What a great vacation!! - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

DrBob · 10-21-2004, 08:44 PM

Well, I am back in Atlanta after a great trip. i actually got back last week, but have been too busy to post...

Went from Atlanta to Paducah, KY, for the Intruder Owners Club fall gathering at the Executive Inn Riverfront Convention Center. Three days of riding, drinking, and general mayhem. We rode in Missouri, and down in the Land Between the Lakes in helmet-free Kentucky. I led a small group ride, and unfortunately we were going 85+ when we crested a hill and ran smack into a federal marshal in the national forest...he pulled out and was content to only pull over the last guy in line while the rest of us waited a few miles down the road. Sorry, Ray! You took one for the team- 85 in a 50, manditory court appearance...more later on poor Ray! I also met a young lady named Wayna from the convention center, who hooked me up with two tickets and 'all access' backstage passes for the Willy Nelson show in December...her way of making sure I'd be back

Then it was a long day of travel, up Illinois, across Indiana and Ohio to just past Pittsburg, PA. 784 miles in one day...but it seemed shorter, as I hooked up with a couple guys for the last 400 miles of it, and we sure did have fun! You just meet the nicest people on a cross-country motorcycle trip: made some new friends, and even had one wonderful old woman give me a hug and lead her church group in prayer for my safe trip when I stopped for lunch in a small Illinois town...

After visiting in PA, it was across the state to NY, CT, MA and up to Vermont. Wonderful country, with the mountains and turning leaves. Saw mom and dad in New Hampshire for a couple days, then rode across that state to hit Maine, and headed down the East coast, hitting New York City, New Jersey, Deleware, Maryland, DC, and Virginia.
Then I got a phone call...Ray had gotten home safe from paducah, but was sitting in his driveway waiting to ride after work when a young lady dropped her sunglasses, leaned over to pick them off the passenger floor, ran off the road and hit him. Hard. Very, very hard. Went into cartiac arrest three times, had to be flown to University of Kentucky Hospital. He was on life support for three days, broke his neck in two places, broke his arm in 12 places, and basically broke every bone on the left side of his body from his cheek bone to his toes. He is alive and concious with no signs of spinal cord injury, and in good spirits, but they had to take off his leg.
So I rode across Virginia and West Virginia to get to lexington KY and see him and his wife Tammy. After a couple days there it was back to Atlanta last Monday.
But I didn't stay long...went back up to see Ray Friday night (he is doing absolutely great, and will be home in about three weeks), came back Saturday, led a ride to NC and the dragon Sunday.
So in 20 days I hit 21 states, turned about 5000 miles on my Intruder 800, and generally had a great time! This weekend I'm off to Savannah to lead an overnight for the Southern Cruisers...

Pray for Ray!