Thursday, 5/16/2019 Leg 5, W. Memphis, AR to Nashville, TN.
Noon. After fueling in W. Memphis I crossed the muddy Mississippi into Memphis, TN proper on another beautiful day to ride…then the ‘fun’ begins…
Despite driving the posted speed limit cars and commercial trucks are whizzing around oblivious to and cutting off one another to cross several lanes of traffic to make an exit that in a same world a normal person would have missed, and then driven to the next exit and backtracked, right?
No sir, not in the Volunteer To Be Stupid While Driving State. The jockeying for position continues until well out of Memphis. I settle in for a peaceful and uneventful cruise to Exit 87 BBQ, literally a converted utility trailer serving a good BBQ pork sandwich with Cole slaw. While turning around through a nearby Speedway gas/convenience store parking lot another Tennessean cuts me off literally racing into a parking spot without giving me a sideways glance. I brake hard, then cautiously return to the shed to join a small line of hungry locals, obese truckers, and a lone motorcyclist blogging about the curt server sporting an ankle bracelet dishing up rib plates and Q sandwiches. The stream of customers is steady and the Q was worth the price of admission. Then a H-D couple ride up to scratch their BBQ ‘itch’…
Karen stands proudly next to her baby ‘No Lean Jolene’ while Fritz and ‘Ol’ Betsy’ serve as Karen’s wingman. Karen is a melanoma survivor and Fritz has survived more hard times than most people can imagine. Both have been humbled by their circumstances but still work hard in service to others: she works with the severely mentally ill in a residential care facility, and he supports adults in recovery. There are no strangers in the Harley-Davidson family; just friends I’ve yet to meet. Oh, and they both confirmed my hypothesis that there are no shortages of sociopathic drivers ‘driving dead’ in Tennesee.
Later that night several hotel guests arriving to check in comment on Raven’s appearance and initiate conversations to share stories I never would have had the opportunity to enjoy by riding a different motorcycle or driving a car.
The H-D ‘family’ is real and bonded by a shared love of an American icon. I am glad to finally be a member.
Time to mount Raven for a 3+-hour ride to Nashville International to find a hotel and await my Lori’s arrival (who I’m pretty sure hasn’t worn an ankle tracker…ever…I think).
Raven Tales 