Monday Today we will tackle the Natchez trace parkway and head to Kentucky. The Natchez is very similar to Skyline drive it is two lanes of moderately winding road. But where Skyline is a lot of tree covered road and fairly high altitudes. The Natchez is open and not as curvaceous. At least the sections we covered were not until we got to the Nashville area which is where we got back on I-40 for a short scoot to 231 north to 31E to 52 to 53 which turns into 61 as we entered Kentucky.

It may sound weird but the moment we entered the state it smelled different, a sweet pungent fresh scent that was somewhere between fresh cut grass,  alpha and Hawaiian.  My senses were alive and working over time. I was finally in Kentucky and the roads we were about to ride would prove to be nothing short of stupendous. We took 90 and 92 through Cumberland Gap, the southern part of Daniel Boone national forest and man it was awesome just miles of up and down tree covered road with a bunch of long sweeping curves and tons of switchbacks. It was downright spiritual. I felt at one with Dyna as we carved up the bottom of this state. The boys and I all agreed it was one of the best rides we have ever been on. And I got about an hour of it on tape!

The pace we kept in those mountains ate the daylight rather quickly and so it all came to an end in Middlesboro Kentucky on 25E at another Best Western. We were in what they called the tri-state area. Tennessee Kentucky and Virginia all converge here. We washed up and went out to Tennessee because Middlesboro is a dry county and Diamond needs a brewski with chow after a ride. We had to go through this cool tunnel to get there and Rob and I kept playing a”shave and a haircut” on our throttles. It was hilarious to us but then again when you are on the road that long everything is funny. We found a pizzeria and consumed mass quantities. We headed back to the hotel and were all pretty much shot but not so shot that we couldn’t make as much noise as possible on the way back through that tunnel. Yup shave and a haircut all the way through. It still makes me crack up. Slept like a baby.