The Trip

I guess if you wanted to look at this grand picture it all started a few months ago when I decided that the 2003 VStar 1100 Classic wasn't enough bike anymore. Truth be told, it was a great bike and met my needs well. But, the bug had bitten and I was destined for more power. I sold the VStar to a gentleman in Georgia who is now riding a great little bike. The next day I bought a beautifully customized Harley Davidson 2000 Road King Classic. I had been a bit concerned about the reach of the handlebars and asked the builder about it. He assured me that he was an inch shorter and had no problem reaching them. I had asked the wrong question. I test road the Harley and felt I just wasn't used to the bike and would adjust with time. I rode it home (after watching the Gators win the SEC Championship) with some difficulty. See, it wasn't the arm reach but the leg reach that eventually killed me. I had to stop several times just to rest and finally got the bike home. After a more attempts at riding it I succumbed to the fact that my legs were too short. Even though I had more height than the builder, he apparently had long legs. The bike, beautiful as it is, was not meant for me or someone of my stature. I decided to sell it. While selling the Harley Davidson I also shopped for the next bike. I considered many but eventually rested on a Yamaha 2004 Roadstar. There were many great deals on great bikes and it was difficult to narrow down to just one. I did that and after selling my bike on Tuesday made final arrangements to pick up my choice bike in Castle Rock, CO, just south of Denver. It had only 2,500 miles on it, lots of accessories that I liked, and at a reasonable price. This is where my little adventure begins. In this entry I'll just summarize it. The details will come on the next few entries. The short list of events gets me out of bed at 4:00 AM EDT on Thursday, May 25th. I was pretty much packed and left home by 5:15 to pick up my daughter. Karyn drove me to the Fort Lauderdale airport where I was catching a 7:45 nonstop flight to Denver where the seller would pick me up. Once in Castle Rock the transaction would be completed and I would start my ride. I had consulted maps.google.com and mapquest.com for directions. Both had given me the same route of a little over 2100 miles across mostly flat states. It was tolerable and quick, but missing the flavor I sought in this journey. I decided to create my own fast but more desirable journey in 4 sections. The first would take me from Castle Rock, Colorado south into New Mexico and then east to Amarillo, Texas, a distance of just over 400 miles. The second leg would take me from Texas through Oklahoma and eventually to Little Rock, Arkansas for a 625 mile ride. My friend Andre was planning on meeting me there and riding the next two sections home with me. From Arkansas we would trek to the corner of Tennessee and down through Mississippi to Alabama and eventually to Pensacola, Florida at almost 700 miles. The leg home would take us through Tallahassee and down to Gainesville leading eventually home to Wellington at about 700 miles again. When all was said and done I had ridden 2,417 miles almost doubling the mileage on the bike from when I bought it. Tomorrow I'll write about the first day. It was one that definitely tested my metal. But as I look back on the entire trip I am glad I made it. I wish I had more time to stop and absorb the cultures I passed. I would have loved to explore back roads in the different terrains. It's a great country and we get to see so little of it. The ride definitely left me wanting more in the future.