We got up at 6 am and got to the restaurant at 6:30.... What a fail
The diner doesn't open until 7:30. That's what we get for being efficient and productive. Should of slept in.
It looked like a brilliant morning, and even though we got food at 7:30 and were going to run the gap bag-less for one full pass, then come back to Fontana to checkout, it started raining pretty steady....
In the interest of covering some distance today, we load up and decide to ride through the dragon and go.
Yermo was kind enough to air up my tires, since my aerostitch pump fail to have a BMW attachment.
The rain was steady for the last 20 minutes while we packed. We got in our monkey suit... And long and behold...
The rain stopped... We met that guy. He was going to Alaska to pick up a 1200gs and ride around. Go figures. Being sarcastic "let me go to Germany tmr, and buy a Lamborghini and tool around" where these people have the money and time...hahaha
Stop at the lake, it was drizzling, but hardly enough to wear the rain gear. Started to feel better.
When we got to the dragon Yermo was not feeling too hot, so we stopped, he went and got coffee, I picked up another can of plexus. My can is almost out.
Then I went to killboys new shop to check it out. It has expanded quite a bit since last year. The loft is completed and there is a metal dragon sculpture now
As the rain stop, the traffic started to pick up on the dragon. The rain suits became unbearably hot. So off they went.
Halfway point on the dragon. The last time we came down here, Yermo didn't have the Sena unit, this time was interesting as Yermo guided me play by play each turn. The ground was still wet, so I was a bit skittish. We went through rather slow. Nevertheless it was still a lot of fun, and re learn a lot of things.
We waited here for two trucks to make it down first, cause they were holding up our fun. This was almost at the end.
Lunch soon came after at waffle house. Just outside of Knoxville, TN. 80 miles so far.
We then follow suit to Starbucks after gassing up. We rested a while longer
The day has started to get easier. Actually look forward to riding and just go. We have a rough idea where we will go, but we don't really have any direct route. It doesn't matter, I was starting to enjoy just being on the road, regardless the location.
We pass Danny on US 40. He join up behind us. He was rocking a f650gs thumper. Later we met at the gas station. He is apparently a former military medical something. Either way, we were heading the same direction, he ask if he can tag along and just ride with us, we happily accepted. He had lots of story on the bike, including injury his head and having poor memory. Yermo handed him a card, asked him if he will "remember us when he see the card later" he took a picture of us just so he would remember. #epic 150 miles so far.
We were near Nashville at this point. The storm was very intermittent. We got dump on, then it was 80 degrees then more rain and repeat. Yermo has taught me the Jedi master way of avoiding the sucker hole. (Putting the rain suit on for 5 miles and then having to remove it again, because its too hot, and then repeat and repeat.)
Between gassing up and being on our way, it was all sunny again... #crazy weather
And then I killed a butterfly. It just flew into my helmet. So gross. Bucksnort ,TN. Danny is still with us. We are gonna grab dinner soon. A giant moth, I hope I don't catch that on my face shield ...
After food at a local place, we left another 30 some miles, ending today's adventure at 370 miles. We are about 100 miles from Memphis
Danny is logging up with us, they gave us a cot and we have three beds in a two bed place. 20 bucks a person. Can't beat that. They even have brkfast. Danny will be riding with us all day tmr, and show us some routes. It seems like he has a lot of miles under him. Pretty awesome.
I look stoned. I feel like I look like this every night. Tire and hundreds of miles of wind blast to the face.
I've not felt this free for a long time. I have no desire to turn around, or go home. I have no desire to be in the comfort of my house. I will have to say, I do like southern people, they are so much nicer than the city folks. I heard alot of conversation exchanged between the older white men. :p At time, I felt left out, since I did not have such adventure to share, nor do I have as much experience, but you learn what you can, with what is given.
The most important one, I would say would be that "you can plan, and you should plan, but have no expectations." This is a ride cross country, that is the plan, but it is not to say we have to see anything specific for certain. We left the dragon early, we could of ran it a few more times. I think Yermo really wanted to run it more times. But if we did, we wouldn't have met Danny.
Although, Yermo and Danny spoke of expectations in motorcycle terms, it does apply to a lot of things. Many people do a lot of things with preconception of how it will turn out, or how it needs to turn out. When those expectations are the same as reality they are either disappointed or bored. We are influence by media so strongly. What should be, and what fun looks like. We forget that more often than not, what is fun is the unexpected.