Copyright: Jurgen Brauer, Augusta, Georgia, USA

1. My son Jonathan (on the right) saw an ad suggesting we do something crazy: complete a 1,000 mile ride in 24 hours. Aptly called the "Saddle Sore 1000", son Jonathan said "Hey, dad, why not do it?" [The other son, Leon, is on the left. He didn't ride with us, this time.]

2. Trouble was, the ride started in Newnan, GA, south of Atlanta. I had a 200 mile ride just to get there (and then back and then some extra here and there). Jonathan rode in from Tuscaloosa, AL. We stayed in Carrolton, GA, overnight and got up next morning around 4:30am or so. Our bikes are his chain-driven Triumph 1200, and my shaft-driven Honda ST1100. [Proud owner's note: the ST1100 averaged over 50 miles-per-gallon in fuel consumption, and got about 350 miles on a single tank-fill.]

3. Shortly after 5am we were in Newnan, GA, along with 50 or so other riders, all ready to roll.

4. The challenge: ride 1,000+ m within 24 hours on a predetermined route along I-20 through Augusta, GA, to Columbia, SC, then north on I-77 through Charlotte, NC to Statesville, then west on I-40 through Asheville, NC, to Knoxville and Nashville, TN, then south on I-24 to Chattanooga, TN, and then along I-75 back to Newnan through Atlanta, GA. Every stop must be documented; all gas station receipts showing place, day, and time must be handed in to the organizers.

5. The prize? Bragging rights, of course, and a certificate of completion from the - no kidding! - Iron Butt Association. The price of admission? $40 and ... well, Jonathan demonstrates it!

6. Riding weather was near perfect, so, naturally, we had one heck of a good time. The things dads do for their kids ... must do it again some time! [All together, I rode over 1,500 miles in under 36 hours.] Photo hereunder: somewhere in TN.

7. So, this was in April. About six weeks later, while workmen were rebuilding the deck at my house, I decided to take a 10-day motorcycling tour instead of flying up north to attend a conference at Bard College in Annandale-upon-Hudson, about an hour north of New York City.

8. The plan: ride up through GA, SC, NC, TN, VA, MD, PA, NY and back down via NJ, PA, MD, WV, VA, TN, GA. At the end of day 1, I am just arrived in TN (next photo), about five miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The bike is loaded with raingear, tent, cooker, food, maps, and a book or two.

9. I had pre-arranged stops at various campsites but also with a couple of friends in PA and NY state. On day 2, I rode about 300 miles along the Blue Ridge and the Skyline Drive and camped in the Shenandoah Valley. It was Memorial Day weekend; lots of riders around to enjoy the mountains and attend the annual Memorial Day Bike Rally in Washington, DC.

10. A view from my tent.

11. A view from my bike.

12. I actually spent so much time on the saddle, some days an uninterrupted 12 hours and more, that I took very few photographs. Hereuunder is one crossing the Suesquehanna River into Pennsylvania, on the way to visit a friend I hadn't seen in some 30 years!

13. My friend, Sam, owns and runs a fruit farm not far from Lancaster, PA, growing peaches and apples.

14. Last time I was here must have been around 1977. Meanwhile, Sam had married and acquired a gaggle of kids as well. Here is one playing "catch-the-waterballoon". (See it flying in the upper right-hand corner of the photograph.)

15. With every toss, the balloon was thrown harder. It had to burst sometime ... splash!

16. A farm of course comes with animals. Horses ...

17. ... and a trusty dog enjoying a rump through the field.

18. The kids all wanted a ride on the bike. Happy to oblige, I took each on a spin. His beard flying left and right, an Old Order Amish elder we passed on a backroad riding with his family in a horse-drawn buggy to Sunday evening church service, disapprovingly shook his head: why, how can a Beachy Amish girl fall to the worldly temptation of riding on the backseat of a motorcycle?! [The rules of personal behavior among the Beachy Amish are somewhat less restrictive than those of the Old Order Amish. My friend permitted the rides.]

19. A reasonably fresh litter of kittens. One fell asleep in my arms - sound and safe - when, in the evening, family and friends sat on the covered porch, enjoying an ice-cream social while observing a massive thunderstorm pelt the area. What a good night I had chosen NOT to sleep in my tent!

20. Next morning, time for good-byes, and I am ...

21. ... on the road again. The goal was to ride all the way from southeastern Pennsylvania straight north to Binghamton, NY. The southern part of PA I did not like much at all - way too much built-up countryside. But once I had passed over the Blue Mountains (I-78 connecting Bethlehem/Allentown with Harrisburg) and got toward Wilkes-Barres and Scranton, the countryside was stunningly beautiful, and by early evening I rode into Binghamton, to spend the evening and night with a dear colleague of mine.

22. Having been to New York City many times, I never had the opportunity to see any of the remainder of the state. So, for the next day my riding program called for a wild ride northeast into the Adironback mountains and then south to the Catskills where I planned to spend the night. And what a day and ride it was - the countryside is absolutely beautiful! Later I heard that late May/early June was in fact very nearly the ideal time for my ride. Below, my Catskills campground for the night, right near a stream of water.

23. During the week just after Memorial Day weekend, the campground was essentially empty. Luckily, not even the advertised bears came around to check me out.

24. Next morning, I captured some rays ...

25. ... and some play of light on the water.

26. Then I needed to head out of the mountains to attend my conference. Back to work for a few days.

27. Following the conference, I headed south to New Jersey, overnighted there, then went back into Pennsylvania, and stopped on Chococlate Avenue at Hershey's.

28. At this point, the weather turned nasty, and instead of continuing my planned tour back to West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee, I canceled my camping reservations and threaded my way down south, first around York and Gettysburg into Maryland toward Frederick. By then heavy rain caught up with me, and so I turned northwest on I-70 to catch I-85 south at Hagerstown, MD. Then it was one heck of a joyride down the Shenandoah Valley in a pouring rainstorm, safely encapsulated in my raingear. Just past Roanoke, the rain relented, and I took I-77 south over the Blue Ridge into North Carolina, and then back home. After a 12-hour ride or so, I was back home in hot Georgia, having started earlier that day in New Jersey. All-in-all, 10 days on the road, 5 nights camping, 2 staying with friends, 3 in a motel, and 2,500 miles and many memories added to the bike.

[The end.]