DAY FOURTEEN - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Today was a cooler day riding.  However I started out the day with a tank top thinking that it would warm up.  It did the opposite and as we headed through some fog later on in the morning it was time to put a jacket on!  Allan from HOG said later tonight that he had to give me props!  He said:  "here I was freezing my butt off and you passed me with a tank top on!"  And of course I said:  "Well you know I am from Canada!"  Too funny.  It wasn't that bad when we passed him on the bikes but it was about an hour later that I did put my jacket on.

Later in the morning we stopped at another Harley dealer in Dover.  I purchased some new boots and threw out my old ones as the sole was split on both of them!  Must be all that tippy toeing I do on the bike!  It wasn't long after the dealer that we ran into some rain and had to stop to put on some rain gear to ride the rest of the way to the hotel. 

Tonight we went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!  Wow what a spot.  We had the whole museum to ourselves with a band playing all kinds of rock and roll music.  They served us drinks and treats!  It was really nice to finish off such a wonderful trip at a great place. 

I have decided to head out early in the morning hoping to beat some of the rain rather than the heat!! It is shorter going towards Syracuse than it is going to Toronto so I am going to stick with Miles and Patti on the way back which gives me some company for most of the trip and if the weather is bad I have a place to stay which is great. 

HOG did a wonderful trip and deserve a big round of applause for making another vacation one to remember!!

DAY THIRTEEN - Goodbye Nashville

Most people headed out early today to beat the heat!  Most motorcycles were revving to go around 7:00 a.m. this morning.   We had about 400 miles to do today and it was better to leave early to try to get a good portion of the day under our belt before the heat hit. 

The ride was mostly uneventful - a little rain but nothing major just enough to make our bikes terribly dirty!  We made one stop at a nearly new Harley Davidson in London, Kentucky which is well worth the stop.  Beautiful building with great staff and great stock.  It was funny as we arrived in an area of Kentucky called Floyd County all our minds turned to the great gal we met in Virginia in Floyd at the Blue Ridge Restaurant.  Ladonna has certainly been the topic of conversation most of this trip.  She certainly made an impression on all three of us!

The Harley Davidson dealer here in Charleston, West Virgina had a wonderful supper for us as we arrived.  Barbecue beef on a bun, beans, potato salad and coleslaw was amazing.  Tomorrow the final leg to Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Looking forward to it!!

DAY TWELVE - Nashville CMA Opening Parade

This morning the Harley Davidson dealer put on a wonderful breakfast for us before we headed out to the staging area for the parade.  The staging area was a parking lot which we filled with Harley Davidson’s.  The people in the office buildings around were quite surprised to find all these Harley’s pulling into an area that is normally quiet in downtown Nashville.  We had a lot of people come out of their office’s to check out all the bikes and find out what was going on.  There was lots of time to mingle and to find some much needed shade from the crazy heat that we are getting on this trip.

The parade was well organized from the time we left the parking lot all the way to the start of the parade.  There was a police escort and police directing traffic for approximately eight blocks as we made our way through downtown to the parade itself where all the floats we pulled over for us to pass through to the start of the parade and help lead the parade through the main street of Nashville.  The motorcycles were four abreast as we travelled the parade route honking, waving and of course revving our engines to the people all along the route.  There were lots of people taking pictures of all the bikes and little did they know it was just us crazy HOG folks having a blast with big smiles on our faces.  Once the parade route was complete we were quickly escorted back to the parking lot and we were able to walk back to the parade route and watch the rest of the parade come through.  This all in all seemed a little surreal as we had just been in it!!

Lunch was served at the Wildhorse Saloon as the second and third floor of the bar was set aside for us.  Great food was appreciated by everyone.  I took in the line dancing lesson and had fun with Paula trying to keep up as the music got faster and faster.  After walking a slow pace back to our bikes we headed back to the hotel to enjoy the pool.  This afternoon was very quiet for most of us as I took a nap and then Skip, Miles, Patty and I order pizza for supper at the pool.  The pool at the Ramada is indoors away from the heat!

Tomorrow we head to Charleston, West Virginia on our way to Cleveland which is about 400 miles.  So we are “kick stands up” by 7:00 a.m. again to beat some of this heat! 

DAY ELEVEN - Memphis to Nashville

This morning we headed out early to beat the heat!  7:00 a.m. was very early after breakfast; however it certainly made a difference for the first part of the morning.

On our way to Nashville we have been involved in a little draw for the chance of winning $1,000; so we have had to go to 4 out of 5 dealerships that belong to Bumpus!  Of course we made all five and perhaps even bought something in each of them.

Tonight was the Grand Ole Opry and we saw some great performances all of which I can't seem to remember right now other than Carrie Underwood and the Oakridge Brothers!  Everyone was amazing and everyone had a great time.  The Harley Owner Group was announced and then Harley Davidson did a little commercial during the change of sets with Allan coming out on his motorcycle right onto the stage.  What a treat for him I am sure as he came on just after Carrie Underwood!

Very tired tonight so I am heading to bed as it will be a big day tomorrow.  More to follow tomorrow!

DAY TEN - Memphis

Memphis is an awesome city to visit!  Graceland was worthwhile!  It is easy to imagine all that went on in Graceland in its’ hay day!   What was a mansion back in the 1970’s clearly is not anything like we would consider a mansion now.  However, having said that it is important to put yourself back in that era to experience the full effect of Graceland.  The panelling, the shag carpet are truly tell-tale signs of the 1970’s.  What a treat to see that they have preserved that culture in Graceland.  The blue velvet sofas and chairs are truly amazing when looked at back then.  To have the mirrors and shag on the ceiling is pretty funny now but was basically the cat’s meow back then!

After Miles picked up Patty at the airport we met them at Graceland and had an amazing tour.  Stopping at the gift shops and the Harley Davidson Graceland store was fun!  After leaving Graceland we proceeded to Bumpus Harley-Davidson in Memphis to get our stamp in order to be eligible for the $1,000 prize!  So of course we had to shop.  It is nice to have Patty along in order to shop the girls stuff and to have reinforcements to bug the guys!  Too much fun!

We met for supper at 5:00 p.m. to catch the trolley to the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was shot.  They are just in the midst of renovations and it is truly a historical place to visit for all people that appreciate life!  One of the sayings in the store I really enjoyed was:  “Good women don’t make history.”  How true is that! 

We then walked back to Beale Street to enjoy a wonderful supper at Blues City Cafe & Club again!  Tonight I tried the catfish and enjoyed the ribs again.  I also tried the apple cobbler – WOW!   Very good!

The band that was playing was one of the better blues bands in Memphis and I enjoyed their music very much.  One of the girls on the tour, Cindy and I went looking for a blues hat for her and went to some gift shops and I enjoyed the music so much in one of the shops that I purchased a CD.  While I was deciding on which CD to purchase the manager came out and had a little dance with me!  What fun is that!  Needless to say he recommended a great CD that I cannot wait to listen to on our way to Nashville tomorrow night. 

Tomorrow I look forward to the Grand Ole Opry which reminds me of the actual Grand Ole Opry shutting down the Cobden Grand Ole Opry – hard to imagine that Nashville actually heard about the Cobden one!  In any event we will see if the original lives up to the Cobden one – hope it does!!

DAY NINE - Tupelo and then Memphis - Elvis Lives!!

Leaving Meridian this morning early was an attempt to get some miles under us before the heat hit again.  We were on the road by 7:00 a.m. and the full heat held off for a couple of hours anyway.  It is truly hot down here and travelling along the interstate there is no break from the heat.

On the way we travelled the Natchez Trace Parkway which is similar to the Blue Ridge Parkway but without all the corners or the mountainous view.  Very little traffic and no transports along the road was very nice.  Arriving at Tupelo, MS – the birthplace of Elvis Presley was very special.  The museum was not open when we arrived but we toured the property and saw the house where Elvis was born and the renovated church where his family would go for church.  A quick stop for lunch and then we hit the road again.  This afternoon the interstate was unbearably hot. 

Today was the first day of a passport stop for a chance to win $1,000 from Bumpus Harley-Davidson.  The Bumpus Harley shops have four stores and as we stop at each one we are getting a passport stamped for a chance to win the $1,000.  That would be awesome – odds are pretty good that someone I know will win – hopefully it will be me!!

We arrived in Memphis at around 4:00 p.m. where a shower could have been worth a million dollars!  Miles, Skip and I took the trolley to Beale Street where we found a restaurant that was recommended by the hotel staff – Blues City Café has the best ribs I have ever tasted.  After we filled our bellies then we headed down Beale Street to take in all the sites.  Lots of bars with blues playing fighting for your attention.  One was playing on the sidewalk and one was playing in the park. 

Tomorrow Graceland and more Beale Street.  Looking forward to tomorrow!!

DAY EIGHT - On our way to Memphis - stop in Meridian

This morning we said good-bye to New Orleans and started our travel north to Memphis.  The picture on the left was taken as I was travelling along the bridge across the mighty Mississippi.  As you can see the water is almost as high as the bridge itself.  Today we rode on Hwy 11 through the Irish Bayou towards Memphis.  Once we were close to Hattiesburg we decided that it was too hot and we hit the interstate 59 which cut our trip by at least an hour.  Our planned stop today was in Meridian, Mississippi for a dealer party at Chunky River Harley Davidson.  We arrived just in time for their free lunch on Saturdays.  The guys went to the Jimmie Rodgers Museum and I stayed at the hotel to enjoy the pool and have a nap!  The weather is so hot it just takes the energy right out of me - of course it had nothing to do with the party the night before! 

Supper was served at the Chunky River Harley Davidson where they served catfish or pulled pork along with coleslaw, potato salad.  Delicious (did not eat the catfish!).  While I was there I had the manager for parts check out my tire to make sure I didn't need one and he said I was good - hard to imagine - still the original tire and I have 23,000 km on it!!  I did however have some highway pegs installed and hopefully that helps with the long rides we are still in for later this week.

Tomorrow we end up in Memphis and have one stop at Elvis Presley's birthplace so I am looking forward to that stop! Memphis will be a two night stop so Monday there is going to be lots of time to check out Graceland before the big party on Beale Street! 

DAY SEVEN - New Orleans Party - Part Two

Today was an eventful day!  This morning we went to the D-day Museum and spent three hours learning more about the D-Day mission.  Awesome exhibits well worth the admission to spend some time learning about the history of the World War.  It really hit me today that it wasn’t that long ago!  Perhaps as you get older you start to realize that 65 years ago really wasn’t that long ago!  When you put it in perspective and you know someone other than your grandparents that were in that era it really hits home that it wasn’t that long ago.  And I say that because until we hit an age we put our grandparents in a different era all together which really isn't the case at all!

This afternoon at lunch we rode to the dealership where they put on a nice lunch of roast beef on a bun.  There was a wedding performed during the festivities and was being filmed by the local TV station as well as a number of amateur video fanatics!  This afternoon was spent out by the pool with all the girls – Susan, Beth, Jackie as well as a few others!  The strawberry daiquiris started there and continued on into the night! 

We then met at 5:00 for our parade to the waterfront with a police escort and a marching band from a local high school.  What a blast.  Some of the HOG members were throwing out beads to the people along the way who really got a kick out of us dancing and marching along!  We had our group picture taken in front of the Creole Queen River boat with all of our masks and boas on!  Too funny – of course I had to be up front with another friend Jolene to make sure we could find ourselves.  As if, me in my red and white representing our fine country of Canada!!

We had enough time to have another drink before our boat left for our dinner cruise.  Wow, then one of the girls decided to send her husband out for more drinks!  The captain informed us we had to drink them before the boat left, which was in fifteen minutes!  They were huge glasses of frozen daiquiris!  Wow the crew really got a kick out of us!! 

On the dinner cruise there was a couple John and Jacquie that had got married today from Scotland!  Jacquie’s mother was there too!  They had such a hoot with us – we really broke this ice with them.  Once we started everyone on the first deck wanted to talk to them.  John and Jacquie really appreciated that and we had an absolute blast with them.  The girls were checking out his kilt and praising him up!  He came back over with some tartan pieces and butterflies.  Then Jacquie came over with some roses out of her bouquet!  What fun!  Jacquie`s mother came over and sat with us and she gained a number of new daughters - Canadian and American!  Jacquie also gained some sisters in the process.  What fun we had.

On the way back to the hotel we were singing ``When the saints come marching in``!  Too crazy. Susan is an absolute blast.  What a crazy girl she is!  A friend forever is for sure.

Tomorrow we leave at 8:00 a.m. and I hope that I am able to get up and get going!  Could be very interesting!

PS – Kyle turns 21 today and wishes he could have been here to celebrate with his crazy mother – he would have had a blast! 

DAY SIX - New Orleans Party Part One

New Orleans is hot today. Unbelievably hot – of course they have to hit a record for today –almost 100 degrees.It was laundry day for me before I ran out of clean clothes then a walk around downtown New Orleans.We took a walk down Bourbon Street to the water front and visited Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral.There was a statue of General Andrew Jackson who won the battle of New Orleans in Jackson Square.

We had lunch today at a nice little bistro and then went for dessert, Beignets which were truly sinful!  Icing sugar by the pound, I am sure, covering deep fried pastry.  Yummy!  It was a good thing I was walking today and not riding so I could walk off a few of those calories.

Around Jackson Square there were a number of artists painting or just pretending to be statues.  I couldn't imagine hanging around acting like a statue in this heat.  They must really be serious about their art!

I have met more people from Route 66 and am always amazed when they remember my name - very nice.  Today we had the opening meeting for the tour and all the different places were introduced.  There are two people from Australia riding with us.  There are six people from Canada!!  Three guys from Simcoe area and they actually knew where Renfrew County was!!  I had actually met them downtown at the Voodoo Harley Davidson store.  They try to do a HOG trip each year and have been coming to HOG events for a number of years together.  The other people were from Alberta and I have not actually spoken to them yet.  It was nice getting introduced at the meeting today from Canada and of course Allan (from HOG) actually knew my name as well – it makes you feel special when people remember you.  I must have made an impression on Route 66 – hope it was a good one!!  Perhaps it was my smile from ear to ear as I enjoy my ride and meeting all these fabulous people.

Tonight we had our first party in New Orleans (Part One) with supper and a fantastic Jazz band.  Tomorrow (Part Two) will be unforgettable I am sure as we are going to be paraded down Bourbon Street by a band and a police escort.  We will be walking or dancing all the way to the boat where we will have our picture taken and then I have booked the dinner cruise with my friends from Route 66.  Of course I had to buy a mask and boa (red and white of course to represent Canada).  Should be a blast but hope it won’t be as hot as today!

DAY FIVE - Chattanooga to New Orleans

We left Chattanooga this morning around 8:30 a.m. with the sun shining brightly again! Too hot - wow. I wore a long sleeve shirt today as my arms couldn't take any more sun. (Imagine that!!). The interstate was hot, flat and long. We rode at 120 km/hr and was able to get all the way to New Orleans today which was unexpected. We drove 870 km today!!

New Orleans is very neat - streets are very narrow and full of life. We had supper at Deanie's Seafood which was delicious. Check it out at: http://www.deanies.com/restaurants/

Arriving at the hotel was awesome! Met up with a number of people from Route 66. John and Susan, Reg and Beth, Jim, Drew and Alan. It was like old home week. Great people! I look forward to spending the next 10 days with all these great bikers. 

Tomorrow is registration and the first event!  Can't wait to get this party started!!

DAY FOUR - End of the Parkway

Today we headed out on the Parkway for the last day.  We completed the final leg of the 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway today.  The views were amazing - mountains are unbelievable.  There are more corners than I can count.  The scariest signs are on the Parkway - if it doesn't make you take note of the speed you are going on the corners then you know the results just by the sign!! Scared the hell out of me!

I drove my speed and probably slowed some people down behind me - but I am still here to write about it and that was my goal!!

We stopped at a Craggy Gardens Visitor Center and spoke with the Rangers there to find out where the highest point on the Parkway was which we stopped for pictures later on.  We stopped for lunch at Mr. Pisgah.  Lunch was awesome - view was amazing.  Another beautiful day on the Parkway. 

We saw deer, wild turkeys and snakes!  There were a few snakes on the road which freaks me out - they must have been basking in the sun.  I couldn't even bring myself to run over them for fear they would coil up onto the bike - YUK. 

When we left the Parkway we headed out to Hwy 74 and headed towards New Orleans.  Today we made it to Chattanooga, TN.  Tomorrow we will head towards New Orleans again and arrive on Thursday.  We are heading on interstates now so no more sharp corners!!

DAY THREE - Memorial Day USA

This morning after finding a car (bike) wash to clean a very dirty bike we headed to Bedford, Virginia where the National D-Day Memorial is.  It is a great tribute to all the war veterans of the US.  The sadness was felt as we rode up the hill to the memorial.  I felt it just like the way I feel it in Trenton, Ontario where the fallen Canadian Soldiers are returned to Canada.  The feeling hangs in the air and consumes you.  It was very fitting on today of all days that we took the time to visit such a special memorial. 


While I was there I spoke to some veterans and was able to take a picture of a soldier that was there with his parents for the ceremony that was taking place later in the morning.  Thank you to all veterans for making our countries a great place to live!

Once we returned to the Blue Ridge Parkway we were surprised at how few bikes and cars on the parkway today.  It was very nice travelling on this unbelievable road.  Curves and views again were unbelievable.  Really riding the ridge seeing both sides of the mountain at the same time is awesome! 

Lunch we spent at Floyd, Virginia at the Blue Ridge Restaurant where we were entertained by the manager Ladonna.  What a treat - 23 and full of sparkle and charm!  Her southern accent was the sweetest - she engaged all three of us and we wanted her to come along for the rest of the trip.  Her smile and energy is infectious.  Floyd truly has a gem in Ladonna.



This afternoon in plus 90 degree weather we enjoyed the rest of our ride.  We had one detour due to construction and ended up in a little bar reminiscent of Route 66 for a quick cold pop.  There was all kinds of bikes parked across the street and three people from the Netherlands were visiting and in awe of all the Harley Davidson's.  There was outside entertainment and they were playing some AC/DC as we were leaving which inspired me to put in my CD so I could listen on the ride.


Tonight we are staying in Boone, North Carolina just off the Parkway again.  Nice little town reminds me of Colorado area.  Supper was great at a little Italian restaurant.  Today we rode about 200 miles.  We have about 100 miles left of the Parkway and then we start heading towards New Orleans.   

DAY TWO - Skyline and Blue Ridge Parkway

WOW!!  Pretty much sums it up.  The Shenandoah National Park - Skyline Drive - follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains for 105 miles.  The views are spectacular.  The road is amazing!  Fresh pavement, lots of curves, wildlife, lots of motorcycles, bicycles and cars.  There are over 75 scenic overlooks as they call them, with beautiful views.  The 35 mile per hour speed limit is slow but very necessary as there are curves the whole way!  The canopy of trees that surrounded the road for most the ride was much appreciated as the weather and sunshine was beautiful.  I would love to go back in the fall some time to see the colors! 


Skip joined us this morning before we headed out onto Skyline Drive.  It was great to see another Route 66 biker.  It doesn't seem very long ago that we were all together on Route 66.  I got thinking at supper tonight that I have been in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma,Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia with Miles and most of those states with both of these gentlemen!  That is 21 states so far - and more to go on this trip!  This is all in less than one year.  Amazing.


After lunch we finished up the Skyline Drive and headed right onto the Blue Ridge Parkway which is spectacular - a little faster at 45 mph but not much.  Most of the corners you still have to slow down but well worth the drive.  Some of the ride is right on the ridge of the mountains where you can see from both sides of the road the views each way.  We went through two small tunnels but they were very neat.  I am sure you could see the smile on my face today as I was enjoying the views, the smells of the forest and the great company.


There are so many bikers on the road and when we stop everyone is so friendly and are amazed that we are heading to New Orleans.  Some people are unaware of the HOG rides that are organized and can't wait to go back home and look them up on the HOG website. 


Tonight we are in Troutville, Virginia and will continue our ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I am looking forward to more scenic views and meeting more bikers along the way. 


Today we rode about 390 km (all on one tank - with about 80 km left!)  I guess when you go slow and coast downhill you actually don't use as much gas.  At one point I thought we were going to run out as we were about 50 miles outside of Troutville and we all thought we had enough gas until we started climbing again.  I watched in horror as my gas was getting used up and the thoughts of walking for gas anywhere was appalling in this heat!  But as we started heading downhill I saw the gas gauge gain back all that was lost!  Crazy!  Tomorrow we all agreed that we are not going to leave it so tight!

DAY ONE

I left this morning under rainy conditions again - which usually means that I will have great weather for the rest of the trip.  So here is hoping!  Left at 7:00 a.m. - which as most of you know is not so easy for me to do in the morning.  Forgot a few things but nothing I can't do without.


Drove to the US over the bridge at Gananoque 1000 Islands and the weather started to take a turn.  The air became warmer and no rain!  Travelled to Mexico, NY to meet up with my biking partner, Miles Ross.  Met his wife (who will be joining us in Memphis), daughter, son-in-law and grandchild.  They were very excited to meet "O'Canda" (my nickname from Route 66).  I look forward to when Patty can join us in Memphis. 


We left Mexico just before noon and travelled quickly down the I-81.  Miles is a fearless leader travelling at speeds of 120 km (just my speed too).   It seemed to take forever to get through New York and then into Pennsylvania on through Maryland, West Virgina and finally to Winchester, Virginia where we are resting our heads before we head out to meet up with Skip who will join us on the Skyline Parkway and the Blue Ridge Parkway http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/ which will be amazing.


Hopefully tomorrow we slow down enough to take some pictures!!  Travelled 1,021 km today in approximately a little over 12 hours on the road.  Bike is running great - butt is a little sore!

Getting Ready for the Tour!!

It is hard to believe that I will be heading out on another motorcycle trip so soon after my amazing trip on Route 66 with the Harley Owner Group (HOG). 


My trip begins Saturday, May 28, 2011 where I will leave home and start my adventure to New Orleans, LA and along the way be joined by some fellow bikers that I met on my trip on Route 66.  HOG members are truly amazing people - willing to let this crazy biker chick ride along with them.  I don't mind riding alone but it is very comforting riding with fellow bikers that enjoy the road as much as I do.


So to quickly introduce the HOG tour that I will be riding on - Rock, Rhythm and Blues Tour.  It begins in New Orleans, LA for JAZZ, then off to Memphis, TN for BLUES, Nashville, TN for COUNTRY and finally Cleveland, OH for ROCK & ROLL.  Sounds absolutely amazing and I am so looking forward to it.  The Harley Owner Group certainly know how to put on a fun filled trip.

• In New Orleans - the home of jazz - will host a welcome party in the heart of New Orleans.  We should have plenty of time to check out Bourbon Street and the French Quarter.  An overnight stay in Meridan, MS with an opportunity to ride the famous Natchez Trace Parkway on the way to Memphis. 
• In Memphis - home of Rhythm & Blues - will host a tour of Graceland the home of Elvis Presley, the Gibson Guitar factory and museum.  We will rock the famous Beale Street entertainmnet district. 
• In Nashville, nicknamed "Music City" we will help the city kick off the 40th Annual CMA Festival by taking part in the opening parade!  Then to lunch at the world-famous Wild Horse Saloon and a performance at the Grand Ole Opry!!  Downtown block party will close our visit in Nashville. 
• In Cleveland - the home of Rock and Roll - there will be an exclusive private party at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. 

 Sound amazing - I should say so.  To ride with HOG is really to ride in style!  I look forward to continuing a blog again on my trip - if I didn't I would forget so many things once I got back home. 

See you on the road!!