Day 1 - Atlanta, GA to Greensboro, NC

We did it.  We actually did get out on the road.  Albeit we were nearing an hour behind schedule. Some times, some things, you are just last.  We had both been trying to accomplish real work things on that "last day of work before vacation".  And we did work.  Luckily we both were able to work from home, sparing us the time spent commuting at least.

We had been aiming for 3, but our departure time neared the 4 o'clock hour.  Sometimes that is just the way we rolling.  Especially doing the last minute mad dash around the house when you suddenly remember something that you have to have...and then trying to find it.

Atlanta has been seeing some strange weather. For once the rain and thunderstorms are hitting fast and furious in the evenings and overnight.  (Previous years they either hit during daylight hours, wreaking havoc with traffic, or they would ruin a perfectly good weekend, leaving the week days perfect.  You know...when you can't get out to play.)

Another storm was coming in this afternoon and we were trying to get ahead of it.  Yeah.  Right.  16.8 miles (27 km) into the trip and the rain started.  This little spot wasn't too hard a rain. And it cleared up quickly.  It was the next encounter about 50 miles down the road.  This was the hard, drenching, soaking one.  It was too quick, with nowhere to stop and put gear on.  (Though the Harley riders had holed up under an overpass.

Our encounter was the kind that felt like thousands of little needles poking through the mesh jackets into your arms.  The big, fat drops that didn't splatter, but hit you with a vengeance and immediately stuck in that one spot making absolutely certain that it reached through clothing and to skin.  After just a couple of these you could feel the water running down your chest, soaking through the bra and heading to parts farther south.

The rain was so hard all of the vehicles slowed and turned their flashers on.  Visibility was closing in on 75 feet during the worst of it.  Add to that the spray from the road that tires kicked up.  Luckily the drivers were acting sanely and we didn't have any issues.  Though the first chance we had, we got off the road and into a gas station to put the rain gear on.  Yeah.  It was a bit late by now, but the clouds promised more pelting to come.

About a minute after taking this picture the street sign for the gas station was stuck my lightning.  The lightning/thunder was so intense I actually did scream it started me.  Trite of me.

Nothing eventful happened the remainder of the day.  We donned the gear and stayed [relatively] dry through subsequent showers.  We arrived at the hotel 5 minutes before 10.

Stats:

Miles ridden 322.8 (According to the odometer.  The GPS said something entirely different.  :(  )

Time on the road: 6 hours