4/26/2010

Wild Bores

Back in March, my friend Lewis and I had been planning hooking up with a pair of his buds from Alabama for a "Wild Hogs" weekend. Our original plans called for us to meet Frank and Jim in Mobile and take a motorcycle run over into Florida. However, after reviewing weather conditions and the fact that spring break would unleash 30 or 40 thousand college students onto the beaches and highways of Florida called for a change of plans. New plans would call for us meeting up in Biloxi and somehow figure out where or what we wanted to do for the following 3 days. Bear in mind, it was supposed to be very warm, temperatures were still in the 40s, 50s and 60s, so full leather for that much wind was welcome.

Lewis and I met up in Denham Springs and after donating $20 to the saddest tale I've ever heard from a panhandler, we struck a pace east toward Biloxi. Avoiding the interstate as much as was reasonable, we hit old Hwy 90 on the Mississippi gulf coast. Even though recovery from Hurricane Katrina had been ongoing for 4 years, evidence of destruction was still there. Stopping off in for lunch, we encountered a "Picker" much like the episodes on the History Channel where people roved around the country buying oddities for resale. The one we met was driving an old hearse with everything from paintings to handmade toys.

Meeting Frank and Jim from Alabama, we hit the rack early before even firming up what we'd do for Friday through Sunday. The next morning at breakfast, the best we could do was come up with an obvious direction. They didn't want to go back north, spring break was going on in Florida so riding westish was pretty much the only choice.

Thursday morning found us riding old Hwy 90 west toward New Orleans through the Rigolets before getting into New Orleans east where we found ourselves in a major traffic jam due to some kind of accident on I-10. Since it was near noon, we thought maybe lunch at Mother's on Poydras at Tchoupitoulas. Bad idea! Patrons were lined up outside half the length of the building on the Poydras side and a place to park, even for 4 Harley-Davidsons, were not to be found.

Not wanting to wait, we rode across the bridge to the west bank, stopped for poboys at a combo seafood store and deli. It was a curious experience for the boys from Alabama to be eating seafood sandwiches close enough to hear the fish flopping behind the counters.

Anyway, after that we mounted up and rode to Raceland, we cut south along Bayou Lafourche to Grand Isle. By the time we had a short visit there, the sun was getting lower so not wanting to find a place to sleep that involved gravel or creeping things, we rode on up to Houma, getting lost in the process and arrived after it was well dark.

Saturday, with an early start, we headed northwest through Morgan City, stopping at Frank's favorite restaurant in Jeanerette. You want find Lil's listed as a Zagat's favorite but since Frank, Jim and Lewis had been there before, Lil welcomed us with open arms.

Our next destination was Lewis' home near St Francisville by the way of Lafayette, Opelousas, down Highway 90 to the old bridge at Baton Rouge, then north. After arriving at Lewis', I dismissed myself to ride home another 65 miles for the night. The next morning, with Ms Darlene seated firmly on the back of Boudreaux, we headed north again to meet Lewis and Jan. By that time, Jim and Frank had loaded up and were on their 500 mile ride back to northern Alabama.

On the two bikes, Lewis, Jan, Darlene and I rode up to Natchez for lunch at Natchez Under The Hill. After riding around some through the old town, we were ready to get home and finally off the bikes. By the time we split up with Jan and Lewis and rode on home, I had put over 1,000 miles on Boudreaux. The guys from Alabama probably had at least 1,800 on theirs. It was a great four day weekend.

2/22/2010

Chicago

Sorely disappointed in a quick change from home office, I canceled tickets to Sarasota and found myself scrambling for a flight to yet, another spot in the frozen tundra. This time, Naperville, IL, near Chicago for the next two weeks. Oh joy.

I arrived last night in a wet snow storm rendering the drive to the hotel in Naperville, a tad chancy. Weather reports on the internet say that will be the case over the next few days. I mentioned "Weather reports on the internet" because there were no TV weather reports due to the satellite dish on the roof of the hotel is full of snow and the little old lady at the front desk refused to climb up and sweep it off.

As for the swimming pool, I probably wouldn't have wanted to swim anyway.

2/14/2010

Yelling kids, RVs and Ice Sculptures

With no particular place to go and a long President's Day weekend to burn off, Saturday, I took in a huge RV/Camper show in Novi, MI at an indoor arena. I have begun to have cabin fever and needing to get out. In places like Michigan and Minnesota, families will sometimes check into hotels on a weekend just to let the kids play in an indoor heated swimming pool. So, last night the hotel and it's pool had kids screaming and running up and down the halls. The ones next door and above yelled, jumped on the floor and pounded the walls until 11:00.

There's not much to say about an RV show rather than they were big, they were expensive and they were too far from home to drive or pull. At least I got to see if there were any new developments in the RV world. The only thing new (to me) was the slide out kitchens on the side of many of them. Since I would probably not buy a new one, it gave me a standard to watch out for if and when I buy a used one.

Sunday afternoon, I found myself in old downtown Utica, MI, a small township across the freeway from my hotel. They have an annual Ice Festival that includes some really great ice sculptures. Not as huge as some I've seen in Minneapolis/St Paul, these were a little more commercial and appeared to be sponsored by the local businesses from the themes on them.

It didn't take me long to observe most of them and after walking a few blocks in 31° weather with an 11 mph wind, I found my way back to car for a quick drive back to the hotel.

Valentine's Day

Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. (source: Wikipedia)
As for me, I sense a conspiracy between greeting card companies, florists and candy companies.