Day 01: Hmm, what are the Odds.

Day 01 - Starke, FL to Columbia, SC: 3 states (FL, GA, SC), 340 miles 7 hours on the road, 6.5 in the saddle.

Our ride started out with nice weather and not too much traffic. We traveled the back roads until just before reaching our destination of Columbia, SC. where we hopped on I-26 for a few miserable miles. The temperature and humidity became really high just a few hours into today's ride. The traffic around Columbia was awful which made sitting on the bikes in the smeltering heat pretty miserable. But that's all part of the adventure.

The maps I loaded onto Curtis' Garmin weren't working as expected. Ugh. But luckily today's route only included a few different roads. Plus, I was somewhat familiar with the route since I had just planned it.  So we only missed a couple of turns where we had to turn around.

We rode through Statesboro, GA., a location Curtis has wanted to visit for quite some time and we were finally able to fit it into a route. The town gained some notariaty with the song "Statesboro Blues" first written and released in 1928 but gained popularity when the Allman Brothers rereleased it in 1971. We grabbed a quick photo op and continued on down the road.

After arriving at our hotel and cooling down a bit we headed over to Applebee's for a bite before checking out the festivities at Harley Haven, today's dealership stop. We grabbed a seat at the bar and a few minutes later a couple sat near us. The gentleman asked where we were from and oddly enough they're from the Orlando area. He owns a business that produces custom parts for many things including motorcycles. They're also heading to Milwaukee where he'll be displaying his products. What are the odds of running into them? Small world. 

Sometimes you see the oddest things while riding or even driving. During yesterday's ride we passed a flatbed truck hauling a couple of what appeared to be tombs. I assume they were empty but can't confirm. Then, a few miles later, a Medical Examiner vehicle passed us. What are the odds, right? 

Now, while that may seem a little peculiar in and of itself, but today, while leaving Statesboro, we came upon a funeral procession complete with law enforcement escort. Our route had us turning which put us right behind the funeral procession, which we followed for a couple of miles until they turned and we continued straight. Tombs, medical examiner and funeral procession. What are the odds? Maybe the oddity can be attributed to "many things happen in three's". Guess we'll leave it at that. 

Tomorrow we're headed to Knoxville, TN, with a stop at Wheels Through Time museum in Maggie Valley. Hopefully the maps I reworked tonight take us on the planned route. Fingers crossed.