Kentucky: The Beautiful State

I didn't think I liked riding in Kentucky. The few times I'd been in Kentucky, I took routes that were not conducive to memorable riding. A few months ago, a friend took me through some of his personal favorite ride spots and I realized once again, I was biased and incorrect with some of my assumptions regarding Kentucky. So a couple of weeks ago, I took another route into Kentucky and I found some tremendous motorcycle roads with views and unique towns and people, and of course I discovered some remarkable items to photograph.

In this shot, I'm on a mountain 2 lane road: looking down into the valley I just left. If you look carefully you will see the road as it twists it's way up the hillside to the location I stopped at.

In this next photograph is the little general store of JD Maggard. JD started the store in 1914, it's been in the same family all this time. I met the current owner and you can see him in this photo (left side bottom.) Wonderful man. He told me that his store was used in the movie: "Coal Miner's Daughter". It's the store where she goes in and asks for fried bologna. What a classic store with worn wood floors, a huge ice refrigerator, shelves and shelves of groceries, and some antique oddities for your eyes to discover. You will find this store on US-119 in Oven Fork, Kentucky.

As I'm riding south along US-119, I see this sign.

Anything called "Kingdom Come" has to be a place to go check out. This is some of what I found at Kingdom Come State Park!

There are many overlooks and hiking trails at this state park. Man, I have so many ideas and places to hike when the money and time presents it's self! This view came from the Bullock Overlook.

A bit farther away is this one lane "primitive" road. I saw this sign and you guys know me. I had to ride the road! FAN_FRICKEN_TASTIC!

If you choose to ride this road, be aware: you are in a rural area where the locals use this road as a "short-cut". That being said, there will be cars and pickup trucks coming at fast rates of speed from the opposite direction, careening around curves that will take you out in a heartbeat if you're not paying close attention! Heart in mouth action will find you here! This road is bathed in shadows from the surrounding forest and is a welcome break from the heat of the day. I enjoyed the road.

I came upon a town on KY-160 in Harlan County that had this four sided memorial to immigrant coal miners and the people who support them (wives and family members). This side Says "Many a time, she sewed 20 dollar bills into the hem of a pair of overalls for a miner to mail overseas"

This side says "I met a woman in church who could speak many languages. She helped me write letters home to my father in Lithuania"

This side indicates: "She wrote my mother in Serbia when my brother died." When I got work as a stone mason"

"She wrote my wife in Italy, telling her to come to Harlan County"
"She wrote my grandfather in Hungry, to tell him we started a band"

I saw this warehouse and barn like structure standing side by side in the same little town. I thought it was quite photogenic though I can't state precisely why.

I spotted the Kentucky Coal Museum in Benham, KY. I was short on cash, or I would have gone inside the Museum for photos and an education. It's only six bucks to enter, but I'm just so damn broke lately. I'm just happy to have gas to ride!

In Lynch KY, (right next door to Benham on KY-160) sits this deserted building. It is so very interesting in a photographic way. It belonged to the coal company back in the hey day of mining, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was for. I know it had something to do with storing water, but for what reason eludes me.

Katty corner across the street from the water plant was the Portal 31 display. I didn't spend much time there, in fact none at all. I did stop, but there were about 7 bikers from 2 separate groups there. I didn't feel like getting into conversations with anyone, so I moved on to what I felt was a better photo op anyway. You know how it is: people milling around displays only means I will end up waiting for them to get out of the way so I can get photos, and I will still wind up with their darn legs in the shot. Sucks, so I don't put myself through this. Check out this deserted fire house:

I came across a view of a large strip mine. I would like to have a flotilla of lenses to use while on my travels. I'm poor as a church mouse, so what I have is what I have. This is the best I can do.

It's time to head home. But I found this last building before I turned the wheel southbound for good.

I sure hope y'all enjoyed traveling with me to Kentucky. It sure did me good to be there.

HOKA HEY: LIFE CHANGING TEST OF ENDURANCE

HOKA HEY CHALLENGE: LIFE CHANGING TESTS OF ENDURANCE


As I began researching the meaning of Hoka Hey, I came to realize there are many lines of thought regarding the meaning and how it was used by Crazy Horse during his last charge. The Internet is an interesting place. Did you know there are web sites that have Lakota dictionaries? But as I searched, I found many disparaging answers to the question: What is Hoka Hey? At last, I found one that fits what I want to believe. If it is the truth or a fancy of a story teller’s imagination, I couldn’t say.

“The meaning of Hokaheh,… is to live life in such as way that one has done all that one should upon one’s last day, so it is indeed a good day to die.”
[from http://lessonsfromearthschool.blogspot.com/2009/02/hokaheh-hoka-hey-hoka-hay.html ]

After speaking with a few of the challengers who would discuss their adventure while on the Hoka Hey Challenge, I’m inclined to agree with the statement above. They speak of how the ride eventually caused them to look inward toward their character, pushing aside the petty illusions of their cushioned lives before the Challenge: to look for the character set in steel resolve. Did they have the concrete steadfastness to complete the ride? Could they gather the courage and tenacity to push through the difficult and often times mind numbing course set before them by the founders of the Challenge? Could they confront their demons and help a fellow rider when he/she was experiencing their lowest moments, or when they came across one of their own, fallen onto the roadside with broken bones or worst of all: loss of life? Confronting the fears from within themselves and conquering them, this is what the Hoka Hey was about for most of the riders who will talk about it.

I also started to question the word “CHALLENGE”. Last year, as I followed the Hoka Hey on FaceBook, it was called a RACE. Today, however, I’ve come to understand the Challenge is not a race. It’s a “stimulating test of abilities”: a test of somebody's abilities, or a situation that tests somebody's abilities in a stimulating way. Yes, there was a prize at the end for the first to reach the finish line. A half million dollars, but rather than a “prize” it should be thought of as a reward. Not for being the fastest, but for being able to challenge himself, nature, and mechanical beast. A reward for being able to follow rules, yet come out ahead of the pack. To figure out how to best use his body and machine in order to achieve his goals.

I been reading the stories many riders provided on www.hokaheychallange.com and as each story unfolded, I’ve come to realize what a life changing and affirming experience this challenge is to the riders who have the courage to continue through the hardships of the course. So far, Robbie Vinson’s testament is the most vivid in my mind. I hope the Hoka Hey builds into the beautiful thing the founders, Jim Red Cloud and his wife have envisioned.

This year Jim Red Cloud is bringing us another Hoka Hey Challenge. This one is to begin in the great state of Arizona. Mesa, Arizona. On the morning of August 5th, 2011, everyone will line up at Chester’s Harley Davidson in a first-come, first-serve fashion. At the starting gun, participants will cross the starting line and a police escort will ensure an orderly departure from town. Once they leave town, they will only know one thing: ahead of them lies 48 states and a portion of Canada in which they will be riding through. 10,000 plus miles of hardships, sleeping in the open on the ground, sleep deprivation, lost trails, lost friends, kamikaze wildlife, beautiful yet distracting scenery and the hardest challenges of their lives. Will they be able to contend with the travails of the road? Will they have what it takes to be a leader? Not just a leader of the pack, but a leader of life: A man or a woman who is willing to sacrifice it all in order to help a downed rider? This will be a difficult quest. I imagine the men and women who will be returning to the 2011 Challenge from the 2010 ride will have the advantages. They will have the past to rely on when their spirits flag, their endurance runs low and their courage fails.

This is not a race, but a route that defines character and strength. It is an endurance course. It is a challenge in which there are no losers. Even the few who don’t finish the course have not lost. They took on a CHALLAGE, they rode the challenge to the edges of their abilities and took home with them lessons that few others are ever faced with.
2011 Route

The first leg of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge™ begins in Mesa, AZ and riders will still have to travel to the first checkpoint where they will get a map for the next leg of the journey. From there, our route will take you through Las Vegas, NV; Sturgis, SD; Rocky Mount, NC; and Laconia, NH on our way to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia!

• See the Las Vegas Strip and Bourbon Street!
• Ride across 3 of the countries’ most famous bridges!
• Travel along 2 US Parkways
• Enjoy views of oceans and the Great Lakes
• Vast technical riding!
• Great mountain passes!

In 2010, the participants were allowed to have a support team. Not so this year. All participants must be fully self-contained. So more than ever this year, the strengths of your friendships with others will prevail and be a determining factor in your success. You are not allowed to carry extra fuel, if you run out of gas, get a flat tire or any of the hundreds of unexpected mishaps of the road befalls you, friendship will get ya a lot farther than greed.

This year, I’m happy to say that Harley Davidson Motor Company has determined the Hoka Hey Challenge to be a legitimate entity to which they are pleased to throw their name in with. Of the 15 check points, 11 are located at Harley Dealerships. Two of the dealer ships are within a days ride for me. I’m thinking I want to be there when the riders are due. I’d like to cheer these wonderful men and women on, encourage them and lend whatever support I can during this leg of their journey. If wishes were granted to me by my Fairy Godmother, I’d be one of the women riding into the check points with dirty faces and big toothy grins.