The Home stretch

KSU- 0830

The last 350 miles will be long 'cause next stop is home

So, I'm traveling down I-75, through Lake City, FL and I get a flat in the car tire
While I'm laying on the ground looking for the hole, some passerby calls 911 to report a body laying next to a motorcycle. The paramedics show up lights blaring only to find me alive and well. Too funny!, but I'm glad someone thought to make a call, ya never know.

Got to use my free roadside coverage from Foremost. Truck shows up in about an hour. Inflates the tire, find the hole in the sidewall and I plug it. Made it home with no issues

And while I'm waiting for a tow truck, about 500' in front of me one of Florida's finest looking for speeders I guess since there was no revenue to be made from a stranded motorist, he did'nt bother to stop by

So, here's my roundup

Total miles- 6,210
States visited

Had a total of less than an hour riding in the rain, some nice 80* days, mostly in the 90's, topping 100* in Va.

Roads could use some work in Colorado, along I-40 in Arkansas, and in Memphis

Trouble with the VTX- the speedometer went out in Colorado, I blew the right fork seal in Alabama, and a flat tire in Florida. Used 1 qt of oil

THE RALLY'S

Bully's ECG5-  A++   Like one big meet and greet and a lot of fun


Coloradical- A++     What can I say, the people, the scenery and the riding


Bamafest- A   A little too wide open with golf carts, quads running around kicking up a lot of red dust. People were great, mostly locals


The BBQ


 I liked Allmans ( you reading this Ricky?)
 I liked Smokin Chics
I liked Piggin out
I liked Rendevous
I liked Smokin Pig
 I liked Neumeier's Rib Room

The rest were mediocre or just not that good


WOULD I DO IT AGAIN?

Hell Yeah!  Contrary to popular belief, the X is a great touring bike. Besides I like to ride! 

The way home-Valdosta,Ga

KSU- 0900,

OK , we're G rated again

Spent 45 minutes washing all the dirt off the bike, amazing how dirty it was. Bamafest is over, did'nt wow me like I thought it would

Nice ride to Valdosta. Spent all of 30 minutess on aan interstatem the rest being U.S.  highways and state roads. Rolled into Valdosta aaround 4pm after losing an hour to the time change.  It's been a great trip, but it's time to go home

SMOKIN' PIG BBQ

Changed from my original scheduled joint Old South, because I liked the name and it was just down the block from where I was staying

One I saw Smokin Pig, it had "chain" written all over it, but  the parking lot was jammed so I thought I'd check it out.
Large place with T shirts and bottled sauces.
So, I had the St Louis ribs. Pecan smoked they say,
definetely sweeter tasting than hickory. Ribs a little fatty,
but have a nice pink smoke ring. 6 sauces to choose from
Regular, Sweet,  Sweet and spicy, Hot, Carolina, Southern mustard. Somebody finally put sweet and spicy together and it's a winner. The regular ia s vinegar based and ok. Hot is jalapeno hot and good. The accompanied mac and cheese was some of the best I've tasted. And a finish with peach cobbler topped with ice cream......perfect and included in the price

TASTE- A
ATMOSPHERE- B+
VALUE-  A+

MILEAGE- 86958

                                                                                                                                                         

Bamafest- Saturday

After two days of camping and two days of not so hot showers and water pressure like standing under a sprinkler and the dust, I'm going to the Econolodge for a real shower. A lot of the bikes went on a poker run and since I blew a fork seal I opted out. The Econolodge is letting me use their hose to wash down the bike

After a long shower and a nap, I headed out to the bike and I run into a guy lokking at one of the bikes and he tells me of a BBQ joint right next door and he put the ribs in this morning. I can't believe I drove by thiis place like 6 times


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SMOKIN' JACKS
I had the combo platter. 3 ribs and pulled pork, Hickory smoked, but a little salty. sauce Carolina type but not as good, motif is southern sports bar themed as you can tell  by the hunting and fishing items

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Those are outboard motords hanging

over the door

TASTE- B

ATMOSHERE- A

VALUE- A

  

Back to the Bamafest

Tonight was more of the same.

More music

More dancing

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More contests (nipple size)

Well, that's Bamafest . People were friendly, the site is huge, but way too dusty,  I like Roscoes better

(he has chili)

Tomorrow Valdosta Georgia

MILEAGE- 86597

Bamafest-Friday

Sunrise from my tent






Starting to fill up for the weekend. A lot of RV's and people eunning aroung in quads and golf carts

Today there were games

Mpre mosic and of course more dancong

Young amd old

And at the end of her performance, Jasmine Caine

 decided to leap into the crowd

                       MR G'S BBQ   

                                                                                           

OK, so it's really Mr G's pizza, but hey the sign also says BBQ right? So, the have a special on bbq wings..OK I'll bite. Deep fri, not much in the way of BBQ in thisa town or the nectd tiny wings with bbq sauce you had to look for. Shoul've gone to KFC

TASTE-   D

ATMOSPHERE-C

VALUE-  B

As you can see  , there's not much in thet way of BBQ in this town or the next, When I was driving through Arkansas all I smelled along I-40 was BBQ. Oh well

Bamafest

It's Saturday. I rolled into Forkland Thurs. around 1:30pm.. I decided at the beginning of the trip I was going to camp here, so I;ve beem lugging around my tent and sleeping blanket

My spot under some shady trees after moving from my original location for being too noisy. Uther campers will start filling the area around me in the next few days







Some signage at Bamafest clues you in on what to expect

 For night life, there was music

And dancing

And a fashion xhow (sort of)

A talent show (sort of)

Roadside BBQ

Tonight I tried some Bamafest Q

I had the pulled pork on a bun with their hot sauce

The pork was from a smoker, slightly chewy. Sauce was industrial type, but not bad. Beans were forgettable

      TASTE- B+

                                                 

ATMOSHERE- A  (hey, it's Bamafest)

 VALUE- A

NEXT...... Friday

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On the road to Bamafest

KSU 830

Only about a 225 mile ride today

Blog may be down for a few days unless I find a hotspot. And blog will have to include a mature warning screen when back up due to the adult nature of Bamafest. Ok, I'm outa here!

On the road to Memphis

A crappy morning in Ft Smith, Sure to get rained on, so on goes the gear. Short ride to Memphis, around 275 miles. Rained held off and by the time I got to Memphis it was hot and sunny. Got a scare at a gas stop when VTX would'nt turn over, Turned out to be a loose battery cable. Rolled into Memphis around 1230

Charlie Vargas Rendezvous

Wow!. Everything you've read about this place is true. The ribs are  cooked over coals and tastes like it, Excellent dry rub. Baby backs are good by themselves, but adding either the excellent mild or spicy sauces makes them stand out. Comes with baked beans and slaw. A bit on the pricey side especially when you add parking in the garage next door ($7), Wed. eve and the plave is packed

Taste- A+
Atmosphere- A+
Value- A
 

Now. if thers something I love as much as BBQ, it's fried chicken and Memphis has a  place called Gus's

Gus's Fried Chicken

This place was also packed for a wed eve. I put in an order and had to wait 1/2 hour. Was it worth it?

Chicken was very fresh, moist. Lightly breaded with a slightly hot and spicy coating . A no frills restraunt with no A-C and people still line up to get in. Had similar tasting chicken in Gainesville once

Taste- A+
Atmosphere- A
Value- A+

Boy, am I full!!

Tomorrow - Bamafest

Mileage- 86183