June 2016 Southern Swing

Jane, Jodi, Mike and I took a motorcycle trip from Iowa to Charleston, SC and then across to Birmingham, Al before returning to Iowa.  It was a good trip, but weather conspired a bit against us making it a bit difficult at times.  We had rain each of the first four riding days and then it got pretty hot.  That said there was a tropical storm that came through Charleston the week before we arrived and a week after arrived, so even though we fought some rain we didn't get into he worst of it.

All in all almost 2600 miles for the trip with no major mishaps and we only got lost a couple of times.

(Click on the pictures to bring them up in a larger window)

 
 Some mechanical issues and then heavy rains made us skip the Tail of the Dragon, have to hit it next time.

The hotel let us park the bikes under the canopy to keep them out of the weather.

 

Toured the Fort Sumter National Park in Charleston.


Our house in Charleston had an alligator in the  marsh right behind the house.

Toured Barber for the people in the group who hadn't been there.

 

 Of course we had to find a microbrewery along the way.  This was Good People brewery in Birmingham

 Had a guy on a "Sportster Rat Bike" stop and check out our bikes at a gas stop.  Told us he was retired but used to play in BB Kings band.

 On this trip we broke a lot of Peter Egan's rules for the perfect trip by putting in a few long days and riding way too many interstates, but the last day we tried to get back on track and stopped right before getting home at Old 218 Tap in Hills to cool off, eat, and have one beer to toast the trip.