Breaking in the Rookie

Saturday, September 6th, 2008




Here is it the first Saturday of the month, and of course that means we just had a meeting last Thursday. Oops, I mean that it is day for a Cruiser Club Ride! It was a crisp morning, but it was forecasted to be good day. It would also be a day of firsts, the first Cruiser Club ride that Kasey would join me.

I could feel as we were getting our gear on the warmth was rolling in. The sun was bursting over the trees. We started out on a familiar path, heading down Cartersburg Road to US-40. We turned south on the new Ronald Reagan Parkway, passing by the airport, and arriving south of the meeting place. I had not filled up with gas, and when we stopped at SR 67, the bike stalled. The light also seemed to last forever! Of course, Kasey reminding me that she wanted to leave 15 minutes early didn't make the light change any sooner.

So we showed right at the appointed time, instead of the time that I usually do, early. I know, it was my own fault. We pulled in, and Kasey got off the bike, and I fueled The Black Pearl. When I fired the bike and pulled around to park with the rest of the bikes, I was heckled about being be late. I made mention about Red Light, and apparently that sounded funny to them. Gee, you show up on time or a minute late, and you get all kinds of heck!

We started out by heading down SR 67. Jim "Easyrider" was at my wing, followed by Wade, Anna, and my brother and his wife bringing up the rear. The first stop was the Burger King in Spencer, Indiana. We had a little chat while taking a break to use the rest rooms. I had planned to stop at a gas station, but Spencer is a busy little burg, and the only fueling stop on the north side of the street was closed for remodeling.


SR 67 would take us further south and west until we had to veer off to make our way to Washington, Indiana. Indiana is one of those states that has a Amish Population, and they are spread across the state. Also spread across the state, are Amish Restaurants. Most of them are buffets, and have plentiful food and seating. We cruised through town, and pulled into the parking lot on the south side. I found three parking spaces in a row, and we pulled the bikes in and parked.

Once we dismounted and pulled the helmets off. Wade was joking with Kevin that we couldn't have a Cruiser Club ride without incident. As we walked into the eatery, they explained that at one corner, Anna got her rear tired rubbed by Wades. Neither went down, and I am not sure if Anna even knew it happened!

The place was packed, and so were our bellies when we waddled ourselves out of the buffet. We all got ready to get back on the bikes. We shared a quick kiss before donning the helmets, and headed out of their parking lot. It was a short trip, as we stopped just down the road to refill the bikes also.

We pulled out of the gas station, and began our journey back north. We were making our way north through some great and scenic country roads heading for Bloomington, Indiana. Kasey had noted that I was always checking to see if we all made it through lights and around corners. It was obvious when she started telling me when Kevin, bringing up the rear made it around. He was having trouble with his CB Radio. We rode through the home of Indiana University, and onto SR 45. This is a great little stretch with wooded lanes, and curves a plenty. It ends at SR 135 in Beanbloosom, Indiana. The corner also has a market, and a shade structure with a picnic table. A great place to take a break on a hot day.

It was an interesting break. First, I had realized with Kasey, Virginia (my brother's wife) and Anna on the ride we had almost as many women as we did men. It showed in the conversation, as Anna and Kasey seemed to hit it off, and talked quite a bit. And they had all our attention.

From there, we headed up further north on SR 135. Through Whiteland and into Greenwood. By this time, the rest of the group, with the exception of my brother riding with his wife, had all peeled off for home. I took Greenwood's Main Street east until we got out of town, and then jogged on a couple of road until we got to London Road. This twisty little road winds it way along Sugar Creek, and it gave me the chance to hang out a little on the bike, as I knew my brother, even riding two up, would be staying right with me. Kasey loved it too, and wanted to go back through one more time!

After this road jogs and changes names to a county number designation, we spill out on US 52. We take this north and west back into Indianapolis. Kevin and Virginia exited at 465, as they still had at least an hour long ride to get home. Kasey and I went north on Shadeland until Washington Street. I took the exit to head east, and then turned to head to home.

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