Left DC this morning Westbound, first day on the way back. My navigation was solid, got back on the Interstate without issues and made excellent time.

Despite my recent issue with trying to take a shortcut, I did find a shortcut that took over 200km off of the Interstate route between DC and Cincinnati. I was having a pretty uneventful day, in fact I was wondering what I was going to write about tonight…………R 30;……………& #8230;..until I was about 50 km outside of Cinny.

I had been approaching a large storm cloud and had noticed it had very frequent and intense lightning. Well, I naturally had to drive right through it. Most people that know me know that I love thunderstorms, and I was stoked that I was going to see a classic tornado alley boomer.

I pretty much got way more than I bargained for. At one point I was driving a narrow twisty road with lightning strikes every few seconds all around me and overhead. The strikes were all very close and the thunder was continuous. I was as scared as I have ever been on a motorcycle in my 20+ years of riding. The rain was pretty light though, so cocky Lou figures he’ll stop and shoot some footage of the action.

I stopped on a service road and shot a little vignette of myself, then let it roll on the horizon for about 8 minutes. I buttoned everything up and set off thinking I had about 25 minutes of riding left. Naturally where there is thunder and lighting, there is rain. I was already pretty damp, and it is very hard to put on a rain suit when you are already wet so I thought I’d ride it out.

The rain was biblical and epic and in about 3 minutes I could not have been wetter if I jumped fully clothed in a swimming pool. I had to drive for about 10 minutes in the height of it before I came to a gas station that had a canopy to get under. I was soaked. I was the kinda soaked where when you let go of the handlebars the water that is pooled inside your sleeves at the elbows runs out!

I sat at the gas station for 30 mins until the rain petered out. I was on Ohio 50 westbound and was just outside of Cincinnati. The highway was very foggy, this sometimes happens when a quick rain falls on hot pavement and steams off. Between the fog/steam and the rain starting up again visibility was dicey at times, I could make out the painted line on the shoulder so I just kept my eye on that. Between all the distractions I missed a crucial turn off, took a different incorrect turn off, and, unbelievably ended up on a highway EASTbound!! I was wondering what I had done in past lives to deserve this punishment.

As it turns out I was on a ring road that circles Cinny and at that point was called east, but actually wasn’t eastbound. I kept looking for someplace to stop to ask for directions but the lights were out at every establishment. All of a sudden there was a truck right there, he was gonna T-Bone me. I pounded the brakes and lost the back end on the wet pavement. It slid right and bounced over some cats eyes before I got it under control, I had pivoted about 90 degrees. The truck flashed by horn blaring, middle finger stuck out the window.

It was my fault, I had gone through an uncontrolled intersection without stopping. The traffic lights were out, power failure! That’s why all the businesses looked closed. Stopped at a gas station and talked to the clerk in the dark. He told me how to get to the Holiday Inn, just around the corner. Went to it, but, you guessed it…………no power. They were going to sell me a room but had no idea on when the power would return, but they called a different hotel on a cell phone and hooked me up.

Back to the east ring road! Found the hotel, they had a clothes dryer for my riding clothes and my room looks like a Chinese Dominatrix Laundry with all the black leather laying around drying. All told I was out in the rain for about 2.5 hours after I thought I had 20 mins left. At least it was a warm rain! Ha!

My internet connection is flaky so I can sneak an email through, but can’t upload video. I will try to post some tomorrow.

I am heading down to Alexandria, KY first thing to see the birthplace of the Juggernaut, then will turn back NW and head towards Iowa.

Talk soon!