9030

I MIGHT hit my goal of 10K miles by my 1 year anniversary!  Was surprised on my eldest son's birthday (4-17-17) with my amazing Khaleesi :D  We've averaged about 1000 miles a month in the warmer months, and right now it's still very erratic, weather wise.  So ... at 9030 miles here on 3/4/18, it will be close.

We've passed this house about 3 times; this time we finally got a pic!  Silos built in!

Not a bad year for it being my first year!  Ridden in TN, GA, NC, SC, AL, and VA.  Named roads include the Tail of the Dragon, Rattler, Back of the Dragon, Devil's Triangle, The Snake, The Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, and the Copperhead.  Thousands of other non-named roads that were just as awesome, or MORE awesome than the named roads!  I have absolutely ZERO complaints, except that I wish I'd hurry up and win the damn lottery so I can quit my job and ride my bike every day!

Dang dude, could you please take ANY longer?? ;)

Today dawned clear and cool.  I procrastinated as long as I could until David finally gave in to my pitiful faces and we thundered out of our neighborhood around noon.  I was wearing 5 layers on top, 3 layers on bottom, face shield on the helmet closed.  My wonderful hubs kept us off Hwy 411 as much as possible, as it's just a long, boring, straight road.  We took side streets down to one of my favorite roads, Hwy 307 down into Athens.  It's just a curvy road through picturesque farm side, but there's not a lot around us like it!

We motored through Athens, Charleston, and down into Cleveland where we stopped for lunch.  After our refueling, we hit Hwy 64 in Ocoee that winds next to the river that is used liberally for rafting and kayaking.  The waters were swollen and loud, and we actually saw a few kayakers shredding the rapids!  I tell ya, those peeps are crazy!  You'll never catch my butt doing that ;)  Stand up paddle board on a calm lake, or kayak down a class 1 is my only speed, lol!

I'm grateful my bike practically drives herself because I was NOT looking through my curves, I was looking all around at everything!  We came up out of the river area, and followed Hwy 68, snaking our way up and over a mountain or 2.  David challenged me today; he lays into curves like they're nothing ... as he approaches a turn where he SHOULD be Slow, Look, Press, and Roll ... he SPEEDS, looks, presses, and rolls harder, lol!  I felt myself get a little bit tense; I was gritting my teeth as I twisted hard to catch up to him.  He got so far ahead of me, our radios lost each other, which does NOT happen often.  He did that last time on that road!  Apparently we have ridden that road before, but it's been long enough for me that it was like the very first time.  A fire was burning on the mountainside, and we actually went RIGHT past open flames, CRAZY!!

Pit stop!

68 took us into Tellico Plains, and the start of the Cherohala Skyway.  We touched the Skyway again, then turned off onto Hwy 360, which dumps us out on 411 up in Vonore.  I had adjusted my attitude, my expectations, and changed my style a little bit.  I moved my hand further up on the throttle, so that when I twisted it, I wasn't "breaking" my wrist, which makes me feel like I'm not working as hard.  360 has some LOOOOONG sweeping turns, and we flew through it 55/60 mph unless it was a "suggested speed" curve of 30 or less.  I'm pleased to say he did NOT run off and leave me this time, and I think just adjusting my hand position made a HUGE difference.  We took our side streets back to the house in just under 200 miles and 6 hours.

GREAT ride today, I thank God EVERY DAY for my husband, our bikes, and our ability to ride together.  It has been SO nice to not have to worry about upsetting the hubs over spending a weekend doing horse things.  Confession ... STILL not missing out!  When I get a spare dollar or two, all I can think about it is what I can buy for my motorcycle (cue laughing emoticon here).

Down by the water in Ocoee!

Hopefully more ride updates soon!  This upcoming week is going to be freaking cold again :(

How you KNOW you've married your soulmate!

Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama ... in ONE week!  I know that's nothing compared to these hard core peeps that decide to do cross country trips on their motorcycles, but for us that have only been owners since February/April, that's something to write home about!

David's master plan worked beautifully; the rain held off last weekend for our VA trip, and we rode ALL weekend; it was so beautiful!  Monday, we rode to get some lunch here in town, then hit the Alcoa Hwy to visit IMOK to see their Scout Bobber.  Sadly, the bike was already sold, but they did have a Springfield Darkhorse.  Meh ... I'm just not a fan of a blacked out bike.  In fact, when we were shopping for what I thought was going to be "our" bike vs. David's bike, my only requirement is that it was NOT to be black lol.  So the Darkhorse line really doesn't interest or excite me.

Upon leaving IMOK, David found a decent back way to come home, so we did get an hour or 2 of riding time in.  Tuesday was "nothing" for me, and Wednesday we took a little trip down 411 to Athens.  Athens is a cute little town; there's a road that runs through there that I have GOT to get a picture of some day; it's this crazy huge mansion type house with silos built in to it.  Very unique!  Fun road through farm land!  Didn't seem quite as curvy in full daylight ;)

Thursday was laze at home and watch Netflix day, then Friday we strapped the bikes down nice and tight, then hauled them down to GA where we stayed for a few days with the in-laws.  As soon as we pulled in the driveway, we unloaded the bikes, changed our clothes, and jumped on!  Destination was a BBQ house in Lithia Springs that has the BEST brunswick stew ever.  The in laws jumped on their bikes as well and we caravanned there.  Heck, we ended up riding about 130 miles!  We didn't really detour, just took every back road we could.  Parked them for a few hours, then rode again to dinner.

Saturday morning dawned PERFECT.  Kody was able to join us as my lovely SIL was roped into  offered to watch the baby.  We powered down 55 MPH roads into Alabama, hoping to find some curvy roads, but alas ... not to be found!  Veered back into GA, in the general area of where we lived for 11 years (Cartersville) and re-visited some of our old stomping grounds.  Managed to find one or two more curvy roads, then back home.  Ended up being around 180 miles or so.  Rode again to Rockmart for dinner, then came home the "long" way across a hilly back road; there were a few curves to be had, but nothing like what we're used to!

Sunday it was driving back home to the MotherLand; didn't get home until around 9 pm, so no motorcycles then!  Today, I put the baby down for his nap, went straight into my room to change, then came to harass the hubs to GO FOR A RIDE!  I said I don't care, it's just a beautiful, perfect day and if you don't feel like riding, I'll just hit Foothills to 129.  He glared at me out of the corner of his eye, and out we went!

The ride began with a somewhat familiar route that I take every morning to the babysitter's house ... and then he turned down a road I did NOT know.  A mere 7 or so miles from home, and the curves were already more in abundance than over the entire weekend, lol!  Just proof that the riding is better in the mountains!  Khaleesi and I felt smooth as glass and we moved as one entity through the undulations and twists of the back roads.  We ended up in the nearby town of Farragut where we wandered through the used movie/book store and made a stop by the CLOSED Costco.  We picked our way back towards home using the same, but different back roads, and it was confirmed that David is most certainly my soulmate.  We were in the city square of Friendsville, and came up and over this AWESOME stomach in your throat hill.  As we braked to a stop at the stop sign, both of us were laughing our heads off.  We looked at each other with complete understanding, and he made left hand turns to come BACK to the hill TWICE more.  We finally grew up and headed on home, but our short little 80ish mile ride today was awesome and fantastic.

Only 4 work days this week, and a tentative plan to ride with a facebook friend on Saturday.  The route is one we've done and involves the Dragon, Moonshiner 28, and lunch in North Carolina.  Should be fun!  I actually have no plans to ride to work this week; going to TRY and go for a run every morning instead (haha!).