Daily Journal

Day Eight: Monday, Aug. 20, 2001

  So here it is, the last day of the trip. I confess to mixed emotions. Today's ride does not promise excitment or great roads, but it does lead to home, the familiar and comfortable. And yet, it has been the unfamiliar that has made the last week such and adventure. A paradox to ponder as I stuff another sugar coated donut in my mouth and prepare to head out to the bikes.

  It looks to be another hot day on the road, and muggy. We get away around 8:00am and hit the superslab. We are going for speed and directness today. The miles of I-20 are soon droning away under my tires. We have a brief moment of uncertainty and a wrong turn but we get it figured out and are back on track in a few minutes. It is only a short while before we are in Jackson and pick up the Natchez Trace Parkway for the run South to Natchez.

  The sky is covered with patches of clouds letting the sun through without it beating down on us. The deep South has a way of making a person feel like he is in a sauna. The air blasting over me fails to cool me, it just clings. We keep the pace relatively slow because the Parkway is a 50 mph zone along its' entire length. Occasionally I pull off to take in the scenery and let John get ahead. I have a few shots left on this roll of film and am looking for something interesting to capture for eternity. At several places along the Parkway, there are arched bridges that cross the road, looks interesting so I snap a shot. Then I take off after John.

  Much of the Parkway runs through pastures and farm fields of corn and cotton. Think back to your childhood when you were driving down the road with your parents and looking aimlessly out your window at the fields flashing by you. Remember how it looked when the planted rows of crops ran away from you in parallel lines? Just in case you don't, here is a shot of one of the many dead corn crops to remind you, hehe. Once again, I'm off chasing down John who is plodding along at a steady and mind numbing pace.

  The Southern section of this part of the Parkway gets down into the woods. The shoulder is manicured and cut back from the road but many of the slender tall trees still overhang the road. It feels like riding through a tunnel lit with green lights. Out of the corner of my eye I spot movement at the edge of the woods along the shoulder, HUGE turkeys! Lots of them! I try to turn around and creep up on them quietly so that I can get a picture. However the rumble of the bike sends them scattering into the underbrush before I can even think about getting a picture. This particular group had about eleven members, others were typically about five or six per group. I catch up to John one more time and then just settle in behind him to finish the last few miles before we reach Natchez. Despite the low speed limit on the Parkway, we are making pretty good time and it is not even noon yet.

  We reach Natchez and after a quick gas stop we cross the Mighty Mississippi into Louisiana. We've all felt that sense of expectation that rises as we get near to the end of a long journey. It has been rising slowy and steadily in me the last hour or so and is getting stronger. I can almost feel the hug I'm gonna get when I reach the house... mmmmmm.

  If you live in Louisiana, don't take this personal, but the roads in this state are in the worst state of repair of anywhere I have even been in the United States. It is really starting to get hot now as the noonday sun rises high in the sky and the clouds are cooking off. We haven't stopped for food yet and the donuts are long since gone. I have been trying to put more miles between stops to accomodate John. He likes to get on the bike and go into a riding trance until the bike is running on fumes. Unfortunately for me, his bike can do nearly 250 miles before having to stop. Fortunately, my VFR can only go about 200 miles before the reserve light flickers.

  After a few hours, we have nearly crossed all of Louisiana via US 84 West, Hwy 28 West. Just shy of Leesville, I am starting to feel unusual. My eyes are dried out and I am getting that heavy headed feeling, making it hard to concentrate. I think the combination of the heat, fatigue and lack of food is taking its toll on me. I focus on my riding and limp into Leesville. John is not excited about stopping already, but I have to get something to eat or risk an accident. He agrees and we pull into a Burger King for a quick lunch. Then it is back on the road again. Hwy 8 is even worse until we reach the Texas border.

  Home sweet home, almost. I can't believe the sense of excitement as we cross the border into Texas. It is only a matter of hours now before we get to Huntsville. Of course, John will have another three hours after that to get back to Austin... ugh! Once we reach Jasper, we pick up Hwy 190 and run it all the way back to Huntsville, getting in around 5:00pm. John takes a quick break, visits with Beth and then heads for Austin. The hug is better than anticipated! Beth helps me carry my luggage in and I start winding down and filling her in on the events of the trip. Another successful journey comes to to a close. "Any beer in the fridge?"


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