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We wrapped up the regular riding season last Saturday and we couldn't have asked for better weather. It was even a bit nippy when Hildia and I rolled out of the drive on our way to the jump off point. Forty nine degrees if my memory serves me correctly but for most of the day we rode had perfect riding weather. Rick Hightower commented that he was just glad to show up and not be sweatin' to death.
Today was a makeup ride that was rained out back in the spring but the wait was worth it. The roads were almost as delicious as the food we would later enjoy at the Loveless cafe. Our route was US 64 to 100 to 412 to the Natchez Trace Parkway. 412 is really nice after you split off from 100. Two lanes of asphalt with lots of twists and curves...But you better get up there and ride it soon because like all our great motorcycling roads, Tennessee is making 'em four lanes as fast as they can.
We made several gas stops and leg stretches on the way up. Buck's friend Sammy was along and since he had the smallest gas tank we used his bike as a gas gauge. The Loveless Cafe is very popular and calling ahead is crucial if you don't want to wait for two hours so we took time to let them know we were coming. We picked up the Natchez Trace where it intersects with 412 then immediately pulled in at Fall River Falls (Mile Marker 391.1) took a break and hiked the short trail to the falls. Nice leg stretch.
The trace makes the Loveless Cafe easy to find, just ride until the it ends, get off and you're there and this forty mile stretch is by far the most scenic portion of the Trace. The Loveless Cafe lived up to its reputation too. The food was great and their famous biscuits were even better than Abe's down in Corinth so says David and I and Willard Scott. While at the Loveless, we bumped into Jeff "Shakey" Fowlkes. Don't know Jeff? Well we don't either but he and his vintage Triumph adorned the cover of the AMA's American Motorcyclist Magazine last month.
Everybody agreed that the Loveless Cafe's food was really good and we highly recommend it. So does Martha Stewart and about any country music star you can think of. We finally fired the bikes around two o'clock and hit the road. Bob's Valkrie immediately quit running but thanks to David and Charlie he was back on the road in about two minutes. What caused the false start is still a mystery. At about the same time Hildia lost her watch at speed. Sharp eyed Buck and Donna saw it fall onto to the highway and retrieved it for her. Thanks guys, mighty nice of you and yep, it's still ticking.
Long about four o'clock, a cold North wind kicked up and the temps dropped from the upper seventies to the mid sixties so what did we do? Well what else, we stopped at a Dairy Queen and had some ice crème, you know, to sort of knock the chill off. But after our stop, the wind, as my Daddy used to say, kinda' laid by and the last leg of our ride home was nice and comfy. Hildia and I rolled into the drive at 7:00 PM, tired but happy having had a great ride with some great friends to a great destination.
ROLL CALL: Charlie & Darnel Gibson, Tim & Linda Duncan, David Elston, Rick & Donna Hightower, Buck & Donna Perminter, Joe Shoemaker, Stan & Nina Viets, Bob Branch, Lou & Carla Nathan, Guest Rider Sammy, Jake Abernathy, Danny & Lori Parker, Hildia Max and Yours Truly.
A few trivial stats thanks to the U.S. Air Force and the atomic clocks at the U.S. Naval Observatory: We logged 397.2 miles, our average speed was 52.7 MPH, saddle time was seven hours & thirty two minutes and our maximum velocity was 78.5 MPH
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Tour Riders® 2010
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