I got here and DirtFlier was making my phone ring just as I pulled into the parking lot. Then, just when I got off the bike after parking the phone rang again and it was Mike calling. Woodaddict got here about 30 minutes after I did, so it looks like there are 12 or 13 of us (I'm dain-bread and can't count). They were all having a camp-fire down by Duane's tent (he's the only one camping, BTW). But when I tried to pay for my meal with my debit card, it was rejected, so I spent the last hour on hold trying to talk to a live human being at Bank of the West. When I finally got one, she said there was nothing wrong with my card and that they didn't show that it had been used as a payment method here at North Bend State Park. Maybe the kid who waited on us didn't know what he was doing. ?????
I had a good ride today and am feeling a little more acclimatized to the bike. I had eaten at Chili's in Seymour last night and had a good hamburger. I don't know whether it wasn't so good after all or not, but I woke up with some intestinal dysfunction and that threw me behind schedule (again). I got away from Seymour at about 11:15 ... and then 45 minutes down the road, I realized that I didn't have my camera with me. Naturally (as I learned later in the afternoon), I'd left it in the room. I decided that I wasn't going to spend another hour and a half+ driving back to get it. But later in the afternoon, I called and it was there. The manager is mailing it home for me. High marks for her!
The ride from Seymour to Aurora, IN, where I stopped for gas, was nice, but nowhere near as pretty as the ride from the IL/IN line to Seymour had been. After I got gas, I got off of US-50 and onto I-275 South and crossed the Ohio river into Kentucky and went around Cincinnati. Then it was onto OH-32, "The Appalachian Highway." East of Cincinnati about 45-50 miles, as traffic tailed off, it became a beautiful road. Sweepers that would have been more fun at 70-75 mph than the 55 or 60mph speed limits that were posted, but still, they were through very pretty country. Ever so often, there would be a stoplight, but they weren't much of an annoyance. I was in torrential rain for about 20 miles between Jackson and Athens, but that was it. I had ridden the stretch between Athens and where I got off of US-50 east of Parkersburg, back when I was on my way to Canaan Valley State Park for the 2007 Concours Owners Group National Rally. WV's stretch of 50 is hilly with hollers crossing it. I made it to Ellenboro for gas (245 miles and I still had
almost a half galloon in the tank! Then I backtracked on 50 to get onto the road to Cairo, the little burg where the entrance to North Bend State Park lives. It was 3 1/2 miles of gravel with lots of potholes. I had visions of crashing, but overcame them with my superior skill and vigilant line-picking.
Just as I pulled into the parking lot, my phone was ringing (DirtFlier was worried about where I was). He'd called Mike Simmons and Mike had sent me a text but I don't look for texts when I'm riding. So, just after i got off my bike and was getting out of my 'Stitch, the phone rang again and it was Mike. Now I've talked to Joanne, so everybody who cares knows I made it.
We had a good dinner and are meeting for breakfast at 8 and then going on Duane's "Smokehouse Run," which will take us to the best BBQ in WV and be about a 200 mile ride.
I'm still not in fantastic riding condition, but I can tell that I'm gaining on it. More later!
Today's ride: 315 miles
Trip mileage: 1,578 miles.
