WELCOME to Between The Lines

This is my chronicle of my occasional travels about the country. I started it in 2010 for my trip on my 2005 Harley Road King Classic for Big Daddy's Gulf Coast Gypsy Tour to New Orleans...Read below to find out about it! NEW REQUEST FOR READERS! If you are following this blog, sign in as a follower! That way I get to know who my audience is, which makes it more fun. Thanks!

In 2011 its the same destination, and its another Big Daddy Gypsy Tour, but on a different bike (my new Road Glide Ultra) and via a different route. This year is going to be in preparation for a 'Travels with Charlie' trip sometime in the future --so its camping along the way, and reporting as I have energy and internet connections.

Periodic posts will appear below, latest first. The "Pages" down at the bottom have some information of more general applicability or interest. Enjoy! HippieDave

Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Dixie Pixie's Blue Bike undoubtedly wins the "showbike" of the trip award. No picture can do justice to this marvel put together by Husband and forum leader MoccasinMike. From the double ghost flames and custom fenders to the lighted and mirrored air cleaner to the turquoise conchos, this bike is really something.



And fittingly, the Dixie Pixie and Moccasin are the last to leave the Hotel Prytania:






However, a small group of us linger to join Big Daddy in his Monday ritual of a Red Beans and Rice lunch, before taking off.


Anyway, when I last checked in and brought all up to date I was in the town of Mojave, CA...right on the edge of the Mojave desert and ready to commence the last leg of my journey home...500 miles (roughly) over the Tehachapi's, up I-5 across the Bay Area and then Northward and home.

May I ask who here doesn't understand the concept of DESERT!? At 4:00 a.m. I am awakened by the sound of wind driven rain rattling the motel windows to the tympani accompaniment of thunder and lightening. By about six a clearing appears to be developing so I hit the road and successfully manage to progress through the morning without serious weather to contend with. However, by early afternoon I'm within sight of Northern CA, and the rain begins and continues on and off for the rest of the day. Ah well, I've been very lucky on this trip when it comes to weather, so the last day is the best place to hit me with some adversity.

I'm home by 5:30 that evening, in the shower by 6:00 to warm up, and at our neighbor's for their annual pumpkin carving party by 7:30. Tomorrow is Halloween, and I seem to have returned to normalcy. And don't think I forgot about Halloween on the trip. Mountain Rick and I stopped by the World's Largest Harley-Davidson dealership in El Paso Texas --




--and I got a flaming pumpkin/skull Harley T-Shirt to scare all the kids!

It has been a fantastic trip, with good camaraderie, great scenery, great food and great riding. On top of this, we accomplished something to help out the folks in the New Orleans parishes, who have been double battered economically over the past few years. As serious as our ultimate purpose may have been, though, if I had to pick one photo that summed up the experience, I guess it would have to be Big Dave from New Jersey showing off the signed flag of the Road King Riders, which has now been twice (at least, that we know of) around the country, and probably will make the trip many times again. (p.s. The red hair is fake...)
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1 comment:

  1. noneMarch 22, 2011 at 2:35 PM

    Off topic, Hippy Dave, but the stolen Voigtlander you wrote to me about is really a fascinating possibility. I obtained the camera from a street kid in Naples in October of 1967. Still a possibility?

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