Day 2 - Clarksville, TN to Salina, KS
716 Miles
Day 2 was pleasant and very pretty in the morning, and not so pleasant and a different kind of pretty in the afternoon. (I do think farmland is pretty.) I left out of Clarksville ~0630 this morning and pulled into my destination in Salina just under 13 hours and just over 716 miles later. This was a day of contrasts and one unreal event.
It was a very pleasant 72 when I pulled out of Clarksville with a couple McDonald's breakfast burritos sitting on the dash. The hotel didn't start their breakfast until 0700. Uh, no, I was not waiting. Besides, the look on the Mickey D's server's face when I gave her the empty bag back at the window, as well as the occupants of several vehicles who passed me as I was eating on the road were priceless.
It really was nice in the morning. I rode up I-26 to Paducah before jumping onto state road over to Wickliffe, Ky. I had several reasons to turn around to take pictures but didn't; a gaggle of wild turkeys near the road (supposedly called a "rafter of turkeys", but I've never heard the term), a nice size deer standing just inside a treeline next to the road, etc.. However it wasn't until I was riding through Wickliffe, thinking about it being such a beautiful Sunday morning when I came around a corner and saw a church sign. At this point I have to admit to having a fondness for reading church signs. Some of the most thought provoking comments can be found on them. Other times, it's almost like they're reading each others and commenting on the competition. So anyway I saw this one and absolutely had to circle back, park and get a photo. Let's just say at that moment, it spoke to me.
After that it was five (5) miles of 30MPH through Cairo and Future City, IL (Hwy 62 bridge was still closed) to get back on the interstate for awhile and a mix of scenery. Across the Mississippi, across southern Illinois and a long way across southern Missouri. At one point I could definitely tell I was either still in Illinois or extreme southwestern Missouri. I looked to the right of the interstate and saw a guy a couple miles away waving.....
It was definitely harvest time across US-60. Field after field of corn had reached maturity and the combines and hoppers were starting to gather in the fields.
It was about this time I realized how much I absolutely LOVE my windshield.
And that was just the first of many. A few made it through the air
vent, but most just made it harder to see. One in particular might have
taken me right off the bike. Riding without a windshield? Another,
uh, yeah, no.
I have to admit purely from a scenery perspective, the most beautiful stretch was coming across the southern portion of the Ozarks. No pictures put it in proper perspective, but is was really pretty.
Finally the weird one.
Shortly after I came out of Webb City, MO I happened to find myself behind two (also GL1800) Goldwings who were riding together. I followed them until I pulled off just before Freedonia, KS to do a fill-up. After that fill-up I rode on to El Dorado (they pronounce it El do-Ray-do), another 70 or so miles where I pulled in to do a final fill-up to make it to Salina. By this time the temps were floating around 99 and it was getting miserable. I pulled into Freedonia, had to wait while a train crossed the street I was on and then I filled up. I even took my time getting back on the bike so I could down quite a bit of Gatorade and call Denise.
So anyway, I finally got back on the bike, wound my way back through Freedonia, hung my final right to get back onto US-400 and BAM right in behind the two Goldwing riders who had left me behind well over an hour ago. I went on and passed them before pulling up an off-ramp so I could take a side road and miss Wichita.....and they followed right behind me. I stopped at the top long enough to find out that they were on their way home from Huntsville, AL (they had gone down to this year's WingDing event). One lived another 20 miles up the road and the other one lived in McPherson, where one of my brother-in-laws lives. He rides a bike as well so I'll have to ask him if a buddy of his went to Alabama last week.
Anyway, when you're on the road, reaching that moment when you realize you're just about fried, and have something funny like this event happen, it probably means more that just reading it. In the words of my ancestors, ya hadda been there.
Oh, I took this one at 1824 (6:24pm). No guessing on the speed. It was nunya; as in nunya business. However, the temp was still 99.
Well, Day 2 is done. Enough with the long ones for several days! Tomorrow we roll on to Colorado and to Chris and Dawn's where we get to see the first of the grandchildren. Good times! Oh, and the trip photographer will be back in the saddle - finally! I almost got choked up with a Michael Buble song (Home) and realizing that I actually missed that voice in the ear. Tomorrow I may change my mind.
Later.
