[Thebrain]

Decided on a whim to jump on the scooter and take a Memorial Day ride this morning. Planned out a short route east and back home that would have taken me through the little town of Jena, LA and back across the red river in Colfax, LA. Missed my turn in Jena and decided to just keep going. Rode on through the Mississippi River delta past Frogmore plantation through Vidalia across the Mississippi River into Natchez, MS. Jumped on Hwy 61 south out of Natchez and rode into St. Francisville, LA. Made a stop at The Myrtles Plantation, which is supposedly one of the most haunted places in America. Can’t speak about whether or not there are ghosts there, but if you are ever in the area, I recommend stopping by as it is a very pretty place. Got on LA Hwy 10 west just south of town and crossed the big muddy a second time. Got to see and cross the John James Audubon suspension bridge. Beautiful bridge as bridges go. As I was moving, I didn’t get any photos but if you like bridges, it’s a must see.

I burned up the remaining miles in about 3 hours as I headed back home. The temperature warmed up as the day aged hitting about 93 degrees. Those last 2 hours were starting to get uncomfortable but I rolled on. The Valkyrie is in a class of its own and never seems to miss an opportunity to make me smile. Trip totaled 367 miles through some beautiful Louisiana and Mississippi river delta. Days like today remind me how blessed I am.

 

[Richmonder]

Sounds like a nice day on the Valk! Nice pics.

I spent most of the afternoon on the Valk myself, and intended to create a video on Richmond's famous (infamous?) Monument Avenue, which was a flashpoint for violence and protest after the George Floyd incident - I think we even made the cover of National Geographic. All the way up to that point, the monuments had full protection from police, and any vandalism would have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But as public pressure mounted, and the crowds grew angrier and more threatening, "someone" in the city told the police to stand down, and all of our monuments on the entire strip were sprayed with graffiti from top to bottom. They have since been removed, and flower gardens were planted in their place. The only remaining monument now is that of Arthur Ashe. I hadn't been on Monument Avenue since things started heating up, so it has been two years. I thought I'd take a spin down the road to see what it looked like. The site of the former Robert E. Lee statue, the largest one, is now surrounded by heavy duty metal fence, and graffiti-sprayed jersey walls. I fully intended to post a video of this ride, but as usual, I had mic issues and the audio was poor. I'll try again soon.

But all was not lost. Lots of wildlife sightings today. I spotted this snake down by the James River. It had been run over, and was slowly dying. I felt bad for it, suffering like that. He was quite a big boy, guessing about three feet. Wild how it twisted itself into a knot like that:

And a couple deer sightings in the 'hood:

Even had one run right across the road 20 yards ahead of me this afternoon. We even had a black bear in the neighborhood this week.

It was good to see all the flags flying all over the city today and people remembering the fallen.

It was about 92 degrees this afternoon, so it got pretty hot in the helmet and jeans, and I was glad to get home to the AC, as I imagine you were as well!

Thanks for sharing your adventure. P.S. I grew up in a little town in Iowa right on the Mississippi River, and Highway 61 goes right through town.

Richmonder

 

[tngarren]

Missed my turn in Jena and decided to just keep going.

Bruce Springsteen is proud of you.

 

[Fratt]

@Thebrain...nice journey,I hope that soon I will document also some of my rides as soon as I get back on my feet (I strained my ancle real bad).
How do you like that Corbin Gunfighter seat,is it the same comfort for the rider as Corbin dual seat (if you tried both of them,offcourse)?
I'm interested in comfort firts and the looks second and I do think that the Gunfighter looks better,IMO.

 

[Thebrain]

@Thebrain...nice journey,I hope that soon I will document also some of my rides as soon as I get back on my feet (I strained my ancle real bad).
How do you like that Corbin Gunfighter seat,is it the same comfort for the rider as Corbin dual seat (if you tried both of them,offcourse)?
I'm interested in comfort firts and the looks second and I do think that the Gunfighter looks better,IMO.

I have sat on both the dual tour seat and my gunfighter seat. From a rider's perspective, they feel the same. I couldn't tell the difference. Only way it would be an issue is if you have a passenger.

 

[Fratt]

I have sat on both the dual tour seat and my gunfighter seat. From a rider's perspective, they feel the same. I couldn't tell the difference. Only way it would be an issue is if you have a passenger.

Thanks for the reply! 🍻

 

[Geepers]

Thebrain: “The Valkyrie is in a class of its own and never seems to miss an opportunity to make me smile…. Days like today remind me how blessed I am.”

Amen x 2 👍🏼