CHAPTER EIGHT: DAYS 6 & 7 THERE’S NO REAL ENDING JUST THE PLACE WHERE YOU STOP THE STORY

 

DON’S MILES:  TUESDAY 588.0   TOTAL TRIP 1,482.4

DON’S MILES:  WEDNESDAY 224.2   FINAL TOTAL TRIP 1,706.6 

BRETT’S MILES:  TUESDAY 416.4   TOTAL TRIP 1,098.4

BRETT’S MILES:  WEDNESDAY 223.7   FINAL TOTAL TRIP 1,322.1 

I rose, albeit SLOWLY, from bed, got myself ready, and was at the bike at 4:55 Tuesday morning.  As we had discussed the night before, the first one out to the bikes wouldn’t wait for the other person but just hop on, start ‘er up, and head out.  That is exactly what I did.  By the time that the clock struck 5:00 I was tooling along I-66.

Right behind me was Brett.  He got to his bike at 5:15 and was well on his way in a blink of an eye.

For me, I covered the first 350 miles before I saw any sun break through the clouds.  Half of that was in a chilly drizzle.  It never rained during that time but for over 150 it continued the drizzle.  In contrast, Brett had chilly temps but sunny skies for his ride.

We both had one little hiccup each during our first leg of the ride home.  For me, I pulled onto an exit about 170 miles into my trip.  I was needing gas AND a little break off the bike.  It was still cold and wet although the drizzle had stopped.  I pulled into what I thought was a Pilot Truck Stop but it was not.  As I was rolling to a stop I twisted my body around to look for the right driveway.  I set my leg down and, SWOOSH, my foot slipped on the wet asphalt.  The bike leaned and that was all she wrote.  I had to set it down…..NOT drop it but just set it down.  I have lifted many bikes over the last 50+ years but I am afraid that my days of lifting an 800 lb bike are over.  I commandeered a truck driver who was kind enough to help this 75 year set the bike up on its kickstand.  I went through the motions of grabbing the bike and lifting with him……HOWEVER……I don’t think that I was helping all that much.

Brett’s hiccup was when he pulled into Somerset, PA.  His shifter broke off.  Luckily, he was able to limp to a Harley-Davidson dealership that was only 2 miles away.  The mechanics there were very, very helpful and had Brett back on the road, probably better than new, in less than a half hour.  As hiccups go….these were pretty minor and cost us very little time.

My destination was Savannah, GA.  I will confess that for a few minutes, I considered riding all the way home.  However, when I got to my exit in Savannah and knew that it would still be another 4 hours…. Soooooooo, hello hotel, my old friend.

Brett stopped for the night in Sandusky, OH.  He heard about “Bike Week” at Mad River Harley in Sandusky so he thought that he would stop there and partake for a little while on Wednesday.

Wednesday is an easy description.  I jumped on my bike at 6:15 and bounded for home.  I stopped for gas just north of Jacksonville and then again a mile from my house.  I pulled into my garage at 10:00 Wednesday morning.

Brett hung out a little in Sandusky for the “Bike Week” and it turned out to be a bust.  Of course, he had just spent a weekend with tens of thousands of riders in Washington, DC so the Mad River Harley event was a bust in comparison.  He took a little detour and stopped in Hell, MI.  He refreshed there for a bit and headed home.  He was home a little later in mid afternoon. 

After my last trip to DC in 2019 I had decided that I would not do it again by myself.  I enjoyed myself but it was missing something being alone.  What a difference it was having someone to share it with.  It was fun, exciting, emotional, and enlightening.  When I returned home on Wednesday after 7 days and 1,700 motorcycle miles I was, to be sure, tired.  But I was also totally fulfilled.  I don’t know how many more trips this 75 year old body has in it but I will take what I can get while I can still get it.  I still have a goal to do a multi-state road trip during my 80^th year.  Will it happen?  I don’t know but it is wonderful to be able to think that it will.  Thank you Brett.  I hope that you had as good of a time as I did.  I realize that you most likely would have had a better time with someone closer to your age but I guarantee you that…..I could not have asked for a better time.

And you, readers, thank you for joining me on this adventure.

Until next time…..KEEP YOUR MOTOR RUNNIN’!