April Trip South

I have to go to Randleman NC. on business, so , since I took the bike, I planned a more scenic route than just taking the expressway.

So far I rode down to Mobile, had a wonderful shrimp dinner at the Original Oyster House and Steamer in Mobile, on the Hwy 90 causeway, then over to Panama City, up to Rt 84, which is where I am at now in Valdosta Ga.

I have been riding not taking many pictures, but here are a few. ( I will be uploading to this folder as I go along ), so check back.



Tomorrow, I will be taking Rt 84 through the Okefenokee Swamp on the way to Savannah GA. I have never been this way before , so as with all new adventure , it is great.

Sunday, 5/22/07

The trip from Valdosta Ga to Myrtle Beach along US 84 was interrupted by a forest fire just SW of Waycross GA. Detour was probably 50 miles around it.

Myrtle Beach SC is rather an interesting place. The Dells, Branson, MO are on the same order of tackiness , but MB seems to be a little more blatant in the locals wish to relive you of your hard earned cash.

From MB I headed up to Randleman NC along NC 211. Wonderful journey through time in the North Carolina back country. The weather was as perfect as it could be, high 70's sunny and still air.

When I was finished with my job there, I headed to Fancy Gap VA where I-77 crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway. Today, I think I will head North on the Parkway, as I don't have to be to my next appointment in Ashland OH till Tuesday morning.

A note on traffic. It seems that people driving while using cell phones has gotten totally out of hand. I usually try to make eye contact with the drivers around me to get them to notice me and my bike. This is becoming impossible because everyone seems to be engrossed in some world changing cell conversion and not paying attention to the road. It doesn't matter if they have the phone up to their head or if they have a Spock ear thing. ( Those do NOT make driving and talking safer ).

It really makes you wonder, and for motorcycle riders, it is far more dangerous.

I have no answer, other than treating them as if they were the enemy in a video game that will at any moment try to kill you. To bad the bike doesnt have blasters.

Sunday night ...

Well , the job I have to do in Ashland is more complicated than I thought, so I did not do the Blue Ridge Parkway , I'll save that for another day , I just rode up here.

Well , 1st ride of the year, to here anyway , not home yet, so far has been 3478 miles in 6 days.

I should be done here Wednesday morning

More to come...

IBMWR Blitz To Branson

Well, I am going.

The Internet BMW Riders have put on the Blitz To Branson for 11 years. I have been to 2 of these, and this year am going again.

Here is the link to the IBMWR info:

http://www.ibmwr.org/events/2007/07_blitz2branson.htm

I 1st went in 1998 on my old 97 R1100RT, then again in 2001 on my 2000 R1150GS.

These folks are a great bunch and this has grown to be the unofficial kick off to the yearly riding season.

I was thinking of not going again, thinking of business, and the like.

But , nope, this is what life is about.

I am going.

Cheers

UPDATE! It was Great.

From Blitz to Bran...

Here are some Branson pics

VoniPics