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Earning my second long distance riding award - Page 3

© Brian Salisbury

Getting tangled up in Knoxville

I was lucky to have the extra time. Due to my concern to get a gas receipt with "Knoxville" printed on it, I kept driving closer to the center of the city. But when I finally exited the interstate, I saw no gas stations in that part of town. So I backtracked to a previous exit and found a gas station.

But after I filled-up and got the gas receipt from the pump, I noticed the time on it was off by one hour (too early), so I asked the attendant to hand write a receipt containing the correct time.

Even with all this jerking around, when I left Knoxville, I still had a 30-minute cushion for my ride back north.

By now, the sun was setting and traffic had thinned out. Soon I was riding alone in the dark. I became very leery about encountering deer on the unlit highway, but, luckily, I didn't see any.

Throughout the trip back, I made good time and eventually expanded my cushion to 90 minutes. This alleviated quite a bit of pressure because now I knew if I stayed alert and avoided any mishaps, I could cover the distance and make it home on time. I did not feel tired at all.

Getting home okay and on time

At approximately 5 a.m., I rolled into the same 24-hour Texaco gas station where I'd started. I filled my tank and got a printed receipt that stopped the clock. Next, I drove to the local police station where an officer verified my end-of-ride mileage. I'd covered the distance, plus a few miles extra for good measure.

Now it is up to the association to determine if I've met their requirements.

Would I try another ride like this? I'm sure I'll attempt some of the other Iron Butt certificate rides, perhaps those that string together a few 1,000-mile days. But I don't think I'm interested in taking another extreme ride that crams 1,500 miles or more into a very limited period. Not right away, anyway.

I thoroughly enjoy long rides on twisty county roads. But long rides on interstate highways grow old very fast.

Am I glad I took this ride? You bet. I'm happy to know I can do it.

And I'm very glad I succeeded in an endeavor that I'd dedicated to the fathers in my family.

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