Where did you ride today?

Great start to the new year since the temp made it up to 77 so off for a ride. I rode over into ALABAMA almost to the Barber Marina. That marina is owned by the same guy that owns the Barber Motorcycle museum and racetrack.

I rode back and over across our Pensacola bay. I went to a bayou boat ramp to be sure the water was still there and I picked up a fresh head of broccoli from the guy with the garden and stand.


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Another nice day and another errand to run so the AK 550 won the toss. Sold my Teton Sports self inflatable camping pillow, that packs down to a little smaller than a 2 L bottle of soda, since that is being replaced by a new inflatable Klymit Pillow X that packs to about the size of a pack of cigarettes (4.5" x 2.5" x 1"). The downsizing continues. I was meeting the buyer this afternoon at a Kum & Go store (where there are security cameras). That was 1 mile away. Then I took the long way to go to the grocery store to pick up a few items my wife saw in the weekly flyer. That was another 15 miles to get to the store only a half mile farther than the Kum & Go. Then I rode past the gas station which was 3 miles from the grocery but the lines were so long I decided I could wait until later. I still have about 1/3 tank left. The temps started out around 30 F but ended up around 37 F when I arrived back home. Had the heated grips turned on the low setting at first but then didn't need them in the last half of the ride. Rode a total of 22 miles for a 4 mile errand. :biggrin:

Did see some snow flurries very lightly while out and about.
 
I went to see a beached whale today.

On the news this morning they said a Fin Whale was washed ashore over in Pass Christian Mizzippi. I left the house early and too cold for a Florida blue hair, 51 degrees. I rode the 140 miles west to the Pass beach park where said whale was to be. I rode 5 miles west along the beach until I got to the pass proper where Bay St. Louis begins and no whale seen. I turned back east and stopped right at Henderson park and asked a man parked there and walking if he knew where the whale was located. He said I missed it by just minutes as they came with loaders and it was now gone.

So here’s a Blue Marlin on a pole for you instead. I hope you approve. We might just have to have a RTE here someday and try the place.

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Another cool day, another ride. Wanted to back into riding more often so went out on the country roads for 47 miles. Temps started out around 34F and went up a few deg. but then dropped to around 32F during the last 5 miles. Stopped for gas on the way out. I also did pull into a side street and stop for one photo. Put the side stand down and it sunk into the soft road shoulder so had to back up onto the grassy bit for something more solid for the side stand to set on. This photo really does show a double curve (S curve) that I came in on but it's a long sweeper and the elevation makes it hard to see. Humidity was WAY HIGH today so it seemed colder than it really was and my glasses kept fogging up around the edges when I was riding at slower speeds so I kept all the vents open on my new helmet. There is an extra set of vents in the chin vent and also right at the top of the visor so there was a little cool air blowing in onto my forehead. This new HJC i10 helmet has really good ventilation. Humidity was above 90% which is really unusual for central Iowa in January. I could just see the haze near ground level so was very alert to any moisture on the roads. Shows up as a gray-ish layer just above the ground in the photo. Otherwise very overcast so no sun shining. Couldn't even see where the sun was in the sky.
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You all down south are just taunting us in the tundra aren’t you?
No sir not possible. They's no way we down here would ever do that.
(It's Ya'll down here) Just to prove we don't taunt here's a couple more pictures just for you'uns.

Bob I'm glad someone up that way got out to ride today. They's some up there that put the bikes up for the "winter season"??? I know you don't. And those curves would scare folks down here in Florida, nice.

It was 75 when I left the house around noon today. I rode over to Bayou la-Batre to find Mr. Bubba Gump hisself but I didn't find him or his shrimp company. Next time I ride that way I'll take a small ice chest. The shrimp were only $2.99 a pound for mediums. Here's a look at the main boat harbor and the towns drawbridge.


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Rain coming tomorrow.
WHAT! RAIN???
It's January in central Iowa when the average HIGH temps are around 31F and snow is the order of the day if there is any precipitation!
But today was in the mid 40sF and tomorrow is expected to be over 50F and rain all day. The snow will come Wednesday night into all day Thursday (4-5 inches forecast) with falling temps.

So I went for a ride today. I rode a few small towns west of me keeping mostly to country roads. Traveled 50 miles today. Saw some yard art and even saw the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile on the side road as I rode past. I pulled in for a photo op. They were stopped just long enough for me to snap the shot. Like I said the temps stayed around 46-48F so heated grips were not needed. The handlebar muffs were also really not needed but I didn't want to bother taking them off. It's easy enough to do but I just didn't.
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I recently learned there was a site built in 2019 near where the Lynyrd Skynyrd group's tour plane crash happened. So I finally made it over that way for a look. Nicely done memorial. It's basically about 50 miles north of Hammond LA. if you want to look for the location northeast of Gillsburg MS.

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