Over 5,000 miles total and 1,779 one way from Nashville to Phoenix. That means I put in about 1,500 miles while in Nashville. It doesn't seem possible but the odometer says so.
The learning curve was steep. I got rained on in every state on the
trip; Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee,
North Carolina, and Georgia. Curves, poor visibility, wet roads, wind, crazy drivers (I watched a truck crash into two cars that had spun out), bugs so thick the windscreen looked like a kaleidoscope (Texas) and even a pissed off bee in my helmet made it so (yes, it stung me).
By the time the trip ended my confidence level was high. A friend asked, "Would you do it again?" "Absolutely!", but there are things to do differently. I made it each way in two days, far too much time spent speeding down the highway. It is more interesting and fun to take back roads and sightsee. The slower paced trip from Nashville to
Deal's Gap was much more enjoyable.
Meeting the locals and viewing the scenery comes naturally on a bike because of the frequent refueling stops and riding in the open. You feel like you are actually there as opposed to watching it on the car's windshield big screen. All in all, a most excellent adventure.
