Westward Bound!

We are hitting the road for three weeks. Instead of riding the motorcycle, we have made a special concession to our advancing age by trailering the bike. Our first destination is Custer State Park located in the Badlands of South Dakota. Yes, that is nearly 1300 miles from Somerville, Tennessee. So, we will spend the next few days driving across the country to the scenic Badlands.

Unlike our previous trips where we moved every day to a new location, we will stay for six days in the park at the Blue Bell Lodge where we have reserved a cabin (pictured on the link). We plan to ride the motorcycle from the cabin to nearby locations such as Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial the world's largest mountain carving. It's been 40 years since I visited this sight. I can hardly wait to see the progress made since 1971! There are so many things to see and do during the next 3 weeks. Stay tuned for updates.

Day 6 Good Morning, Signal Mountain!

Day 6 Good Morning, Signal Mountain!, originally uploaded by Gail S.

As soon as I woke up, I grabbed my camera to capture a shot of the spectacular view from the deck of Dave and Beth Harris's home located on the east brow of Signal Mountain, Tennessee! If you focus really hard, you can see the Tennessee River Gorge and parts of Chattanooga. Okay, that's on a clear day...this is the second day that Signal Mountain is socked in with pea soup fog.

Day 6 Pea Soup Fog Doesn't Stop "Real Bikers", originally uploaded by Gail S.

A little rain and a lot of fog won't deter "hardcore bikers" like Sid and Gail Spragins! We don our rain gear and wrap up the bike back pack. Sid shows his best side in this photo as he hooks up the trailer in preparation for our day on the road.

Day 6 Sid Says, "Look out for vampires and werewolves!", originally uploaded by Gail S.

I shot this as we were moving down Sawyer Cemetery Road toward Highway 127. We were going about 15 mph because the fog was so thick. This could be a very long day...

Day 6 Sequatchie Valley, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Less than 20 miles from foggy Signal Mountain, we emerge into the sun overlooking Sequatchie Valley as we head down the mountain toward Dunlap, Tennessee. Sequatchie Valley was named for the Cherokee Chief, Sequachee, who signed a treaty with the colonial government of South Carolina. Historians who have studied the language and lore of the Cherokee differ over the exact meaning of the word, but the general consensus is "opossum, he grins or runs."

We were heading for Dunlap, Tennessee, hang gliding capital of the East. The Tennessee Tree Toppers Hang Gliding group has two launching areas in the valley: the Henson's Gap ramp where their clubhouse and camping sites are located, and the more challenging Whitwell site. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any hang gliding due to the threatening weather.

Day 6 Black Cloud Over Sequatchie Valley, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Day 6 Sequatchie Valley Waterfalls, originally uploaded by Gail S.

The drive through the valley was fantastic. The road was good, not much traffic and the views were incredible. I captured this photo of a farm with a waterfall in the background. We noticed countless waterfalls from the Cumberland Plateau as we passed through Dunlap, Whitwell and Jasper. If it hadn't been for the recent rains, we wouldn't have noticed the creeks coursing down the escarpment from the plateau. It was truly a sight to behold. If only I could have taken a good photo of them...but one is limited when riding on the back of a motorcycle at 55 mph...

We stopped for lunch in Jasper at Carol's Southern Cooking Cafe, a small place with only 6 tables serving delicious fare. We had a chat with Benny, a fellow diner who lives in Whitwell. He used to work in the coal mine in Whitwell until it closed after an explosion that killed 13 miners in 1981. He started working there when he was quite young and has arthritis as a result of many years in the damp environment. (I think Benny is in his late fifties.) He said there wasn't much industry in the valley and that most folks travel 33 miles in to Chattanooga to find work. He was very excited about 650 good-paying jobs that will be brought in to South Pittsburg in the near future. He explained that a school is being built to educate the workers for the jobs. He also shared that many retirees from Chicago and Florida have moved to the valley...it's a gorgeous place to live with a low cost of living and a slow-paced environment. Benny seemed very happy with his life in Marion County. I've posted photos of a couple of churches we passed in Jasper before taking Hwy. 41 N and heading up to the Cumberland Plateau toward Tracy City, Monteagle and Sewanee.

We passed Monteagle Winery, but didn't stop to visit because it was chilly and the sky had turned dark. We were a bit worried about being caught in the rain again. We also passed The University of the South, a gorgeous university in Sewanee that we have visited on a previous trip through the area. We descended from the Cumberland Plateau toward Cowan, a picturesque little town in a lovely valley in the midst of spring. Forsythia and redbuds were everywhere. I think I could live here! Finally, we hit Hwy 64 and stopped for the night just past Frankewing, formerly the largest shipping station on the L&N Railroad line. It was a good day.

Day 6 Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Jasper, TN, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Day 6 United Methodist Church, Jasper, TN, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Day 2 Natchez Trace Parkway

Day 2 Natchez Trace Parkway, originally uploaded by Gail S.

The day was chilly, but not cold enough for our leathers. We took some back roads to Hohenwald, Tennessee. (If you recognize the name of this small town, it's probably because it is home of the Elephant Sanctuary.)

From there we entered the Natchez Trace Parkway, a roadway that is managed by the National Park Service. The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway commemorates an ancient trail used by animals and people that connected southern portions of the Mississippi River, through Alabama, to salt licks in today's central Tennessee. Today, visitors can experience this National Scenic Byway and All-American Road through driving, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping. After riding along this smooth, pleasant road, it is hard to imagine that the "Kaintucks," or boatmen from the Ohio River Valley, would walk approximately 500 miles from Natchez to Nashville along the Natchez Trace in about 30 days.

Day 2 "Melancholy" Death of Meriwether Lewis, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Here's Sid at our first stop on the parkway. This monument, erected in 1848 over Meriwether Lewis' remains, is located just off the Natchez Trace Parkway and is maintained by the National Park Service. The etchings refer to the melancholy death of Mr. Lewis who died mysteriously at the age of 35 while traveling on the Natchez Trace to Washington, DC. We learned more from visitors who had studied Mr. Lewis' life and told us he had suffered from depression and, possibly, bipolar disorder.

Day 2 Meriwether Lewis Monument, originally uploaded by Gail S.

This marker at the monument tells much of the story of Meriwether Lewis, Senior Commander of the Lewis and Clark Expedition who later became governor of Louisiana and died at the age of 35 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. (I just previewed this post on the blog and realized that the right edge of the photo has been cut off. Just click the photo to see the entire marker.)

Day 2 - The Parkway in Front of Us, originally uploaded by Gail S.

I shot this over Sid's shoulder to show you how it looks ahead of us. As Sid puts it, "We own the road!"

Day 2 - The Parkway Behind Us, originally uploaded by Gail S.

I shot this over my left shoulder showing our trailer and the road just traveled. Peaceful...

Day 2 - Collinwood Welcome Center, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We exited the parkway to visit the Welcome Center in Collinwood, Tennessee. This place was absolutely delightful! It is really spacious inside and houses a museum about the area. The volunteer we met offered brochures, magazines, homemade cookies and hot coffee. She exuded southern hospitality. We stayed in Collinwood for lunch at Chad's buffet where the townsfolk had gathered to share a meal after Sunday church services. Sid and I certainly stood out among the rest of the diners wearing their Sunday clothes.

It was another 30 miles down the parkway before we exited just outside of Florence, Alabama. We hated to get on busy Hwy 72 to make our way to Huntsville, our destination for the day. If you have followed our travels in the past, you know that we prefer to stick to "Blue Highways," a term coined by author, William Least Heat-Moon, to refer to small, forgotten, out of the way roads connecting rural America (which were drawn in blue on the old style Rand McNally road atlas). Well, our geekiness has emerged, and we are venturing into the big city of Huntsville, Alabama, to see the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the largest space museum IN THE WORLD! Yes, that's enough to get these two space camp wannabes to fight the traffic and the crowds on our vacation.

Our trip from the Natchez Trace to Huntsville was uneventful. The sun finally came out, the dogwoods are in bloom in the state of Alabama, and the local folks were fishing on the Tennessee River in and around Joe Wheeler State Park. It was a lovely Sunday afternoon in the spring. Tomorrow, look for photos and updates from our space adventure!

Day 3 - Shivering on the Skyway

My Self-Portrait on the Cherohala Skyway, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We left Fall Creek Falls bound for the Cherohala Skyway. This is my self-portrait on the Skyway. If you look really close, you can see my eyes peeking over the neck gator that I couldn't do without. Yes, it was cold, but we were bundled up like two Pillsbury Doughboys. It feels like I am wearing a space suit when I try to bend my multi-layered legs to get on the back of the bike.

We enjoyed the trip from Pikeville, Tennessee, through Dayton, Athens (are we in the USA?), Etowah and Tellico Plains where we ate at the Town Square Cafe before starting the 52 mile journey on the Skyway.

We had some concerns about the rear tire of the bike about midway along on the Skyway, but things turned out to be fine.

Sid on His Knees in Prayer?, originally uploaded by Gail S.

52 Miles of Heavenly Skyway, originally uploaded by Gail S.

It was a cloudy day with only glimpses of the sun, but that didn't diminish these heavenly views along the National Scenic Bypass that stretches from Tellico Plains, Tennessee, to Robbinsville, North Carolina.

It takes a masterful bike driver to negotiate these 52 miles safely...of course, God is there with us along the way.

The Bear Project, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Finally, we arrived in Cherokee, NC where we encountered The Bear Project in front of our hotel. Tomorrow, we will get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and make our way to Blowing Rock, NC to spend the night. It's supposed to be just above freezing in the morning. Guess we'll don our Pillsbury Doughboy layers to protect us from the cold!

Day 1 - Back in The Saddle Again

Dogwood Delirium at Fall Creek Falls State Park and Resort, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Sid and I left our River House in Lobelville, Tennessee, and struck out for somewhere east...hopefully getting as far as Fall Creek Falls State Park and Resort just outside of Pikeville, Tennessee. It was my first motorcycle ride in six months.

We had forgotten how cold it gets on the bike, especially when there is no sign of the sun. We kept stopping to don more clothes...neck gator first; then, gloves; finally the full leather set - jacket and chaps. We discussed the long underwear, but decided we could tough it out.

Overall impressions from the day (besides the cold, dreary weather): 1) Tennessee is in the midst of "dogwood delirium" with these pretty trees dotting the horizon and decorating every lawn. 2) Horses, goats and pastures - "Oh my!" 3) What's with all these tree farms and nurseries on Hwy 55 near McMinnville?

Tennessee towns of note: Hohenwald (home of the elephant sanctuary); Belfast (are we in the USA?); Hampshire (quaint and quick); Lewisburg (missed two turns there); Columbia (the court square is a "must see"); Shelbyville (home of The Celebration - the premier Tennessee Walking Horse competition and home of Sid's beloved late grandparents - Granny and Pa); McMinnville (historic downtown was an oasis on a gray day).

Tiny Trees are Taking Over, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Finally, at 5:15 pm we reached the Inn at Fall Creek Falls. Hopefully, we will have a few photos of the falls tomorrow in spite of the 80% chance of rain tomorrow. Hmmm...I wonder if our rain gear will fit OVER the leathers...