USA Reports

From Les

Key Largo, Florida Keys, USA, 26th October 06

   Since our last update we have experienced several extremes......weather, geography, the sublime and ridiculous!

After our day off in Robbinsville we continued along some of the best biking roads so far. The Cherokee National Park skyway and Natahala National forest areas were definitely roads to return to one day; had to fit new Tyres at Greenville, (too many bends). We then headed on our way to meet up with Glen and Kathy in Raleigh, Nth Carolina.

I think Nick and I are becoming jinxed as far as sports are concerned. Glen had arranged for us to see our first American Football game on Saturday; it was a college game between the locals, North Carolina State College and the Wake Forest College. It was all very exciting and the ‘tail-gate’ party with lovely vodka based cocktails, beer and real sausage hotdogs at half time made the time fly.....but our team lost. The stadium was full and the huge college band kept the spectators entertained along with the cheer-leaders and gymnasts but we still lost. Thinking about it, maybe Nick is the jinx as I went to watch Chris, (Glen and Kathy's son) play football in the pouring rain, (the pitch resembled a paddling pool) and his team won!

We had a lovely relaxing time with our friends, I even had some exercise on the treadmill and we all enjoyed a lovely walk in the nearby woods. The slogan, "I don't know where I am but I'm not lost" that Nick wears on his T-shirt was almost appropriate!

Time to move on again and heading for the South and some sunshine. A cold front was crossing the country and we felt it! We had our first sight of the ocean at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We had a sea-view balcony in a cheap motel and sat watching a pod of Dolphins...fantastic. Heading through South Carolina we passed cotton fields either side of long straight roads. The soil was becoming sandy so vegetation is changing, less deciduous trees, more pine. The housing was generally mobile homes or low bungalows which were quite shabby and often derelict; all in all it looked like quite a depressed area.

The road to Charleston was paved with stalls of swamp-grass basket weaving which were being crafted by the roadside, it’s times like this I wish I had some space for a souvenir. Charleston was busy and very pretty. I liked Georgetown more though with the cafes on the streets and the hustle and bustle as people prepared for the annual wooden boat festival at the weekend but my favourite by far is Savannah in Georgia.

About 12years ago we visited Tom in Savannah, (with the boys) and spent a lot of time in the parks and tree lined avenues draped with Spanish moss, it felt very familiar once we got our bearings. Savannah lies on the Georgia side of the River Savannah and has been a busy shipping centre since 1733, initially in the cotton and slave trade. Nowadays huge ships deliver giant containers from all over the world. The old Cotton warehouses on the riverside have been restored and now house cafes, bars, gift shops and markets but it is all very tasteful and the original huge cobble stones are still in place along what was the dock area. I loved just wandering around the historic area of the town and sitting in some of the 21 squares that are all cool and shaded by huge trees and usually have a statue or fountain in the centre. S.C.A.D, Savannah College of Art and Design has restored many of the old buildings and use them as classrooms or administration offices which have really made the City feel much safer and well worth a visit. Our one big disappointment was that we didn't get our breakfast at the Breakfast Club on Tybee Island nearby; the queue (or line) was halfway around the building so we left hungry!

St Augustine on the coast is the oldest European settlement in USA. The Spanish arrived in 1565 and all the buildings reflect the architecture found in Spain. There are some lovely alleyways and narrow streets but also a lot of tourists like us. The name of Henry Flagler kept cropping up both here and when we got to the Florida Keys. Apparently he was responsible for putting the railway through to Key West in 1912. Unfortunately a hurricane in 1935 destroyed a lot of the line so the bridges were later used to create the 126mile long road along the Keys to Key West.

Our timings have been a bit out a bit lately! We missed the October Fest Bike Weekend rally at Daytona Beach by a day and arrived just in time for the Fantasy Festival at Key West! We didn't stay! We had a ‘sightseeing’ wander around the old harbour area and through the streets with colourful wooden houses surrounded by palm trees and colourful plants. Fantasy Fest Week is the party week of the keys where anything goes and the more outrageous you are the better. We didn't stay long as I didn't fancy getting my body painted and Nick couldn't face wearing a thong and bra so we headed back to the comfort zone of Key Largo where we are chilling and catching a few rays and preparing ourselves for Miami ................. Until next time, Lesley.

​

From Les

St George Island, Florida; 9th November 06

   This is my 4th attempt to send an update...so here goes......

We have met so many interesting, and interested, people so far on our 4-month trip. At Key Largo we met two couples that were on the road for a year having sold their homes and given up work. They were exploring Canada and the States with the view to returning to relocate in Canada. Richard and Anna May from Vancouver Island had 4 children aged 5-12 and Dave and Cheryl from Vancouver who had a 3-yr old and a 16-mth old. Even though none of us had met before, we spent a very pleasant evening with these ‘like minded’ folks; I hadn't laughed so much since Canada, but in reality, were totally in awe of them. What a challenge to travel with young children....it's bad enough with one ‘big child’!

On the morning of our departure from the campsite, Dave and Cheryl kindly supplied us with toast and tea as we loaded the bike to head for Miami South Beach; what a kind thought.

We had stayed in a really nice Hostel / hotel in the centre of the ‘Art Deco’ area of South Beach. We were surrounded by very glitzy hotels, expensive restaurants and much bronzed bodies. The guys were gorgeous and their boyfriends even prettier and each couple seemed to have a dog that they dressed up in matching outfits. It was definitely the place to ‘people watch’ as well as take in the architecture, etc. We ventured out for a meal along the promenade and were hit by a heavy tropical storm which quickly changed nice dishes of pasta into soup; oh the joys of eating al fresco!

We enjoyed the ride across the Everglades and the short airboat trip. We actually saw more wildlife in the form of alligators, crocs, beautiful herons, kingfishers and egrets in the canal that ran along the side of the road.

At a motel in Naples we met Bob1, Bob2 and Ted. Bob1 and Ted were permanent residents at the motel and spent a lot of their time sitting watching the world go by and putting it to rights. As soon as we arrived they wanted us to go over to chat, so we did. We understand that Bob2 had arrived the evening before and had been cheered up by these 2 lovely men. I'm sure between them they must have had the answer to the meaning of life! Part way through the evening Bob1 made me stand up and gave me a huge hug which popped my spine all the way down. In the morning before we left I received another bear hug, a few more pops and, I have to say, I do feel a bit looser, (Don't worry Andy, I will be back!

The coastline of Florida is very built up and busy and neither of us enjoyed it too much. The best part was the ride over the Ringling Causeway and later the Sunshine Causeway in the Sarasota/St Petersburg areas where I had my first sighting of Dolphins in the bay. We had the evening at the cinema at Crystal River to watch The Departed, good but gruesome and bloody, Jack Nicholson was excellent again.

Many fellow travellers do their world travel in gentle stages. They often return home to earn more cash, recharge batteries and bodies and then continue where they left off a few months later. I was beginning to get to the stage where I need some chill time. We have been away from home four and a half months and on the road for four and I am in the need of some quiet time to absorb what we have seen and done and get my head straight...... So on the strength of that, and without too much resistance from the boss, we chanced upon a beach house for rent on St George Island. And WOW how great this is and it only cost £240 for a week. We are on the beach with the sea 50 ft away, with shark and Dolphins swimming by. We have slept, walked miles along the white sand, slept, eat, drink, paddled, watched TV, slept, caught up on the washing, spoken to our family and cooked a meal or 2. Nick would ride all day and night if he could as that’s what he likes to do but I think that he has also enjoyed this down time. We are both looking forward to getting back on the road again but in the meantime will enjoy this luxury and sun for another day or two.

Till the next time, Lesley.

 

St George Island, Florida; 9th November 2006

   We have just spent a few great days chilling in the Florida Keys with sun and blue skies for the most of it. We found a great campsite at Key Largo where we met a couple of Canadian families also on long breaks and having a tour around the planet. The only difference was that Dave and Cheryl were doing it in style in a motor home, and in a fifth wheeler van was Richard and Anna Marie. We spent a very pleasant evening drinking beer and exchanging notes on the adventures so far.

Using Key Largo as a base, we rode up and down the Keys and sat poolside at the campground soaking up the rays. On our last morning as we were packing up, Dave and Cheryl walked over with a pot of tea and some toast on a tray, tea-cosy as well, “thought this would remind you of home” said Dave. What great people and sums up all the Canadians we’ve met on this trip.

We left Key Largo on Sun 29th Oct 06, picking up the HW 1 North out of the Keys. We couldn’t make a mistake as there’s only one road following the Hw1 to Homestead and the A1A towards Miami. This was a grim ride in stifling heat, from traffic light to traffic light, took ages as we rapidly dehydrated.

Finding our way through Miami was easy on a Sunday and riding over the bridge onto Miami Beach was fantastic as we passed massive cruise ships, luxury homes with palm trees and their private yachts moored at the bottom of the garden. The scenes were so familiar, straight out of Miami Vice and CSI Miami.

We found the Tropic Hotel and Hostel which we had seen in a Florida hostel magazine, it was in the middle of the ‘art deco’ area and a stone's throw from the beach. In stark contrast to the massive luxury hotels surrounding it, it was so cheap!

We spent a couple of nights here walking around the area and mixing it with the beautiful people in designer clothes and dripping gold, I’m sure they didn’t even notice the two tramps! Another great thing about this hotel was that I could park the bike right next to the reception and the friendly staff guarded our iron horse.

Leaving Miami after a couple of nights we picked up the HWA1A and 41 West into the Everglades on long straight roads through ‘pancake flat’ swampland with long sawgrass swaying in the wind by the roadside. We stopped at the third `Airboat-Rides` sign we saw, something I had always wanted to do... For $20 each we had nearly an hour’s ride through the Everglades, the noise from the un-silenced Chevy V8 powered prop making my ears bleed; nearly as good as a Slip knot gig! This was a great experience, gators and other wildlife all over the place.

Carrying on along the HW 41 west, with ditches both sides of us and full of alligators; it wasn’t a surprise to see some new ‘road kill’ to put on the list. This time it was gator, though someone might have picked it up to make a handbag or boots, perhaps it’s the sort of road kill you don’t go back to check if its dead? I think it was safer to go for the raccoon road kill.

We rode into Naples on the west coast of Florida and eventually found a motel to escape the heat and immediately found some new friends over a bottle of beer. Bob, part American Indian demonstrated his knowledge of Chiropractics and crunched Les`s back and shoulder with great success. Ted, a Vietnam Vet and good ‘all round’ biker, was quietly spoken with a great tale to tell while hiding behind a massive beard. Bob 2 was just passing through and was influenced with the wisdom of Indian Bob1.

The following morning we were up and away, waving goodbye to the boys who were already sat out the front of their rooms, bottles of beer in hand. We started the day by following the HW41 and the 865 crossing an island to Fort Myers. It was so hot today, one of the most uncomfortable days ride I’ve ever done. I can understand why the locals risk it in T-shirts, shorts and no helmets, but not us; it was jackets, helmets and our `hood` jeans, we were so, so hot. Being in busy traffic didn’t help so we jumped onto Interstate 75, by-passing Port Charlotte to get a bit of a breeze. We peeled off at Venice and HW41 to Sarasota and another motel with air-con, fantastic!

From Sarasota we rode HW 789 and island hopped around the city of Tampa and onto the HW19 north along the west coast of Florida. I thought this would be an interesting coast road but there was no sight of the sea, just trees and shopping malls. We eventually arrived in Crystal River where we found the Haynes Motel and the very friendly and helpful Lesley on reception. Armed with advice on travelling through South America and a box of chocolate biscuits, we went to our room. That evening we walked up the road to the local cinema and watched `The Departed` with one of my favourite actors, Jack Nicholson; also on the bill were Leo Decaprio and Mat Damon. I must say, this was a brilliant ‘cops and robbers’ movie, Nicholson at his best, plus the added attraction of air conditioning, not just a pretty face, eh?

On a cooler and more comfortable day we rode up the long straight HW19 through forested countryside stopping at the Suwannee River in Dixie County, now how did that song go? We rode off the ‘dual carriageway’ and onto a smaller country road, Route51 which, in any case, brought us back to the 19 to a town called Perry, where we arrived in the middle of a parade. For us I thought? I don’t think so.

We now heading west on the HW98 toward the panhandle area of Florida where we arrived at Newport and, after asking an old boy selling honey on the roadside, we found St Marks and the Shell Island Fish Camp, a fishing, boating and recreation area with nice self-contained cabins. That night as we watched the sun set over the River St Marks, we saw a Manatee slowly surface, take a fresh breath and dive into the muddy waters of the river, amazing. The following morning we left St Marks and followed HW98 hugging the coast, this time I mean hugging the coast with the sea close to the roadside for some of the time.

Not a long day’s ride today as we turned off the 98 at Newport, just short of Apalachicola onto St Georges Island which is a narrow sand bar at the end of a five-mile bridge. There were lots of rental houses on the beach, we just had to ask to see if we could afford it, and after talking with Helen and Linda from `Collins Vacation Rentals inc`, we weren’t disappointed. At £240 for the week we’re living on the coast, only 50 yards to the sea across our own sandy beach. We can watch pods of dolphins cruise by 100yds away while pelicans dive-bomb for fish, and still remaining within our budget. After a couple of grey and overcast days the sun eventually came out and our pale European skin is sun-kissed again.

We plan to leave the island on Saturday 11th Nov and head for New Orleans, but.....Will we be able to leave this island paradise, has the adventure come to a premature end?   

Don’t miss next week’s thrilling episode! Nick.

 

R & R on St. George Island, Florida    15th November 2006

   Hi. Just a few thoughts and feelings of the moment....For years we have been talking about our big adventure and now we are here!

With both our boys now being independent, and with their blessing, we are lucky enough to be on our trip of a lifetime. The time was right and surprisingly, without any hesitation, we disposed of our furniture and possessions, said farewell to friends and family, loaded the bike and off we went into the great unknown.  We have now been homeless for 5 months so it’s time we stood still for a moment to collect our thoughts, and what a place to do it in!

I don't think Nick realised just how much he also needed a break. He is obviously enjoying it as it was he who suggested we have the second week here!  We have now covered almost 22,000 miles, with Nick doing all the riding. In the early days he said the riding was similar to when he was running courses, intense and tiring but stimulating. I was finding it a bit frustrating being on the back, searching for viewing space and wished that we had brought 2 bikes but I am getting used to it now. In a way, I have more time to look about and take in the scenery as I don't have to look out for the elderly RV drivers and straying wildlife!

   With this unplanned 2-week stay on this quiet, peaceful Island we have had time to recall, evaluate and enjoy the experiences. I was beginning to feel as though I was on "Information overload" and needed to take stock of all our experiences, places and people we have met. It was beginning to become a bit of a blur and needed to be analysed and put into some kind of order in my memory. It does become harder the older you get...and that’s a fact, (so Eddie tells me).   I think my head is sorted now and I am now excited about the more challenging part of our trip as we head for Mexico and South America. I think that the fact that we don't know what to expect or what we will find around the next bend is one of the most exciting parts of the trip. It's all new and so far, mainly all good.

P.S.   A couple of days ago we sat on the beach and watched a pod of about 10 dolphins corralling a shoal of fish close to the shore. Two at a time the dolphins were diving into the fish to feed and when they had finished they were playing in the surf, jumping, swirling and putting on the most fantastic show. A while later I was walking on the shoreline alongside a 5 - 6ft shark, I was only a few feet from it, amazing stuff! I had to check over my shoulder to see where David Attenborough was! Lesley X

 

Everyday we have walked for miles along the beach, (part of our fitness plan) and I have become surprisingly accurate with the Frisbee so now it's time to move on and experience a true American Thanksgiving, New Orleans, Mississippi, Texas and our first non-English speaking border post before 28/12/06....Bring it on!!

​

   Just thought all you 'bike techies' out there would appreciate how the old girl’s getting on, no not Les, the bike!

Our BMW R1150GS Adventure now has 36281mls on the clock, 21781 on the trip, and all’s well. The only major problem we’ve encountered during this trip is the oil seals failing on the final drive; the transmission and the rear axle little pinion ends leaking. This problem was, on the second attempt, fixed at BMW Denver which was 6111mls ago. Apart from that the bike’s been sweet.

I replaced the tyres in South Carolina changing from the Avon Distenzia`s to the more 'road biased' Michelin Pilot Roads. This seemed the way to go as we didn’t think we’d be doing much ‘off roading’ for the time being. The Michelin's have now covered 2920mls and have felt really good, although I wish I’d had them on when we hit the ‘Tail of the Dragon’ bendy road. Sadly since fitting them we’ve not had too many bends other than the on/off slips on the Interstates so as far as grip is concerned, I can’t really comment. One observation is that the rear is wearing on the tread shoulders ether side of the centre pattern, this looks like a classic case of ‘under inflation’, although I haven’t changed the pressure from the recommended 42psi as this worked well with the Bridgestone and Avon tyres, or ‘tires’ as they say over here! Perhaps they were a stiffer dual purpose tyre? I’ll pump it up a few pounds and see what happens when we get back on the road. The front’s looking fine, running at the recommended 36psi though, (any comments Dominic at Central Tyres, Norwich?).

The engine’s superb with plenty of low-down grunt and with great top-end hustle, even when fully loaded. It’s sipping oil at about .25 to .5 of a litre every 6000mls between services so that seems fine. The engine braking is good up to a point then suddenly stops and it runs on, making accurate braking important to keep things smooth, (advancer rider speak, Ed).

The gearbox is fine although it has jumped out of 2nd and 3rd a couple of times which was possibly my fault! Gear ratios seem well spaced with ‘stump pulling’ low gears and a 6th economy overdrive. Overall we’ve averaged out at 45mpg, that’s an imperial gallon, using the, ‘middle of the road’ 89 octane. I have tried the lower and the higher octane at the pumps over here with no noticeable difference, other than financial using the bike as we have. There was also no difference in running at altitude; 12,000ft in the Rockies presented no problems.

I have to say, I don’t like the servo-assisted brakes, I have to be very gentle with the application as they suddenly snap on if you overdo it and when the engine’s not running we have poor braking which, until you get used to it, can catch you out pushing it around or through the garage door when its shut! Our bike’s got ABS which I haven’t really tried out in anger yet, fortunately, I have switched them off when we’ve been on the dirt roads.

BMW`s metal panniers and top box are great.; plenty of room for all our clobber and with the loops on top onto which more equipment can be strapped. I’m a little concerned about the plastic hinges though, how long are they going to last? I will keep you informed. I’ve really will have to weigh the bike with us on it one day, it’s got to be 8 or 900lbs wet and fully loaded, if not more? I’ve checked the Panniers and the top-box carriers along with the sub-frame for any cracks and, so far, it’s looking good considering we are two-up with all the luggage that entails.

On the front ‘mono-shock, telelever’ suspension, I’ve set pre-compression at half way, which feels good, even with all the weight, the front feels light. The telelever is supposed to reduce fork compression under braking, but I have to say, I don’t feel much difference compared to conventional suspension, although we are exceptionally laden.

On the rear mono shock and the paralever suspension I’ve got pre-compression set one mark higher than standard with the rebound at half way. This setting amazingly caters with our load and, two up, quite frankly the bike handles great and I’m sure we raised a few eyebrows on our descent of the `Tail of the Dragon`.

My only major complaint was with the saddle, the most uncomfortable I’ve ever had on a bike, now that we have fitted the bike with the `AIR HAWKS` front and rear, we’re comfortable again.

Our `AUTOCOM` communications are brilliant, getting a good clear reception right up to 70mph then the wind noise takes over. We both missed the coms when we had the ‘melt down’ accident; Autocom is a must for anyone touring seriously.

The CABERG helmets are wearing well, the flip up facility is invaluable and they are still comfortable even after five months continuous use, although we need to wash the inside lining from time to time!

Our `HOOD` jeans are also wearing well and very comfortable although very hot in the heat of Florida as are our jackets but once again, wearing well. That’s all for now on the tech front. On that happy note I bid you a fond farewell, until the next time, Nick.

​

From Les

Greenville, Mississippi Delta. 27th November 06

   Suitably refreshed, we continue on our journey along the Gulf Coast but we didn't particularly like what we saw! Yes, the sand is white and the sea is clear blue/aqua but....’The Forgotten Coast’ hasn't been completely forgotten as houses, condominiums and hotels are being erected in every little space available, soon there will be no white sand left! We stopped in Destin where we purchased the Mexico Lonely Planet book ready for the next phase of our journey. We were surprisingly tired after the day’s ride and it has taken a while to get used to being back in the saddle. It also gets dark earlier now, at 5pm, as a result of another Clock change so we are now planning to stop by 3pm everyday so we can explore in daylight.

It was nice to be travelling inland again and soon we were riding through the cotton fields and small friendly towns. We stopped in Mobile where we looked around the USS Drum, a submarine commissioned in 1941 and the battleship USS Alabama, a survivor of WW2; both were well worth the visit, I could go into all the facts and figures but I won't.

Heading North towards Memphis the countryside was really pretty. Many of the trees were still in the autumn colours and the landscape was gentle rolling. A lot of the communities were settlements of mobile homes, all in various stages of disrepair. The people we met on our various stops were all friendly and cheerful but it is taking a while to get our ears tuned into the colourful language of the area.

We joined the Natchez Trace Highway midway between Natchez and Nashville. The Trace is about 400mls long and was the Chicksaw and Choctaw Indian hunting grounds until 1785 when traders began using the tracks to get home after trading their goods and boats down the river. There is still evidence of the Indian campgrounds but the road was soon developed, though no commercial vehicles are allowed along it.

At Tupelo, we visited the tiny 2 - roomed home that was Elvis's birthplace and walked around the memorial garden and Church. We were told that none of the furniture was originally from the house as, "we didn't know he was going to get himself famous". We also spent a pleasant morning at Tupelo Automobile museum which houses over 100 cars from 1886 - present day; Nick really liked the 1948 Jaguar Mark IV as its tool kit sported a hefty hammer and screw driver, his favourite tools! It was also very nice to meet Chasity, our friendly host.

Tom had booked us into a hotel in the centre of, ‘all that’s happening for tourists’ in Memphis. Opposite the famous Peabody Hotel, 2 blocks from Beale Street, the FedEx Forum and Blues and Soul museum, we were so lucky to be in the middle of it all. The Peabody has a group of ducks that spend their day swimming in the fountain in the foyer of the Grand Hotel. At 5pm the ducks walk along a red carpet and into the lift where they are transported to the roof for the night until they come down at 11am, we saw it or we wouldn't have believed it!

As we strolled around getting our bearings the first sensation to strike you is the music. Every few feet the pace changes from soulful blues to more upbeat rock. Strangely the sounds do not interfere with each other but seem to blend and compliment each other; the place is so alive and is never still. Tom and Julia met us and took us for dinner at the famous Rendezvous Rib Restaurant for dried ribs, mustard coleslaw and beans, how good was that? After drinks in a bar with a live band we went back to the hotel bar were we rubbed shoulders with some very important people in suits who were also enjoying the live blues session. Thanksgiving is a big day in the USA; I think it has something to do with the Pilgrims and Mayflower; all families get together and share an enormous Turkey dinner. Wayne and Anne, Julia's parents kindly welcomed us into their home and we spent a very enjoyable day with about 20 members of the family; Nick and I looked upon it as our Christmas for this year.

After a good nights sleep we ventured out to the Sun Studios where many great artists have recorded, inc Elvis, Ike Turner, U2 and BB King. It was a real privilege to stand on the spot where all these great musicians have performed but I did manage to hold myself back and didn't try to sing into that, now famous, microphone.

I have never been to a museum where everyone is dancing, swaying or tapping their feet! The Rock and Soul museum certainly had this effect on everyone as they strolled around with headphones playing the tunes they all wanted to hear. It certainly is a venue well worth the visit!

Bearing in mind that we have so far managed to jinx baseball and football on our travels, Greg and Melody kindly invited us to their box at a Basket ball game and the home team won, to celebrate, we went to BB King's Bar to listen to more music. I think we needed to spend some more time in Memphis but we really must sample some other sounds in the Delta areas. We had a lovely evening at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale with yet more live music and there is still more to come!

A special thank you must go to Tom and Julia, Wayne and Anne, and Greg and Melody for making our stay in Memphis so enjoyable, good friends and lovely people!

It is good to be back on the road again. I think the pace will be slower because of the short days but we are still enjoying every minute of it. Unfortunately my co-ordination hasn’t improved any ... but I can still tap my toes!

Until the next time, Les.

​

Lufkin, Texas; 4th Dec 2006.

We left St George Island after two brilliant weeks on the beach. We just needed a break from the continuous mental input; Les, always the wise one, made me stop. From now on she is named, `squeaky` as her boots squeak as she walks, and they’re paid for! As for me, I only want to know what’s around the next bend and the next and the next!

St George Island was the perfect tonic, sun, sea and sand. One minute we’re watching dolphins corral fish against the beach, taking it in turns to snack as they worked like sheepdogs. Next I watched Les Walk a shark down the beach, the shark swimming in the shallows parallel to the shore where I had been swimming just a few hours prior!

We then had a tornado narrowly miss us, passing by at night amongst a fantastic thunder and lightning storm with howling winds. No real damage done locally but, on the news, several deaths were reported with homes destroyed leaving devastation in its path as it headed north east across the country. Anyway, we said our farewells to the beautiful Helen from the `Collins` rental and hit the road heading west on the HW 98 to Panama City, the road being forested, long and straight with occasional glimpses of the sea. We picked up HW 30A which hugged the beach where we observed a continuous construction site as block after block of holiday apartments are being built, the beaches were, after all, beautifully white with fine sand so I guess I can understand the attraction. We found a motel at Destin for the night.

With time changes it’s now getting dark by 5.30pm – yuck, and with our enforced early nights we are at a loss as to what to do? The following morning we left Destin and followed the coast on HW98 to Pensacola then inland cutting a corner towards Mobile. Passing through agricultural country, cotton fields and small towns and into another State, this time Alabama, that makes 24 so far. We rode into Mobile and saw the war ship, the USS Alabama, must take a look I thought. After finding a motel on the edge of town, with the very helpful tourist information office in downtown Mobile, we rode back to the ship in the Battleship Memorial Park. We also looked around the submarine, the USS Drum. Both these vessels were built in the 1940`s, just in time for the second half of WW2 and walking around the exhibits provided us with a very interesting tour for a few hours.

On Mon 20th Nov we left Mobile on a cold but dry day heading north towards Meridian, starting on Interstate 65 and then HW 19. It was so cold, 39deg f, I wish I’d put my thermals on. It was nice to be back in the countryside again, fields and trees, working people from the land and not tourist related industries on the coast. Everywhere we stopped; local folk would come and chat, a complete contrast to the coast where not much contact was made with the natives. We rode into Meridian and into yet another state, this time Mississippi, number 25. Once again, thanks to a very helpful tourist information office, we found a motel and warmed up exchanging body heat in an effort to stop hypothermia!

Next day was another cold start with blue skies as we headed towards Tupelo following HW 19 nth, though his time we were prepared with thermals and jacket linings. At Kosciusko we joined the Natchez Trace Parkway. This was a route used by the Native Americans and later by traders and now was a manicured highway with no commercial traffic, much like the Blue Ridge Parkway. This turned out to be an excellent ride through rolling countryside, green fields and forests. We eventually turned off the Trace and found our way to Tupelo, where, with our discount coupons, we found a cheap, clean motel. Once unloaded, our first visit was to the birth place, home and museum of the `King` of rock and roll, Elvis Presley. In the little chapel we discovered to our horror someone had recently stolen his first bible, rumour has it the FBI are looking into it!

I had noticed something whilst riding through Mississippi; we were getting a lot of waves from oncoming trucks and cars, something I hadn’t noticed elsewhere, friendly people indeed.

On Wed 22nd Nov, before we left Tupelo, we visited the Car Museum. This was a fantastic collection of cars over the ages from the first internal combustion engines to the present day. My favourite’s were a 1948 Jaguar MK 4 and a 1938 Packard, which would fit nicely with the hot rods on the road today. Getting back on the road we did a short hop across on the interstate to Memphis, and yet another State, this time Tennessee, that’s 26.

On the way, we stopped at a McDonalds for coffee where I glimpsed my first sight of a bloke openly carrying a pistol on his trouser belt. He was a scruffy guy in jeans and sweatshirt, the diner scene from Pulp Fiction came to mind, I thought it was time to move on! Our good friends, Tom and Julia, had booked us into a downtown hotel in Memphis, which after a wrong turn and a tour through the hood, we eventually found. The Best Western was perfectly positioned for the music scene on Beale Street and opposite the Peabody Hotel. After booking in we walked across to the Peabody and watched the daily show, Ducks! Yes ducks live in the foyer fountain during the day then they catch the lift onto the roof for the night, bizarre!

We then met up with Tom and Julia and their friends, Greg and Melody and we all had a feast of ribs followed by the Blues on Beale St, we’d arrived. On our return to the hotel, the resident band was still playing so we had to drink some more and chat to the Political Commissioner and his wife, all in all it turned out to be another nice day.

Thurs 23rd Nov is a big day for the Americans - Thanksgiving. We joined Tom and Julia at Julia’s parent’s house and their big family for a slap up dinner, roast turkey and all the trimmings cooked by Wayne, Julia’s dad, supervised of course by Anne, her Mum. We had a great meal and it was a real privilege to spend such an important family day with friends in the USA. The following day we did the tourist thing downtown, visiting the `Sun` studios where Elvis started his career in 1955, and where Howlin Wolf, BB King and Ike Turner made recordings. This was an excellent tour around the studios and we felt we had stood on hallowed ground. We then followed this with a visit to the Rock and Blues museum and a wander around Beale St as we absorbed even more music. That evening we joined Tom, Julia, Greg and Melody at the Fed Ex Forum and watched the Memphis Grizzlies NBA basketball team play Washington, and we didn’t jinx the home team, this time who won! After the game we went to BB King’s Blues Club on Beale St for some more music and rounded off another perfect day. Thanks, Tom, Julia, Greg and Melody for you’re hospitality.

After watching the local news, I observed some very worrying statistics. As of 23rd Nov 06, the city had had 144 murders for 06, that’s 3 a week and they were hoping to get under last years total by the end of the year!

We left Memphis and headed south into the Mississippi delta area. Picking up the HW 51, we rode to Grace Lands, Elvis’s resting place, only to be met by hoards of tourists so it was a quick photo at the gate and we continued south on the 51. At Senatobia we rode onto Interstate 55, then off on the 278 east to Clarksdale and found another cheap but comfortable motel.

That night, more Blues with a ‘Juke joint’ called ‘Ground Zero’, an old warehouse converted into a blues club where a fantastic Delta Blues band played all night. As it was the weekend, we decided to stay another day at Clarksdale, Mississippi and rode around the area passing Muddy Water’s home and the Parchman Penitentiary, which held many a bluesman in those early years. Everywhere there were fields and fields of cotton being harvested, bailed and waiting to be collected beside poor ramshackle communities with rusting vehicles, and we got chased by a dog!

Before we left Clarksdale we visited the Delta Blues museum which housed an excellent collection of memorabilia covering the history and characters from the early blues scene. Did you know that Muddy Waters’ real name was McKinley Morganfield, and that Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones contributed their success to Muddy Waters along with ZZ Top?

We then followed the mighty Mississippi south on Hw 61 to Cleveland, then west to Rosedale and along the banks of the Mississippi to Greenville where we found another down-town Motel. We ate the local delicacy of Catfish which completed yet another memorable day. Next day we left Greenville in the rain, at least it was warm! We rode to Leyland and another Blues museum. Here we met one of the exhibiters, Pat Thompson who was following in his father’s footsteps; we chatted for a while and took a photo before getting back out into the rain and heading south, eventually arriving at Vicksburg. Just outside town we stopped for food and got talking to the local Sheriff, Leroy Williams who’s a fourth generation Police officer, respect indeed. Vicksburg played an important role during the Civil war in 1863 being besieged for 47 days by the Union army.

We found a motel on the edge of town after chatting with a very friendly lady from the tourist information centre. After unloading the bike we rode downtown for dinner and on the way back in the dark I made my second big mistake and somehow found myself on the wrong side of a dual carriageway, woops!!  As you can imagine, a few horns sounded and, in the next gap, I managed to do a ‘U’ turn, no drama at all. I think from now on we’ll avoid riding in the dark!!

A restless night followed with a neighbouring couple having a domestic which lasted the whole night, no, not us, honest!

We left Vicksburg, Mississippi en route to New Orleans, Louisiana, which will make 27 States so far. After suffering the rain from the previous day, today turned out not too bad and made for a nice ‘bike riding’ day, mild and dry with blue skies. We followed the Interstate 20 to Jackson then the I55 south through rolling countryside, paddocks and woods, leaving Mississippi and into Louisiana’s swampland. A little further on we crossed a bridge which must have been about 20miles long which took us into New Orleans. We’d stopped at the Welcome Centre on the Louisiana state line and booked a downtown hotel in advanced.

Following the instructions given by the very helpful staff, we rode directly to our hotel, the `Place de Armes` in the French quarter. This hotel was only a couple of blocks away from Bourbon Street, where all the music and action was! The French quarter is, as you’d expect, very French looking in its architecture, buildings with wrought iron railed balconies on the first floors, we could so easily have been in Paris. This was indeed a great hotel with a courtyard in the centre with pool and fountain, and very reasonably priced. Our room, with a ceiling some 20ft tall, gave us plenty of room to skip! That night we walked to a nearby Jazz bar and listened to some excellent musicians, a change of pace from the blues.

The following day we had long walks zigzagging our way around the French quarter in our T- shirts, lovely and warm. We even managed to get some laundry done and ended the day in the Preservation Hall just off Bourbon St where we listened to some traditional Jazz played by a group of old guys with a youngster on the trumpet. Beautiful sounds indeed, must find my trumpet and start again! Bourbon Street’s ok for a lad’s night out with lots of bars and strip joints, the good music scene, in my opinion, was just off this tacky strip

After last years Hurricane Katrina the local police have support from the State police. The ‘guest force’ working the night shift brought back memories of my times during the infamous miner’s dispute in the UK. At night there we police all over the place, in cars and on horseback, we didn’t see any damage in our area however. News reports on the TV showed very unhappy people still homeless a year later, waiting for their homes to be rebuilt, some left the city and have no intention to return.

On Fri 1st Dec 06 we left New Orleans having been on the road for five months and covering 23000mls. Passing through the suburbs we caught an occasional glimpse of the devastation caused by the hurricane, sites were now cleared ready for new construction. We got onto HW 90 following the banks of the mighty Mississippi heading west and eventually crossing the river onto HW49.

What a difference a day makes, yesterday in T- shirts, today was freezing at 39deg F, still it was dry and sunny. We rode through big sugarcane plantations in the process of harvesting. Lorries were speeding around spilling their cane load all over the road, makes a change from sugar beet though. While drinking coffee to warm up, I gazed across the car park towards my bike only to see a small shiny dot on my back tyre. On closer examination I found another flippin nail, that’s puncture number four - ho hum, it didn’t take too long to fix as I think I’m now getting good at it. By the way, the BMW plugging kits are excellent. Turning off 49 we picked up the 14 to Abbeville, Louisiana. These were flatlands totally unlike the other Abberville I know in the French Alps! Here we found another motel for the night.

Sat 2nd Dec, we left Abberville on the 82, heading south into Cajun country. The area settled by French people from Nova Scotia after the British kicked them out, oops. In 1755 it was called L`Acadie and changed by the native Indians to Cagian and then Cajun.

Following HW 82 through swampland we spotted the odd Alligator and loads of bird life. More devastation from hurricane Rita, which followed Katrina in the Sept 05, was also very evident, complete towns were missing and other buildings destroyed. Land owners who eventually returned were now living in RV`s and trailers. We spoke to a waitress who told us that the people are only just returning, a year later! On a short ferry crossing we watched dolphins play in the river as we crossed yet another border, now we’re in Texas, our last State in the USA before Mexico. Following Interstate 10 west, we stopped the night at Beaumont, another motel in another town!

On another freezing but dry and sunny day we headed north on the HW 69 through flat rolling countryside which was mostly forested, broken only by a field in the occasional clearing. We stopped at a town called Woodville for coffee and got chatting with Officer Ryan, a local policeman working the Sunday shift. Then, like policemen all over the world, he got a call to attend a domestic, nothing changes! We rode on and stopped the night at Lufkin and eventually warmed up. I didn’t realise it could get so cold here in Texas, I mean it’s level with north Africa and at sea level!

What a difference a day makes. We had a great night’s sleep and awoke friends again after a slightly touchy afternoon and evening the previous day, it happens! We were now on beautiful roads, rolling with some steep climbs flanked by massive pine trees leading into ranch country which seemed populated only by horses and cattle; we followed the 103 to the 7 then headed west. We were now going through Davy Crocket Forest to a town called Crocket, where we stopped for lunch at a Cafe owned by Erwin and Imogene; we ate the best catfish we’d had on the trip so far. After exchanging ambitions and dreams with them, we carried on along the HW 7 to Chilton, then nth on the 77 to Waco and another motel room. It was still very cold, too cold to camp - honest.

Since July 1st 06 we have covered 24,000mls on this trip and rode through 28 States. The bike’s booked in for a long-overdue service and new tyres at `Lone Star` BMW in Austin, Texas next Tuesday, the 12th. We then we have to make our way to the Mexican border and a whole new adventure, Bounas deas senoir, dos cavesa por fabor. I’m sure my Spanish will get better after we’ve been back to school in Mexico!

All the best for now chums, Nick.

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From Les

Llano, TEXAS; 5th December 06.

   While browsing one of the many small museums along the Mississippi delta area, we bumped into Pat Thomas a musician and local "artist". For crossing his palm with a couple of "green backs" he drew us his favourite cat and let us take his photo! We then continued in the rain to Vicksburg. I don't know if it was the rain but it was a pretty depressing place to be. The homes were barely standing and everywhere was run down. This is one of the poorest states in the USA and it shows in every way; (There is a lot more to be said but I won't)

Vicksburg lies on hilly ground by the Mississippi River and is undergoing a lot of renovation in the "Downtown area" It was a Confederate stronghold during the civil war and also is the site of America's worst maritime disaster where 1700 soldiers were lost in 1865 due to a faulty boiler on the ship. This is also the place where teddy bears got their name!

On the way into New Orleans we rode along roads raised above the swampy water for about 20 miles, we were beginning to observe some of the results of Hurricane Katrina. The French Quarter of N.O. is intact and very touristy. The luxury liner, the QE2 had just docked and the place was full of Brits on tour, we now consider ourselves as travellers so try to avoid their haunts. Bourbon Street was very disappointing with its noisy pop music bars and strip clubs, but just around the corner we spent a great evening in Preservation Hall listening to traditional jazz played by some fantastic musicians. Our hotel had been the original boys’ school and was very pretty. The ceilings in the room were at least 20ft high, unfortunately those in the garage were a lot lower and I nearly knocked myself out when trying to mount our trusty steed; we rode away quickly before the roof collapsed!

Hurricane Rita hit west of N.O. a week or so after Katrina and as we rode along Alligator Alley we were shocked by the devastation caused. What buildings were left were just twisted pieces of metal and vehicles had been discarded in streams and swamps. We spoke to one lady in a café, (the only one open in miles) and she told us how she and her family had left the area taking 15hrs for a 5hr journey and when they returned they didn't know where their home had been as there was nothing left and no existing landmarks. They are still living in a cramped fifth wheeler/trailer as are most people in the area. We hear that until Rita this was a beautiful area, very popular with fishermen, birdwatchers and hunters. One good thing that has happened is that the salt water killed a lot of the strangling weeds in the rivers and swamps and now wild millet is flourishing and attracting migrating birds in their thousands.

Heading north we stopped off in Beaumont and had our first taste of live country music but it’s still not in my top ten!

A cold front hit us as we left New Orleans and we have had to put on all our layers as the wind chill brings it down below freezing at times. We always thought it was hot in Texas but I suppose it is winter after all. The countryside has become far more interesting with rolling hills and a bend every half mile, Nick’s getting quite excited so I hope he remembers how to do bends!

Until the next time, Lesley. X

 

Austin, Texas; 12th December 2006.

   The 5th of December was a cool but sunny day as we left Waco. We looked like a couple of high plains drifters as we headed west on Highway 84. We were now on gently rolling roads through countryside covered in scrub trees and fields of goats. We followed the 16 south from Goldthwaite, through a southern European landscape, into Llano, and with the assistance of another helpful tourist info centre, we found a motel room. I’m starting to miss camping but at the moment it’s too cold, believe it or not but Texas does gets very cold sometimes!

The following day we were still heading south chasing that elusive thing we call heat! As we carried on down the 16, the terrain got hillier; big rolling hills which meant having to drop a gear to get over a couple and at last, some bends. We’re entering the `hill country` of Texas, ranch after ranch, real cowboy country with horses and cattle. We even saw a ranch with my name `Poole` on it, should have stopped and introduced myself to the long-lost relation and claimed my horse!

We turned off the main road onto Hw 965, a small back road that took us to `The Enchanted Rock` a State Park with what looked like a miniature Ayers Rock. We stopped and had a short look around the visitors centre, then carried on down to Fredericksburg, a town settled by German immigrants in the 1800`s. Even after all this time it still maintained its German influence in architecture with shops with Christmas presents, wooden toys and shiny bobbles, I quite expected to see someone in lederhosen, (Ed says, Mmm, kinky old Nick). We liked it so much we stayed the night. We walked around town that evening and found one street very Christmassy with the lights on and Christmas tunes playing.

Leaving Fredericksburg on Hw 16, we rode through more ranch country to Kerriville and found the countryside consisting of hills and sweeping bends, great. Dropping into a small canyon and switchback road induced some scratching, “this is more like it” I said as I detected one or two nervous murmurs from the back seat, I’ve been on straight roads for too long!

We stopped at Medina and sampled some of their famous apple pie. There we met Tom and Nancy in their beautifully restored Austin Healy soft top sports car. On leaving we found some more bendy roads where I left them as we headed for Bandera, the cowboy capital of the world, or so the sign said.

At Bandera we found the tourist info office and the very helpful Patricia, who steered us in the direction of motels and ranches. Something I’ve always wanted to do is ride a horse with a western saddle, so we booked up there and then with the `Running R Ranch`, tomorrow we’re cowboys! 

We settled into our motel and took a walk down another ‘one road’ town. Once again it was very cold so we wrapped up warm like it was winter back home. We found cowboy souvenir shops, bars and restaurants, what more do you want? That night we walked downtown to find a bar and sampled some country and western music. Passing one particular bar, we’re called over by Patricia, from the tourist info office who buys us a beer. She then introduces us to some more bikers, from the real-estate profession and `Frosty`, the local bike shop owner. They were all great guys who listened patiently to our story. The next minute we’re introduced to the local newspaper editor, Carl, from the Bandera Courier, before we know it, we have an appointment for tomorrow for pictures and an interview. Meanwhile in the background, the country and western band played on, and I’m sorry, I just can’t get into the C&W scene, perhaps more beer will help?

The following day we’re up bright and early and after a short ride in the freezing cold we arrive at the, `Running R Ranch` where, us, another couple and our guide are the full compliment of the session. Ever so gently we were lead through scrub and juniper trees, and I have to say I found it very uninteresting countryside. Two hours later we were brought back to the ranch and hot coffee; I didn’t even get to lasso one cow, shoot at anything or even allowed to break into a trot!

Now chilled to the bone, we ride our iron horse at a gallop back to town and the Bandera Courier where we’re interviewed by Stephanie and photographed by Carl. Steph kindly offered us her spare room if we couldn’t find a room in town; we were lucky though and found a cabin by the river. Though it was Friday night and slightly over budget we didn’t take up Steph’s offer. We sat in a downtown restaurant and watched the sleet falling, the locals watch in fascination as it obviously didn’t happen too often here.

While we were back at the cabin, another reporter from the Courier tracks us down, David gives us more advice and guidance for travelling through Mexico. This has got to be one of the friendliest towns I’ve ever been to, we made so many friends in such a short time.

That night we walked through town and visited a couple of bars. While listening to more country and western we chat to the locals and drink beer, what a life. The last pub we stopped at, the band played while the dance floor was virtually empty and, a rather inebriated Jim, takes Les for a dance, I wish I had the camera!

Sat 9th Dec, we reluctantly leave Bandera, and picking up the roads recommended by Tom in Medina, we head for Austin on HW 16/46 to Boerne, then 474/473,281 to Blanco. Here we found a selection of more twisty roads which brought us to the outskirts of Austin, and a traffic backlog caused by an accident. Finding an alternative route we get on Interstate 35 and find a motel on the city’s outskirts.

Here we are in Austin, the capital city of Texas. The bike is having its last service in the US before we enter Mexico. We’ve decided to get into Mexico before Christmas and chase the sun south.   All’s well in paradise.

 

From Les

Austin, Texas; 12th December 2006

   Well Texas is a bit of a surprise! I thought it would be all oil wells and desert but the hilly area around Austin is really pretty.

From Llano, we passed by the Enchanted Mountain in the National Forest. It was made of pink granite and looked rather like Uluru, (Ayres Rock in Australia). The countryside was gently rolling hills and creeks with quite a lot of juniper bushes and some seriously gnarled trees.

We stopped in Fredericksburg which was full of Christmas cheer and decorations. The strong German influence there was immediately obvious in its architecture, boiled sweets and sauerkraut; it was almost like being at one of the German Christmas markets. If it stood still, it sparkled!

Bandera is allegedly the "Cowboy capital of the world" so we had to stop. It is a small, feel-good town with one main street of eateries and accessory stores, antiques and gifts. It’s a popular tourist destination and the two motels prices unfortunately reflected this, especially at the weekend. We paid a visit to the Tourist information office where we met Patricia who gave us lots of helpful advice. Later that evening as we were promenading to find a music bar, Patricia found us, dragged us into the bar, gave us beer and introduced us to lots of the locals including Carl the local newspaper owner and the owner of Rusty’s Bike Shop.

The "Patsy Cline" Tribute band had the locals up and dancing while the Police had to clear the car park opposite as the owner a 4th generation Bandera man didn't like people using his property, even though his shop was closed!

The weather showed no sign of warming up but we had committed ourselves to a horse ride....so ride we will. We arrived as directed by 9:30am and I was so glad we had our motorcycle gear on, exchanging my helmet for woolly hat! The wind chill made the temperature rise to about freezing. After all the practise I have had mounting horsepower, I think I should have mounted "Zak" with far more grace! The dismount was almost disastrous and definitely not elegant! We had 2hrs riding through part of the national forest, crossing totally dry creek beds. There has been a serious shortage of rain here for the past 2 years so most of the rivers and creeks are on trickle and they estimate that over a third of the trees will have died. The rivers that are still running are crystal clear probably as they are running over granite beds and rocks. I think my horse was the only one that managed to break into a trot (3 times) and Nick was becoming slightly frustrated as it was the first time in 24,000 miles that he had to follow me, ha, ha.

Our next appointment was with Carl at the Bandera County Courier newspaper. We had our photo taken and were interviewed by Stephanie who also kindly offered us a bed for the night if we couldn't get anything in town. People in Bandera have all been so kind and friendly. In the evening we thought we would try some more country music and visited a couple of venues. It was so cold that the locals were not inclined to leave their fires, hence a quiet Saturday night, though I did get ushered onto the dance floor 3 times by Jim. I don't think either of us would gain any points on Come Dancing but at least we helped swell the numbers to 3 couples dancing and 3 observers!

Now we are in Austin; arriving in the rain but here on a mission, the final bike service before Mexico! We are spending our time getting up to date with washing, correspondence and planning as we hope to be in Mexico several days before Christmas where the adventure really begins. Best wishes to you all and Seasons greetings, Love. Lesley. X

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