What's Your Biggest Adventure on the Road?

[Guest Hal Davis (MODEL A HAL)]

What has been your biggest adventure on the road?<P>For me, it was a motorcycle ride several years ago. My wife and I, along with two other couples, decided to take a weekend trip to northern Alabama to see several covered bridges. We saw four and rode across three of them. The fourth had been made off limits to vehicles. One had the distinction of being the longest covered bridge across water east of the Mississippi or something like that. It was LONG. Probably a couple of hundred feet. Doesn't sound too long? Try keeping a motorcycle centered up on the bumpy 18" wide runners that run the length of the bridge. <P>Well anyway, back to the adventurous part. The weather took a turn for the worse on the return trip. We were 150 miles from home and it looked like the bottom was going to drop out any second. I suggested we stop at this little Bar-B-Q joint that had once been a service station. We could get some lunch and let the storm blow over while the bikes sat under the awning that had once covered the gas pumps. Well, one of my friends talked us out of it. He convinced us that the worst thing that could happen was we'd all get wet and it sure wouldn't be the first time, so onward we go. It wasn't long before we were all wet. What was worse, was the lightning and wind. I had a habit of putting my finger on the clutch lever while I rode. When lightning would strike, I felt the electrical charge going up my arm from the clutch lever. I knew we needed to get out of the weather, but we were in the middle of Talladega National Forest. The only sign of civilization was the asphalt we were riding on, so we pushed on. We eventually came to a construction site where they were building a school. We turned into the drive and tried to go under the cable that was crossing the road. Then it hit. <P>The rain was practically horizontal. The water was coming down the driveway 3 inches deep. You couldn't tell where the driveway ended and the mud began. One bike made it up to the school. One got off into the mud and was stuck. I stopped to help him. By this time I could no longer look forward. The rain in my face hurt too bad. Bear in mind that this is due entirely to wind. I was not moving. We abondoned the two bikes and took refuge behind a bull dozer. When it was over, there were trees down everywhere, including one across the highway we had just come down. <P>We never saw a funnel cloud, so I don't think it was a tornado. It was probably a microburst. Whatever it was, it scared the living daylights out of us. I have often wondered what might have happened if we had not found a place to stop. We may have been blown off the road or we may have run into that tree. We were fortunate. I believe the Man upstairs was looking out for us. As for the friend who talked us into pressing onward (He was the one that made it up to the building.), he will never live that one down. It became a running joke that if you let him make the weather forcast for a motorcycle ride, you would end up soaking wet.<P>So... Let's hear your adventures on the road.

[The Old Guy]

I just finished my biggest adventure! 7400 miles in three weeks in my 37 Buick coupe(455 buick powered).I ran the Hot Rod power tour from pontiac Mich to San Bernadino CA. with 800-1000 other cars, but they ran the interstates and I ran almost all of Rte. 66. I then went up the coast to San Fransisco and did the Oakland bay and Golden Gate bridges and ran US1 up to the redwoods then and over to Bend Oregon. I left Bend and went up to Bangor WA. where I saw my newest Grandson, went to another Grandsons 5th birthday ,and was able,through my son who is a Commander in the Navy, to get a tour of a ballistic missle sub.The trip out was realy interesting as I saw many old buildings and things left from the 50s when 66 was the major route west. I took lots of pics of the coupe in front of some of them. I got pics in front of the Blue Swallow Motel, The Blue Whale,The 100 foot Totem pole,Downtown Oatman,and it was interesting to note that the desert was in bloom, so I have pics of beautiful flowers blooming in the desert. I ran from washington to Michigan in three days on the way home ,with the last day covering 930 miles. I would do it again in a minute if I thought my wife would let me ,but i think I will let it ride for now.