CHAPTER THREE: WE’RE OFF AND RUNNING

 

Miles today: 387.9  Total miles: 387.9
 

Generally, it is my practice that on Departure Day I am up by 3:30 AM at the latest with the goal of leaving the garage by 4:00.  This gets me past Jacksonville before the madness of rush hour as well as giving me a shot to put a lot of miles behind me before the sun is high in the sky.  I broke that tradition by sleeping a WHOLE extra hour and not pulling out of the garage until 5:00 AM.  Am I a rebel or what?

There was the usual waking of my wife to let her know that I was leaving.  I have to give her credit because she really tries to wake up and look like she is caring.  However, like most of the other trips she “kind of” wakes up to kiss me, say goodbye, and for me to be careful.  It is probably much better that way because she has a much easier time letting me leave……She is most likely back to sleep before I am out of the neighborhood.

The first leg went really well.  I will admit that the huge pack on the bike made it feel like I had Shaquille O’Neal riding back there.  Traffic was only moderately busy and I still beat the Jacksonville rush hour.  The weather was near perfect and it was daylight by the time that I made my first gas stop in Brunswick, GA.  If I am heading north on I-95 like I was this morning Brunswick is generally where I always make my first stop.  The Love’s Travel Center there is almost exactly 150 miles from our door.

I know that it is the American Way to moan and groan about our jobs and having to go to work.  I had 55 years of moaning and groaning of my own.  Nevertheless, I am still amazed when I am out early in the morning and I see the American Workforce up and ready to go.  For all the moaning and groaning that there may or may not be it is amazing to stand around the coffee area in the morning at a convenience store and listen to the laughing and joking and people enjoying people.  It reminds me that the crazy, mixed up, country we see on the news isn’t really the country that we live in.  This morning at Love’s I saw a LOT of Americans going to work and laughing and joking the morning away…..at least the small segment of morning that I witnessed.

I gave my wife a call to make sure that she was awake and would be joining in with these Hi-Ho-Off-To-Work-I-Go people.  She was up and at’em…..more or less.

There are two things that I HATE to write about although from a readers point of view it might be more exciting.  One is getting caught in nasty weather and the other is a mechanical issue.  Well, I have already told you that the weather was great soooooo…………….

As I pulled out of Love’s and headed for I-95 all was well all the way to……second gear.  I could not shift to third.  I fiddled with it a bit and, I’m not sure what I did but I got through the gears.  So I continue to ride.  Under normal conditions on the Interstate there is very little shifting so once I got to 5^th gear I was golden.  I rode to Hardeeville, SC where I got off on U.S. 321 to go non-interstate to Columbia, SC, my destination for the night.  I had no problem down shifting and I pulled right into a gas station so there was no shifting.  I said to myself, “Ok, maybe it was just a fluke”.  HA!  The 130 mile ride to Columbia that took me through a boatload of small towns and LOTS of shifting.  I had a heck of a time.  I did a lot of talking to myself during that time and it is a good thing that I never pay attention to me because I am sure that most of my conversation with me was very colorful.  All that being said, once I did “force” into 5^th gear the ride was fantastic.  There were lots and lots of farms and small towns.  Those types of places are so interesting.  I love seeing the little abandoned shacks and businesses that look like 1920 gas stops and wonder about who built them and how excited they must have been.  Even though the structure is dilapidated and falling in…….it was new once and I wish I knew the history of each little building.

I made it to I-26 in Columbia and I made it to the Columbia Hooters.  By that time I was not in the best of moods.  There were several stretches that I was trying to go from 2^nd to 3^rd with the cars behind me not in the laughing and joking mood that I saw at the Love’s Travel Center.

I used my stop at Hooters to kind of regroup and figure out what I was going to do.  I ordered a burger…..hey, they have food there….who knew????  Then I gave my wife a call.  Might as well share the misery.  I figured that I had three options after I figured out what the problem was.  First, that I, or an area mechanic, found the problem, fixed it, I was merrily on my way.  Second, that I, or an area mechanic, kind of got me going and I head onto Mi
chigan and give it to a mechanic there.  Or third, I blow off the trip, cancel all the visiting that I have set up, and mope all the way back to Florida.  Well, my wife, bless her heart, gave me a 4^th option……check the local Harley dealer, see if they had a new Road King, buy it, and finish the trip.  I knew that wasn’t really an option (although I did go online and check the local dealer’s inventory…..no Road Kings…sigh).

My Hooters girl, Tina, brought me my food and I put her on task to get me a shirt signed by all the girls.  I started searching and found a Suzuki dealer only a couple mile from where I was at.  Heck, even if I had to stay in 2^nd gear that wouldn’t be too bad.  I finished eating, got my shirt, and headed off for Columbia Powersports Center.

They were TERRIFIC.  A couple of them come out and looked at the bike.  One took it for a ride around the parking lot.  They whipped it off to the back and 15 minutes later they brought out all readjusted and tweaked and running like new.  They even checked air pressure in the tires and got them up to snuff.  AND when I asked how much…..they said “nuthin’, and have a good trip”.  I gave the guy twenty bucks and told him to get something to eat or drink on the way home.  He was happy and I was THRILLED.

From there I whipped over to a Circle K for gas.  Well, “whipped” is not really the right expression.  I meandered through massive traffic, missed the turn, drove through a Dreaded Walmart Parking Lot, U-turned where I probably shouldn’t have, and SOMEHOW wound up in the Circle K.

I got my gas and headed the half mile or so to my Comfort Inn and Suites.  My home for the night……and what a home it is.  They gave me a two room suite at no extra charge.  I love this country.  So, I am going to flop onto the bed and enjoy my two rooms and get me a good sleep and I will talk to you tomorrow.

If you enjoyed your read give this a Like and Share.  Also, feel free to drop me a line by email at donbova1966@yahoo.com, in messenger, on my Facebook timeline, or a comment on the blog.  Lastly, if you have missed previous chapters all you have to do s find them over to the right and catch yourself up.