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National Park Motorcycle Ride – 5542 Miles in 16 Days 2013

Posted on July 31, 2013 | 18 comments

National Park Motorcycle Ride Route Map

WOW, I can’t believe we did it and it’s in the books. We just rode some of the best national parks, historic sites and national monuments in the U.S. and Canada (Pikes Peak National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Banff National Park, Little Bighorn National Historic Site, Devils Tower National Monument and Mount Rushmore National Memorial).

We had a great time and everything went pretty much according to plan. I thought I would be worn out physically and mentally but Larry and I felt really good for the whole ride. I got back July 29^th around 4:00 PM and felt so good I mowed the lawn the next morning!

Me and Larry at Pikes Peak

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but experiencing it is worth millions. There is no way pictures can capture the adventure nor can I describe it all with words. It can only be experienced… Traveling by car gets you there but is only a few notches above watching the scenery go by on TV. Traveling by motorcycle is the ultimate way to experience travel. You are in the environment, feeling the wind, sun, cool, heat and rain. At several points along the ride we could hear the rushing water in the streams and rivers. The smells are incredible. The smell of crisp cool air in the morning, pine forest, flowers, rain in the distance, food cooking, fresh-cut grass, fields of corn, fresh-cut hay and many unidentifiable smells… and yes the occasional not so good smell of dead animals, feed lots etc… Many of the smells took me back to my boyhood when I lived on a cotton farm in Texas. Those were good memories.

Grand Teton National Park

Beside all the great national parks, monuments and historical sites on this ride there were many beautiful farms and ranches in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains and on the Great Plains of the U.S. and Canada. Having grown up on a farm I have a great appreciation for the land and the people who work it. Rural life is a great life but a vulnerable one. There are many perils from Mother Nature and the economy. I also enjoyed seeing the many old farm houses and barns. I can only imagine the many lives and stories of love, laughter and tears could be told about each and every one…

Lower Falls Yellowstone National Park

Another part of the ride I enjoyed was the many small towns and the people who lived there. I enjoyed the local businesses and the architecture of the many old buildings. Some buildings were still in use and some have seen better days. If walls could only talk… what a story they could tell.

Glacier National Park

Larry and I met so many nice people on this ride. Our motorcycles and our tags from Georgia and Texas were always getting comments. Larry’s Victory Vision got most of the comments and questions. My mascot Kow A. Saky started many conversations too. We met people from all over the world. To name a few… a nice couple from England riding a rented Harley, a guy from Belgium riding with a motorcycle tour group, a group from Europe who shipped their antique cars over and were driving the Lincoln Highway, a couple from Ontario riding a Goldwing and many more. There were so many riders we met and riders traveling by car wishing they were on their bikes as well as many “want to be riders” and people just interested in where we were from and where we were headed. To those of you whom we met, who may be reading this, we would like to say thanks for making our ride that much more enjoyable. Please take the time to comment and say hi. We would love to hear from you again…

The other special part of this ride was stopping to see a couple of friends I had lost contact with over the years. I have just recently reconnected with them…

My old friend Jimmie and his wife Diann with Larry and me in Georgetown, Colorado

We stayed in Georgetown, Colorado on July 16^th. Jimmie drove from Aurora and met us at the Super 8 where we were staying. I first met Jimmie when I went to work for Geophysical Service Inc. in June of 1965. I had just graduated from high school and was attending college part-time. He was about 10 years older but treated me as an equal from the start. We worked in Houston, Texas; Sydney, NSW, Australia; Dallas, Texas and Denver, Colorado. Over the years we worked together at different companies and I owe Jimmie a lot for my success in business. It was great seeing Jimmie and his lovely wife Diann, again, after so many years. We ate dinner at a little restaurant down the road from the motel. It was a great time but much too short. Now that we have reconnected I will have to get back up there to see him… Thanks Jimmie for all the great times and memories and a special thanks for all the support you gave me while working with and for you…

My friends Ed and Avis and me

While I was in the Air Force, Ben, my roommate in tech school was always writing friends back home in Montana. One of those friends was a girl named Avis. I told him to say hi or something to Avis. She wrote back and we became pin-pals for four or five years and became good friends. I went to visit her, a couple of times, over that time. The last time was 41 years ago. Life got in the way and we eventually lost contact with each other. I have wondered many times what had become of Avis. I hoped that life had treated her well… About ten months ago, I tried to find her when I started planning this trip. I did find her and we have reconnected! We stopped by and stayed with Avis and her husband Ed. Life has been good to her… Avis has a great husband and two great kids. Avis and Ed are very proud of their kids, as they should be… They live outside Troy, MT on beautiful acreage. It is so beautiful and peaceful with views of mountains and a lake hidden across the road from them. I’m jealous… While there we caught up on what has been happening with us over the last 41 years. We still have more to catch up on. It was nice to finally meet Ed too. Avis and Ed are great hosts. Someday, I hope Janet and I can return the favor and show them part of our great state of Texas. Our time there was short but good. Thanks again to Ed and Avis for being such great host…

Lake Louise in Banff National Park Canada

While on this ride we visited Pikes Peak, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff (in Canada), Little Bighorn, Devils Tower and Mount Rushmore as well as many other sites along the way. I will be posting about each day of our 16 day ride in the coming days… Please, follow along as we ride some of the most beautiful scenic country in the U.S. and Canada.

Little Bighorn Historical Site

Devil’s Tower National Historic Site

Mt. Rushmore

For more pictures of our ride click here and don’t forget to like “The Texas Rambler” Facebook page. Look for the “Subscribe to Texas Rambler via Email” at the bottom left column to receive notifications of new posts by email. Also please take some time to leave us a comment. We always love hearing from y’all…

This has been one amazing ride for Larry and me. check out the other post from this ride using the links below…

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Posted in Motorcycle Touring Logs

Tagged adventure, architecture, Australia, Avis, Banff, Banff National Park, Banff National Park Canada, barn, Belgium, business, Canada, cold, Colorado, cooking, cool, corn, Dallas, Denver, Devils Tower, Devil’s Tower National Historic Site, economy, Ed, Europe, farm, flowers, food, forest, fresh-cut, Georgia, Glacier, Glacier National Park Montana, Glacier Park, Goldwing, Grand Teton National Park, Grand Tetons, Grand Tetons National Park, grass, Great Plains, hay fields, heat, house, Houston, Lake Louise, laughter, Little Bighorn, Little Bighorn Historical Site, lives, love, Lower Falls Yellowstone National Park, Mother Nature, Motorcycle, Motorcycle rides, Motorcycle Touring, Mount Rushmore, MT, Mt. Rushmore, national, National Park Motorcycle Ride, NSW, Ontario, park, Pikes Peak, Pine, rain, Ranch, ride, Rocky Mountains, scenery, scenic, small town, smell, stories, sun, Sydney, tears, Teton, Teton mountains, Teton National Park, Tetons National Park, Texas, Tour, town, travel, Troy, U.S., valley, Victory, Vision, Yellowstone, Yellowstone Park

Natchez, Mississippi… Beginning or End

Posted on April 12, 2013 | 5 comments

Oak Hill Inn Bed and Breakfast

Natchez is either the start or the end of the “Natchez Trace Parkway” depending on if you start or end there. Several years ago we drove the “Trace” and ended our drive at Natchez. Ever since that time we have wanted to ride the “Trace” and spend time in Natchez exploring a town rich in history.

Unfortunately we aren’t riding the “Trace” this trip. Janet and I met Larry and Jo in Natchez. We couldn’t ride the bikes for a number of reasons so we spent four days relaxing and exploring a small part of the history here.

Oak Hill Inn fountain and grounds

Our accommodations were Oak Hill Inn, a bed and breakfast housed in a historic home built in 1835. The owners Doug and Don restored the home after purchasing the home in 2004. They did an excellent restoration job and received the 2005 Restoration Award from the Natchez Historic Foundation for their restoration work. Oak Hill is a great accommodation with a superb breakfast. If you eat all the breakfast you may want to skip lunch. Doug is a great host with a wealth of knowledge about Oak Hill, all the antebellum homes, history and restaurants of Natchez. For more information, please check out their website.

Oak Hill Inn

The week we were there was during Natchez’s “Spring Pilgrimage” of antebellum homes. Twenty nine mansions open their doors to visitors during the pilgrimage. We always enjoy exploring old historic homes. We love the history, architecture, stories of how they came to be and the families who have lived in them. Many of the homes in Natchez have been passed down through the generations and some of those families still live in them. We toured the following three homes.

The Burn Mansion

The Burn 1832 The Burn, a Greek Revival home built circa 1834 by John P. Walworth, is an elegant three-story mansion set on two landscaped acres covered with Camellias. The name “Burn” is Scottish (I believe) and means brook. The Burn’s interesting history was told during a tour of the home. Like many of the antebellum homes on the tour, “The Burn” is a bed and breakfast. The 5 Bed and Breakfast rooms are named after the Walworth children.

The Elms Mansion

The Elms 1804 The Elms is a beautiful home built circa 1804. It has been in the same family for more than 130 years. Esther Carpenter, the present owner, is the fifth generation to live and own The Elms. She returned to Natchez in July 2006 to renovate and restore The Elms to its place in Natchez history.

Hope Farm Mansion

Hope Farm 1775-1789 Home of the Spanish Governor, Hope Farm was built in the 1770’s. Hope Farm was also the home of Mrs. Katherine Grafton Miller, who was the founder of the famed Natchez Pilgrimage. There are four guest bedrooms and is one of the many bed and breakfasts in Natchez. As an overnight guest at Hope Farm, you will be treated to a private tour of the home and its unforgettable treasures.

Longwood Mansion

Longwood is not part of the “Spring Pilgrimage” home tour but is available for tours. Tickets may be purchased on site. It was my favorite of the homes we toured. Because of the Civil War only the basement was finished. The exterior was mostly finished but the upper floors have remained unfinished and left mostly in the same state they were in when the war broke out. We can imagine what a splendid home it would have been if it had been finished. It is a shame it was never finished. If finished it would have been a beautiful and unique octagonal structure with an onion dome.

Longwood Mansion Unfinished Interior

Emerald Mound Natchez Trace Parkway

Emerald Mound is the second largest prehistoric ceremonial mound in the United States. It is located just off the famed Natchez Trace Parkway just north of Natchez.

The mound covers nearly eight acres. Prehistoric native Americans who were the ancestors of Natchez Indians used the mound for roughly 350 years.

It is an impressive site and is hard to imagine it being built with the many loads of soil that had to be transported by the Native Americans. I guess it was the public works project of their day… 😉 For more information click the link above.

Natchez City Cemetery

Natchez City Cemetery is located at 1 Cemetery Road. The cemetery was established in 1822 and covers approximately 100 acres of land. The cemetery is on high ground overlooking the Mississippi River. Once you learn the history of some of the characters of Natchez you will want to visit their final resting place. We did a self-guided tour following a brochure and map. To take it all in you should spend at least 3 hours there. You may be interested in hiring a guide so you’ll get all the details of the deceased. Either way it is worth the time walking the grounds.

There are also many good restaurants in Natchez. These are the ones we enjoyed while there.

The Magnolia Grill is located on Silver Street in Historic Natchez Under-the-Hill. The Under-the-Hill district was home to the roughest groups of folks… gamblers, prostitutes, drunkards and all types of criminals. Under-the-Hill now just Silver Street is home to the Magnolia Grill, the Under-the-Hill Saloon, and the city’s only riverboat casino, as well as a few other historic buildings.

Dinning at the Magnolia Grill allows you to enjoy your meal while watching the mighty Mississippi River roll by. The Magnolia specializes in regional cuisine with offerings such as fresh, Mississippi farm raised catfish, fresh gulf seafood, steaks, burgers and sandwiches.

Fat Mama’s Tamales serve up the best hot tamales, chili, Knock You Naked Margaritas and other tasty items.

Mammy’s Cupboard

Mammy’s Cupboard a unique structure built in 1939 is located at 555 U.S. Highway 61 South. Mammy’s serves daily lunch specials, sandwiches and famous deserts. Dinning in this unique structure is worth the trip and the food is really good.

Breaud’s Seafood and Steak is located in the middle of downtown Natchez, Mississippi, in the old Brown Barnett Dixons building at 511 Main Street. Breaud’s proudly serve New Orleans-style poboys and muffalettas, fresh salads and soups, seafood gumbo and shrimp and crawfish corn chowder, whole or half rack of baby back ribs, covered in home-made honey Jack Daniels, BBQ sauce and a huge burger called the “Breaud Burger”.

Pig Out Inn BBQ where “IT’S SWINE DINING AT IT’S FINEST”! It’s just one block from the mighty Mississippi river at 116 S. Canal Street. The owners learned the barbeque trade in the Dallas, Texas area. As a Texan I can say it is up to Texas barbeque standards.

We stayed just four days in Natchez. You really need more time to take everything in. If you like southern towns you will enjoy Natchez. There are too many things to list and I could never do them justice, so check Natchez’s website. If you are ridding the “Trace” or in the area you need to stop by and spend some time here.

Ride safe…

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Posted in Places

Tagged Americans, Antebellum, architecture, Award, Bed and Breakfast, bed and breakfast natchez ms, bed and breakfasts, bed breakfast, Breaud's, Canal, casino, City Cemetery, criminals, Cupboard, drunkards, Emerald Mound, Esther Carpenter, families, gamblers, Greek Revival, Grill, historic, History, Hope Farm, lodging natchez ms, LongWood, Magnolia, Mammy's, mansions, Mississippi, Naked Margaritas, Natchez, natchez antebellum homes, natchez bed and breakfast, natchez historic homes, natchez ms bed and breakfast, natchez trace history, Natchez Trace Parkway, Native, New Orleans, Oak Hill Inn, Pig Out Inn BBQ, prostitutes, restaurant, restaurants in natchez ms, Restoration, river, riverboat, Silver Street, Spring Pilgrimage, Swine dinning, tamales, The Burn, The Elms, the native americans, Under-the-Hill

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National Park Motorcycle Ride – 5542 Miles in 16 Days 2013

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