The call of the road

I've been hearing the call of the road lately.
It's been several months since I went anywhere interesting on a motorcycle - not since late last summer when I did a week in the Colorado high country with friends from the Indianapolis BMW Club.
My longtime Newsie friend Skip called Saturday to invite me along on a trip he and a buddy are planning for the second week in July. They're heading for the Smokies and they're motorcycle touring rookies. Well, Skip did some touring on a small-displacement Honda back in the 1970s before he drifted away from motorcycling. His younger friend Bill has ridden ratbikes and dirtbikes and recently bought a Honda ST1100, which is sort of Honda's version of my BMW K1200GT. Skip's on a large-displacement Japanese cruiser - I think it's a Yamaha, but I'm not sure.
Anyhow, they are looking to me for some guidance and tips on touring and I'm pleased to offer them the benefit of my experience.
I just wish we were headed west instead of east. I'm not all that crazy about touring in the southeast because of the high polulation (i.e., traffic) density and the increased likelihood of rain. Plus, I like the scenery of the west better.
Anyhow, I'm due for a ride.
I'd also been considering the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America national rally the following week in Vermont. I'd love to do both, but finances and our photo business may force me to choose one or the other.
We shall see.