Tommorow I begin my ride to Spartanburg, SC for the annual Motor Maids convention.  I’ll be packin’ digital devices so road news (and food) should be posted all next week.

Loaded and ready

The last trip I had a bear encounter and some things that didn’t go as planned.  We made an unexpected stop at a town just after I saw the bear.  The car behind me pulled alongside and pointed to my bike’s rear – something was loose.  Well, it was loose alright, and smoking.  A bag on my luggage rack had vibrated loose and had been dragging behind the bike for several miles.  Must have been quite a sight to behold.  We stop at a “picnic area” in Heavener, OK.  Two rows of clean picnic tables with a good view of the cop parked in the bank drive-through waiting to pounce on speeders (30+mph).

The bag is laying on the ground.

Mr. Mike performs autopsy

He could barely get the bag open because the zipper had fused shut.  There was a good view of my sleeping bag and pad innards though.  Yellow foam with blackened edges.  Nothing to do now but let it go.  But there was not a trash can in sight.  Dirty Harry had just returned from chasing down some poor soul and had retaken his place in the bank drive-through lane.  What to do?

Burial at sea. Well, it will get there eventually.

We weren’t about to leave the remains on a picnic table.  Just the excuse for Dirty Harry to throw the book at us. Littering!  And maybe disturbing the peace if I told him what I thought of their picnic area.  Nothing more to do but get back on the road and get the hell out of town.  This next trip should have more secure luggage.  But something unexpected is sure to happen – check back for road scrounges!