Tennessee Plates

My boys aren't buying into this corporate employment concept, or the he who dies with the most toys wins. They seem to be a fit for a minimalist lifestyle. After several years of observing this, I'm suspecting it just might be the way to go - to a degree. Lots of talking points on this topic, and probably better suited to a campfire and not clogging-up this thread.

Well, if you want to sit by a campfire I can hook you up. As far as the rest of your post, I'm missing something.
Head to piney friday, bring 15 clams and a snort. Pm me for details if you can swing it.

Just found this thread a couple days ago and have really been enjoying it. Great pictures, good riding area, and interesting commentary. But you need more riding time.

Hey Jeff! Did you finish the AR work? Did you get a bike out there? Been a while since you posted riding adventures.

Hope things are good for you and you're getting some riding in. I want to get back to the Parks rides but have been awol for a couple of months.

Yeah, got a couple days days in. the highlight was AR123. I've only been out once since June. (Dammit)
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(No flaming for dancing across the double yellow, the roads up there are the width of a golfcart path )

Aye, understood. Work has been sucking up all my time. Hope to get back out on my park-quest this fall.
I need to retire now, then go back to work twenty years from now when I'm 65. That would solve everything. If only my wife wasn't so spoiled. She really seems to enjoy living indoors, eating three meals a day, wearing clothes, buying shoes, and driving a car. So selfish.

Pretty cool vid! That Wee sure can belch out a gnarly sound!

Headed to Mousetail Landing SP in the AM. Poor photos and boring story to follow. Right now I'm in Hohenwald, TN getting soused in my tent

I made it to Mousetail Landing, last Sunday but it doesn't really matter. I'll post that trip sometime in the future.

As soon as I arrived home later that day, my phone was ringing. I answered only to hear my daughter crying. She told me that her cousin (my niece) had been killed in a car accident. She was 27.
She was out visiting family as many of us do on the weekends when another driver crossed the center line of the two-lane road she was traveling and hit her head on. She was killed instantly. Her three young children all managed to survive the accident. However, two of the children were airlifted to the local children's hospital here in Memphis. Physically, they will eventually be OK.

The two older children are aware of what happend and witnesed something that no child (or adult) should ever have to see.

We've been told that the other driver may have had a medical issue causing him to blackout. He was airlifted as well.
I feel sorry for him too. Having to carry that much guilt around will be tough to say the least.

It occoured to me at the time that she was on the type of road that many of us love the most. It was a nice clear day, and at the time she died, I was on a beautiful narrow two lane road as well. I'm sure many of you folks were too.
A few seconds either way, a little slower, a little faster. It's easy to get caught up in the "what if", but it doesn't really matter. When everything lines up, there's simply nothing left to be done.

Life is fragile. We're all lulled into thinking things like this only happen to other folks, and thats feels true for a while...'till it happens. Make sure your friends and family know how much you love and care for them. You never know when that may be the last time you see them.

Be safe folks.

My heart hurts to hear of your family's loss. I'll add an extra prayer for the kids.

Be safe.

Sorry for your loss. Prayers are going out all involved. Take care. Jd

Same here.

Been enjoying your travels and had subscribed.

Definitely some sad news, Jeff. Your expressed thoughts are of a caring man.

A prayer to you and your daughter, but there are many who are reeling at this moment. A prayer for them as well.

prayers sent your way

Thanks Guys I truly appreciate the kind words.

This is Hohenwald, TN not Mouse Tail Landing, but we'll get to that later.
Fall is such a beautiful time in the south. It's still warm during the day, not too awful cold during the evenings. I suppose It's a good time to camp, right?
The amateurs all like to camp when It's hot as hell. Not me buddy, the lack of sweating, minimal insects, and being able to have the pick of the campground is worth the cooler temps...Until the morning comes.

Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. It's 4:30AM, 35ish degrees, you're bundled up and hanging tough. You're a total camping badazz at this point. It just doesn't get any better.
If you're like me, you only have a 40 degree bag because it's hard to imagine being cold when you buy a sleeping bag on a 98 degree day. Fits better on the bike too. That way you have room for the Ipad, coffee grinder, chess set, margarita machine, cast iron stove, and other moto-camping essentials. 0.001 cubic feet of extra space for a 20 degree bag? Who's got room for that!

So where were we? Oh yes. 4:30AM and up till a few minutes ago, all was well.
Then the call of nature gently drags you from your woodsy slumber.

Nature calling: &#8220;Hey Bozo! Remember all that ____ we drank?

You: Give me a few more minutes. Zzzzzz.

Nature calling: Uhh, I don't think we can wait that long.

You: @#$% Let my find my @#$%ing boots #$%*!!!

As you unzip the door to your nylon fortress, you realize that Nature had called in the nick of time. Brrr.
You stand there in the manliest of positions engulfed in a cloud of steam losing every bit of heat you managed to accumulate over the course of the evening. You glance up at the stars. What a beautiful night. Sure, it's not THAT cold, but down here, you might as well be in the Arctic Circle. You mosey back to the tent, try to get everything like you had it, and attempt to go back to sleep. Damn you nature. You stare up at the ceiling of your cloth castle for what seems like hours and right about the time you begin to doze off. ZZZ Sunrise! The sounds of birds singing and squirrels break dancing in the leaves shatter the silence of morning. No sleep now.

Thanks nature, I owe you one. Harrumph.

Coffee sounds good right about now.

Now that I've got my java jitter freak on, it's time to go visit the park.
I pulled up stakes and headed 35 miles down the road to Linden, TN
Come to find out, I had ridden by the park several times and never noticed it. I need to slow down I suppose.



Surprisingly, it has a beach!











After I left the beach, I went over the primitive campground to do some future camping recon.


Not bad at all.




Nice view of the Tennessee river.




After you exit the campground, if you head west you have a great view of the Tennessee river from the bridge. You can't see it, but the park is actually just ahead of the barge to the right of where the reflections begin to fade.


All in all, a nice park. Hope to camp there come spring.

Be safe guys.

Been checking in with your reports from time to time.....

Let me say first, that I am very sorry for your loss and sincerely hope that everyone will be OK. They say that time heals all wounds, but I'm not sure that is really true. I think, with time, you just learn how to cope with them. Many prayers being sent your families way...

Back to your report....

Enjoy it very much and nice to see that you have found some really nice places. The area around Horenwald, Linden, and Mousetail is filled with great roads and much beauty, especially in the fall. Been by the park 3-4 times but never stopped, I wonder why now, certainly looks like a nice place. Probably to busy enjoying the roads...

I can certainly understand what you are talking about when you write about being COLD while camping this time of year...LOL. Do you use a sleeping pad or air mattress? I have found them to be VERY useful for cold weather camping, even more so than for comfort, as a cold barrier.

I'll be looking forward to more of your reports in the future...

all I can say is a empty one of these







it also beats finding a bush at a rally went tents are side beside.

when your standing on your knees pissing out your tent door & ya hear someones old lady say "is that guy pissing", its to late to stop.




ps. make sure you use the bigger bottle, cause after along night of drinking a 12 oz bottle is not going to hold it all. Don't ask me how I know this.

Thanks. Great area for sure.
I use a Thermarest self inflating unit. To be honest, it's the reason I can go way below the rating of the bag and stay warm. I do like to joke about what I bring, but I haven't been cold. (Yet)

Excellent advise my well-traveled friend. I've used the G-Potty many times. Like a dumbazz, I didn't stop and get one on the way.
Great hangover remedy as well. You just gotta remember, well, you know.