Well today was a long day, we woke up at the crack of dawn this morning, well Loray did. It took me a little longer to roll out of the rack but we seem to have gotten a second wind as we were dressed and packed and rolling out of the parking lot around 7 this morning from Charleston, South Carolina with Biloxi as our destination. but we ended up in "Hell If I Know," Florida. I will get to that in a little bit.
Before I get started, I just want to say that I have an awesome Wife. I don't know any body that would have put up with what she had to today.
Now the ride. I knew that today was going to be a long, hot ride and that was true. We made a stop in Savannah, Georgia and bought some gloves and continued on to Florida on I-95. Went around Jacksonville to I-10 and was just riding along. Not really much to see. By this time the temp. gauge was telling us it was getting close to 100 degrees outside. The humidity wasn't too high, but I guess if I could describe it as Loray would say, it felt like riding in an oven. Now I know your asking your self, why in the heck would you want to be doing this, well, Iwill try and explain that, later on. Any way, as we were getting close to Tallahassee, we noticed that some darker clouds were begining to form in the distant. By this time, we were both OK if it rained some as long as we could still see, it would be OK. We decided if it did rain some, we were not going to put on our rain suites as we needed a little cooling off. Well you guessed it. It did rain and oh did it feel good. It lasted for a couple of miles and then it was gone. When we got to Tallahassee, we decided to eat lunch. That was a good time to pull over as by the time we got to dinner, we were dry, but this would not be the only time this would happen. As we ate, it rained again, but by the time we were thru, it had stopped, but still a few rain clouds, so this time, we elected to put on just our rain jackets. As we got back on I-10, we could see that we were going to get wet again. The further we went, the darker the clouds got. Then it started to rain, but we were doing OK. even the cagers were doing OK, We went about 15 miles like this, just enjoying the ride when the sky's just opened up. By this time. from the waste down, we were wet. the temp went from 100 to now around 80. It got to a point where I was having a hard time seeing. Loray saw that an exit was coming up so she yelled softly " take this exit mister" and Idid. We found our way to a shell gas station and parked. We were there for about 45 minutes and finally it let up enough that we decided to give it another shot.. By this time, I was thinking that there is just no way we were going to make it to Biloxi, at least not today. So I set our sights on Pensacola. About 30 mile down the road, we had gotten past the rain and needed fuel so we made a pit stop. We decided that there probably wouldn't be any more rain so we took off the rain jacket and fold and stowed them and took off. We were still wet but knew if we rode far enough, we would get dried. Well, that did happen, except for our back side. As we were riding, we were getting closer to Pensacola and after about 50 more miles, decided to take a butt stop at a rest area.. While resting and looking at the clock, we found out that it was getting kinda late and we should call it a day. It seemed that we were having so much fun and that out butts hurt so much, that we forgot about the time. it was getting close to 7 pm. by this time. So we saddled up and took off for the next exit with a hotel. Our prayers were answered as not but a mile or two, there it was, so we took it and found us a nice room, because we are nice people, well I don't think my wife thinks that about me right now. Well we get the room and unpack, change clothes and went to eat. There's a Ryan's steak house across the street, so that's where we walked too. Well while walking there, in a casual conversation with my lovely wife, which by now might not think to highly of her husband. I asked a simple question, Honey, do you know what town we are in. You want to take a guess as to what she said, She said "Hell if I know" Well I have never seen this town in a map in Florida, ever. But in all my years of living, I knew I better not ask her, where in the hell is that. You know, some times you have to go thru stupid to get to smart and I was not going back to stupid this evening.
So folks after 12 hours on the bike and 567 miles, we are in Hell If I know, Florida.
We did not make it to Pensacola. We are about 45 miles east of there.
Now back to the question of, why in the heck would you want to ride when its that hot and it feels like an oven. I will try and explain it the best way that I can. getting to see this beautiful country on 2 wheels and doing this with a person that you love, is awesome.. I remember back in Junior High school when some body at school had brought a book on motorcycles to school and he let me read it and I think at that moment, I was hooked, then the movie Easy Rider came out and I saw it and was hooked even more, but those dreams didn't come to pass until a year or so later i met a couple of guys that had a bike and for the next 3 or 4 years I was able to ride his bike every now and then. It was a Yamaha 305 I think. Then a few years later my older brother Gary, got a Suzuki and he let me ride it some. So thanks to that book, Jackie, and my brother, I got to experience something that was just an awesome feeling. At some point down the way. Ive always wanted to have a bike of my own and take a bike ride across the country some where. Well, getting the bike didn't happen till I was 50 and this is my second long ride on a bike and I wouldn't have it any other way. For those that ride, I know you understand. It is a passion that we have.
Now back to my wife and this trip. I know the last leg of any trip, is the hardest. And I know that bad things can and sometimes go wrong, when on the last part of any trip, you try and push it a little to much. Well a few times on this trip, I have done that, by trying to get that extra few miles in, when I should call it a day. Loray was tired a few miles back and I should have called it but I kept pushing. She is really a trooper and a very understanding wife. So tomorrow, we will just take it easy and not push it and if we don't get home till Sunday, then that's OK.
Well folks, I guess I have rambled on. Hope it wasn't boring. this has been a great trip so far.
We will see you tomorrow night for Day-9.
Loray will probably post a few pics tomorrow. We have a few of the rain
Good night
Oh My Gosh, it was a ride I won't forget too soon. We started off the day having breakfast at Denny's. An older gentleman noticed Mark's vest. It has a Navy patch on it, he was in his 80's and didn't understand how to get online to get his own. Then one of the waiters noticed another patch that says "Life is Short, Pray Hard", he said he was a minister and thanked Mark for wearing the patch. Then a couple sitting by us wanted to know everything about the trip, even how to pack. Then another couple came in and sat near us, they had taken trips too and lived in the mountains. I think everyone, to some extent are curious about riding, some just don't take the risk and go for it.
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