First overnight of 2019

Put a few new stickers on my new helmet

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 :)

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!

The only makeup I wear when riding

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.

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!

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.

Red Robin ... YUM!

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.  

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 ... :):)

Fancy shower and fancy Kohler fixtures

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.  

A road/motorcycle trip favorite

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 ;)

How we secured our bikes at the hotel.  Just keeps honest people honest

Trying new things

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.

Fun ride with friends!

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

4 little Indians

For Thanksgiving day, my evil 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!

Riding into the GSM National Park

Elk in Cherokee, NC

Cherokee has these beautiful bears everywhere

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. 

Can you see all those CURVES??

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.

Made some new buddies today!

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!

East Rim overlook; gorgeous!

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.

Gee, I feel like the baby of the group!

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.

6 little Indians

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.

I'm sorry, was I drooling?

Finally got a NEW FHP pic

A day of rest, and relaxation

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.

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.




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. 

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.

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. 

Taco Tuesday!

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 :):)

The top of the golf course

Out of the Eerie and into the spectacular!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

First Saturday, take 2!

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.

277 miles today

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.

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.

Light rain didn't affect us, but got Khaleesi FILTHY :(

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.

A much needed pick me up!

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.

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!

Winter is coming!

Winter may be coming, but GOT is a year+ away!  Anyway, I digress ...

Quiet few months riding wise for us.  We have managed a minimum of 1 ride per week EVERY week so far, but the temps are dropping colder, and the dark is coming on faster.  3 weeks ago, we finally went more than 60 miles!  Our default ride seems to be 55-70 miles.  We headed west and went through the Big South Fork Rec area, then up into KY for a little.  Dropped back down into TN by way of I-75 and got stuck in HELLISH traffic :( 

We headed out towards Oakridge and went steadily North towards the KY/TN border.  The Big South Fork area is soooo beautiful!  It's a haven for hikers and kayakers, and for motorcyclists! 

I love that ride because it's more country side type riding vs. mountain riding or straightaways.  It's nice, easy curvy roads with not too much elevation.  There are a few wicked turns and twists, and the road was every bit as challenging as I remember it being, but where as I was a little bit intimidated last time, now I felt light years more confident!

Khaleesi is such an amazing machine.  As she has broken in, I love her every bit as much now as I did that first time I sat on her in the church parking lot.  Turns are effortless, the ergonomics are perfect, and there is power to spare.

Surprisingly, we were a few weeks away from peak color; it started out as a brisk morning, but the day warmed up beautifully.  We got a bit of a late start because I wanted to dart into Cycle Gear to get some warmer gloves (which I didn't even need ... my hands started to SWEAT in them).  Normally, we're on the road by 7/8:00.  Today, it was more like 10:00. 

KY was different to ride in ... the particular area we were in actually wasn't that special.  It just happened to be the area we ended up in on David's chosen route, but I still really enjoyed myself.  Not a whole lot of particularly challenging roads; no Snake, or Dragon, or Rattler ... we did hit one or two roads that at the end, we pulled up beside each other and laughed with joy.  To me, that's a perfect ride!

I no longer critique my every move.  Khaleesi and I move as one most of the time.  I don't stall her, I don't have issues or problems turning left or right, and my tight right hand switchbacks?  No longer an issue :)  My back does get tired after about 200 miles; I feel like I'd really like reduced reach handlebars.  My upgrades wish list is floorboards, highway bars, Daymaker headlight, light bar with baby Daymakers, upgraded pipes, a custom seat, and reduced reach handlebars.  Not the kitchen sink!  My total mileage is around 7500 miles ... my goal is 10K+ in my first year.  I've got until April to make that goal!

After about 200ish miles, we were both starting to fade a little.  It was getting late, it was Sunday which means no "day of rest", and even though our track was fun, I knew what was to come, and it was about 3 more hours. That was when we decided to jump on I-75 S ... and hit total roadblock!  I lasted about 20 minutes of sitting there in 2-5 mph traffic, and I was DYING.  Khaleesi was blowing out leg blistering heat, and my left hand was cramping so badly I was reaching over to hold the clutch with my right hand.  I told David I HAD to get off that damn interstate. 

We finally did, found a back road that was decently fun, wound our way back to the interstate, and blasted back home.  I went through my least favorite spaghetti interchange of I-40 through Knoxville, and we pulled into the garage about ... 7:15.  It was a gorgeous day ... cool start, but ended up low 70's.  300 miles total, felt SOOOO good! 

2 60 miler rides, then 100 miles to be detailed soon!