Mild Hogs

As the inspiration for the movie "Wild Hogs," it was only fitting that we embark on the sequel the same week the original movie was released to video. Unfortunately the regular fourth member of our group, my friend Scott's dad (Mike C.), was unable to ride with us this year, so Mike D. and I left Peoria early Friday morning to meet Scott (in Champaign, IL) for our traditional Steak-n-Shake breakfast...well, except for Mike as it seemed he was on a mission to eat nothing but burgers and fries the entire trip! One topic of discussion was which character defined each of us. We were suppose to have a new rider this year, and the only thing we could agree on was our friend, Greg, would have been Dudley had he not dogged us and skipped out on the trip!

Let the ride begin!

We had fantastic weather for the majority of the trip. We camped in Milton, West Virginia Friday night. We found a great bar, Cactus Joe's, and had a fun night with the locals...right up until one of the people we were drinking with was asked to leave the bar and the police were called. Unfortunately, the campground wasn't quite the 'resort' the sign proclaimed it to be (see the picture below). The back of the campground (where our site was) was right on I-64. Needless to say, the traffic noise was not conducive to sleep - even after many adult beverages!



You may also notice a sign for the Springs Tavern in the picture. Being the closest bar to the campground, we naturally stopped there first after setting up our tents. This high class establishment had a buzzer on the door that you had to ring for the bartender to buzz you in. Apparently they weren't intimidated by this motley crew of bikers since they let us in.

Breaking camp in Milton, WV.

This picture is from 'The Scenic Overlook' on I-64 west of Richmond, VA. We rode from Milton to Virginia Beach on Saturday.

Sunday, we started our trek back with a detour on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

An overlook point on Blue Ridge Parkway.

Scott and I thought we should do a little rock climbing for a photo op. Ok...the camera may be embellishing the situation...a lot!

The Mild Hogs (Mike D., me, and Scott) at one of the overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Damn, these guys are intimidating!

Mike took this picture at 70+ mph on I-64 south of Charleston, WV. I-64 between Beaver, WV and Charleston, WV is the most beautiful stretch of road I have ever ridden! On a side note, Mike and I had a tasty lunch in Beaver! :)

After a wet 200 miles to end our trip, I was greeted at home with a little love from the animals. It wouldn't have been a bike trip without rain. We were fortunate that was the only bad weather for the trip.

Monday evening, me and both my Harley/Harli's were exhausted!

Three and a half days, 2000 miles and the sequel is complete... "Mild Hogs: Mid-life Crisis, 39 and holding." Stay tuned for next August's sequel from the Badlands of South Dakota, "Mild Hogs: 40 and in denial!"