It’s been a while since I launched a cross-country motorcycle ride. I’m 68, so each one of these “Smokey Lonesome” trips becomes a little more daunting.

I had never been to southwest South Dakota and knew it had many attractions — not the least of which is the town of Sturgis, to which there is a huge bike pilgrimage every August. I prefer to ride alone and don’t like crowds, so I purposely planned this trip to avoid the masses. Other obvious sights to be seen in the area include Badlands National Park, the Black Hills region, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Mountain.

These rides alone give me time to think about my life and those things I still hope to accomplish — publish a book or two, learn Spanish and Arabic, travel internationally and take more cross-country motorcycle rides. I looked at the calendar and the route in order to generate an idea of what I’d like to see along the way. After all, every good bike trip is as much about the journey as it is the destination. It looked to me like I could make the trip out traveling on back roads in about six days, barring severe weather or other dilemmas. Five days in the area should allow me to experience life there, and then another six days back along a different route.

I’m still riding my 2001 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic. I call it my limousine; it is a pretty good size and comfortable. In the saddle bags I packed parts and maintenance manuals, basic tools, a first aid kit, my rain suit and sunscreen. I have a large T-bag (duffle bag) for clothing which mounts on a luggage rack over the rear fender. Atop the T-bag I carried a small duffle of snack food (peanuts, granola bars, raisins, crackers) and a pair of lightweight walking shoes. On the two-up (rear) seat I bungeed a small ice chest with milk, water, carrots, celery, cheese, etc. And on top of the ice chest I strapped a bag with a mixture of dry cereals for breakfast; I eat my main meal at midday while on these bike trips. Breakfast I carry and eat at the motel. I snack on the other goodies in the evening. And lastly, strategically placed were my camera and my cell phone.

I hit the road on the morning of July 7, heading north out of Gainesville on U. S. 129. I love this ride as it winds into the mountains north of Cleveland and through Neel’s Gap. We have some of the best motorcycling roads in the world right here in North Georgia.

North of Blairsville, U.S. 129 snakes through western North Carolina and south of Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Just prior to entering Tennessee, the highway passes through Deal’s Gap and then undergoes 318 curves in an 11-mile stretch. This bit of ribbon is called the Dragon’s Tail and it is the destination of many a biker. I’ve ridden it before, but never tire of it.
The record for the fastest ride over the Dragon’s Tail is reputed to be nine minutes. That’s more than 60 m.p.h., undoubtedly accomplished on a performance motorcycle (read: “crotch rocket”). I barely got out of second gear during the entire ride to the other end. If you ride, it’s a must-do adventure.

I continued northwest toward Nashville passing Watts Bar Reservoir, a gorgeous lake with recreational facilities and a friendly neighborhood coal-fired power plant cranking out electrons to power all our marvelous electronic devices. I stopped for the night in Lebanon, Tenn., just east of Nashville, after traveling 340 miles on my first day out.

On Wednesday, July 8, I picked up U.S. 41 running northwest and rode past some lovely horse farms on the way to Kentucky. After lunch I rode west toward Paducah, Ky., and crossed Barkley Lake, Land Between the Lakes and Kentucky Lake — a beautiful ride. I skirted south of Paducah and rode to Wickliffe, Ky., where I traversed the Ohio River to Cairo, Ill. Cairo seemed like it might be one of the most depressing places in America! It looked like the recession hit particularly hard there.

I rode north from Cairo to the bridge across the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau, Mo. Named for a French soldier, Jean Girardot, who established a trading post with local Native Americans in 1733, Cape Girardeau was founded on a promontory above and on the west side of the Mississippi River. It soon became a welcome respite for weary trappers and river travelers. Lewis and Clark stopped for a rest at Cape Girardeau on their way to St. Louis, Mo., where they commenced their historic journey to the Northwest.

The steamboat brought more river commerce to the Cape Girardeau area starting in 1835, and Ulysses S. Grant camped there for a brief period during the Civil War. In 1873, a teachers college was founded there and is today Southeast Missouri State University.

The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River opened in 2006 and is of the new free-standing mast suspension design. It’s stunning. I enjoyed the evening in Cape Girardeau and spent the night there after covering 275 miles.

On the morning of July 9, I headed north toward St. Louis, swinging west so as to miss big city traffic. That maneuver didn’t work very well and I spent an hour in hot, slow, hectic commercial traffic — not my favorite type of ride! I finally headed north to Hannibal, Mo., following the scenic hills just west of the Mississippi.

I was exhausted by the time I reached Hannibal that afternoon — the temperature was above 90 F with high humidity. You lose fluids rapidly on a bike, and I failed to hydrate adequately. I consumed a couple of 20-ounce Gatorades and was back in business before long. I rode 250 miles my third day out.

I have long wanted to visit Hannibal, childhood home of Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens). He lived there from age 4 years till he was 17. The stories of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn included descriptions of the town, some of its buildings and the Mississippi River. I took pictures of Grant’s Drug Store and the house (complete with whitewashed fence) in which Twain grew up. Becky Thatcher’s house was being renovated and had a large ugly orange dumpster right in front of it; no picture there! There is an interesting Mark Twain Museum where I learned that the author, who was a riverboat captain for several years, has no direct descendants.

In my next installment I’ll head west across Iowa and Nebraska to my destination.

Bill Rezak retired in 2003 after 10 years as president of Alfred State College in Alfred, N.Y. Prior to that, he was dean of the School of Technology at Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta. He and his wife, Paula, moved to Gainesville, and Paula was diagnosed with lung cancer in May 2004. She passed away in late 2006, but not without maximizing her time on her motorcycle.