May 5, 2007.  I met my travelin' buddy Texas Chuck in Leakey, Texas for the start of a long awaited trip to the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, Alabama.  We spent the 5th riding around the Hill Country before returning to Junction, TX where Chuck's ST Owners Club was holding a gathering.  He'd ridden down from Wichita Falls with some of them on Friday.  Sunday moring we pulled out of Junction with the intent of making it about half way to Birmingham.  We ended up in Eldorado, Arkansas for the night.  The next day was fairly short and we arrived at our destination about 3:15.  Tuesday morning found us at the Barber Mueseum at 9:15.  But it didn't open until 10:00 so there was nothing left to do but ride around the area.  I'm not sure what I expected the Birmingham area to be like, cotton fields and wide open spaces I guess but I was pleasantly surprised at the hills and trees.  Actually quite stimulating!  But we were back at the door at 10:00, first in (and we would be last out.) 

The museum is impossible to adequately discribe but I'll try.  Trying to capture it with a camera is like trying to capture the immensity of the Grand Canyon.  It simply cannot be done.  There are five floors plus the basement (off limits except on rare occasions) where restorations are done.  The levels are roughly broken down into years with the top floor a medley of bikes with no real theme.  The other levels are broken down by periods of time, pre 1960, post 1960, etc.  And then there are special displays of designers, racers, manufacturers, etc.  There is one display devoted to Indian, another to Lotus cars (with virtually every significant model on display including two replicas of the first two Lotus cars), another to Harley Davidson, and others.  Barber is a car guy so much of one floor is devoted to cars.  But they are race cars and superb examples of Grand Prix, Indy, NASCAR, etc.  If I use 'etc' too much, I appologize but there are just too many examples to name every one!  And now to the photos.  I was pleased to find four examples of bikes I've owned:  the Cushman Highlander, Yamaha DT 250, Honda SL 350, and FJ 1100.  Unfortunately I'm not a very good photographer and too many of my pictures turned out blurry.  I'd like to think I was just shaking with excitement but in truth it may be old age.