getting closer...

took off sunday to finish off my smoke chasing grand tour... only had five, maybe six stops to get, how hard can that be?? well, when i get involved, harder than it needs to be!!

first, i should only have five stops to complete the minimum finishing level of twenty stops. i'm thinking of throwing in an additional stop because i'm not sure if one of the stops will count...

i decide on six stops to complete my mission. heading out the door, i opt to take a route that will keep me a little closer to home so that i'm not gone so long. it also reduces the number of barbecue places available. disadvantage me!!

the first two stops were give-mes. if i had set out on my mission to complete the tour earlier, i would have had another stop between the two. but waiting gave the place a chance to close and remove all the signs. i've never seen signs removed from a building so fast. then again, i've had months. again, my loss.

next stop shane's rib shack, in hopes that it might have the word bbq or smoke somewhere on/in the building. nope. i think it's in one of those socialist places where all the buildings/businesses have to conform. so no additional signage here. third stop a bust.

on to jd's grill and bbq catering... first, the sign on the building only has jd's grill. but, luckily, in a side window, they have a huge bbq sign. unluckily the window is tinted and it's bright outside, so i can't get a picture without a reflection washing out the sign. well, unless i pull my motorcycle up on the sidewalk next to the building. it is sunday, places are closed and there's not many people around. i decide not to because i can see the police wanting something to do and me becoming their object of affection. fourth stop another bust.

next is johnny's barbecue in louisburg. that place has been there as long as we've been living here. it's got to still be there. right? after a few busts, it was nice to get another stop.

before leaving, i punch up bbq on the gps and my phone to see what's closeby. nothing... i decide to call it a day only getting half of what i need. but also getting closer to the end, both in terms of how many i need and in the deadline. i think i have one more free weekend to finish this off. watch it pour down rain that weekend!!!

check out all my smoke chasing stops...