The July 2010 trip planning time

Last year's July plans were changed by the passing of my step-dad and I ended up only making one short day-trip to Mt Airy North Carolina and having a PCS (Pork Chop Sandwich) at the Snappy Lunch. While this included back roads and the back-to-the-past nature of Mt. Airy, the model for Mayberry of the Andy Griffith Show, a little of Andy and Oppie only goes so far. The PCS was good and there were actually a few shops in downtown that yielded cool stuff. But that is not a road trip!

MAP
So I am now planning what will come this July. Note that the map is a rough draft, I won't be on all those interstate highways. And most likely it will not even go to all those places! That is the wonder of it all...

Thanks to the gods that control schedules, Vintage Motorcycle Days is back where it belongs at the beginning of July. This would work with a visit to Baton Rouge for Kent's birthday (can it be three years already?) but the birthday boy and family are planning to be in New Jersey anyway, so I am looking for a first week route that will end up in Ohio. Southwest Virginia to Ohio? Via the coast, of course.

We had so much fun in Savannah last year and thought of doing that again, but now I think I'll make it a solo trip on the planned route from last year, starting out with a trip across Southern Virginia to the coast near the North Carolina border, up the coastal area to Maryland and then head west to Ohio. I have a couple of friends along the way to visit and lots of small fish places to eat at. Weather permitting, I will be camping along the way and trying to get in a few ferry rides. After VMD I may make a trip down to see some newly-reunited Haiti-era friends in Arkansas and the Ozarks, back via Clarksdale (for Ribs and music) and Greenville (for a stop at Doe's Eats Place) Mississippi with a day in Baton Rouge (for kid spoiling time) in case I am not hot enough at that point.

Since I will be so close, I'll have to stop to see Vech and Elaine at Benchmark Works (might need some parts at that point anyway), and a day or two to make sure all is going well with all my friends & family in Atlanta and then a trip home via the mountain roads that connect Hot 'lanta to our hillside home. Now to decide which bike to ride.

I guess I better teach Ann how to work the new mower ...

Ron is up the creek with a paddle!

Today Linda, Peter and I spent in low-key hanging out, just what the doctor called for. Peter and I worked on the bike, getting the headlight adjuster to work so that the light pattern actually shines on the road in front of the bike instead of looking for stars. This continues our long ago adventures with torturing mechanical components. In high school we worked on cars we had - long gone brands that I doubt any of you are familiar with. Peter had a Goliath Hansa 1100 stationwagon that required an engine rebuild and later a Sunbeam Alpine into which we installed a Hillman engine. I, in turn, got a Hillman sedan (Minx was the model I think) and our friend Pat had a Hillman Minx convertible. Ah, the good old days. Anyway we avoided hurting ourselves compressing a spring that is key to adjusting that headlight, assembled it and had to wait until tonight to go for a test ride. It worked well.

Then we went to eat at a great little place I know my family would enjoy. I had a Brie omelet and marbled Rye, pictured here, and Peter had Eggs Benedict. Linda had grilled cheese with tomatoes and avocado. It is one of those places that require another visit to try more stuff.

We headed from breakfast to Chatfield Dam reservoir for some paddling and swimming. Don't worry motherly types, it took over 30 minutes after eating before we went swimming. We all agitated the water for a short time just enough to get all parts wet and cool (it was 95 degrees here today) and then Peter and I headed out to explore the charted territory by kayak. Peter knows a lot about birds and such. We saw seagulls, pelicans and ducks and lots of smaller birds doing their thing. We paddled up Plum Creek into an area that is usually too shallow to navigate. It was cool, still water with tree seed pods and the like just floating on the surface.

Kind of reminded me of nature's own fly-fishing technique, lacy and lofty pieces spread out on the surface of the water.

The day concluded with a fun dinner of soft tacos unlike anything I have experienced and back home for some computer play and looking over items that Linda brought back from her mother's home - old photos of family members and the like.

Tomorrow I am headed for Mesa Verde but decided to spend some time at the hot springs that Ann and Peter and I visited some 30 years ago. It is now a resort kind of place, and I might camp there depending on how the day goes and continue on to Mesa Verde on Wednesday.

Keep the comments coming, I am enjoying reading them. Didn't take the time to try the podcast, too much fun sharing time with Peter and Linda. These two days reinforce how important relationships are and remind me to never forget that this is the fun stuff of life. Thanks to Peter and Linda for sharing their place and lives with me.


Lessons learned today include that it takes two people to compress that spring not only because it takes four hands, but more important, that it take two heads. Second lesson is that radishes cool the mouth after eating a good portion of green chili sauce on spicy meat and jalapeño pepper salad.