HILL
COUNTRY 2010
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Day 07 May 06 |
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I was planning
on leaving around 6 AM so Ken could see me off, but my eyes fly open around
4 AM. That's not too unusual since that's my normal wake up time at home.
I try to go back to sleep, but it's useless. So I try to be as quiet as
I can so I don't wake up Ken and his family. Since I'm pretty well packed,
it's a quick shot at the bathroom, get my gear on and see if I can get
downstairs to the garage without tripping over something. I am successful,
and soon I'm out on I635 way before the rest of the world wakes up. The
lights in the darkness makes for a strange vision as if they are dancing
points of flame.
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This
is just one of what I call a 'grind' day - 650+ miles with almost all
of it on the slab. It's not pretty, but it's necessary so that is why
I've spent the money and time to make my ST1100s as comfortable as possible.
I have the road out of Dallas pretty much to myself, and for that I am
thankful.
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Looks
like it's going to be a real pretty sunrise this morning.
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The
sun finally peaks its head above the horizon, and then the fun begins
as I will spend the day heading primarily east - right into it.
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But
once it's up, I just rock on along. The cruise control is set, my feet
are on the highway wings, my back against the backrest and my favorite
tunes are playing nicely in my helmet.
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I
figure by the time I do my first tank of gas, there ought to be a Cracker
Barrel open (they usually open at 6 AM) so I'll get some breakfast. One
does not appear, so I make a quick gas stop and get back after it. I can
always trust that Cracker Barrels will be clean, the food decent, and
the service good (with rare exception) and the ice tea plentiful - and
most of all very predictable. When I'm in 'grind it out' mode, I prefer
no surprises along the way especially in the area of food. So my timing
and my second tank work out about right and I pull into one near Bryant,
Arkansas just southwest of Little Rock.
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I
usually get an omelet, but I go for the big breakfast with pork chops
and all the trimmings. This will be the only meal for the day until I
get to the house so I figure I'll load up. And thankfully, my sweet waitress
leaves me a whole pitcher of tea so I can get my hydraulic level up for
the day.
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But
I can't tarry long, so it's back out on the slab, as I take the I440 bypass
round Little Rock, the traffic starts to pick up a bit.
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As
I have nothing but time and miles passing by, I contemplate what I've
seen over the past few days in the Hill Country. One thing that really
sticks in my mind is the Texas fascination about gates and entrance ways
to property. I saw all sorts of variations on the them, from simple tree
trunks standing at each side of the gate ...
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to
fancy tiled affairs complete with flags ...
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to
nice desert landscaping and serious iron work ...
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to
secure barriers with serious stonework ...
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to
immaculately manicured grounds with custom wood carving ...
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to
variations on a standard Texas theme. I found it to be very interesting
to a feller who grew up in the country where if you had a gate that still
swung on the gate post you were doing right well.
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Ranching
and farming in Arkansas, on the other hand, is a bit different affair.
Off to my left I see a system that appears to be for flooding the fields
and retaining the water. I have to assume it is for growing rice but I
am just not sure.
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Once
I make the cut from I30 to I40 past Little Rock, the traffic lightens
up again which makes it a little nicer. The problem with being on a motorcycle
in heavy traffic is that if an inattentive driver goes stupid, the motorcyclist
will probably be the one that gets hurt badly. So little traffic removes
at least one danger factor in the ride.
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But,
the pleasantness does not last long as I get into Memphis and a construction
zone. It's times like these that I wish filtering/lane splitting was legal
across the US like it is in California and most of Europe.
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But
it finally clears up and I can see the Memphis skyline rapidly approaching.
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From
this sign I can count the mile markers to the Holler - there are 196 of
them to where I get off the slab.
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The
temps are rising and the humidity hasn't gone anywhere, so I take a fuel
and rest break just east of Memphis. From here, I can make it all the
way to the Holler without another fuel stop.
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But
about the time I think I'm making good time, I hit another construction
zone and begin the creep along.
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One
of the most frustrating things to me is when one trucker decides to pass
another trucker and it turns into a parade or a race - I can't figure
out which. They just drone on for miles, with neither driver willing to
budge an inch. Finally a hill slows one of them down and I can wiggle
through and get on with it.
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It's
good to be back in the Holler, but it will take some hot water and some
good old fashioned elbow grease to get those cooked on bug splatters off
SweetTreat.
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It's
been a great, relaxing ride for me to a place that has been on my 'ride
list' for a good while. I know what Ken did to set up the ride was not
trivial, having done it a time or two myself. I will always be thankful
for his willingness to take me to the Hill Country of Texas but more importantly
for being my friend.
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