As we usually do, we got up early and packed the bike after breakfast. And as usual, Beth answered emails right up to the last minute.

Our route took us up to Jackson, MS, across the Mississippi at Vicksburg, MS, and across Louisiana and Texas on I-20.

I used the Real Time Tracker app on my phone, which plotted our location on a web map. Our hosts for the evening, John and Nikki got a kick out of watching our progress. John could see we were heading into their neighborhood and was standing at the curb waiting for us.

John had gotten up early in the morning to start smoking brisket, chicken, and ribs. They prepared a feast for us, Texas style. Several of John and Nikki’s friends, who also ride Road Glides, joined us for dinner and an evening of conversation.