We rode back in the pouring rain that night to attend the New York State H.O.G. Rally, July 10 - 12, in Middletown NY. Our three local Harley-Davidson Dealerships co-hosted: O'Tooles, Woodstock, and Moroneys. It was our first H.O.G. Rally and it was fun being in our home territory. Our familiarity with the roads allowed us to lead some of the more adventurous riders on private rides, through New Paltz, over Mohonk and Minnewaska! |
At our last fuel stop in Arkansas, Rosie started acting up. Thinking it was a batch of bad gas, we doctored her with additives and pushed on to run it out. 300 miles later in the middle of Illinois, with her getting progressively worse, I had to concede she was really ill! Effingham's Harley Barn picked her up in the morning for no charge (we were "in town") and shared the bad news ... she had bent an exhaust valve! They didn't offer rentals, so making the conference was out of the question.
Part of the fun travelling cross country is picking roads that "look interesting". Back on the road home Sunday, we headed down into Kentucky. We traversed Land Between the Lakes (aka Woodlands Trace) to the 1850 "HomePlace" in Tennessee.
We debated going to the Parthenon in Nashville, but I had this feeling that I just wanted to get Rosie home! We followed the Great River Road down, making a stop at the Arkansas Post National Monument. It is so quiet there now, it is hard to imagine it was once the center of local activity! |