Well, it will not be long before I get all my remaining parts for fixing up Big Red. I am waiting on my mud flap and Gerbing heating accessories. So far I have my mounting parts for the mud flap and my trailer hitch. Hopefully, I can get with my old motorcycle buddy Craig to hook all the stuff up. He is an amazing guy when it comes to Goldwing’s and anything mechanical. He is not a computer geek like me but he is getting there. I am really looking forward to getting the Gerbing accessories to keep my hands warm this winter. Once I get all that stuff hooked up and wired in I will be set for old man winter. It will be nice to have some warm hands for those mornings when I ride to work and it is below 20 degrees.
Another thing I am looking forward to is our new trailer in late spring. Slick and I plan to get a trailer and use it for our mini-trips that will last over 2 days. Plus it gives her an opportunity to load the trailer down with stuff she finds when she shops while we are on the road. She says she will not fill up the trailer but those of us that have wives no better than that.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Jordan's Longest Ride Yet!
This weekend was a good weekend for riding. Jordan and I rode on Saturday for about 2 hours. It was a little nippy but not too bad for a little ride in the country. The biggest ride for Jordan as on Sunday. Slick, Jordan and I rode from Greensboro to Lenoir NC for Slick's dad's 70th birthday party. It was a good day to ride and a Jordan got to get some experience on the trip. He got the chance to ride on interstate 40 which is always a treat (by the way, Jordan now understands why most bikers don't like interstates). He got to experience a little ride in some lite rain. He got the chance to ride in the dark on the interstate and some back rodes and why having cruise is so cool. The ride was a little long for Jordan. He realized that when you ride any bike it is a good idea to take a break about every hour or so. Jordan noticed that his back and his butt needed a break too.
We all rode for about 200 miles on Saturday and Sunday. The weather was great and this week it is supposed to be even better with the highs in the upper 70's. Did I mention it is in the middle of December. I know I plan to take advantage of the great weather because I know it is not going to last. But hey, I don't care. I will be still riding no matter how cold it gets. The question is will Slick and Dudley be crazy enough to ride too.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
We all rode for about 200 miles on Saturday and Sunday. The weather was great and this week it is supposed to be even better with the highs in the upper 70's. Did I mention it is in the middle of December. I know I plan to take advantage of the great weather because I know it is not going to last. But hey, I don't care. I will be still riding no matter how cold it gets. The question is will Slick and Dudley be crazy enough to ride too.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Monday, December 03, 2007
Father and Son Cycle Center Trip
Saturday was a fun day of riding. Jordan (aka Dudley) and I took off for a nice Saturday morning ride to the Cycle Centerin Asheboro NC to checkout the new Honda VTX's. Jordan plans on buying his own bike which will be a VTX in the next year or so. After leaving the house Jordan and I headed first on highway 421 toward Liberty. Liberty has a nice small stretch of road with some pretty fun curves that I thought would enjoy. So we headed toward Liberty and took on the road. Jordan enjoyed the road but I think he would have liked it more if he wasn't so worried about running out of gas. The Honda Shadow he rides now is not the best for gas since it has a small tank and can only get about 120 miles before you have to fill up again.
After finishing up the Liberty run, we headed for the gas station and got the gas before I had to go find some for him. After filling up we heading to the Cycle Center. We finally got Jordan some gloves for the winter. He was always complaining about how his hands got cold. I told him my hands don't get cold and I wear my summer thin leather gloves. He said that is because I practically ride a plane on 2 wheels and the cockpit protects me. I told he need to get a Golwing. He said when he is old and turns 50.
After getting Dudleys some gloves we looked around the Cycle Center at the VTX's. I wanted Jordan to sit on a VTX 1800 to see if he liked them. He didn't. They were way too big for him and he said they were too uncomfortable. I sat on one myself and I felt the same way. It made me appreciate Big Red. Jordan sit on a VTX 1300. Those fit him nicely. We actually found a steal of a bike which was a 2004 VTX 1300 for $7500.00. It already had a backrest, large windsheild and new leather saddle bags. That was a great buy. It is too bad the timing is not right for the buy.
After leaving the Cycle Center we headed back home. Of course half of the trip was on the 4 lane highways where the speed limit is 65 to 70 mph. Not a big deal for me, but for Jordan it was not that great. The little Honda Shadow he rides can get pretty cold when the temperature is only 50 degress and on the bike it feels like 30. Of course Jordan complained about being cold. I just don't get it. I felt fine!
Now Dudley has some new winter gloves. We even got him some Frogg Toggs Sunday and he plans to get some thermals this week. Maybe then he will not complain about the cold so much. Besides frostbike is over-rated and not that bad, right?
I really enjoyed my ride with my son. It was a great time and we plan to have many more trips in the future. Some of our future trips will include the beach and Wing Ding in July. That will be fun.
Below is a picture of Jordan and I (aka Shake and Bake). Jordan bought the shirts. Pretty cool, huh?
Until next time and enjoy the ride.
Pappy
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Jordan Became a Biker Today
Today Jordan took his first motorcycle ride on his 600cc Honda Shadow Deluxe and officially became a biker. It was a greatday for a proud father to see his son take his first ride and be a part of that experience. The weather was great but a little on the nippy side. We actually didn't get started until we did some checks on bikes. I am glad we did. Big Red's tire pressurewas pretty low due to the cold weather.
After getting the tires ready, we were ready to roll. I figured the first thing to show Jordan was the joy of riding on some of the back roads near our home. It was a great day to hit the back roads and see a lot of the great fall follage. The colors were awesome! We took a ride for about an hour on the back roads and Jordan did great. At one point, I looked back and noticed Jordan was trying to get my attention. It seemed his hands were a little on the frosty side. So we took a little break so his hands could thraw out and he could warm up. After the break we headed back toward the house and I decided to take Jordan on highway 421 and 85 so he could experience the joy of riding on the highway at 65 mph on a little bike. Of course with the cold weather, wrong gloves and windy conditions, he just loved that.
Overall, Jordan did great. He rode the bike like a pro. Heck, he even wanted to take a ride through town and back on his own. He did that great too. I was really proud of Jordan for doing such a great job riding today. I know he is already hooked and he is looking forward to both of us riding to the beach this March.
So next time you see a small Honda Shadow around the Greensboro or High Point area, look close. It might just be Jordan. He will even wave at you if you watch for the wave. He likes the biker wave thing. Like I said, he is hooked.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
After getting the tires ready, we were ready to roll. I figured the first thing to show Jordan was the joy of riding on some of the back roads near our home. It was a great day to hit the back roads and see a lot of the great fall follage. The colors were awesome! We took a ride for about an hour on the back roads and Jordan did great. At one point, I looked back and noticed Jordan was trying to get my attention. It seemed his hands were a little on the frosty side. So we took a little break so his hands could thraw out and he could warm up. After the break we headed back toward the house and I decided to take Jordan on highway 421 and 85 so he could experience the joy of riding on the highway at 65 mph on a little bike. Of course with the cold weather, wrong gloves and windy conditions, he just loved that.
Overall, Jordan did great. He rode the bike like a pro. Heck, he even wanted to take a ride through town and back on his own. He did that great too. I was really proud of Jordan for doing such a great job riding today. I know he is already hooked and he is looking forward to both of us riding to the beach this March.
So next time you see a small Honda Shadow around the Greensboro or High Point area, look close. It might just be Jordan. He will even wave at you if you watch for the wave. He likes the biker wave thing. Like I said, he is hooked.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Dudley Can't Look Back
Well, Dudley strikes again. My wonderful son Jordan (aka Dudley) was practicing yesterday at our favorite parking lot yesterday and was doing great. Of course, until I noticed that he wasn't riding the bike. I happen to be walking while he rode the bike. All was going well for him. He was making some great stops, turns, etc... and then it happen. He dropped the bike. It was no big deal except he broke off his left side mirror. I actually felt bad for him because he said he was doing so great with all his riding techniques. He dropped it. Big deal. We bought the bike to practice with and it will get dropped again.
The good thing is the piece that broke off only cost $15.00. The best thing is Jordan is paying for it. I told him, hey, it's your bike. I also wanted to remind him to not look back and dwell on the things you do wrong when you drop your bike. Just learn from it.
Besides, he can't look back right now because Dudley doesn't have mirror. He broke it.
If you read this Dudley, hang in there. Dad still thinks you are the best.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
The good thing is the piece that broke off only cost $15.00. The best thing is Jordan is paying for it. I told him, hey, it's your bike. I also wanted to remind him to not look back and dwell on the things you do wrong when you drop your bike. Just learn from it.
Besides, he can't look back right now because Dudley doesn't have mirror. He broke it.
If you read this Dudley, hang in there. Dad still thinks you are the best.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Bike Display and Chapter Charity Event
Saturday was a great day to ride and do a little charity work for kids at Christmas. All of our chapter members did a bike show in Randleman NC. The event was held at Walmart and we had some nice drawings for those that wanted a chance to win them. Some of the prizes included a $100.00 gift certificate from the Cycle Center in Asheboro, NC. Jordan and I were trying to win that. Of course, neither one of us did. Another great prize was a $100.00 gift certificate from Walmart. We had one lady that bought $100.00 worth of tickets and she told us to put the tickets in the drawing for that prize. Can you believe that the poor lady (actually she looked loaded) didn't win. Fortunately, a guy whose wife had pasted away a week prior did win it. That was good for him because he had to move back in with his parents. So, he probably needed the Walmart gift certificate. Good for him, right?
I also took some photos at the event and some bikes. Jordan and I actually tried to help Craig sell his bike. We bought for sale sign and put $5000.00 for it. We can't beleive no one would buy it. Below are some photos of the bikes at the bike display.
We had a great turn out. We raised $371.00 for the kids and we had a great time. I am sure next year we can do better.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Dudley Strikes Again
Jordan had his second day of motorcycle training yesterday. He did really well except for on incident where he pulled a Dudley and dropped the bike again. Actually, he just laid it down. No harm no foul, right? Anyway, he did great and he is picking up riding a bike really fast. He will have no problem in the course in 3 weeks. Below is a photo of Jordan (aka Dudley) on his bike. He looks really cool, don't you think?
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Jordan's First Ride
Yesterday Jordan and I got the tag for the motorcycle and of course, it was time to ride. So we took off to the GTCC parking lot for practice time. Once we got in the parking lot the fun started. Jordan strapped on the really cool helmet that I have and my gloves.Jordan mounted the bike and was ready to roll. He had a lot of practice in my garage riding forward and backward, so of course, taking off was going to be a breeze for my little man. NOT! He took off and within 10 seconds he was heading right for the only car in the parking lot and it didn't appear he was going to stop. Luckily because of his superior motorcycle skills he was able to stop within 2 feet of the car. He said later he felt like Dudley in the Wild Hogs movie. Actually, he looked like that too. Way to go Dudley!
After both our hearts slowed down and got back to normal, we were ready to try the whole thing over again. With a little coaching and a little demo from the old man, he got on the bike again and soon was starting and stopping like a pro. We worked on take offs and stops, turns, quick stops and countersteering. We practiced for about an hour and a half.
Overall, he did great. Actually, he did better than I did in one hour than I did in one month. He did drop the bike for the first time. Actually, it just fell over because he lost his concentration on a simple stop and was too busy looking at his mom when she came out to watch him. But oh well, I have dropped my bike 3 times. I am still riding. Hey, I will probably drop it some more. That's life on a motorcylce, right?
Today we will be practicing some more. The plan is for him and Slick to practice for the next 3 weeks. Both Jordan and Slick will be taking the motorcycle course on November 2-4. That will be fun for both of them especially since they get to practice for a few weeks prior to the class.
After a little more practice Jordan and Slick will be ready to get their licenses and then everyone needs to watch out.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
After both our hearts slowed down and got back to normal, we were ready to try the whole thing over again. With a little coaching and a little demo from the old man, he got on the bike again and soon was starting and stopping like a pro. We worked on take offs and stops, turns, quick stops and countersteering. We practiced for about an hour and a half.
Overall, he did great. Actually, he did better than I did in one hour than I did in one month. He did drop the bike for the first time. Actually, it just fell over because he lost his concentration on a simple stop and was too busy looking at his mom when she came out to watch him. But oh well, I have dropped my bike 3 times. I am still riding. Hey, I will probably drop it some more. That's life on a motorcylce, right?
Today we will be practicing some more. The plan is for him and Slick to practice for the next 3 weeks. Both Jordan and Slick will be taking the motorcycle course on November 2-4. That will be fun for both of them especially since they get to practice for a few weeks prior to the class.
After a little more practice Jordan and Slick will be ready to get their licenses and then everyone needs to watch out.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Monday, October 01, 2007
SlickThursday, September 27, 2007
New Riders Hitting the Road Soon
Yesterday I finally found a bike that would be great little cruiser for Slick and Jordan to practice with. It is a very nice 2002 Honda Shadow 600cc Deluxe. I found it in Thomasville. Slick and I did take a look at another bike a couple of days ago that was nice but not like the one I found yesterday. The new bike has just a little over 2400 miles on it and looks practically brand new. The guy was selling it because he wanted a bigger bike and the bike wasn’t getting ridden enough and he really didn’t need it. He wanted more power. That was perfect for Slick and Jordan. They get a great bike out of the deal.
Slick and Jordan plan to practice with the new bike for about a month and then take the basic motorcycle course together. I thought that was very cool. I mean, think about it; how many mothers and sons take a motorcycle course together? The plan is for me to work with Slick and Jordan in the same GTCC parking lot that I use to practice at for a few weeks in the afternoon and weekends. They will take the course and then eventually have them venture out on the back roads and highways to get use to the traffic.
So be looking out for a couple of new cool Honda riders soon. It should be fun!
Oh yeah, pictures are coming soon.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Slick and Jordan plan to practice with the new bike for about a month and then take the basic motorcycle course together. I thought that was very cool. I mean, think about it; how many mothers and sons take a motorcycle course together? The plan is for me to work with Slick and Jordan in the same GTCC parking lot that I use to practice at for a few weeks in the afternoon and weekends. They will take the course and then eventually have them venture out on the back roads and highways to get use to the traffic.
So be looking out for a couple of new cool Honda riders soon. It should be fun!
Oh yeah, pictures are coming soon.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Lost and Stepping Back in Time
Yesterday Slick and I took a little 4 hour trip on Big Red. The original plan was to head up toward VA that then hit some of the back roads through the country. Will we did that but we got a little off course and realized the best part of riding a motorcycle is not the planned trip and the route; it is the fun of getting lost and finding our way back. The original trip was to take only about 2.5 hours. But we ended up off course and it was nice. It was nice to see some of the old towns that we have never heard about. In some of those towns in was like going back in time 30 years. Actually, we stopped a gas station to fill up (luckily that was before we got lost), and I stepped into an old store and I felt like I stepped back in time 30 years. Even the floors had the old wooden planks and I noticed a lot of old products you hardly ever see anymore.
After we filled up we hit the road and quickly we realized we took the wrong turn. So we continued for a few miles and ran into Hanging Rock State Park. That was nice for us because we had heard of the park before but we were not sure how to get there. Once we found the entrance to the park we rode through it. It was a nice park but it was pretty empty due to the summer season ending. I did notice they had a lot of camping sites there and some nice hiking trails. I may be going camping and hiking there next year. It also looked like a nice place to go and see the fall foliage this year.
All-in-all we had a great time. It was nice to ride the bike through the country and we will probably be taking that route again. If not, there is a good possibility that we will get lost again and find some even nicer roads and old towns. There is nothing like riding in the country. It is Slick and my favorite way to relax and forget the stress of home and work. I just wished everyone could experience it. They don't realize what they are missing.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
After we filled up we hit the road and quickly we realized we took the wrong turn. So we continued for a few miles and ran into Hanging Rock State Park. That was nice for us because we had heard of the park before but we were not sure how to get there. Once we found the entrance to the park we rode through it. It was a nice park but it was pretty empty due to the summer season ending. I did notice they had a lot of camping sites there and some nice hiking trails. I may be going camping and hiking there next year. It also looked like a nice place to go and see the fall foliage this year.
All-in-all we had a great time. It was nice to ride the bike through the country and we will probably be taking that route again. If not, there is a good possibility that we will get lost again and find some even nicer roads and old towns. There is nothing like riding in the country. It is Slick and my favorite way to relax and forget the stress of home and work. I just wished everyone could experience it. They don't realize what they are missing.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Monday, September 17, 2007
Riding with my Son
I had a great time this weekend with my son, Jordan. He and I went to the Asheboro Cycle Center and took a look at some bikes. We orginally went there to check out the small Honda crusiers, but Jordan fell in love with the Honda VTX 1300cc bikes. So it looks like he will be getting his own early next year.
I got a chance to take Jordan on a ride on Big Red. Of course, that made him want a bike even more. We took a ride for a couple of hours and had a great time.
Jordan will be coming back to NC to stay in early October. That will be great. Our plan is to find him and Slick a nice small bike to practice with before they take the basic motorcycle course at GTCC. That will be nice to see him at the course. He is looking forward to that and so am I.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
I got a chance to take Jordan on a ride on Big Red. Of course, that made him want a bike even more. We took a ride for a couple of hours and had a great time.
Jordan will be coming back to NC to stay in early October. That will be great. Our plan is to find him and Slick a nice small bike to practice with before they take the basic motorcycle course at GTCC. That will be nice to see him at the course. He is looking forward to that and so am I.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Great Example of Road Rash
Here is a great example of why you should away have protective clothing.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Until next time and enjoy the ride!Pappy
Great Ad
This is a great ad for those that have been told you can't have a motorcyle.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Friday, August 03, 2007
Pappy Gets RoHo
Thanks to my wonderful wife Slick I got RoHo last night. If you don't know what Roho is, it is a little goofy looking rubber chicken that is given out for people in our Goldwing chapter that do weird, stupid or goofy stuff. Each month someone in our group is nominated for the award. This month I got it for spending the night on my Blue Ridge Parkway trip in Cherokee NC. I stayed at the Pink Motel. It was a old but clean motel. Yes, the name is gay, but it worked out and I am fully aware of my manhood. Slick also continued to point out that I ate my dinner at the 'Big Boy' across the street. For some reason, she and the others in our group thought that was funny. I didn't get it.
By being awarded RoHo, I get to make sure I have Roho with me everytime I ride my bike or I will have to donated $5.00 to the chapter fund. Of course, if I get caught by any of our chapter members, Slick can pay the fine since she was the one that helped make sure I got RoHo in the first place.
Below is a picture of RoHo and I:
Thanks Slick! I love ya, but your day is coming.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Lots of Miles in July...2683!
Man did I put on some miles on Big Red in July. By riding with my buddy Pablo in the western mountains of TN and NC and the trip to Ohio with Slick I put on 2683 miles in just one month. That is the most I have ever put on in 1 month. Since I have been riding Big Red I have put on over 14,000 miles.
Go get out and ride and remember, ride hard or stay at home.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Go get out and ride and remember, ride hard or stay at home.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Our Honda Homecoming Trip
Well Slick and I just got about from the Honda Homecoming in Marysville Ohio. Man, was it a long but nice trip. Here is how the trip went.
Wednesday (Day 1)
We started off the trip heading from the house around 0830. Our plan was to try and beat the rain that was heading our way. We didn’t make it. The rain hit very quickly right from the start. Granted it wasn’t a down pour but just enough to make us slow down. We were not too concerned with how fast we got there. We just wanted to arrive safely. As we tootled up highway 52 toward Mt Airy, we noticed that the chance to enjoy the scenery was out of the question. The clouds were low and really reduced our visibility. We figured that if we were lucky we would get a chance to see the mountains of West Virginia. That didn’t happen. Did I mention it rained a lot?
Anyway, as we made our way into Virginia, we decided that if it was going to rain most of the day, why not eat. So we stopped at a local truck stop and had a pretty good breakfast. The coffee was great and we needed it. The rain was really coming down so we tried to wait it out. After about 45 minutes it was time to hit the road even though the rain was not letting up.
Soon we were in West Virginia and the clouds were slowly starting to break up. It rained on us off and on for most of the day. As we hit WV, we hit the toll gates. Those were a real joy. There were 3 of them. The biggest thing about the toll gates was the road conditions. As we prepared to pay we noticed that there was always oil in the lanes. Combined that with the rain, it was pretty slick. Each time I put my foot down to stop the bike, I could feel the oil on the bottom of my shoes. I was told by Andrew that I needed to watch for the oil and he wasn’t lying. Thanks Andrew for the tip. Actually, I was pretty proud of myself. I had 6 opportunities to drop the bike and I didn’t do it.
After entering Ohio we started looking for our hotel in Chillicothe. It was time to bed down for the night and get some rest before we completed the last couple of hours to Marysville.
Thursday (Day 2)
Once we finally got to Columbus Ohio, we took the I-270 loop west to highway 33. From WV to the loop the scenery was great. It was like riding in the back country roads (my favorite roads). As we got through the loop, we found our way toward Marysville, Ohio and to our hotel. We were finally there. After close to 500 miles, we were finally there.
Thursday was the day we were really looking forward to. It was the day we planned to hit Honda plant in Marysville Ohio and tour the plant. Both Slick and I were looking forward to seeing how our favorite bike is built. Hey, we were looking at the birth place of Big Red. I was also looking forward to the vendors even though I didn’t really need anything. There were also a lot of great bikes there that people were showing off. Heck there were even some Harley bikers there (you have to give them credit; they know where to go to see the best bikes, right?).
We noticed a lot of bikes but not as many as you would expect. I figured since it was a Thursday and first day of the event, it was going to be a low turnout. Once we got to the plant we meet up with a few members of our chapter. Slick and I checked in and took a tour of the plant.
The plant tour was great. We got to see how the Goldwing’s and VTX’s are built from start to finish. At that particular plant they build a minimum of 80 Goldwing’s a day and 120 VTX’s (1300cc and 1800cc) a day. Everything is so computerized and engineered. You could tell there was a lot of pride that goes into building the bikes. We were also amazed that the number of women that worked at the plant. We were told that each line worker is paid $23.00 per hour and the benefits were great. I got the impression that the workers liked their work. I wanted to take some pictures but cell phones with cameras and recording devices were not allowed.
After the tour we headed out to the parking lot and noticed that more biker had arrived. The food vendors were in full swing, the demo booths were set up and they even had other Honda bikes available that people could test ride. I thought that was pretty cool.
Below are a few pictures at the Honda plant:
Thursday (Day 2)
Once we finally got to Columbus Ohio, we took the I-270 loop west to highway 33. From WV to the loop the scenery was great. It was like riding in the back country roads (my favorite roads). As we got through the loop, we found our way toward Marysville, Ohio and to our hotel. We were finally there. After close to 500 miles, we were finally there.
Thursday was the day we were really looking forward to. It was the day we planned to hit Honda plant in Marysville Ohio and tour the plant. Both Slick and I were looking forward to seeing how our favorite bike is built. Hey, we were looking at the birth place of Big Red. I was also looking forward to the vendors even though I didn’t really need anything. There were also a lot of great bikes there that people were showing off. Heck there were even some Harley bikers there (you have to give them credit; they know where to go to see the best bikes, right?).
We noticed a lot of bikes but not as many as you would expect. I figured since it was a Thursday and first day of the event, it was going to be a low turnout. Once we got to the plant we meet up with a few members of our chapter. Slick and I checked in and took a tour of the plant.
The plant tour was great. We got to see how the Goldwing’s and VTX’s are built from start to finish. At that particular plant they build a minimum of 80 Goldwing’s a day and 120 VTX’s (1300cc and 1800cc) a day. Everything is so computerized and engineered. You could tell there was a lot of pride that goes into building the bikes. We were also amazed that the number of women that worked at the plant. We were told that each line worker is paid $23.00 per hour and the benefits were great. I got the impression that the workers liked their work. I wanted to take some pictures but cell phones with cameras and recording devices were not allowed.
After the tour we headed out to the parking lot and noticed that more biker had arrived. The food vendors were in full swing, the demo booths were set up and they even had other Honda bikes available that people could test ride. I thought that was pretty cool.
Below are a few pictures at the Honda plant:
After the visit to the Honda plant we decided to head to one of the vendors locations. There were vendors set up in two locations. One was in Bellefontaine and Marysville. We decided to hit Bellefontaine first.
At the Bellefontaine location we noticed the placed was pretty crowded. The bikers were coming in left and right. As we entered the vendor location we noticed our old buddies from ‘Old Bikers’ Clothing Company. Slick and I were talking about them as we entered the entrance. Slick asked me if I thought that the Old Bikers guys would show up there. I said I doubted it because it was a little too far to drive. I was wrong. The first vendors we saw was them and we had to stop and say hi. We really like the guys from ‘Old Biker’. Hey we must; we have bought about $400.00 worth of stuff from them in the last year. They have been really good to us too. They are always giving us a great deal and we do all we can to let others know about them.
Below are a few pictures of the vendor area and some bikes at the vendors:
As we toured the vendor area we looked at a lot of cool stuff. Most of the stuff I like, I already had. Soon we stopped for a funnel cake (good stuff) and then decided to go into one of the buildings at the site that had a display of old vintage motorcycles. So we snapped a few pictures of them.
Once we covered the vendors at Bellefontaine we decided to head back to Marysville and check out the vendors there. We were looking for helmet covers. No one at Bellefontaine had any of those. But guess what the first thing we noticed in Marysville was? You got it helmet covers. So of course we had to grab those. We also grabbed a couple of shirts too. There were fewer vendors in Marysville but it was nice none the less.
After the vendor tour we decide to walk up town a sit in a park area and watch all the motorcycles come through town. That was fun and very relaxing. After about an hour of that, it was time to head back to the hotel, grab some dinner and plan our Friday events for the day.
Below are a couple of photos I took at the Marysville vendor location:
After the vendor tour we decide to walk up town a sit in a park area and watch all the motorcycles come through town. That was fun and very relaxing. After about an hour of that, it was time to head back to the hotel, grab some dinner and plan our Friday events for the day.
Below are a couple of photos I took at the Marysville vendor location:
Friday (Day 3)
Since we did everything related to the Honda Homecoming on Thursday we decided to take a trip out of Marysville and do some country riding. So, on Friday we left Bellefontaine and continued west out into the country. We decided to go to a lake called at Indian Lake State Park. I have to say I was a little disappointed. I saw no Indians, but the lake was nice. Actually it was huge.
Below is a picture of Slick at Indian Lake State Park:
Since we did everything related to the Honda Homecoming on Thursday we decided to take a trip out of Marysville and do some country riding. So, on Friday we left Bellefontaine and continued west out into the country. We decided to go to a lake called at Indian Lake State Park. I have to say I was a little disappointed. I saw no Indians, but the lake was nice. Actually it was huge.
Below is a picture of Slick at Indian Lake State Park:
Slick and I decided to take a break from riding since we had been riding about 600 miles. We decided to stop at the lake and walk the paved walking trail around the lake. We got a little exercise for about 45 minutes and it was a good break for us. One thing we do remember about the walking trail is the dog crap. It was like walking through a mine field. We had never seen so much dog crap before and the bathroom at that state park was the worst I have ever seen.
Once back on the bike, we headed west and then toward Kenton Ohio. The plan was to circle the state park and then head to Kenton and then back south on highway 31 toward Marysville. Now that was a nice trip! We got the chance to enjoy the country roads and acre after acre rolling hills and farm land. There was very little traffic and we got the chance to drive some very small old towns. That road trip to and lake, Kenton and back to Marysville was one of the high lights of our trip. Slick and I really enjoyed that. After the country drive it was back to the Marysville.
Once at the hotel, I cleaned up Big Red, Slick and I went out to dinner and then planned our trip back home. We were kind of dreading the trip back. It was going to be a long one since we were going to do it in one day.
Saturday (Day 4)
It was Saturday and it was time to head back home. We decided to get an early start so we headed out around 0810. Not that heading out did us much good because about 30 minutes into our ride back we got off track. As we got on I-270 (my favorite loop) we headed east and I was looking for the exit to 23 South. Will for some reason we headed toward the city of Columbus (north). After about 30 minutes Slick and I realized that nothing looked familiar so we did what all good tourist do; we asked for directions. Now here is the funny part, when we stopped into a local donut shop for directions no one in the place could help us out. I asked one lady if we were on 23 south; she had no clue. So she asked 2 of her friends; still no clue. Luckily for us a guy (the sex that women claim can’t follow directions) came up and asked us if we needed any help. He helped us get back on track. I have to give Slick credit, she helped us get out of town and back on track. I did notice one thing about Slick and I. I am pretty good on getting us to the correct main roads and Slick is great at getting us through towns. Basically, we needed each other. We seem to always work as a good team. I guess that is why our marriage has survived for over 25 years.
Soon we were heading down the real 23 south and then on to 35 south toward WV. The trip from WV to NC was great. We had great weather and got to see the mountains that we failed to see on the way to Ohio. The only hassle was it looked like it was going to rain a few times; so we put on our Frogg Toggs 2 times. One thing I can say about the Frogg Toggs is they are great for help keeping your dry and they are pretty toasty in the summer time.
Finally we were home after 10 hours. We were 2 tired bikers. All in all we rode over 1200 miles in rain good and not so good weather. The trip was a nice and memorable one. We got to see Ohio and take our longest trip together. We got to see the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and ride through Ohio, tour the Honda plant, see our old friends from ‘Old Biker’, and see some great old towns. The trip was nice and we look forward to our next adventure, but for now, we are looking forward to relaxing and taking our 25th wedding anniversary cruise in 3 weeks.
Until next and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Once back on the bike, we headed west and then toward Kenton Ohio. The plan was to circle the state park and then head to Kenton and then back south on highway 31 toward Marysville. Now that was a nice trip! We got the chance to enjoy the country roads and acre after acre rolling hills and farm land. There was very little traffic and we got the chance to drive some very small old towns. That road trip to and lake, Kenton and back to Marysville was one of the high lights of our trip. Slick and I really enjoyed that. After the country drive it was back to the Marysville.
Once at the hotel, I cleaned up Big Red, Slick and I went out to dinner and then planned our trip back home. We were kind of dreading the trip back. It was going to be a long one since we were going to do it in one day.
Saturday (Day 4)
It was Saturday and it was time to head back home. We decided to get an early start so we headed out around 0810. Not that heading out did us much good because about 30 minutes into our ride back we got off track. As we got on I-270 (my favorite loop) we headed east and I was looking for the exit to 23 South. Will for some reason we headed toward the city of Columbus (north). After about 30 minutes Slick and I realized that nothing looked familiar so we did what all good tourist do; we asked for directions. Now here is the funny part, when we stopped into a local donut shop for directions no one in the place could help us out. I asked one lady if we were on 23 south; she had no clue. So she asked 2 of her friends; still no clue. Luckily for us a guy (the sex that women claim can’t follow directions) came up and asked us if we needed any help. He helped us get back on track. I have to give Slick credit, she helped us get out of town and back on track. I did notice one thing about Slick and I. I am pretty good on getting us to the correct main roads and Slick is great at getting us through towns. Basically, we needed each other. We seem to always work as a good team. I guess that is why our marriage has survived for over 25 years.
Soon we were heading down the real 23 south and then on to 35 south toward WV. The trip from WV to NC was great. We had great weather and got to see the mountains that we failed to see on the way to Ohio. The only hassle was it looked like it was going to rain a few times; so we put on our Frogg Toggs 2 times. One thing I can say about the Frogg Toggs is they are great for help keeping your dry and they are pretty toasty in the summer time.
Finally we were home after 10 hours. We were 2 tired bikers. All in all we rode over 1200 miles in rain good and not so good weather. The trip was a nice and memorable one. We got to see Ohio and take our longest trip together. We got to see the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and ride through Ohio, tour the Honda plant, see our old friends from ‘Old Biker’, and see some great old towns. The trip was nice and we look forward to our next adventure, but for now, we are looking forward to relaxing and taking our 25th wedding anniversary cruise in 3 weeks.
Until next and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Monday, July 23, 2007
Heading to Marysville Ohio
Well, Slick and I leave for Marysville Ohio for the Honda Homecoming in 2 days. We are both excited about the trip and the weather looks like it will be great. I put Big Red in the shop to have some new tires put on the bike and get a oil change and lube job. I am looking forward to testing the new tires. From what others have told me, the new tires will make a big difference in how the bike handles. I will be picking up the bike tomorrow afternoon. I have to bring it back home and clean it before our trip. When I took it in I had the chance to really mess it up by riding in the rain. That is okay. I will make it look nice before we leave on Wednesday.
The trip to Marysville should be a great one. From those that have been to the Honda Homecoming and have taken the same route we are going to take, it should be a nice trip. Slick and I have never been on a trip that long together so it should be interesting. The whole trip should be around 1000 miles I know she is really excited about the trip and so am I. We are really looking forward the the tour of the plant where the Goldwings are made in Marysville. We will get a chance to see a bike made from start to finish. That will be cool. I will post a entry about our trip on the blog when I get back.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
The trip to Marysville should be a great one. From those that have been to the Honda Homecoming and have taken the same route we are going to take, it should be a nice trip. Slick and I have never been on a trip that long together so it should be interesting. The whole trip should be around 1000 miles I know she is really excited about the trip and so am I. We are really looking forward the the tour of the plant where the Goldwings are made in Marysville. We will get a chance to see a bike made from start to finish. That will be cool. I will post a entry about our trip on the blog when I get back.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Pablo Completes the Tail of the Dragon
I know I have mentioned my buddy Pablo in several of my blog entries. He rode with me on the ‘Wing and Harley Tour’ through the western mountains of NC and TN. Here are a few pictures of him. He is pretty excited in these photos because he just completed the ‘Tail of the Dragon’. Notice he did the trail and got the t-shirt. Now I have to go do it.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Honda Homecoming
Next week Slick and I plan to head out Wednesday morning for Marysville Ohio for the Honda Homecoming. It should be fun. The Honda Homing is kind of like a open house for Honda bikers and who ever else would like to see where the best bikes built are built. We plan to meet up with our chapter members which will be meeting us sometime Thursday. All of us plan to take a tour of the Honda plant to see how a Goldwing is built from start to finish. I am looking forward to that. The trip will be close to a 900+ round trip. The plan is to leave Wednesday morning and then start back Saturday and ride the whole 450 miles back home. We figured we can rest on Sunday. Of course I will take pictures and post them.
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Wing and Harley 2007 Mountain Range Tour
Well the Wing and Harley tour is over for 2007. With that, I promised to post some notes from my trip with my old buddy Paul (aka Pablo). So here it goes:
Day #1
I left home Wednesday the 11th of July to hit the road and ride to the western mountains to meet my old buddy Pablo who is from the flat lands of Texas. My original plan was to head out from home around mid morning. Well, that didn’t happen due to the weather man saying there was a good chance I was going to get dumped on before I ever left home. So, I packed up Big Red and left home around 0830. As I was cruising down the road, I was thinking, ‘I might just make it without getting wet’. I was wrong. As I left Greensboro on I-40 I barely made it to Winston Salem before the drizzle hit. So I ended up pulling off the side of the road and put on my trusty Frogg Toggs. I like my Frogg Toggs because they do keep a man dry, but when it is humid outside, they tend to get a little toasty.
Anyway, I suited up and headed west. I did promise my mom I would stop by and see her in Lenoir NC before I headed up the mountain on highway 321 toward Boone NC. I arrived at her home and she did what all good mothers do. She feed me. Nothing is better than good old mom’s good cooking, right?
After my visit with mom, I jumped on Big Red and started to head out for Boone. Of course, the clouds were looking worse. At first I wasn’t sure if I could make it to Boone without getting soaked. I started to leave the Frogg Toggs off. I decided not to. Luckily for me I put the suit on because no more than 2 miles up the road from my mom’s home the rain started and it rained all the way up to Boone. The road up 321 wasn’t that great to start with. There was a lot of construction going on and my mom warned me of that. With the combination of road construction, mud, gravel and rain, it was not that great of a ride to Boone. Luckily for me, it was a short one.
At around 1430 I rolled into the Holiday Inn parking lot and there was my good old AF buddy Pablo with his really nice Harley. Thankfully, I could say hi to him because he turned that loud monster off. Pablo and I talked a little about our bikes and covered them up before the rain hit hard, grabbed a bite to eat at a Ruby Tuesday’s, talked about our route for the next day and basically just chilled out for the rest of the night. Thursday was really the beginning of the trip and the part we were looking forward too; the mountains.
Day #2
Thursday morning was finally there. It was time to hit the road. The morning started off with some patchy clouds and the streets were dry. There were a lot of motorcycle riders at the hotel too. Some were doing the same thing we were planning; hitting the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Finally, it was time to get started. So we grabbed some grub from the hotel and Pablo drink his normal 4 cups of coffee (man, that dude can drink some coffee). After breakfast, we started packing our bikes for the day. It took me about 2 minutes to take the cover off Big Red and throw my bags in the bikes saddle bags. It took Pablo a little longer. One piece of advice for anyone traveling with a Harley rider, add about 15 minutes for your planned departure time. Harley riders take a bit longer to pack up and move out.
After Pablo finally got packed up and all his gear strapped down we headed south on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The weather was great with mostly sunny skies and the temps were in the upper 70’s to mid 80’s. We could have not asked for a better day for hitting the mountains. We headed up the mountain and stopped on many overlooks. Of course we took a lot of pictures. I believe Pablo was really enjoying the mountains since he was from Texas and there are not too many mountains there. In NC we call Texas mountains hills and bumps.
Our goal for the day was to start in Boone NC and go all the way south to the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Well, we did that. But, of course, we made several stops along the route. Some of the stops included stops at Grand Father Mountain, Mt. Mitchell (the highest peak in NC), and many overlooks throughout the Pisgah National Forest. While at Grand Father Mountain, we talked to a couple that were from Ohio that also stayed at the same hotel Pablo and I stayed out. Actually Pablo talked to them earlier. They were a nice couple and were experiencing the empty nest time of their lives. So of course, they were enjoying life riding the parks on their bike too.
Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:
One quick note for anyone visiting Grand Father Mountain, expect to pay $14.00 to get into the park. I noticed that a lot of bikers go to the park but many of them were shocked to find it cost so much to get in.
As for Mt. Mitchell, be aware that there is some construction going on at the very top of the mountain. The park is in the process of building a new observation deck and the very top of the mountain is closed. You can still get some great pictures from the parking lot. Also be aware to check the weather conditions before you visit the mountain. It is pretty cloudy up there on many days. We got lucky and the view was great. If you decide to visit Mt. Mitchell, stop by the restaurant at the top of the mountain. The food was great and the view was very nice. It was well worth the stop and besides, we were starving.
The day was filled with great riding conditions. So much that we actually ended up riding the whole route on the Blue Ridge Parkway from Boone to the end of the parkway in Cherokee. Once we got to the end of the parkway we made a decision to find a place to stay in Cherokee. We located a very nice motel in Cherokee for the night for only $70.00. Pablo paid for the first night of lodging and I told him I would take care of the Friday night stay. We unpacked our bikes, covered them up and planned the next day of riding. However, it was not going to be as nice as the first day.
Some of things I had noticed about the trip on the first day was there were a lot more curvy roads than I expected. The curves were fun and was a great day to ride with the curves, but I wasn’t expecting that many. Another thing that got me was the lack of wild life on the trip. I expected to see some wild life. Even a deer or two would have been nice.
Day #3
Friday morning came and it was time to plan the day’s events. Pablo and my original plan was to head west toward Deal Gap and take on the Tail of the Dragon. We scratched that idea due to the rain. Luckily we did not go to Deals Gap to the dragon. I learned later that 3 people died that day on the dragon. One single rider lost control and ran off a cliff and landed 80 below the roadway. Another couple riding a trike lost control and ran head into a SUV carrying a boat. They hit the boat so hard it detached it from the SUV. Both accidents were due to speed and over-braking.
It did start to drizzle most of the morning. So we decided to head west toward the Great Smoky Mountains and tour some of that area. Even though the weather wasn’t that great we did have a good time riding through the smoky mountains. We just had to take it a little slow.
Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:
As we traveled through the Great Smokey Mountains on highway 441, we ran ride into Gatlinburg TN. Pablo was a little shocked by the sudden change in scenery. One minute we were touring through mountains and forest of the Pisgah National Forest. The next minute we hit civilization, tourist, rain and bumper-to-bumper traffic. Oh joy!
The traffic was really bad in Gatlinburg. We travel through bumper-to-bumper traffic for a good 10 miles. Once we got through Gatlinburg we had to deal with Pigeon Forge and then Sevierville. Pablo and I decided that since we were not going to take on the dragon we would continue on north until we hit I-40. Once we hit the interstate we decided to head east and then find a place to discuss our next route and get off the interstate. Besides, interstates are boring. We found a safe exit to take to discuss our next move and so Pablo could down another pot of coffee. After Pablo’s caffeine fix, we decided to head toward Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. I figured Pablo would like Chimney Rock and the lake.
As we rode east on I-40 we decided to take highway 276 east. That road wasn’t too bad until we had to take highway 9 east. There we decided to grab some lunch off of exit 104. If you ever think about doing that; don’t. It was a terrible place to get off and try to get access to food. There is food there (Shoney’s), but it is buried behind a Shell station and a large Wal-Mart off of an access road. It was not an ideal place to stop. Oh yeah, it was still raining.
After lunch and escaping the jacked up traffic situation, we continued on highway 9 until we hit highway 64. From that point on, it was pretty smooth riding to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. I have always liked highway 64. It has some really nice roads to ride. Even though it was raining for most of the day, the riding and scenery was great. As we got closer to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure the sun come out and life was good.
Once we arrived at Lake Lure, we drove past Chimney Rock so Pablo could see it. He was pretty excited about visiting it. We drove through Lake Lure and decided find a place for the night. We choose the Lake Lure Hotel and Spa. It was a really nice place to stay. If you ever get a chance to visit that hotel do it. It is a great place to take your spouse. We saw a lot of families there too. I called Slick and told her about the hotel and that we would have to come back in the fall for a weekend. Pablo called his wife and told her about it too. The hotel was built is 1927 and is loaded with history. The service and food was great there too. I really enjoyed cheese grits. I had never had those before. I need to get that recipe.
Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:
Day #4
Saturday was Pablo and my last day of riding together. So we decided we would top off the trip and visit Chimney Rock. I knew Pablo would like that. After a great breakfast and watching Pablo drink about half dozen cups of coffee we headed to Chimney Rock. Once we got to the entrance we parked our bikes on the side road and I had the bright idea of wanting to walk to the top of the entrance to the park. For some reason I decided we should probably take the bikes instead. I am glad we did. Even though I had been there several years ago I had forgotten how far it was to the top of the entrance to the park. You have to go one mile to get to the ticket booth to pay your $14.00 and then 2 more miles up some very sharp curves to get to the entrance way. Oh yeah, it is a bit steep too.
Once we finally got to the park entrance we parked our bikes and decided to climb the stairs to the top. We had a choice of taking the elevator, but we though, hey we are still young enough to walk the stairs. Well, we did, and realized that we are not 30 any more. The bright side is we made it to the top and man what a nice view we had. We could see for many miles and the skies were almost perfect for taking photos.
Pablo said he plans to take the wife to Chimney Rock, Lake Lure and the mountains next year. I could tell he really enjoyed the parkway and mountain. Heck, I have been here for half of my life and I never get tired of the mountains; especially, when I can ride Big Red through them.
Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:
After the death march to the top of Chimney Rock it was time to head down the stairs. It was much nicer going down the stairs than going up. Once down, we mounted our bikes and headed down to exit the park. Pablo and I departed Chimney Rock. He was heading back to Texas and I continued on east on highway 64 and then I-40 toward home. Once home I unpacked Big Red and cleaned up Big Red.
All-in-all it was a really nice trip. I really felt relaxed and free on the trip. I had the opportunity to see an old friend, tour the mountains of NC and TN, and talk about the old days and our families. Next year we plan for another ride to some where. For now, we have no idea where. Wherever we decide to go, it will be fun.
Last but not least. Here is the photo of the trip. Enjoy!
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
Day #1
I left home Wednesday the 11th of July to hit the road and ride to the western mountains to meet my old buddy Pablo who is from the flat lands of Texas. My original plan was to head out from home around mid morning. Well, that didn’t happen due to the weather man saying there was a good chance I was going to get dumped on before I ever left home. So, I packed up Big Red and left home around 0830. As I was cruising down the road, I was thinking, ‘I might just make it without getting wet’. I was wrong. As I left Greensboro on I-40 I barely made it to Winston Salem before the drizzle hit. So I ended up pulling off the side of the road and put on my trusty Frogg Toggs. I like my Frogg Toggs because they do keep a man dry, but when it is humid outside, they tend to get a little toasty.
Anyway, I suited up and headed west. I did promise my mom I would stop by and see her in Lenoir NC before I headed up the mountain on highway 321 toward Boone NC. I arrived at her home and she did what all good mothers do. She feed me. Nothing is better than good old mom’s good cooking, right?
After my visit with mom, I jumped on Big Red and started to head out for Boone. Of course, the clouds were looking worse. At first I wasn’t sure if I could make it to Boone without getting soaked. I started to leave the Frogg Toggs off. I decided not to. Luckily for me I put the suit on because no more than 2 miles up the road from my mom’s home the rain started and it rained all the way up to Boone. The road up 321 wasn’t that great to start with. There was a lot of construction going on and my mom warned me of that. With the combination of road construction, mud, gravel and rain, it was not that great of a ride to Boone. Luckily for me, it was a short one.
At around 1430 I rolled into the Holiday Inn parking lot and there was my good old AF buddy Pablo with his really nice Harley. Thankfully, I could say hi to him because he turned that loud monster off. Pablo and I talked a little about our bikes and covered them up before the rain hit hard, grabbed a bite to eat at a Ruby Tuesday’s, talked about our route for the next day and basically just chilled out for the rest of the night. Thursday was really the beginning of the trip and the part we were looking forward too; the mountains.
Day #2
Thursday morning was finally there. It was time to hit the road. The morning started off with some patchy clouds and the streets were dry. There were a lot of motorcycle riders at the hotel too. Some were doing the same thing we were planning; hitting the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Finally, it was time to get started. So we grabbed some grub from the hotel and Pablo drink his normal 4 cups of coffee (man, that dude can drink some coffee). After breakfast, we started packing our bikes for the day. It took me about 2 minutes to take the cover off Big Red and throw my bags in the bikes saddle bags. It took Pablo a little longer. One piece of advice for anyone traveling with a Harley rider, add about 15 minutes for your planned departure time. Harley riders take a bit longer to pack up and move out.
After Pablo finally got packed up and all his gear strapped down we headed south on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The weather was great with mostly sunny skies and the temps were in the upper 70’s to mid 80’s. We could have not asked for a better day for hitting the mountains. We headed up the mountain and stopped on many overlooks. Of course we took a lot of pictures. I believe Pablo was really enjoying the mountains since he was from Texas and there are not too many mountains there. In NC we call Texas mountains hills and bumps.
Our goal for the day was to start in Boone NC and go all the way south to the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Well, we did that. But, of course, we made several stops along the route. Some of the stops included stops at Grand Father Mountain, Mt. Mitchell (the highest peak in NC), and many overlooks throughout the Pisgah National Forest. While at Grand Father Mountain, we talked to a couple that were from Ohio that also stayed at the same hotel Pablo and I stayed out. Actually Pablo talked to them earlier. They were a nice couple and were experiencing the empty nest time of their lives. So of course, they were enjoying life riding the parks on their bike too.
Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:
One quick note for anyone visiting Grand Father Mountain, expect to pay $14.00 to get into the park. I noticed that a lot of bikers go to the park but many of them were shocked to find it cost so much to get in.
As for Mt. Mitchell, be aware that there is some construction going on at the very top of the mountain. The park is in the process of building a new observation deck and the very top of the mountain is closed. You can still get some great pictures from the parking lot. Also be aware to check the weather conditions before you visit the mountain. It is pretty cloudy up there on many days. We got lucky and the view was great. If you decide to visit Mt. Mitchell, stop by the restaurant at the top of the mountain. The food was great and the view was very nice. It was well worth the stop and besides, we were starving.
The day was filled with great riding conditions. So much that we actually ended up riding the whole route on the Blue Ridge Parkway from Boone to the end of the parkway in Cherokee. Once we got to the end of the parkway we made a decision to find a place to stay in Cherokee. We located a very nice motel in Cherokee for the night for only $70.00. Pablo paid for the first night of lodging and I told him I would take care of the Friday night stay. We unpacked our bikes, covered them up and planned the next day of riding. However, it was not going to be as nice as the first day.
Some of things I had noticed about the trip on the first day was there were a lot more curvy roads than I expected. The curves were fun and was a great day to ride with the curves, but I wasn’t expecting that many. Another thing that got me was the lack of wild life on the trip. I expected to see some wild life. Even a deer or two would have been nice.
Day #3
Friday morning came and it was time to plan the day’s events. Pablo and my original plan was to head west toward Deal Gap and take on the Tail of the Dragon. We scratched that idea due to the rain. Luckily we did not go to Deals Gap to the dragon. I learned later that 3 people died that day on the dragon. One single rider lost control and ran off a cliff and landed 80 below the roadway. Another couple riding a trike lost control and ran head into a SUV carrying a boat. They hit the boat so hard it detached it from the SUV. Both accidents were due to speed and over-braking.
It did start to drizzle most of the morning. So we decided to head west toward the Great Smoky Mountains and tour some of that area. Even though the weather wasn’t that great we did have a good time riding through the smoky mountains. We just had to take it a little slow.
Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:
As we traveled through the Great Smokey Mountains on highway 441, we ran ride into Gatlinburg TN. Pablo was a little shocked by the sudden change in scenery. One minute we were touring through mountains and forest of the Pisgah National Forest. The next minute we hit civilization, tourist, rain and bumper-to-bumper traffic. Oh joy!
The traffic was really bad in Gatlinburg. We travel through bumper-to-bumper traffic for a good 10 miles. Once we got through Gatlinburg we had to deal with Pigeon Forge and then Sevierville. Pablo and I decided that since we were not going to take on the dragon we would continue on north until we hit I-40. Once we hit the interstate we decided to head east and then find a place to discuss our next route and get off the interstate. Besides, interstates are boring. We found a safe exit to take to discuss our next move and so Pablo could down another pot of coffee. After Pablo’s caffeine fix, we decided to head toward Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. I figured Pablo would like Chimney Rock and the lake.
As we rode east on I-40 we decided to take highway 276 east. That road wasn’t too bad until we had to take highway 9 east. There we decided to grab some lunch off of exit 104. If you ever think about doing that; don’t. It was a terrible place to get off and try to get access to food. There is food there (Shoney’s), but it is buried behind a Shell station and a large Wal-Mart off of an access road. It was not an ideal place to stop. Oh yeah, it was still raining.
After lunch and escaping the jacked up traffic situation, we continued on highway 9 until we hit highway 64. From that point on, it was pretty smooth riding to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. I have always liked highway 64. It has some really nice roads to ride. Even though it was raining for most of the day, the riding and scenery was great. As we got closer to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure the sun come out and life was good.
Once we arrived at Lake Lure, we drove past Chimney Rock so Pablo could see it. He was pretty excited about visiting it. We drove through Lake Lure and decided find a place for the night. We choose the Lake Lure Hotel and Spa. It was a really nice place to stay. If you ever get a chance to visit that hotel do it. It is a great place to take your spouse. We saw a lot of families there too. I called Slick and told her about the hotel and that we would have to come back in the fall for a weekend. Pablo called his wife and told her about it too. The hotel was built is 1927 and is loaded with history. The service and food was great there too. I really enjoyed cheese grits. I had never had those before. I need to get that recipe.
Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:
Day #4
Saturday was Pablo and my last day of riding together. So we decided we would top off the trip and visit Chimney Rock. I knew Pablo would like that. After a great breakfast and watching Pablo drink about half dozen cups of coffee we headed to Chimney Rock. Once we got to the entrance we parked our bikes on the side road and I had the bright idea of wanting to walk to the top of the entrance to the park. For some reason I decided we should probably take the bikes instead. I am glad we did. Even though I had been there several years ago I had forgotten how far it was to the top of the entrance to the park. You have to go one mile to get to the ticket booth to pay your $14.00 and then 2 more miles up some very sharp curves to get to the entrance way. Oh yeah, it is a bit steep too.
Once we finally got to the park entrance we parked our bikes and decided to climb the stairs to the top. We had a choice of taking the elevator, but we though, hey we are still young enough to walk the stairs. Well, we did, and realized that we are not 30 any more. The bright side is we made it to the top and man what a nice view we had. We could see for many miles and the skies were almost perfect for taking photos.
Pablo said he plans to take the wife to Chimney Rock, Lake Lure and the mountains next year. I could tell he really enjoyed the parkway and mountain. Heck, I have been here for half of my life and I never get tired of the mountains; especially, when I can ride Big Red through them.
Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:
After the death march to the top of Chimney Rock it was time to head down the stairs. It was much nicer going down the stairs than going up. Once down, we mounted our bikes and headed down to exit the park. Pablo and I departed Chimney Rock. He was heading back to Texas and I continued on east on highway 64 and then I-40 toward home. Once home I unpacked Big Red and cleaned up Big Red.
All-in-all it was a really nice trip. I really felt relaxed and free on the trip. I had the opportunity to see an old friend, tour the mountains of NC and TN, and talk about the old days and our families. Next year we plan for another ride to some where. For now, we have no idea where. Wherever we decide to go, it will be fun.
Last but not least. Here is the photo of the trip. Enjoy!
Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy
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