Biker's Version of Knee Deep by The Zac Brown Band

Here's my version of the song "Knee Deep" by the Zac Brown Band and Wyatt Durrette.  I made a few minor changes to the words to line it up with the way bikers look at things.  I think anyone singing at biker events should use these words :)

Go ahead, give it a try.  Sing along with Zac Brown and Jimmy Buffett using the link and words below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJbG7256ZLY 


Gonna put the world away for a minute
Pretend I don’t live in it
Sunshine gonna wash my blues away

Had sweet love but I lost it
She got too close so I fought her
Now I’m lost in the world trying to find me a better way

Wishing I was knee bent in the saddle somewhere
Got the blue sky breeze and it don’t seem fair
Only worry in the world is my gas gonna get me there

Sunrise there’s a fire in the sky
Never been so happy
Never felt so high
And I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise

Wrote a note said be back in a minute
Bought a Harley and I rode off on it
Don’t think anybody gonna miss me anyway

Mind on a permanent vacation
The highway is my only medication
Wishing my condition ain’t ever gonna go away

Cause now I’m knee bent in the saddle somewhere
Got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair
Only worry in the world is my gas gonna get me there

Sunrise there’s a fire in the sky
Never been so happy
Never felt so high
And I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise

This V-twin roar washing over me
It’s a sweet sweet life riding on a big Harley
One day you could be as lost as me
Change your geography
Maybe you might be

Knee bent in the saddle somewhere
Got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair
Only worry in the world is my gas gonna get me there

Sunrise there’s a fire in the sky
Never been so happy
Never felt so high
And I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise

Come on now, the roads are nice
Find yourself a little slice
Grab a backpack of lies
You’ll never know until you try
When you lose yourself
You find the key to paradise

Ah, the Heck with Daytona - Let's Go Home

After a few days with family and friends it was time to move on.  Decision time.  Go to Daytona Beach for opening weekend of Bike Week or head home.  I can't really explain why, but going home seemed to win out.  Normally, I'd look for any and every excuse to ride hundreds of miles out of my way, but this trip I was just ready to go home.

Before I left Virginia, Renee tried to tell me I should wait a few more days and go later.  One of these days, I'm going to listen to her when she is trying to tell me these things.  Normally my rides have me on the move every day and this time I rode hard to Alabama and spent a few days in one place.  I think this gave me too much time on my hands and the next thing I knew I was hellbent on going home.

So, I bailed on the Daytona part of the trip and started looking at the route home.  The weather had a big part to play in the decision.  A new cold front was moving in and stretched across the US from the Great Lakes to Texas.  I needed to ride hard to stay in front of it and avoid the rain and storms that were coming with it.

Here's the weather map from 7AM on March 8 - The day I left Alabama headed for Virginia

I picked a route that I thought would give me the best shot of avoiding the weather.  Unfortunately, that meant another day of riding interstates.  My thought was to ride hard toward Greensboro, North Carolina.  This route would take me northeast and, with a little luck, keep me ahead of the cold front.

Then I had a stroke of genius!  Mt Airy, North Carolina was only 65 or 70 miles northwest of Greensboro and it's the birthplace of Andy Griffith.  Now as embarrassing as this may be for me (and definitely for Renee) I am a huge fan of the Andy Griffith Show.  I've seen every episode or at least Renee will tell you I've seen them all.  Mt Airy was the town that was the basis for Mayberry in the show.  I had to go there.  It's just that simple.

So, I jumped on the bike around 6:30 that morning and set my sights for "Mayberry"!  I made a stop in Loxley to fill the tank and then it was 169 miles and 2 hours and 15 minutes of non-stop riding up I-65 to Montgomery and then northeast on I-85 toward Atlanta.  This was one of those "My butt was screaming at me" sections of the ride and I was happy to take a break just east of Montgomery.

As I was headed north on I-65, somewhere in southeast Alabama, I saw several Storm Tracker vehicles headed south.  My initial thought was, "Oh hell, I hope those guys aren't expecting nasty weather soon."  Then I realized, having them going the opposite direction as me was actually a good thing.  Hopefully, if they found their storms, they would be well south of me.

I kept riding hard all day with the intent of getting to Mt Airy before dark.  I lost an hour when I crossed into Georgia, so I had good intentions, but not enough daylight.  Each section of the ride that day was a minimum of 130 miles and the breaks were short, but sweet (at least for my rear anyway.) 

You can get a McDouble, small fries and small drink for $3 (they're all on the dollar menu at McDonald's).  Three bucks and quick!  My kind of lunch if I don't have time to sit down and enjoy something more substantial, like a cold beer.  After my new found "perfect" lunch (assuming McDonald's can actually offer a "perfect" lunch) I continued up I-85 through South Carolina and into North Carolina.

I remember a ride a couple of years ago when Lake Hartwell at the Georgia-South Carolina state line on I-85 was way down due to the drought.  It had improved significantly since that ride, but you could still see that it had a long way to go to fully recover.  It's a beautiful area and the various fingers of the lake play peek-a-boo with I-85 for about 25 miles.

I made a gas stop in South Carolina.  As I walked back to the bike, a guy asked me where I was headed.  I told him Mt Airy and then he asked where I was coming from.  I told him I had left Mobile that morning.  His response, "Ha, I got ya beat!  I left Arkansas this morning."  Then he proceeded to get back into his car and drive away.  My thoughts, "You're in a car, MORON!  It really isn't the same."

After getting gas in South Carolina, I didn't stop again until I got to the Lone Star Steakhouse in Mt Airy 145 miles up the road.  I arrive shortly after sunset and had a nice hearty meal.  Since I didn't have a motel reservation, I used my phone to check out options.  I made a call to the first motel to pop up on my search and the next thing I knew I was headed to the Mayberry Motor Inn.  How could I possibly resist? 

I really need to get that AARP card and take advantage of those discounts

I highly recommend the Mayberry Motor Inn if you ever find yourself in Mt Airy, NC.  First, the staff is friendly and welcoming and second, the rooms are neat and clean.  Plus, there's a replica of Andy's squad car and Emmett's pickup truck in the parking lot.  I loved it!

The Mayberry Sheriff's Department squad car

Emmett's Fix-It Shop

The bike outside my room at the Mayberry Motor Inn - I smile every time I say those words - C'mon, admit it - They make you smile too, don't they?  Mayberry Motor Inn :)

The rain started about half an hour after I checked in and it rained most of the night.  But, by morning, the front had moved through and even though it was a little colder, I had missed the rain.  Woo hoo!  I love it when a plan comes together!

I spent the next couple of hours wandering around "Mayberry".  After a quick stop at Andy's boyhood home, my plan was to have breakfast at the Blue Bird Diner, but they didn't open until lunch, so I ate at Barney's Cafe instead.  Five bucks for 2 eggs, bacon, home fries and coffee.  Not bad.  I spent the next hour or so wandering along Main Street and seeing the sights.

Andy Griffith's boyhood home - You can book it through the Hampton Inn if you want to stay here

The Blue Bird Diner

Barney's Cafe

Main Street in Mt Airy

Floyd's Barber Shop

One of several of the Mayberry-themed shops along Main Street

After my strolls down Main Street, I headed for Wally's Service Station.  It was at the north end of Main Street and offered not only a few antique cars, but also a replica of the "Courthouse", home to the Squad Car Tours.

Wally's Service Station

Need a tow?

Foley's Market is in the window on the left - It was the scene of one of my favorite Andy Griffith episodes where Aunt Bea won't "call the man" to replace their freezer and she has to ask Mr. Foley to store the meat she bought from a competitor - Great episode!

The "Courthouse" building

Mayberry  Courthouse

I left Main Street and filled the tank to start my ride home.  I planned to visit J.E.B. Stuart's birthplace in Ararat, Virginia just a few miles north of Mt Airy, but somehow I missed the signs for it.  Oh well, by this time I was headed for home so there was no doubling back.  Instead, I kept riding and made my next stop in Martinsville, Virginia with a visit to the speedway there, another NASCAR stop.

51 degrees, but at least it was dry and I was only a couple hundred miles from home by this time

Turn 4 at Martinsville

My next goal was home.  I stopped for some Popcorn Chicken at KFC in Lynchburg, Virginia.  I received a text while I was in KFC from a buddy back home looking for someone to join him for happy hour at our local pub, so it was balls to the walls for home after that.  I made it to the Lion and Bull by about 5PM and settled into a cold Coors Light and telling lies with my friends.

Not the best ride I've ever taken, but not the worst either.  All in all a good trip.  I always enjoy seeing my Alabama family and friends, so that made it worthwhile and heck, a stop down memory lane in "Mayberry" was pretty good too.

Overall, the trip was 2230 miles and the bike got a little more than 39 miles to the gallon even though I had it loaded down.  Good times.

I did 2200 miles on the motorcycle and all Renee got was this tee shirt!

Here's Dana!

My buddies back in Virginia were giving me a hard time.  They were saying, "Dude, you mention this hottie in your last blog, but you didn't even have a picture of her!"  So, in order to satisfy the masses and possibly make Dana a star, here's she is now:

 

Thanks Dana for indulging my/their request.  Enjoy fellows!

A New Riding Season Has Begun

It still seems weird using a title like this for a story.  In Texas it was always riding season, but since moving to Virginia, old age and actually experiencing a season called winter make it less desirable to hop on the bike and go for a long ride from around December through February.  By hey, it's March!  March 3rd as a matter of fact and time to hit the road.  The big plan was to ride to Alabama and visit with friends and family then head to Daytona Beach for opening weekend of Bike Week 2012.  But, like most of my rides, plans change.

I awoke that Saturday morning to temperatures in the 30s and a light rain.  I guess there's no better way to break in a new bike than to just hit the cold, wet roads with it.

My new 2011 Road Glide Ultra

Many years ago I had a service technician tell me, "With as many miles as you ride, you've gotta get a Road Glide, man.  They're the most comfortable bike Harley makes."  I finally succumbed to the temptation and brought a new bike home from the dealer on January 7th (Ok, so I lied about not riding in January, but it wasn't a long ride.  50 miles or so.  That doesn't really count.)  In addition to a new bike, I was also sporting a new helmet and a new coat.  Nothing like testing out the new equipment on a 2500 mile ride!

Side view of my new helmet (I got the peace sign for Renee!)

Rear view of the new helmet (I got the bullets for me!)

And here's the new coat

The plan for Day 1 was to ride hard and get as far as I could so that I could meet up with friends in Mobile Sunday afternoon.  But, I wanted to make a detour to Tuscaloosa on the way.  I've ridden through Alabama many times, but I always seemed to miss Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama.  I decided this time I was going to make it to Bryant-Denny Stadium and get some pictures.  After all, they are the current BCS National Champions!

With that in mind, I set my sights on the Motel 6 in Bessemer, Alabama, some 730 miles away.  I knew if I rode hard, I could make that before dark.  Unfortunately, riding hard means riding the interstates, but I've made this trip so many times that I was either going to go way out of my way to find a new route or just get on with it.  Interstates it was.

The service technician was right.  The Road Glide was very comfortable.  I did more than 140 miles before my first stop to fuel and give my butt a break.  After that, every stretch was over 100 miles and usually anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours.  If you've ever ridden a motorcycle for long distances, you know that after about an hour in the saddle your butt is talking to you.  After an hour and a half, it's screaming at you.  My new Road Glide gave me at least an extra half hour before the talking and screaming began.  Still, after two hours in the saddle, my butt simply quit speaking to me at all.

The new coat and helmet did their respective jobs well too.  The only problem I had was the snap on the helmet didn't want to hold the section of loose chin strap, so I had to tuck it under to keep it from flapping around and smacking me in the chin.  That was more of an annoyance than a problem though.

I squeezed in a stop (it was time for a butt break anyway) at Blackwolf Harley-Davidson in Bristol, Virginia.  Bristol is right on the state line and shares its name with its sister city in Tennessee.  Bristol, Tennessee is home to the Bristol Speedway of NASCAR fame.

2012 CVO Road Glide Custom at Blackwolf H-D - badass bike - the picture doesn't show it as well as I had hoped so you'll have to just trust me when I say it had a sweet paint job

I love my Motel 6.  They're not for everyone, but for me, they are inexpensive, usually clean and quiet, and typically conveniently located.  The one in Bessemer had me a little concerned.  I arrived just before sunset (in hindsight, I could have made it to Tuscaloosa) and there were a lot of people milling around their rooms and talking loud as well as hollering between their rooms and the various vehicles in the parking lot.  I thought, "Oh man, this is going to be a long night."  But, as the evening wore on, everyone settled down, I orders a Domino's Pizza, and got myself a good night's rest.

After a breakfast of cold, leftover pizza, I saddled up and headed to Tuscaloosa via the back roads.  I made a stop at Lake Tuscaloosa (which was very pretty with the cliffs and all, but the pictures just didn't do it justice.)

Lake Tuscaloosa

From the lake to Bryant-Denny Stadium.  For an Alabama fan, it was like a pilgrimage.

Bryant-Denny Stadium

The Paul "Bear" Bryant Statue in honor of his six National Championships - Each coach at Alabama who has won a National Championship has a similar statue and curved wall listing their name and years they won the National Championship - There are five coaches in all, including Wallace Wade (3), Frank Thomas (2), Gene Stallings (1) and Nick Saban (2), but my main interest was in "The Bear"

Statue at the main entrance to Bryant-Denny Stadium

Main entrance to the Stadium

Just a reminder that Bama is the current National Champions

I bugged out of Tuscaloosa after my moments of reverence and headed for Mobile.  The route had me going down US-43 all the way and there really isn't much to see or talk about, but I did stop in Demopolis to give my butt a break and take a picture at Lake Demopolis.

Lake Demopolis

I remember coming to Demopolis once as a kid and seeing the locks there.  The city is at the confluence of the Black Warrior and Tombigbee rivers, two major water tributaries in Alabama.  Even though it is some 140 miles inland, they actually have inland docks at the Port of Demopolis that allow for access to the Gulf of Mexico as well as the Great Lakes.

My next stop was Tacky Jack's on the causeway basically in Mobile Bay between Mobile and Spanish Fort.  Laurie, who I hadn't seen in 25 years or so and Randy, friends from high school, met me there and we spent the next couple of hours catching up and cracking up at some of the stupid things we did back in the day.

The view from the front porch of Tacky Jack's

Sign on the piling at Tacky Jack's - seems like good advice

Sunset from the porch at Tacky Jack's looking back at the USS Alabama

I ended my day at my parents house in Foley after riding about 300 miles in all and even though I was on the road all day there were so many stops it was a pretty easy day of riding.  On Monday, I rode down to Gulf Shores and hung out at, where else?, The Hangout.  They had WiFi so I could stay connected to work as well as enjoy the beach.  I made a run to the Flora-Bama Lounge as well as a stop at the Pink Pony Pub and B&L's Happy Shak.

The Hangout is one of my favorite places - It's right on the beach and offers great views as well as cold beer

The sign says it all

The entrance to the Flora-Bama

The view from the back deck of the Flora-Bama

Inside the Flora-Bama - hey, it was still morning!

The beach at the Flora-Bama

The back of the Flora-Bama

Unfortunately, they are doing construction at the front of the Flora-Bama of what looks to be a respectable building.  I remember it as a makeshift series buildings and decks.  I think they are going to make it look like a regular place instead of the eclectic hodge-podge I remember.  Oh well, progress.  Still, it's a great beach bar.

The Pink Pony Pub has been on the beach in Gulf Shores since before I was born

B&L's Happy Shak offers a groovy atmosphere as you can see from the pictures

B&L's Happy Shak is family-operated by Brian and Liz Ottosen.  I saw the peace signs and knew Renee would love the place.  Once inside, you get a sense of the overall funkiness of the place, so I couldn't leave without some pictures to make you smile.  There's something for everyone at the Happy Shak from funky clothes and home accessories to hemp jewely, collectables, tye dye shirts, woodstock and hippy merchandise.

Part of the fence at the Happy Shak

More of the fence in the back

The van at the Happy Shak

On Tuesday, I took the bike to Eastern Shore Harley-Davidson to get serviced.  On the way there, I had to stop at the Spear Hunting Museum.  I've passed by many times, but always blew by without stopping in.  Unfortunately, it was closed, but I couldn't resist a couple of pictures.  Maybe one of my trips back I'll get to go inside.

Yeah, I know, Spear Hunting Museum in Summerdale, AL, go figure

If the Spear Hunter Museum says Gene Morris is the "greatest living spear hunter in the world" then who am I to argue the point

I had lunch at my cousin's BBQ restaurant in Robertsdale, Porky's.  For those of you in the area, make sure you stop in and say hello to Ron and Shirley.  Ron's got a custom made smoker in the back and cooks up some terrific BBQ.  The pulled pork was my favorite, but the ribs and chicken we pretty good too.

Porky's BBQ in Robertsdale - GET SOME! - You can never go wrong eating at the place where the local law enforcement officers go

From Porky's I made my way back across the causeway to Mobile with a quick stop for another shot of the Battleship Alabama.

Every time I cross the I-10 bridge across Mobile Bay or the causeway from Spanish Fort, the USS Alabama is there to welcome me home

I had some time to kill in Mobile before meeting friends at Callaghan's Irish Social Club.  So, I wandered around downtown a little and took some pictures.  If you've never been to Mobile, you'd be surprised at the architectural as well as the natural beauty in the city.  Plus, Mobile celebrated the first-known American Mardi Gras celebration in 1703 (yep, even before New Orleans), so you know that has to make it a party town!  I found a parking spot beside Spanish Plaza and proceeded to wander around a bit.

Spanish Plaza in the heart of Mobile

The azaleas in Spanish Plaza

The statue of Hernando de Soto in Spanish Plaza - note the beads left over from Mobile's Mardi Gras celebration the week before I arrived - He explored the area of Mobile Bay back in 1540

Bernardo de Gálvez, again well-beaded - On March 14, 1780, he captured Fort Charlotte in Mobile from the British

Government Street - I love the old oak trees and the way they form a canopy over the street and sidewalks

Church Street with her oak canopy too

The Malaga Inn and the giant oak that welcomes you at the front door

The Mobile Carnival Museum celebrates the history of Mardi Gras in Mobile

Another shot of the front porch of the Mobile Carnival Museum

A shot of the top of tallest building in downtown Mobile, the RSA Battle House Tower, through the oak trees

After my walkabout in Mobile, I headed to Callaghan's for an evening with friends.  For some unknown reason, I had my camera out the entire time I was with friends, but never took any pictures.  I guess I was too busy enjoying everyone's company.  Oh well, they all know what they look like.

High school sweethearts, Kenny and Joyce (our oldest married couple with almost 34 years under their belt) were there along with another long-term high school couple, Steve and Tina (coming up on 33 years together).  Laurie, or Wheatie as we all know her, was there with her son Trey, so she was assured of having a designated driver.  And, of course, my best buddy Dana was there looking as pretty as the day we graduated high school.  It was great to see everyone and we realized it's time to start planning that 35th reunion.

Callaghan's Irish Social Club - a great neighborhood bar - Kenny told me they close down 6 square blocks around Callaghan's for St. Patrick's Day - Must be a good time!

I finished up my stay in Alabama at my Uncle Jim's 60th birthday party at Porky's Wednesday night.  More good food and good times.  I didn't take the camera so pictures are lacking, but it was a nice treat to get to see so many of my kin in one place.  Jim's a terrific guy and it was a lot of fun to get to participate in his birthday celebration. 

Thursday morning I jumped on the bike and headed back to Virginia.  Yeah, that's right Virginia.  I decided to blow off going to Daytona.  I've been there and done that and it just seemed like it was time to go home.  Plus, a new cold front was moving in and if I wanted to miss having to ride in the rain, I needed to make tracks north and east.

More about that part of the story in the next blog.