Day 24 (Decompression Day) The People I Met!

For those of you that have followed my blog and remember my comments about the aftermath of the airplane crash in Reno, I felt I needed to offer more about this amazing experience. Right after the crash everyone was kind of just mulling around in the temporary campground set up at the catholic church outside the main entrance to the airport. People were obviously shook and everyone had a cell phone to their ear trying to make calls out to loved ones. I was obviously all alone, my Verizon service would not work for anything but text, and I was kind of feeling lost. I was invited to sit with two couples that were there in rented motor homes for the event. They were both from Atlanta. I could not help but notice the severe scars all over the body of one of the guys named Matt. Matt was missing most of the fingers on both of his hands, his legs showed signs of serious injury and burns, but he had this amazing presence about him that you could just feel. In the course of the conversation I mentioned that I was a pilot and accidents like we had just witnessed always struck home with me. His friend offered that Matt was also a pilot and had in fact been in a serious aircraft crash himself where there were many fatalities. Matt spoke little, but his friend had a few glasses of wine in him and told more than Matt would ever have spoken himself. Matt spoke only very briefly about the accident, but I got enough to learn that he had been the co-pilot of a commuter airline for Delta back in 1995 and had crashed a twin engine turboprop aircraft after a propeller parted ways and destroyed the left engine of the plane he was flying. They fell from 18,000 feet and crashed at over 400 mph in a hay field in Georgia. I knew I would be able to learn more about this incident from the internet and NTSB records, so I filed it away in my memory for when I got home.

Later that evening Matt insisted on making a donation to the Compassion Corner. I tried to steer him to the website, but he insisted on putting a bill in my one zip bags anyway. At the time I never opened it to see what the bill had been. Days later when I opened the bag to retrieve a charger that was in it, I learned that he had given me a $100. In the course of the evening , as we were recounting the details of the accident we had all witnessed, Matt suggested we all hold hands and pray for those killed and injured. I cannot explain the energy I felt when I held his man’s mangled hand, yet the warmth of his personality and the sincerity of the words he spoke were beyond description. He prayed for my safe travels and I knew right there that I would be safe for the rest of my trip.

Today as I was sitting here decompressing, I decided to learn more about this “Matt” that had invited me into his campsite. I learn that his full name is Matt Warmerdam. He was one of the three flight crew on board that ill-fated Atlantic South East Flight 529 back in August of 1995. Eight people died in that plane including the pilot sitting next to Matt that was unconscious after the plane broke into three parts and burned in a hay field in Georgia. Matt was severely injured from the impact and was engulfed in flames. He was trying in vain to chop his way out through the thick windshield with a cockpit axe when rescue workers got to him. He was burned over 55 percent of his body. He has had over 50 reconstructive surgeries and in 2002, seven years after his crash, he was back in the seat flying commuter flights for Delta. He only flies in the cool months because his body lacks the sweat glands to handle the heat and humidity of the summers there, but he is flying commercially the rest of the year. The plastic surgeon’s organization has awarded him a national award at one of their conventions for his courage and tenacity. A book has been written about the crash by Gary Pomerantz called “Nine Minutes Twenty Seconds”. I will download it to our Kindle and probably read it in one sitting.

I said in my blog, this trip has not been about me or the motorcycle or the miles, the scenery or the challenge, it was about the people I met along the way. I will never forget Matt and I hope that our paths will cross again someday. If you ever fly on Delta and you see him, rest assured that you are in good hands and that there is an angel watching over your flight. Matts wife was there as well and the final words Matt uttered as captured by the flight recorder were "Amy I love you". Talk about a couple that realize that every day is a gift and live each day to the limit, you could just feel that love and energy as I sat there with them that evening.

Day 23 (9/28/11)

Well, today was the final day, as I had planned. Although I did not have a specific reason to keep to the original plan, there is something in me that takes pride in executing a plan precisely as I had drawn it up. I guess that is why I used to enjoy flying so much. I would work up a flight plan and then take great pride in going out and flying it exactly as planned and arriving at my destination on time. In another life, I think I would have made a good airline pilot. :-)
Last night when I arrived at our marina in Rock Hall, MD, I made the decision to sleep in the Library as mentioned in yesterday's blog. It was dark so I could not take a picture of the alternative. Here is a picture of the boat covered up. You can imagine how hot and humid sleeping in that would have been compared to the air conditioned library at the marina. Sometimes my mother would be proud that she did not raise a fool, at other times I have kept her humble. Thanks Mom... I know you were smiling down on this trip! Today as I was packing up I received a text message from Mac Kirkpatrick who is a fellow Mac Pac member. He said he wanted to meet me and join me for the final part of the ride. Mac and I have traveled together before and he has that sense of adventure that it takes to put on all the rain gear and make the decision to ride on a day like today. He and his son Clark just returned this summer from a father/son trip to Alaska on motorcycles.
Clark is now in his first year at VMI and wants to become a marine officer. I wish him well and hope he remains safe. These are tough times to be a marine and fortunately there are people out there that do that job willingly. So after meeting Mac at a pre-arranged meeting point, we transited my final state, Delaware. I had made arrangements to meet Heidi Pickens' classes at 2:00 at the A.M. Kulp Elementary School in the North Penn District. Mac and I had a quick lunch at a local place and arrived on time. The classes were all assembled on the steps outside the shool when we arrived. The kids were very excited to see us and finally meet in person the guy they had been following on the computer. Heidi had a list of questions they had written up and I took a bunch of others off the cuff. These kids asked really good questions and it was clear that they got not only the geography of the ride, but the reason behind it. I tried to instill in them that each of us has to look for ways to help those less fortunate than us. It does not have to be something as complex as a ride like this, it might simply be helping an elderly neighbor rake their leaves, or shovel a sidewalk. Little things done locally can have a big impact to those that need our help. I hope they came away with some ideas on things they can do to help others. I would be remiss if I did not thank the corporate sponsors and individuals that helped by donating to the Compassion Corner. The website is still open for those that just did not get around to it yet. I understand things get hectic and sometimes good intentions get overlooked. Special thanks to my corporate sponsors: TD Bank, Balford Farms, Hermy's BMW Triumph Motorcycles, Metal Finishing Systems Inc, The Rubber Chicken Racing Garage, and Power Seal Inc. These folks stepped up and really helped to make this effort a success. I hope you will support them and visit their websites that are linked to my site for this ride.

People have asked what will I remember most about this trip. Although I was blessed with magnificent scenery, challenged by long days in the saddle, days of heavy rain and reduced visibility, the searing heat of Death Valley, the chalenges of lonely twisty mountain roads and heavy traffic in places, it will be the PEOPLE I met along the way that will remain with me far longer. It will be Frank Vouk and his family that welcomed me to their home in the dark when my Garmin fed me a wrong location for a campground. It will be Mike the Delta Airlines Pilot that had been severely injured saving many people aboard his commuter plane that crashed in 1995, that suggested we hold hands and pray for the people killed and injured yards away from us at the Reno Air Races. I will be Nicky from Nicky's Bar-B-Q in Kentucky that would not let me pay for my dinner at his resturant. It will be Mike Ormont and his wife that took me in on a rainy night in New Hampshire. It will be Joe Badecki's inlaws that welcomed me to their home for the second time in New York state. It will be Linda Cole's Sister Carolyn and her husband Tom that provided me with a great home cooked meal and a comfortable bed to sleep in at Pensacola. It will be the hours Tom and I spent talking about his flying experiences as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and his SCUBA diving experiences. Yes, it will be about the people that opened up their hearts and homes to me. It will be the folks out in Warren PA that donated to a cause that is totally outside their area. The Canadian family in Buffalo on their way to a family vacation that donated to the cause. There are too many to mention, and I could go on for hours, but it is the people of this great nation that truly care about those less fortunate than themselves. I will take those memories to my grave long after the details of the trip are forgotten. I hope this trip will inspire others to find a need albiet small or large and work to help the less fortunate in any way they can. To the students at Kulp school. Thanks for being there and caring about this trip. You guys are the best and I hope to read some day about something you have done to help others. One final thanks to the folks in the BranchCreek Community Church and the CC48 Team. Mike Allebach for his digital and computer expertise, Chuck Faber our executive pastor for his support,Rick Martin our finnancial pastor for making sure every penny gets to where it helps those in need, Nikki Holcroft and the team that run the Compassion Corner for their endless hours of work to make sure the money is used wisely and to the benefit of the greatest number of people possible. David Flaherty for his writing and PR expertise, Allyson Amsterdam for her inspiration and spiritual nurturing, my wife Adele for supporting me on endeavors such as this, and last but not least my son David for his endless work building the website, making all the seemingly constant changes and updates and for responding to frantic calls from me. It truly was a team effort. I would also like to thank God for watching over me and for touching people's hearts to support a cause like this at a time when finances for many are being stretched to the limits. Thanks everyone for following along. I will probably do one final blog entry once I find out what the final total will be. May God bless you and be with you as he has been with me!

Day 22 (9/27/11)

Well, I am getting close to home and in familiar territory. I barely looked at the GPs today and the few times I did glance at it, it was just to see how many miles were remaining and if I was going to hit the Washington Beltway at rush hour. Of course I did, what should I have expected..... and in the rain too. When I left the motel this morning, it was spitting rain, and the clouds looked pretty ominous, so I donned the rain gear immediately. Anyone who has ever ridden will tell you that the best insurance AGAINST rain, is to put on your rain gear. You guessed it. It did not rain, the clouds dissipated and I cooked while riding along. Several times I thought of stopping and taking it off and each time, the clouds looked darker and more like rain any minute. My route took me up into the very South East corner of West Virginia. I exited I-81 took VA Rte 100 north until I hit U.S. Rte 219 and then headed north on it until I hit I-64 E. That took me back over to I-81. I had accomplished my goal of hitting WVA. I have ridden extensively in WVA and it never ceases to amaze me how nice their roads are. I guess it helps a lot to have a long tenured Senator on the right committees to get federal highway dollars. In any event, I enjoyed my brief time in the state, zooming up and over tree covered mountains and around beautiful sweeping turns. It was short lived though and I ended up back on the interstates. I was getting really hot and dehydrated, so I stopped for a quick snack and filled my camelback bladder with ice and some ice tea. I decided that despite the dark clouds, I would take off the rain suit. You guessed it... It rained. OH well, it actually felt good and the only thing that got very wet was my lower pant legs. They eventually dried as I rode along, but not nearly as fast as they would have in the 5% humidity of death valley. My mouth was watering for dinner at Chick & Ruth's Deli in Annapolis, so I decided to push on and transit the DC area at rush hour. Traffic was heavy, but I have to say not as bad as I expected. Drivers stayed in their lanes, signaled when changing and did not make abrupt maneuvers. Totally unlike the South Carolina traffic, where everyone was on a cell phone, and thought they were a NASCAR driver. The VA and MD police must really have cracked down on cell phone use, as It was rare to see anyone with a phone to their ear and I did not see a single person texting. These folks one way or another have found out what it takes to survive in heavy traffic on a daily basis. There were lots of ear buds, but I have to say, it was not a bad trip at all. I have found taht rush hour traffic is totally different than other times of the day. People know where they are going and for the most part, drive well. I did not take any pictures along the way as I was feeling the pressure to do my part to be safe, besides there was nothing I wanted a picture of so badly that was worth risking my life for. I arrive in Annapolis and had a fellow on the street take my picture in front of Chick & Ruth's. He asked about trip. I gave him a card and he said he was going to donate. Pretty amazing! Annapolis, and specifically Chick & Ruth's always brings back great memories of the many times we have sailed into Annapolis or came down to watch David play water polo when he was at the Naval Academy. We always would make a point to eat here at least once. Often we would have half of the water polo team along with us. The owner Ted Levitt has become a friend and he is an inspiration to anyone that wants to raise money for a charity. He has donated many hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer research from tips people have given him for performing magic tricks in the resturant. He also organizes a charity each year called "Faces of Valor" to support the families of sercicemen and women and first responders that have suffered or died while serving our country. He is one of a kind, and a person to be admired. My dinner was delectable as always, and a fitting last evening meal for my trip. As a side note... on my way around Washington today, I saw the largest ambulance I have ever seen. It had the cab of an 18 wheeler and a huge ambulance behind it that was at least 40 feet long. The markings on the side said Walter Reed Hospital. I wondered if it might be used to ferry severly wounded servicemen flown into Andrews AirForce Base to the hospital? While I was sitting having dinner, I called David to see how things were at his home with Jess and the grandkids. He said that Jess had a bad day as a close friend and someone she had dated in highschool had stepped on a landmine in Afghanistan and lost parts of both legs and an arm. He had just been transported to Walter Reed. I have no way of knowing if it was him in the huge ambulance or not, but what a coincidence. Our prayers go out to him and his family. They can work wonders there, but the trauma these young men and women go through we can't even imagine. The next time you see or meet one, please thank them for their service! After dinner, I headed over for our boat in Rock Hall, MD. When I arrived it was quite humid and the marina manager suggested I might be more comfortable in the marina's library with the air conditioning as opposed to my boat which has been covered up in the sun all summer. I did not give that one much thought.... I am rolling out my sleeping bag in the marina library and game room tonight. I am really going to miss coming down here. I have been coming to this marina since the early 70's and these folks feel like family. The facilities are immaculate and it is just one of my "happy places". In many ways, I will hate to see the boat go. Life moves on I guess. One more day left in the ride, one more state(Delaware) and a short day at that! I plan to ride to the A.M. Kulp elementary school and visit with the kids there that have been following my trip. That should be a lot of fun.

Day 21 (9/26/11)

Last night was a short night for me as Tom and I stayed up late sharing stories and hanger flying. We had a great time and it seemed like the middle of the night when I heard people starting to stir in the Meehan home. Tom and Carolyn were getting ready for work, so it was time for me to pack up and be on my way. Other than my first day when we left at 4:30 a.m. this was my earliest start of the trip. It helps not having to pack up a tent and sleeping bag when getting ready in the morning. I pulled out of Pennsacola at about 6:15 a.m. and immediately changed my clocks to Eastern Standard time. I lost an hour before I had gone 40 miles. Oh well, it would be a big mileage day anyway and most of it on interstate highways. My bike quickly found its "sweet spot" at about 73 mph and the miles began to tick away quickly. About mid morning I stopped for a sausage McMuffin and a cup of coffee. It was warm and humid which is not my favorite riding conditions. I much prefer the low humidity and cool temperatures I had experienced in much of the west. I passed through Montgomery Alabama and then Atlanta Georgia. Traffic was not as bad as I had expected, but things would get worse as I got into South Carolina. I can tell you that the economy in South Carolina is booming. Everywhere you look you see big name manufacturing plants and automobile assembly plants. I passed a Nissan plant back in Jackson Mississippi yesterday. Today I passed a Kia plant and a Hyundai plant. I know BMW has one in Spartansburg and I think there is a Mercedes one down here somewhere. They are huge and the parking lots are full of late model cars owned by the workers. The highways are filled with trucks of all shapes and sizes delivering to the various plants. Signs of commerce and prosperity are everywhere. There are plenty of high priced cars on the roads. BMW's, Mercedes, Hummers, you name it they are here. I crossed parts of Lake Lanier and there were new boats everywhere. It is clear that the worlds automakers have abandoned the union mentality of the upper mid-west and Northeast in favor of the non-union workers of the south. When I drove across the upper midwest the signs were everywhere of states in decline. AND... I have not paid a single toll since Chicago. I did see signs for an "Express Lane" that will be toll in Atlanta as of October 1. I am not sure what this is, but it looks like you will be able to pay a toll to go into a high speed express lane to avoid traffic congestion, I guess? I will have to do more research on that, but there are no toll booths for all the lanes that I saw anywhere. It looks like the toll for the express lane will be paid only by the "Peach Pass". I did not see any markings that it would be compatible with E-Z Pass. I only took two pictures today. One of the huge Kia plant and the other of the textile plant that makes the Sunbrella cloth that I sew boat covers and sail covers from. I just happened to spot it while getting gas and needed to take a picture. The guard at the gate was proud to tell me that not only do they make Sunbrella, they also made the flag that flies on the moon to this day. Pretty cool!
Well, I stopped short of Charlotte for dinner. I decided to let their "rush minutes" pass before transiting the city. As it was, there is a new bypass that is not in my 5 year old GPS that took me around the city in short order and put me on I-77 North toward Virginia. Since it was still light I decided to ride until dark and put more miles behind me. This will make tomorrow a shorter day and allow me a dinner stop at my favorite place in Annapolis tomorrow night. I will leave you in suspense until then. I ended up regretting my decision to keep driving as it started to rain and got very foggy. Fortunately, I had donned my rain gear at the dinner stop so I was prepared. The fog on the other hand was not fun at all. At one point, I was down to 35 mph with my 4 way flashers on to give the trucks on my tail something to aim for. :-( As soon as I came to an exit with motels, I stopped and called it a day. Miles for the day was somewhere about 675. Let's hope the fog clears tomorrow morning. Two days left!

Day 20, 9/25/11)

Today was a day I have been looking forward to for the entire trip. Not that I am anxious for it to be nearing the end, but because I have been looking forward to visiting the Naval Air Museum at Pensacola. I never got down here when David was stationed here and I have heard so much about it. Because I had driven some extra miles yesterday, it was a short 100 or so miles over to the base. I was able to spend the afternoon admiring aircraft of every era and all in immaculate condition. The museum deserves far more time that I had to totally see it all, but I watched two IMAX movies, one about the Blue Angels and one about the fighter pilot traning that goes on in Nellis AirForce Base in Nevada where I had been a few short days before. This used to be called the "Top Gun" program. Needless to say, I got my fix of the need for speed and some hard flying. The IMAX photography is amazing and you feel like you are in the fighter doing the maneuvers. Totally awsome! I hope to be able to come back here some day and spend more time, but Linda Cole had called her sister and arranged for me to stay at their home in Pensacola tonight. Tom and Carolyn are great folks and dinner was an amazing shrimp dish over pasta. I have not had home cooking in over two weeks and it really felt good to be siting at a table and eating a great home cooked meal with other people. As it turns out, Tom and I have so many common interests that it was hard to stop sharing stories. Tom had been a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and I really enjoyed hearing some of his exploits. I did not serve in the armed forces, but I am faciniated with the Vietnam era and especially the exploits of the helicopters and their crews. Tom has also been an aircraft controller for the FAA and now teaches school. He has taught Aerospace which I have as well, and he is an avid SCUBA diver with experience in deep diving and mixed gases. We had so much in the way of common interests that we could have talked for hours. What a blessing to get to spend the evening with he and Carolyn and their grandaughter Lauren. Like I have said before, it is not about the miles I have covered or the states I have seen, it is about the interesting people I have met along the way. I sure hope Tom and Carolyn get up to visit Linda and Harvey and we can get to talk some more. The time flew by so quickly, that I need to scramble to get my blog done and get some sleep. Tomorrow is a work day for them and I need to be getting on my way for a big 650 mile day. Pensacola is a beautiful area and even more so than I had expected. Now I see why many Navy folks elect it as their retirement home after they are done serving. I have only included a few pictures of planes, but remember, these are full size real planes, not models. The museum is chocked full of them as well as interactive exhibits and fully articulated simulators for those with a strong stomach. I took a picture of a young father with his son sitting in a Blue Angel cockpit. They were elated. Who knows, this is where the seeds of the next generation of pilots is being born. You could just see the gleam in that young boys eyes when he settled into the cramped cockpit. I remember the first time I sat in a real plane and I vowed that someday I would be a pilot and soon after we were married I got my liscese. Flying is something that gets in your blood and I still miss it today. I used their camera to take the picture, so I am sorry I can not show the look on that boys face here. Well, tomorrow it is off to the interstate highways and Charlotte. UGH! I hate interstates, but I need to cover ground fast. I hope the weather stays nice. It is much more humid that I like, but I can't complain, as I have been very lucky weather wise, except for the second and third days.

Day 19 (9/24/11)

After a good nights sleep I packed up and headed back across the Mississippi River to Memphis and then headed south on I-55. Normally, on this trip I have tried to avoid Interstate Highways for the most part, but sometimes they are just the ones going where you want to go. One thing that struck me though is the lack of tolls. Once I left the Chicago area I have not paid a toll to cross a bridge or drive on any highway. I can't count the number of rivers I have crossed and scenic highways I have ridden and not a single toll. I would like to have someone explain to me why in the Northeast, the various entities are in our pockets all the time for simple river crossings, let alone the "privledge" to drive highways that on their best days are poor in comparison to what they have out west and in the south. These states can't possibly have the money that ours in the east have, yet their roads are beautifully maintained and free. Something is wrong with this picture. I think it costs us $26 in tolls between highways and bridges to go visit our son on Long Island, EACH WAY. Todays ride was kind of mindless, as the road was straight and beautiful and I did not see one single police car monitoring speeds. Everyone drove sensibly and moved along at a pace of about 70, which for the road was very moderate. As some of you know, I am a fan of the Blue Collar Comedy guys. I had to think of Jeff Foxworthy and his redneck jokes when I saw a couple of road signs. In Pennsylvania and most northern states there are caution signs before some bridges and overpasses that warn "Caution, bridges may freeze before road surfaces". Well down here in Mississippi they read "Bridge May Ice in Cold Weather". I can just picture Bubba and Billy-Bob driving down the road and the conversation going something like this: "Gee Bubba we are dang lucky today, these bridges don't freeze on hot days". :-) Was it really necessary to mention that they freeze on COLD days? I also saw a lot of signs prohibiting tractors on slopes so steep that a mountain goat would have trouble standing up. Do their state mowing workers really need to be reminded which slopes are too steep to mow! I have done a lot of mowing in my day and I THINK I could figure that one out.
What can I say..... I am definitely in the deep south. Two motorcycles passed me today with their riders wearing side arms on their belts in plain view and they definitely were not police moto's. I try to catch a picture of most unusual things, but decided not to try to take a picture in this instance. Sometimes it pays to think before you snap a picture. :-) I-55 deposited me right onto I-10 and it was a quick 20 miles or so into New Orleans. I passed the Superdome and did my obligatory pass down to Burbon Street. I once stayed at The Royal Sonesta Hotel here for an HR conference, so I had to snap a picture. I remember not getting a lot of sleep and trying my best to keep my eyes open as the presenters did their thing. Today it was early afternoon and people were all over the place walking the streets with drinks in their hands. The Hurricane is the drink of choice and they are killers with about 5 kinds of rum in them. I have been here and done that, but not today! I have a rule of never driving aything and drinking... even just one beer. Life is too much fun and I really don't need or enjoy it, so it has never been a hardship. Besides, I preached that rule to both of my sons and to do otherwise would make me a hypocrit. I was going to try to drive to the 9th ward and see some of the Katrina damage that has never been repaired, so I stopped and talked to a local Law Enforcement Officer on a scooter. He advised against it, saying it is not a nice part of town and really not a place to be especially on a BMW. I remembered the guys with the sidearms and heeded his warning and headed back to I-10 East to put some miles behind me and make tomorrow a shorter day. Besides, I wanted to drive along the beaches in Biloxi and see what they looked like after Katrina and the oil spill. I could see no evidence of any damage or oil at all. The sand is almost pure white and very fine. People were going about their business swimming and walking the beaches just like any shore town. I did notice that back from the beach every now and then, you would see a foundation and no house on it. Usually, a forsale sign was in the lawn. Some of these people just have decided not to rebuild and there are a large number of beachfront lots sitting vacant. Next to them you will often find a beautiful home worth severl million dollars back in New Jersey. I guess some had flood insurance and some did not. Many of the homes were having reconstruction work done. Well, tomorrow will be a short day. I hope to get to tour the Navy Flight Museum at Pensacola. It is supposedly one of the best museums in the country for aircraft, and I have been to just about all of them, so I am looking forward to it.

Day 18 (9/23/11)

Well, my string of dry cloudless days ended today. As I was packing up to head off to the BMW Motorcycle Owners Association Head Quarters this morning it was raining slightly. So, I broke out the rain gear again. I really can't complain, as it has been stowed since Chicago on day 3. The BMW OA is essentially a large club of BMW enthusiasts that is made up of smaller local clubs around the world. The head quarters ataff are the paid employees that tend to the business of the club and produce the monthly Owner's New Magazine. This magazine is one of the best motorcycle magazines out there and is chocked full of interesting ride reports, product reviews and regular articles on a number of topics of interest to the enthusiast. Several members of the Mac Pac are regular contributors to the effort, and others have supplied articles of interest over the years. It was great to meet the staff, take a few pictures and share the story about my mission trip. Vince has already linked my website to the BMWMOA website and written a short story about my trip. Thanks folks and I look forward to seeing you at next year's rally.
From Ellisville, Mo. I headed south and crossed the Mississippi into Illinois. I changed my route slightly to hug the river and ride through some of the low lands behind the levies. This route made sure I hit the very western edge of Kentucky which was my goal. Also on my list for the day was to sample some "Memphis Bar-B-Q". Well my stomach was growling and it was clear that I would need to eat before I got to Memphis. The first place I stopped had an outdoor pit and the smell of the burning wood was fantastic, but the cigarette smoking, beer drinking owner quickly told me he was all out of Bar-B-Q. Obviously he was not much of a business man as Bar-B-Q was all he sold. Oh well, sometimes fate has something better in store for us and today it did! About 20 miles down the road I saw a small place called Nicky's Bar-B-Q. Nicky was sitting at the counter tending to his papework and I was the only customer. I asked if I could have a sample plater of each of the kinds of meat he smokes. He said "sure we can do that". The two waitresses quickly had a heaping plate of smoked pork ribs, pulled pork, ham, bologna, and beef briskit along with a side of cole slaw and a piece of pecan pie ready for me. This was a real man's platter and not for the"Calfornia Vegan Crowd". :-) I was up for the task today and it was fabulous. There is something about hickory smoked meat that just sends the taste buds into overdrive. I got talking to Nicky (Imagine that ) about the certificate on his wall relating to the "winter storm of 09". It seems these parts had a terrible ice storm that deposited 3 to 4 inches of ice on everything including wires telephone poles and trees. He showed me pictures of the damage and it was like nothing I have ever seen. He said parts of the are were without power for 27 days. Crews came from all over the country to clean up the mess and restore electric to the region. I told Nicky about my ride and our compassion corner. As I was getting ready to leave he handed me a card with $50 stapled to it. I insisted that I did not want to take money as I preferred people send it directly to the church. I left him with the website and I am sure he will probably make a donation. When it came time for me to pay for my dinner, he would not allow me to pay. This trip has instilled in me a new faith in America. Lately I have been pretty down about the goings on in Washington with politicians that have forgotten what this country is all about. When you get out here and meet people like Nicky and the countless folks I have met along the way that have opened their homes to me, made donations to the cause and offered assistance and encouragement, you realize what a great country this is. I would encourage everyone to take on a cause and do something like this once in their life. It is truly an inspiration and something you will never forget. If you are ever in very western Kentucky please stop and have some of the best Bar-B-Q this land has to offer at Nicky's. He can be found at 3243 US HWY 51N. Clinton, KY 42031. You won't be disappointed. As a side note, I mentioned to Nicky that I had never seen a Pecan Tree. He quickly took me outside and showed me one I had almost parked my motorcycle under. This tree was 15 years old and he had grafted it onto another stem when it was young. He told me that for some reason, grafted trees produce nuts usually befor ungrafted trees do. Isn't nature amazing? I then headed south, crossed over the Ohio River into Tennessee and teen back across the Missippi into Arkansas. It gets confusing down here as there seem to be rivers everywhere, but it is easy to keep them straight because the Mississippi is muddy and the Ohio is clear. Hmmm never knew that, but it makes sense. I decided to stop in Arkansas across the river from Memphis as it seems a little safer to park a motorcycle over here and the motels are cheaper. I was able to find one for less than a camping spot at the local KOA, so I will sleep in a bed again tonight. YES! No "Iron Butt" hotel for me. The sky has cleared, so hopefully I will not have to wear the rain gear again tomorrow. One of these days it will surely warm up and it is so much more bearable if you don't have to wear that extra rain gear. It sounds like the east coast is still getting hammered by rain. I hope it all clears out before I start heading up that way. I am ready for a nice clear cool fall! I am having trouble adding pictures. Will try to edit them in when I have a better connection tomorrow.