and now need to replace the horny toad. But just any old horny toad wouldn’t do; if at all possible, it had to come from the Trading Post in Terlingua, Texas. Rachel was quite nice and we chatted a little while I checked out with the perfect hat ornament and a Lone Star longneck – “The National Beer of Texas”. 
So, now my hat and ornament from 2014 have been replaced and I hope that my stolen hat and horny toad bring nothing but bad luck to the thief. Karma can be a bitch!!
Texas 170 is a great motorcycle road, but you’re gonna need to be on top of your game. In many places, the road turns immediately after the crest of a hill so you don’t see the turn coming and there’s no way to set up for it. The road itself is in good condition but this time through there were a few places where rain water had washed rocks and dirt from the hillsides across the asphalt. I took it easy enough that I never did scare myself but it was still challenging and a lot of fun. In this video you can see the river (border) in a couple places.
