Day Nine: Trouble Strikes at the Most Convenient Time!

I must begin this evening’s post with a correction. Yesterday I managed to misspell JJ Grey’s last name! Think he will forgive me if I post a link to a song about his daughter? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3gBnyDrkRQ&feature=related

Last night I was so busy thinking about me not thinking, that I didn’t think to mention my campsite! Yes, I spent another night sleeping in the swamp – the George L. Smith State Park in Georgia. This park didn’t have any alligator warnings posted. Of course, they didn’t post any warnings about the coyotes that ripped apart some hapless animal a couple sites over in the middle of the night either!

This park had the campsites cut into the bog that ran to the edge of the swamp. The ground was spongy when walking through the towering cypress trees – felt like walking in one of those jump houses that people get for kids parties except this one was huge! Very strange sensation.

This morning felt so good. The air was right at that temperature that feels a bit hot if you just stand there yet refreshingly cool when riding through it on the motorcycle. Since the State Park was already 15 miles off the highway, I decided to just head generally west for a little bit. Great decision. Once I got away from the swamp, that area looked just like the area of Pennsylvania I originally learned to ride motorcycle in. Gently rolling hills add interest to the terrain filled with large trees surrounding corn fields and houses. Perfect sunny morning ride. After about 45 minutes I decided it was time to make a little progress on the trip so I flipped on the GPS to find a way back to the highway. I was about 20 miles north and that was OK! I remember listening to how smooth the bike’s engine sounded as the throttle pulled me through the long curves. Did I jinx myself?

Something about a lone sojourner on a cycle packed with all his worldly needs seems to intrigue people. Perhaps they wish for the freedom to travel like this. Maybe they just want to see what some freak from California looks like. Maybe they like my grey beard? Regardless, people seem to want to talk to me wherever I stop.  And when I am not stopped, I get a lot of waves and thumbs-up from people in the cars passing by. This trip has been good to remind me that there are a lot of good people out there. That does not mean there are not a lot of idiots too!

100 miles into my day I pass Macon, GA. Next Atlanta is fading into my rear view mirror and the thump under my wheels indicates the Alabama border. The plan is to cruise past Birmingham to get perhaps as far as Tupelo, MS.

What the heck is going on with Birmingham? I stop and get gas about 25 miles out of town. Then hop back on the freeway listening to a podcast. About 10 minutes later I notice the GPS is still on and is telling me to make a u-turn. Duh, I got back on the freeway going the wrong way! How did that happen? Big deal, off and back on at the next exit. Once heading the right way, the GPS decided it had enough and just flashed some message about a calculation error. Odd – never saw that message before. No problem, I have a map and general directions stuck on my tank. Well, perhaps a bit of a problem. I stop three times to bring up my location on my phone to get reset. This is the first time the entire trip that I had any issue with directions. Feel like I just can’t get past Birmingham.

My Brake Failure light comes on. This has happened a few times and the dealer checked it thoroughly before I left. Just a low voltage issue of some kind confusing the antilock brake computer – not a big deal. Then the speedometer needle bounces a few times, finally deciding it will just take a nap on the 0. The tach is still working and everything else is lit up. Must be a loose ground wire. I switch the GPS screen to show the speed and press on, finally coming out of the far side of Birmingham. Wait, the trip meter has stopped. Then the gear indicator disappears.

Now I am very concerned. The deep south is not exactly BMW territory. In fact, I haven’t seen another BMW in over a week! It is 7p in Birmingham so my home dealer in CA is still in. They confirm my fears that this needs to be addressed by a dealer. Not many in this part of the country – but they tell me there is one in Birmingham just about 10 miles from where I was. Coincidence? God looking after me (as if he doesn’t have more important things to do!)? Just lucky? I don’t care why (remember I quit thinking yesterday), I just appreciate that it is what it is. The bike makes it back to where the shop is and I find a room about a mile away. I will be standing at their door when they open in the morning.

I am not holding my breath but it may still be possible to make my planned stop in Ozark, MO, tomorrow night…