tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12382700574655281872024-02-06T21:31:08.180-08:00Tails of the Off Track ThoroughbredJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.comBlogger504125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-92033887641312246832020-03-31T11:02:00.000-07:002020-03-31T11:02:27.015-07:002020Well, I knew it had been awhile, but I can't believe it's been a year since I blogged for real! Once Flickr started limiting photos, it became more difficult to move photos from my phone to the computer so facebook is just an easier avenue to blog rides.<br />
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I'm going to save all the personal drama for my other blog. I made this one specifically for saving and logging RIDES. Used to be, for my horse ... now, for the steel horse. Rides are getting more tricky now with this COVID-19 virus causing mass panic across the globe. Mental health is every bit as important as physical health, as the spike in suicide death has shown. Riding motorcycles ... NOT going to contribute to spreading this thing unless you ride in mass groups and hang all over each other after getting off your bike. Most of us ride 2-6 people at the most, we wear full protective gear, and when we get off to take a break, we're well further than the recommended 6 feet apart. Most restaurants have their dining rooms closed, so we're doing carry out on the sidewalk, or pack a lunch in the saddlebags. I understand the concern of accidents taking away hospital resources; but we STILL have to drive to buy groceries and essentials and just to get OUT. I think we're all going stir crazy already, and the time recommendations just keep increasing. So I will ride, and I will continue to ride. Soon enough, this will all be over and we can get back to epic road trips ... for now, they're shorter and more local rides which is all I need!<br />
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Planning for a few miles with my buddy Lenore on Thursday; it's all because of her I passed my class, I believe! I'm bad about getting in my head when I'm in a stressful situation, and she reminded me BEFORE I attempt that dang corner, or that dang weave line to get in the friction zone. It helped TREMENDOUSLY, and I have used that advice many times on the tight, curvy roads I've ridden on. I'm usually the follower, so to lead a ride is always different for me. I just hope I don't forget where to turn!<br />
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So, I thought I'd go over a few things as I approach 3 years of owning Khaleesi. I've already hit my 3 years having my license, but I never rode on my own until I got my bike. I've enjoyed every second I've owned my Indian. I've had ups and downs with my riding, as has everyone I'm sure, but the ups WAY outweigh the downs!!<br />
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1. My biggest challenge is by far my faith in myself. I have had several minor accidents because of "bucking up" and believing in my abilities, from jumping horses to riding ATVs. That negative reinforcement has served to teach me that I don't always have it covered. I don't have brute strength, and I don't have height on my side.<br />
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2. It was a long time before I FINALLY got my bike 100% dialed in. Don't give up on your bike if it feels mostly great, but still has that something that isn't quite right. Keep tinkering and trying things until you get it right. I had to make improvements piece by piece, and sometimes one "improvement" would actually accentuate discomfort somewhere else.<br />
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3. Confidence DOES come. You may not feel it 100% of the time, but with miles comes experience. I've learned to not be hard on myself if I feel like I've "wimped out" in ANY situation involving motorcycles. Sometimes that "wimping out" may save your life. We all have days that we just aren't feeling something; that may very well be God impressing upon you that today just isn't your day.<br />
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4. Take every ride with an open mind. Every small situation can teach you something about being a safer rider. I didn't chronicle it on this blog, but on our big New England vacation, I wrecked my bike. I wrecked her because I ignored early warning signs from several rides where I slid in a straight line stop due to locking up my brakes. It took laying her down at 35 mph down an interstate off ramp to figure out how to brake properly.<br />
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5. Don't fight the motorcycle. There are hundreds of different brands and thousands of different models for every size, desire, and style of rider. Once you've found your ideal model, trust that the machine is going to take care of you. As you carve through canyons and zip around corners, sit up tall or tuck in tight, and let the weight of gravity get you through it. The more relaxed and "loose" you are, the more you're able to just enjoy the ride and chew through those miles!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The one bright side of damaging a motorcycle tank is having it fixed with some custom paint!!</td></tr>
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I've ridden a hair over 32,000 miles in 3 years so far. I've treasured every mile. This past week was GREAT, riding wise. Looking forward to Thursday's ride, weather permitting of course! Thanks for checking in, I'll try to post more here rather than just on facebook! Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-57643972753009571862019-03-24T09:04:00.000-07:002019-03-24T09:04:19.076-07:00First overnight of 2019<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Put a few new stickers on my new helmet</td></tr>
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There's nothing like blogging out on the front porch with a cup of coffee. I am so looking forward to the day that we are able to buy a house with a breathtaking view of the mountains, so I am REALLY inspired when I'm writing. It'll come :)<div>
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I decided on the blog today because our trip was almost more of a "business" trip, so we don't have any good pictures to share. I would say that's the biggest disadvantage to riding my own motorcycle vs. being a "hubby hugger" is that I can't snap pics while we're riding down the road. David tried to get some GoPro footage, but the wind on Friday was No Joke. In fact, I'd say it was literally the most windy day we've ridden in at all. It was crazy!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only makeup I wear when riding</td></tr>
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The weekend dawned almost frosty in the mornings, warming up to a crisp 60ish degrees. Basically, classic Spring weather. Our trip was to be an overnight Friday/Saturday one. It sort of came about on accident; I suggested last weekend that we needed a hotel room w/ a hot tub to come home to, and that planted the seed for an idea. We discussed a few overnight possibilities, but by mid week I'd already decided to scrap the idea. We have a HUGE trip planned for July ... and this is already almost April. So we need to save as much as we can in order to pull off what we have planned. My creative side, David, came up with an interesting route taking us to just outside Nashville, then up into areas of Kentucky we've never been to. We were planning to ride to Family Video stores.</div>
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You may be scratching your head wondering what is Family Video? Well, it's basically a smaller Blockbuster Video type chain. And yes, they're open and thriving ... the video rental business is NOT dead! And just why would we want to frequent such an establishment? David makes a little extra money here and there by buying and selling movie codes online. Family Video buys their movies from places like Wal Mart, so they pull all the codes out of the movies and actually sell them. David found out they have all kinds of sales on their codes, so he figured we could have the best of both worlds; an overnight trip w/ a hotel room and hot tub AND make a little extra money on the side. Count me in!</div>
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We both managed to swing getting off work on Friday by noon, so we raced home (not on motorcycles; remember those frosty mornings??) jumped on our bikes, and hit the road. Our plan was to make it to 2 of the stores before checking into our hotel for the night, then go eat, then indulge in the hot tub. Time was on our side, because we fell back an hour as we headed west. A lot of the route was Interstate, and it was CRAZY. The wind was blowing so hard, the majority of our conversation back and forth was "WHOA! This is CRAZY". Lol. I have finally gotten used to how much Khaleesi moves around at high speeds. When I had only a few thousand miles under my belt, the movement would cause my heart to be in my throat, and my hands would cramp from holding my grips so tight. Add in high winds, and the bike feels like she's literally dancing around underneath me. But my mind was in such a serene place, it was weird. I sat nice and tall, kept my hands relaxed on the grips, and twisted the throttle more than usual as we zoomed up and around the semi trucks. What was interesting is I can feel the movement in my hips and core, but when I look down at my hands, the handlebars are secure and stable, NO movement in my hands. That's why I've been able to store up my confidence, is that what I'm feeling isn't necessarily a bad thing. David was almost feeling it more than me because he said the fairing on the Chieftan was catching more wind than he used to feel on his Vulcan.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Robin ... YUM!</td></tr>
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We finally got off and rode some state roads. The wind was marginally better, but definitely still there as these were 55/60 mph roads. I was thoroughly enjoying myself because much of the central plateau area is not area we're familiar with. The sheer rock formations and wide open fields gave me plenty to look at and soak in, and before I knew it, we were arriving at the first video store. I didn't go in to any of them. I grabbed my book (an oldie, but one I've never read; John Grisham's "The Pelican Brief"), grabbed my drink, and sprawled out on the curb next to the bikes. I was comfortable in my layers and just took off my leather jacket at the stops. </div>
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After David did his thing, we made our way out to Hendersonville, TN. We've been to Nashville several times, but always IN the city. And never on the motorcycles. Hendersonville is roughly half an hour from downtown, and it was fabulous. Very beautiful landscape, lots of newer stores and restaurants, and our hotel. Let me just say, our hotel was SO nice. It had the fanciest bathroom of any normal "chain" hotels we've ever stayed in. Nice brown and teal carpeting, a soothing and light scent, and crisp white coverlet on the bed; NOT the big, giant puffy things that normally cover the beds. We ate at a spot that used to be a favorite treat, Red Robin. I'm pleased to say it was super good; the one we have out here close to us is TERRIBLE. Bad service, filthy restaurant, and bad food :( We stuffed our faces and made our way to the hot tub. YESSSSSS ... :):)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fancy shower and fancy Kohler fixtures</td></tr>
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The next morning we went to none other than our favorite Cracker Barrel and hit the road up into Bowling Green, KY. This part of the ride wasn't much to talk about. We had fun seeing the different landscaping and areas. I got lots of reading done as David made it to 5 stores. Finally, around 5:15 central time he was done. We got serious about riding and found a few roads that were more curvy. KY has interesting state roads, because sometimes they turn into tiny little country routes with twists and curves and lots of farmland. Once we hit interstate, that pretty much ended our surface roads. The wind was better, but as the sun went down the temps were dropping and I was getting straight up cold. I held on to the bike and we roared through the twists and curves and ups and downs of I-40 E getting back into the Knoxville area. It is NOT just straight, flat interstate. It is very challenging to roar through at 80 mph up and down mountains and around curves on Interstate that mostly does not have any lighting. I kept my eyes always looking for potential problems and wildlife, but our angels rode with us and we made it home safe and sound and 100% problem free. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8sHbeZaplcIpAbrd8a1qslfkV24a8-ehv3PnKHsbFbywc44qocDvvEyXB44GZKPdeaURKiQMQYwj6bDL078L9c1MT4Rj2x_8arGeLsdKFkgYqZ6hheKnNmCtqAYQq9w9Xqafser1ZApA/s1600/IMG_4341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8sHbeZaplcIpAbrd8a1qslfkV24a8-ehv3PnKHsbFbywc44qocDvvEyXB44GZKPdeaURKiQMQYwj6bDL078L9c1MT4Rj2x_8arGeLsdKFkgYqZ6hheKnNmCtqAYQq9w9Xqafser1ZApA/s400/IMG_4341.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A road/motorcycle trip favorite</td></tr>
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<div>
Our Indians are so ideal for what we do. My bike is finally perfectly set up for my preferences. My back doesn't get tired, my helmet doesn't get buffeted by the wind, and my knees don't hurt from only having pegs to rest my feet on. David's bike has GIANT saddlebags with lots of room for all my extras, and he is so comfortable on his, too. He did change out the seat that came stock on his bike for one that came stock on a Chieftan Elite, and he is much more comfortable. His stock seat was just too soft and didn't give him enough support. His new one is also soft, but it's supportive too. The only thing he needs now for 100% comfort is a heel shifter. That's what he's used to, and it's what he prefers. My bike is so beautifully neutral in all conditions. I can cruise at 85 mph up and down hills, and I can weave and twist through tight, no center line roads. She never hesitates, never gives me trouble, and the 120 mile limit on the gas tank is a PERFECT stopping point for getting off and stretching/getting a drink. Our bikes also spark up conversation everywhere we go, every ride, no exceptions. We're always thrilled to promote the brand, and to meet enthusiasts where ever we go. Looking forward to our next "business" trip ;)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTo_fQZLzOnbT_A_Wpo7Lc3Uj2W9041qijHlB6FVX3h7oQ8a3jmV-Le9sgO-wvdbHdhUSfhLQf_2HLUYTqa1eQ7W6lxuz8xOYEgS5vmKN-iak4KFlOdIdzPKZSkhrgz5aVNsKYCUNiBnG/s1600/IMG_5623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTo_fQZLzOnbT_A_Wpo7Lc3Uj2W9041qijHlB6FVX3h7oQ8a3jmV-Le9sgO-wvdbHdhUSfhLQf_2HLUYTqa1eQ7W6lxuz8xOYEgS5vmKN-iak4KFlOdIdzPKZSkhrgz5aVNsKYCUNiBnG/s400/IMG_5623.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How we secured our bikes at the hotel. Just keeps honest people honest</td></tr>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-70877159378938245682018-12-26T16:20:00.000-08:002018-12-26T16:20:33.874-08:00Christmas Ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZrAWrf2M8upa6M2raXAG0q9Sq-TigQZB2QOO2nrrh53BrAdKf5eGeBHfxFZ_7oP8brvy5LY_OKnCTg88NzL4dz48cS9Q4Bcscs97UbiaQPmFKpSNHPv09inTEy2eLtlmE8nvUUxSNUAm/s1600/44660514000_4329424b9a_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZrAWrf2M8upa6M2raXAG0q9Sq-TigQZB2QOO2nrrh53BrAdKf5eGeBHfxFZ_7oP8brvy5LY_OKnCTg88NzL4dz48cS9Q4Bcscs97UbiaQPmFKpSNHPv09inTEy2eLtlmE8nvUUxSNUAm/s400/44660514000_4329424b9a_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I can remember the day I became 'addicted' to riding. I was 8 years old, and I'd just been instructed on how to mount a horse. My instructor looked me in the eye once she'd set my feet properly in the stirrups and said, "Now, this may feel weird". As the aged gray mare took her first steps with me astride, the joyful feeling that overtook my body was one I will never shake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5DhFpC5iiP3iZB5QN48IO6ymy8r9i6pgQtJqtHmPMFhCF8QePrsErHcQ-uDcC28gCsC_iYFycLY6rlf2u3pxRBmu1HlzdjhJWZFlnk9sQ_j30pbRX2gyEUjg5e2HWuqUtXaeteKQ2s0I/s1600/45564312375_34ebab4069_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5DhFpC5iiP3iZB5QN48IO6ymy8r9i6pgQtJqtHmPMFhCF8QePrsErHcQ-uDcC28gCsC_iYFycLY6rlf2u3pxRBmu1HlzdjhJWZFlnk9sQ_j30pbRX2gyEUjg5e2HWuqUtXaeteKQ2s0I/s400/45564312375_34ebab4069_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I still get that thrill every time I settle aboard my bike. She hasn't been started since December 2nd ... I don't keep her on a battery tender, and we've had several days in the 20's. She fired right up at the first press of the button ... and we were off!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6OI0XaeNtVlRevRievaKjSYfrjwFnJweN9fSp9U5jHWMfFQotvERR5hFkqmWIz1_NlxH6XM6Ij47IVHER3Q6w3yRSBrZlU33IF9dIJZsnsPswpntJ3HCRc7VbNAnVcwOOLeuIoQR5NjQ/s1600/44660513950_8c5f71c5cc_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6OI0XaeNtVlRevRievaKjSYfrjwFnJweN9fSp9U5jHWMfFQotvERR5hFkqmWIz1_NlxH6XM6Ij47IVHER3Q6w3yRSBrZlU33IF9dIJZsnsPswpntJ3HCRc7VbNAnVcwOOLeuIoQR5NjQ/s400/44660513950_8c5f71c5cc_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Time constraints and a need for a rear tire kept us to a minimum ride today; but ANY wind therapy in December is perfect, no matter what. Our ride took us through Walland to Foothills towards Wears Valley; and then we whipped around and did it back the other way and ended up in Maryville. The air was crisp but mild and the sky was a deep, cloudless blue. The growl of my Khaleesi drowned out all other sound, and the breathtaking mountain views calmed any wayward thoughts. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LsTcMKKEg96xm4ESJn3sBZdYKxpUsPYnYomvgFLwx-lnrA7oz9voKFE6FSkO9_KgvOiHwVDRJgVjTYY5pA_2eQxBCa_rWTKwk09xpzvJmK9tGi6c1NAG7MEhUGCLBEjPgPcLzq_OFV4m/s1600/44660514740_18044b93a3_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LsTcMKKEg96xm4ESJn3sBZdYKxpUsPYnYomvgFLwx-lnrA7oz9voKFE6FSkO9_KgvOiHwVDRJgVjTYY5pA_2eQxBCa_rWTKwk09xpzvJmK9tGi6c1NAG7MEhUGCLBEjPgPcLzq_OFV4m/s400/44660514740_18044b93a3_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have officially hit 10,000 miles ridden during my 2nd year riding with FOUR more months to go! I'm at 20,020 miles total on my bike. I'm pretty sure this number will be my goal for the next 6 more years, until Colton is big enough to ride on the back and go with us. Projected rain the next 2 days, but we're HOPING to have good enough weather to ride up to Bristol on Saturday so I can get my tire. Everyone is doing a New Year's Day "Frosty Toes" ride, so hoping to be able to participate!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyL1kqhPRcibbPeqh2Fs081oyqtW7IC4FNpjaiEbjIINy5xFThjNT8ALVTKYH6ZO8-MoWgQFnld0-KYspK-MJCHFky4mf8JMkNvUYNBjOLtQBIU7Ehei4rb37GyKaulDV4f-knxzzEzgx/s1600/45753938084_5b135c6bb4_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyL1kqhPRcibbPeqh2Fs081oyqtW7IC4FNpjaiEbjIINy5xFThjNT8ALVTKYH6ZO8-MoWgQFnld0-KYspK-MJCHFky4mf8JMkNvUYNBjOLtQBIU7Ehei4rb37GyKaulDV4f-knxzzEzgx/s400/45753938084_5b135c6bb4_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Love my bike, so blessed to have her and to have the ability to ride and spend time w/ my hubby. We love riding, and can't wait until our next VACATION! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ao3EfMvrh7emFoCJToWWYgolD1dAyBpJKT4qsOsbhiEMUu2aa6QYI3UuV_lMbju_47ybkZvWYaF0VgSdlFYPzr8wUcAVywq9hwkLCUP8qjFBFHxxLgP7YNrbnm6F5Wl8f2FYZPhyvR3W/s1600/46477432381_15aa636e8b_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ao3EfMvrh7emFoCJToWWYgolD1dAyBpJKT4qsOsbhiEMUu2aa6QYI3UuV_lMbju_47ybkZvWYaF0VgSdlFYPzr8wUcAVywq9hwkLCUP8qjFBFHxxLgP7YNrbnm6F5Wl8f2FYZPhyvR3W/s400/46477432381_15aa636e8b_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-16996756118895882132018-11-25T16:56:00.000-08:002018-11-25T16:56:25.677-08:00Trying new things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeLSmakRIz6bywDasZ8MrOEOybUAVnvPWJP4U95SRAmYqBN0ZMQEptz2KYzbKwdlBydwxF6PklmByuKvreDj3YtNFq-BY2XtPpiwMrTcKWoRvRhSGWGx4JWJuKOb3_jSJr5HM1U8ZcZFc/s1600/11-25-18-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeLSmakRIz6bywDasZ8MrOEOybUAVnvPWJP4U95SRAmYqBN0ZMQEptz2KYzbKwdlBydwxF6PklmByuKvreDj3YtNFq-BY2XtPpiwMrTcKWoRvRhSGWGx4JWJuKOb3_jSJr5HM1U8ZcZFc/s400/11-25-18-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, we have been trying to step slightly out of the "Jen and David" bubble, and try to ride with other people! It's tough because many of the contacts we've made are several hours from the Knoxville area. So to "organize" a ride is a little bit of a pain because you try to find an area convenient to "everyone", but then something happens to throw a wrench in the plans; and by "wrench", I mean the weather! I'm not complaining because it's November 25th, and we just got home from our 4th ride over the last week, but it is very unpredictable right now. So mainly, David and I just go whenever we feel like it, and ride wherever the bikes happen to take us.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuz83KMRyqKSCfi3iMCb26goBrTVmYeGSVReG3BHqo0GxOvk55rp6RyDsNuOnlDR-F6fjnq0o-OihJDNv1Yb7OeQM-3O7-E9hWVXaJGg7pSFsD1eq8jyN3p43CRObFOHwAp1jZxOfSYJrr/s1600/11-25-18-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuz83KMRyqKSCfi3iMCb26goBrTVmYeGSVReG3BHqo0GxOvk55rp6RyDsNuOnlDR-F6fjnq0o-OihJDNv1Yb7OeQM-3O7-E9hWVXaJGg7pSFsD1eq8jyN3p43CRObFOHwAp1jZxOfSYJrr/s400/11-25-18-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun ride with friends!</td></tr>
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Last week however, a friend from Murfreesboro had a ride planned for the Cherohala Skyway. That's less than an hour from us, so I threw our hats in the ring as ready and willing to ride! The ride hinged more on them because it's around 4 hours from west Tennessee to the Cherohala; and last Sunday was in the THIRTIES. Um, that's freaking COLD, lol. And no, I still don't have any heated gear! But all was well, and we bundled up in roughly 9 layers to head south and meet. Our friends met up with us, and we hit the road! Cherohala to the Dragon to Foothills Parkway. It was cold and had salt residue on the road, but nothing slippery or too dirty. The Dragon actually had photographers even though the resort and the Killboy store are shut down for the season! Stoked about that. It was my little Khaleesi/2 Chieftans/1 Roadmaster ... so I was the odd one out, lol! 190 miles of perfection :D<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtu86doBir1OkNCIQFBvUZjTt9noCc-Qlj8XeXu_toiGNDOb53goc0UY2wK6B7aVUYk5sIJR2iwLrkuFFP94TKhuhif2GhQZk1eNnMmRTH5HyTsEVSyq1BkbUe6O65MrMn2b1vtdN3yqyl/s1600/11-25-18-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtu86doBir1OkNCIQFBvUZjTt9noCc-Qlj8XeXu_toiGNDOb53goc0UY2wK6B7aVUYk5sIJR2iwLrkuFFP94TKhuhif2GhQZk1eNnMmRTH5HyTsEVSyq1BkbUe6O65MrMn2b1vtdN3yqyl/s400/11-25-18-10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 little Indians</td></tr>
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For Thanksgiving day, my <strike>evil</strike> master plan worked perfectly and we were able to have a "Biker Thanksgiving". There were a few tense moments as we reached the apex of the mountains; there were full on icy patches ... and that road does NOT get salted, it simply gets closed. So it was deemed passable to cars; I swallowed my trepidation, slowed WAY down, and we made it safely through all 3 spots. As we weaved our way down into Cherokee, NC, it actually got colder. I'm happy to say that just my finger tips and my toes got a bit chilly. We did see Elk in NC, and the ride back home boasted NO ICE, yay! We did Foothills Parkway for the 3rd time in as many weeks, but this time we did it from Wears Valley towards Maryville. We like it better TOWARDS Wears Valley, you get better views that way. But this was the first time we got to ride it with NO stop and go traffic at all. So beautiful, VERY fun to ride!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMw9jR1yF9g4lk1zRsJDbCfUCMg22akEb7z3vXH-H8JSFN23pcUrfVM3sAZUjgdph6uUfZgyQCmPodyLEcqAhU1KrabC1W0ul3RvX2_8pIPQhrdN2tputz76ORfOOEzVmZswWH1EKXp239/s1600/11-25-18-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="938" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMw9jR1yF9g4lk1zRsJDbCfUCMg22akEb7z3vXH-H8JSFN23pcUrfVM3sAZUjgdph6uUfZgyQCmPodyLEcqAhU1KrabC1W0ul3RvX2_8pIPQhrdN2tputz76ORfOOEzVmZswWH1EKXp239/s400/11-25-18-.jpg" width="390" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding into the GSM National Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AYrT7MvX1okeQexm6x6nLlSkmLTWIJQWGhosfrGm028w8UK-NtGXjLrBp4Ojhf36Dq0yPGEP0XoBL51HbJqia_j5hgfERZC0nQEW2SB-C2yV6VqXDwnBDVYizFrxdRIQDOTqsa8Ob2pJ/s1600/11-25-18-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AYrT7MvX1okeQexm6x6nLlSkmLTWIJQWGhosfrGm028w8UK-NtGXjLrBp4Ojhf36Dq0yPGEP0XoBL51HbJqia_j5hgfERZC0nQEW2SB-C2yV6VqXDwnBDVYizFrxdRIQDOTqsa8Ob2pJ/s400/11-25-18-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elk in Cherokee, NC</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClMmKwsDxTJV_iUUNembcMYl-2peQL00511pbuIx6sdztalaeCbIicMHx99G_9GtIWrybeIqeAJqj-vWMpbd-mYml5UekqnE7dvvnI2iJMwVvrh-nU71agm1P7T7NWx-rYXPYIaidY1kV/s1600/11-25-18-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClMmKwsDxTJV_iUUNembcMYl-2peQL00511pbuIx6sdztalaeCbIicMHx99G_9GtIWrybeIqeAJqj-vWMpbd-mYml5UekqnE7dvvnI2iJMwVvrh-nU71agm1P7T7NWx-rYXPYIaidY1kV/s400/11-25-18-18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherokee has these beautiful bears everywhere</td></tr>
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Today was a very educational day for me. We finally got to meet up with some friends that we met last year, at the Mystery Dinner Ride. They have a pretty good circle of friends, and had arranged to ride with several other people, and us. It was around the Big South Fork recreation area. That is a FUN area, and lots of challenging roads. The rec area itself has 2 10 mph switchbacks that I've progressively gotten better at. As those of you that have followed my riding journey thus far know, if there's anything I struggle with, it's right hand switchback turns, especially uphill ones. Let's just say they're an experienced group of riders. I mean, we're experienced too in the sense that we've ridden so much in the last year and a half ... but our riding experience IS roughly a year and a half of saddle time. David did ride as a kid, but not for the last 21 years. I have NEVER ridden the "steel horse" before 3-17-17. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrEY_8q22YCuPvmxwEMJtNfUJSjQjoArsTdU5d7-12pvdDHQ8uhi6eiuVZ3rdmI5nBZHn0Mqz7yzOOzuIDnJ1r8ojNvxE_7EbA0pgMD5svLNk0fnbITbJifGC3kauvC3ocUkLEiyLtv_f/s1600/11-25-18-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrEY_8q22YCuPvmxwEMJtNfUJSjQjoArsTdU5d7-12pvdDHQ8uhi6eiuVZ3rdmI5nBZHn0Mqz7yzOOzuIDnJ1r8ojNvxE_7EbA0pgMD5svLNk0fnbITbJifGC3kauvC3ocUkLEiyLtv_f/s400/11-25-18-2.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see all those CURVES??</td></tr>
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Today, I rode on what felt to me to be the very edge of control. I am not a "hard twist of the throttle" type of rider. I don't fiddle-fart around, but I don't lay rubber either. 10 over the speed limit is about my comfort zone. Throw a curvy road in there, and I tend to be more of a 5 over to the actual limit kind of girl. In fact, David will sometimes get in a forward rhythm through curves and will kind of leave me in the dirt. But ... you don't LEARN when you never push. It's important to ride in all types of conditions, and it's important to push the boundaries of your riding so that you can improve and grow as a rider. I was super impressed with our leaders; They were both on Chieftans; he on a Darkhorse, and she on the gorgeous red Chieftan Elite. They can RIDE; she stayed right with him staggered slightly just how David and I ride, and she matched her hubby curve for curve. There were times they both smoked us. Let me be clear, they did wait for us. But they had to stop and wait for us, lol! I tried as hard as I could to keep up, but as we hit the switchbacks, I had to give that up.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWhB7TInO4BNrsbtNz2mM9Y2sgBZhlox2y2j8GlyUDblV5KRH-2iGmb4LCzz2ISsm3FapV6c1JtujS1f2zqdHbjT7pTDj5fU1EdSydTeJOfrFBbtyYCHetRtPMJCGnL8AEV81ZKsOCsGZ/s1600/11-25-18-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWhB7TInO4BNrsbtNz2mM9Y2sgBZhlox2y2j8GlyUDblV5KRH-2iGmb4LCzz2ISsm3FapV6c1JtujS1f2zqdHbjT7pTDj5fU1EdSydTeJOfrFBbtyYCHetRtPMJCGnL8AEV81ZKsOCsGZ/s400/11-25-18-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made some new buddies today!</td></tr>
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The familiar roads gave way to new ones; we were cruising along soooo much faster than we normally do, and the curves were AMAZING! They'd rise and fall with a twist and a flick, and it literally felt like we were on a roller coaster; so damn scary! Haha, I was beginning to have fun, though. I think the 1st 3rd of my ride, I was terrified. I was gritting my teeth and having to take deep breaths to keep my arms loose so I could just let the bike follow the road. The middle 3rd was unreal curves. The fun rollercoaster road gave way to z shape curves going uphill. As I approached, I let off the throttle, downshifted all the way to 1st, and turned my head over my shoulder. For some of the turns, I actually drug my rear brake and feathered the clutch, they were THAT steep. I felt bad for the guys behind me, as I'm sure they could have stayed up closer with our leaders. That section was a combination of the Copperhead road and the Devil's Triangle!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1pdREKzyAcePryVYpcN4Y9F5-BIfcRkEfSP48m3FHhxoqjuvMHLz5piLMFGITxx6gjhiQB77hBTOxCTfvVBlYWUXMkAwKhNZ2BkglK1MrYdtPo-dJIfO4-7I3Bn0D7B3XA07O1zPDg9Y/s1600/11-25-18-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1pdREKzyAcePryVYpcN4Y9F5-BIfcRkEfSP48m3FHhxoqjuvMHLz5piLMFGITxx6gjhiQB77hBTOxCTfvVBlYWUXMkAwKhNZ2BkglK1MrYdtPo-dJIfO4-7I3Bn0D7B3XA07O1zPDg9Y/s400/11-25-18-7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East Rim overlook; gorgeous!</td></tr>
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The final 3rd, I was finally digging twisting that throttle! I leaned forward, shoved my heels down off the edge of my floorboards, and breathed deep. I pushed out my destructive visions of David going down, and I pushed out the news that one of the lady bloggers I follow went down this morning, totaling her bike and breaking her pelvis in 4 places. That crap messes with your mind! The road was GREAT, and I looked up past David to my friend in front; I just watched how she didn't even touch the brake coming into the curve and just leaned into it. So I quit hitting my brakes, concentrated on my lines, and trusted that my girl was going to go around the corner at speed. Slow. Look. Press. Roll. I slowed enough to evaluate that I was fully under control, I looked as far through the curve as I could, I pressed the bars at speed, and I rolled harder on that throttle coming out than I ever have. As we thundered to our final rest stop, David and I kept up perfectly with the leaders. He too was getting a feel for the new ride, and trusting those tires to grip the road.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDIltffKN_Sn9_jRikfTUaOGygCySYHQZ0f8T9froCSki42mW9eMpar4ZaJ7GfYpLX2ppxuqiz0npUnBIZbRUTOzELzCTFMxjuC9Ay1JTj4VvCdIAc17dY4CrCmU-sMaNjucg-0aXVm22/s1600/11-25-18-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDIltffKN_Sn9_jRikfTUaOGygCySYHQZ0f8T9froCSki42mW9eMpar4ZaJ7GfYpLX2ppxuqiz0npUnBIZbRUTOzELzCTFMxjuC9Ay1JTj4VvCdIAc17dY4CrCmU-sMaNjucg-0aXVm22/s400/11-25-18-14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gee, I feel like the baby of the group!</td></tr>
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At the end of the day, you HAVE to ride your ride. But also at the end of the day, if you never step outside your little box, you will never grow and learn and gain experience, either. So yes, I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone. At times, I had to tell myself to relax my jaw and stop gritting my teeth. But my reward was a renewed faith in myself, and in my bike that we can both be aggressive and forward thinking. I had a BLAST, and we were invited to tag along again, so we must not have lagged too badly! I was once again the odd one out; 4 Chieftans, 1 Roadmaster, and my Scout, lol. That's ok, I love her so much, and I love that she's not too much bike for me. We're about 500 miles away from 20,000, HOW did that happen??? So I will 100% meet my goal of another 10K miles during year 2 of riding. Again, year TWO. I have to remind myself that technically, I'm still a beginner with lots left to learn. I still have plenty of things to work on before I figure out a way to get myself a Chieftan. I don't NEED a giant bike right now. I think a minimum of 5 years with the Scout is what I need to gain the necessary experience to graduate up to a larger motorcycle. As I've said since day 1; I will keep my Khaleesi forever. I was asked today what my first bike was, and I was proud to say it's my Indian.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtU0scpU4o9ZpWoKhnPVq62ysGPMYAy-o0fTvTBVOfHKnwwc6KAHqdxXfO8_UiTJ0e7tmSjniBIssjOWHtXM817FsUGxRK3tY0hEZgCv_s91kh81FQJ_aEWcXC7rjmT7E8_jU9VAimYx7o/s1600/11-25-18-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtU0scpU4o9ZpWoKhnPVq62ysGPMYAy-o0fTvTBVOfHKnwwc6KAHqdxXfO8_UiTJ0e7tmSjniBIssjOWHtXM817FsUGxRK3tY0hEZgCv_s91kh81FQJ_aEWcXC7rjmT7E8_jU9VAimYx7o/s400/11-25-18-8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 little Indians</td></tr>
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So grateful and blessed to be able to ride roughly 711 miles since last Sunday. We did a quick ride on Friday up to the Indian dealership so David could demo a Mustang seat for his bike; we did our "test ride" loop, and went right back so he could drop it back off, lol! Not what he's looking for. We then took the long way home :) This upcoming week is going to be miserably cold with temps in the low 40's as the highs. Not sure what the weekend will look like; if we ride at all, it will be Saturday. Preliminary forecast looks pretty good, but that can change on a whim.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdPAkzqnEBW2LChlpZe2dUzGsRlXh6RrG1R1zSGvQLb9lLQxkuXWjPn8fYKRiSn3sgl095AwvNKhOa5p2UkRHgVy3ySg7TOnaW37acz194BbAnmiuSGMdc6pFeJJ79ORBS_vy7fN_J-0l/s1600/11-25-18-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdPAkzqnEBW2LChlpZe2dUzGsRlXh6RrG1R1zSGvQLb9lLQxkuXWjPn8fYKRiSn3sgl095AwvNKhOa5p2UkRHgVy3ySg7TOnaW37acz194BbAnmiuSGMdc6pFeJJ79ORBS_vy7fN_J-0l/s400/11-25-18-9.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm sorry, was I drooling?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOqFCtQWeiMHy4KpYgeJ1Tq_YMxy1lv0B1yJhPzV7s2fd6OKOLusWtRTxudWCBHpEpkk3tHfZiRjcUjIbTyGL0ncQ99pqHnNcjCCmgEXzWJJHX-SiPDZC9GxjdhBMAhCnXA3Ex168RP53/s1600/11-25-18-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOqFCtQWeiMHy4KpYgeJ1Tq_YMxy1lv0B1yJhPzV7s2fd6OKOLusWtRTxudWCBHpEpkk3tHfZiRjcUjIbTyGL0ncQ99pqHnNcjCCmgEXzWJJHX-SiPDZC9GxjdhBMAhCnXA3Ex168RP53/s400/11-25-18-12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally got a NEW FHP pic</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-79697341426389878602018-11-11T16:07:00.000-08:002018-11-11T16:14:58.827-08:00All the things ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqAfFZvyaXxQD1c1pRfIPUHN4v9Xy9SoidTLslJFXnO4G0mWpxD5hBLjHSbI-fhudfo27F5n_J8Nb_wtlYfKZjBWPiPId54aTXNVkHNv08jW-0NVh27EqLriWv3_VuiYAYc1eS_jn7BqC/s1600/44017956530_0cb84dd75d_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqAfFZvyaXxQD1c1pRfIPUHN4v9Xy9SoidTLslJFXnO4G0mWpxD5hBLjHSbI-fhudfo27F5n_J8Nb_wtlYfKZjBWPiPId54aTXNVkHNv08jW-0NVh27EqLriWv3_VuiYAYc1eS_jn7BqC/s400/44017956530_0cb84dd75d_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Well. Life has taken an interesting turn for us. You know how I've said, several times, how I sure would love to get David's Chieftan before the end of the year? Yeah, in reality, we had NO idea how that was actually going to happen. And trade in vs. selling outright ... well, our dilemma was solved by Mufasa getting totaled.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmIVftBXOZjz4knACmNgZP7EazLWwJi8v_pltd1Bh2qVZkxBwEZJL-h0mTtV8Tew_BVimxEutDzKRhlisGgqCOWkjOx7Vx42xzDWRhmhe_Fw4TnhzNP6ZIduVWdUEtkB8-3fsPl0LS8WJ/s1600/45691133892_da368eae30_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmIVftBXOZjz4knACmNgZP7EazLWwJi8v_pltd1Bh2qVZkxBwEZJL-h0mTtV8Tew_BVimxEutDzKRhlisGgqCOWkjOx7Vx42xzDWRhmhe_Fw4TnhzNP6ZIduVWdUEtkB8-3fsPl0LS8WJ/s400/45691133892_da368eae30_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The prior Monday, we were given the opportunity to do fun, touristy things in Pigeon Forge! Tuesday, we were in the ER. And by "we", I mean David. It was a beautiful day, and he'd decided to take his bike out and about a bit. I'd driven b/c the morning was just a hair too cold for me, which turned out to be a good thing. We'd JUST had lunch together. I was back at work, working, and he called me and said, "So, it seems I've had a little motorcycle accident". I jumped out of my chair and ran out the door. He still doesn't know what happened. He was on a road we've traveled on many times, it was not in a terribly curvy part, and he was in traffic. His rear end broke loose and threatened his control, so he moved it over to the side. When he hit the grass, the bike did a 180 and flung him off in a ditch. He was knocked unconscious for roughly 30 minutes; the cops woke him up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcK0DyZylBAc6WGoHhFzsVL-2_34JG8uprFPWyur2J5NE7ef3Pe97sV7TBqIEjURJvLegBSMUwPH4Kgs8Q-VjsBzUYq1tsd8EdkUhgP6zVsWjOngImooeYq1Ph04bhUvbLyWOzSjsMeRk/s1600/30801189097_934536f9f2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcK0DyZylBAc6WGoHhFzsVL-2_34JG8uprFPWyur2J5NE7ef3Pe97sV7TBqIEjURJvLegBSMUwPH4Kgs8Q-VjsBzUYq1tsd8EdkUhgP6zVsWjOngImooeYq1Ph04bhUvbLyWOzSjsMeRk/s400/30801189097_934536f9f2_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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By the time I got to him, he had been given a provisional "clear" from the ambulance EMT's. He was most definitely concussed, but not much else was going on. That day, he was fully dressed in all his gear, gloves included. We swung by the house so he could change, and made our way out to the ER. Thankful for a great staff that didn't keep us there all night. Once the CT scan pronounced his head and spine clear, we went back home. In the ensuing days, it was determined that Mufasa would be put down. I think I was more sad than David! It hurt my heart to see him there in the "boneyard". Unfortunately, Kawasaki Vulcans are a dime a dozen, and the cost to repair them with the overpriced OEM parts quickly overwhelm the value of the bike. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHg9MRoP14BnUS-o1UwzPnIBpABbMjaK0uwHiKoKrWtCEhoIDEhNMN2vadIKek7M9vv41b1T048FCGjJgBpcJiOzZZkhooRbNfh5f30KncuG7KXZU3Eb1eLVGN0Q-7F-6Q_vXy04La5IDo/s1600/30801218967_01674a18bc_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHg9MRoP14BnUS-o1UwzPnIBpABbMjaK0uwHiKoKrWtCEhoIDEhNMN2vadIKek7M9vv41b1T048FCGjJgBpcJiOzZZkhooRbNfh5f30KncuG7KXZU3Eb1eLVGN0Q-7F-6Q_vXy04La5IDo/s400/30801218967_01674a18bc_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He hit on the right side</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RIP<br />
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We'd come to grips that our riding season was over. Figures, because I'd JUST put the last piece of the puzzle on Khaleesi; pipes. My friend that sold me her floorboards still had her pipes, and I bought them off her. David gave me his blessing to ride by myself some, but I was sensing a trend; his dad was riding alone BOTH times he went down. David was riding alone when HE went down. So, my thoughts of riding alone weren't so favorable. But I did go on a short ride, and had a blast. A week later, we were frantically getting off work and running into Knoxville so we could bring home a new family member; Viserion.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYs31Y-Nv0ZD_wSwKQh1_NohBT6XZsTUxleZeKHvqlBdWIEqgFZEBI6XFv6cQyHdRuFCmtARVGniL0ScmJx9A-K0QxJQwY747RGnAynOxbiL1igAl4uKrTi-hzbUVKLYoGMaWAUTcPh_i/s1600/45741508951_8365fecd86_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYs31Y-Nv0ZD_wSwKQh1_NohBT6XZsTUxleZeKHvqlBdWIEqgFZEBI6XFv6cQyHdRuFCmtARVGniL0ScmJx9A-K0QxJQwY747RGnAynOxbiL1igAl4uKrTi-hzbUVKLYoGMaWAUTcPh_i/s400/45741508951_8365fecd86_o.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RC Components exhaust! Soooo loud!</td></tr>
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Everything just fell perfectly into place for it to happen. It wasn't something we were planning, to be sure, but it all worked out. Viserion turned out to be David's birthday gift; he brought her home the day after his birthday. Well, almost, lol! We'd JUST pulled out of the IMOK parking lot, and the check engine light came on followed by a very obvious engine cutting in and out. We hooked a quick U turn and booked it back to a closed dealership (6:05), but thankfully, we were able to grab our sales guy as he was leaving. Will unlocked the doors, wheeled Viserion back inside, and said he'd give us a call the next day once they figured out what was going on.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmM_Bh7_Rb2CFXtG8a084uwNjGFiZHGRzSNdW0PrMhWvPzLKreBdxYAU326BIwQCT8G9bs2CNyJ2Pc5tTSlvtAQU-kFt7s0Xp9HKd7CBfkp9V0w2LI1DPly6zoo1yzwM7PsW60jljq0EF3/s1600/30801221887_2999a00216_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmM_Bh7_Rb2CFXtG8a084uwNjGFiZHGRzSNdW0PrMhWvPzLKreBdxYAU326BIwQCT8G9bs2CNyJ2Pc5tTSlvtAQU-kFt7s0Xp9HKd7CBfkp9V0w2LI1DPly6zoo1yzwM7PsW60jljq0EF3/s400/30801221887_2999a00216_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First ride! Heading down to GA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgf0TzzxF53a-tcueASsYNYGqqJYGiq94KZRgRp2T7UdVRMha2zzsYEFuXBQMpDOoUzSiFGt4uGuxYs0ph_CMNYHNZXy27iwZwl_4KH8dsK6pnlRFHnBg8LTYL4S0Z9cJNwsZKlljys4Ef/s1600/31869952048_28e478c01d_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgf0TzzxF53a-tcueASsYNYGqqJYGiq94KZRgRp2T7UdVRMha2zzsYEFuXBQMpDOoUzSiFGt4uGuxYs0ph_CMNYHNZXy27iwZwl_4KH8dsK6pnlRFHnBg8LTYL4S0Z9cJNwsZKlljys4Ef/s400/31869952048_28e478c01d_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can not tell you how much my heart flutters to see 2 Indians in the garage!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q2K5h4gXupLyPxqo4M4fr8na-kVDgqdBvsTJUVcFyuCjUSyWNtJjIR7vYfSQVN1DSJMar-GxrvCWN_cE_j2dOs63M03QJWhusF6KbUcQbbaIWCn-dZR2UQfj6Pm59lIELf8X5zEZkFrt/s1600/44827434715_1f740cdb80_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q2K5h4gXupLyPxqo4M4fr8na-kVDgqdBvsTJUVcFyuCjUSyWNtJjIR7vYfSQVN1DSJMar-GxrvCWN_cE_j2dOs63M03QJWhusF6KbUcQbbaIWCn-dZR2UQfj6Pm59lIELf8X5zEZkFrt/s400/44827434715_1f740cdb80_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding the Trail of Tears</td></tr>
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Turns out it was just a fouled spark plug, so they replaced both and we were good to go! My heart was racing as I followed David home; IMOK is off a very busy highway, and the traffic around town right now is so bad with lots of tourists in for the leaf season. My heart was in my throat until he finally pulled her into the garage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdz0nj7oPpsLxYs8ikk4nlPY4uyOpRcEI18-FO75lTWQFbjlBtLc758-qbPwljlnNWZxc5btimNpmVyqtKXNitafnhY3Nefeg53xsI34s_zIwe8PL2VgziiRr35FUAR9ZYn2bWh9Haqe6c/s1600/31869952198_46a2430744_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdz0nj7oPpsLxYs8ikk4nlPY4uyOpRcEI18-FO75lTWQFbjlBtLc758-qbPwljlnNWZxc5btimNpmVyqtKXNitafnhY3Nefeg53xsI34s_zIwe8PL2VgziiRr35FUAR9ZYn2bWh9Haqe6c/s400/31869952198_46a2430744_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That gray paint is gorgeous; it's so sparkly, like mine! NOT a matte finish.</td></tr>
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The next day, we left out to ride the beasts down to GA. It was a lovely ride; very windy and blustery, but we were properly layered up, so no big deal. David did great; his back was HUGELY bruised up and very sore from his fall, and he did skin his knee. His jeans were flapping around and irritated his wound on the knee, but other than that, he did great on the ride. We did 347 miles. Already, it's time for the 500 mile break in service! Time flies when you're having a blast!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbj0CncNbZbNGk-yGSZ3QPWRWiA_4pPg0Lcav_1EG97oczwKSoXRhvzIRNI_kSpA7GS4Nm2jZDIVgS7zlcR_Pces1K3Wf99AwsigNgVCB7vcw1Gv_x0lz6TBeylf_N2A_07hwij1BKTC6/s1600/43923742180_0c57477445_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbj0CncNbZbNGk-yGSZ3QPWRWiA_4pPg0Lcav_1EG97oczwKSoXRhvzIRNI_kSpA7GS4Nm2jZDIVgS7zlcR_Pces1K3Wf99AwsigNgVCB7vcw1Gv_x0lz6TBeylf_N2A_07hwij1BKTC6/s400/43923742180_0c57477445_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlub1LWkJ3YJU0R_-LS0J-ljVeL5YYJu8a9DMpRZYgfCh-b9Pb6EZmjl9djYw8dM4rexNF14MHQo3-9Qc_Plq7dE2s-xAjjyQyn-h_mXkkINkmMP1e2mQaVKD7bUyMra_ZV6zrQ8ylZ9ei/s1600/43923741730_eff8662baa_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlub1LWkJ3YJU0R_-LS0J-ljVeL5YYJu8a9DMpRZYgfCh-b9Pb6EZmjl9djYw8dM4rexNF14MHQo3-9Qc_Plq7dE2s-xAjjyQyn-h_mXkkINkmMP1e2mQaVKD7bUyMra_ZV6zrQ8ylZ9ei/s400/43923741730_eff8662baa_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yesterday was FREEZING, but today it actually got up to low 50. We hit the road to ride the NEW section of Foothills Parkway. They have been working on that 16 mile stretch of road between Walland and Wears Valley since the 1960's. They FINALLY finished the connecting bridge; yesterday was opening day. Today, it was sooooo crowded! We knew it would be, though. I wanted to do it 1. Because the weather was ok enough to ride for an hour or so. And 2. Because the Fall color is still beautiful!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCnOZdR-draq2s995DsKdB6PXFJUZXyRW2ADCc0SB6uGVhkgxJ6zOXNoyoSDD6-NXmeBG87CSRa8AjGwUvoZeqHCCrXUxDCmHRMEdTi8-VzTKf9XHUoRctRauvwTrpOsdy59fdGmvpvba/s1600/30801221927_833c5a62b0_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCnOZdR-draq2s995DsKdB6PXFJUZXyRW2ADCc0SB6uGVhkgxJ6zOXNoyoSDD6-NXmeBG87CSRa8AjGwUvoZeqHCCrXUxDCmHRMEdTi8-VzTKf9XHUoRctRauvwTrpOsdy59fdGmvpvba/s400/30801221927_833c5a62b0_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foothills Parkway</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU91E6aEUgHUTd5t2iVKPisZeVKDfbAMLRueqw4h7nxflX8DbOcGa2K7hWtZdwiwdQzJRfKeKBQib2nzWeFxr4FRjNUxY9UyAIOhiMKcULOeERIzVl-fXfLNRQbNPYKecCGSzqExqVQDsT/s1600/31963722948_4952a98e2a_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU91E6aEUgHUTd5t2iVKPisZeVKDfbAMLRueqw4h7nxflX8DbOcGa2K7hWtZdwiwdQzJRfKeKBQib2nzWeFxr4FRjNUxY9UyAIOhiMKcULOeERIzVl-fXfLNRQbNPYKecCGSzqExqVQDsT/s400/31963722948_4952a98e2a_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The missing link series of bridges</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaODmaoo2IyuENILa0eVShF4TQ-oWeIpftVpQ6s_geUbvaEiOfwHNuiNs3Npvgphlr-6qdOlv9qsUbAKfnTIdIVeUmZmIK4PF_uVgQA4jTjK_UNgG0FGgfHbshLIrmrqnkk58KwukYrEcN/s1600/44017957850_6c0d0b5a80_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaODmaoo2IyuENILa0eVShF4TQ-oWeIpftVpQ6s_geUbvaEiOfwHNuiNs3Npvgphlr-6qdOlv9qsUbAKfnTIdIVeUmZmIK4PF_uVgQA4jTjK_UNgG0FGgfHbshLIrmrqnkk58KwukYrEcN/s400/44017957850_6c0d0b5a80_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viewing Townsend</td></tr>
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We were on the uphill side ... in traffic. FUN, lol! Very unique challenge to keep it in 1st, moving along about 2 or 3 mph up a mountain, on an off camber road. My clutch hand got pretty tired, but I wasn't dying or anything. We got to the end and came home through Wears Valley instead of turning around and coming back over the Parkway, like our original intention. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_81BZsyJwyDucWQF2KQ94Wx40RJVavIxqg19gEmBCfRtH5tiG8kDWAQ6qgmiH-AydHwm3Famm3Df-opV1eJEHonZL8xO4_AovASrQ6NSmKJxR8u0i3aL6oFB5cOrxnFX-YYpcEfk0g3Om/s1600/44827433985_18831140c8_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_81BZsyJwyDucWQF2KQ94Wx40RJVavIxqg19gEmBCfRtH5tiG8kDWAQ6qgmiH-AydHwm3Famm3Df-opV1eJEHonZL8xO4_AovASrQ6NSmKJxR8u0i3aL6oFB5cOrxnFX-YYpcEfk0g3Om/s400/44827433985_18831140c8_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This costume garnered more attention than any other!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvvgECYChwBXTHjHe9aMevDxr1-sIKXPuay5xWLaVHPxtKFQZFoaaAvzlWGH7Y1NexclJxYKXuZfbgypjWEbdtahZ6IlYVTm7FBiZEfZUkYM3ZHmfawLU5EsN5EmUpSQq_7beEiM19HLP/s1600/30894733117_fbe92a9cd3_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvvgECYChwBXTHjHe9aMevDxr1-sIKXPuay5xWLaVHPxtKFQZFoaaAvzlWGH7Y1NexclJxYKXuZfbgypjWEbdtahZ6IlYVTm7FBiZEfZUkYM3ZHmfawLU5EsN5EmUpSQq_7beEiM19HLP/s400/30894733117_fbe92a9cd3_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We'll have to capture the bikes with the views NEXT time</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVEoHQ5gJeXzqPj-JKDXqQYg8fvBTGNNS163BPYelbM9E2NU2-ua3r6UAjwHGm90aFtks6VIymM9PB5mY8BIO6XNI2gExTl3BbLJ9SRnJ3xpULncgw5wCoV7EvWk3Rx-cKGTIZYElrp8I/s1600/45834371651_5295de5e4a_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVEoHQ5gJeXzqPj-JKDXqQYg8fvBTGNNS163BPYelbM9E2NU2-ua3r6UAjwHGm90aFtks6VIymM9PB5mY8BIO6XNI2gExTl3BbLJ9SRnJ3xpULncgw5wCoV7EvWk3Rx-cKGTIZYElrp8I/s400/45834371651_5295de5e4a_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My thespian acting again! A Midsummer's Night Dream</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkyMa-X36BK7_W7GrpKBbQXjJf7lW4mDu72A1QcLS7Y1L3M9h8X3eSbkGUk2ok-jhE3jgbH5ElCnBUitu-lIv4a22jgBbqfmj4qSZa3LUN2i5NbX5Fp9kvHEpDiBqLtaomaEItPuVyC7O/s1600/45691134472_c8721ff1b2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkyMa-X36BK7_W7GrpKBbQXjJf7lW4mDu72A1QcLS7Y1L3M9h8X3eSbkGUk2ok-jhE3jgbH5ElCnBUitu-lIv4a22jgBbqfmj4qSZa3LUN2i5NbX5Fp9kvHEpDiBqLtaomaEItPuVyC7O/s400/45691134472_c8721ff1b2_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day she came home ... a mini tribe!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_I12KxcYUZ5TOxt-rwvux5x2U3NGkSzrycz27ofASP6CWrQHQ4X4H5oJizbxy9FsXHqyJDPnFDpxDaTKkkmsky3CwD3mHZwRKy7fUNJsnAv2Stzya7TyxPUL1rDfkL2dH1OvUkmwj_sI/s1600/45016513384_5b0d1750a3_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_I12KxcYUZ5TOxt-rwvux5x2U3NGkSzrycz27ofASP6CWrQHQ4X4H5oJizbxy9FsXHqyJDPnFDpxDaTKkkmsky3CwD3mHZwRKy7fUNJsnAv2Stzya7TyxPUL1rDfkL2dH1OvUkmwj_sI/s400/45016513384_5b0d1750a3_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "usual" side of Foothills</td></tr>
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We've reached full on "off season". This week is going to be rainy with highs in the 40's. We will keep the girls gassed and ready for a ride at a moment's notice. HOPING Thanksgiving day will be decent; we're going to Harrah's Casino in Cherokee for dinner; it would be awesome to ride the bikes since the in-laws will be available to drive the babies! We'll just have to see.<br />
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-57937669944833146032018-10-07T09:23:00.000-07:002018-10-07T09:23:04.292-07:00Riding variety!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y3Kd8j1PmMXFGA1mEEPbK1B5N7va0gN1RhZxEj8wH7yTFR4I8mi6HaK6l8c4TLNlmWNUH6EmMpgDivEAZ4jMntv0QfZ8e46XEwt5y7zlK3HGnBnY-fVsqI3pA3-DlQNV_StimJeG5PNO/s1600/45155974161_2f5659101a_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y3Kd8j1PmMXFGA1mEEPbK1B5N7va0gN1RhZxEj8wH7yTFR4I8mi6HaK6l8c4TLNlmWNUH6EmMpgDivEAZ4jMntv0QfZ8e46XEwt5y7zlK3HGnBnY-fVsqI3pA3-DlQNV_StimJeG5PNO/s400/45155974161_2f5659101a_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I haven't moved away from blogging of my rides; I've just added another platform. Sometimes it's just too much trouble to pull out the computer to log everything; I actually have to upload all my pics to Flickr, download to my computer, then upload to the blog. I added an adventure page to my personal facebook page; you can search "Jen and David Ride", or Indisaki Adventures on facebook and "like" the page if you don't want to miss anything! If it's not a big, giant, epic ride, it's nice just to upload the photos to facebook along with the synopsis.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwstVcFWUxxTsZtP1q2YTV1RwFHH6ssGKJdfuDUo9AQoZ-_XXzCFX-tPD0O37J_l0FyI1qHio63-Y9isuQUuzxTZyEXYDNc9H66eibLnAP95gS2VB7yreMaFyBZYxCiD67n3NlCk0RRxX/s1600/45107309172_fe147b203e_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwstVcFWUxxTsZtP1q2YTV1RwFHH6ssGKJdfuDUo9AQoZ-_XXzCFX-tPD0O37J_l0FyI1qHio63-Y9isuQUuzxTZyEXYDNc9H66eibLnAP95gS2VB7yreMaFyBZYxCiD67n3NlCk0RRxX/s400/45107309172_fe147b203e_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The teenager at WORK</td></tr>
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Looks like my last entry here was our vacation. We've had a few fun rides since then, only one long one. The long one broke our Riding record on day one of the vacation; we rode 435 miles in one day! It was a fun day; we rode out to Lynchburg and back.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly washed beasts</td></tr>
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Sadly, the day after our long ride, my FIL had another motorcycle accident :( He was riding alone to his brother's house on his bike, and a kid texting on his phone rear ended him as he was turning into the driveway. It was a pretty devastating impact; he was taken by ambulance to Kennestone Hospital in GA and it turned out he has a pretty severe broken back. He had surgery to place 2 rods and 8 screws; David had to ride down to GA to pick C up b/c it was his week to hang with the grandparents. Thank GOD he is not paralyzed; his helmet actually came off his head during the impact, but he didn't even have a concussion.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night Riding</td></tr>
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Obviously, his future wind therapy is in question. The MIL says she's keeping her bike for now, but won't ride alone. There's no telling when the FIL will be well enough even to contemplate getting back out there; he's having to get the strength up to even walk again. So yeah, there's that.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of the Dam</td></tr>
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Our ride this week was a night ride out to Norris Dam. We thought about a Cherohala trip, but pop up showers in the area deterred our enthusiasm! Khaleesi is almost completely perfect; the final piece of my "must have" accessories has been added. Floorboards! She now has a Mustang seat, a Freedom Shields flared windshield, reduced reach handle bars, an LED high projection headlight, and Kuryakan mini floorboards. I love the mini boards because I have the option to hang my heels off the back if I so desire. My "want" list consists of pipes and upgraded shocks. Later!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom of the Dam</td></tr>
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Let me just say, that if you've never ridden at night, you're missing out! It is truly an incredible experience, especially once you get beyond the streetlights. Tennessee has a LOT of area without streetlights. It's so amazing to look up at the sky and see how vast everything is without all the light pollution; it's breathtaking!<br />
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We stuck to mostly main roads and a little bit of Interstate getting there; the harriest part is the "State Park" road because it's not lit, it's 2 lane, it's not well traveled, and it's in the "Park", so lots of potential critters! God was with us, and even though we smelled lots of skunks and roadkill, we didn't see ANYTHING. It feels completely different in the dark, and the ride becomes about the FEELING of riding the bike instead of the looking around at the sights; the "sight" part is pretty much cut off. My next investment is going to be some amber glasses to try for the dark stuff; I feel like I see pretty well with just my eyes, but I'm all for every advantage! I was sooooo glad I packed my "layers"; I was wearing just a T shirt and my mesh jacket b/c it was pretty humid and sticky last night (got up to NINETY ... in OCTOBER), but once we got moving at a pretty good clip, I got chilly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3MpjeDfYkVJXeFhl0FeNRxKUHtYBF-StSaTpr6nPbC8RYSyXPYrjQaMbmUlpxxLsR7yccCvnEMH0pW3VpppnK2q-Wr8K9YwA5Ci3IKoDOHwkoog9cGoSnomr3PEJS22991nTQQhfU6L5/s1600/30217726777_83c5c12179_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3MpjeDfYkVJXeFhl0FeNRxKUHtYBF-StSaTpr6nPbC8RYSyXPYrjQaMbmUlpxxLsR7yccCvnEMH0pW3VpppnK2q-Wr8K9YwA5Ci3IKoDOHwkoog9cGoSnomr3PEJS22991nTQQhfU6L5/s400/30217726777_83c5c12179_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worst selfie on the face of the planet!!</td></tr>
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We took the most hilarious selfie, I just couldn't stop laughing! I feel like the JenandDavid selfie is sort of our thing, and it is the most HORRIBLE picture, it just makes me laugh. We encountered some teenagers that wanted us to roll on the throttles, and a gentleman at the gas station that I think wanted to snap a pic, but he wasn't fast enough. We rode around 95 miles I think it was; we were out for about 3 hours or so. For me, the night rides are "guilt free" because we go once C is down, and the teenager just has to be present in the house; he doesn't have to DO anything. It'll probably be November before C can go back to stay for "his week" with the grandparents, and that's provided that the FIL has a smooth healing road, and his pain stays under control as he learns to live with the hardware in his back. We won't have many more nights I don't think, as hopefully the 90 degree days will stop. I'm not looking forward to COLD weather, but I AM looking forward to FALL weather, which means day rides are the BEST ... and of course, I want to ride through the changing leaves.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VzGxEIoeimkoPI44i4Bqz7bnyH7hBWmcdVTq-G6g_CqrvAUTATknwGFted7vtUK_lSDTc8dz-cG2JWrjJy4aIp4434s9mian4d4QrdXOLGXGb-WHTe_Bob68ODXkpVLjMq3qzymolhQE/s1600/30217726887_a20f22afdd_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VzGxEIoeimkoPI44i4Bqz7bnyH7hBWmcdVTq-G6g_CqrvAUTATknwGFted7vtUK_lSDTc8dz-cG2JWrjJy4aIp4434s9mian4d4QrdXOLGXGb-WHTe_Bob68ODXkpVLjMq3qzymolhQE/s400/30217726887_a20f22afdd_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MUCH better selfie, lol!</td></tr>
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Taking each ride day by day. I try to average at least once a week riding to work. Found a new way to go that's fun on the bike; keeps me from riding the same ride over and over. I just thank God for allowing us to own and ride motorcycles, and I'm SO thankful for His protection as we're out and about. The teenager is learning to drive, and I'm WAY more scared for him out there in the car as a new driver than I am for us on 2 wheels. FIL's accident has caused us to just add another layer of carefulness to our riding; as we slow down, we use dorky hand signals. Sitting at a traffic light, we're "split", with each of us having an "out" if the worst happens and someone comes barreling up, not paying attention. Thanks for reading, and happy riding!!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-21168751267846749942018-08-28T19:42:00.000-07:002018-08-28T19:42:05.008-07:00A day of rest, and relaxation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKkrB1YPm8sqJ0h7EC6oUdUwJ2yD9Mhjndm8Mxy1ATbpggQJfdJX65_E87nI2jw1JgOVYQKXbLZWmlvlGQ3DxHIKWCEHLmnFf86WW0wImH2wKCdLFrmjtzM-8rCtHBt8K9JFlKz8wmmo5/s1600/44286730252_a010ea31f1_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1600" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKkrB1YPm8sqJ0h7EC6oUdUwJ2yD9Mhjndm8Mxy1ATbpggQJfdJX65_E87nI2jw1JgOVYQKXbLZWmlvlGQ3DxHIKWCEHLmnFf86WW0wImH2wKCdLFrmjtzM-8rCtHBt8K9JFlKz8wmmo5/s400/44286730252_a010ea31f1_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This morning, we slept as late as we wanted. Turned out that was around 8:30. We made our way down to the lobby area and out to the boat dock for a ride on the resort's giant boat around Stonewall Lake. We were there first, an hour early, and just chilled out. That was about an hour, and so nice and relaxing. The lake is secluded and beautiful, without even houses on the shore.<br />
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We decided to head to the nearest town for an early lunch, the town of Weston. We ate cheap, had a little ice cream treat, then decided to head a little further out to a local winery. Oh, and did I mention that I was the Babe on the Back? Lol, we have an awesome front row parking spot at the resort and didn't want to lose it. So Khaleesi stayed put, and I hopped on Mufasa with David. It was REALLY fun, his Mustang seat is the BOMB. I wish like crazy that MY Mustang seat on my bike felt that good, but it just doesn't. The ride over to the winery was tiny, windy, and so much fun; I was seriously missing riding my own! But I just squeezed my honey tight and held on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgby3k75Dr5kyM7TGK8OkE-rBrHPdeIrUGPhxoLCMcc2TKrgBSkY-sTUHcqQuRUMR48gHTH-cNxYisxYhgSkPBFuVKb0U70lh1hT74JpsubZJGa1dVvCXCXTCJhqUF2KeY3Jq2rvuIpRyi1/s1600/43618433224_e4b92d915a_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgby3k75Dr5kyM7TGK8OkE-rBrHPdeIrUGPhxoLCMcc2TKrgBSkY-sTUHcqQuRUMR48gHTH-cNxYisxYhgSkPBFuVKb0U70lh1hT74JpsubZJGa1dVvCXCXTCJhqUF2KeY3Jq2rvuIpRyi1/s400/43618433224_e4b92d915a_o.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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After sampling the offerings, we purchased a bottle and 2 glasses to bring home; the lady even gave us a piece of wine cake to eat during our tasting! Very good, but very sweet. We got "home", then changed to go to the pool again. The pool is indoor/outdoor with a hot tub both in and out. Since today we were in earlier in the day, the sun was out more so we stayed inside more. The water is heated and feels absolutely, completely, 100% PERFECT. <br />
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Went back to the room to relax for a few, then decided to rent a golf cart to ride around the course. Yes, they let you do that! 18 holes of golf ... David and I do NOT play, but we can appreciate a beautiful course. We must have seen about 50 deer; lots of bucks, too. And lots of geese! Nothing else, though. The golf cart tour was like a golf wildlife safari, lol. So that was great, took up about an hour.<br />
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Went BACK into Weston, right across the road from our lunch spot. We took the best, most fun roads! We took the "long" way for our evening jaunt and passed about another 50 deer. Luckily, they all stayed out of the road, and we enjoyed "taco Tuesday" at the local Mexican restaurant. Came back the interstate to mitigate the wildlife risk, and got packed up for the ride home tomorrow. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LqeKMZbAdlb0d8TbLCfK1ZI2lbh6S2ZIroXP_JbOODdVh0Dn6TlDEsf8bxsBYSVNoogQWsyrwjgK5JasvXwMrVp036HmlXLZm4RXmkOePu4FEojnQ3TCvuMCNtRKoIQgYGZR_XENu5Vf/s1600/43429514005_e8ddd494aa_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LqeKMZbAdlb0d8TbLCfK1ZI2lbh6S2ZIroXP_JbOODdVh0Dn6TlDEsf8bxsBYSVNoogQWsyrwjgK5JasvXwMrVp036HmlXLZm4RXmkOePu4FEojnQ3TCvuMCNtRKoIQgYGZR_XENu5Vf/s400/43429514005_e8ddd494aa_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taco Tuesday!</td></tr>
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So, so, so sad to go home tomorrow. Unbelievably grateful for the time we've had, just thankful to God for a safe and fun trip so far. Hoping for a slightly more interesting ride home tomorrow in the sense of NOT being on the interstate so much! BORING in the sense of making it home safe and sound :):)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkeb8_QXt_oLjsJWhjbLXyysAmroVcfFi-aVeFX_nEetmAfb6Yr99IF9izvccgtCmXKK25dqd2PJ00Q9HJvRWfLXYaV9BLbDbF6DX1wcoLeqD2DnEulXXTwJolxp7kK0TfnLR6MztG3T8/s1600/44286726892_faf00d82d3_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkeb8_QXt_oLjsJWhjbLXyysAmroVcfFi-aVeFX_nEetmAfb6Yr99IF9izvccgtCmXKK25dqd2PJ00Q9HJvRWfLXYaV9BLbDbF6DX1wcoLeqD2DnEulXXTwJolxp7kK0TfnLR6MztG3T8/s400/44286726892_faf00d82d3_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top of the golf course</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-87319516432682451392018-08-28T19:07:00.000-07:002018-08-28T19:07:42.153-07:00Out of the Eerie and into the spectacular!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-mzJxq6cqIs1kOjL_75UkOY1FBQgJs5hyphenhyphenkj030qf-9ZRtFxUVjpXzDAwrSI8WDIUOZx0ziixfbplbhLyjLwR_0Is_iDDBP2KXyDJKqRFK4cnVORXL8MR7LWiP_Naf0tr9BTY2psuMbAi/s1600/30467568958_3d0db90727_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-mzJxq6cqIs1kOjL_75UkOY1FBQgJs5hyphenhyphenkj030qf-9ZRtFxUVjpXzDAwrSI8WDIUOZx0ziixfbplbhLyjLwR_0Is_iDDBP2KXyDJKqRFK4cnVORXL8MR7LWiP_Naf0tr9BTY2psuMbAi/s400/30467568958_3d0db90727_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yesterday had a 1% chance of rain ... you already know where this is going! We got up an hour earlier so we could get the heck out of dodge and get to the resort ASAP. So we happily left our massive room with nothing in it but a bed and headed down to the creepy underground parking garage; and saw the rain just a fallin'. :( David checked the radar and we watched it as we waited for our window. After about a 20 minute delay, we pulled out onto the soaking wet roads and managed to find our favorite breakfast spot; Cracker Barrel.<br />
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We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast since we were waiting for a 2nd cell to pass over, and then hit the wet roads again for the drive south to Roanoke, WV. The ride really isn't a whole heck of a lot to document. We pretty much wove back and forth from the interstate to Hwy 19 all the way there. We started out on 19, and even though I was actually enjoying the ride, David was getting antsy b/c the speed limit not only kept dropping down to 45 and below, but we also kept getting behind some big trucks.<br />
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The ride was not really fun if I'm being honest! It was hot as heck; I was drowning in my own sweat. We drove down through Pittsburgh, and I was not that much of a fan. There was this really awesome park we saw pictures of that we wanted to go to, but parking was $13. Seriously? $10 to park at Niagra Falls, and you want $13? Nah. We went back and forth over a few bridges. David's GPS was giving him some trouble and we had to do some turning around a few times. My bike was whining and blowing hot air all over my leg, so I was beginning to feel cranky. We parked just outside of PNC Park, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and enjoyed walking around for a few minutes. Again ... hot as heck. We mounted back up and hit the interstate.<br />
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TONS of road construction, lots of grooved pavement, lots of pot holes, and boring, straight riding. Lol, like I said, not that much fun! The interesting thing about this vacation is the fact that I'm actually driving. When we go on vacation, I do not drive, pretty much ever. So the fact that I'm staying right up with David and tackling all these crazy city interstate interchanges is pretty cool. We did our last stretch of 19 after waiting out another pop up shower at a gas station; it sucked. We got stuck not only in school traffic, but also behind a bus. As SOON as humanly possible, we jumped back on the expressway for a final book it to the resort. Finally, we arrived!<br />
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This place is magnificent. We checked in, jumped in the pool, soaked in the hot tub, enjoyed a gourmet meal at the on site restaurant, and enjoyed a drink outside by the fire. Pure heaven! Turned into bed around 11:30, anxious to see what the next day would bring.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-25452879130223399832018-08-26T18:24:00.000-07:002018-08-26T18:24:22.038-07:00HIghways and Skyways<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hear6Ill7eFpqBSC8bmbNhaP_WpIKTxszpwLZhSu3DTy2Pm7u3ZCNvDKIeBKG-ERO_HJkZtUjGHhaiD7hLiTCk-EEoWooLdJ8Dp1DLTorXlFBaUllDF4nR1CSyzU2FZM44MggAJ38HYg/s1600/44241719832_1f9fc263f8_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hear6Ill7eFpqBSC8bmbNhaP_WpIKTxszpwLZhSu3DTy2Pm7u3ZCNvDKIeBKG-ERO_HJkZtUjGHhaiD7hLiTCk-EEoWooLdJ8Dp1DLTorXlFBaUllDF4nR1CSyzU2FZM44MggAJ38HYg/s400/44241719832_1f9fc263f8_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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2nd Saturday began the same time as yesterday; 6:48 am. I was ready to get up because I fell asleep somewhere around 7:00 pm last night. Sadly, I woke up with a rip roaring headache; I think a little bit of dehydration had set in. We checked out our hotel's pathetic excuse for breakfast, then decided to go ahead and layer up and hit the road.<br />
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As we pulled a U turn at a steep hilly road to go back to the cool restaurant we spotted, I realized I was pretty overdressed. I ordered a Sweet Potato pancake with a side of bacon. Oh my heaven, that was SO good. I couldn't finish it all, it was soooo huge. After shedding my 1/4 zip pullover, we hit the road towards New York. Today's ride became a game of "Dodge the potholes". The road was seriously BAD. And then once we hit the state line, it was a chewed up grooved highway. Fun, not fun.<br />
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We veered over as close to Lake Erie as we could get and really enjoyed riding along the edge. The ride reminded us greatly of the California coast, just without the breathtaking mountains. Lake Erie does have some cliffs, just none too dramatic. Traffic was non existent and we enjoyed just riding at our own pace. Still feeling great! No sore booties or aching backs. We REALLY enjoyed riding through Buffalo. It's a quaint, beautiful little city. Luckily, David was doing some filming through the city, so I should have some fun still shots captured from the GoPro.<br />
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As we followed the GPS, we did manage to find the 'hood of Buffalo; it's like any other city ... just keep on movin' through! Hwy 5 turned into the Skyway, but it was closed! We had to take a long, drawn out detour around. Before we knew it, we were at the entrance to the park. Amazingly enough, the park is free to enter. It simply cost us $10 to park. After locking down the helmets and I changed into my walking shoes, we waded through the mist and the throngs of people to get to the edge. Niagra is just awe inspiring. A perfect example of God's handy work. We took it all in and savored the moment, fought through the crowds in the gift shop NOT to find any stickers, and as we mounted back up, we shed down to minimum layers. NO rain at all, even for a second, but it was pretty warm. We both sweated today.<br />
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SO thankful I always hit my skin with sunscreen before getting on the bike. I sprayed all my exposed skin and coated my face with the stuff. Love riding in a jacket too. My mesh jacket was a little warm today, but it kept the sun off me, and with the long, straight stretches of high speed interstate just a T shirt will beat me to death. The mesh jacket doesn't flap around or irritate my skin one little bit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISEWaKBbdhBhYLNp4WO4Cw8gYTTzwA0z9D4AvuNYDc7uZ9Y4iMTOd-dL1hFbQDL3c1ZS7z5sVi1byDrIPtKGZYWkGg5GBwJcF3GZDjkASggB7T_48uKwwI61acwvAizqxIY698SCm-tn_/s1600/30423086908_387b1d23d0_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISEWaKBbdhBhYLNp4WO4Cw8gYTTzwA0z9D4AvuNYDc7uZ9Y4iMTOd-dL1hFbQDL3c1ZS7z5sVi1byDrIPtKGZYWkGg5GBwJcF3GZDjkASggB7T_48uKwwI61acwvAizqxIY698SCm-tn_/s400/30423086908_387b1d23d0_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haven't had one of these since CA</td></tr>
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On the way home, we continued to dodge the awful holes. I found that consistently the best spot to ride was smack dab in the center of the lane. I tell ya, the weirdest thing for David and I to get used to is people riding with no helmets. We always ride in TN/NC and sometimes GA, and those are all helmet states. No worries, you will ALWAYS see David and I with our brain buckets on. I believe that the day we're born, we have a set end date, but what happens in between is up to us. I don't want to spend my days drooling in a wheelchair. I choose to protect myself because if it's not my time to leave this earth and I have an accident, I want to recover fully. Wearing protective gear gives me the best chance of surviving intact. So, our helmets have not left our heads unless we're going in somewhere!<br />
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Happy to get out of Erie tomorrow. No desire to ever stay in this city again. We'd rather stay in Buffalo next time. Heading down to Roanoke, WV the long way. Hopefully just a short stint on the interstate; seriously missing our curves!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJCDWQbdpTHO5-sZ2g08a1halKIRDvMz0rwzuckIFRcWk0cS2_PYynzwrEqbW2-Xu4p3jVP5akJUUVMg9BLc6xCoFWiBqXGMOVmMPHSM2hoxGAxeWlYcp1yZp0p2QPxbNu4OQF4wkQqsb/s1600/29354265817_c38a09c149_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJCDWQbdpTHO5-sZ2g08a1halKIRDvMz0rwzuckIFRcWk0cS2_PYynzwrEqbW2-Xu4p3jVP5akJUUVMg9BLc6xCoFWiBqXGMOVmMPHSM2hoxGAxeWlYcp1yZp0p2QPxbNu4OQF4wkQqsb/s400/29354265817_c38a09c149_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this man!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">930 miles so far</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-76579541264321404212018-08-25T17:02:00.000-07:002018-08-25T17:04:26.853-07:00First Saturday, take 2!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfSW3gZdMyvuuUfMFTdRPFyY6ah1I-jB2qfxmNkM2gR48qILXyMT3GHbacA47rpvMJ7Rb1MXm1iHDoTie92B2Ui4sWar9-a9FV6DqPNm_s2WMY9wzcE3BnPeg9w-FPV6OT5XKxTDQM5JA/s1600/42458871810_f32645a0c2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfSW3gZdMyvuuUfMFTdRPFyY6ah1I-jB2qfxmNkM2gR48qILXyMT3GHbacA47rpvMJ7Rb1MXm1iHDoTie92B2Ui4sWar9-a9FV6DqPNm_s2WMY9wzcE3BnPeg9w-FPV6OT5XKxTDQM5JA/s400/42458871810_f32645a0c2_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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277 Miles today, mostly in Ohio. We've never touched tires to Ohio, so definitely a different experience today! We enjoyed a generous breakfast at our hotel, then rolled north on Interstate roads. I'm telling y'all; you'd better keep your eyes open. The interstate has way too many killer pot holes. Some of them, I feel a motorcycle would very probably suffer some real damage, possibly even wrecking.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk2nKqF3jxcPAeFIM8-2E3Psl24-xq9zYB6Hte33I74ZFrToakBrcHcPoHPV4iuY2bSKtz-29Rqr1gaiJWdxu6NhbYuhRaxK9X8NIb5j8GzJ0kNodtPRNNj7M7gJxDSl1jR2WgnzBXayjD/s1600/44218103562_1ebb208a81_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk2nKqF3jxcPAeFIM8-2E3Psl24-xq9zYB6Hte33I74ZFrToakBrcHcPoHPV4iuY2bSKtz-29Rqr1gaiJWdxu6NhbYuhRaxK9X8NIb5j8GzJ0kNodtPRNNj7M7gJxDSl1jR2WgnzBXayjD/s400/44218103562_1ebb208a81_o.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">277 miles today</td></tr>
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All was just fine, and the first 100 miles clicked on by. Then we saw the Indian dealership! We darted off the interstate, circled around to the store, and enjoyed our little break browsing bikes. We even got to lay eyes on a Jack Daniel's edition bobber. Just like the Elite, that bike is much more beautiful in person. The attention to detail is really spot on. I hate the black/gold color combo, but if presented with the opportunity, I'd definitely own one! We picked up a pair of dealer shirts, then began the task of skirting/dodging the light rain in the area.<br />
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David kept one eye on his map and one eye on the radar, and we managed to miss all but the very lightest of drops. Our legs got a little wet from the wet roads, but overall we stayed dry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEnX8tVZ5pwkZlli0G5AbURA_OlBjCfKET25RftcVgj8tTMD-r1BdzzjQnBWnDtF4THSW6JU8hocqmG91lGnJKhdObwdeY-JKXQ2eZniJFmACIgtHci1q-ZdQhsTGqUgIHRKhZd4XbW1O/s1600/30399882778_05256e9977_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEnX8tVZ5pwkZlli0G5AbURA_OlBjCfKET25RftcVgj8tTMD-r1BdzzjQnBWnDtF4THSW6JU8hocqmG91lGnJKhdObwdeY-JKXQ2eZniJFmACIgtHci1q-ZdQhsTGqUgIHRKhZd4XbW1O/s400/30399882778_05256e9977_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light rain didn't affect us, but got Khaleesi FILTHY :(</td></tr>
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Ohio is flat with a hand full of rolling mountains. The rain dodging adventure allowed us to take in the local towns. Such beauty! Many neighborhoods of picture perfect vintage homes all lined up along a tree lined street; like something out of a storybook.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ls3Zh1X-t5sELpQ67PwH8S-Rvvy7f9i8QNaTXhAFkn2BLpczAz3ErEzR-X26s6zP2sxkS-TauAk61I02nivKHk-Kkqs4yOpqHF0HIzBGv4CGjKbkya8O6bMWvUv1QFson0WMaiSUVKbg/s1600/42458873120_fbc986d301_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ls3Zh1X-t5sELpQ67PwH8S-Rvvy7f9i8QNaTXhAFkn2BLpczAz3ErEzR-X26s6zP2sxkS-TauAk61I02nivKHk-Kkqs4yOpqHF0HIzBGv4CGjKbkya8O6bMWvUv1QFson0WMaiSUVKbg/s400/42458873120_fbc986d301_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A much needed pick me up!</td></tr>
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The Scout performed beautifully. If anyone is wondering whether a Scout Sixty can handle all terrain, I'm here to tell you it CAN. Yesterday was 90% mountain roads, both up and down. I was easily able to maintain speeds of around 70 mph with no issues. Being passed by semi trucks was no big deal, and we cruised in comfort now for 2 days. They key is to set up your bike to fit YOU. I've changed the seat, windshield, and the handle bars. I've gone through 2 sets of tires now, and currently am on my 3rd front one (the front tire seems to wear more quickly). This Michelin tire makes a WORLD of handling difference. 148% better than the stock Kendas AND the Dunlop I replaced the stocks with. She turns smooth as butter and glides through the curves simply by you thinking about them! Very happy with my current set up. Stock pipes/exhaust system. Pipes will be the LAST thing I go with, after floorboards.<br />
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688 miles ridden thus far in 2 days. No, we're not iron butting it, but we're pulling some pretty serious miles for us. Currently in Erie; I am NOT impressed with this city. We walked a little bit and we both felt very uncomfortable. The hotel is worth exactly what we've paid for it. It's not nasty, but it's not half as nice as the one we stayed in last night. We'll be here tomorrow night as well. Looking forward to skirting the lake tomorrow up to Niagra; hoping for a safe and smooth ride. Praising God for the smooth, easy ride to date. Again, traffic was non existent. No complaints at all!<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-56868083064369124412018-08-24T19:52:00.000-07:002018-08-24T19:57:33.369-07:00Day Zero<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaO8kiJ9CnNDMXSBikiMxWS6ufHOuMIE5EFtwSAqayvjLacAuhDduDuzpvh86DjR6XJSZjnLLczAg0rGiw54kPKiDpa4mw9UekUOggoZZeB8SDGzRUG7gQf-GvpBn7kmNcLY0PzU2sy7tG/s1600/44248352211_8c2dfe8793_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaO8kiJ9CnNDMXSBikiMxWS6ufHOuMIE5EFtwSAqayvjLacAuhDduDuzpvh86DjR6XJSZjnLLczAg0rGiw54kPKiDpa4mw9UekUOggoZZeB8SDGzRUG7gQf-GvpBn7kmNcLY0PzU2sy7tG/s400/44248352211_8c2dfe8793_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Originally, our vacation plan was to go check out West Tennessee. We've been to Nashville a few times, but never to Memphis or beyond. And we've never ridden the bikes out that way, so we started looking. One night in Memphis turned into 5 nights not in Memphis!<br />
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David and I are so in tune, we both said instead of Memphis maybe ... Michigan! But as the hubs began to investigate that idea further, the trip morphed into Niagra Falls. And Lake Erie. We've never seen ANY of the Great Lakes, so excitement quickly began to set in. The toughest leg would be the first one; we both had to work, and we had to skedaddle about 8 hours north into West Virginia.<br />
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This morning dawned the coolest it's been since about April. It felt GREAT! David's bike was loaded down last night, and he was going to meet me at my work and we'd just hit I-40 from there. One MAJOR difference with this vacation vs. others we've done is the fact that we're riding to a destination PLACE vs. riding to destination ROADS. Last August, it was the Back of the Dragon and the Snake. In April, it was the Diamondback, the Devil's Whip, and the Sidewinder. This time it's places, and we kind of have to get there the most efficient way since we're covering the most miles we EVER have in a single trip.<br />
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So as soon as David pulled into the parking lot, I finished up and jumped on the {new and improved} Khaleesi. She now has reduced reach handle bars and a new front tire. WOW, what a difference! That tire has made the handling so smooth and controlled; the bars are sooo much more comfortable; as I lie here blogging, my back isn't even tired.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7dSMyJEd4qOuq2AIE8Gm13ux91usSQM6HvVMsPa2BoxBzobgH9ZqUjbfj6JPhA5amfmfZVaiad93lwO2I7_MQtVBFwvKJvN-UEDPzdJ4I4HryR6h2eLuAEoi-w5YCuNTkPeUJRIOSVHi/s1600/42441060420_3e9d9af841_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7dSMyJEd4qOuq2AIE8Gm13ux91usSQM6HvVMsPa2BoxBzobgH9ZqUjbfj6JPhA5amfmfZVaiad93lwO2I7_MQtVBFwvKJvN-UEDPzdJ4I4HryR6h2eLuAEoi-w5YCuNTkPeUJRIOSVHi/s400/42441060420_3e9d9af841_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We took I-40 out to I-81. Tennessee turned into Virginia. We got off the Interstate onto Hwy 119. Virginia gave way to Kentucky and the landscape turned to massive rock encrusted mountains. As our tires hit West Virginia, road construction became the norm, but amazingly enough we hit virtually no traffic. We pulled into our fabulous hotel just after 8:00. A lightening quick check in got us up to our room in no time. I traded my boots for my sneakers, and we stepped outside to walk up the sidewalk and soak in the absolutely perfect weather. This hotel is VERY similar to our one from last year; it's a beautifully preserved and restored historic hotel. We walked down to a local Parkersburg brewery and enjoyed a KILLER burger. 411 miles today, a personal record for both of us! Now to enjoy a nice rest and arise tomorrow for the day's adventures!<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-88902673850716509272018-08-18T20:31:00.000-07:002018-08-18T20:39:40.967-07:00The ride up to Hartford ... oh, what an adventure!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The weekend began after work on Friday. I rode all the way out to Knoxville from Seymour so Mufasa could get a front tire and an oil change. We then headed right back out from where I'd come from because there was a new back road to ride ... and a mountain to climb. As we dipped and leaned through the tight Sevier County back roads, David pointed out a mountain and said he wanted to go to the top. So we did! The path got more and more narrow and soon the yellow line disappeared. I always feel fortunate to tackle these roads on a bike vs. a vehicle so that we can stay a safe distance from oncoming traffic. The road had a few corkscrews but was pretty level and the camber wasn't too bad. It was a typical tourist/vacation cabin type road; I couldn't imagine actually living on it, as I can imagine it would get quite iced in during the winter!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98R9FwRZbLWb3cNd-7hS_XAHsqa_O7_2GI8jXDOxAwEwDK5AvnOiAcwlPyjvVCJV-eNIlu3sYm7hdgPL_10_W9b77eqez_yMo7tl4c2SOv_6AwAyrrEYBpGlLthfs2DTi6jd40lC9sbvA/s1600/41917719070_55089dabcd_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98R9FwRZbLWb3cNd-7hS_XAHsqa_O7_2GI8jXDOxAwEwDK5AvnOiAcwlPyjvVCJV-eNIlu3sYm7hdgPL_10_W9b77eqez_yMo7tl4c2SOv_6AwAyrrEYBpGlLthfs2DTi6jd40lC9sbvA/s400/41917719070_55089dabcd_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See that view? Breathtaking! And tall!</td></tr>
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We actually received a last minute invitation Friday night to ride down south with a friend from up north, but David had already planned and mapped out a ride up north. We were PLANNING to head up to KY and maybe hit the Aces and Eights ride. Upon further investigation, the ride was just going to be too far to tackle in a day, so we picked our 2nd favorite, the Rattler.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tired of our "helmet hair, don't care" yet?</td></tr>
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As Saturday morning dawned, plans morphed yet again as David wanted to head up towards Hartford and some of the roads we'd driven for the Foothills Wine Trail. We headed around towards Douglas Lake and enjoyed the views at the dam. The GPS directed us along the general route we'd used in the truck, and we ended up stopping for gas IN Hartford, which is a little rafting town close to the NC state line; State Route 32 is close to there which is the road we hit on our way home from our epic Diamondback/Sidewinder/Devil's Whip ride and I almost cried, lol. We opted NOT to partake of that particular adventure, and I spotted a sign for the Martha Sundquist State Forest and thought it would be a GREAT idea to go check that out. Hah! Friends, if you EVER ride with us, be prepared for ANYTHING, haha.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, do yourself a favor and visit this place in a TRUCK.</td></tr>
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The gravel ON the road quickly turned TO a gravel road, and as the weather was nice with no mud, we opted to see where it would take us. I hit a few ruts and rocks that literally took my breath away, they were so hard. About 4 miles in, we came upon a V in the road; up or down. I was beginning to just think we needed to turn around b/c the road was getting more and more narrow, and the weeds were growing up thicker in the center of the road. The rocks were looser, the ruts were bigger, and the uphill climb was looking somewhat washed out. And then David exclaimed in my ear, "OH SHI&!" I thought it was maybe a log across the road or something, but turns out it was a bear. Yep, a very large bear. I only saw the butt, David saw the whole thing. It loped off about 30 feet, then stopped just to the edge of the woods. Um, yeah, we turned around. THAT was fun. I started to park the bike and get off and let David finish turning her around. He DID get off and stand in front of me b/c I was terrified I was going to drive right off the edge b/c did I mention this road was uphill? And rutted out loose gravel? And my motorcycle is a STREET BIKE?? </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd rather be on pavement</td></tr>
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Irritability was beginning to set in, which happens when I act like a puss, lol. I was also having trouble with my sunglasses b/c I was wearing just my short sleeved shirt b/c it was sooooo hot I didn't even want my jacket. So, nowhere to put my glasses, and I was having trouble reading the road b/c it was so shadow riddled. I finally got them situated, and we made it back out the way we came ... and promptly turned down a paved road riddled with loose gravel and MASSIVE potholes. I'm pretty sure I was complaining, lol. Fortunately, the bad conditions improved, and we ended up on a short jaunt up Foothills Parkway ... NOT the one I've ridden a hundred times, the other one. It was super short, but it had the same breathtaking views.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "other" Foothills Parkway</td></tr>
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That dumped us out onto I-40, and we rode a few miles up and down the windy, breathtaking hills and curves. There's nothing quite like taking a wide, sweeping curve at 75 mph in 5th gear on a smooth riding bike. This was one of the first times I can remember actually enjoying the ride, as the road was completely dry, AND there wasn't a wall of semi trucks. There were a few, but they were easily passed. By sheer accident, we ended up in Hot Springs, NC. Lol, we honestly did not head towards the Rattler on purpose, but we ended up there anyway.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NEVER ENDING gravel road</td></tr>
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We again ate at our favorite Irish bar on the river, then flew across Hwy 209, AKA the Rattler. I again led the ride, as I do really enjoy that road. By the time we completed it, we were both pretty dang tired, so we hit the Interstate to go home. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, full of lots of adventure and amazing views, tight, corkscrew 15 mph turns and high speed, 75 mph curves. We had bears, birds, and gravel. I have SUCH an amazing time with my other half, I can't say enough how much I love and appreciate him. He always watches out for me and takes care of me, but he also doesn't put up with any crap, lol. He pushes me safely out of my comfort zone just enough that I grow as a rider every time I throw a leg over. I'm so thankful for my life, and can't wait to reveal what's coming up in a mere 6 days!!!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Douglas Dam</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-97202018993019122018-08-16T19:16:00.000-07:002018-08-16T19:26:15.445-07:00Another epic weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-FZn3ggPoNc2lexUboJYraEKVXt9i1KWfscoVxUYZ3IoEGQZa0_9UoAQUZWzjzDjwgj057ojC60eus3vNqOXEFS71ctv9U9BlMsqz7b4kMQmbMu-US0_-DgW0h_Zk_uO13vRLo_SzvPM/s1600/43726593231_d01f6fe487_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-FZn3ggPoNc2lexUboJYraEKVXt9i1KWfscoVxUYZ3IoEGQZa0_9UoAQUZWzjzDjwgj057ojC60eus3vNqOXEFS71ctv9U9BlMsqz7b4kMQmbMu-US0_-DgW0h_Zk_uO13vRLo_SzvPM/s400/43726593231_d01f6fe487_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Our next 2 rides dawned ... wet! There's this law that states the farther in advance you PLAN any sort of outdoor activity ... the higher the chance of rain! My in laws organized and "promoted" a quintessential East Tennessee ride, coming up from GA, staying in Pigeon Forge overnight, then back down to GA the next day. She asked us to ride, and David volunteered to lead. The plan was head south towards Ocoee to meet up, then ride over to Cherokee, through the National Park to Pigeon Forge, then we head home. Sunday, get up and start in Pigeon Forge, then wind down to Foothills, the Tail of the Dragon into Robbinsville, over the Cherohala, then through Tellico Plains back down to Ocoee at which point we left the GA peeps and headed back home. David and I tried to get some of our friends interested, and the in laws tried to get some of THEIR friends interested, but sadly the wet weather scared everyone off. The ride was definitely a mixed bag!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love my twin </td></tr>
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Saturday, just David and I headed south to Ocoee. We met up no problem with the GA peeps, found us a fabulous little hole in the wall "cafe" to eat at, then proceeded out to Cherokee.<br />
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During the ride out there, we stopped off at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, which is a hub for outdoor rafting stuff. We took a much needed break to feel the (ice) cold water, kick our feet up, and horse around a little bit. LOTS of people out and about enjoying a day on the river; it was fun to watch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super fun; all of us!</td></tr>
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All was well. It was hot, but the rain was holding off. That was a ride the in laws had done once or twice, so no big deal at all. From Cherokee, we headed through the National Park up to the overlook for a rest and a view. Slower tourist traffic kept the pace on the slow side, and we pulled up to the overlook with no issues.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building clouds</td></tr>
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The in laws wanted to go THROUGH Gatlinburg to get to PF. Ugh. This is where things began to tilt slightly south, lol! We knew the traffic was going to suck. And it did. My clutch hand cramped up, and my right leg was catching on fire from the hot engine. Khaleesi's fan kept whining and the temps of the engine crept up to around 210. My Father in Law's bike decided to seriously protest by the time we finally made it into Pigeon Forge, and it began to actually over heat and spit coolant out. As we sat in the hotel for my Aunt and her boyfriend to rest and tend to the FIL's bike, the clouds began to loom ominously. We left the Aunt and the MIL/FIL came with us the backroads back to the house. David kept it pretty straightforward without much curve so we could just get HOME. By this time it was getting pretty dark, and upon hitting 411 next to my work, a serious storm was kicking up. David and I sort of left the in laws in the dust. His reasoning was they knew their way home, and we ride at night a lot. We thundered into the garage SECONDS ahead of the downpour. The in laws were a few minutes behind, and David got an ear full for running off. I definitely see both sides; we didn't want to get wet!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pony is eager to get going!</td></tr>
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The next morning was gray. And wet. As we went up through Townsend and Wears Valley Road to head to the Old Mill for breakfast, the wet roads soaked the front of our shins. We arrived in good time, and as we went in to get seated, we were told they refused to seat us until our full party arrived. Ugh. So, the day started out not so great ...the Aunt isn't much of a morning person, and one of the peeps was a friend of David's that was not responding to texts/calls to even let us know if he was coming. So, the grump began early, lol. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HOW many of this particular pic do I have??</td></tr>
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After an overpriced breakfast, we picked up the Aunt/boyfriend and headed back the way we'd come back into Townsend, then took the FHP across to the Dragon. It was off FHP that my brave friend L met up with us. We stopped to make our usual pow wow at the lake before tackling the Dragon. David gave his usual speech about riding your own ride, and we'll all meet in Deal's Gap for our usual walk across the street to the Killboy shed. Us and L got a bit ahead of the GA peeps, and wouldn't you know it, but it began to sprinkle. We cut the speed down a TON, and then got stuck behind a rude group that refused to move over at ALL ... and they were literally going 15 mph. It was ridiculous. Ride your own ride, but freaking let people around. We do it all the time for the crotch rockets that want to ride 65 through the curves. Anyway, we safely made it, and there was plenty of bikes to be seen at the Gap. The GA peeps were about 2 mins behind us, and they all safely pulled in as well. After that pit stop, it was the short-ish drive to Robbinsville and the Hub (Yes again. It's awesome!)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 Hondas and the Indisaki!</td></tr>
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It was at this point the frustration began. As the leader, David has a responsibility to not leave his group. But I do think since the "group" consisted of his parents, he felt they should keep up with him. In his defense, he was truly only going either the speed limit or 5 over. But the 55 mph speed limits have wide, sweeping curves ... and he rolls ON the throttle through those curves, not off. The GA peeps aren't used to that type of speed on those types of roads, and fell behind. The Hub is just right off 129, so he didn't pull over anywhere and wait, he just went to the restaurant to wait. The MIL called him a few minutes later and asked where he was. He told her, and they got there. Understandably, they got off the bikes and were a bit frustrated. Understandably, David was also frustrated and they had some cross words. Poor L. On the bright side, we spend a LONG time at the Hub b/c David was watching the radar and we waited out a SHOWER, a big one. L and I got some wonderful conversation in; that's hard to do when you're riding together! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hub</td></tr>
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David and the parents calmed their frustrations down, and we finally headed out towards the Cherohala. It was intermittent rain all the way there, and as we started our trek upwards, the mist shrouded us to the point that David said all he could see in his rear view was my headlight; no body! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What visibility?</td></tr>
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He was going so slow I kept bogging down in 2nd gear, but it was sort of keeping the in laws in sight. We finally did get a little ahead of them, but the Skyway is just a straight (curvy) shot. We put more clothes on, and dealt with the fog/light misty rain that came down. We all had a slow and safe ride back down to the bottom, and L left us to head home. We cut off an entire section of ride because of the rain, and the GA peeps headed back south as we headed north. It rained on us a few more times as we headed home, but thanks to L, I was wearing rain gear! David and I booked it up 411 straight home, and made it safely into the garage with our filthy bikes.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CHILLY.</td></tr>
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I guess the moral of our story is to ride with well matched riders. Our riding style is just very different from the in laws. The mantra of "ride your own ride" doesn't really work when the rides are totally different. I'm sure they have had more fun when they didn't feel pressured to ride hard. We've had more fun when we didn't feel pressured to take it easy. A better ride for all of us may be when we go down to GA b/c they know the roads down there, and the curves/mountains are non existent.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swapped our swag ... my future girl, Arya.</td></tr>
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HUGE plans coming up next week! SOOOOO EXCITED!!! Y'all will just have to wait and see what we have planned. Sorry the blog is behind, I'll try and catch up the other rides before next weekend; we have 2 epic rides we did that require the play by play :D</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was DRY! David got wet, lol!</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-56462986267165299562018-07-29T20:49:00.001-07:002018-07-29T20:49:26.294-07:00Catching up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The weekend after our epic 800 miler was a little more quiet. The Indian dealer in Knoxville was having "Demo Days" as well as giving a free bandanna for every demo ride taken. Now, I do not EVER want to take advantage of our local dealer. The guys there are great, but I know no one likes a "tire kicker". We are DEFINITELY not tire kickers, but we're also not able to spend tens of thousands of dollars, either. David will be getting a Chieftan within the year, and whether we get it from Knoxville or not greatly depends on our interactions with the staff. For the Demo days, you just pick any bike in the store and they let you take it out, unguided. One time, they actually had 4 different bikes parked outside that they had READY for you to take out. To take a demo bike, they take it down and check it, put a tag on it, and gas it up for you ... it's a lot of work! But dang it, Indian corporate gives you free stuff as incentives for doing demo rides, so we join in the fun! I also am for sure a future Chieftan customer ... just very, very far in the future, lol! Which is ok ... after this weekend, I need a few thousand more miles and a couple more years on my Scout before I graduate up in size, anyway lol. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTgQlLxvYNXco9Y0yuV8BSXlqmcki1LwuSFg-MMZFU5wjzQiSaTsqLLaOuGDYW8OdfcVgkGppYBkkoe5Gj4W0moYTllKQ3k1wBCHZveXvTWVy8THHi3_pbdf3V4lPjl4uzmwFiLemhgM5/s1600/43727609031_cf0a220ff8_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTgQlLxvYNXco9Y0yuV8BSXlqmcki1LwuSFg-MMZFU5wjzQiSaTsqLLaOuGDYW8OdfcVgkGppYBkkoe5Gj4W0moYTllKQ3k1wBCHZveXvTWVy8THHi3_pbdf3V4lPjl4uzmwFiLemhgM5/s400/43727609031_cf0a220ff8_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David's beauty is in the back</td></tr>
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<br />
Anyway, Will the salesman was happy to hook us up, and David took out his beloved blue Chieftan Limited, and I took a Dark Horse (which I am TOTALLY not interested in, black bikes bore the heck out of me). I was able to try the bike with the Reduced seat, which I was excited about. This was the first time David and I were able to ride Chieftans together ALONE. He has a pretty good demo route figured out; it's different than the lead rides b/c those are supposed to be 100% right turns. We found ourselves plenty of left ones, and fun ones at that! There's this road right down from the dealer that has a long, twisty downhill followed by a long, twisty uphill. Super fun! The seat got my feet a little closer to the ground, but still not flatfooted. I actually felt a little cramped sitting because it pulled me closer to the gas tank and put more of a bend in my knees, which I don't need in the "riding" position. So, undecided on the Reduced seat!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92NpDXboTUDRcgY7ukn3DccUbVX0FyWk4JhrShQ0NdQ0y6S_9F5n66n-f2uIzdY8bFEUCDYyrYKC7xiCekA9j2Lj4cFMtWWmv9f-miNB8TM0iwb5AqYD1DACW0rvMHSKQn5PnX7aPjv_e/s1600/41304531890_76332f3941_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92NpDXboTUDRcgY7ukn3DccUbVX0FyWk4JhrShQ0NdQ0y6S_9F5n66n-f2uIzdY8bFEUCDYyrYKC7xiCekA9j2Lj4cFMtWWmv9f-miNB8TM0iwb5AqYD1DACW0rvMHSKQn5PnX7aPjv_e/s400/41304531890_76332f3941_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">48th time at the Dragon! (made that # up)</td></tr>
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Anyway, we pulled into a pull off to wait on a SUPER slow car to move out of the way, and it was definitely an awkward stop for me. The bike is soooo heavy, but I was also being so super careful. We pulled back onto the road with no issues, and I thoroughly enjoyed the light as a cat feel of the front end of the bike through the twisty road! It actually rides lighter and more comfortable than Khaleesi due to the positively neutral, upright riding position. My arms are in a PERFECT spot on the handlebars, I love it so much! As we neared the end of the ride and got closer to the dealership, I had a moment of mild panic. The shop is in a HORRIBLE spot off a HORRIBLE busy road. If you come in needing to make a left turn, you have to go down and make a U turn to turn right into the driveway; there's no straight up left turn in. I am DEFINITELY not ready to fire off a U turn on a busy highway on the Chieftan yet. David had me covered, though, and we took backroads with traffic lights that put us on the highway going the proper direction to make that right back into the shop. I was relieved to pull to a stop and have David come up and put my kickstand down for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOAzEdKTggFC38VjoIHzaPc9uhz7XlJrGMdt2XfbatM1Q67hqUIBkEEGoCnJHNuentu2p9xSDtOYeu__70lFb5J_wj1tIv_n-W8M8QwBe03bPkE4RKmbG6A2Rp9UgCQL4qaUcONkCNG9z/s1600/28353026117_fa6b2dcf81_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOAzEdKTggFC38VjoIHzaPc9uhz7XlJrGMdt2XfbatM1Q67hqUIBkEEGoCnJHNuentu2p9xSDtOYeu__70lFb5J_wj1tIv_n-W8M8QwBe03bPkE4RKmbG6A2Rp9UgCQL4qaUcONkCNG9z/s400/28353026117_fa6b2dcf81_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2018 Bandanna</td></tr>
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Anticipating our next Chieftan rides to be at the Demo truck in September, when there's ZERO guilt to get out and ride them! Wow, didn't mean for this blog to turn into such a detailed account of a "test ride", but it always morphs into what it's meant to as soon as my fingers touch the keys :) Our demo ride on Saturday was our "ride" for the day, but we did head out again once the baby went to sleep around Sevierville. We were again going for ice cream at this cute little private store, but we got there too late. So DQ it was! Fun, safe ride for about 3 hours; we left out around 8:30 and got back just before midnight. The following weekend dawned HOT. David almost didn't even really want to ride; I talked him into it by tempting him with the Cherohala; the temp difference up there is CRAZY! And it's south, too! I just knew that even though it was a hot day, it would be a nice ride.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JxdGt5c_qrjaTfBVm57bLXUmvhAn4xrivIqtPYx4meqqsJI_wow61DRqIgZaoiGgWpgQ7n-R5utL4ldsWey65Bg4r2bpMpMF77M0O8lEbqL7AxH6JkJgaDAnF0gEH5X3O1LO37f_l9Z4/s1600/43065792932_427f71d0f4_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JxdGt5c_qrjaTfBVm57bLXUmvhAn4xrivIqtPYx4meqqsJI_wow61DRqIgZaoiGgWpgQ7n-R5utL4ldsWey65Bg4r2bpMpMF77M0O8lEbqL7AxH6JkJgaDAnF0gEH5X3O1LO37f_l9Z4/s400/43065792932_427f71d0f4_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We hit the road heading south down 411, then took our usual backroads to Tellico Plains. He had ME lead the Cherohala and he filmed it. The first part of the ride involved a slow yellow Mustang that didn't know to MOVE OUT OF THE FREAKING WAY. As SOON as we were able, I passed them and enjoyed the long sweeping curves of the Skyway. And I was soooo right, it was about 15 degrees cooler. <br />
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There were some threatening clouds hanging around, but all they did was threaten. We made our way to The Hub in Robbinsville, NC and enjoyed lunch, then hit 129 to do the Dragon to FHP. It was actually my first time to do the FHP after the Dragon. I've done FHP FIRST, but never after. And we've always stopped and taken a break. We did stop in Deal's Gap to wander up to the Killboy store and make sure they didn't have any new stickers (they didn't) first, but then we hit the road. And let me tell ya ... it was crazy slow. We got stuck behind a group of riders/cars going so slow ... we actually horsed around for one of the photographers, which I NEVER do. I told David we needed to stop, because the Dragon will bite you when you're not expecting it! So we straightened up and focused on finishing the ride. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SPmmcrA_BYELV5aTZ_fBHZIzb1iIhCyiuFPPsw23-PK_BNpP7Mx5zPjE11obDK6NXxpdWtJ0UEra64AEEzmsoUXhqLfoAOXA4Y5EJsp0kKF9oXq_G-WjKZQtx8VY0jqOmPoH7HYj-9lP/s1600/43727611931_3ea9a55742_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SPmmcrA_BYELV5aTZ_fBHZIzb1iIhCyiuFPPsw23-PK_BNpP7Mx5zPjE11obDK6NXxpdWtJ0UEra64AEEzmsoUXhqLfoAOXA4Y5EJsp0kKF9oXq_G-WjKZQtx8VY0jqOmPoH7HYj-9lP/s400/43727611931_3ea9a55742_o.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hate posting screenshots, but this is an ugly pic! Went with my short boots due to the HEAT</td></tr>
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Enjoyed cruising up and over the Parkway, enjoying the cooler weather up there too (although not as cool as the Skyway) then to our favorite Winery because David wasn't ready for the day to end. Fun day! Absolutely zero issues or problems, we completely enjoyed our time together. I give ALL the glory to God!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGnHwKWqruqGpnGWOVgSVX_-Oia47ktdy6ULM2zmByT-N1McxKngVkCOJJg9Y5fRLnsNvE1swcaiuL9zrcpWzGi388HErNg33H5-JBKdHhkMhtMv9w4x2xt4SqdGvzYvh-43WKET1346z/s1600/28246508967_34807f5c4d_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGnHwKWqruqGpnGWOVgSVX_-Oia47ktdy6ULM2zmByT-N1McxKngVkCOJJg9Y5fRLnsNvE1swcaiuL9zrcpWzGi388HErNg33H5-JBKdHhkMhtMv9w4x2xt4SqdGvzYvh-43WKET1346z/s400/28246508967_34807f5c4d_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That may or may not be a wine slushy!</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-45283218425369858152018-07-07T10:50:00.000-07:002018-07-07T10:50:15.371-07:002nd Saturday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59-fjHnYqqXLOcYTQCn00evENauvaGBO4JYhQUp-tookAhLXPvumzwJsq-Wb3cjXbqY8uqulz7dXUFgtyY6eeQ6tKoZVdVB_ja1S1o_ik3I6jXNzvXJ7FuZxbowzIL8l-LxNxesyE1EWJ/s1600/29086925398_ffd94f4b82_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59-fjHnYqqXLOcYTQCn00evENauvaGBO4JYhQUp-tookAhLXPvumzwJsq-Wb3cjXbqY8uqulz7dXUFgtyY6eeQ6tKoZVdVB_ja1S1o_ik3I6jXNzvXJ7FuZxbowzIL8l-LxNxesyE1EWJ/s400/29086925398_ffd94f4b82_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How our day begins, always!</td></tr>
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2nd Saturday dawned early again. Not AS early as the previous day, though :) Our goal destination was Bell Buckle, TN to the RC Cola and Moonpie festival! Who even knew that was a thing? Now we do! Bell Buckle is southwest, towards Murfreesboro and not far outside Nashville. Now, you'd think since it's in the same state that it's not that far, but it's a solid 3 hour and change ride for us. Of course, that's taking mostly interstate, and in a cage which can be filled up once and done. My SIL and FIL came to the house on Friday to stay over so she could drive the boys to the festival. We would have had to taken 2 cars regardless since there was 6 of us, so David and I took the bikes! No rain in the forecast, why not?<br />
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We set out due west on our freshly gassed up bikes and our still tender rears feeling refreshed from a good night's sleep and a cold shower. We took Hwy 60 most of the way there, and it was actually really fun! No rain this time, and the road is an interesting mix of higher speed straightaways and tight curvy 35 mph sections. David and I dug in on the curves and twisted those throttles with sheer abandon, leaving the boys (and my beautiful SIL) in the dust! As we thundered closer to the tiny town square, the GPS sent us down some small back roads which were GREAT. Some gravel to be leery of, but we always ride with heads on a swivel, and eyes on every possible obstacle. I was still feeling wonderful, eons more comfortable, feeling very much 'back to normal'. As we entered the town square, Khaleesi's fan turned on and blew a whined protest of hot air on me as we rode in FIRST GEAR behind a line of traffic. She does NOT care for slow speeds on a hot day.<br />
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We found a church parking lot to duck into and I patted myself on the back for packing a change of clothes in the SIL's car. Um, that was until I attempted to change in the car, lol! I exchanged my jeans for yoga capris that was having a VERY hard time pulling over my sweaty legs :D Oops. Got them pulled up enough to be decent, slid on my flip flops, then got out of the car so I could do the "yank up your pants to proper positioning" dance. We were sporting our new Dri Fit IMRG T's, so that part was great. Exchanged the helmet for a ball cap and off we went!<br />
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The festival was cute. But it was too dang hot ... and there were a LOT of people crammed into a tight place. The moonpies were melting, and I didn't even want an RC Cola, I wanted ice water. We will DEFINITELY ride the bikes back to Bell Buckle in the future, but I don't think we'd do the festival again unless it moved to late Fall. We decided to leave and head towards Chattanooga since the MIL had met us at the festival, and that was the way she needed to go to head back home to GA. What's convenient to Chattanooga and Bell Buckle? Lynchburg! What's in Lynchburg? The Jack Daniel's Distillery!<br />
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I made a last minute decision to leave on the yoga pants, and changed my flip flops for my boots. I was glad I'd decided to wear the tall boots! And no, there's no photographic proof! Topped my T shirt with a 1/4 zip SUPER light weight LS shirt; it's just less heavy than the mesh jacket and allows more air on such a hot, humid day. I know the LS wouldn't provide much more protection than a T shirt, but my goal was not to get sunburned. I was wearing my Fox ATV gloves that are 20 years old b/c my motorcycle gloves I got a few months ago are useless in weather that's too cold or too hot; the temps have to be between 65-75 to ride comfortably in those. The ATV gloves are very comfortable in high temps; they're just old and falling apart w/ not as much cushioning on my knuckles to absorb the vibrations of the throttle. I'd rather my hands breathe though, so there it was!<br />
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We made our way out to Lynchburg. BEAUTIFUL town! You could probably talk me into living there, it's very peaceful. The distillery smelled awful, though! I'm not sure what it was. David and I were STOKED to get motorcycle parking right up front. We walked through the museum for free; we couldn't do any of the tours because of 2 underage children! That was fine though, we were just there to visit the place b/c it's a Tennessee icon. I've actually never even tried so much as a single shot of JD; it just smells nasty lol :D We were getting hungry by this point; our appetites had been fairly low just due to the HEAT. We opted to hop on the Interstate for the fastest route to Chattanooga, and wouldn't you know the skies would open up and God would rain down a massive thunderstorm? We darted off to sit under an awning for a few minutes, then just decided to go on. I was uncomfortable; riding in the rain is not my favorite thing. We pulled the face shields down and went with it. Some areas of the interstate had huge puddles of water, so we just navigated carefully through those. Soon enough, the rain stopped and by the time we arrived in downtown, we were completely dry. It's amazing how that hot sun will suck the wet right out of ya!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73XoFa4-eRpVb92oCWLMZF65cZAU7TFP-XmxeZ0-GzqOBoanDAp6s-fnpXy7CNG7hIe64rDDckRCn4OE9cMrswdsXCfyJO0jLLJ6X74srvBfXlzFWjDi85T1MAPGZHRBjO1QUCQFMChdR/s1600/42909769072_a285ed06cc_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73XoFa4-eRpVb92oCWLMZF65cZAU7TFP-XmxeZ0-GzqOBoanDAp6s-fnpXy7CNG7hIe64rDDckRCn4OE9cMrswdsXCfyJO0jLLJ6X74srvBfXlzFWjDi85T1MAPGZHRBjO1QUCQFMChdR/s400/42909769072_a285ed06cc_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OK, so maybe there IS photographic evidence, lolol!</td></tr>
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Switched back to my flipflops in the parking lot, and we ate at Puckett's. Very good food, they talked us into their drink of the day. It was sooooo good, smelled way better than whiskey! We walked for a few minutes over to the little water areas in front of the aquarium, just enjoying our family time. The boys got in and got a little wet; I was SO grateful to have the chance to spend time with my family AND ride the bikes. Best of both worlds!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbN2O0cdk68hIQlls6vKOWsRl4Lgy5EmSH7DaFuZYHU5MFCSxAPgtcQ7gVqX2gSpJaDRzryBL8d9JZyQ61K2MsQ1e-LAnfdtf6wtRWoDp1XIn8WDFn8aKWEVFGFuCXyZTmBRE9xiouVy1/s1600/42909711822_d4ddaed6b9_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbN2O0cdk68hIQlls6vKOWsRl4Lgy5EmSH7DaFuZYHU5MFCSxAPgtcQ7gVqX2gSpJaDRzryBL8d9JZyQ61K2MsQ1e-LAnfdtf6wtRWoDp1XIn8WDFn8aKWEVFGFuCXyZTmBRE9xiouVy1/s400/42909711822_d4ddaed6b9_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KBSn8-8WdvRhF7r0isPnEV0Q-75NEssBLJwsiN_1_1HWXTpCli-HFTB-sqioltVjktBEzcExyRtsvDxb0e_EX1p4sN6iOUQhi-scWKkgnVSfrigDGOmaDmdMjv_-gB3o2vHtVAka7LyV/s1600/42240500374_9fe2908285_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KBSn8-8WdvRhF7r0isPnEV0Q-75NEssBLJwsiN_1_1HWXTpCli-HFTB-sqioltVjktBEzcExyRtsvDxb0e_EX1p4sN6iOUQhi-scWKkgnVSfrigDGOmaDmdMjv_-gB3o2vHtVAka7LyV/s400/42240500374_9fe2908285_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a boy and his Pawpaw</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYM01in6Yj78H4EiZh4xHQ6KODdDdH29Kud0Qq3MHgVlR9PFBlfGAgBbjdwxkWJjsw8MGEG4edemGmLwWF6T-yf6SB8ZfO780CdG5ifvATTMzh4MmSZoDBSHuLxnV2h81y4w1VYQW30-DA/s1600/43259754231_6047f76a31_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYM01in6Yj78H4EiZh4xHQ6KODdDdH29Kud0Qq3MHgVlR9PFBlfGAgBbjdwxkWJjsw8MGEG4edemGmLwWF6T-yf6SB8ZfO780CdG5ifvATTMzh4MmSZoDBSHuLxnV2h81y4w1VYQW30-DA/s400/43259754231_6047f76a31_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can almost see all of us!</td></tr>
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My yoga pants were now sweaty and wet from the water, so I changed back into my jeans! The ride home was a blur; we stayed off the interstate and took back roads up. Total mileage for the day was 400, making out 2 day total 800ish miles. That was our biggest yet! Someday we'll do an epic riding vacation with a few thousand miles, but that will be either after my Scout is set up a little better, or after I get my Chieftan! Sunday was a quiet day spent at home. I thank God for blessing our family with the desire and the ability to own/ride motorcycles. I thank my FIL for taking me on my first ride and beginning my addiction! I especially thank God for the safety on the road, and I pray for His continued blessings in that department. Looking forward to many, many more adventures on 2 wheels!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRxdPxuMCIHYKME09LMRii6Pixn6BZA-1iieZRVoxcQO234ntLHx0_ebNHm-xYj0x0lgbI2Bu9ha4kB1LQKhjjKICQfAas_SuVlhdz4mfhbfiJUIvTO8bu6umlP003eeXHWbJ0E5cZY9a/s1600/29086967448_a2edfa701b_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRxdPxuMCIHYKME09LMRii6Pixn6BZA-1iieZRVoxcQO234ntLHx0_ebNHm-xYj0x0lgbI2Bu9ha4kB1LQKhjjKICQfAas_SuVlhdz4mfhbfiJUIvTO8bu6umlP003eeXHWbJ0E5cZY9a/s400/29086967448_a2edfa701b_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How our day ended. So blessed!</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-76449516428274891272018-07-05T15:25:00.000-07:002018-07-05T18:49:56.716-07:00Life at 14,067<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYba4HcW0gkG9q1jHGdKdc8ghhx81z6jFJsdPEzbmnR_s7Ipk5oMsX9naYwoiz0a58uAsb87LdturekAbqC9uw3ZWnKFRIDnEiaOe1p_olAYx0yBG3rfk-9O90eSFIfgcCi7MUqz-LzjN9/s1600/42318415895_909a541818_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYba4HcW0gkG9q1jHGdKdc8ghhx81z6jFJsdPEzbmnR_s7Ipk5oMsX9naYwoiz0a58uAsb87LdturekAbqC9uw3ZWnKFRIDnEiaOe1p_olAYx0yBG3rfk-9O90eSFIfgcCi7MUqz-LzjN9/s400/42318415895_909a541818_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foothills Parkway</td></tr>
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So, just thought I'd interject a little "side" blog in between ride documentation. The title of this post is where I'm at, mileage wise. I've owned my bike for 1 year and 2 1/2 months. We have a few "big" rides planned this month, so maybe I'll be at 15K by 8-1. Thought I'd share a few gems I've picked up during my time on the bike, and also update the Scout Sixty at 14,000 miles!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXfQ9VZExjoowkB7_fDYbxiDGHDawWNGB1AXd-Gr5Cre2NCu8e3OLCkyEzBF5V3IFYAdUrwCegCWvTHMds41uYvyoXDKDgIGiMSu31KS28Um0QKa-qNcygr-aKJ2pYseY5Eaja-x4WiHW/s1600/42318416465_1b58b42fc4_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXfQ9VZExjoowkB7_fDYbxiDGHDawWNGB1AXd-Gr5Cre2NCu8e3OLCkyEzBF5V3IFYAdUrwCegCWvTHMds41uYvyoXDKDgIGiMSu31KS28Um0QKa-qNcygr-aKJ2pYseY5Eaja-x4WiHW/s400/42318416465_1b58b42fc4_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't spend hours cleaning my bike, but I never let her go dirty either!</td></tr>
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1. I ALWAYS prefer long sleeves when riding, especially in the summer. I'd like to find some nice ATV jersey type clothes for the REALLY hot days. Those w/ just a sports bra are nice. Downfall is they DO blow around a lot, and on a longer ride, that can irritate my neck a little. I was digging the 1/4 zip dri fit long sleeved shirts, but I've discovered that whether they're zipped or not, the wind blows them into my neck and it's VERY irritating. My way favorite way of riding on a hotter day is a dri fit tank top w/ the bra built in, and my mesh jacket. The mesh jacket is just perfect; it's heavy so it doesn't blow UP, it's perforated so the wind flows right through it and it doesn't flap around my arms/body/neck, and it has a small mock collar so my neck doesn't get sunburned at ALL. The downfall to the mesh jacket is that it's heavier than a jersey, so on those really hot and humid days I feel like I'm suffocating when sitting still. Moving down the road is fine, but if we stop to get water or walk around, when I go to put the jacket back on, it actually sticks to the sweat on my arms and it's uncomfortably hot.<br />
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2. I always prefer to wear gloves when riding. I've tried going naked handed, and I've tried the fingerless gloves. I found a nice pair of Fly riding gloves that are nice and stretchy and lightweight enough that my hands don't sweat in them on a hot day. I prefer the padding in the knuckles to keep the vibration in my hands down, plus I have seen a pic of a lady that had a super slow speed fall take off the top part of her index finger WITH THE GLOVES! I'd' hate to know how badly she would have been injured with NO or fingerless ones. Safety first!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCC2uOV0oaLGpJUMPT4NJ8qFvgL7LvF08Ww9i1xaTQJhArGM7Gq26vk1wlf75EFQgFOSFltE3YLL1UcsCmU5t6aZLvCzgkWM_KO6r0FSAOF0UKlQna1O-BJfsQ-jM07HI10Q6jo3ILsUl/s1600/43222997921_2389efb9bb_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCC2uOV0oaLGpJUMPT4NJ8qFvgL7LvF08Ww9i1xaTQJhArGM7Gq26vk1wlf75EFQgFOSFltE3YLL1UcsCmU5t6aZLvCzgkWM_KO6r0FSAOF0UKlQna1O-BJfsQ-jM07HI10Q6jo3ILsUl/s400/43222997921_2389efb9bb_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the gear, even in summer</td></tr>
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3. A full face helmet is hot. There's just no getting around it. But after seeing a facebook friend dealing with a busted nose/mouth after a slow speed fall on gravel ... full face it is! I may invest in a modular in the future so I can drink water on the quick. I also may just invest in a camelback water pack, but I hate wearing a backpack if I don't have to.<br />
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4. Anyone without many thousands of miles under their belt should definitely get out and ride solo. To me, solo means just me and the bike, no friends/riding partners. It's a GREAT chance to work out any biomechanical problems you may be dealing with, and it's great practice working on reading the road on your own. Many less experienced riders do ride in front of their riding partner, but I prefer riding in the back. I find that I spend a lot of time watching the hubs' lane positioning and his lines through the curves instead of riding my own. If you've followed my blog at all, you know I've suffered w/ a little bit of jerkiness and a lack of smoothness on mainly my left hand curves. I've worked out that it was a combination of not seeing well over the top of my new windshield, and today I realized that I lean differently to the left, which is contributing to the jerky curves. I have a fairly pronounced scoliosis S curve in my back, and it's easy to curve my back to the left as I go right, but I STILL curve my back left as I go left and it's messing w/ my trajectory. Riding solo gives me the chance to go a little slower and play with lean angles, counter steering, and sitting up vs sitting back, etc. I feel like I have figured out a few things this week! I've ridden approximately 240 solo miles since Monday, and I'm READY for whatever we choose to do this weekend!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbRrYuYauQgLrN2zPLVkrfqtOBMJSkNIz5TkUN1M5eifDzW0lriH0eStc8RtEvGgEVDYViyWrirMw8xtcmRnJwsqO4qHm7k0l7OVPKZsO1cWXFN1ufJ2LmnGVc3coxNGpBS5SpzDBS_nF/s1600/28353012917_14b2b47af9_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbRrYuYauQgLrN2zPLVkrfqtOBMJSkNIz5TkUN1M5eifDzW0lriH0eStc8RtEvGgEVDYViyWrirMw8xtcmRnJwsqO4qHm7k0l7OVPKZsO1cWXFN1ufJ2LmnGVc3coxNGpBS5SpzDBS_nF/s400/28353012917_14b2b47af9_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lake next to the Tail of the Dragon</td></tr>
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5. The Scout. Oh, how I love my Khaleesi! I'm excited and proud to say I've gotten to test out the "heavyweight" bikes now, and I can definitely give some updates to my "A beginner's view on the Indian Scout".<br />
A. The size. I have absolutely gotten myself into what I consider 'worst case' scenarios while out riding here in E. TN and the surrounding areas. Steep stop signs with off camber hills, gravel, pot holes, debris, traffic lights on steep hills, etc. I have been SO grateful that I can flatfoot my bike, and if I have a bit of a hard stop I haven't dropped it (since that one time when it still had the drive out tag!). The size and weight of the Chieftan scares me. It feels exceptionally heavy when wedging into a tight spot that's not flat (pulled into a pulloff on our last demo ride) and if it's on the slightest incline towards the kickstand, I can NOT heft it off. I'm sure that will come with time, but in the 3 times I've ridden the Chieftan, I've had to have help picking it up twice.<br />
B. The reachability of everything. I have a small reach. My hands are not big and my legs are not long. I have NO problems with the clutch, the shift/brake lever, or the turn signals. I just have standard everything. I demo'd a Scout set up w/ reduced reach, and the ONLY thing I liked was the reduced reach handlebars! I am dying for a set of those. I think they will be soooo much more comfortable. I hated the reduced seat and foot controls, the seat pushed me up on the gas tank, and the foot controls were so tight I felt like I kept missing the brake lever. LOVED the reduced reach seat on the Chieftan. I still can't flatfoot the bike, but it does drop me down closer and push me more towards the tank, which on THAT one, is good. It puts more of a bend to me knee when riding, which I don't necessarily need, but you can't be too picky! The kickstand on Khaleesi is just right, it's intuitively there. I have not been able to put down or up the kickstands on ANY of the big bikes I've tried. I've ridden 3 Chieftans, and 2 Springfields. Every time, someone has had to get it for me. I just can NOT reach it, no matter how hard I try!<br />
C. Long term comfort. My comfort zone is 200-300 mile stretches at the time. My back and butt get very tired. The Mustang solo seat for me IS more comfortable than the stock seat on the 'lady parts', but it puts more pressure on my seat bones. My old gel pad I bought for the MIL's Shadow passenger pillion has worked well with the Mustang seat, no hot spots on my seat bones. It puts more pressure back on the 'lady parts', but not nearly as bad as the stock seat. Maybe a Corbin seat would be better, I don't know ... or the narrow seat from Indian. Unfortunately, I don't have an unlimited budget to just buy things to throw on it. Maybe some day! My back is sooo tired b/c of the forward positioning. David has rotated the bars back and that's helped, but I can't wait to ride w/ the RR, where I can sit up totally straight. If my arms were longer, that would be better, but again ... short.<br />
D. The windshield. That dang stock windshield is HORRIBLE! A waste of $449 in my opinion. The buffeting was so bad, it made the bike feel unstable at higher interstate speeds. I have 2 different full face helmets, and the buffeting was just as bad for both, so NOT the helmet! I switched to the Freedom Shield and it has made a world of difference. The bike is steady, stable, and I can even ride now w/ my Indian face shield on my Indian helmet up w/out being 'rigged' to stay up. W/ the stock shield, the faceshield on my Indian helmet would crash shut at speeds above 30 mph. Now, I can ride on the interstate at 80+ mph and the helmet shield stays up on its own. I even got so desperate for it to stop, I took off my windshield and rode w/ a naked bike. Never again! Even though I love the look, the wind got up under my helmet and lifted it up to the point that I felt like I was being hanged. No bueno!<br />
E. Reliability. I've replaced both stock tires, and had 2 oil changes. So far, so good! No issues at all to speak of. I hate to jinx anything, but all stock parts have performed just as expected, very pleased!<br />
F. Performance. STILL love the bike like whoa. I have been up and down the Tail of the Dragon literally too many times to count any more. We've done the Cherohala Skyway about 4 or 5 times, the Blue Ridge Parkway 3 or so times, the Rattler 4 or 5 times, the Devil's Triangle in its entirety twice, etc. I've ridden so many named roads, it's crazy! That bike is a dream through this terrain. Power to spare, plenty of get up and go for the high speed roads, and handles switchback turns with ease. I can negotiate crazy steep roads without a care in the world b/c David taught me the 'clutch sweet spot' trick, and I love only having 5 gears vs. 6 b/c it's less decision making! Haven't run out of gas despite the lack of a fuel gauge b/c I keep an eye on the tripodometer. I've done as long as 150 miles between fuel stops, but tend to let 120 be the max distance. I have had problems starting it if I'm at 120 miles, or if the low fuel light is on b/c of the way the fuel injection works, but I was told a trick to try next time that happens. (un)Fortunately, I haven't had the starting problem since I was told the trick b/c I've kept it gassed up as much as possible, lol!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryP84ZWYTLrpQYYNsf6F6GncOeJO8C5UbVj9aXPV5eNifcG-FxZ_L19GeOmqjiv4NKPkdva2DYoLAOzQaYNpkBupBGRRlzuwAi6ALgdSTNYvn_6lN91pLKzQJzhlwecHTzX1iaNHbLKQk/s1600/28353026117_fa6b2dcf81_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryP84ZWYTLrpQYYNsf6F6GncOeJO8C5UbVj9aXPV5eNifcG-FxZ_L19GeOmqjiv4NKPkdva2DYoLAOzQaYNpkBupBGRRlzuwAi6ALgdSTNYvn_6lN91pLKzQJzhlwecHTzX1iaNHbLKQk/s400/28353026117_fa6b2dcf81_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New 2018 bandana</td></tr>
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I don't know what else I can say! I'm proud of ever mile I've ridden. Hoping that we can swing getting David his Chieftan before the year is up, and that he will trust me to take it on a ride to work on a Tuesday. Maybe I can get him to switch w/ me for that day so he can help me with the kickstand, lol! I also will 100% own a Chieftan, but right now that's in the "someday" category. Let's just say w/in 10 years! I will never trade or sell Khaleesi, she's mine forever. I will keep her in the family for the rest of my days. Just have floorboards, the RR bars, and the Maverick Krusher slip on exhaust pipes left to get for her. She currently has an updated LED headlight from Eagle lights, the Mustang solo seat, and the Freedom windshield. I look forward to the experience I gain w/ every mile I ride, and I pray it's always safe and uneventful! Thanks for reading :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSupe7eD5paAmI_GJtiTj_G4OqTzhq3pM7ZMTqsPK1P5W7ur6MzyaK2mh0MxDchkE3kt6QiFZM1sHhVJEgzoQyLImnqldhisDZoDRzxiIYVcUtlAI9W5w_puDgkIObFVfjU0S5jlZdIkfl/s1600/28353027767_60fd4e5967_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSupe7eD5paAmI_GJtiTj_G4OqTzhq3pM7ZMTqsPK1P5W7ur6MzyaK2mh0MxDchkE3kt6QiFZM1sHhVJEgzoQyLImnqldhisDZoDRzxiIYVcUtlAI9W5w_puDgkIObFVfjU0S5jlZdIkfl/s400/28353027767_60fd4e5967_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Game changer for those of us with no saddlebags!!</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-11785740850877042492018-06-30T16:10:00.000-07:002018-06-30T16:10:18.856-07:00Let's discuss sunscreen and riding position!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTfOsU-qj5DBMmJJ_yn0uaDNjKpfc1xVhpmss75_Zpl_RpzZsyyeU-lc-0Q28BV0BCXhB-tM1kFqH55gI9OsXQfSgS_Byccmuvz7Waj9xsTxXMXfB9xh1dejktSGGthYxcQB2L50L7eYj/s1600/42909707012_0a3f6f19d9_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTfOsU-qj5DBMmJJ_yn0uaDNjKpfc1xVhpmss75_Zpl_RpzZsyyeU-lc-0Q28BV0BCXhB-tM1kFqH55gI9OsXQfSgS_Byccmuvz7Waj9xsTxXMXfB9xh1dejktSGGthYxcQB2L50L7eYj/s400/42909707012_0a3f6f19d9_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The weekend following our KY trip was hot. I don't even remember what we did on Saturday (I think ... sat on the couch). Saturday night we decided to head into Pigeon Forge for ice cream once the baby went to bed. It is a very interesting experience riding the mountain in the DARK. We took 321 into Townsend and took Wears Valley Road into Pigeon Forge. Wears Valley road has some tight 25 mph twisties and one 15 mph uphill right hand switchback turn. We were stuck behind a SLOW car; it almost makes the turns harder when you're SO slow you feel like you're struggling just to stay upright. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0z_GHpOOL5UH_3XogLaa5KAxB5qqLnNYHDsP8d4hizR9p7uNoLuhBefjKfGVZi4_8nxbKa1z82NZZrO5cCBzygCKIa4G3P6D3bRyzbt1Wtko6L4P71AHggx_HYDQT4ywvMC9UjnHob_o/s1600/42959476611_948b1c8060_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0z_GHpOOL5UH_3XogLaa5KAxB5qqLnNYHDsP8d4hizR9p7uNoLuhBefjKfGVZi4_8nxbKa1z82NZZrO5cCBzygCKIa4G3P6D3bRyzbt1Wtko6L4P71AHggx_HYDQT4ywvMC9UjnHob_o/s400/42959476611_948b1c8060_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late night ice cream</td></tr>
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After imbibing, we hit the connector between PF and Gatlinburg, then headed to the bypass so we could view the city at night. Gorgeous! Came home through the national park which is ALWAYS a fun time. I had a few moments STILL; made some VERY rough turns; visibility was my issue. It had rained and we hit some wet roads, just was feeling very not trustworthy. Got back home at 11:45 pm; did about 100 miles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZWHl95HP7dLIl6di3_Ae1C2ISledoGptbPXQmU-eX2navYf45wiQxLbuLngV8e6pDpgDcrqvghoTDeH5oOl_53ya9rH9TN_OVGRISM7XR6GnbBCAe2FJlc-8c94bi97o4AjjnyrIi_yi/s1600/42959436421_0374cfeb58_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZWHl95HP7dLIl6di3_Ae1C2ISledoGptbPXQmU-eX2navYf45wiQxLbuLngV8e6pDpgDcrqvghoTDeH5oOl_53ya9rH9TN_OVGRISM7XR6GnbBCAe2FJlc-8c94bi97o4AjjnyrIi_yi/s400/42959436421_0374cfeb58_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gatlinburg at 11:00</td></tr>
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The following weekend, I was able to get a last minute day off on Friday, AKA First Saturday! I found my gel pad I'd bought ages ago and decided to try it on my Mustang seat; I've self diagnosed my problem as visibility issues in general. My Freedom Shield is just a hair too tall for me, and I've been struggling with looking through it vs looking over it. I can see through it just fine, but my brain keeps saying I need to look over, so I keep shifting and changing positions to try and crane my neck to look up and over. That gel pad lifts me up about 1/2 an inch and now it's pretty much perfect! I still have that little bit of leeway for when I get my reduced bars, but I can see over it w/out feeling like I'm struggling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfpnfGxoJOq3gdZiTXubIyIyaZScbIXYuIW3dIJKooT5BCygnI-GFzjqfk273VH85kCBvnx1AdAaty9CzJUkC4AbFaQgax1mMgabU5MRL23kMJ62a-b-JGARqoHwjZgA3p7BBtymujmpo/s1600/29086891308_516337205a_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfpnfGxoJOq3gdZiTXubIyIyaZScbIXYuIW3dIJKooT5BCygnI-GFzjqfk273VH85kCBvnx1AdAaty9CzJUkC4AbFaQgax1mMgabU5MRL23kMJ62a-b-JGARqoHwjZgA3p7BBtymujmpo/s400/29086891308_516337205a_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gearing up for a nice night ride</td></tr>
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We woke up prior to 5:00 am so that we could get our butts down to Helen, GA by 8:45 am to join the Middle Tennessee IMRG's rally 'The Gathering'. They were doing a group ride over "The Gauntlet" which is one of our map rides that we haven't gone on yet. The Gauntlet is similar to The Copperhead in the sense that it's not just one named road, it's several roads that when you ride them all connected, you've done the "named ride". I always prepare for my summer rides with sunscreen on my upper torso (the spray kind) and specific face sunscreen for my face (lotion). I also utilize baby powder and diaper rash cream! Learned those tricks being at the barn and riding horses in the summertime. Dressed in a Dri fit tank top, a T shirt, a super light dri fit 1/4 zip long sleeved shirt, and my mesh jacket with the liner in it. At 5:30 in the morning, the air still has that chilly factor since the sun hasn't come out yet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOus82HwF6PwRxXk5MsmSmpXEN7cRpum6XpLDbOgP4-pXsScauDqbOtIpvZzEwEDpo-WZlFXWqWnsamhRd1w8S_JYPidgS-LqTK_IfHPbybcLTh0AwIacjP1Q79Z5mSQ9lcFHqzLvZ8FC/s1600/42909745122_b639a77d1d_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOus82HwF6PwRxXk5MsmSmpXEN7cRpum6XpLDbOgP4-pXsScauDqbOtIpvZzEwEDpo-WZlFXWqWnsamhRd1w8S_JYPidgS-LqTK_IfHPbybcLTh0AwIacjP1Q79Z5mSQ9lcFHqzLvZ8FC/s400/42909745122_b639a77d1d_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surrounded by fantastic machines!</td></tr>
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Our ride down consisted of roads we both haven't traveled, and others we had only been on once or twice. There was one moment where David's angel protected him PERFECTLY. We were riding with speed, but also with caution; I saw the deer to the left and JUST as the word left my mouth, it leaped across the road. David saw it, locked the bike down, kept it upright as the back wheel fishtailed, and the deer was gone. I saw it with enough notice that I had backed off and barely even had to touch my brakes. Thank you, Jesus.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTOOLzTo-wqiekGl4DrycdUIjyv_rThq2M9kekJb6cWiKnkCz-G6BqM4rIHNUnljeI4AV5J2ApJzwQQlwQG9YBM1FDjnXOLHd40JSWNz8IOoDSiQ1Zint7t44tqCcejLp_5-j26wu23-Q/s1600/41148964710_ca7746c155_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1016" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTOOLzTo-wqiekGl4DrycdUIjyv_rThq2M9kekJb6cWiKnkCz-G6BqM4rIHNUnljeI4AV5J2ApJzwQQlwQG9YBM1FDjnXOLHd40JSWNz8IOoDSiQ1Zint7t44tqCcejLp_5-j26wu23-Q/s400/41148964710_ca7746c155_o.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
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We arrived in Helen perfectly on time, and my heart was RACING as we took in all the beautiful Indian motorcycles. I have NEVER seen so many in one place! It was a huge group, easily 50+ bikes. My heart was excitedly pumping as we took it all in. Quickly left and filled up at a nearby gas station for $3.59 per gallon! Ouch! Helen has been the victim of some torrential rain and the Victory Motorcycle rally was literally flooded out. Thank goodness we were only filling up motorcycles and not the truck! We got back to the group, hung out for the "announcements" and the prayer, then we mounted up. We hadn't decided where to get in; I told David I felt it best just to let the ones in a hurry go ahead and take off, then when things slowed down, we jump in. We did exactly that. The bike we were going to get behind actually fell down at the start, so we ended up leaving out ahead of them. We chose perfectly. As we roared through the wonderfully curvy roads following about 30 bikes, I felt like our speed was just perfect. As we continued down the road, the bikes behind me all fell away; about 20 of them. We pushed through to the scheduled gas stop, and we snagged a snack, but no gas as the plan was to leave the group and head back north after the food stop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zPGAZz9ooGrTVfe_5q6boIlkiF5UL__CEwwzX6NLR2zGoFRtDq3_PJ8yUObb_CxC8mVVfLV2rjv9r0EdX1n7y9cbKHHsSC7f_jXnGZFwaaTTfm2mUzYHFjmuBZjg1QXha41a0URxVxRI/s1600/42057553495_723b538b7b_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zPGAZz9ooGrTVfe_5q6boIlkiF5UL__CEwwzX6NLR2zGoFRtDq3_PJ8yUObb_CxC8mVVfLV2rjv9r0EdX1n7y9cbKHHsSC7f_jXnGZFwaaTTfm2mUzYHFjmuBZjg1QXha41a0URxVxRI/s400/42057553495_723b538b7b_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lining up at the 'fuel stop'</td></tr>
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As we were getting ready to leave, the 2nd half of the group finally pulled in. We experienced the "accordion" affect as we headed to the restaurant. Caught up to the bikes ahead during the curves, then got on the gas and raced to keep up on the straightaways. Again, all the bikes behind me slowly disappeared and we had an AWESOME ride to the Lodge. I am VERY proud to say that some of the more experienced riders in the group were quite impressed I only had a year of experience, as we were riding with "Definitely not the slow group"! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jeTR7BY5naYZou4IJ656LM23NI-SRYj0H9ClS7Eisdqf_cJ2p8__cSCmSb-_igxI9bytZ6zLRypTyow2pHwjH_MmkQFQa9xngjh35N6_7D0KDmL5nJTetcOlHYoOoB7VBxARJYq2gBuC/s1600/42909697362_c2ed78c284_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jeTR7BY5naYZou4IJ656LM23NI-SRYj0H9ClS7Eisdqf_cJ2p8__cSCmSb-_igxI9bytZ6zLRypTyow2pHwjH_MmkQFQa9xngjh35N6_7D0KDmL5nJTetcOlHYoOoB7VBxARJYq2gBuC/s400/42909697362_c2ed78c284_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New earned swag</td></tr>
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As we conversed with different riders, we realized that they had some awesome Dri Fit T shirts with the IMRG logo on them that we really wanted ... and they were back in Helen at the hotel ... so we decided to go ahead and complete the ride, especially since we were having a great ride and enjoying ourselves. Ate a yummy buffet style lunch at the Copperhead Lodge, got us a new sticker, then decided on the "long" ride back which was being stressed as "Very curvy and Dragon-like". I feel like one or 2 of the riders that knew I have only been riding a year stressed that fact; that we were going to be getting into some VERY curvy roads. My response? See all those stickers on my bike? Those are all the roads I've ridden; multiple times! I'm sure I'll be fine. And fine I was!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About 30 beautiful Indian motorcycles!</td></tr>
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We were JUST getting into the rhythm of the curves when we overwhelmed a small motor lodge with drinks/snacks/chairs. I have no idea why we decided to stop so soon, but we walked up on the porch and crashed in a rocking chair. Again, the 2nd half of the now smaller group was about 10 mins behind; I think we were waiting for them to catch up. After about a half hour break, we completed the ride. No problems, it was so much fun. I had NO problems keeping up, and I felt immensely more comfortable sitting that measely little half inch higher. As we got off the bikes back in Helen, I was quite frankly exhausted. We'd been on the road for about 7 hours at that point, and by that time, I'd stripped down to the tank top and the jacket. We shook some hands, engaged in some conversation, bought our T shirts, and got ready to head back to Maryville; as I pulled on my jacket, my arms were sticky with sweat and the jacket didn't even want to go on smoothly. We were sweating to death as we stopped in the shade for David to confirm our route home on his GPS, but once we got going it was much better. We went north up through Robbinsville, NC and pulled off to go down and take a dip in the creek. It was SO refreshing! We'd gone though all of our Sports drinks, and gulped down the final sips of water at that rest stop. ALMOST home, just the Dragon to conquer. We dunked our heads in the creek and felt incredibly refreshed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswoDqw5to7oA4A-HHgg8w_1Izh1QMpjLLhIxB4zgKDnogqHkpCmWWEWGuzvrdN9fSjWRkUhyaOSOkfZ9hjLh3-Q2s4Ex-5KpCe2OpVYq9o3Z1Gl_TMFPzfgwgQuydIaIcxtgLYCo7L1bh/s1600/28090291787_05f84ec658_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswoDqw5to7oA4A-HHgg8w_1Izh1QMpjLLhIxB4zgKDnogqHkpCmWWEWGuzvrdN9fSjWRkUhyaOSOkfZ9hjLh3-Q2s4Ex-5KpCe2OpVYq9o3Z1Gl_TMFPzfgwgQuydIaIcxtgLYCo7L1bh/s400/28090291787_05f84ec658_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading down to take a dip in the creek</td></tr>
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As we motored up through Deal's Gap, NC, we didn't stop. We headed straight to the Dragon. Let me tell y'all; it was one of my BEST trips through it. David ALWAYS leaves me in the dust for a short curvy section close to the Gap; far enough that our radios lose connection. I do most of the road in 2nd gear, kicking it up to 3rd just a hand full of times. On that day ... First Saturday ... I stayed RIGHT on David's tail, and I did probably 70% of the road in 3rd, the MOST ever! At the tail end of a 410 mile day, on a day with high humidity and 90+ degree temps ... I am SO proud of myself! As we safely pulled into the garage 13 hours after we began our day, I ran STRAIGHT to the shower, lol. I was sore, tired, dehydrated, but NOT sunburned! Not one single patch of skin. So, don't ride in a tank top or a T shirt if you don't want to get sunburned :) Part 2, or "Second Saturday" to be released at a later date!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day TWO after 800 miles in the summer sun; NO sunburn!</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-50559468275456769012018-06-27T16:14:00.000-07:002018-06-27T17:22:14.430-07:00Riding goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoR0msMQjOaLUL5-aDJq9H4fBki8XbpGeC0LZvbC_qLINcmnzSJz1C_phRnAlgaEaVGQg3Sq2v8pvpmrL6DMslUb1ExCw67OX_lfX-anNUL9Bj5wCQdI7xvsgqYV0rdPn8kVfOLjWC1FLl/s1600/42524604841_808a80e3bd_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoR0msMQjOaLUL5-aDJq9H4fBki8XbpGeC0LZvbC_qLINcmnzSJz1C_phRnAlgaEaVGQg3Sq2v8pvpmrL6DMslUb1ExCw67OX_lfX-anNUL9Bj5wCQdI7xvsgqYV0rdPn8kVfOLjWC1FLl/s400/42524604841_808a80e3bd_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Mav" made some biker friends!</td></tr>
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The first weekend in June dawned HOT. Dripping hot. Friday after work, we loaded up the family in the truck and headed out to Foothills Mall to watch the "Hogs vs. Pigs" cone skills course. It was 5 HOG riders vs. 5 motorcycle cops. What a fun competition! Definitely gives me something to aspire to; I would LOVE to learn to do the tight cone work ... just don't know how I can learn to do it without risk of dropping my bike! There was one lady rider representing the HOGs. She was amazing! Turns out she's a member of one of my motorcycle facebook groups, and she's now a facebook friend. I look forward to following her skills riding and hopefully meeting in person and riding together some day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great turnout at the rally</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "pig" showing off his superior steering skills</td></tr>
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Saturday morning, we took Khaleesi to Willis Cycle Works to get the rear tire replaced. We left from there and headed to Tazewell, then all the way up to KY. We drove through the Cumberland Gap tunnel and up into Pineville. We found the Pine Mountain State Park and ate lunch at the Lodge there. Such a beautiful place! We enjoyed some curvy, challenging roads in the area.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1K6AQi9ES_6A3JOTA-XHcyHgVqNX2Zmm4AA3mb0ZUQhN2P7kHrwSvpWU8PLF2MpmnKnJM5xzRkOoVf5qVAwHxv24T71_NpYRuOLMg1qGL1gcwxlmKauhRYO0Pk09xDVm0OH0oVaksnkK/s1600/41622310415_7e767f8e2e_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1K6AQi9ES_6A3JOTA-XHcyHgVqNX2Zmm4AA3mb0ZUQhN2P7kHrwSvpWU8PLF2MpmnKnJM5xzRkOoVf5qVAwHxv24T71_NpYRuOLMg1qGL1gcwxlmKauhRYO0Pk09xDVm0OH0oVaksnkK/s400/41622310415_7e767f8e2e_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Threatening skies but dry ride!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06Q3iZLLGcCHpNfhTSsXcHpIcJYlwfUYIU6L-15eyQbzPnfRd7OzHbv_GCiedP7GgLjhyukgiZcL7FRfJzsQIM1fC5o5pPeMkDeQB2mv4c5gTZKsaJNLZdD5wlyKK2jkic4oF8WBD_YxA/s1600/41622350235_a405bdbe72_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06Q3iZLLGcCHpNfhTSsXcHpIcJYlwfUYIU6L-15eyQbzPnfRd7OzHbv_GCiedP7GgLjhyukgiZcL7FRfJzsQIM1fC5o5pPeMkDeQB2mv4c5gTZKsaJNLZdD5wlyKK2jkic4oF8WBD_YxA/s400/41622350235_a405bdbe72_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearing Cumberland Gap</td></tr>
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Made a big loop through LaFollette and then through Oak Ridge coming home. It feels so amazing taking those long, sweeping curves in 5th gear. There's nothing quite like it! I was feeling much better as I forced myself to look up and through all the curves and stay right in the middle of the bike as it swept along the hot asphalt heading towards home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">255 miles and almost 6 hours out!</td></tr>
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We rode again on Sunday ... a tube down a snow hill, and a helicopter! The boys enjoyed spending some time in Gatlinburg for breakfast, then in Pigeon Forge for the others. We went home via Sevier County backroads that normally are reserved for the bikes; Loved mixing the weekend with motorcycles and family!<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-58911258784268730702018-06-22T18:09:00.003-07:002018-06-27T17:21:29.431-07:00Feeling overwhelmed!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't blogged lately ... because I've been lazy. Now, I'm feeling overwhelmed with all of the riding to tell of!! I feel like I've forgotten so much already, I wish I had everything on a GoPro that I could just vlog; I feel like that would be easier. Oh well, one ride at a time!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">274 miles of awesomeness!</td></tr>
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The next weekend was FINALLY the trip I've been waiting for! Rock Island State Park. I don't know why I was so anxious to get out there; I think just because I've seen pictures, and the place looks amazing. Saturday dawned warm and cloudy, but nothing too threatening. We ate at a little mom and pop shop that's quickly becoming a favorite when we're heading out 411S; the Lampost Restaurant. HUGE omelettes, good coffee, and quick, country service. We headed out familiar roads through Madisonville, Athens, and then we basically just took Hwy 30 all the way to Rock Island. It's a cute little town, VERY quiet. The best thing about Tennessee State Parks is they're all free; which, when you're stopping for gas every 100 miles for 2 motorcycles, is nice not to have to dish out for EVERY little thing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuo6RpoMIVA0PoRVZo4tgDNSWkDvbXzrP_qg6tfYOU608gKQ2JCU9SU4MOiyo8PHqD4pqHWvo1j7a55bN7xhhE1ZJEiyDe6oBxeLETioTNLe11i0aozbiZ2CWZcrrA_gNIW8Wa7d_vYSkp/s1600/29086975898_ed7ce07c62_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuo6RpoMIVA0PoRVZo4tgDNSWkDvbXzrP_qg6tfYOU608gKQ2JCU9SU4MOiyo8PHqD4pqHWvo1j7a55bN7xhhE1ZJEiyDe6oBxeLETioTNLe11i0aozbiZ2CWZcrrA_gNIW8Wa7d_vYSkp/s400/29086975898_ed7ce07c62_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The roads into the park are like the ones heading into all of them. A little curvy, small, and not in the best of shape with lots of "tar snakes" running through them. David navigated us into the main entrance, and we parked right up front. WOW. The falls are gorgeous ... AND we didn't have to walk much! Once David and I both have our Chieftans, walking won't be a problem; we can pack shorts and a change of shoes in the saddlebags! But as long as my bike has no storage, and one of his is compromised by a cooler, there's not much else that can be squeezed into one saddlebag! We got back on the bikes and took some of the roads looking for other views; David just KNEW there were some "bigger" falls somewhere, it was just a matter of finding them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81eEU6VBaJt0xEtJbF0NmOkWRy8CjcDZ7d7RegwO_NsOQ4yrxqWwYMezD7-cB2t3S2gne_xcu9__0Z58IQogLMx7fhxCQGEIVd8ZcqDSJeIJarfo3T8m6jwk3ZfRzpUvLCi8-VwmKeqZ_/s1600/42909773862_17a0f042c4_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81eEU6VBaJt0xEtJbF0NmOkWRy8CjcDZ7d7RegwO_NsOQ4yrxqWwYMezD7-cB2t3S2gne_xcu9__0Z58IQogLMx7fhxCQGEIVd8ZcqDSJeIJarfo3T8m6jwk3ZfRzpUvLCi8-VwmKeqZ_/s400/42909773862_17a0f042c4_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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After several failed attempts to see them, David used his Human GPS skills to figure out we needed to actually leave the park and drive around about 15 mins to another end. So we did! It was a fun challenge; I was finally feeling a little less shaky. We took off down a tiny road that seemed like it almost wanted to become gravel, but it didn't ... JACKPOT! The big falls are spectacular, and soooo worth looking for! We did hike down the stairs so we could get a little closer; got lots of pics.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGht-m_kZvC7WLX03mYsr71KxkWQZhVH4HBnN52tHFGWLZep7pH2-cHnqYQXND4OkShZKtmTl9xoEQi1AFhz_v3e2vbvCWtj5YeUw8o6jY41DDU-46KCY-HKHh7MZDKTJswnmw1VDc0c_t/s1600/42240558134_77a15ae04e_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGht-m_kZvC7WLX03mYsr71KxkWQZhVH4HBnN52tHFGWLZep7pH2-cHnqYQXND4OkShZKtmTl9xoEQi1AFhz_v3e2vbvCWtj5YeUw8o6jY41DDU-46KCY-HKHh7MZDKTJswnmw1VDc0c_t/s400/42240558134_77a15ae04e_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Leaving out, we took Hwy 70 which is touted as being the FIRST state highway and runs from Memphis to Bristol. It has long stretches of interstate like roads, long stretches of 55 mph 2 lanes, and some curvy sections that are TIGHT! I had some teeth gritting moments and David pulled ahead of me pretty good in a few places. We were chasing rain again and the some sections of the road in the curvy parts were so soaked, I just got in my head again and went way slower than I probably needed to. We rode right into Knoxville and had dinner at our favorite Moe's Original BBQ (which we did NOT know was in Knox! Thought we had to drive all the way to Chatt for it!) and took Alcoa Hwy home. Not one single tire on interstate the entire trip. David prides himself on that! It was a very pleasant day with no issues or problems at all<br />
<3 275="" and="" at="" boys="" lovely="" miles="" nbsp="" p="" pool="" ridden="" right="" swam="" the="" to="" took="" unday="" we="" weekend.=""><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG22VJ6mC0U80_AnF1IjVyLCRcrTixuCRarvJSA_rMzkqMju_4wEB6GGYVQXHl-AUyT3OrjzWGcSPY8iHrfS0yn3LEGiJfvDFXLKgvyN0avSTVRQwXssmz9WxartKy7BguUzMjQ1a4H4ni/s1600/28090295747_aa9f6f07eb_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG22VJ6mC0U80_AnF1IjVyLCRcrTixuCRarvJSA_rMzkqMju_4wEB6GGYVQXHl-AUyT3OrjzWGcSPY8iHrfS0yn3LEGiJfvDFXLKgvyN0avSTVRQwXssmz9WxartKy7BguUzMjQ1a4H4ni/s400/28090295747_aa9f6f07eb_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is RIGHT inside the park entrance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring behind "Spring Castle"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyzUfpK8azmG5hi9p_8rIIKBAqQ9Q5VAsp1B1W9hOzlxwviGd5FS8u56YOeUGAqNj_6eAb_fcfvIVbpbmTOqGmQw4RuUILNeLykKCEQOydAUGdEGdT4TYW1IV6HOa8xl2pKNlKME1fBgm/s1600/29086965038_ff29670da3_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyzUfpK8azmG5hi9p_8rIIKBAqQ9Q5VAsp1B1W9hOzlxwviGd5FS8u56YOeUGAqNj_6eAb_fcfvIVbpbmTOqGmQw4RuUILNeLykKCEQOydAUGdEGdT4TYW1IV6HOa8xl2pKNlKME1fBgm/s400/29086965038_ff29670da3_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lamp Post. EAT THERE!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Motorcycles and waterfalls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26mUybWxtrdHD6Mqa4tl2iDz7WrOBidDY791wzI3wOin0u66qwBspTtVDe59UQd_8-ZXrnc1prTCCqT0ojLZ-NfBfEiJU6SsNW0ONxqj2jtvbqV-onlgcKThB19YLQJwAQ9TKFbzEtSqA/s1600/41149048710_dbebb10f0b_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26mUybWxtrdHD6Mqa4tl2iDz7WrOBidDY791wzI3wOin0u66qwBspTtVDe59UQd_8-ZXrnc1prTCCqT0ojLZ-NfBfEiJU6SsNW0ONxqj2jtvbqV-onlgcKThB19YLQJwAQ9TKFbzEtSqA/s400/41149048710_dbebb10f0b_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dam is right here</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMK_0x3Xqe0LEIOjQ8EjESvd15KosZz0zR_Di2As-gpvGVLM1IPrJcj8sbwDotjRakM9Wc5qaOr_j3ca0aAZ1b94AqNc6wfyACZ263tReDeIUU6T6s2q9SHRKpW5_U34vi5lW7YsXFpmxb/s1600/41149082060_3e5050f715_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMK_0x3Xqe0LEIOjQ8EjESvd15KosZz0zR_Di2As-gpvGVLM1IPrJcj8sbwDotjRakM9Wc5qaOr_j3ca0aAZ1b94AqNc6wfyACZ263tReDeIUU6T6s2q9SHRKpW5_U34vi5lW7YsXFpmxb/s400/41149082060_3e5050f715_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My baby doing what he does best!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48V9IR4pf8ktvTOXG2Oq3wiU5gMZ8dvYD3lvyBjtx-Y1-j2xmMSbRQLRIqgSccSCUB1BSx9XzC3mCgVW-VVsuNZrEqcFT5ynKNb6MB7WJqoSVuBy0dYQcs-m6Y5LNVdJHSqjvqU1BCnOO/s1600/42057616885_0210cc1c92_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48V9IR4pf8ktvTOXG2Oq3wiU5gMZ8dvYD3lvyBjtx-Y1-j2xmMSbRQLRIqgSccSCUB1BSx9XzC3mCgVW-VVsuNZrEqcFT5ynKNb6MB7WJqoSVuBy0dYQcs-m6Y5LNVdJHSqjvqU1BCnOO/s400/42057616885_0210cc1c92_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDf6qsCh6dVXyCszDAkN4zdpZ8ja_o9rJtxJDKYjCJygBgvESQQkd5k8kJYsPjF5TcVxzYzIZp2bdQw8ah9-Tg5qhTLVjuQhJiS1lDoLrGbAN5D5Swfv220gvbOhhe6geutP8QM1sV_nLn/s1600/42057617685_a1d92396fd_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDf6qsCh6dVXyCszDAkN4zdpZ8ja_o9rJtxJDKYjCJygBgvESQQkd5k8kJYsPjF5TcVxzYzIZp2bdQw8ah9-Tg5qhTLVjuQhJiS1lDoLrGbAN5D5Swfv220gvbOhhe6geutP8QM1sV_nLn/s400/42057617685_a1d92396fd_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love getting the bikes with signs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8DERpcXXrAHAOalqwf5WnyM5BMpEWNcEhGuK1772hsLA9NYbJ6_yRbR-a78WBFh_QZ2PtNWSy2iSID-SrDdeHyk5uMa3CIPOcjIQ9ekVX-FUzMUkdkJzQaUh-VpV6Fx_mW4YKIdXyvNB/s1600/42909774132_8db6a01bf8_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8DERpcXXrAHAOalqwf5WnyM5BMpEWNcEhGuK1772hsLA9NYbJ6_yRbR-a78WBFh_QZ2PtNWSy2iSID-SrDdeHyk5uMa3CIPOcjIQ9ekVX-FUzMUkdkJzQaUh-VpV6Fx_mW4YKIdXyvNB/s400/42909774132_8db6a01bf8_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 peas</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-42384778742369026022018-05-20T11:19:00.000-07:002018-05-20T11:19:05.069-07:00Riding the Cherohala Low Way!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZlz8IvqRVxOcK1EMSHczdaEAAIiViQfAeomBuisr35fVQqaV6O1D8tN55r45Al-Aq2CIg3YaDLjbzHiCao8EVx53rbhE3xY39xf36dmgRSSReBKUuDcgWqEFSMGG0kDH_YztQyuCdvp1/s1600/42221568931_d7a520cc2a_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZlz8IvqRVxOcK1EMSHczdaEAAIiViQfAeomBuisr35fVQqaV6O1D8tN55r45Al-Aq2CIg3YaDLjbzHiCao8EVx53rbhE3xY39xf36dmgRSSReBKUuDcgWqEFSMGG0kDH_YztQyuCdvp1/s400/42221568931_d7a520cc2a_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Wow. Yesterday was something else; 440 miles total, combined rides. And ALL for a cheap little "multi-tool" with the Indian Motorcycle logo on it!<br />
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I had been pushing since Wednesday to do a "long" ride on Saturday. Rain all week was pop up showers, which had prevented me from ANY work rides. I keep having a hankering to ride out to Rock Island State Park, which is out in the general area of all the other little state parks we've been to. But then Indian Motorcycle of Marietta had to post their little poster on facebook that not only were they doing the IMC "multi-tool", but they were also doing a key chain. Soooo, we HAD to head down that way to get both!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipN4pCr2xhsEksCXy1mRHD4X0jIegS5LmLkkqWwWehKDSwrz_KvmB4iX7zF8e-gWs4V-M_gN1MjjeKtArFk4UWsdUXCJDw8GLo85fu29d0SznWIM42ONmSzsX9SoYNuMxZQf2xCp8DT_4I/s1600/27364662297_dcedae1f27_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1600" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipN4pCr2xhsEksCXy1mRHD4X0jIegS5LmLkkqWwWehKDSwrz_KvmB4iX7zF8e-gWs4V-M_gN1MjjeKtArFk4UWsdUXCJDw8GLo85fu29d0SznWIM42ONmSzsX9SoYNuMxZQf2xCp8DT_4I/s400/27364662297_dcedae1f27_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City of Knoxville at midnight</td></tr>
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The morning dawned WET. Lovely clouds, wet roads, and dry people! We took our 3rd Muskateer with us; he's undecided whether or not he really enjoys the longer rides. I think he comes along for the food! We hit trusty 'ol 411 S down to the Ocoee area, where we then hit Hwy 68. We just took it easy, as the roads were wet enough to be kicking up water and wetting the bottom of our pants. We went through Suches, which we coined "The Cherohala Low Way". Dang, that would be a FUN ride on a dry road. Twists, curves, and twisty little easier switchbacks going DOWNHILL. Plus, on Hwy 68, we've come UP that way twice, but never down. Totally different experience going DOWN. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barely missing a downpour</td></tr>
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I was still shaking off my shakiness. I have been reassured that my tire is just fine; that back one will be replaced within about another 1000 miles (which, at the rate we're going, will be about a month). For some weird reason, I'm just in my head. I don't know why. I tried to analyze it as I'm riding, and I think I'm downshifting/upshifting in the wrong place in curves, and when I accelerate after the shift, it messes up my trajectory. I've just gotten in a BAD habit of shifting period IN a curve, and you're supposed to be all set BEFORE the curve. So, with that self diagnosis in place, I made a conscious effort to fix it, and I THINK it got better. Once we got down the mountain, there weren't too many more curvy, curvy roads.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSID2E9rus15-k_g20Z0y74gbeoOYUh1GkX5cklUonS6fgJjkYgfxIB7SJXOoaki9vv52MnUFS0wAhxKlS9q7jcvHX5SzqQB-g0qzv3qAPVhwc-vZcjZCh7_FXQ7ZBpXWC7e9uxzR3WaD7/s1600/27350602857_da5f579d5c_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSID2E9rus15-k_g20Z0y74gbeoOYUh1GkX5cklUonS6fgJjkYgfxIB7SJXOoaki9vv52MnUFS0wAhxKlS9q7jcvHX5SzqQB-g0qzv3qAPVhwc-vZcjZCh7_FXQ7ZBpXWC7e9uxzR3WaD7/s400/27350602857_da5f579d5c_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love having our buddy with us</td></tr>
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We stopped off at a hiking spot in Suches to stretch, use the potty, and take a pic, and we had NO idea how lucky we actually were! We'd hit enough rain to that point to have to close our face shields, but it wasn't enough to soak through anything; no soaked thighs. Like I said, lower legs up to knees were wet, but that was mainly because the road was so wet there were standing puddles. As we pulled out and began the roller coaster, curvy descent, you could tell a SOAKER had just come through, WOW!<br />
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We were uneventful down in to Dahlonega, GA. It has been forever and a DAY since I've been there. It is so interesting driving through areas on a motorcycle that you were used to driving through 7+ years ago in a cage. We hit GA 400 up north to head into Alpharetta, and we just HAPPENED to see our lunch destination on our left; The Varsity. We had no idea Dawsonville had gotten a Varsity; we were planning to hit the one in Kennesaw. Whipped a U turn at a light, and enjoyed a delicious lunch of chili dogs and onion rings from a famous Atlanta iconic destination.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQXJJFbEDxPvpAojnOkyCWbO2Zd6cTmL-N1rRPfutnSoph_-2CLhISno5FHS63xOiisN4L7Z1wGiY4r_lX7K3dL84aIAvzXuofPkLxKim-DktU4j2HvVz7hzl_YTL2-x_NgTGC0L4Efsd/s1600/40428019710_180d5c5859_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQXJJFbEDxPvpAojnOkyCWbO2Zd6cTmL-N1rRPfutnSoph_-2CLhISno5FHS63xOiisN4L7Z1wGiY4r_lX7K3dL84aIAvzXuofPkLxKim-DktU4j2HvVz7hzl_YTL2-x_NgTGC0L4Efsd/s400/40428019710_180d5c5859_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Areas not been in in a LONG time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjg62dyvSogOqNa7gOQz14I-cbqt88ULrmEk4AcXr6jes1b4JjttexZEsfHu9LcfSDo8wJs3NcoCo5rBQa5q9ubwHZFA5i0i7NSocVbf7CaokLPYcos-XGQCQxn9kfcuo7fzYxEsMzulur/s1600/40414549970_7294dd5900_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjg62dyvSogOqNa7gOQz14I-cbqt88ULrmEk4AcXr6jes1b4JjttexZEsfHu9LcfSDo8wJs3NcoCo5rBQa5q9ubwHZFA5i0i7NSocVbf7CaokLPYcos-XGQCQxn9kfcuo7fzYxEsMzulur/s400/40414549970_7294dd5900_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What'll you have, what'll you have??"</td></tr>
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From there, it was to Indian Motorcycle of Alpharetta, where I ended up schooling one of the employees, lol. We loved their logo, which is why we even bothered to stop there in the first place (aside from we'd just never been there!). As we checked out with our "dealer" T-shirts (with the cool logo on the back), the employee said he had no idea why their logo incorporated a train. Um, hello! The Polaris take on the Indian Chieftan fairing is BASED off the front end of a locomotive! So I informed him of that little fact;) On to Marietta!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0axnIdy0-VDe9BAFobjl-oh-2IZfBb0L9dN7bkS5jbM1ukpiw85Ois6t6IfQyOaCWbMXkj_W3mex5-zI6RsOfPNBPsfFcdhG61SNyhJlA4mfD2pZqUreMGHNGF_UGUlUjpk8N0ZJXZEY9/s1600/41514772214_e5243e2eae_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0axnIdy0-VDe9BAFobjl-oh-2IZfBb0L9dN7bkS5jbM1ukpiw85Ois6t6IfQyOaCWbMXkj_W3mex5-zI6RsOfPNBPsfFcdhG61SNyhJlA4mfD2pZqUreMGHNGF_UGUlUjpk8N0ZJXZEY9/s400/41514772214_e5243e2eae_o.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously? Why the train?</td></tr>
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We took back roads from Alpharetta to Marietta that I hadn't been on in SO long. Certain areas were unrecognizable, it's crazy! We dodged more rain, and finally the skies seemed to really clear up. By the time we arrived, it was 3:00; 7 hours on the road. We needed to get in a small hurry b/c the teenager had a party back home at 7 he wanted to attend. We went in and they still have their race inspired Chieftan; oh, how I LOVE that bike! When I win the lottery, I will get one, then have Jared Mees autograph it!! The guys at Indian of Marietta really are awesome. Super nice, very knowledgeable, and up front with all of their customizable options. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDx-yQHNV_b2yn0c5RXkc258dIeXBrMQbSGLfSOh1uZbqFbKQ2RTCCMULaPWVGscv7X74l1LviImDfFCDw3Phm2ECHurM2UBXT7NJIXkAeeh_de7c73hNPT8A2PCgZOgvgaWmTr_HrV9o/s1600/27365626897_0c4c38bef5_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDx-yQHNV_b2yn0c5RXkc258dIeXBrMQbSGLfSOh1uZbqFbKQ2RTCCMULaPWVGscv7X74l1LviImDfFCDw3Phm2ECHurM2UBXT7NJIXkAeeh_de7c73hNPT8A2PCgZOgvgaWmTr_HrV9o/s400/27365626897_0c4c38bef5_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lottery bike!</td></tr>
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We hit the Interstate up to Emerson; I-75. Blech! Crazy Atl drivers ... AND a Braves game. Driving 80-90 mph on the interstate doesn't bother me at all, but all the stupid cars and idiot drivers make me hold my breath. My windshield has made ALL the difference in the world, and my bike feels nice and steady at speed with no more head buffeting at all. We filled up for gas for about the 400th time, then took backroads all the way to Calhoun. In Calhoun, we hit a NEW road we'd just found in the car, Hwy 225. It was fun; that area is just beautiful and peaceful. Not too curvy, but not much traffic either. That ended back on 411 just below the GA/TN border, and we took 411 home (dropping the teenager off an hour and a half late for his party). My butt was SORE, lol. And my glove was rubbing a spot on my clutch hand; and my hands were sweaty b/c these gloves don't breathe. So I rode with naked hands for a few miles :) And it got warm enough that I stripped ALL the way down to a Dri-Fit tank top, and my mesh jacket. Felt pretty good! Started with the tank top, T shirt, long sleeved technical pullover, and mesh jacket with liner. Thank goodness David has saddlebags, lol!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PB8zSESJ0uvc4qTA4hl1YvK4gpZghwHO7-DE7EWabohp6L17M75rpxsy46TIVrwyrqMOctAxMSr2N6uAGmSlDA0konuG2hZaDGTqSx9MwpbKrs8qL-3Od7ZIusyU1yqsNr1ip_vVajtT/s1600/40414545500_c1356743a7_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PB8zSESJ0uvc4qTA4hl1YvK4gpZghwHO7-DE7EWabohp6L17M75rpxsy46TIVrwyrqMOctAxMSr2N6uAGmSlDA0konuG2hZaDGTqSx9MwpbKrs8qL-3Od7ZIusyU1yqsNr1ip_vVajtT/s400/40414545500_c1356743a7_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time seeing one of these in person; WEIRD!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWYTwHo_jeo5W-fvP-scXHbpzstg22W2dtgkKDblqcrOj_zLklvaqTSbcQic7IdlcSQaGhS41FWlyCeZREwueVjmDTCaaszCOoOL8WBck1gKxQPXuGpjobuqU8AMvPlG59vi7ewTIngFg/s1600/41320806535_66d6c399a5_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWYTwHo_jeo5W-fvP-scXHbpzstg22W2dtgkKDblqcrOj_zLklvaqTSbcQic7IdlcSQaGhS41FWlyCeZREwueVjmDTCaaszCOoOL8WBck1gKxQPXuGpjobuqU8AMvPlG59vi7ewTIngFg/s400/41320806535_66d6c399a5_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rest stop!</td></tr>
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You THINK this story is over now, don't you? Haha, NOPE! We hopped in the car, went to the grocery store, stopped to get dinner, then sat at home for about 45 mins. We then suited back up at 10:30 to get back on the bikes to go pick up the kid ... AND HE WANTED TO GO HOME. Dropped him off, then David and I thundered off alone ... in the dark ... to who knows WHERE. We took back roads over to Chapman Hwy, then into downtown Knoxville. More traffic than I would have expected. We rode over a bridge and looked to our left to see another bridge that was lit up so pretty; so we tossed in a U turn ... on a HILL ... to go back and get some pics. By that time, we were so sore and exhausted, we made our way back home. We rolled into the garage around 12:30. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfPijMS_HuFF48cUdre_00xmnd3ARsWEv8v7VA0SBxzr8tSBVENkF7m9Iaw3-B8vuGIOYXmUX49L5G00xBnK-BkBfrza0Gb7JGRFpmOwIcF1BdF1x5Z61sDkbbBN0_7fdrja6RZFnq5xQ/s1600/27364647307_f10c3349cd_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfPijMS_HuFF48cUdre_00xmnd3ARsWEv8v7VA0SBxzr8tSBVENkF7m9Iaw3-B8vuGIOYXmUX49L5G00xBnK-BkBfrza0Gb7JGRFpmOwIcF1BdF1x5Z61sDkbbBN0_7fdrja6RZFnq5xQ/s400/27364647307_f10c3349cd_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a pair of crazy kids!</td></tr>
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Our longest mileage ride so far. I don't think we've rolled over 400 in one day at all yet, even on our 2 overnighters. Iron Butts, we do NOT have! I can't wait for my Mustang seat to break in; it's really not that comfortable yet. I still need handlebars and floorboards for my baby before those long rides can be done with no Ibuprofen, lol. Happy to say ZERO issues. No sliding stops, no close calls, no drama. That's what I call a "SUCCESS". Until next weekend! Y'all have a great week.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVaVjkfnatPyQSVehz8GxbGQxXAIYpGhEjYW8T9DmW1__OjAuDRo5MUmY0ukoDCofspyH4KfzlASQVIIooon-8Xrih5piriK9DCZDTHcpOvLKpkj4B8mvsXncCYlH4igmw99yd2YttuTp/s1600/40428029000_d051b8a54a_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVaVjkfnatPyQSVehz8GxbGQxXAIYpGhEjYW8T9DmW1__OjAuDRo5MUmY0ukoDCofspyH4KfzlASQVIIooon-8Xrih5piriK9DCZDTHcpOvLKpkj4B8mvsXncCYlH4igmw99yd2YttuTp/s400/40428029000_d051b8a54a_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful! Never seen this park before!</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-76669271607411009022018-05-12T20:25:00.002-07:002018-05-12T20:25:53.846-07:00#drivingthebaby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last year, I coined a hashtag; #drivingthebaby. I had JUST gotten my first ride on my FIL's bike and I was hooked; my MIL needed David to ride her bike up to our house due to them wanting to come up and ride the mountains, but she was going to have to drive up, blah blah. So David had her bike, and he, Kody, and the FIL all rode bikes out to eat ... and I had to drive Colton. Lol, I felt kind of sorry for myself :D My sweet MIL has unfortunately had a fall roller skating and broke her clutch arm; so no riding for the summer :( But it did mean that today she was able to transport the little man so that the boys and I could get in a little wind therapy this mother's day weekend!</div>
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Firstly, last weekend was International Ride Day. Thunderstorms were in the forecast for TN, so I did not ride at ALL. Turns out, the rain pretty much held off all day, so I was a little bummed, but I'd already planned a Sunday ride so I wasn't too upset. Sunday, David led me down south to Chattanooga where I met up with 2 facebook friend motorcycle chicks! I LOVE all the motorcycle groups I'm a member of, because how else would I have met these awesome ladies? One of them shares my exact name, and the other shares my bike, so what's not to love?? David went off on his own while me and the 2 ladies took a girl ride back up towards my way to eat lunch at this sweet little country restaurant. It was a great ride! I stayed in my preferred "drag" location, and it is always fun riding with another Scout. We will definitely ride again, it was a great ride and great company :)</div>
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My excitement for the week was on my #curvesbeforecoffee ride on Tuesday morning! I took my usual 129 towards the Dragon, then turn to Foothills Parkway, then down 321 into Seymour to work. Thus far, I've encountered large birds, turkey (I think turkey is ALSO classified as a large bird), and deer. Tuesday, I encountered my first BEAR! Talk about make your heart stop! I was beginning a long uphill, and saw it to my left, on the side of the road. My head was saying, "Um, that looks like a bear", but my I told myself I was seeing things. Then, I got closer, and saw that yes, it was a LARGE BEAR! I got a shot of adrenaline that made my feet go numb; I let off the throttle and downshifted, unsure if the instincts of the bear would cause to to come towards me, or what. Fortunately, as I got closer, it turned and ran into the woods. So very cool!</div>
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This weekend, we had no plans to ride. My inlaws came up, and David talked them into going with us to my mother's day breakfast in Pigeon Forge, then to the Indian dealership to see the Wall of Death show. By talking them into tagging along, he talked them into transporting the baby! It was a great day, had such a blast. Everyone loved the show, so glad we went!<br />
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I'm not sure what's going on with me, but I'm experiencing some weird riding feels. I almost wonder if my tires are causing me to experience some strange wobbles, because my confidence is a little shaky ever since I stopped in the middle of that corner. I mean, I'm riding fine, but I feel like all of a sudden I'm having trouble setting up my left hand curves to be nice and smooth, it's really WEIRD. But my back tire, even though it still has good tread, has developed almost like a ridge on the sides of the tire, like a sharp edge. It's really strange, hard to describe. I wonder if that's making me feel this ever so slight instability that's affecting my brain. Also, I feel like the bike's having a hard time finding the lower gears sometimes; almost like the my clutch cable needs to be adjusted. May be time for a shop service!<br />
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I FINALLY rode David's bike! Even though it's "smaller" than the Scout, in reality it's bigger! It's wider, heavier, and bulkier all the way around which is what combines to intimidate me, NOT power. He pulled it out yesterday, so I ran in and put on my boots with my yoga pants, then hopped on and ran around the neighborhood. I did fine! Felt shaky through the U turns in the cul de sacs, but that's because I'm an overthinker and don't just go full throttle in a new activity! Didn't put my feet down until I pulled back in front of the house :D Just training for when David gets his Chieftan and he lets me ride it!!<br />
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Anyway! Not planning to ride tomorrow as it has gone from too chilly to ride without 5 layers to HOT. Colton goes next week for his "Grandparents' week", so hopefully we can plan something longer; maybe to Rock Island State Park! I just have to "inception" that idea into David's head over the next week ;) Hoping to ride my 2 days to work this week, hope all y'all enjoy!<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-6214782078098936612018-04-29T20:18:00.000-07:002018-04-29T20:18:23.844-07:00So much more than just curves before coffee!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Oh my gosh, I have so many pictures from this weekend, I'll provide you the Flickr link! But still, there's going to be SO MANY PICS!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/26903029@N06/" target="_blank">FLICKR ALBUM</a></div>
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So, our weekend started yesterday after work. David met me at the office, and we left from there! Yesterday's ride seemed to fly by; I knew it would be today that would be the bulk riding (and our source of exhaustion!). We had a nice and uneventful ride into Waynesville, NC. We had to visit the Indian dealer out there, of course. We took a fun back road into Pigeon Forge/bypassed Gatlinburg, then took the National Park out to Maggie Valley and hit the Blue Ridge Parkway for a bit. It was smooth and beautiful; not closed this time. No elk. In fact, the only live creatures we laid our eyes on was a few birds and squirrels. I don't mind at all! Makes my ride way less risky :D<br />
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Hendersonville is beautiful. We found our adorable accommodations, unpacked, then found the amazing steak house David had already picked out. It was SO GOOD! Binions steak house in Hendersonville, NC. GO EAT THERE. We took a pass through downtown Main St, then fell into bed.<br />
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We woke up before the alarm this morning, and hit our first named road; the Sidewinder. Loved it! A nice mix of sweeping curves and tight curves; it took us up into Black Mountain for breakfast. We both got this unbelievable biscuit/gravy/fried chicken/bacon/cheese concoction. DANG! Couldn't finish that, or the giant cinnamon roll we shared.<br />
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Left from breakfast and hit the 2nd named road; the Diamondback. We had our sticker for this road; just hadn't put it on because we hadn't ridden it yet. This road was a mix of the Devil's Triangle, the Copperhead, and the Dragon. I tried SO hard to keep up with David; he just rides faster than my comfort level through the curves. Hopefully this year is my year to work on that. I constantly checked my tenseness, loosening my hands on the grips and rolling my head. The first 3/4 of the road was perfect; coming down I was getting a little tired from pushing so hard, and I slid the rear tire a little on a particularly tight turn. Just enough to shoot the adrenaline through me. This little road has WICKED off camber curves at the end of it; in fact, I think this one should have been named the Sidewinder, as it was a weird kind of curvy.<br />
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Finished up there and mad our way to the third and final new road; the Devil's Whip. I made a boo boo on this road, a pretty big mistake. It was towards the end, and it was on a right hand switchback. I thank God up above that it was just David and I, no other cars around. There were some at the beginnings, so this little mishap was timed well. Oh, AND David was behind me, not in front. So as I started up the switchback, I just didn't set up well. I looked up and to the right to make that curve, and I really needed to drop all the way into 1st but I was going too fast, so when I downshifted, it didn't go. The engine revved as I gave it throttle, and with the curve climbing, I lost momentum FAST. I grabbed my brakes and just STOPPED in the middle of the curve. I am so, so, so grateful I wasn't further over to the right, or had my bars turned when I stopped. David pulled up beside me, said don't panic, you're ok. Just start out like you're stopped on a hill. I got the gear down in first, then re-started. I'm so thankful that it was just a hiccup; I know I'm not ready for a Chieftan quite yet because that mistake most certainly would have caused me to drop it. Khaleesi and I stayed shiny side UP, and we completed the Devil's curve. It couldn't whip me today!<br />
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All three new roads completed by noon. The entire AREA we were riding was new to us, it is quite awesome and beautiful. Areas reminded me of Tahoe, some other areas it was like Oregon; loved it so much. Lunch time took us to Hot Springs, NC, a familiar face. We ate again at the Irish Pub from St. Patty's day, then took the Rattler backwards in it's entirety for the first time. I led again, and I just took the curves at my own pace without worrying about David being behind me. I did alert him when I was downshifting because he said the challenging thing about riding a road like the Rattler behind me is the inconsistency in my speed; the degree of slowing and setting up for a curve sometimes took him off guard, as he just rolls into the curves with whatever speed he's carrying.<br />
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We hit I-40 for a few miles. I had a wall to my left, and a wall of semis to my right ... 30 mph wind gusts, 75 miles an hour down a tight, twisty, windy 2 lane road = a few tense and jaw clenching moments! I was happy to get off by the river, where we stopped on the bridge and took a few pics. Um ... as we made a few turns per the GPS, we both began to wonder. And yes, the pavement DID end and we ended up yet again on a dirt road. With uphill right hand switchbacks! Its saving grace is that most of the gravel was washed away, leaving mostly just DIRT, but it was pretty rutted out. I began to pray for the dirt to end, and shortly thereafter, it did. It ended into a Tail of the Dragon, no joke. Just a LONGER one. Tight, twisty kiss your butt curves with zero guardrails and lots of debris on the shoulder. I was exhausted mentally. Unfortunately, I was burned out and actually ASKED for a straighter road! This is completely unheard of for me, I'm a total sucker for those twisties! But State Route 32 at the tail end of a 500 mile trip was just a little too much for me. I'll do it again in a heartbeat, just at the BEGINNING of a ride.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why, yes, that is an uphill right hand switchback looming ahead!</td></tr>
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We stopped one more time for gas and a stretch then hit 411 home, avoiding downtown Gatlinburg. So, so, so much fun! So grateful for the chance to spend some one on one time with my awesome hubby, and had a wonderful experience riding some new, uncharted territory. Plans to ride with some ladies this coming weekend, and looking forward to warmer weather for MORE epic rides with my hunny! I give God all the glory for keeping both of us shiny side up this weekend, and lots of prayers for this upcoming week :D<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-91761515442942166392018-04-15T16:06:00.000-07:002018-04-15T16:06:12.682-07:00Demo truck take 4!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, this past weekend actually marks the fourth time we've taken advantage of the demo truck. The true second time was last year at Bristol; not even sure I blogged that one. It was disappointing! We had been out and about all day in the truck up in that area, and part of the goal had been to demo. I was TRYING to amp myself up at that time to try that dang Chief Darkhorse, but we didn't like the way they had things set up. First of all, you had to tell the person up front how many rides you planned to do, and which bikes you intended to try on each go round. Then, the ride leader didn't look out for ANYONE, and I don't even know if there WAS a drag rider because David and I got separated on the first ride from the group ... WITH PEOPLE BEHIND US, and no drag rider came up to show us the route "home". Um, small problem, because we don't spend much time up in the Bristol area, and we've NEVER ridden any of the bike routes. Thank GOODNESS I have a human GPS hubby b/c he was able to use his powers of deduction to lead us safely back to the group (at the dealership). I think we were all a little grumpy, b/c Betty had had a specific bike she wanted to ride first, but "someone else" was on it, and Big David sat on a Chief Darkhorse and got a terrible feeling off it, so they didn't even end up riding. Colton was in a Mood b/c he'd been in the car seat all day, so even though I was dying to go a 2nd time ... we didn't. Yeah, so that's why you never heard THAT story, lol!<br />
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Anyway! Yesterday! It was freaking FABULOUS. GREAT. AWESOME. Same crew from last week, in Chattanooga. We got up there about an hour and half early again, just like we did last year. The biggest difference between last year and this year is that the weather was sooooo much better, so that means more people. There were plenty of men milling about, sitting on bikes, and the Elite already had a helmet sitting on it. David and I mixed and mingled, met up with some old friends we met last year on the Mystery Dinner ride, and met some new ones. I was, yet again, the ONLY woman driver. I claimed for my first ride a Scout 60. Why, you ask? Because it was set up as fully "reduced reach". One of my final customizations I want to do with Khaleesi is bars that allow me to sit up straight instead of leaning so far forward. It's split half and half as to those that like the reduced reach ones, and those that like the mini apes. It was so different sitting on it; my hands were up just below my shoulders, and I was perfectly sitting up perpendicular to the bike. What was NOT comfortable, was the rest of the reduced reach components; foot controls and seat. I felt like I had NO rear brake; it was in such a different and weird spot from mine, that made me nervous. Once again, I felt like my knees were in my boobs, but at least this bike was set up with pegs instead of floorboards, so I could put my heels down.<br />
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The route was a nice, long 20 minutes, exact track as last year with all right hand turns, and a short zip up the interstate. I LOVED those rr bars. I can't WAIT to get those! Made the turns different, it was really fun. Next ride, after standing back and waiting for the new riders to claim their rides, I claimed the Springfield Darkhorse from last week. It's freaking AMAZING how just doing something once makes it so much easier the next time. I felt like the Springfield and I were old friends :) The only "sketchy" moment was making the tight left hand turn to get lined up to roll out of the driveway. IMOK has a wicked sloped and tight driveway, so I was HYPER conscious to stay balanced, keep my eyes up, and not snatch a handful of front break. Once the flagger held the lane for us and we rolled out, it was ON! Very awesome and pleasant ride. The Knoxville route requires more out of you in terms of traffic lights and such. I had noticed in the video of me riding the Chieftan last week that I dropped my feel off the floorboards WAY early approaching a stop, so I tried to keep my feet up longer this time. No issues with shifting or error codes this time!<br />
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There was ONE small scary incident. One other height challenged rider was trying out a Chieftan. She did AWESOME driving it, but parking she was at the end of the line and thus was at the more sloped part of the line. As she was putting her foot down, over the bike went. In an effort to stay upright, she revved the throttle up, and the bike kept on going! The truck driver snatched her out of the way, and the bike spun around in a circle on the ground, actually knocking into one of the other riders still sitting on the bike, SCARY! The truck driver was able to dive in and hit the kill switch, so finally the drama was over. DANG. Thankfully, the rider was 100% fine, and the guys were so dang awesome about it. They said no big deal, what's important is the rider was ok, and the bike was fine, not to worry. I'll be honest, that's what I was TERRIFIED I'd do. Fortunately, it wasn't me this time! Hopefully, that will never be me :D<br />
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On to ride #3! I again waited ... and that gorgeous, blingy, glittery, fabulous Elite was just sitting there ... sparkling. David nudged me. "DO IT", he said. Did I mention the Elite is outfitted with the 116 Big Bore upgrade, making the bike over 2000 cc's?? After making sure and triple checking that the bike's seat was not set up any different than stock (it wasn't) I stuck my helmet on the handlebars. CLAIMED. Again, as we rolled out, making that left hand turn, all I was doing was letting the clutch out with NO throttle, and that baby was dragging me around the turn. I kept her balanced between my tiptoes and again stayed off my front brake; just pulling the clutch all the way in kept her just waiting patiently ... before I knew it, we were rolling out! HOLY MOLEY, that baby is amazing. Soooo loud, and my feet were vibrating on the floorboards. Tons of power ... but for me, the vibration and the noise was too much. I'd be perfectly content with the normal 111 beast with maybe the Stage 2 upgrade. The Elite had a heel/toe shifter, and I got over my hesitancy and tried it. It wasn't hard to use at all! I switched between using my heel and using my toe to upshift and I decided it would probably be nice to have one of those once I get my big bike :D David and I happened to be at the back of the pack, and I pulled up at the end ... at the sloped part of the driveway. I dropped both feet down early on purpose and stopped with the front wheel angled slightly uphill and not quite perfectly in line so I didn't have a repeat of the previous ride's parking fiasco. The ride sweep came over and helped me put the kickstand down, and I reluctantly gave her up.<br />
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That was it; we did the poker run between the 3 dealerships there, rode up to McAllister's deli for a delicious lunch, then over to the mall in Farragut to finish up the teenager's birthday shopping. After creatively strapping down the "birthday booty" to David's sissy bar, we enjoyed a long and windy trip home. We "accidentally" went down a road the wrong direction and it was SO FUN! It had these great hills that we accelerated up and over, and you could really feel the g's pressing down. It also had some really fun twisties. When we realized we had to turn around, enjoyed hitting the twists again, then accelerated even FASTER over the hills, so fun! I love, love, love my new windshield, it works beautifully. Can't wait until I get my bars, then I'll be happy for awhile. Bars, floorboards and Khaleesi will be complete for the most part. The new pipes will be at the end of the list. On Friday after work, David I enjoyed a ride similar to what we've done before out in the Sevier County backroads, but the ones we picked this time was literally like a roller coaster! I felt like we were riding the "Dahlonega mine train" for those that have been to Six Flags over GA. So much fun! Just a short little 75 miles or so, but how lucky are we to get off early enough on Fridays to take advantage of those little meet up rides? Blessed beyond belief.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-40807179590445079742018-04-14T15:41:00.001-07:002018-04-14T15:41:52.129-07:00I have SOOO much to say, I must break it into 2 posts! Part 1 ... Devil's Triangle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First of all, I can't believe I forgot a crucial part of my last story! Where we rode into Waynesville and played on the Rattler. I HAVE to fill y'all in on that because it was CRAZY! So we were racing home, trying to beat the rain. We made it through Townsend and were about 2, 3 miles from home. The roads were soaked. I'm usually SUPER cautious and approach traffic lights like I'm pulling a loaded horse trailer; that means as I approach green lights, I back off the throttle, downshift if I'm up in 5th, and just see what happens. Once I'm past that point of commitment, I go on, regardless if the light changes. Well. We were hauling butt and did NOT slow down as we approached the FINAL traffic light before the turn to our neighborhood ... and Murphy's Law, it changed. I was WAY too far from it to run it, but was going WAY too fast to effectively stop, especially in the rain. OMG. As I stepped on both brakes, I told David in the radio, "I'm sliding, I'm sliding, I'm sliding". My tires were fully locked down, and I was fishtailing all over that road like a snake slithering to food. I didn't panic; I kept my eyes up, kept my hand and foot on the brake, and finally just slammed my feet down to try and stop the momentum. FINALLY, I stopped, almost 1/4 out in the intersection. Fortunately, there were NOT many cars around, so why that stupid thing changed, I have no idea. S.C.A.R.Y. Will DEFINITELY be going with ABS brakes next time, don't know what I could have done differently (other than slowing like usual before the light).<br />
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Anyways! BEFORE last week's demo ride, David and I took an impromptu trip to Oliver Springs on Easter Sunday. I did NOT enjoy my ride at the Devil's Triangle last time we did it. Quite frankly, it scared me. I felt uncomfortable, like I couldn't get in a rhythm, and like it was kicking my tail. So, I thought maybe that had been a case of not enough technical experience to fully conquer all the twists and turns and the undulations of the mountain triangle, so we were just looking for the perfect opportunity to try again. It's close enough to us that we get a GOOD ride to it and around it, without taking hours and hours. I've often said, "I wish it was a better ride so we could do it more often". Well, this time was MUCH better.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpqatGNuvbQ5lsWscDaFkH6MG7Y6Y77Lf1EbnPDqRtyT8hXXGwL2EmTpGRecNvmX76pZf6ik8adPPQmtPakSFKccs4gEoDPNpousPw0qyM6uJMZf8piHJIjqMgncKc_kr1-sDQ7uFYp1d/s1600/27586215418_e3d9d938fa_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpqatGNuvbQ5lsWscDaFkH6MG7Y6Y77Lf1EbnPDqRtyT8hXXGwL2EmTpGRecNvmX76pZf6ik8adPPQmtPakSFKccs4gEoDPNpousPw0qyM6uJMZf8piHJIjqMgncKc_kr1-sDQ7uFYp1d/s400/27586215418_e3d9d938fa_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CRAZY fog blanked off Foothills this past Tuesday AM</td></tr>
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<br />Except for one small detail ... I got the super bright idea to tackle it without my windshield. I try not to complain about it too much, but I have hated my OEM shield since I rode Khaleesi off the lot. The ONLY thing it does is keep the wind off my chest. So, for the first time since I've owned her, I rode shield-less. Um, BIG mistake! Speeds above 35 mph got up under my helmet (I was wearing the Marvel one for the good shield it has) and lifted it so high off my head I felt like I was getting clothes lined. Dang, that was a TERRIBLE experience for me! I did it because with my Mustang seat, my head was now so far above my OEM shield that the wind was being sent directly into my face/head and the buffeting was nearly unbearable. Well, no shield is definitely worse, FYI :D</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibYGVK2o2Zk_09uXyspIX6AZam9AXSuZB4AIO8KRgyf7oKDa4Hpdo6dbfD8u1JXE1HSer9v_ViVEaxb8Id70m_jwgUtT7m__8N1paVgSF_qseWP_pQCl1MPv8FRR8wX1WK1i-U3KgBDIh/s1600/39648692350_9d7b6f59cb_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibYGVK2o2Zk_09uXyspIX6AZam9AXSuZB4AIO8KRgyf7oKDa4Hpdo6dbfD8u1JXE1HSer9v_ViVEaxb8Id70m_jwgUtT7m__8N1paVgSF_qseWP_pQCl1MPv8FRR8wX1WK1i-U3KgBDIh/s400/39648692350_9d7b6f59cb_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No windshield is NOT how I roll!</td></tr>
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SO; we decided to run the Triangle opposite of what consensus says the "good" direction is. Instead of counter-clockwise, we ran it clockwise. The ONLY problem with that is it puts the most technical aspect of the ride at the very beginning, and also in the more difficult direction. When you have 10 mph switchback turns, it's easier to come at them from the left because you have a wider turning radius. And SOME people think down is easier, but I personally think up is easier, but I digress. I was actually really enjoying the VIEW with no shield; as we began winding our way up the mountain, the slower speeds wasn't too bad. David warned me about the switchbacks coming up, and I shook off the butterflies. First one, I held my outside line close to the yellow line, looked hard up and around the curve, feathered my clutch to keep the RPMS up, and before I knew it, all 4 of the S's were over. 3 right, one left. I NAILED every single one of them, it was AWESOME. Didn't cross into oncoming traffic once. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25075qF4b9X6VrVH4tKw-1Z9qBECXIjSxzB4CagrxdgpwTlaS5O72EEF8N9G4Usgii0Lv9C9V6NaorRlu_-BcrakcjA2O3loyI85Osx7fRErAPD3m_OQjTQTXB1j8JITrfa5B1bzS1VYx/s1600/41414476192_dcf972b11e_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg25075qF4b9X6VrVH4tKw-1Z9qBECXIjSxzB4CagrxdgpwTlaS5O72EEF8N9G4Usgii0Lv9C9V6NaorRlu_-BcrakcjA2O3loyI85Osx7fRErAPD3m_OQjTQTXB1j8JITrfa5B1bzS1VYx/s400/41414476192_dcf972b11e_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little pep talk before tackling the Devil's Triangle on Easter Sunday</td></tr>
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The rest of the ride was fun; a usual ride for us of some faster straightaways with slower curvy sections, and winding up, over, and down the mountain. I had David put Carrie Underwood's "Champion" song set during the switchbacks. I have literally gotten emotional TWICE now, lol ... it's just such an awesome feeling when you conquer a fear and do something WELL that maybe didn't go so well for you last time. Here is the video of the first 22ish miles. The Triangle is 44 miles, we tried to break the videos perfectly in half.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is16TXSTVb0&t=1114s" target="_blank">Devil's triangle</a><br />
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Literally once we got home from that ride, David had me order a new windshield ... WHAT?! Woo hoo! So I ordered my Freedom Shield and waited with bated breath!! I tried the first real long ride with it today (just came on Wed) and it is freaking AWESOME! It has a curve at the top that directs the wind up and over. My Indian helmet I love/hate even stayed UP with no rubber band today, crazy! I have NO wind in my face, and the usual higher speed buffeting is so much better! HIGHLY recommend this shield; when we get our Chieftan (lol) we'll get a Freedom Shield for that too. Details from today's ride to follow soon!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwUsxYwylJpVde_FrUTsUOYE6hQQKfgYjJ8IYXDPHqcdo2WQAkBpyPInzVFpVpF1s-3sDQ7cQzCdvAuKgK8wdAdQ6TCvE-yCgsbnqIB7AyIKiKziYcZj1Y5pRmJ-lfOcgGCZKKJCic-4v/s1600/27586215458_949d3fee9e_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwUsxYwylJpVde_FrUTsUOYE6hQQKfgYjJ8IYXDPHqcdo2WQAkBpyPInzVFpVpF1s-3sDQ7cQzCdvAuKgK8wdAdQ6TCvE-yCgsbnqIB7AyIKiKziYcZj1Y5pRmJ-lfOcgGCZKKJCic-4v/s400/27586215458_949d3fee9e_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, THIS happened!</td></tr>
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<br />Oh, and I SLAYED my 10,000 mile goal! Hit it Tuesday on the way home from work. My bike isn't a year old until tomorrow :)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgGV5PnOym2UK-MKufo8RD0g4qeBT_Yq1YBcXKsNSUnyiNoiUBDe42nHaJB-e9cx_U67ZCb4J1bfqLWkF8lPj9D9IxyGPvHx1tVoq6XGV7wfERbuWdASuAacDK7iKVY5vC0rnGA1rn4Dq/s1600/27586214228_269c3c3311_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgGV5PnOym2UK-MKufo8RD0g4qeBT_Yq1YBcXKsNSUnyiNoiUBDe42nHaJB-e9cx_U67ZCb4J1bfqLWkF8lPj9D9IxyGPvHx1tVoq6XGV7wfERbuWdASuAacDK7iKVY5vC0rnGA1rn4Dq/s400/27586214228_269c3c3311_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taller and wider; got it too tall for now to compensate for when I get my longer handle bars.</td></tr>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1238270057465528187.post-27000496181325535552018-04-08T14:05:00.000-07:002018-04-08T14:37:08.410-07:00The very best feeling, EVER!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fovbRNHe96Le7L_ApPfQ0ekYcLBB-eXUNpo4RGdAHvEbMBWDLanYAi9gTVppbep8Za4ylpjZRoYebu8uorhrgSBohyv9d4_clDwpPukqHdvP-OmHzPxAFz0g29z_UCL4yBxSDlu6uikC/s1600/40591155714_d32818603f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fovbRNHe96Le7L_ApPfQ0ekYcLBB-eXUNpo4RGdAHvEbMBWDLanYAi9gTVppbep8Za4ylpjZRoYebu8uorhrgSBohyv9d4_clDwpPukqHdvP-OmHzPxAFz0g29z_UCL4yBxSDlu6uikC/s400/40591155714_d32818603f_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My ride or die</td></tr>
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The alarm filtered dimly through my sleep crusted eyes. My brain screamed, "NO", and I felt myself drift away again. 9 minutes later, the alarm again drilled through my consciousness and I finally rolled up out of bed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFa-pv0YICIFq24S5qX4LlbeEeldpuJVeAxNBPpCFP6sTo8iqo_2byDaNKvUXpm6cxnv2YmoEsy_-M7BTUCuHNx7qvDj-kyssb-sLLUwsCC5eg9rE5Kogk7SvoYVoW9qP-sVA1xlhJDb5/s1600/26432580797_3be3c3cbdd_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFa-pv0YICIFq24S5qX4LlbeEeldpuJVeAxNBPpCFP6sTo8iqo_2byDaNKvUXpm6cxnv2YmoEsy_-M7BTUCuHNx7qvDj-kyssb-sLLUwsCC5eg9rE5Kogk7SvoYVoW9qP-sVA1xlhJDb5/s400/26432580797_3be3c3cbdd_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unlike at the Suzuki Demo truck, I rode the HECK out of the Indians!</td></tr>
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After doing the usual morning routine things, I dressed in yoga pants, jeans, and my favorite long sleeved Indian Motorcycle T. I looked out the window at the gray, drizzly day and wondered if we were totally wasting our time by making the hour and a half drive down to Chattanooga. I got the coffee going as I gathered up all the things necessary not to freeze riding motorcycles, and David and I loaded up the backseat of the car.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEe7DIlCVpqzxrkst9nPEMCuzL4mSyBRGJui6mJqS5h_iD6illy-zNp8uCfyx5VmsPgT_G_Cq9BO7meOEX8N7BRtYrCnS0OK-oGyqs_gcLfEjqhFUTeXcBEci3cDQYAF4L96h0rUBWaRA/s1600/14606412_10209617916103137_4233051935469906589_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEe7DIlCVpqzxrkst9nPEMCuzL4mSyBRGJui6mJqS5h_iD6illy-zNp8uCfyx5VmsPgT_G_Cq9BO7meOEX8N7BRtYrCnS0OK-oGyqs_gcLfEjqhFUTeXcBEci3cDQYAF4L96h0rUBWaRA/s400/14606412_10209617916103137_4233051935469906589_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">True story; I almost dropped this Springfield!</td></tr>
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The rain continued as we stopped into a small town breakfast joint and consumed yummy omelettes. My heart was already beginning to race as we got closer to our ultimate destination; Crockett Powersports and host of the Indian Motorcycle Demo truck. It was almost one year ago that my very FIRST time EVER riding on the open road was the demo truck at Knoxville. I had test driven a Scout in the parking lot of a church, trying out the skills I learned in my MSF course, but I had yet to put tires to asphalt in traffic. It turned out to be one of the best things I ever did, making 5 passes through the track and gaining confidence each time as I rode the Scout 60, the Scout, then back to the 60 for 3 more rides. 2 weeks after that, I got my Scout 60 and have never looked back! Here's a link to that blog from a year ago ;) <a href="http://yourenotgettingyounger.blogspot.com/2017/04/indian-motorcycles-demo-truck.html" target="_blank">Last year's demo truck!</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KW_XtxXCs4_bCG7WOGMfjQcT5TUcHSiup2dSSKeLZS7pun8OUnD8slpQ6oiG4AZG9Eib8cq2b863qrxAHVVoqAN7KqzzAVxtkeDpGd6l6dWQISpSxIT7LH95yd2NMMZtgxYF85geVkTy/s1600/IMG_2212+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KW_XtxXCs4_bCG7WOGMfjQcT5TUcHSiup2dSSKeLZS7pun8OUnD8slpQ6oiG4AZG9Eib8cq2b863qrxAHVVoqAN7KqzzAVxtkeDpGd6l6dWQISpSxIT7LH95yd2NMMZtgxYF85geVkTy/s400/IMG_2212+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just sitting on this bike gives me heart palpitations</td></tr>
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Today, I had a new goal. That goal was to take out a Thunderstroke 111 bike; one of the Big Boys. I planned to start with the new Scout Bobber to "warm up", then take the Chief Darkhorse. The Chief DH has no saddlebags or windsield, and is regarded as the next logical step up from a Scout. Really, Indian has no "transition" bike. The Chief, Springfield, Chieftan, and Roadmaster all run the 111 engine, and they all weigh in the neighborhood of 850 lbs vs the Scout's lean 550 lbs. The engine is about twice the size of the Scout, at 111 cu inches vs 60 cu inches. So Ms. Stuck in her own Head was already freaking out about reaching for something, and envisioning falling over in a corner, or dropping the bike at the first stop sign. I've sat on and picked up every one of the big bikes (with the exception of the Roadmaster; I will never have one of those) on the showroom floor and to be honest, I can't IMAGINE actually driving one. The long, stiff pull of the clutch ... the fact that I'm up on tip toes ... the fact that I've never ridden a motorcycle with floorboards ... all the electronic "stuff" and the fairing of the Chieftan ... yeah, I wasn't going down that road in reality, just in my head.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsPQR3Ugk-oYUSZaGozKlMJnnASKtRthu-ExDJC6yucKUH_8E6w7s5PEyRSmpSzolV9Xegsnh2ij5R83J80NLzxOv26EY_uo3zzRGDCikO7Gfs_5t6ug2SMi4dMPPlKA8dnWjKDlNb6ih/s1600/27432438398_67822658aa_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsPQR3Ugk-oYUSZaGozKlMJnnASKtRthu-ExDJC6yucKUH_8E6w7s5PEyRSmpSzolV9Xegsnh2ij5R83J80NLzxOv26EY_uo3zzRGDCikO7Gfs_5t6ug2SMi4dMPPlKA8dnWjKDlNb6ih/s400/27432438398_67822658aa_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ride #1; Scout Bobber</td></tr>
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My pulse picked up as we turned into the driveway and my eyes took in the long line of beautiful Indian Motorcycles. They make a magnificent sight, and get my blood pumping like nothing else. We'd barely parked before I was jumping out of the car and making a beeline to the motorcycles. I immediately picked out the gorgeous, glittery Chieftan Elite with the 116 Big Bore kit. I was so excited, I grabbed David's arm and blabbered on about him riding the 116 AND the Elite, and how excited I am for him. He just pulled me close to him and laughed at my enthusiasm. No one was outside, which was no surprise because it was cold, windy, and dry at least! I of course zeroed in on my beloved Scouts. I threw my leg over one with the stock "runaround" seat, which I'd never seen in person. It felt awesome! If I failed to ride a Chief, I'd try that one. There were 2 Bobbers; one with pegs and one with actual FLOORBOARDS! I was excited, because I'm thinking about ordering floorboards for Khaleesi. I chose that one as my first ride, and we went in to register. I looked around for an Open Road Girls windsister that I knew was going to be there, and I think I found her right away. She shares my name, Jennifer Leigh, so I felt a bond with her right off the bat! She was hanging with the owners, and was there helping out. She proclaimed she's too new to demo, and we talked for a few minutes. Super nice woman, hopefully we can ride together some day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTz7sJZYvM6YSDMbv_AdczL_i5rf_Wo8QgGSz-fyFx6hzlvnXQnRpqhTyB7ZV7bSvEsktC50LIJMHhcj1H1zb9nDm0YNfSJMPwVw1MOTZ_4cbWYht3Rcc7mS56t-V9kD50Tcvx2vKJ-m3/s1600/40591160064_881c29bfee_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTz7sJZYvM6YSDMbv_AdczL_i5rf_Wo8QgGSz-fyFx6hzlvnXQnRpqhTyB7ZV7bSvEsktC50LIJMHhcj1H1zb9nDm0YNfSJMPwVw1MOTZ_4cbWYht3Rcc7mS56t-V9kD50Tcvx2vKJ-m3/s400/40591160064_881c29bfee_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SUCH a beautiful sight!</td></tr>
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The ride was about to go out, so I ran to the car, added 3 layers on top, my helmet, and gloves, then claimed the Bobber with floorboards. It was just a handful of us, David got to claim the Elite first time out. We talked back and forth on the radios, and he was ecstatic already before he'd even shifted into 2nd gear. He rode past me, and I awkwardly picked up my feet. The boards dug into my shins, and I felt like I was folded in half, with my knees up to my boobs. David was raving and glowing, while I was trying my darndest not to bi&$# and moan the entire time. The ride was slower, on a back road with a not so good quality surface, but some good curves. The hard seat dug into my rear, and the shifter/brake lever felt foreign as I fought the different position of the foot controls, and wanted so desperately to sit UP, but forward handlebars and short arms do not allow one to do that! Each time we stopped, it was a struggle to position my feet again because the boards wanted to catch on my boot and fold up. The ride was short, less than 15 minutes, and all too soon we were lined back up in the parking lot. David was sold, ready to get his 116 Chieftan in blue right then and there. I climbed off the Bobber, said I'd never go THAT particular route again, then before I could overthink it sat on the Chief Darkhorse. I picked it up fairly easily, and swallowed hard as my heart raced. One of the demo truck guys walked over and asked if he could make a suggestion. I said of course, and he recommended the Springfield Darkhorse. He explained how the rake on the Chief and the SF are different (which of course I already knew; my concern was NOT the handling of the bike, it was the WEIGHT coupled with my inability to flat foot). I agreed to try the SF first instead of the Chief, then went up to the head of the line and straddled the beast. I felt the same wash of love and adrenaline flow over me as I picked her up; my mouth was totally dry as I struggled to swallow. The bike FEELS amazing and comfortable, I was just CONSUMED with the "What IF???" He started her up for me, then I asked David to come get the kickstand for me. No matter how hard I tried to reach, I couldn't grab it; it was too far away. David raised my kickstand, backed away, and I was well and truly on my own, on the Thunderstroke 111, riding an 850 lb bagger ... what the WHAT?? As I twisted the throttle, I was instantly struck with how smooth and easy the whole process was; the clutch pull felt PERFECT, almost better than Khaleesi, and the throttle sweet spot was so big, it would have been impossible to choke it. We slowly pulled out, and before I could panic, I was moving. H-O-L-Y C-R-A-P. I was consumed with this feeling like I'd never felt; something like panicked euphoria. As we pulled onto the road, I squeezed the clutch and upshifted ... or rather, ATTEMPTED to upshift. I couldn't get the dang shift lever to move! I don't have a giant foot, but it's not like a size 5 either. I looked down at my readout to see what gear I was in, and there was a horizontal line. Really? I told David, I'm not even sure I was IN a gear! But the bike was moving, and not in N, so I was in something. As we pulled to a stop at a light, I fought the shifter down into 1st, and right then the check engine light came on. OF COURSE. It was at that moment, my 'survival' instinct clicked in, and all of a sudden I started riding. I remembered reading on the Indian Motorcycle facebook page, that the 111's are such "torque monsters" that 1st should only be treated as a "granny gear", and to kick it up into 2nd pretty much as soon as the wheels start turning. As we began pulling away once the light changed, I again upshifted and this time no issues. The light stayed on, but everything was working smoothly. David laughed at me the whole time as I whooped and hollered the entire ride.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28lnyI6QHJUZBb_pxJg9mxZXGNc-mIu_MpEYbJuWoknoO7Q3ro3DgTIeoz4lnqY0abYBYwqBa-tVzs2rUILm21ViWGWDo01TPNcSrmPJS71Xl2zuS4eW53E7deTryme8dCzQgY0nlcU7Z/s1600/40591160944_311cb7a053_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28lnyI6QHJUZBb_pxJg9mxZXGNc-mIu_MpEYbJuWoknoO7Q3ro3DgTIeoz4lnqY0abYBYwqBa-tVzs2rUILm21ViWGWDo01TPNcSrmPJS71Xl2zuS4eW53E7deTryme8dCzQgY0nlcU7Z/s400/40591160944_311cb7a053_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then THIS happened!! Springfield Darkhorse</td></tr>
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I had absolutely ZERO issues from there on out. I had a BLAST throwing that SF through the curves; she felt like a beefier/cushier Scout. Each time we stopped, I was hyper vigilant to put BOTH feet down, but I had no issues to speak of. The rest, as they say, is history! We stopped back in line, and the demo guy said, "You're taking the Chieftan next, right?" Lol. No. They cleared the code on the SF, and I agreed to take THAT out again. David got back on the Elite again for ride #3, and I patted the SF on the tank and we got to experience 5th gear this time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih45hihxoYeRdXX5OdhuV9MVuvhCMUixQdYIvZSZRxjfxDK1Whw5isco7xYiQryCZNXZmCCIk6TQI1hunIQIW2EI9WHZ2UJsaP8duQ_N0VHnbVEHw0QdstCIkkP9xLl4jBRuu5bcG4uN_G/s1600/41283839062_455c3951dd_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih45hihxoYeRdXX5OdhuV9MVuvhCMUixQdYIvZSZRxjfxDK1Whw5isco7xYiQryCZNXZmCCIk6TQI1hunIQIW2EI9WHZ2UJsaP8duQ_N0VHnbVEHw0QdstCIkkP9xLl4jBRuu5bcG4uN_G/s400/41283839062_455c3951dd_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David's future motorcycle; Chieftan Limited in Jimmie Johnson blue! Just needs the 116 on it!</td></tr>
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We pulled in, and the demo guy once again asked, "Chieftan?" I said, "YES"!!!! Once again those butterflies abounded as I settled behind the wheel of David's Jimmie Johnson cobalt blue Chieftan (just minus the 116!). I picked her up, and with the exception of feeling slightly overwhelmed by all the info on the screen and speedometers/tachometers in front of me, she felt very similar to the SF. This time the demo guy got my kickstand for me, he looked me in the eye and said, "Ready? You got this". With the excitement bubbling up inside me, I pulled directly behind the leader b/c David wanted to be behind me this time ... NO, I WANT MY SECURITY BLANKET lol. But the leader this time was one that hadn't led yet and he was going pretty dang slow. We all got on the road and I felt nearly overwhelmed. I was doing something I thought maybe I'd NEVER do. Definitely not something I'd do weeks of my one year riding anniversary, and 2 weeks shy of owning my own. He took us on a wonky, longer ride than we'd done so far, and we got on the highway again; this time, I kicked her up into 6th gear, and she just FLOATED under me. Aside from the first 2 minutes on the SF, I didn't have one single issue shifting. David and I were talking, and I threw up my arm in a victory "dance", loving the fact that I was in 6th gear for the first time!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMelg8OCbAGCVBxEepBy5W2KIEeXfz8YXOaOlsne5945_Ea948DFPnidl71m7Gfm6SiP1FkClWp7fdqUz4Uf0ZBvc7FXAYp5InAvC-59O026aTi1GUoC8exNxu-1rcpz8ApRzvFablbUs/s1600/39517369140_70e64b1aa4_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMelg8OCbAGCVBxEepBy5W2KIEeXfz8YXOaOlsne5945_Ea948DFPnidl71m7Gfm6SiP1FkClWp7fdqUz4Uf0ZBvc7FXAYp5InAvC-59O026aTi1GUoC8exNxu-1rcpz8ApRzvFablbUs/s400/39517369140_70e64b1aa4_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stunningly beautiful Elite</td></tr>
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As we pulled back into the driveway, I almost wanted to cry. I literally wanted to keep driving those bikes all the way home to Maryville. If all goes well this year, maybe 2018 will be the year David gets his. For me, it will be a 10 year venture (an Indian Chieftan is as much as a decent car). I'm hoping by that time, the big bikes haven't changed too much; I know Harley has had the Street Glide/Road Glide for soooo long. He plans to either sell Mufasa or trade him in towards his Chieftan. I will be keeping Khaleesi for Colton some day; she will NOT be leaving my family. Best part to this story? The demo truck is at IMOK next weekend! I get to do it all over again! AND the demo truck goes to Bristol later in the year, so that's a for sure 2 more opportunities to ride the beasts. I can't stress enough how blessed I feel. David and I have been married a long time, and "extra curricular" activities have strained our marriage at times; mainly the ones involving horses. Now that we have discovered this shared passion of motorcycles, the times of arguments are less and less. Couples that ride together, stay together!<br />
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09445050580180134076noreply@blogger.com0