After arriving in Nashville three days of over 500 miles each on the bike had played me out, worn out and sore, I couldnt even muster the energy to go for some Chow. Still stuffed from the pizza I ate 3 hours ago in Erin TN I just sat in Baileyrocks massaging chair. I told him I was having a strange vibration in the front tire when the speed hit 50 mph and so later that night we rolled my bike onto his bike lift and removed the front tire and spun it on a stand to see if it was out of balance. Niether of us could get it to settle in the same place so I figured it must be the chain makeing the vibration. Somehow we ended up checking the runout on the brake discs too - BR is a stickler for getting brake discs into spec with his dial indicator and a few well placed hammer hits on this button out, that button in and soon it was right into line! Baileyrock made sure to make fun of how tight I had all the bolts - prompting me to go out and buy two new torque wrenches when I got home.

I found out I had an old college friend living around the Nashville area and made arrangements to have breakfast with him the next day. Baileyrock was a good sport and sat with us while we reminised over eggs and toast for a good 45 minutes - it was great seein Keith again and I am glad he survived being in the special forces for 13 years. Good man and that was it we were off to the TMAC together for the second year in a row. The route was very enjoyable and we just lazily rolled up and down those TN hills - occassionally powering up for some great twisties but mostly we just enjoyed the ride.

Great Falls Road at Rock Island State Park

The Old Pump house at Rock Island State Park, a natural spring

Great Falls Factory Rock Island State Park BRs and my bike parked out front

Great Falls Rock Island State Park

I took us most of the day to get to Franklin, and BR had finally had enough of my pace and took off on the last leg of Wyha bend road. I have to admit I gained a few pounds since last year and it showed in my riding skill, Wyha bend road kicked my arse. We both passed a KLR about 1/4 of the way up the 42 miles of the road and the dude was on my 6 for a good 5 miles before I finally broke away. Those KLRs can turn a good pace in the tight stuff, well at my pace anyway - BR was long gone at this point. I have been there before - on that road at least 4 times and the tightness of the turns in North Carolina always amaze and surprize me. I finnally seen BR pulled over on the side of the road (changing his oil or somthing waiting for me) and we rolled into the Franklin Hotel together.

Thursday evening gathering The Usual Suspects Baileyrock seated Theoxmole Nicole Motorhead1977 Marazmus and a couple other women I cant rember all the names

Wrestler next to Sebspeed

Phedrusman and Hypertention

Chev with a big smile on his face

Vifferluv I think this is what the locals refer to as *all bowed up*

Redfish Luther is a regular Texasmac attendee

Oyama I think the question was *is there going to be cheesecake*

IntAceptor Bob was on of our lead riders

Trace always follow the Trace Pace

Kperham well the back of his head anyway and House in the background carrying some whiskyous substance no doubt

Having been on the road for 4 days I was a bit tired Friday morning when we broke out into groups, having ate too much, drank too much, and slept a bit too little. I think I may have bit off more than I could chew going off with the Chatanooga clan VFR chapter of VFRD - DB05 took off in the lead on roads I could hardley imagine being so close to Franklin and yet so foriegn to me it was like I had never been to TexasMac before. I felt like I did the very first time, excited tired and a in a bit over my head. I just ran a pace I thought I could manage and if I get dropped oh well I get dropped. Yup I got dropped a few times, Jebus it was like Wyha Bend road all over again. However after Sochiro Joined us the pace seemd to smooth out a bit, probably because of the rain, it started raining soon after we stopped and joined up. He took us up some mountains and then onto the Blue Ridge Parkway for a short spell then down into the valley below for somthing to eat.

Pre Ride Meeting and a moment of silence for Bruce (Texasmac)

Gathered for the pre ride meeting

Earthshake asking where are we supposed to park

Just a few bikes out here

Group Bike shot

Baileyrock photo op

Layers on Layers

I have to admit I did enjoy it but I felt like I was holding everybody up, and for once I would like to actually stop and look around a bit - take some pictures ya know. This is the third time I have been to the TexasMac and I never really stopped to enjoy it before so I took off on my own for the last leg and stopped at all the great places I had only glanced at in times before.

Intermediate Group Balsam Grove waiting on Sochiro

Lunch Stop At Juke Box Junction hwy 281 and Pigon Road

Smoke Break

This looks like a good place to stop to get off that stiffling rain gear

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Earthshake cautioned me that hwy 64 into Cashiers was a nightmare of slow traffic he was right be he failed to mention if you pull over and take some pictures you can space it so you get in some good riding in the gaps!

I split off and headed back on hwy 64 this is one of those *boring* shots from that boring road - ha wow

Now I have been on hwy 28 between Franklin and Highlands at least 10 times and I never once stopped, well Ok we stopped when Trace *stopped* once but that was it, all this time and I never once stopped at Bridal viel falls! Not this time!

Bridal Viel Falls who hasnt taken a picture here

Bridal Viel Falls

Cullasaja Falls 20 minutes ride from Franklin on hwy 28

I enjoyed being a tourist so much I decided I would just go out on my own for Saturday too, I borrowed a bit of the route from the day before and headed over to the Blue ridge parkway again, and spend more time looking around and taking pictures. I wasnt waiting on anybody and holding up nobody either, just me and my pace alone all day. It was fun and I just went where ever a bit into South Carolina too.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway

Wild Flowers

Rhododendron along the roadside

Blue Ridge Parkway

Rhododendron everywhere

Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway

After comming down from the Blue Ridge Parkway I headed south into South Carolina and found some good roads down there too, Ceasars Head state park in South Carlina at hwy 276 was a real treat. Then a bit of slab and back into North Carolina on hwy 178 I was having a real blast on that one, called Moorfield Memorial Highway my gps said turn on horse pasture road and head west from there at the top, so I started climbing hwy 178 and the turns were delicious and I was really finding a good rythmn and riding the best I had all week, I felt like my old self finally. When I got to this horse pasture road it was a no go, no way it was all rocks and it looked like it was more suited for a jeep so I just headed for hwy 64 and routed myself back over to Franklin via a little zig zagging to hwy 107 and back over the same path the guys showed me the day before. It was called Cullowee Mountain road I think and it changes names a few time where it comes out near Franklin as Walnut Creek road. Fun and it can get tricky as I soon leared cause I ran into Ryanme17 on the side of the road with his bike on the opposite side totalled. I stopped of course and checked to see if everybody was alright - they were waiting for the police to show up. I told Ryan I would go get sombody with a trailer in case he could manage to ride it - I found motorhead at the hotel and together we took Sebs truck and went and got Ryan. Motorhead advised him to let the wrecker take it cause it looked like a complete loss.

Too bad too cause it was a great meet so far, but he managed to walk away just a bit sore - but he walked away afterall.

Looking Glass Falls Hwy 276

I spend the rest of the day eating and drinking with the group and enjoying myself, For sunday I would have to head as far west I possibly could, the rain of the weekend was a bit of a downer but not all bad, however I would fight with it all day by myself across Tennesse, I bascialy headed over the Cherehola in the rain, down hwy 30 to Chatannoga and across the bottom of TN all in the rain! It was miserable for half the day and the rest it was just a bit boring, hwy 64 was a bust for the most part except I was able to sample some wonderful southern fried chicken!

Cherehola Skyway in the mist

Joyce Kilmer National Forest

Platters Buffet Cowan TN

I took a side trip up to Lynchburg TN - I could smell it before I saw it, the home of Jack Daniels no wonder I could smell mash from 3 miles away. It was the rolling hills and country roads there I found to be very enjoyable. The again back on hwy 64 till I crossed paths with the Natchez Trace, I pulled up onto it for a spell and then turned around again and continued onto Memphis, I think I was on the Natchez for about 50 feet then I turned around - but I was on it!

Lynchburg Tennesse Town Hall

I think I will keep Arkansas all to myself, some things are not ment for public - just ment to be enjoyed and rememberd fondly as you remember the good things on your trip. It had no time to stop and I had to get across the entire state in one day and I did but I took a great route I will not soon forget, it just melted away the miles in the most laid back manner - like a stroll into the woods I just rolled across the Ozarks with the wind in my face and a song in my ear all day long till the sun finally went down and I layed my head down and slept like a baby.

Kansas on the other hand was not so pleasant, right off the bat my bike started surging, I took a wild guess after the 3rd time pulling over and removed my PC2 and the problem went away , then the wind started in on me so bad I had to lean the bike over all day long to stay stait, I made the mistake of rolling across Kansas on hwy 50 which was full of Semi trucks all of them when they passed by they hit we with a blast of air that sent me reeling for a second or two. I think I will call it Kansas airbording! cause it almost tourture, I am sure the boys at Gitmo can find somthing in Kansas to make those Terrorist more compliant, at least on the drive through.

I knew I was home when I saw this though another TMAC done and gone, and I enjoyed myself thanks vfrd for being so great.

Old Bent Fort Rocky Ford Colorado

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