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Labor Day weekend I traveled with Chris to Daniel Boone National Forest in Northeastern Kentucky. Two weeks later I went with Kat and our friends David and Sharon to the same location. Here is the video results shot with our GoPro Hero Wide Helmet Cam, enjoy:

Crossing the Ohio River on the Madison, Indiana/Kentucky Bridge

Some things you do just to see what it is like to do them.  A large selection of my bucket list is made up of foods, trips and activities that at one time or another has peaked my curiosity.  Going around Lake Michigan on a motorcycle was one such trip suggested by my good friend David Livingston. 

Some roads are practical, some roads are built to take you places, some roads are scenic, and then some roads defy explanation.  Welcome to the Dragons Tail, 11 miles of how the hell did they build this thing and why?  If you own a motorcycle then you have probably heard the rumors; route 129 is America's favorite motorcycle riding challenge.  318 turns in 11 short miles makes this road curvier than Marilyn Monroe and just about as sexy.   I am not talking about long, lazy curves that you might encounter on most of the highways in the U.S.  The curves on Route 129 are switch backs (180° turns) winding up the mountain then down the other side.

One look at the Google map zoomed in will convince you that this is no ordinary road. The road is located on the southern end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Forest.  The real fun begins at Calderwood, Tennessee and intensely goes until the border of Tennessee and North Carolina where you can stop at Deals Gap Resort.  The Post at Deals Gap has limited lodging, huge gift shop, and a restaurant.  You will see hundreds of bikes from all around the world pull into Deals Gap on any given day.

Ok, this is not exactly a trip report but rather some thoughts about trips and life in general.

Every parent at one time or another has probably encountered the dreaded "Are we there yet?" question from a bored kid in the back seat.  Who knows how long that question has been around?  The "Are we there yet?" interrogative may have been occurring since the horse and buggy days.  Even as adults we often miss the point of traveling.  We confuse the destination with the goal of traveling.

Modern society always has to be somewhere at a very specific time and the process of getting there is viewed as an annoyance that should be shortened.  The trip is dull, but unfortunately the destination often sours too.  We go all that way only to be disappointed.  We pictures our selves at our destination having fun with various activities, but the anticipation of the arrival often is too high and we are left with a flat feeling about our trip.