One Man’s Museum

All of us enjoy things that we experience as we ride around on our motorcycles.  For some it’s the sound of a rumbling V-twin.  Others enjoy the quiet ride of a horizontally opposed engine.  Yet others enjoy the simplicity and ease of  a Vespa so that they can quickly manuever or stop for that perfect photograph.  Personally I enjoy taking in all the scenery and unique sights of this wonderful country of ours.  One of my friends is continually on the lookout for old things.  Things most people have forgotten about.  The old saying of one man’s junk is another man’s treasure comes to mind.

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Several of us enjoy the beauty and mystery of old barns.  Today I’m going to tell you about a new barn with old things inside.  At first look you might think this barn is just like any other barn.  I hope you soon understand that you truly can’t judge a book by its cover.

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Everyone knows that if you are going to have a barn then it’s an unwritten law that you must have a tractor.  Well let’s see we have toy tractors, pictures of tractors and advertisements about tractors.  Oh!  I suppose I had better include real tractors.  Here is an old Model G John Deere Tractor.

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What else would you expect to find in a barn.  Well let’s see…………ummmmm how about some horse tack.

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There are many things in this collection of antiques.  There are everyday items from days gone by to old store displays.  There are even a few things to remind us of some of the not so wonderful times in America.  Some of the items have special meaning.  I’ll keep those things to myself.    I hope you enjoy these next few photographs and the look inside a new barn full of old memories.  Hopefully I’ve given you some things to ponder as you ride around the countryside and see sites such as these.  Just remember you may be seeing One Man’s Museum.

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Ride Safe

Ronman

Honest Abe’s Log Home

Early one Sunday morning my gal and I mounted C.C. headed out to meet some friends in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.  Now some folks may feel that riding 120 miles before breakfast is a bit far, we don’t.  Everyone enjoyed a good breakfast and especially good fellowship.

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First glimpse of this historic landmark brought to mind the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  I would soon learn the reason for this.  I also learned of all the symbolic meaning behind most every aspect of this building.  To say the National Park Service employee was uber knowledgeable would be an understatement.  The Lincoln Memorial was indeed inspired by this structure.   You can learn more about this landmark by following this link.

http://www.nps.gov/abli/index.htm

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This log cabin is not the exact home in which Lincoln lived.  This particular cabin was from the same time period and was moved to this site.

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Taking a few minutes to contemplate what it must have been like to live in such a humble abode,  I truly appreciate the modern luxuries that I enjoy.  To say it was a simpler time would be hard to do.  Yes life was less cluttered with all the modern distractions we have.  Just image what life was like for the youngster Abe Lincoln.   Do you really think life was simpler?  More than likely the only clothes he had were on his back.  People truly worked for their food either by growing it or hunting it.  We simply have to hunt through the refrigerator or menu for our next meal.

Should you find yourself anywhere close to Hodgenville, Kentucky take the time to stop and visit this National Park.  I think you will be glad that you did.

Ride Safe,

Ronman

Was it really out of my way?

Have you ever headed out on your way somewhere and sorta let the “spirit” guide you? Well, a couple weeks ago I did just that. I had enjoyed another fabulous weekend with my gal but we all know that good things must come to an end. Yes she had to head back to work on Monday morning and it was time for me to head back home.

I rolled off the ridge on C.C. with only the thought of getting home in time to take a little nap before work. You see working nights can be both a blessing and a curse. Sure you have the day to take care of things if need be. The part that stinks is that you know you should be getting some sleep in order to be well rested for the night’s work, but the beautiful day keeps calling you away.

On this beautiful Monday morning I decided that I needed to ride across highway 76 and see where I wound up. I have ridden short pieces of this inviting little road but never all the way across it. I always have a map or three with me as I ride around. One never knows when he may need to actually figure out where he is. Granted my theory is that if you aren’t out of fuel then you aren’t lost.

I tool highway 76 out of Springfield, Tennessee and followed it all the way across to where it intersects with highway 52 on the east side of Portland. This was the point at which I became aware of exact location. I love the feeling I get after traveling unfamiliar roads and coming out to one I recognize.

I took highway 52 over to Westmoreland and the intersection of highway 231. It was at this intersection I realized the need for nourishment. Yes indeed I was hungry. Not just a little hungry but some more powerful kind of hungry. What was I to do? Well I could see a Hardee’s but that wasn’t gonna satisfy me. I needed a little local mom and pop type place. I needed some grub. Ding! Ding! Ding! I had it. I remember my good friend Paul telling me of a little place down at the old Payne’s Store. Payne’s Store is located on the northeast corner of the four way stop where highway 231 crosses highway 25.

I was only ten or so miles north of here so it wouldn’t take long to fulfill my needs. I did have one horrible thought cross my mind. What if this place was closed on Monday? Now that wouldn’t be a pretty picture. Luckily I had a back up. You see Paul just lives a couple miles south of here so I could “drop” in on him for a friendly visit and some breakfast of course.

Luckily the little restaurant was open and quite busy I might add. Lots of cars and trucks outside is always a good sign at any place to eat. That means the locals know the food is good.

I parked C.C. and made my way inside. For some reason I had the song Turn the Page going through my mind. “Walk into the restaurant strung out from the road”. I definitely stuck out as everyone in the place looked up from their food and friends to watch as I sat down. Guess they don’t normally get some dude coming in for breakfast on a scooter.

I quickly looked over the menu on the board and also the one on the table. I could barely remember Paul suggesting something if I ever stopped here but what was it. Ahh! There it was! The “Trash Plate”. Now I remember. I opted for the half trash plate though. Paul told me that he couldn’t eat the whole trash plate. I know how much he likes to eat and if he says get the half plate then the half plate it was. Man oh man was it good! Let me see if I can name all the stuff on here. Hash browns, sausage, onions, peppers, bacon, eggs, ham, and probably some more stuff too. I added some ketchup and black pepper and the feed bag was put on. Man was it good. Should you get a chance to try the trash plate by all means do.

In my humble opinion these little places are the backbone of America. You can get a great meal and a feel of what our country is all about. You can see friends and family visiting amongst each other. You can see old men reading the paper and solving the worlds problems.

I may have ridden 151 miles on my 47 mile ride home but I have to ask “was it really out of my way?”. How about you? Have you ever added a few miles to your journey in order to clear you head or fill your belly. For me I think this fills my heart and frees my soul. The observations made while riding seem to always soak in deeper than those made sitting around the house.

Ride Safe

Ronman006

Spring Mill State Park in Indiana

037 If you have read my blog for any length of time you know that I am on a quest to visit all of the State Parks in Tennessee.  Well Tennessee is not the only state with wonderful parks to visit.  Spring Mill State Park in Indiana is one such place.    I first learned of Spring Mill about three years ago from my good friend Spydie.

Like most parks, Spring Mill has a campground, hotel with a great restaurant, and picnic/playground areas.  Spring Mill has something else though that I feel makes it special.  There is a living history village located around the mill.  I think this gives you an extra added feel to how life must have been back in the past as people struggled to live.027I enjoy seeing these old structures and thinking about how it must have been to live and work back when these were built.  My favorite thing at Spring Mill State Park though is the garden.  There are many different types of beautiful flowers and bushes to admire.  I really get a kick out of the way the garden is laid out and especially the rock wall and entry way.118Here you can see a family dressed in time period clothing working around there house.  Back then the entire family helped do the things that needed to be done.146Imagine sitting on your front porch doing your everyday chores and looking out over the beauty of your garden.

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141I must take a moment to warn you about something should you decide to take a trip to Spring Mill State Park.  You see there is a creature that has been spotted in these parts.  No one really knows how long this creature has been around.  I was able to capture a picture of this being and as you can see it’s been around for a while.  I’ve learned from the local lore of the area that this creature is known as the “Love Buzzard of Tick Ridge”.  So take a good look at the photograph below and keep your eyes peeled for this creature.  I took the time to capture this creature in action swarming around my Dana and quickly chased him away.  152

Ride Safe

Ronman

My Idea of America

It’s no secret that I love this wonderful land we live in.  I’m extremely grateful for the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much so that we can enjoy the life each of us lives.  I wanted to post some photographs of my idea of what America is.  Not the Hollywood idea of the big city version but the back roads heart and soul America.148Hard working men such as  the one pictured here are the backbone of this great land of ours.  They are not afraid to break a sweat or get dirty to do the job at hand.127I enjoy seeing the manner in which folks spruce up their places by the decorations they have around their yards.  Here an old hay rake, plow, and wheel barrow are used to beautifully showcase not only the equipment, but also the flowers.153 Take a look at this unique mailbox.  I bet that if you take a short ride off the beaten path that you too can find such scenes as the ones I’ve just shown you.  To me this is “My Idea of America”.

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Ride Safe,

Ronman

FOR SALE

My friend Stuart has decided to sell his 2008 Dyna Wide Glide. If you are looking for such a bike be sure to give him a shout. You may remember the post I did on Stuart several months ago. I’ll include the information he sent me and a picture or two of this nice bike.

Ronman
Up for sale is a perfect 2008 Wide Glide 5k miles
96 – 6 speed
#599 OF 2000 Copper/Blk
2″ rear lowering shocks with front of tank raised 2″
Detachable backrest Sundowner seat
2″ Samson Slasher exhaust
Excellent condition $15300.00

Stuart Byrd

615-579-3838

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May as well ride

A week or so back I did something that I rarely do.  I overslept.  You know there’s nothing like the feeling you get when you awaken to darkness, especially when it should be light outside.  I grabbed the phone and dialed work only to confirm my thoughts.  Yep it was way past my start time and my load was already on the way to St. Louis.  No they didn’t have any extra freight tonight so I was to call the assistant terminal manager in the morning and let them know what I’d done.

Now it didn’t take me a hot second to decide what I was gonna do.  I piddled around the house for about three hours getting some things done that needed doing.  Seems I never get caught up around here.  Then I did the only logical thing there was.  You are correct.  I took a ride.002I had attempted several times over the past year to collect more of the Tennessee State Parks in my quest to visit all of them.  Due to many factors I haven’t done a very good job of this.  The time was right for another state park to move into the accomplished column.  Leaving out before the dawn was a very invigorating experience.  The cool night air did wonders for cleansing my thoughts.  I enjoyed the ride up hwy 70 through towns such as Smithville.  Crossing over the Caney Fork River/ Center Hill Lake with the fog rising was both haunting and enlightening.

I climbed the hill on toward Sparta and crossed the Calf Killer river.  One of these days I really need to find out the story behind that name.  Leaving Sparta and continuing East I climbed Bon Aire Mountain and on toward Crossville.  Once in Crossville I worked my way over to hwy 127 and on to Cumberland Mountain State Park.  Taking a little look see around the park tempted my taste for a camping trip up there.007

I left Cumberland Mountain State Park and worked my way South down to Pikeville.  It was here that I turned onto hwy 30 for a rather relaxing and twisty ride over the hills through Spencer and on down to McMinnville.  The Views on 30 are fantastic.015I took hwy 70s out of McMinnville and enjoyed the ride down through Woodbury and on into Murfreesboro.  From there it was a short ride back to the house.  All in all a very relaxing and rejuvenating ride around some of the beautiful countryside if Middle Tennessee.  I racked up a total of 251 miles on this little scooter ride and captured another Tennessee State Park for my collection.

Ride Safe,

Ronman

Not your Typical Mom and Pop Cafe

010We all have enjoyed the little Mom and Pop type diners along our many journeys.  You know the type of place I’m speaking of.  The little cafe that serves up the locals every morning.  You can sit back and learn about all aspacts of life in one of these little places.

Should you ever get to LaVergne, Tennessee you owe it to yourself to stop in at Kym and Bev’s.    See instead of a mom and pop it’s a mom and daughter type place.  Kym and Bev are a mother daughter duo that serve up tasty treats and lots of laughter and smiles.  This team takes turns behind the counter doing the cooking.  I like to say that one day you get good food and one day you get good service.  Truth is you always get good food and service.  I just have to poke fun at Kym to keep her on her toes.

If your  sweet tooth is needing a fix you are in luck.  Bev’s deserts are to die for.  She uses recipes passed down from her mother and grandmother.  Kym is also known to whip up some pretty good sweets too.   One thing is certain, you will come away from your visit full of good food and with a smile on your face.

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Oh, one last thing.  When you visit Kym and Bev’s be sure to bring cash American.  You see these ladies don’t take plastic.  You won’t need to take a loan to get your belly full.  So the next time you are near LaVergne stop on by the corner of West Jefferson Pike and Old Nashville hwy for some good eats.  You can give them a call at 615-213-2378 for take out orders.

Ride Safe,

Ronman

Jefferson Davis Monument

010 Travel along highway 68 in Fairview Kentucky and you’ll notice a very tall concrete structure.  Having passed this way several times I had learned that it was the Jefferson Davis Monument.  I must admit that I’ve never been a big fan of Jeff Davis, although I do enjoy learning about the “War of Northern Aggression”.

027Take the time to do the tour if you visit this monument.  The view is spectacular. It amazes me to think of how difficult it must have been to build this monument at the time it was built.

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011Nothing like spending a wonderful afternoon with a few friends on a scooter ride.  Learning some history is an added bonus.  You may not be able to check out this historic marker but I feel certain that all of us have something just as interesting right in our back yard.

Ride Safe,

Ronman

Meet C.C.

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She’s a brand new 2009 FLHTCU Ultra Classic!