10k mile trip around the USA

Sent from Cable Cove Campground, NC

I did get a motel room in Jonesboro, AR, very close to the shop I had scheduled a tire change with. A scary Day's Inn with some questionable activity at the back corner not far from my room. Blacked out window blinged up SUVs with heavy hip hop music playing, stopping to talk to a woman who asked if I had a lighter. Turned out to not be a problem. All was quiet that night. I did wash my leather jacket in the tub with some dishwashing liquid. The pants were OK, but the jacket, its liner and my shirt got gas on them. Still a faint smell of gas on the jacket, but it's fading with the constant wind while riding.

I checked my tire wear and felt there was enough tread left to make it to the Moto Guzzi dealer in Murfreesboro, TN the next day. I voicemailed and texted them saying that I'd get there at about 1:00. So, Sloan's Cycle in Murfeesboro ROCKS. I had them change both tires with some Dunlop SportMax Roadsmart IVs, and had them change my oil and filter. What a difference! Leaning into curves is much better. The old rear tire had a flat spot in the center that made the transition to leaning over sketchy. Now it's great. Much more confidence inspiring in the twisties. Anyway Sloan's was a big place. Lots of new bikes on the showroom floor. Guzzis, Aprilia, KTM, Suzuki and more. I was lounging in their "Pit Stop" room using their WiFi, when a nice older guy walked in and chatted with me. It was Curtis Sloan himself! After telling him my trip so far and next destinations, he said their shop used to be a franchise for Eagle motorcycle rentals. They did 1-way rentals and he'd fly to wherever a bike was left and then ride it back to Murfeesboro. That's the way he did a lot of his long distance riding. Said he liked riding alone. No worries about other people's bladders, hunger, thirst, fuel range, desire to get going or linger. I understand what he means.

Moto Guzzis in the showroom at Sloan's Cycle.

Scooters too!

Early photo of Curtis Sloan hung on the wall of the break room at Sloan's Cycle.

After leaving Sloan's at about 5:30 I did a quick test ride up and down the highway to test tire balancing and then checked the oil to make sure it was at the right level. All was perfect. Curtis actually checked on my repairs after talking to me and said a veteran mechanic was doing the work, not "some kid", and that everything was torqued to spec. Then on to my campsite destination, Edgar Evans park by a nice dammed lake. Friday night, so all that was available were "primative sites", where you carry your stuff from the parking lot down into the woods where the sites were. That was fine. It was the latest I've made camp so far, so had to use my headlamp to set up camp. Lots of kids in other sites screaming and having a grand time. They even had hot showers that I took advantage of the next morning. With my senior discount it was only $12 to camp.

Primative campsite at Edgar Evans Park, TN. Very nice there.

Lots of poison ivy though.

Then it was time to ride to the alleged best motorcycle roads in the US. The Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, Hellbender and more. I left my primative campsite and rode past various dams that formed beautiful lakes with nice parks. Rte 96 south from Edgar Evans Park is a truly great sport bike road. Don't miss it if you're in the area.

Dams in eastern Tennessee.

In May 2021, while on my ride, the Colonial Pipeline ransom attack happened. There were gasoline shortages throughout the southeastern, US. I was affected. Plenty of mom and pop gas stations had no gas. Almost all gas stations that did have gas only had regular. No premium gas available. My Norge seemed to run fine on regular, though I went back to premium as soon as I could.

Signs like this were posted on most gas pumps.

I turned north in Copper Hill, TN and began the second leg of my trip. No more heading east. I won't be meeting up with my high school friend Walter from Savannah, GA. It was simply too far out of my way, and Walter couldn't drive that far to see me (5 hours each way). So besides riding all these crazy roads, my next destination is another high school friend's place in Reston, VA.

Am camped now at beautiful Cable Cove Campground off of the notorious "Hellbender" road in North Carolina. I rode Cherohala Skyway. It, like many roads in the Ozarks was sublime. So many miles of linked sub-40 mph rated curves on velvety smooth pavement with impossibly beautiful scenery all around. Unfortunately it's hard to take in that scenery because you really have to be focused on the road. Stopping at overlooks is akward because I've illegally passed so many cars I don't want to meet those people again. Heh heh. Tomorrow I'll get an early start, finish Hellbender and do the famous Tail of the Dragon.

My site at Cable Cove Campground, NC.

Catfish scraps and sauteed red peppers, tomatos and onions for dinner.

Delicious! No carbs too!

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