New Orleans to Memphis

Ok, I know what your thinking. I know another boring ride blog from this chick, doesn't she get the hint and stop writting them after all we love drama, we want drama lama mama tales, of sorted love affairs beating themselves against the rocks til well past dead. We love reading the broken hearted dripple from 3 month relationships where folks traveld half way across the country. Well I'm sorry I'm just going to write about my ride so if your not interested well then I guess ya can continue on. Wow its hard to beleve that it could get any hotter than it was in New Orleans but guess what it did, I mean really by 8am I full on sweat rollers when I was standing still and for those working forget it they'd needed a clean shirt in 15 minutes. Leaving New Olreans from Canal St. was pretty easy, Just heade down canal street and followed the signs for 10. As we cruised to 10 I noticed all the lovely ancient gravestones at the graveyard. The lockers are well above ground, To me It's hard to imagine having to lock and brick wall such a place but well I guess ya gotta do it when folks are damaging things and don't know how to act in a place of respect. I was heading to 40 due north, but saw 11 and decided to follow that instead. In the distance once I reached the lake I could see the 40 traffic and was glad to have gotten off of that, I was going to Memphis and decided that I would head north on 11 then pick up the Natchez Trace Trail. I have been on the Trace Trail another time and spent a whole vacation checking out what it had to offer, it is indeed a wonderful ride with wider sweeping turnings and gentle up and down slops, wildlife, quiet, and infromation that would blow your socks clean off. South of Tupelo Mississippi the Natchez Trace Trail cross 11 so I went to get on there but got detored instead. Tornados had tore through that area ealier in the week and they were still trying to clean it up. I took the detor getting on the Trace several miles north of the detor. First glance there was nothng a miss here, The pavement looks as if it doesn't belong, like a black ribbon snaking over the landscape. A few Short miles and the sceen broke the peacefulness of the ride. I stared in wonder as I looked over the wooded area, some trees were pulled out by their roots, other just broken and splintered apart, some had no leaves, and a clear path of tree distruction could be seen. It wasn't wide, but it was a glimpse of what a tornado can do. I was in awe of the great power our Mother churned our. The first marker was Indian mounds. Now Indian mounds are all sacred, some were use for ceremony, others huts were place upon, still others held the dead. Each one is diferent. There are 3 different tribes that used the trace and it stretches some 500 + miles from Natchz Mississippi to Nashville TNN. If ya live in the area and haven't ridden this what are you waiting for??? Anyway it was getting hott not just hot but balls assed hot, Imean I was dripping and it wasn't even noon yet. I think one of the small town banks said 93, and the sun hadn't reached the hottest part of the day by a long shot. there was a small wild fire on the trace. I think I drank like 3 liters of water at this point all I could think was dam its hot. The trace offered little in the way of shade since the tornados ripped up the trees, but there was some shade, It was better to be in this natural setting then riding on the highway any day of the week. I wouldn't reach Memphis today, the heat was just overwhelming even with soaking a long sleeved shirt in ice water so, I stopped for the ngiht and got some BBQ, listened to some local music and just moved with my slow southern swagger, I'm sure I melted some fat off today, Let's hope so, When i hit the bed I was out like a light. The highlights, I didn't die in the mid day sunny, got a picture of a mufflerman, old train, may have lost 16 pounds sweating, and my harley is mad from riding in the heat., so I guess it balances out. well have a great one "T"