B
BUDDINGGEEZER
Guest
Honda ST OwnerÔÇÖs had a Ferry ride event planned out of Paris Landing State Park, TN 4/29-5/2. I camped Thursday and Friday nights and had a great ride Friday. Rode with Dave Hannigan of Hannigan Motorsports and stopped by and toured his show room of trikes and side car rigs. I gained a new appreciation for the BMW GS 1200 after riding with him. Rain washed out the rest of the event. I broke camp in a DRIVING rain Saturday morn and rode to my son's in Blythville, AR. To dry out and left the camping gear.
Sunday morning I set out for Sevierville, TN. I had 4 free nights at Wyndham Smokie Mountain condo starting Sunday night. I ran back into the heavy rain in Jackson, TN. I40 was closed and traffic was backed up to the 143 mile marker. I turned north and tried US70. I got around 50 miles or so of Nashville and found US70 and I40 closed. Started back to Blythville, AR and US70W closed. US641 to Paris-Closed. Camden, TN sheriff said I could not get to AR today, maybe not tomorrow either and I should not be riding around in all the rain. I rode to the Best Western and the counter lady said I could get down US641 and they had reopened I40 at Jackson and she thought would be OK to Memphis. she was right. Turned back north to NE AR at Jackson and made it to sonÔÇÖs to spend the night and dry out again. I had camped, broken camp and ridden in 15ÔÇØ of rain in two days.
Monday I tried AGAIN and got stopped on I40 east AGAIN, went back to Jackson AGAIN and decided to go home. Phone #511 for TN road conditions was so busy I gave up trying to contact after 3 hours or so. I did contact a TN highway dept lady and she told me she could not keep up with road flooding, bridges washed away and wrecks. I rode back to Jackson AGAIN ate lunch around 2pm in Jackson and decided to give it another try through Clarksville, TN. Got stopped at several road closures and at 5pm the last closure broke me. I headed home through NE AR, AGAIN. I ran into 3 more road closures trying to get to I 155 to Dyersburgh and into MO.
Finally made it home to central Arkansas at 9PM last night. I never did get to Sevierville. For two days I never found a way around Nashville.
I guess I rode every road in eastern TN. It became mentally defeating at every road closed roadblock. I would get excited when I thought I had a new route east, only to be shot down by another road closure. I really donÔÇÖt know exactly where I rode. SundayÔÇÖs rain was too hard to see the scenery, but MondayÔÇÖs scenery was great.
15" rain, 17 people have drowned (maybe more). Son told me they were sandbagging Dyersburgh yesterday. Downtown Nashville evacuated, Titan's stadium is flooded to the first row of seats, Grand Ole Opry flooded.
You can have an adventure on a street bike.
I am bone tired right now.
Ralph Sims
Sunday morning I set out for Sevierville, TN. I had 4 free nights at Wyndham Smokie Mountain condo starting Sunday night. I ran back into the heavy rain in Jackson, TN. I40 was closed and traffic was backed up to the 143 mile marker. I turned north and tried US70. I got around 50 miles or so of Nashville and found US70 and I40 closed. Started back to Blythville, AR and US70W closed. US641 to Paris-Closed. Camden, TN sheriff said I could not get to AR today, maybe not tomorrow either and I should not be riding around in all the rain. I rode to the Best Western and the counter lady said I could get down US641 and they had reopened I40 at Jackson and she thought would be OK to Memphis. she was right. Turned back north to NE AR at Jackson and made it to sonÔÇÖs to spend the night and dry out again. I had camped, broken camp and ridden in 15ÔÇØ of rain in two days.
Monday I tried AGAIN and got stopped on I40 east AGAIN, went back to Jackson AGAIN and decided to go home. Phone #511 for TN road conditions was so busy I gave up trying to contact after 3 hours or so. I did contact a TN highway dept lady and she told me she could not keep up with road flooding, bridges washed away and wrecks. I rode back to Jackson AGAIN ate lunch around 2pm in Jackson and decided to give it another try through Clarksville, TN. Got stopped at several road closures and at 5pm the last closure broke me. I headed home through NE AR, AGAIN. I ran into 3 more road closures trying to get to I 155 to Dyersburgh and into MO.
Finally made it home to central Arkansas at 9PM last night. I never did get to Sevierville. For two days I never found a way around Nashville.
I guess I rode every road in eastern TN. It became mentally defeating at every road closed roadblock. I would get excited when I thought I had a new route east, only to be shot down by another road closure. I really donÔÇÖt know exactly where I rode. SundayÔÇÖs rain was too hard to see the scenery, but MondayÔÇÖs scenery was great.
15" rain, 17 people have drowned (maybe more). Son told me they were sandbagging Dyersburgh yesterday. Downtown Nashville evacuated, Titan's stadium is flooded to the first row of seats, Grand Ole Opry flooded.
You can have an adventure on a street bike.
I am bone tired right now.
Ralph Sims
