Sunday May 24

Back to Hampton....had a great time....And both of us wished that we were still on the road. We covered about 1500 miles and stayed in our new tent 3 times. The gear all worked good.

Saturday May 23

Today we rode back to Rocky Mount, NC and saw Theresa again.

Friday

We rode the Dragon twice, went to the Foothill Parkway and The Cherhola Skyway. Had lunch at an all you can eat pizza and salad place, it was good. Kip found out today the bank had accepted his offer on a house in Buckeye (a Phoenix suburb). So it was a good day. The motel was about half empty because of riders leaving before the holiday weekend. I told Dori that it would probably be a quiet Friday, Wss I ever wrong. About 8pm after the motel/store was closed the guys from Conneticut starting getting mini bikes out of their trucks. For the next two hours it was absolutely hilarious. They blocked off the entrances and set up a race course. It was a blast.

Dori got her bike pin striped and had the name of her Valkyrie lettered on. Ro'ta, "she who caused turmoil".

Thursday

Today we rode the Dragon 4 times, two round trips. On the first trip we got stuck behind a semi that should not have been on the road, He had to stop and backup, took both lanes on blind turns, and was just lucky not to hit someone.

As we exited the Dragon on the TN side we stopped at a porta poty. Dori's bike wouldn't crank and kip had to push start it. We rode into Tn a little ways to where Kip remembered a m/c repair shop from his last trip thru here. Got it fixed for $20. Only had to push one more time before Dori realized the kill switch was turned on (to the off position).

Kip ended the day very tired.

Had a great time talking to bikers from all over the country that evening.

Weds

The advantage of not riding last night is that we saw a place offering (for a price) helicopter rides. As neither of us had ever been on a helicopter we couldn't pass it up.



Arrived at Deals Gap motorcycle resort that afternoon. The motel was full but only 2-3 tents. Relaxed and had a beer. Tommorow we ride the Dragon.

Tuesday

Stopped at Doris cousin's, Theresa, in North Carolina last night. Off to a late start today but it was well worth it, a good breakfast.

Stopped in Ashville, NC for the evening, didn't want to push into the night with lots of twisty riding to get to the Dragon.

May 2009 to "The Tail of the Dragon"

Monday May 18, 2009 Getting ready to leave for the Dragon, A road that runs from North Carolina to Tennesee, US-129, motorcycle nirvana.