Flirting with Fey, Hanna and Gustav...

As you probably know, I have had to face some significant weather issues along with some mechanical problems with Captain America since leaving San Diego on May 29. I can now confirm that a suspicious black cloud full of rain, hail, lightening, thunder, and God knows what else has been trailing me during most of my journey like a senior detective following a high profile crime suspect just prior to making the arrest. The main difference is that the detective would probably keep a little distance between the suspect and himself.

In reality this culprit black cloud does not just follow me, but dumps on me every chance it gets which is almost everyday. This dumping is kind of like the hazing that went on at the ZAE fraternity house back in 65 while I was attending “Harvard of the West” (aka San Jose State).

Now let’s talk about the oil light issue that I mentioned in my blog update on August 25. I took Captain America into the dealer as planned for what I thought was going to be a very minor repair based what the dealer told me the day before. As it turned out I was that I was stuck in Monroe (not that there is anything really wrong with Monroe) for two days as they worked through the “minor issue” that turned out to be a bad oil pump, a clogged oil pressure release valve, and some bearings that were about shot due to lack of oil. After two long days and $750, I was once again ready to “rumble” once again. The Harley guys even spit shined my bike which was a nice way to get back out on the road. I must say that these guys at the Harley dealer could not have been nicer and more helpful. I really liked them a lot.

While I was in Monroe I studied the Weather Channel and used my iPhone to access the risk of these storms and to develop the best possible route that would allow me to further my goal of hitting all 49 states while trying to shake or at least minimize the “black cloud demon”. After considerable analysis, I decided to alter my previously planned route again and head farther west to ride through Texas, Oklahoma, and then turn back east and ride through Arkansas before heading back to pick up Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, before turning West again for the last leg.

I have to say that I found Texas and Oklahoma somewhat uneventful on this ride. I usually really like riding through both of these states, but I felt a bit rushed knowing the amount of major weather systems that were breathing down my neck. It was not uncommon to hear the folks on the Weather Channel talking about storms that could produce 1 to 2 feet of rain. Needless to say, I wanted no part of any of them because I could be held up for a week or longer if flooding really hit an area that I was stuck in. Once I got into Arkansas my mood became more relaxed and the scenery improved as I rode throughout the state. Great state and great ride with decent, but deteriorating weather.

I also really enjoyed the journey through Mississippi and Alabama. The highlight came when I pulled into Tupelo, Mississippi one very late afternoon. I had planned on getting some gas and then finding a hotel and hitting the rack early that night. I always try to fill up Captain America at the end of the day so as to start in the morning with a full tank. Don’t ask me why I do this, but I think it may be because it is one less thing I have to do in the morning before I pull out of town. While in the gas station I said to the women behind the counter, “Isn't Tupelo the birthplace of the “King”. She smiled and said, “You bet it is”. I asked her, “Is his boyhood home still standing and if so, where can I find it”. She smiled and said, “Yes it is and it is only three short blocks away”. She gave me directions and I headed on over to take a look.

As you can see, there is no doubt that Elvis came from a very modest background. I must confess that I was never a huge Elvis fan when he was alive until his Hawaii comeback concert at Aloha Stadium, but I really grew to appreciate him more and more as the years have gone by. I have to say that I was in total awe regarding the fact that I was sitting on the porch of the home he was born in. This house was build by his father Vernon. Wow, that was “way cool” and it just goes to show you that in America anything is possible! Also, I must say that everyone I met in Tupelo was so nice and the city had a great vibe about it. I would definately go back again at some time and maybe hang around a bit more.

By this time Fey had done its thing and everyone was now focused on Gustav which looked even more menacing, but predicting where it was going to make landfall was less certain.

I decided to make a run for Florida via Alabama and see if I could beat Gustav, Hanna, Ike, etc., etc. I planned to enter Florida north of Panama City and then ride along the Panhandle before heading south to Orlando and then onto Miami. I wanted to visit with friends and colleagues from Interval International in both cities, meet with media, and say hello to the Dave Siegel and his team at Westgate Resorts. While in Miami I also wanted to meet up with my old friend (Fredy Dellis) from my RCI days.

Unfortunately, all these plans had to be scrapped due the Southeast experiencing a very active hurricane season this year. Bottom line, I rode the entire Panhandle in Florida from Panama City to Jacksonville, but never got farther south than Lake City, Florida. Once I hit Jacksonville I headed north and rode through the east coast of Georgia and on to South Carolina.

Although I got hit with on and off again rain, I thoroughly enjoyed my ride through Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. To top it off, my bike was once again humming like a church choir. My only real disappointment in Georgia was that the uncertain weather precluded me from going to see Heidi, Eric and their kids (my cousin Sharon’s daughter and her great family in Atlanta). Oh well, next time!

By the time I pulled into Walterboro, South Carolina last Sunday night the weather had deteriorated significantly. Fey was now raging and Hanna was looming in the wings. It did not take me long that evening to come to the decision that I had only one logical path. Doreen kept watching the weather channel over the last week and on Sunday she gave me some very good advice. She said, “Go high, go high!” With that great advice I decided to see if I could outrun the systems by heading northwest.

I ended up going through North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and I am now in Pueblo, Colorado. Over the past 5 days I have been in rain gear most of the time. By far the most challenging weather hit when I was leaving Columbia, Missouri on Wednesday morning. The news the night before said that Columbia was due to get 5 to 7 inches of rain in the next 48 to 72 hours as Fey was set to meet up with a cold front coming out of Canada. The temp was expected to drop from 90 degrees at 6:00PM the night I arrived and then the high for the next day was going to be in the mid 60's.

The storm hit that night about midnight. When I woke in the morning it was obvious that the rain had started quite a few hours before. After I jumped out of bed at about 5:30AM and looked out the window it was obvious that I had a wet day of riding in front of me. I loaded up and hit the road at about 7:00AM. Loading a bike in driving rain is never any fun, but that day it was obvious that it was going to get much worse before it got better. I had no clue if I would make it 10 miles or 300 miles, but my bet was on closer to 10 based upon the downpour and the quite high winds. Obviously, this makes for very dangerous riding conditions.

That day I made it about 280 miles that day (200 of which were in incredibly heavy rain). At times is was extremely difficult to see and I saw a really bad accident. A big tracker trailer rig going in the opposite direction had flipped on its side and was blocking one lane and the shoulder. The accident had happened prior me going by and the entire cab of the truck was totally engulfed in flames that shot above the cab by about 20 feet. I seriously doubt the driver of the truck got out alive due to the fact that his door was facing the pavement and how quickly the fire seemed to swallow the entire cab. A very scary site indeed and all I kept thinking about was that his family did not even know about the accident yet as I drove by!

To show you how hard it was raining, even with my rain gear on all morning, I had to stop at a rest stop during a huge downpour and open my bag and try to quickly put on two “dry t-shirts” because the ones I were wearing had somehow gotten totally soaked and I mean totally soaked. I went as fast as I could, but the fresh ones were damp by the time I got them on. They were still a lot better than the ones I had just taken off. Several people watch me do this form the comfort of their cars and I could tell that they were feeling real sorry for me by this time, but also real thankful that they were not as dumb as I am!

By the time I got to Salina, Kansas the weather had improved a bit, but it was still not all that great. Once in Salina I wanted to get a hotel room quickly and get checked in, warm, get cleaned up, relax a bit, get something to eat and maybe hit a show. The hotel was the Americas Best Value Inn and apparently it was owned by the South Asian Indian fellow who “reluctantly” checked me in. He kept looking at my beard, my hair, and then my bike before starting over again. I could just tell he did not like what he was looking at. I felt it was kind of weird, not real comfortable, but I tried to be nice and he finally gave me the room key. I have to admit I was looking a bit scruffy after riding the wet ride, but little did I know what was about to “come down”.

After he gave me my key I headed to my room. I always turn on the Weather Channel as soon as I get in the room to start figuring out my route for the next day as I unpack my bike and get settled in. First off, the remote control did not turn on the TV. I figured that the batteries may be dead so I turned it on from the set itself. Just then the motel owner was walking by the open door to my room and I explained to him that the remote did not work. He walked in and took one look at it and started yelling at me saying that I broke the remote. I was so surprised that I just started laughing. I asked him politely if he would just get another remote from another room or change my room since I had not even taken anything off Captain America at this time.

The guy went absolutely “nuclear” on me and told me to, “Get out of my hotel because I have had to deal with people like you before”! He would not even give me my signed credit card slip back unless I gave me my credit card again which I was not about to do. I called the police from the front office and told them about the discrimination this guy was pulling on me. The police told me that it was a civil mater and the cop told me to just leave the hotel and call your credit card company. Before I left the hotel I walked back over to the room and took photos of the way I was leaving it to make sure this wacko did not try to tell Visa that I destroyed the room. Keep in mind, I was not in the room for 2 minutes before "Mr. Personality" came in and starting ranting and raving at me.

For the first time in my life I felt first hand blatant discrimination. I kept asking the guy why he was discriminating against me and why he was being such a jerk. I think I actually used another word other than jerk, but by this time I was ready to drag the guy over the counter and open up a giant can of "woop-ass" on him, but my better judgement kicked in and I ended up leaving and just calling Visa. What a jerk! Now I know I don’t look my best at this point after being on the road since May 29th, but discrimination is discrimination! Would you rent a room to a guy who looks like me?

I ended up going up the road about three miles and found a great hotel, did my wash, had some dinner and got ready for my westward blitz. Weather looks like it is going to be a challenge to the end, but I was now really starting to look forward to wrapping this trip up. I figured some 400 to 500+ mile days were now in order.

The adventure continues and no doubt it will until I pull into my driveway!! Have a great weekend guys.