Pappy and Slick's Motorcycle Adventures

Great Chilly Ride Today

2011-02-08T15:02:00.003-05:00

I finally got to ride Big Red today. It was only an hour long ride, but it was worth it. Checkout my photo.

New Big Red Photo

2011-01-06T08:02:00.002-05:00

Just created this photo of Big Red. The bridge is located in Asheboro NC and is one of only 2 covered bridges still remaining in NC.

Pappy's Place

2010-12-12T10:51:00.002-05:00

Just added a new edition to Pappy's Place. It looks good in the "man cave".

Lake James and Mt Airy Ride

2010-09-21T13:17:00.009-05:00

The last 2 days of riding have been great. After weeks of not getting to ride, I finally got to ride Big Red for about 500+ miles. Monday I met up with my brother-in-law at his home to ride around Lake James in NC. Slick and I had visited the lake on one trip but that was in the car (boring ride). Kevin lives closer to the lake so he lead the way and we rode around the outer edge of the lake. It was a nice day and the ride was great. However, there aren't too many good places to park to get a good photo or two. That didn't stop us. Below is a nice photo of the lake and Table Rock. The other photo is Kevin as my lookout for our get away. We are born outlaws!

Table Rock at Lake James

Yes, We Stopped! Call a Cop!

After riding around the lake, Kevin lead the way to route 268 toward Wilkesboro NC. That was a nice ride through the county. We actually rode for miles before seeing any vehicles. We rode through some old towns such as Roaring River, Knottville, Elkin and of course, Ronda. I know what you are saying, "I have never heard of those towns". Well, neither have I. The towns were very small and you could tell that many of the old mills and factories have come and gone. Nevertheless, the ride through those old towns was very nice and relaxing.

After a good nights rest after me riding for about 8 hours on Monday, Kevin and I headed out to Mount Airy NC. Mt Airy was place where Andy Griffith lived as a boy and is a popular tourist area for those that grew up watching the Andy Griffith Show and like to see the changing of the leaves in the mountain in the fall. The place really packs in the tourist for the Mayberry Days events that just happen to be going on at the end of this week. Many of the old actors from the show are no longer with us, but those that are still kicking usually show up. Andy Griffith actually showed up last year.

Kevin and I visited the major attractions like the Andy Griffith Museum. If you get a chance to visit there and liked the show, you need to go there. The cost is only $3.00. Of course no visit to Mount Airy is complete without visiting Snappy's Lunch for a heart stopping pork chop sandwich and a hair cut at Floyd's Barber Shop. I know, I don't have hair, but I can still get a few pictures of those with hair getting haircuts; including my good old biker buddy, Kevin. There are hundreds of photos on the wall of those that got there hair cut at Floyd's. We asked one barber there how many photos they had and she said there are probably over 35,000 photos.

Kevin's Snappy Pork Chopped Sandwich

Kevin's Haircut at Floyd's Barber Shop!

I also got a few other pictures that I thought were pretty cool.

Andy Griffith's Old Home

Popular Statue of Andy and Opie

Town Tours in Old Car From the Show

Downtown Mount Airy (AKA, Mayberry)

Floyd's Barber Shop...$8.00 Haircuts

Memories of Mayberry are Everywhere

Veteran's Memorial

So if you get a chance to visit Mount Airy or ride route 268, go for it. It was a great ride. The next trip will be Slick and I riding the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway this weekend. We plan to visit Asheville and Cherokee NC. More to come on that trip, so stay tuned.

4th of July Ride

2010-07-04T14:26:00.007-05:00

Slick and I just got back from our motorcycle ride to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Stone Mountain Park in NC. We started about 9 am and hoped to beat the heat. Our ride took us from home and west on highway 421. We followed highway 421 to 21 North. 21 North took us up toward Stone Mountain Park in NC. We enjoyed that park of that ride. 21 North allows you to start enjoying the nice country roads and has very little traffic. We didn’t stop at Stone Mountain Park because we had driven our car up there before. After passing the park entrance continued to head north on 21 until to we got to the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance. It was a great day to ride. There were motorcycle and old guys driving their classic cars everywhere. We saw all types of bikers. Here is the route we took.

We always enjoy riding the parkway. Slick came up with a good ideas to pack a picnic lunch for us. That was nice. We ate some awesome P&J sandwiches and chips. She also made us a nice chocolate chip cake too. We had our little snack, enjoyed the scenery and laid on a blanket on one of the overlooks and enjoyed the day. It has been a long time since Slick and I just relaxed in the park. As a matter of fact, the Blue Ride Parkway was the first place we went on a date over 28 years ago. Here are a few photos from our ride:

After our picnic, we headed west through the park. Our exit out of the park was 18 south toward Wilkesboro NC and back to 421. It was a about 20 south from 18 to Wilkesboro. The ride was nice. We went through several some towns and enjoyed the scenery of the wide open farm lands.

One we got back on 421, we headed south back toward home. By that time it was getting a little toasty, but Slick hung in there. The ride took about 4.5 hours. It was a great way to enjoy park of our 4th of July weekend.

If you get a chance check out the route. We plan to do it again. Of course we want to stay longer.

Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Nice 5 Hour Ride in the Country

2010-04-03T13:04:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was a very nice ride day for me. After being on the road for several weeks it was really nice to get a chance to take a longer than usual ride. See, most of the time I ride an hour or two and that's it. That is due to having to ride at least an hour to get to the good locations. Yesterday was a different story.

The weather was awesome! At the start of the ride, the temp was around 60. I ventured out around 0930 and headed southwest to Uwharrie National Forest. I have been through there before and I have always enjoyed it. Most of the trip is long and peaceful country roads. Throughout the trip, I road through some very small towns that I had never even heard of. It was actually pretty fun to post my stops using my Loopt application and tell let those that were following me know where I was at. The funny thing is, they had never heard of the towns either.

Once I got into Uwharrie National Forest I took a several roads off the beaten path. Mainly because I got lost. I really didn't mind getting lost. I got the chance to see some very nice roads and scenery that I would have never gotten to see. Besides, on a bike, if you have plenty of gas, you are never lost. I call the off road events "exploring".

After traveling through small towns like McGlead, Pee Dee, Denton and Wadeboro, I headed toward home. On the way home temps reached near 87 and getting a little toasty, but who cares; with the sights and sounds of small hometowns, country roads, fellow bikers and beautiful landscapes, how could I complain.

Below is a map of my route. If you get a chance, take a trip on the same route. I am looking forward to repeating the same route in the fall when the leaves change. Now that will be worth the 5 hr trip again.

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a leaving you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Twelve Important Things My Motorcycle Has Taught Me

2010-02-24T16:34:00.000-05:00

Twelve Important Things My Motorcycle Has Taught Me

1. The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror.

2. Four wheels move the body; two wheels move the soul.

3. I'd rather be riding my motorcycle and thinking about God, than sitting in church thinking about my motorcycle.

4. Life may begin at 30, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 75 mph.

5. Midnight bugs taste just as bad as Noon time bugs.

6. Sometimes it takes a whole tank full of gas before you can think straight.

7. A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.

8. Young riders pick a destination and go; old riders pick a direction and go.

9. When you're riding lead, don't spit.

10. Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 75 mph can double your vocabulary.

11. If you can't get it going with bungee cords and duct tape, it's serious.

12. Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.

13. (Bonus) I've never seen a Motorcycle parked in front of a psychiatrist's office.

Enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Nice Ride Today

2010-02-21T18:20:00.002-05:00

Had a great 2 hour ride today. No where special. The weather was great and I decided to take a ride in the country and through some of our small towns in the area. There were bikes all over the place. Along the way, I stopped by the Harley Museum in Asheboro NC. The place was closed but I stopped to take a break and shoot this photo for my friends who love their Harley's.

Looking forward to the next ride and planning some routes for this year.

Pappy

Finally Get to Ride Today

2010-02-21T10:47:00.002-05:00

After about 4 weeks of not getting to ride, I get to ride today. The high temps will be around the mid 60's. I have no idea where I am going to ride, but hey, that doesn't matter. I am riding somewhere for about 3 or 4 hours.

More to come...

Pappy

I Want to Ride!

2010-01-07T08:31:00.003-05:00

From time to time I like to look back on some of our adventures and think about how much fun we had. Of course, I love taking photos of our trips too. These photos make me want to ride. Come on spring time! I got to ride!

Biker Photos

Enjoy!

Pappy

New Motorcycle Slide Show

2009-12-30T09:34:00.004-05:00

Since I haven't been able to put on any good miles on Big Red lately, I thought I would put together a new slide show of some of the good times we have had over the last year. Take a look at the slide show. It is a fairly large file so I suggest you download it. Or you can checkout our PappyandSlick YouTube Page . You will find the same slide show there.

files.me.com/rogeryounce/1kb30y.mov

I have started a new business called PS Media Creations . My son Jordan has a business too called 83 Productions . Both of us plan to take a lot of video and photos of our 2010 trips and put them into a nice slide show, video and photo book format. That will be a great project to show case our adventures next year. Of course, when we get any other projects completed I will let everyone know.

Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Sky Cove Dropped My Bike Tour

2009-09-16T07:51:00.006-05:00

This weekend we decided to take a trip with Big Red to the mountains of NC. Slick and I planned this trip with the intent of just taking Big Red and the trailer. Then we started thinking that if we were going to the mountains for the week we need to have an alternate mode of transportation besides the bike. So, Slick drove her car so we could haul more stuff for the weeks stay. We are glad we did, because we did not check out the ride to the top of the mountain and how bad that was going to be for me on Big Red. More on that later.

As we left home on Saturday morning the weather was great. The whole 5 hr trip to the mountains was great. There was little traffic on I-40 and I-74. We found our way to Bryson City. We checked in to the rental office for the cabin. We got our map and directions and off we went to the cabin where the real fun started. (Fun is not the correct word)

I followed Slick because she had the directions to the cabin. As we got to the base of the mountain, we then entered Sky Cove (that should tell you how high the cabin was). I followed Slick for about 2 minutes up the mountain. The road was a one lane road. The road was paved and did have a little gravel and some pot holes. The fun part started when I approached my first hair pen turn to the right (a steep up hill turn). I didn't swing out far enough or give the bike enough gas, so it fell over (drop #1). After picking up Big Red, I ventured on. It was a steep but no problems until I got to my drive way. The drive way was a long a gravel road. I had to make a hard right up hill on gravel. Not a good combination for me. I hate right turns up a steep hill, especially on gravel. So I dropped the bike again (drop #2).

After that drop and having to pick up the bike on a 45% hill. I decide to take the bike up further up the mountain so I could turn it around and enter the driveway in a straight direction. As I continued up the hill to turn it around, you guessed it, I dropped it again (drop #3). After picking up the bike for the 3rd time I was getting a little tuckered out. I finally got the bike to the driveway and parked it at the end of the driveway. Prior to getting the bike settled on the gravel driveway, I put the kickstand down. It sank in the driveway, so of course it fell over again (drop #4).

All-in-all, I dropped the bike 4 times on the trip (so far). I still have to go down the hill on Saturday. It is kind of funny. I have dropped the bike more times on this trip that I have dropped it the whole time I have had it. Oh well, I will drop it again, I'm sure. Many bikers drop their bikes but are too macho to attempt it.

Even though I did drop the bike we have had fun on the trip so far. We have taken a nice train ride through the Smokey Mountains on the Smokey Mountain Railroad, visited Fontana Dam and Fontana Village, and rode on highway 28 toward TN (very nice bike road). We plan to ride back to Fontana Village next year. From the village you have some really nice roads to ride and you are less than an hour from the "Tail of the Dragon". Highway 28 in very curvy and in great condition.

We have 3 more days before I attempt the trip down the mountain on Big Red. It should be a little easier for me to go down the mountain rather than going up the 45% grade hill. I did learn a valuable lesson from this trip. Always personally checkout the location of your lodging if you plan to take your bike on a trip high into the mountains. Also, take a look around at the bikes that are already on the mountain. There was NONE! That should have been my first hint, I was screwing up. Below is a link to some photos of you road at Sky Cove.

Sky Cove Road

I am really glad we did not stick to our original plan of only riding the bike and pulling the trailer. That would have been a real disaster.

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Nice Sunday Morning Ride

2009-09-06T10:51:00.003-05:00

This morning I took off at 8 am for a nice Sunday morning ride. There is just something about heading off for an early morning ride and Sunday morning is my favorite time. The weather was in the mid 60's and there was no traffic. That is just what I enjoy. The only thing missing was Slick. She was out of town and I decided to go solo.

I took off at 8 am headed toward Lexington NC from Jamestown. Even though business 85 is a four lane highway there is normally very little traffic. So was the case this morning. I decided to head toward Lexington and I am glad I did. The town was dead. It gave me an opportunity to take the ride through town slow and really enjoy it. I have been through the town on a couple of occasions. I enjoy Lexington. It has the old southern town feel. If you decide to ride through Lexington take the time to stop and snap some photos of all the ceramic pigs on the streets. The town is famous of it's BBQ.

After leaving Lexington I headed south on NC 8. That took me toward High Rock Lake. There wasn't much to see of the lake from the main road. I did pass over bridge at the lake. It looked like a great place. I did notice that there were some camping grounds there. Jordan, Kevin and I have been talking about camping one weekend before it got too cold. That camp grounds is an option.

After leaving High Rock Lake I headed further south until I got to NC 49. There I took a left and then headed toward highway 109. The southern part of NC 8 and north on 1o9 is my type of road. There a many long stretches of road and not much traffic. You will see a lot of bikers on 109. I have actually traveled a lot of 109. One day I took the road all the way to South Carolina. Of course, I didn't plan to go that far, but I ended up there because I wanted to see where it went. Slick wasn't too thrilled about me going that far. Luckily my phone worked so I could call her and let her know I was okay.

After traveling north on 109, I headed into Thomasville NC. Again, it was a great time to go through the town; no traffic. Once I was through Thomasville, I hit business 85 and headed home.

There route was a little over 100 miles and only took about 2.5 hrs. It was a great morning to ride and seeing the small towns and country roads made my day. The only thing missing was Slick. She wasn't physically with me, but she was still there.

Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Weekend Ride to Lake Lure

2009-08-16T09:27:00.006-05:00

This weekend as a great 2 days of riding. Slick had made arrangements for us to meet her brother and and his wife (Kevin and Carolyn) to go for a little bike ride. The weather was great and we needed to get out of town and do something relaxing. So, we do what we like to do the most to relax; ride.

Slick and I took off from Jamestown around 11 am and heading west on I-40. We meet Kevin and Carolyn off of exit 113 near Hickory NC. We fueled up and started talking about where we wanted to ride. Kevin suggested Lake Lure. Slick and I that was a great idea. We both really enjoy that lake and have been there a couple of times.

After fueling up, we headed west on I-40 and to the Black Mountain exit. Kevin was in the lead and he took us on some really nice back roads. The roads were filled with a lot of nice tight curves. The traffic was really lite since we were traveling on a Friday. Basically we had the roads to ourselves; nice!

Once we arrive at Lake Lure we started looking for a nice place to eat. I suggested a little place right across from the Lake Lure Hotel and beach area. The food was really good. I had eaten there before but only on the side where all the bikers and beer drinkers ate. This time we ate in the main area and the food was really good. All of us enjoyed our meals. If you decide to visit there, you will enjoy it.

After lunch we decided we all wanted to take the boat tour ride on Lake Lure. Slick and I tried taking the tour last year but the weather didn't cooperate. This time the weather was awesome. So we all boarded the boat and got to hear a lot of great history about the lake. The tour guide as entertaining and told everyone of how the lake was formed and about the some of the residents there. We got to see homes on the lake that were worth over 1.5 million dollars. He even showed us the place were "Dirty Dancing" was filmed and how Patrick Swayze was kicked out of the hotel for partying too much during the filming of the movie. He also told us that the movie was filmed in November and the cast froze their butts off filming the scenes in the water. I was able to get a very photos during the boat tour. The photos were taken with my cell phone. Since the Lake Lure trip as a last minute thing, I didn't bring my good camera.

After leaving Lake Lure we headed back the same route. I wanted to enjoy the curvy roads again. I think even Slick liked them. She only squealed twice. Once back on I-40 we headed to Kevin and Carolyn's home. They invited us to spend the night with them, so we took them up on it.

On Saturday, Slick and I prepared to head home. Carolyn had suggested that we take a ride to a winery about an hours ride from their home. So we took off on the ride following Kevin and Carolyn. I am glad they were in the lead because they took on some very nice back roads to the winery. It was some of the best and most relaxing back roads Slick and I had every been on. Even though, we failed to check the time the winery opened (they were closed), we really enjoyed that ride. The roads consisted of a lot of open farm lands, curves and everything a biker would enjoy on that hour long trip. The roads were so nice, it would have been a great place to get lost and try to find our way out.

Once we left the winery were headed back toward I-40. We all said good-bye and headed back home. The 2 day trip put on about 250 miles on Big Red and it was great. We are looking forward to our next ride.

Until next time remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Mt Airy and Blue Ridge Parkway Ride

2009-08-02T08:55:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a great day for a ride. Slick and I got up in the morning and we were not too sure if the weather was going to hold out. It was cloudy in the morning but after checking the weather forecast it seemed we were going to be okay.

We got on the road around 11:30. By that time it was getting a little toasty and the temperature was suppose to get near 90. It wasn't too bad if we were moving on the bike and it turned out to be nice. We headed toward Winston Salem to highway 52 north and the VA state line. By the time we got there the weather as improving. Not long after we entered VA we headed west on highway 58 west toward Fairy Stone State Park. The bad thing was the park was not on highway 58 west. It turned out it was on some off road and of course we rode right by it. We just said, "Oh well, we have gas, keep riding".

As we headed west we did see a nice lookout called "Lovers Leap". So he had to stop and get a photo or two. I had been there before. I had rode highway 58 west as my first solo ride about 3 years ago. The overlook view was nice and a popular stopping point for those heading toward the Blue Ridge Parkway.

After leaving Lovers Leap, we headed west to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We noticed a small park off the road and decided to check it out. It turned out to have a nice view of the mountains and some picnic spots. We stopped to take a view photos there. While there, we notice a grave site. It was kind of strange to have a grave site at the park. We noticed that a USAF veteran was buried there. He must have loved the mountains to have asked to have been buried there. You could tell from the site that he was not forget by the flag at his grave site that someone placed there.

After a few photos and quick break we headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway. As usual, the parkway was a nice relaxing ride. Slick and I had been on that part of the parkway before, but it never gets old riding that parkway. We look the rolling hills, farm lands and very lite traffic on the parkway.

After exiting the parkway, we headed to highway 52 south and headed toward Mt Airy. We decided to look for some lunch. We decided to eat a place that wasn't a chain and so we decided to pick the Wagon Wheel Restaurant. It was old restaurant that had been there for many years. Actually the waiters had been working there 27 years. It was an old place but the popcorn shrimp, hush puppies and tea was awesome! After lunch Slick wanted to take a tour of downtown Mt Airy. That took about 3 minutes. It would have been shorted but we had to stop at a couple of stop lights.

Once our bellies were full we headed south toward home. By this time was had been gone about 5 hours. We finally made it home in about 6 hours. Overall, the ride was great. Slick stated it was one of the most relaxing and fun rides she had had in a long time. I had to agree.

If you would like to see photos of our trip just click on the link below and remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Mt Airy and Blue Ridge Parkway Ride

Pappy

Now on Facebook

2009-07-26T07:15:00.002-05:00

Well, I finally switched from MySpace to Facebook. It looks like no one else is using MySpace anymore. I am liking the Facebook stuff. It seems easier to use and seems cleaner.

Pappy

Some Nice Vacation Photos

2009-07-26T07:13:00.003-05:00

Here are some of our photos from out west. I took about 300+ photos. We did not take the bike, but enjoy them just the same.

West Photos

Pappy

USAF Tribute

2009-07-22T08:43:00.004-05:00

Here is a nice tribute for those that have served or are serving in the USAF. It bought back a lot of good memories. I hope you enjoy the video.

I know it is not motorcycle related, but hey, it's my blog, right?

USAF Tribute Video

Pappy

Harley for Sale (Police Bike)

2009-07-22T08:28:00.005-05:00

If anyone is looking for Harley Davidson King Police bike, I know of someone selling one. It is in excellent shape and has tons of extras. Her husband's father bought the bike before he retired from a police department. It was never used as a police bike and was converted to a regular bike. Below is the details on the bike on Craigslist:

Bike Details

Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

VA State BBQ Championship in Galax Ride

2009-07-20T07:55:00.019-05:00

Saturday was a great day to ride. The weather was awesome and the roads were filled with all types of bikes. Our band of awesome riders consisted of Kevin (Harley) and Carolyn (Nanna), Jordan (AKA Dudley) and of course Slick and I. We had 1 Harley, VTX and Big Red taking out for the ride. We decided to head to Galax VA to the VA BBQ State Championship. Slick actually suggested the ride. It was the first time she has suggested a ride and she picked a good one.

We headed out on highway 52 north toward Mt Airy. We were not too thrilled about riding on highway 52. The ride did get a little better once we got off 52 and on to 74. Highway 74 was nice. There was very little traffic and there were a lot of bikes heading in the same direction as we were.

The ride did get even better once we got on 89 west. 89 took us right into Galax VA. It was Harley and Nanna's first time riding their bikes in VA. So of course we had to stop and get a photo of the two at the state line.

Once we rode into Galax, we could noticed the town was pretty packed with people. The smell of BBQ was in the air, banjos were playing, two guys who thought they were ZZ Top were in the house and people were really enjoying themselves. I had to take in some BBQ. The BBQ was great. Below are a few photos of our trip in Galax:

The girls did what they like to do best; shopping. They stopped at several booths and stores to checkout the stuff for sell. Of course, they had to buy something (it must be a woman thing). I am glad I didn't take my trailer. The girls would have filled it up with all types of stuff. As for the guys, we were concerned with what we do best; eating. Of course, we did that well.

After touring the sites and sounds of Galax, we headed south and back toward home. The trip took us about 5 hours and we put about 200 miles on the bikes. We did notice on the way up on 89, we saw an exit for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Slick and I have ridden a lot of the parkway, but we haven't ridden that part of it. So of course, we will have to take another trip back up that way in the near future to take care of that little issue.

All-in-all, the ride was great. We had great weather and we all enjoyed being together. We are all looking forward to riding again soon.

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Great Time Riding This Weekend

2009-07-05T12:07:00.015-05:00

Well, it has been about 2 weeks since I got the opportunity to ride. Work and traveling is keeping me pretty busy. Since it was a 3 day weekend and the weather was great we hit the road. Even though the rides were local, they were great. Here is how my travels went...

Friday, Jordan and I took off for Hanging Rock State Park. We headed up highway 52 North toward Mt Airy. For those of you that are not familiar with Mt. Airy, it is the town that Andy Griffin grew up in and the fictional town of Mayberry was born. Actually, if you are an old timer like me and grew up watching Andy Griffin, you will know the story. If you decide to travel there, you can actually visit a lot of things there in regards to Mayberry. Visit Slappy's grill. Andy Griffin ate there as a kid and they are famous for the pork chop sandwich. Right next to Slappy's is Floyd's Barber Shop. If I had hair, I would have gotten my hair cut there. Another thing about Mt Airy is that they have a Mayberry Days festival every year. If you liked the show you need to visit. Sometimes some of the fictional characters that are still living show up there.

Anyway, back to our ride. Jordan and I took off toward Mt Airy. Once we got to the Hanging Rock State Park sigh off of highway 52, we hit some really nice country roads with a lot of great curves. It seems like you ride forever. We just made sure we followed all the Hanging Rock State Park signs so we wouldn't get lost. The ride to the park was lengthy but fun.

We arrived at the park and there were bikes everywhere. You can't blame the bikers. The roads and the weather was great. Jordan and I decided to do a little hiking while at the park. What we thought would be a simple 1.9 mile hike took us over 2.5 hrs to complete. The trail took us straight up the mountain. It was a great hike, but is kicked out butts. Even though the hike was tough the view was awesome and well worth the mistake of taking a hike. Below are few pictures you might enjoy.

After hiking back from our "death march', we hit the road and took a different route back toward highway 52. We basically made a huge circle back to the highway. Again, the roads were curvy and long (just my types of roads). Jordan and I stopped at a local Chic-Fil-a and had a nice meal and headed home. We were exhausted. But wait there is more...

On Saturday, Slick and I meet Jordan at his place and mounted up to hit the road to Lenoir NC and meet with Kevin and Carolyn (my brother and sister-in-laws). Kevin is a Harley man and he has been riding for a few months now. He and Carolyn are enjoying the fun of riding too. I am pretty proud of Kevin. He hasn't been riding very long but now rides like a pro.

We meet Kevin and Carolyn and their home. Kevin had a nice long trip all ready planned out for us that included going into TN. We didn't have that much time, so we had to cut the trip a little short. He took us on some great long back roads on 181 North and up to Linville Gorge and into the Blue Ridge Parkway. Jordan had not ridden too much of the parkway but stated he wanted to ride there again. The scenery of the mountains was awesome!

We we got close too Linville Gorge we all got alittle hungry and Kevin came across a nice little place to stopped called "Pappy's BBQ". Of course we had to stop there just because of the name. We went in and Slick had to tell everyone that my nickname was Pappy and she even showed the workers there my Pappy tattoo. I felt like a big celebrity and I was thinking I might get my food for free. Of course, that didn't happen. They also had a "Pappy's hat there. Slick had to buy me a Pappy's hat. (For those of you they don't know me, I collect hats for my "man cave"). It actually will make a great addition to my hat collection.

After the meal we hit the Blue Ridge Parkway. We also rode the Viaduct on the parkway. That gives everyone a great view of the Great Smokey Mtns (every time I ride up there I look forward to retiring there). Slick and I plan to buy us a little home up there. We are looking forward to that. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

After traveling through the parkway, everyone decided to say goodbye and head back home. Slick, Jordan and I took 321 South back home. It was a long day, but it was nice. It was a great way to spend the weekend. We had great weather, scenery, food, family and fun. Even though I am completely exhausted, I can't wait to ride again.

Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

New Tatto...Slick

2009-06-08T08:52:00.005-05:00

Slick, Japper and I t0ok a trip down to Sunset Beach this weekend and I got a new tattoo. It was a tattoo of the word "Slick" in the old English font on my left arm. It looks pretty cool. As I was sitting there getting carved up I realized I needed to get one more tattoo. I need to get the word "Japper" on my arm underneath "Slick". That way I will have all of my families nick names. I am just glad there are only 3 of us. Below is a shot of me getting branded with my wife's nick name "Slick". I love the little lady.

Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living your forget to make a life.

Pappy

New Photos...Younce Family 2009

2009-05-26T09:59:00.004-05:00

Here are some nice photos that were taken recently. The photos were taken by Erin Arsenault in High Point NC. She does great work! I highly recommend her if you are looking to get some great photos.

Younce Family Photos 2009

Pappy

Big Red and VTX Upgrades

2009-05-26T07:02:00.005-05:00

This weekend was a nice relaxing one. I did a little riding but best of all my son Jordan and I had some upgrades made to our bikes. My upgrade included having my new Garmin GPS mounted and hooked up on Big Red. I have always wanted to have a GPS system for the bike, since I enjoy getting lost so much. My Garmin was purchased about a month ago but I had to have an electrical plug installed in the left pocket of the bike. So, as always I went to my trusted biker buddy Craig for the upgrade. Craig can do just about anything on a motorcycle. He installed the electrical plug for the bike in about 20 minutes and my GPS was ready. Actually had don't most of my upgrades to Big Red. Below are a couple of photos of the new GPS.

Afterwards, Craig started working on Jordan's VTX. His upgrades included have a new ignition switch put on the bike. Craig had no problem with that. The fun part was when the VTX was going to get a new backrest. There was more to putting on backrest on a cruiser and it was the first time Craig ever installed backrest on a cruiser. Craig had to basically take the whole seat apart to install the backrest (now I see why not a lot of cruisers have backrest). Once the backrest was install, Jordan tested it and loved it. It looked pretty nice too. Jordan wanted to get a new backrest because he heads to the beach in 2 weeks. Now he is set. Below are couple of photos of Craig and Jordan installing the switch. You can see the backrest too.

Craig did a great job on both bikes. I tell everyone I know if you have a bike that needs anything installed or repaired, Craig is the man and I trust him more than anyone with my Goldwing. He is good with VTX's too. He can fix just about anything.

Until next time and remember, don't be too busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

The Honda Fury in Asheboro NC

2009-05-23T09:55:00.004-05:00

Well, I finally got to see the new Honda Fury. I emailed the Cycle Center in Asheboro NC to find out if they had it on the floor. They said a red one just came in. They did have 1 about a week ago and within 2 days it was gone.

When I arrived at the shop there were already people looking at it. I had talked to one of the store managers and he stated that dealers in NC are only allowed to order 2. They were lucky enough to get 3. Of course all of the Fury's are gone within days. So I was lucky enough to get to see it before someone bought it. I was also told that after each stores sell the Fury's they order, they will not get anymore until early next year.

I liked the look of Fury. It sit like I thought a chopper should sit. It was long and sleek. I like the tank and the feel of the bike. It was light weight too and seemed like it would be a nice ride. However, I can't see going on any long trips on it. It would be great to take some local trips and around town.

If you get a chance to see a Honda Fury and like Honda's I think you will like the bike. It is a pretty bike and if I were a Honda cruiser fan without a bike, I would buy it. But of course, I have a Goldwing and to me, you can't get a better bike than that.

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Harley For Sale...2002 Wide Glide

2009-05-19T08:27:00.004-05:00

I have a fellow biker that is wanting to sell a Harley. Check it out. I looks like a nice ride. Below are the details and some pics.

2002 WIDE GLIDE
13,199 MILES
SCREAMIN EAGLE HIGH COMPRESSION PISTONS
1550 KIT
251 CAM,
HEADS PORT AND POLISHED
VALVES LAPPED AND POLISHED
VANCE AND HINES BIG SHOT PIPES
OIL COOLER
HARLEY SPEEDO/TACH COMBO
ARLEN NESS OIL PRESSURE GAUGE
NESS BARS
NESS BIG SUCKER AIR KIT
SCREAMIN EAGLE 42MM CARB
TWISTED SPOKE FRONT WHEEL
FAT BOY DISC REAR WHEEL
COMPRESSION RELEASE VALVES
FOWARD CONTROLS WITH STIRRUP PEGS
ALARM SYSTEM
MANY CHROME ADDS
BIKE DYNOS AT 95HP AND 103 FT LBS TORQUE
FRONT TIRE IS APPRX 50%, REAR 90%

BIKE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE BIKE IS CURRENTLY ON THE FLOOR AT WOLF CREEK HARLEY IN REIDSVILLE NC.

PRICE IS 13,900.00.

Call 469-1179 for more details.

Pappy

Flip Video Camcorder for Sale

2009-05-14T05:03:00.005-05:00

Have you ever wanted to record your rides on your bike or just have a nice camcorder that you could use on a trip that wasn't too bulky to carry around? Then you might want to consider a Flip Video Camcorder. I have one for sell.

The camcorder records 1 hr of video and uses 2 AA batteries. There are no cords to carry around and attach to anything. All you do is record your video, and plug in the carry to your USB port on your computer. You don't even need a disk to install any software because the software is built into the recorder. That means you can transfer your video to any computer.

The picture and sound quality of the camera is great. I actually bought the camera to mount to Big Red to record my trips and have used it on many other occasions. I have actually recorded many videos and put them on YouTube. It is a neat and very convenient camcorder.

So if you know of anyone wanting one, I have mine for sell. A new Flip video camcorder will run you about $150.00. I am selling mine for $100.00. Below is photo of the camera.

If you have any questions about the camera, feel free to contact via email at ryounce@triad.rr.com

Until next time and remember don't be too busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Great Relaxing Weekend Ride

2009-05-11T16:01:00.001-05:00

Saturday was the first time I have gotten to ride with Slick in over 2 weeks and we were both ready for a relaxing ride in the country. The weather was perfect and we were ready to get away from the hassle of work and the stress of everyday life. So, what a better way to get away, than on Big Red.

Our plan was to take off and ride for a few hours. The route didn’t matter. We actually set out to take some back roads in the country and see if we could get lost. The back roads were great. There was little traffic and the rolling country side was very relaxing for both of us. We got to see a lot of our plantation type homes and some very nice scenery of all types. There were even a few nice waterfalls along the way.

Our route took us in a big loop and we ended up in Asheboro NC. We stopped for lunch at one of our favorite joint; Cookout. It is becoming a weekend thing for us to go out on Saturday on Big Red to Cookout and try a new shake. Since Cookout has over 40 different flavors it will take a while sample them all, but we will give it a shot.

After the great shakes at Cookout we walked across the parking lot to the Cycle Center. I had to pick up Slick some clear riding glasses for night riding. While I was there I noticed that the Cycle Center had a lot of bikes on the showroom floor. I just had to ask the clerk if they planned to get in one of the Honda Fury’s end soon. He said that they did have a beautiful blue one in last week. The bike was there on Thursday, bought on Friday and taken away on Saturday. I knew there would be a lot of people looking to see the new Fury. The clerk did say that they did plan to get in a new Honda Fury at the end of the month. This one will be red. As most of you know I like red. Hopefully, I can take another trip to the Cycle Center at the end of the month to hopefully get a glimpse of it. After leaving the Cycle Center we headed north on 42 and then north on 109. We then took the fast route back home on interstate 85.

On Sunday, we did the Mother’s Day thing. Jordan and I rode our bikes to meet most of the mom’s in the family. Slick took the car because she didn’t want to have helmet hair when we got to J & S in Hickory NC. Jordan and I didn’t really care how we looked. Besides, we are bikers, right? The weather was great and we ended up riding about 4 hrs. It was nice to see all the mom’s and to ride too.

All-in-all, the weekend was great. We were a little busy, but spending time with the family, the ones you love and enjoying the riding, made the weekend awesome. Best of all, I didn’t think about work, bills or traveling all weekend. I just enjoyed having fun and relaxing with Slick.

Until next time and remember, don’t be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Honda's Got a Chopper...The Fury

2009-05-06T20:32:00.006-05:00

It looks like Honda has created it's first chopper and I like it. It is the 2010 Honda Fury. Here is a nice review of the bike:

2010 Honda Fury Chopper

I am looking forward to seeing the actual bike. I would really like to ride it. Here is a nice photo of it:

What do you think of the new chopper?

Now I really want to ride.

Pappy

Hanging Rock State Park Ride

2009-04-06T06:20:00.007-05:00

Sunday was a great day to ride. So Slick and I headed to Hanging Rock State Park. The weather was perfect with temps in the mid 70's and it was mostly sunny. As usual we saw bikes everywhere. One of the main reasons for riding to the park was to do a little hiking around the lake at the park. The park has a very nice lake and every time I have went to the park it is never crowded. There are a lot of nice trails around the park. I plan to hike to the top of the hanging rock this year. I was told it was a challenging hike (I like challenges). I figure when I do the hike I will have to plan on a whole day of hiking and make sure I have everything I need for the trip. I look forward to taking pictures from the top of the mountain. Taking my camera will make me feel like "Survivor Man", except I am taking lots of water and snacks. I not eating any bugs or snakes on the trip unless I get lost.

Slick and I took a few pictures while at the park. There was a nice picnic area there. So we snapped a few pictures there. Below are a couple photos from the trip and the route we took to the park.

If you decide to go on the route we took you will really like it. The route has some nice small town along the route and some country roads to enjoy. Slick really enjoyed the curvy roads on the back roads (not really, curves scare her but she hung in there). So if you like curvy roads you will enjoy that part of the the route too. There are not a lot of roads with the curves, but the ones that do have the curves are awesome.

If you get a chance to go to Hanging Rock State Park, check it out. It is worth the ride. And besides, it gives you a great excuse to ride.

If you want to see the trails at Hanging Rock State Park click on the link below:

Hanging Rock State Parks Trails

Until next time and remember, don't be too busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Are You Twittering Yet?

2009-03-31T12:02:00.003-05:00

Well, I jumped on the latest fad; Twittering. I thought it would be a waste of time, but I am finding some great uses for Twittering. My favorite feature is the ability to plot where I am at and even send pictures via my phone to my contacts and my blog. My other biker friends and I can stay in touch. If you haven't started Twittering yet, look into it. It is pretty cool and best of all you don't have to be a computer geek to figure it out. Just go to http://twitter.com/ to sign up. You can use your phone or a PC to use Twitter. By the way, my user name is "Pappy60".

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Visiting Mom on Her 68th Birthday

2009-03-22T17:54:00.004-05:00

Well, Friday was my mom's birthday. She turned 68 and I decided to take the day off and ride to see her in Lenoir NC. I wanted to surprise her and deliver her birthday card to her personally. I thought it would be a good thing for a son to do. And I thought, why don't I ride to see her. It seemed like a nice thing to do and besides, it is a good excuse to ride, right?

The plan was for me to leave home around 10 am. That way it would have time to warm up a little. I knew it was going to be a little chilly. I found out that mom was not going to be home around noon. so I had to get up and be on the road by 8 am. Now normally, riding when it is around 34 degrees is not an issue. I usually dress for a ride like that. The ride would take me about 2 hrs one way. Besides, it was going to be around 60 later in the day(at least that is what the weather man said).

So I left home and it was a little nippy. I actually got about a mile from home and thought, I might need to go back and get my jacket liner. I kept hearing that little voice inside of me telling me, "You are going to need that liner". Apparently, I am deaf and failed to listen to that little feller. The bottom line is I froze my butt off all the way to my mom's house. I even stopped about half way to her house to thaw out. That didn't even help. Oh well, I learned a listen. Listen to that little voice. It will keep me warm next time.

The ride itself was great. It was sunny and I decided to take 64 west off of I40. I love going that way because of the nice country roads and there is very little traffic. There is a lot of rolling hills and small towns along the way. It is a very relaxing ride.

Anyway, once I got to mom's house, I surprised her with her card and gift. She could not believe I rode all that way just to see her. What can I say, she is my mom and I love the little lady. Below is my mom with her new birthday card and of course, cash. For some reason, mom's love cash and Walmart gift cards.

After the visit I decided to grab some lunch and I headed to the old Lenoir Mall in Lenoir. It was really sad to see the town and the old mall. It was basically dead. I remember putting on martial arts demonstrations at that mall. Now it is barely surviving.

I decided to visit the mall to visit my uncle Jerry and his wife Janice. They are two of the nicest people one could ever meet. They both own a Christian book store and deli. My uncle asked me want I was doing in Lenoir. I told him I was visiting my mom and looking for a nice place to have lunch. I told him I do what I all bikers do; they look for the closest bible book store to grab a bite. Jerry whipped me up a nice burger and we talked for about an hour. I was really nice to see him and Janice.

If you are ever in Lenoir, stop by his store and say hi. Tell him, Pappy sent you. Below is a picture of my uncle Jerry and Janice. They are good people and Jerry does make a nice burger.

After my visit with Jerry and Janice I jumped on Big Red and headed for home. By this time the temperature was around 58. It was still a little chilly from the morning ride, but it was a lot nicer going back.

All-in-all, it was a great visit to see mom, Jerry and Janice and enjoy the brisk morning air. Let's face it I froze my butt off. But hey, I learned a valuable lesson. Listen to that little voice because he is usually right.

Until next time and remember, never be too busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

New Biker is Born

2009-03-22T17:41:00.002-05:00

Well, it took over 2 years but an old buddy of mine finally took the plunge and is becoming a real biker (thanks to his girl friend, Barbara). You see, I have been trying to get my buddy, Kurwin to start enjoying life and not to work so hard. He will admit, he lives behind a computer.

So what is the best remedy for that? Of course, it is to become a biker. Getting Kurwin to take plunge was hard. He was a little too thrifty with his cash. He would never buy and nice starter bike for $4000.00. But, his girl friend would. So she bought him a really nice starter bike. It a nice 600cc Honda Shadow. Below is the picture of my buddy Kurwin on his new ride. Of course, I will need to put the photo is Pappy's Place.

So, in the near future, if you see one bad looking biker heading through Winston Salem, give him that really cool biker wave and say hi to the newest biker on the road. I am sure he would enjoy that.

Until next time and remember, never be too busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Biker Wisdom

2009-03-10T12:32:00.006-05:00

If you are a biker or just want to be, here are some great motorcycle cool sayings I thought you might like. Some of them you may have heard before.

Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.
Life may begin at 30, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 70 mph.You start the game of life with a full pot of luck and an empty pot of experience.
The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck.
If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.
Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.
The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror.
Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.
Sometimes it takes a whole tank of fuel before you can think straight.
Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.
Never do less than forty miles before breakfast.
One bike on the road is worth two in the garage.
Young riders pick a destination and go; old riders pick a direction and go.
Whatever it is, it's better to do it in the wind.
Two-lane blacktop isn't a highway, it's an attitude.
People are like motorcycles; each is customized a bit differently.
The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.
A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2 am to drive his pickup to the middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down.
Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph can double your vocabulary.
If you want to get somewhere before sundown, you can't stop at every tavern.
There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer.
Along ride can clear your mind; restore your faith and use up a lot of fuel.
If you can't get it going with bungee cords, wire and electrician's tape, it's serious.
Never try to race an old geezer, he may have one more gear than you.
Bikes parked out front mean good chicken-fried steak inside.
You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze.
Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out the car window.
There are two types of people in this world; people who ride motorcycles and people who wish they did.
Life begins at the end of the off ramp.

If you have any cool motorcyle motos you would like to share, drop me a comment.

Pappy

Cool Trip Recording Tool...TrailGuru

2009-02-12T07:30:00.004-05:00

Do you have an iPhone? If so, you can download a free and really cool application so you can track the stats of your motorcycle trips. I have used it a couple of times and it is really cool. So if you travel, go on hikes, cycle and like most of us, ride a bike, take a look at the application. To read more on it go to:

http://www.trailguru.com/ui/tour/iphone.php

Basically, the application allows you to track your travels, post the results to your own TrailGuru web page and even post the results to others if you want to share your stats. You and also have your post emailed directly to you. You can even use the iPhone to take photos of your trip along the way, so they can be posted as well.

Of course, you need an iPhone and if you lose your GPS coverage, it will not record the trip. But hey, it works most of the time and if you are like me (a part-time geek), you will enjoy TrailGuru. So check it out and let me know what you think. Who knows, you may see my motorcycle trips posted one day.

Until next time and remember life starts at the end of the off-ramp.

Pappy

New Features

2009-02-11T07:24:00.004-05:00

As you can probably tell I have started adding some new gadgets to the blog. I just found out Blogger had some cool ones that I am exploring and thinking about putting on the blog. For now, check out the "Dragon Tail Ride" slideshow. I will update the slideshows so you won't get bored if you are one of the readers that visit the site on a regular basis.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new look and features. Keep checking back. I will probably add some other stuff.

Until then, remember life starts at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Pilot Mountain State Park Ride

2009-02-09T09:08:00.005-05:00

Sunday was another nice day to ride. The weather held up for most of the trip. Slick and I were accompanied this time by Jordan and his girl friend Sara. Sara is new biker. Actually, it was her second time on a bike. Jordan is slowly trying to break her in into the joys of motorcycle riding.

Jordan and Sara showed up at the house around 11 am and the weather was great. The temps were in the upper 50's and were supposed to reach near 70 by the end of day. The sky was clear and we were ready to ride. Slick was packing the bike like we were going camping and I thought I was going to have to take the trailer.

Once on the road, we all headed on the same route I took on Saturday toward Hanging Rock State Park. On highway 52, we thought we were going to run in to rain (of course the weather man didn't mention that). Lucky for us, it did not rain, but it did get kind of cool as a front was coming in as we approached the base of the state park. Once at the park the clouds moved out it started to warm up a little.

Once we entered the park, we headed up the mountain and it was a pretty curvy road. I think the girls got a little worried about the road, but they did fine. They were very quite, but hung in there. I can always tell when Slick is a little nervous, she gets very quite.

As we reached the top of Pilot Mountain State Park we were greeted with a parking lot full of people taking pictures and hiking. I guess everyone had the same idea we had. We did see a few other bikers there enjoying the park. We decided to take a few photos from the top of the mountain. Check them out:

After taking some photos and doing a mini hike, we headed down the mountain. The girls got quite again because of the curves. For them, they were glad the ride down didn't take too long. Once down from the mountain, we headed south on highway 52 toward home and to get some food. You know, food always taste better when you on a ride and when someone else pays (thanks Japper!).

All-in-all, the ride was great and took about 3.5 hours. Now it is time to plan our next ride which will probably be another state park. I figure Lake James State Park sounds good.

Until next time and remember life begins at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Nice Harley for Sale...$15,000

2009-02-09T08:08:00.005-05:00

Yes, there is a Harley for sale, and no, I don't have one. But, I do have a buddy that is selling his. It is a 2006 FLCTCI Electra Glide Classic and it is fuel injected. The bike is still under a warranty until September 2009. My buddy is asking $15,000 for it. Believe me, it is in great shape and has very low mileage. The running joke between he and I is he never rides it. If you are interested check out the photo of the bike.

If you are interested contact Eric "Tough Guy" Smith at 704-450-4625.

Until next time and remember life begins at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Hanging Rock State Park Ride

2009-02-07T20:45:00.008-05:00

Today was a great day to ride. I took a little ride to Hanging Rock State Park near Pilot Mountain. It was a very nice day to ride. The temperature at the beginning of the ride was in the low 50’s and the sky was clear as a bell. Slick decided to stay home and dog sit. So I took advantage of the great winter weather and took off for the mountains and country side.

I decided to head out on highway 311 from Jamestown NC. I headed east to highway 52 in Winston Salem and then north to Pilot Mountain. The traffic wasn’t too bad. I did see a lot of other bikers taking advantage of the nice weather too. As I got to exit 134 on highway 52, I decided I was getting a little too low on gas. So I decided to fill up. Thankfully I did, because getting to Hanging Rock State Park was a little further off of highway 52 than I thought.

My map (not GPS) showed I needed to head on 268 East. Little did I know that I would be out in the country and it would be very remote. I actually rode east on 268 for what seemed like forever. I decided to pull over to use my GPS. Of course, that didn’t work out in the country. So I rode, and rode and rode some more. Then I found a school parking lot that I could pull into so I could check the paper map. The funny thing is I thought I was lost and was heading in the wrong direction. When I stopped to check the map I stopped at exactly the road for the Hanging Rock State Park entrance. If I would have stopped earlier; I would have probably turned around and went in the wrong direction thinking that I missed a road along the way. Actually, I wasn’t too worried about getting lost, because as my old biker buddy Craig says, if you have a full tank of gas you are never lost.

After I finally found the entrance to the park I headed to the top of mountain. I was pretty nice there. They have some very nice hiking trails, a man-made lake and the scenery was very nice. I took a few photos of some of the stuff at the top. I am planning to take another trip back there later in the year to do some hiking. It was that nice.

After taking a few pictures and a little break I headed down the mountain and toward home. The road to the park on 268 is very curvy and it was fun to ride. When I departed the park I decided to head east on route 8 east bound (no need to take the same route, right?). I had been on that part of the road before. It is a nice country route with lots of curves. I stayed on route 8 until it finally linked back up with highway 52 in Winston Salem. Below is the photo of the route I took and some photos of the park.

All-in-all the route was very nice and took about 4 hours. I could have not asked for a better day as far as the weather. Today was a nice sole trip. Tomorrow Slick will join me on a ride to Pilot Mountain State Park. It is supposed to be around 68 degrees and sunny tomorrow. Take a guess where Slick and I will be?

Until next time and remember life begin at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Pappy's Place Gets a New Sign

2009-01-12T07:32:00.003-05:00

Well, my little get-away room (Pappy’s Place) is coming along nicely. The room has all the stuff an biker would need, including pictures of all my fellow bikers, my awesome motorcycle coo-coo clock, pool table, 67 inch TV, surround sound, guitars, frig, computer, DVD player, DVD recorder and Wii system. Another great addition to the room is a sign that my son Jordan has painted leading up to the room. Jordan is our family artist and does great work. Slick and I asked him to do the sign for us. Below is a photo of Jordan working on the sign:

So, if you ever are in the area, let us know and we can give you a tour of Pappy’s Place.

Until next time and remember, don’t be so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Great Photographer...Erin Arsenault Photography

2009-01-07T11:08:00.004-05:00

If anyone is needing a great photographer in the Triad area checkout the great work of Erin Arsenault of Erin Arsenault Photography. She has a great blog featuring her work at:

http://www.erinarsenaultphotography.blogspot.com/

Erin is planning to do a photo shoot of Slick and I in the spring. She will even do photos of your bike if you would like. We plan to have some photos of Slick and I on Big Red in the spring. We are looking forward to our sessions with her. Check her out.

Until next time and remember don't be so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Great Motorcycle Link...Twist of the Throttle

2009-01-04T20:34:00.003-05:00

Here is a great link to a show called "Twist of the Throttle" on Discover Turbo. It features some great information on all types of motorcycles. I am partial to the Goldwing section myself. Enjoy!

http://turbo.discovery.com/beyond/?playerId=245988601&categoryId=1418496841&lineupId=1454906888

Until next time and remember to not be so busy making a living you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Wind Chill Chart

2008-12-23T10:17:00.004-05:00

For all the nuts that ride their bikes in the cold weather, here is a wind chill chart to see just how cold it gets on your bike in the winter.

For example when I rode this morning and was traveling at 40 mph and it was around 20 degrees the wind chill was around -1. Just another brisk ride to start the day.

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Places Visited US Map

2008-12-15T12:19:00.002-05:00

I have always seen people post a map of places they visited on many of their post. I finally found the site where you can create the map. If you have always wanted to show where you have visited, here is the site.

http://www.epgsoft.com/VisitedStatesMap/index.html

Below are the states Slick and I have visited so far. We have a lot of places to go as you can see:

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Pappy's Place

2008-12-15T08:28:00.002-05:00

Pappy's Place is coming along. The new room now has a 67" TV, surround sound, 2 large recliners, computer, DVD player , Wii system and now a pool table/ping pong table. Thanks to may brother-in-law and my son, Jordan we recently completed the bathroom for the room. Soon, Slick and I plan to add a new bar and popcorn machine.

We have also added some decorations in the room. We have various photos of my motorcycle friends and family. I will be posting some pictures of my new hideaway soon. So keep checking back.

Until next time and remember, to never to be too busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Motorcycle Videos

2008-12-04T09:20:00.003-05:00

I have started to collect some cool motorcycle videos and posting them on my new Pappy and Slick YouTube site. Check them out at:

http://www.youtube.com/PappyandSlick.

I will be updating the site with more in the future.

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Great Event Being Held in Asheboro NC

2008-11-26T07:37:00.003-05:00

If you get a chance, check out the month long event at the Cycle Center in Ashboro NC. It is the Honda Holidays Giveaway. From Nov 28 to Dec 20th the Cycle Center will give everyone a chance to win a Honda motorcycle each Saturday from Thanksgiving to Christmas. There will be a total of 4 bikes given away. You don't have to be present to win. There will be free hot dogs and drinks each Saturday.

Also there will be a food drive support a local food bank. 1 can = 1% off accessories up to 20 cans = 20% off accessories. The Cycle Center will be also a local drop off for Toys for Tots.

If you are not familiar with the Cycle Center, it is located at 520 Cox Ave. in Asheboro NC. Their phone number is 336-629-2092.

I plan to go there every Saturday to win a new bike. Plus, I like hot dogs.

Until next time and remember, don't be so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Weekend Getaway - Wheels Through Time

2008-11-24T15:57:00.008-05:00

Slick and I had a great weekend, even though we didn't get to ride Big Red. The weather on Friday was pretty cold up in the mountains of NC and TN the roads were kind of crappy with some snow and ice. Even though the roads had some patchy ice and snow that did not stop us from taking a mini vacation to Pigeon Forge TN and the western part of NC. Basically, we just needed to get away; even though another reason was to fulfill a couple of yearly goals. One goals was to visit the Wheels Through Time Museum in Waynesville NC before they packed up and relocated to Arizona. The other reason was to take Slick to the I-40 flea market in Pigeon Forge. I had been promising her for years I would take here there. Well, I finally did. Here is how the trip went.

We left home around 8:30 am and headed toward Waynesville NC to the Wheels Through Time Museum. I had searched for the address off the Internet and I decided to use Google Maps to find the place. Google Maps had us heading in the wrong direction. It seems that there is a big difference in 62 Vintage Dr and 62 Vintage Lane. As we traveled the way the Google directions said, Slick mentioned that we would probably end up in someone’s drive way. Well, we did. The directions took us to somebody’s driveway up in the boonies. After laughing about that and dodging some ice and snow, I took out my good old reliable TeleNav on my cell phone and get us out of there. Thankfully, I had coverage around that area once we got out of the dude’s driveway.

Once we found the WTT museum, we were not disappointed. There were only about 10 people there. It was the off season and there were no bikers there. Slick and I had a good time there. We got to see a lot of old vintage motorcycles and enjoy the history of the motorcycle. It is too bad the WTT museum will not be around after November. Thankfully, we got a chance to see it before they left. We also got a chance to purchase some cool WTT shirts, caps and accessories from the museum. If you haven't had a chance to see the museum, here are some pictures of it.

After the museum, we headed to Cherokee so Slick could get some gambling out of her system. She actually did pretty well. She won over $40.00. Once the “Gambler” was done breaking the casino, we headed through Cherokee toward Pigeon Forge TN on highway 441. There was a problem; part of the roads was closed due to ice and snow. So we had to do some back tracking on I-40 to get to Pigeon Forge. That was okay with us. We were enjoying just spending time together and seeing the mountains.

On Saturday morning we headed to the I-40 flea market in Pigeon Forge TN. Slick has been on me for years about taking her there. It was a nice place to buy a lot of cheap stuff. They even had a bunch of Harley stuff that was cheap (if you can imagine that). I actually had to call my brother-in-law, Kevin, to tell him about the low prices for the Harley stuff. Slick and I bought sunglasses, books, jewelry, some stuff to decorate my “Man Cave”, and cool leather motorcycle jacket for less than $50.00. When I got home I showed Jordan my new motorcycle jacket. He didn’t care for it. He said is looked like a jacket for some Indian biker. I think he was just jealous. So all-in-all, we racked up!

Overall the drive to the mountains and the weekend trip with Slick was nice. Except for the heavy traffic in Pigeon Forge, we had a great time. We got to buy some cheap stuff we don't really need, eat some good food, see the mountains and plan our next trip on Big Red.

Until next time and remember, don’t be so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Pappy

Liberty Road Ride

2008-11-09T20:29:00.004-05:00

Saturday Slick and I, Jordan and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law took a little ride to a small town called Liberty. There is a short road there called Old Liberty road. It is a popular road for bikers because it has some pretty nice curves. The weather was great and the temps were in the 70's. Jordan was riding his VTX and my in-laws were on their new Harley.

Liberty road was a nice ride. The fall foliage was very nice and there was little traffic. I did shoot a video with my new Flip video with a camera that was mounted on my bike. The highlight of shooting the video was when some jerk pulled in front of me (turning left) and almost hit me. He was too busy looking at the gas station with cheap gas and failed to see our 3 bikes coming toward him. I am just glad that one of my good skills as a biker is being able to perform quick stops under pressure. Below is a link showing the jerk pulling in front of me going about 40 mph.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=46169869

Except for jerk pulling in front of me the ride was great. I will be posting the whole 22 minutes ride in the near future on the Internet. Then you can see the nice curves and the colorful trees.

Until next time and remember life begins at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Cold Weather is Coming

2008-10-31T11:37:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year. Time to break out the warm clothing, gloves and pack away the half-helmet for a while. I rode Big Red to work this week. The morning temps were around 28 and of course frost on the cars. I actually didn't feel to much cold air when I worn my Gerbing heated gloves. The mornings I was too lazy to hook up the gloves I could tell the difference. I have to say that the heated gloves are one of the best investments I have made as far as riding gear.

Speaking of gear, Jordan and I now have Flip Video cameras so we can record videos on our bikes. Jordan actually used his on our trip to Deals Gap. Of course, I had to get one. It is too bad that we didn't have a mount so we could record our ride on the Tail of the Dragon. Oh well, we will go back there and we will video our next ride since we both bought mounts.

Right now I don't have any plans for any long trips. Slick and I still plan to take a trip to the outer banks of NC as soon as the winter is over. Until then, I will ride to work everyday and take in some short trips. The good thing about NC is the winterweather is not that long. But hey, I don't care, I am going to ride anyway.

Until next time and remember life begins at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Tail of the Dragon Ride Photos

2008-10-01T14:39:00.006-05:00

Below are some of the pictures of our ride at the Dragon's Tail at Deals Gap. I thought I would share them. Enjoy the pictures because we enjoyed the ride.

Until next time and remember life starts at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

The Dragon and Cherohala Hwy Trip

2008-09-30T12:23:00.008-05:00

Jordan, Kevin and Pappy

View Our Video

Well, I just got back from my planned trip to the Dragon’s Tail in TN and Cherohala Hwy. Jordan, Kevin (brother-in-law) and I took a nice little 670 miles trip and it turned out pretty well, except for some rain on the first day, the Holiday Inn in Cherokee was the worst I have ever stayed at, the service at the hotel was crappy, and Jordan lost $70.00 buck at the casino. Besides that, it was awesome!

Jordan and I started out on Saturday morning around 11:30. The original plan was to leave around 8:00. We decided to hold off on leaving early due to some pretty heavy rain in the local area. So we actually didn’t get to leave until 11:30. We headed west to meet Kevin off of interstate 40. Of course, it was raining, but not too bad. As we reached Kevin, we decide to fill up the bikes. Gas was a big issue on this trip. There were storages of gas all over the state and we knew that was going to be a big issue. The gas station where we met Kevin only allowed a $20.00 fill up. That was not a problem, since we have bikes. I think Jordan and I only put in about $8.00.

After we filled up the bikes, we headed west on Interstate 40 to Maggie Valley and the Wheels Through Time museum. Of course, we did not leave the gas station until 1:30 and we knew we were not going to make it before the museum closed. By the time we got to Maggie Valley and Cherokee the rain began, again. This time rain was pretty heavy and we decided to get more gas near Cherokee. So we stopped at a little store to fill up the bikes. I pulled into the station and as Jordan and Kevin followed me, there came about 12 other bikes. Some of those bikers needed gas; others just wanted out of the rain.

Early Morning in the Smokies

Taking a Quick Break

Country Roads Take Me Home

Kevin's New Harley

Speaking of rain, it was time for Kevin to put on his new fancy-mancy rain gear for the first time. Kevin had to find a dry place to put on his rain gear (it took him 10 minutes). Actually, his rain gear was a nice, biker sexy skin tight rubber suit he bought from somewhere. The funny thing was Kevin had a little problem getting the suit off when he did take it off. Another thing he had trouble getting off was his new gloves. His new gloves just happen to shrink up when they get wet. But Jordan and my favorite part was he was not wearing a full-faced helmet. Those of us that ride understand, half helmets aren’t that cool in the rain, unless you like to feel like sand is hitting you in the face and you can’t see. Of course, Jordan and I got a kick out of that. I think Kevin will be buying a new rain suit, gloves and a full-faced helmet soon. One bright spot is he did have some cool water-proof boots that worked well. It was too bad the rain suit got his pants wet. Oh the joy of riding in the rain.

As we left the gas station we headed to Cherokee to find our hotel and the casino. Slick had given Jordan $20.00 to blow and he brought $50.00 worth of quarters in a plastic bag with him. Of course, casinos don’t like real money. So Jordan had to get a players card. As we walked around the casino looked for that big pay out machine, we got to experience the sights and sounds of people putting all their hard earned money in the slot machines. My favorite part of the casino is the wonderful smell of smoke in the casino. Of course very few people win at casinos and others get nothing. I knew I could make some money up there if the casino was let me sell T-shirts that said “I Visited the Cherokee Casino and All I Got Was Cancer”. Anyway, Jordan was done gambling in about 15 minutes. Actually, it took him about that long to get his new players card.

Our next stop was the hotel. I screwed up and pulled into the wrong Holiday Inn. I was told our hotel was about 2 miles south. So after Kevin finally got his rain suit off over his new boots we headed to the correct hotel. And what a joy that hotel was. As I checked in I asked if they had gotten me a roll away bed for Kevin. Of course they didn’t. The room looked clean but looked like crap. I believe the hotel was not originally a Holiday Inn. After looking at our wonderful room we decided to get some chow in the restaurant in the hotel. The waitress tried to get us to get the buffet, but it didn’t look that great. So we ordered from the menu. Of course, all of the stuff on the menu was a little steep for us so we all ordered their $9.00 burger. The burger wasn’t that bad. The problem was even though we had 4 different people wait on us, they would not give us the check so we could leave. And get this, we were the only people in the dining area. After about 45 minutes, we were finally out of there and headed back to your penthouse and get view of the parking lot.

The second day of our trip was the best part. With the rain behind us we could start enjoying the best part of the trip; Deals Gap and the Cherohala Skyway. As most bikers know Deals Gap is where the Tail of the Dragon starts. The route is 11 miles long and has over 300 curves. It was an awesome ride. You do have to watch for idiots on other bikes. Luckily for us we didn’t run into any stupid bikers on the route. However, there were a lot of bikes all over the place. The curves on the Dragon were awesome. There are a lot of tight turns, but none of them were that difficult if you did the route safely. Kevin did awesome! The guy just got is first bike; a Harley, and did great. He has only been riding for about 3 weeks and tackled the Dragon. He did it like a pro. After the Dragon I told the guys that we can now officially wear our ‘I Survived the Dragon’ t-shirts we bought. Those that know me know how I feel about guys that get t-shirts and really haven’t been there and done that. That is just not right.

Just Arrived at Deals Gap

The Tree of Shame at Deals Gap

Filling Up...Again

Fontana Dame off of 129

Don't You Just Hate Tourist?

After Deals Gap, the 3 of us headed toward Cherohala Hwy. To get there we had a few options. One was to head west and take hwy 441 and then south. Instead we took a scenic route; route 360. It was a great decision. Route 360 is about 40 miles long and takes you directly to the Cherohala Hwy. 360 was the best scenic route I have been on. It was my type of route; county, scenic and very little traffic.

After exiting 360 we hit the Cherohala Hwy. I had heard a lot about it. It was great. We just needed to remember to fill up the bikes before we started on it. The hwy is about 50 miles long and there is no gas on the route. You either get gas before or after. With all the gas stations being out of gas we were not going to take any chances. The highway was a lot like the Blue Ridge Hwy or Skyline Drive. I think I actually like it better than either one of those.

Bikes Were Everywhere

Scenic Views Off Cherohala Skyline

One incident did cause us some concerns. Jordan’s bike was having an issue with the headlight. It would turn off after he cranked up the bike but would later come back on. That was a concern because we realized that Jordan and I were not going to make it back home before dark. That meant we had to start heading back early. By the way, I totally miscalculated the amount of time it would take us to do my original trip. So, we decided we would make plans for another trip.

Time for Some Lunch

Jordan Getting His Headlights Checked

As we exited the Cherohala Hwy, we head back east on hwy 74 toward Ashville NC and eventually on Interstate 40. We had been riding for about 2.5 hours. Once I got on Interstate 40 I was looking for a rest area, but I couldn’t remember where one was. So I kept riding, and riding, and riding. Finalize as we got into NC, I found one. It was about 20 miles from where we were going to stop anyway, so I kept riding. Of course, Kevin and Jordan were not too thrilled with the idea of all that riding without stopping. For some reason they kept complaining about their butts being sore. I don’t get that.

Once we did stop at where we originally met Kevin, we tried to get gas. This time the gas station was out of gas. That presented a problem because Jordan was getting pretty low. Fortunately, we found a station with gas the next exit down the highway. We were pretty lucky on getting more gas and most of all that Jordan’s headlight stayed on all the way back home in the dark.
All-in-all the trip was great. Yes it did rain a little and we didn’t get to see the museum, but hey; that is just another excuse to ride back up there. The weather turned out nice on Sunday and it was a very nice ending to a great trip. Jordan and I put on a total of 670 miles. We are looking forward to our next great trip.

Until next time and remember that life starts at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Big Weekend Trip Coming Soon!

2008-09-22T11:08:00.002-05:00

Well, Jordan, Kevin (brother-in-law) and I are getting ready for our big trip to the Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum in Waynesville NC and the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap in TN. Below is map of part of our trip. Of course pictures of the trip will be coming.

Until next time and remember that life starts at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Quite Sunday Morning Ride

2008-09-22T07:08:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Slick and I took another route on my NC Scenic Byways list. This one was back near Seagrove NC (Pottery Highway). Below is the route:

Slick and I headed out around 9:30 am. It was a little nippy but not too bad. The temp was around 60. We headed down highway 220 south until we got to the Seagrove exit. As we headed into Seagrove we noticed that the road right through the center of town was closed off due to a blue grass festival that was being held that weekend. Actually, I was told by my old buddy Craig that I might want to take a different route because of the festival. So as we entered Seagrove we took a detour back toward highway 220 to regroup and figure out where we wanted to ride next. Of course, both of us did not plan on riding down to Seagrove and just turn around and go home. So what we did was head back to highway 220 and continue south until we got to where we would have ended our route and complete the route in reverse. So we continued on highway 220 until we got off on the exit taking us to route 211.

When we finally got on the route we found route 705 north and headed toward Seagrove. The first part of the route was kind of depressing. We saw a lot of old houses, old trailer parks and we could tell we were on a poor part of route; as we got about 5 miles into the route the scenery because less depressing. There were a lot of old buildings, farm land and places to buy pottery everywhere. By the way, if you are interested in pottery, Seagrove is holding their annual pottery festival in November. Of course, Slick and I will probably go. That is what old people do, right?

Once we got to Seagrove we took a detour around the area of town where the blue grass festival was being held. We hit highway 220 and headed back home. By that time, the weather was near 70. All-in-all the trip took right at 3 hrs and it was a pretty nice little ride for a quite Sunday morning.

Next weekend is the big trip. Jordan, Kevin (my brother-in-law) and I head to the Wheels Through Time museum in Maggie Valley. We are also tackling the Tail of the Dragon and riding the Cherohala Highway in TN. We are all looking to that.

Until next and remember life starts at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Devil's Stomping Ground Route

2008-09-07T10:34:00.006-05:00

Well, Slick and I just got back from a really nice route from the NC Scenic Byways book. This route was called the "Devil's Stomping Ground" which runs from Seagrove to Pittsboro NC. It is about a 43 mile ride through some great country roads. Slick and I love to get up early on Sunday morning to ride the back roads of NC. Today was one of those great rides. Below is the a map of the route:

The weather when we started out was in the mid 70's with overcast skies. We left home from Jamestown and headed down highway 311 to interstate 220 toward Seagrove. Going down highway 311 is a nice ride to get to 220 especially on Sunday mornings. It was nice with basically no traffic going through Archdale. The only bad part of the trip was when we hit the section of road that has the 311 flee market. Not that the road or traffic was bad, it was just that Slick found another place for me to take her. She loves flee markets (hey she's a girl and love to shop, period). But that is not the real excitement of the day. She found out we were going through Seagrove.

Why is Seagrove a big deal? Well, Seagrove is a small town famous for pottery. Of course it was Sunday and nothing was open. However, we did see a sign off of interstate 220 that said the 27th Pottery Festival was starting Thanksgiving weekend. I guess you can imagine where we will be that weekend.

After Slick calmed down we continued on through Seagrove. If you ever go there, don't blink or you will miss it. It is a nice small town and fun to slowly cruise through on your bike. Slick saw several stores she plans to visit in the near future.

After traveling through Seagrove we continued on 705 to connect to highway 902 to Pittsboro NC. The roads were in pretty good condition and the route had many miles of farm land. Slick and I really like those types of rides. We get so caught up in the quite rides in the country, we sometimes don't even speak to one another. We just enjoy the quietness of the moment and forget the pressures of everyday life.

Now as for the Devil's Stomping Ground, we missed that. Apparently it is off the beaten path near Bear Cove. I didn't even see the sigh for Bear Cove. So we plan to take another trip soon to actually try to find it. Until then I have posted a photo of the place that is from the NC Scenic Byways book.

As we continued north on 902 we ran into highway 64. We headed west on highway 64 and back home. If you do decide to take highway 64 you will sorta be back in civilization. It is a nice road too.

All-in-all, the trip took us 3 hours and is was really nice. If you have every considered riding the route before, I say "go for it". If you like traveling through the back roads of NC, you will like this trip.

Until next time and remember life begins at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Big Kevin is Almost a Biker

2008-09-01T14:10:00.006-05:00

Sunday Slick, Jordan and I took a little trip back near to my hometown. The purpose of the trip was to get a little bit of riding in, but mainly to visit my brother-in-law Kevin and to let him ride on Jordan's Honda VTX. Kevin just recently got his motorcycle permit. However, he has one minor problem; he has no bike. As you can imagine that kind of gets in the way of the whole motorcycle practice thingy.

Anyway, Jordan took his bike so Kevin could practice a little. Actually, I felt sorry for the guy. He has a nice little pretty permit and no bike. Heck, I felt so bad for him I thought of getting him a Big Wheel or something to ride before we left him that afternoon.

Okay, back the bike practice. Once we got to Kevin's house I had Kevin mount up on Jordan's mean machine and I had him follow me on Big Red. I took him on 3 types of roads. One was through some nice curvy roads near his home, through a small town and then interstate 40 so he could pick up some speed.

Kevin did very well. I told him he just needed to get some practice. Oh yeah, having a bike would help too. Below are some photos of Kevin on his way to his first solo practice on the open road. It is just too bad he plans to buy a Harley (Hey, I can only do just so much).

Below are some action shots of Big Kevin on a real bike:

Until next time and remember life starts at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

NC 49 Scenic Byway Trip

2008-09-01T13:14:00.008-05:00

Today I got up about 9 am and decided to take one of the routes in my NC Scenic Byway's book that Craig told me about. I had been planning a trip from of the book for about 2 weeks. I just needed to decide which one I want to take first. I settled on a trip down NC 49 near Asheboro NC. Below is a map of the route:

I had planned to take the ride with Slick but this time of the year is a little too toasty for her. So I decided to take this one solo. The weather was nice except for a few clouds, and they burned off as the morning went by. The temps was around 75 when I left and the humidity wasn't too bad. Slick almost went with me, but luckily she backed out. It got a little toasty around noon. She would not have been a happy camper. But hey, I'm the crazy one the will ride anywhere.

As I headed down highway 311 from home I decided the best route to take would be to hit highway 220 and head toward Asheboro where I could connect to NC 49. I decided to gas up Big Red and call Slick to make sure she could track me using a cool software program for my phone called Loopt. It allows you to track someone using your phone or the Internet. Slick was able to confirm she could track me and with that using the Internet. With her using Loopt, she was not too worried about me riding the route solo.

After gassing up, I headed down NC 49. Once I was away from the highway 220 and the outshirts of town the ride became really nice. I was finally at the point of the route I was looking forward too; the country. I love riding in the country. The more remote the better for me. The route consisted of farm lands, rolling hills and some nice old farm houses and building. The traffic was light and the roads were in great shape. The route on NC 49 goes for about 50 miles until your reach Concord. Once I reached Concord I had a choice of taking Interstate 85 north back home or another route. I chose to turn around and ride back the same direction.

I know that sounds kind of dumb to ride the same route, but I had wanted to stop on the way back and take a few photos of my trip. Below are the photos:

NC Aviation Museum

A.C. Lentz Saddlery (founded in 1901)

NC 49 Scenic Byway

Farm land Views for Miles

Scenic Country View

One part of the trip that was not part of my original route turned out to be one of my favorite parts; the Pisgah Covered Bridge. I saw a sign for it off of NC 49 and I thought I would check it out. Below is a picture of the bridge. Now the picture is not that great and I don't know the history behind the bridge, but the ride out to see it was awesome! It took me off of NC 49 for about 10 miles. It was a really nice ride and makes your stop to remember that the best parts of any trip is the great unmentioned side roads.

Old Pisgah Covered Bridge

All-in-all the trip was great and great way to start the day. I rode about 150 miles and was gone about 4 hours. I really enjoyed the route and look forward to taking some other trips from the NC Scenic Byways book.

Until next time and remember that life starts at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Dave Coyner’s Appalachian Highways

2008-08-26T07:54:00.001-05:00

If you are like me and like to research information on traveling this great land of ours you might be interested in a pretty cool website called “Dave Coyner’s Appalachian Highways” at:

http://www.appalachianhighways.com/index.html

The site is pretty nice and features information on Dave’s trips through the Appalachian regions. He as a newsletter you can subscribe too. I just did. He also has great book and a gallery of photos on the website. I like the book. He gave us a free copy when I bought my new Escape trailer for Big Red a few months ago. The book has some great routes, it is a fun and easy read and some really nice maps to plan your next trip. I am already planning some trips for Slick and I next year.

So if you like to read about trips in the Appalachian region or want to plan for one, you would be doing yourself a big favor by checking the website, newsletter and book out.

Until next time and remember that life begins at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Great Book on NC Scenic Rides

2008-08-25T13:51:00.006-05:00

A good buddy of mine, Craig "Goober" Virden just hooked me up with a very nice book on NC scenic byways. Check it out at:

http://www.ncdot.org/doh/Operations/dp_chief_eng/roadside/scenic/

By the way, below is a picture of my buddy Craig. He was born to ride.

Until next time and remember, life starts at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Quite Country Road

2008-08-24T11:12:00.001-05:00

Saturday was a nice day to ride through the country. I was looking for a website earlier in the week that had some suggestions for some motorcycle routes I could take. I was a little tired of riding the same routes in the Triad so I need to find some other places to explore. I found a little website that mentioned a couple of nice routes that other bikes had taken. Then I talked Jordan into going with me. Slick was a little under the weather and besides it was a little too hot for her to ride on Saturday. Below is the site and route of the trip Jordan and I took:

http://www.motorcycleroads.com/routes/SouthEast/NC/NC_11.shtml

The ride stared out pretty boring because Jordan and I took interstate 40 to get to our beginning point in Efland. From home we headed east on I-40 and took the Mebane exit. There we filled up because we read that there were no gas stations, stores and rest rooms on the country route. Once we filled up in Mebane we hit US 70 east and then started our trip into the country.

Once on the country roads, it was nice. There were a lot of farm lands, old farm houses, and it actually felt like going back in time about 20 years. The road was in great condition all the way through route 157 north. Once we hit US 501 we ran into just a little bit of traffic. I actually messed up on the end of the route because I was supposed to turn off on Mason Road and head east back to 70. I missed the road and we continued south down to Durham NC. I didn’t want to go that way because I hate riding the interstates. Interstates are so boring.

Once Jordan and I got back on the interstate from Durham we headed west to Burlington where Jordan and I jumped off onto route 62 and on a nice stretch of country roads. We continued from there back home.

All-in-all the trip was nice and I plan to go back with Slick to do the whole thing back over again. But this time not miss Mason Rd. The trip lasted about 4.5 hours. I am sure Slick will like the trip because she is like me and enjoys the country roads.

If anyone reads the blogs takes the route, let me know how you like it. I am also looking for other routes that I could ride too.

Until next time and remember, life begins at the end of the off ramp.

Pappy

Real Bikers...NOT!

2008-08-07T06:41:00.008-05:00

So everyone thinks they can ride a bike, do cool tricks on them and like to show their motorcycle skills. Well, some people can ride and some people can't. These poor souls don't have a clue. Enjoy!

Real Bikers...NOT!

Be safe out there.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Old Age

2008-08-06T06:29:00.001-05:00

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long. I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kindto myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks soavante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60&70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite thepitying glances from the jet set . They, too, will get old.I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when?somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken ispristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earnedthe right to be wrong.So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but whileI am still here; I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day. (IfI feel like it)MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART! MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART FOREVER AND EVER!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Wing Ding 30

2008-07-06T16:04:00.007-05:00

Just got back from Wing Ding 30 in Greenville SC. Slick, Jordan and I took off for the rally on Friday about 9 am. It was a little toasty but not too bad starting out. The ride to SC was pretty eventful except for the heat. There were no real traffic stops or accidents and that made us feel a lot better not getting stuck in traffic and in the heat.

We arrive in Greenville around 2 pm. We headed straight for the rally. There were bikes every where. That was the most bikes (especially Goldwing's) that I had ever seen. We reported in to the registration booth and then realized we didn't register. That cost us a little more money to get in. Actually it cost us $74.00 for all of us to get in. We thought we paid for a 2 day pass, but we only paid for 1. On Friday, we took in the vendors and got a lot of photos of bikes and a few other cool things. It is hard to believe but I didn't buy anything for the bike. Basically, because I didn't need anything. It was fun to look around. We also took in the bike show and got some good photos of some unique bikes and trailers. Photos of those are posted below:

This is Jordan not trying to look cool. He is give out on Friday after the ride down to the rally. I just hanging out with the old folks wears him out.

Lots of bikes.

This is a cool trailer but I would not want to ride on it.

After we left the Wing Ding on Friday afternoon, we headed for our hotel. It was a Holiday Inn located in the hood. It was clean, but the service was not so good. They actually gave away my room and put us in a handicap room. Of course, I will let the good old Holiday Inn know about that later. There were a lot of places closed due to the 4th of July weekend, but we make due by ordering room service. At least that was open most of the time.

One of the cool events that was held on Friday at 5 pm was an attempt to set a new worlds record for the most Honda's in a parade. The record could have been broken, but someone failed to tell everyone that had trikes that their bikes didn't count. The record was for 2 wheeled bikes only. Oh well, it was impressive to see all those bikes in a parade for miles.

On Saturday, we headed back the rally in an attempt to see the vendors again. Of course, we only had a 1 day pass and I was not going to pay to go back into the vendors and most likely not buy anything. So we passed on spending $74.00 to get back in. Anyway, we decided to head over to watch a drill team demonstration. It was scheduled to run from 10 am to 12 noon. Well, we got there at 11 am and they were already done. So we missed that too. After missing the drill team perform we decided to take some more pictures of bikes that were outside of the main rally building but old mother nature put a stop to that plan. It started to rain. We decided to head back to the hotel until the rain stopped and then decide on what to do next.

After the rain stopped, we decided to head out to see a movie and get some food. We went and saw Get Smart and ate a Chilli's. That was cool and good way to relax since we were pretty much done with the rally.

Today, we headed back around 8 am. We tried to out run a band of thunderstorms that were heading toward Greenville, but we didn't quite make it. We ended up riding in the rain for about an hour which wasn't that bad. The rain was light and it was nice and cool.

The new trailer did great and it really came in handy on the trip. It was a great investment.

We arrived at home around 11:30 and overall we had a good time. The weather wasn't too bad. The rally could have been better, but it was nice to see all those Goldwings.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Sky Diving Videos

2008-06-30T20:32:00.002-05:00

This has nothing to do with motorcycles but it is cool. It is video's of Jordan and I on our first sky diving jump. Maybe one day you could join us on a jump. It is awesome! Enjoy!

Roger’s Video
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=37375147

Jordan’s Video
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=37353836

Pappy

Big Red's Escapade Elite Trailer

2008-06-29T17:04:00.004-05:00

Well today I got a chance to practice with my new Escapade Elite trailer. It was great! It handled very well and it was like I wasn't pulling anything. I needed the practice since my first big trip with it will be with Slick and Jordan on the 4th of July weekend. We are heading to Wing Ding in Greenville SC for a couple of days.

A lot of people wanted to see photos of Big Red and the new trailer. So here are a few for you. Enjoy!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Slick's Birthday Ride

2008-06-29T07:32:00.003-05:00

Slick had her birthday yesterday and she wanted to take a ride as part of her birthday. We decided to head to the Blue Ride Parkway near Deep Gap NC. It was a nice day for a ride.. We headed toward Deep Gap NC via highway 421 north. We had never took that route before and we both found we liked that route rather than taking highway 52 in Winston Salem. The 421 route was pretty nice because of the lack of traffic and the scenery was either open country or hilly once you got past Wilkesboro NC. We also noticed that from Wilkesboro to Deep Gap there were a lot of Christmas tree farms along the way. So if you ever need a Christmas tree head that way.

As we headed toward Deep Gap we both got a little hungry and decided to go past the Deep Gap exit and head toward Boone NC. We road through the old part of Boone which is the part I liked. The only problem was it was hard to find a parking spot to stop and eat. So we headed into the newer part of Boone and found a fancy place for the birthday girl. Have you ever heard of Bojangles (nothing but the best for my baby).

After the fine dining we headed back east to the Deep Gap exit and entered the Blue Ride Parkway. We took a blanket with us so we could find a nice place to lay under a tree and hopefully take a nap and enjoy one of the overlooks. Well we found a nice place, but after about 15 minutes so did family wanting to stop and have a picnic about 10 yards from us. After about 30 minutes the Partridge Family finally decided to leave. So did we.
After the blanket party, we headed north on the parkway and then found our highway 16 exit. We headed south en route back to highway 421. About halfway down highway 16 we decided it was time for some ice cream. So we stopped at a little business called 'Igloo". They just happen to serve sandwiches and of course so really good ice cream. After the ice cream we hit the road again and ran into highway 421. We headed south on 421 to home.
The whole trip took about 5.5 hours. It was nice day for a ride but a little humid. We plan to take that route again in the future when we head west toward the mountains. It is a lot more relaxing than going west on interstate 40.

We had a great time and I think Slick enjoyed her birthday ride.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Sunset Beach 08 Trip

2008-06-21T18:52:00.006-05:00

Last Saturday Slick, Jordan and I took off for our yearly trip to Sunset Beach in NC. We usually take the trip with family and friends. This year we went with my brother-in-law and his wife, Kayle (their grand daughter) and Justin and Molly (Jordan's best friend since childhood).

The trip started off with most of us heading from our home in Jamestown NC. Jordan and I rode our bikes and the rest road in boring, air conditioned vehicles. Jordan and I had a pretty good ride. The trip down to the beach was a little toasty. We got into some stop and go traffic in Rockingham NC. There were road crews painting lines. It was about 92 degrees and like I said, it was a little toasty. It was kind of funny. At one point Jordan said he had never been as thirsty as he was sitting in the traffic and all that heat and humidity. Angie was trying to help. She keep trying to give us water, but the traffic keep her moving too much for her to get out of the car to give us the water. I know some people were feeling sorry for us while others just sat in the their boring cars and laughed. That was okay with me, I was enjoying the sun shine, getting a tan and saving gas (at least that is what I kept telling myself). After about 4.5 hrs we arrived at the beach house. It wasn't too bad and the trip down to the beach was only 215 miles.

Once at the beach we had set up our schedule of events for the weeks. Most the time the girls wanted to lay on the beach and baked and later went shopping. The guys did the other cool stuff. We played golf at a par 3 course on Monday. It was Kevin and I against the young guns in golf. Of course, we lost. But hey, it was fun anyway. We also lost to them in mini-golf later in week, but we will not talk about that.

On Wednesday the guys went Skeedoing for about an hour and that was fun. It was Kevin's first time on some Skeedo's and he did great. After Skeedoing, Jordan, Justin and I prepared for the most exciting part of our trip. On Thursday we scheduled our first ever skydiving adventure. All of us have wanted to do that for a long time. So we scheduled it and it was awesome! It was so much of rush and it takes you a couple of hours to come down from the rush. I was the first to go up. Jordan and Justin followed. If you ever get a chance to skydive, do it. Life is too short and don't say I have always wanted to do it, just do it. Set and date and do it. There is nothing better than traveling/falling at 120 mph for 30 seconds. Justin, Jordan and I plan to make skydiving part of our trip ever time we go to Sunset Beach in NC. We also plan to use the same instructor, Stew at Skydive Coastal Carolinas. He made us feel so comfortable and was a great instructor. Below are some pictures of our skydiving day.

On Friday, I full filled a promised to Jordan. I got my first tattoo. Jordan took the before and after photos of tattoos and me getting it. I like it and with any tattoo, it has a story behind it.

On Saturday, we headed back. The week's weather was very nice with a few showers in the afternoon. On our ride back, it was not hot like it was on the trip down. Jordan and I got to enjoy rain about half of the trip as we headed back home. Most of the rain was at the beginning of the trip. At one point we had to pull over to put on the rain gear because the clouds were really looking bad and it was lightening . We actually had to seek shelter for about 30 minutes because the rain was so bad and there was some flash flooding. But hey, that is what traveling on a motorcycle is all about, right. You have to deal with what is up head, right?
All in all we had a great trip. We put on about 500 miles on the bikes and had a great time.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Good Motorcycle Site

2008-06-02T13:47:00.002-05:00

Saturday Slick and I went to Sterling VA to pick up our new Escapade Elite motorcycle trailer. The company that built the trailer is Open Road Outfitters. They did a great job on the trailer and they told us everyone was inquiring about the trailer because of the color. For some reason, a lot of people really like the color, flare red. I have to admit, Slick and I do too.

We meet with Sandy and Dale Coyner who were really nice and the owners of the company. Slick also found out that Dale was also an author of a couple of books on traveling the Appalachian Mtns. He actually gave us a copy of one of his books so we could read it on the way back to NC with the trailer.

I thought everyone that would like to find out more about Open Road Outfitters and Dale Coyner's book they could visit his website at http://www.appalachianhighways.com/index.html

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Johnny "Pops" Cooper Passes Away

2008-06-02T12:19:00.004-05:00

It is sad to post this entry on my blog but I feel I need to. This Sunday an old biker friend of Slick and I passed away due to a motorcycle accident that killed him and his nephew. Both were returning back from a "Region N" rally. The details fo the accidents is very limited. We do know that Pops was not struck by another vehicle but the bike did leave the road. No one knows the cause of the accident but we do know he and his nephew were traveling alone.

Pops was a good friend. He was like our old grandpa that was quite and very friendly to Angie and I. He was loved by many and he will truly be missed. Below is a photo of Angie and Pops. Pops was giving Angie a ride on his trike about 2 years ago during an open house event at the Cycle Center in Asheboro NC.

Remember, be safe out there. We will miss you Pops.

Pappy

Memorial Weekend Ride

2008-05-28T19:50:00.006-05:00

This past Memorial weekend ride was nice. Slick, Jordan and I rode up to Skyline Drive in VA and also rode on about 75 miles of the Blue Ride Parkway. Slick and I had rode the same ride last year and we really enjoyed it. We thought Jordan would like to ride the same route. It would be his first long distance ride on his new bike. Below are a few photos from our trip.

We headed out around 11 am on Saturday morning. We did plan to leave earlier but due to me getting in from a trip at 2 am, we felt me getting on a bike with little sleep was not such a smart idea. So I got some much needed sleep before we took off on about a 7 hour ride.

On our first day we headed up to Winchester VA which was just about 20 miles above Skyline Drive. If you are not familiar with that area there is a small town called Front Royal which really starting point of SLD (also known as Shenandoa National Park). On the first day the weather was really nice. The highest got to almost 80 degrees and there was plenty of sun. We had stopped at several places along the way up to Winchester and took a few photos. Once we got Winchester VA we bedded down for the night. Actually, we got a room at a Hampton Inn.

After a good nights sleep we rode to Front Royal VA and started our trip on the SLD. SLD is not for everyone. The speed limit is only 35 mph and it is very scenic. So for those that like faster trips, SLD is not for you. Slick and I like it because of the scenic riding and the lack of a lot of traffic. Jordan seemed to like it but I could tell he got pretty bored riding at 35 mph. He did like it better when we did hit about a third of the way on SLD because we got into some pretty nice curvy roads. That was nice and even Slick didn't complain about the curves.

After SLD we then hit the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was a little faster. The speed limit was 45 and it was nice too. However, there are less overlooks and the northern part of the parkway is not as nice as the parkway in NC.

On Monday morning we started to head back toward home. While at the hotel we met a really nice guy that had been riding with his wife for about 2 days. I talked to him for about 40 minutes in the lobby. We had a great conversation about our past rides and it was nice talk to a fellow biker. Afterwards Slick, Jordan and I headed toward home.

All-in-all the ride was great. The weather was perfect and we put on 650 miles on the 2 day trip. We also discussed plans for our next trip next year and how we wanted to make the Memorial weekend trip an annual adventure. Of course, it will have to be a different place each year. We have a lot of places we can ride. The trick is to figure out where the next trip will be.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Little Red was Sold

2008-05-18T16:35:00.002-05:00

Well, a lucky couple from Greensboro bought the VLX660 Honda Shadow (Little Red). So for those that thought about buying it, you lost a good chance to buy a very nice bike. Oh well. I wish you luck on finding a nice bike that will fit your needs.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Nice Short and Expensive Ride Today

2008-05-11T08:42:00.002-05:00

Jordan and I took a little trip Saturday morning down to the Cycle Center in Asheboro NC. Originally all I planned for us to do was to ride down there (just to be riding) and check out if they had any new goodies. Well, they did. Actually all I was looking for was to buy a $5.00 pair of motorcycle sunglasses. Well, that didn't happen. I ended up buying about $125.00 worth of goodies, that I planned to buy at the Wing Ding in Greenville SC in July.

I ended up buying the chrome trimming from my side view mirrors, knobs for my console and kill switch and the new chrome arrow decals for my saddle bags. I really like the chrome decals because they really set the bike off and break up the empty solid spaces on the saddle bags.

After getting all my goodies, Jordan and I went across the street to a local Cookout and got lunch. Afterwards we headed back toward home. Once I got home I decided I wasn't done riding around. So, I parked Big Red and jumped on my little VLX600 Honda Shadow and headed to the movies to see Iron Man (good movie). Afterwards, I rode it to a local park and went for about an hour long walk.

It was a nice day to ride. The temperature was in the mid 70's with a slight breeze. It was perfect. However, I do need to watch going down to the Cycle Center too often. I have already scoped out my next purchase. It will be new exhaust pipes for about $170.00.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

New Tatt Coming Soon

2008-04-27T07:43:00.003-05:00

One of the trips that I plan to take this summer is to the beach off the coast of NC. It is an annual trip that we take with family and a couple of friends. Last year Jordan got a new tattoo and I told him that if he moved back home from Arkansas to NC I would pay for his motorcycle course, help him get a bike, train him on the bike and get a tattoo too. Of course he moved back and I (like a good father) decided to keep my promise. The problem was to figure out what type of tattoo I wanted. That is not a quick decision since the tattoo will mark me for life. At first I thought about gettng something to express what I really enjoyed and something kind of tribal. I thought, hey the Chick-Fil-A logo looks cool, tribal and I like chicken. Then I thought about the copyright violation. Of course, if you watched Wild Hogs, you would remember that Dudley didn't let that stop him and that would not stop me either.

Anyway, I think I finally found the tattoo I will get in about 2 months and here it is.

The tattoo will have the phrase 'Keep Living' in the white banner. It did say Harley Davidson but I don't care for that. The tattoo represents how I feel about riding, country and life. Besides also skydiving at the beach, it should be a great vacation. Of course, photos will be coming.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Got the Day Off to Ride!

2008-04-26T17:53:00.007-05:00

Friday was a great day! That is the only way to put it. I got the day off from work, my buddy, Craig wasn’t doing anything and my son took the day off to ride. The weather was great. The temperature topped out at about 82. It was just enough to give us all a great burning biker’s tan.

Our first decision was to figure out where we wanted to ride and how long. So since Craig is a human Atlas I thought it would be best to have him decide where we would ride. Craig took us north on highway 68 toward Stokesdale. From there we hit 65 and 89. It was part of the same rode that Jordan almost ran out of gas (NOT!). Going that way gave Craig a chance to see where Jordan almost ran out of gas. As we pasted though Mount Airy I thought it would be a good idea to stop and let Jordan get his photo at the Andy Griffin museum. Below is a photo of Jordan at the bronze statues of Andy Griffin and little Ron Howard (Opie).

After pasting the gas station we stopped a nice old little store for a break before continuing to head west on 89. After hitting 89 we decided to take 601 toward Booneville. Craig told us about an old store that served steak sandwiches. Actually the sandwiches were thick sliced fried bologna sandwiches with a thick slick of cheddar cheese. It was awesome! We all there go the same thing. The store was pretty unique because it had a lot of old antiques and even some old candy’s that I haven’t seen in years. Below is couple of pictures from our top at the old store.

Also along the route were visited Hanging Rock State Park and the top of Pilot Mountain. I have rode by Pilot Mountain on several occasions and never been to the top. It was a treat and it has a great view of the surrounding area. Jordan and I have already planned to do some hiking this year in both parks. Below are some pictures that were taken from the top of the Pilot Mountain.

All-in-all, the day was great. Counting the riding that Jordan and I also did Saturday to Lenoir, we put on about 500 miles. Except for being a little sun burned and tired, the trips were great. Besides, who can complain when you can get the day off and ride all day, right?

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Mount Airy Ride

2008-04-20T16:25:00.004-05:00

Saturday Slick, Jordan and I decided to take off for a nice ride to Mount Airy NC. Anyone that are not familiar with the town may not know that it was the fictional town of Mayberry on the Andy Griffin Show. Actually Andy Griffin was raised there as a kid. It is a really nice small town with a lot of Andy Griffin and Mayberry appeal. We were not going to actually stop there because Slick and I had been there before. We were heading that way to ride on some really nice country roads off of business 52. Mostly we rode through the country roads on 89.

The day was kind of cloudy and a little cool in the morning. We meet Jordan at his home in High Point and headed up interstate 40 and then highway 52. On the way to Mount Airy we stopped off at a overlook to get a couple of photos of Pilot Mountain. It is part of the fictional town that Andy Griffin mentions in the show. However, he referred to it as Mount Pilot. Pretty cool, huh?

After snapping a few pics, we headed up to Mount Airy and then hit 89 to ride the country roads. If you have not been up that way you might want to know 89 has some really nice roads with a few small towns but also some sections of the roads are pretty curvy. Slick wasn't too crazy about some sections of the roads and there was some major puckering up going on behind me. However, Jordan and I loved each curve.

We did have on little scare. As we were cruising through one of the small towns, Jordan felt he needed gas. He was riding behind us. He said he was trying to let us know he needed gas by hitting his horn. Now if you have ever heard Jordan's horn you would realize it sounds like one of those bell horns on some little girl's bike. It is kind of sad actually. For a guy that rides a mean sounding bike, his horn really has to go.

Anyway, Jordan felt he needed gas, so he turns off without Slick and I realizing he stopped. Slick and I continued to cruise down the road and then I looked back and thought, 'Where's Jordan". Of course we panicked and turned around to find him. We were not sure if he ran off the road or hit one of the many racing bikers cruising through town. As we headed back to find him, there he was at a gas station waiting on us. He said he needed gas. It turned out that he didn't need gas. His tank holds over 5 gallons and he filled it up before we left. It took a little over $7.00 to fill up his tank. That means he had about 3 gallons left. I think he was okay, don't you?

After filling up Jordan's empty tank (NOT!), we headed to highway 220 south and back to the house. The rain was coming and we barely made it before we got wet. It as a great day to ride. It was warm, cloudy but not too bad. We look forward to riding again soon. Our next big trip as a family is to WV and the Blue Ridge Parkway on Memorial Day weekend.

My next trip is with my old buddy Craig on 25 April to go to Colleen VA to order my trailer. That will be cool. Besides, we will need it for the Wind Ding in SC.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Angela's Ride Fund Raiser

2008-04-06T16:45:00.006-05:00

Today Jordan and I attended a fund raiser called Angela's Ride in Asheboro NC. The Harley Museum there was putting onthe fund raiser. There were about 125 bikes of all types there. Jordan and I also toured the musuem and saw a lot of old bikes. Below are some of the photos that we took. Enjoy!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Great Weekend to Ride

2008-03-23T09:11:00.002-05:00

Jordan and I took a little ride this Saturday. We decided to ride back to my home town and visit some family members. Of course, we didn't tell anyone we were coming and actually we just needed an excuse to ride. It was a perfect day to ride. It was sunny and high's in the lower 70's. Except for a little wind, it was perfect. Jordan and I rode to see my mom, Angie's mom and dad, and my uncle which I hadn't seen in about 2 years. It was nice see everyone and the ride was great. Overall, Jordan and I rode about 250 miles. You couldn't have ask for a better day. The only downer was Slick wasn't with us due to a business trip. It would have been nice if she could have came too. She loves to ride.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Charity Ride Coming Up in Asheboro

2008-03-20T10:05:00.002-05:00

One of the best things about riding is not being able to ride, but to be able to ride for a good cause. Here is a great example of that. Not only do you get to ride, you may even save a life.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

2002 VLX Honda Shadow for Sale

2008-03-18T12:32:00.002-05:00

Well, it looks little I am going to have to sell the 2002 VLX Honda Shadow. Not because I want to but because I justdon't have enough room in my garage for my new trailer for Big Red that I will be buying in a couple of weeks. Plus, I am not sure how much I would actually ride the bike. The bike is a nice one. It is very clean, runs great, and a great starter bike for someone. It has only 3540 miles on it and looks practically brand new. I am sure someone will realize what a steal the bike is for only $3200.00. Below is a photo of the bike. I am sure going to miss the bike.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Just Had to Ride

2008-03-06T12:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after work was good day to ride. The temperature was in the low 60’s and it was sunny. I am pretty lucky. I can get off work at 3 pm on most days and I get the chance to ride before it gets dark. So yesterday I rode around town for about 45 minutes then headed home. As I pulled up to the house I hit the garage door and noticed Slick hadn’t gotten home yet. So I closed the garage door and did the next best thing. You got it; I hit the road again. I rode the roads for about another hour. It was a nice relaxing ride after work. It also made me realize that it is not really where you ride that makes riding fun, it that I get to ride. Only other bikers understand that.

I can’t wait until summer. It will be time to ride to the beach, Skyline Drive in WV, the mountains of NC and Wing Ding in SC. I can’t wait!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

PappyJKL

Pappy and Slick on Smokey

2008-02-10T09:06:00.003-05:00

Below is a picture of Slick and I on Jordan's new bike (aka Smokey).

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Ride to Chesterfield South Carolina

2008-02-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a great ride with my son. Jordan and I took a trip to Chesterfield SC. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing in Chesterfield but it was a good excuse to ride. Plus, it gives Jordan bragging rights that he visited another state. That is 3 now that he has ridden in since he started riding if anyone is keeping count (NC, SC and VA).

Jordan and I headed down highway 85 to highway 109 at Thomasville. We rode most of the way on 109 until we got to Wadesboro NC where we jumped on 145 South to the SC border. There it gave Jordan an opportunity to snap a photo proving he really did visit SC.

When hit the southern part of NC and into SC you could tell those areas were pretty poor and basically there isn’t crap there, except for good places to ride motorcycles. Once we got into Chesterfield we found a Sub place to get. The food was okay but the place was a little nasty. It even had flies in the winter time in the place. Now that is pretty bad.

Once we ate we cruised around Chesterfield for about 5 minutes. I did mention there was nothing there, right? Next we jumped back on 145 north and back in to NC. Of course, Jordan needed a photo of that state sign too.

After the photo, we headed north to highway 74. Once on 74 we headed east to jump on highway 220 and then 73 west to Troy NC and highway 109 north. There Jordan wanted to stop and get his photo at a sign that he thought was kind of cool, so we did that. It also gave us a break and a chance to snap some other photos.

Next we headed north through the Uwharrie National Forest. There is not much there except it is a pretty big area and has some great 2 lane roads to ride. We also snapped a picture there too.

All-in-all the entire trip was great. I got to spend quality time with my son and he got to enjoy riding Smokey. Actually, he didn’t complain too much. He did say it was ticking him off that I was cruising down the road listening to the radio and CD’s and using my cruise control. Actually, I told him he needed to not ride beside me so much because his loud bike was making it hard for me to hear my music. He also whined about not having cruise control on Smokey and his hand was cramping (what a whiner). I think his next purchase will be cruise. He will need it before we head to the beach and to Wing Ding in South Carolina in July.

Overall we rode 250 miles. I enjoyed the ride and I hope we get to have many more in the future. Good times!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Heading to SC with Dudley

2008-02-08T07:40:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, Jordan and I plan to hit the road to Chesterfield SC. There is nothing there but it does give us a chance to ride somewhere. I was looking at the route and a lot of the route is rural and back roads. It should be a good ride. The high is going to be around the mid 60’s and sunny. It will be a great day for riding and snapping a few pictures of the trip. Jordan mainly wants to get a picture showing he has been to South Carolina on Smokey. I had been there once last year on Big Red. Of course, Slick would have freaked out if she had known I had been that far without letting her know. So course, I don’t say anything until I got back home. This time she knows.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Gerbing Gloves

2008-02-08T07:39:00.000-05:00

This morning I tried the Gerbing heated gloves for the first time. Man, were they great. My hands were nice and toasty for the 35 degree morning. Now I am set for the cold weather even though spring is almost here. Thanks to my good buddy Craig I am ready for next year and the cold weather. Who knows, I may even break my record for riding in 17 degrees weather. With the new gloves I will have no problem doing that.

I also would like to thank Craig for adding a group of stuff on Big Red last Friday. He put on my trailer hitch and the wiring, the wiring for my new Gerbing gloves and the grills that go behind the shark fins. He really likes installing those grills….NOT! Craig is amazing. There is nothing that old goat can’t fix (except a computer).

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Dudley Gets a New Toy…Smokey

2008-02-05T09:55:00.000-05:00

Well, Jordan (AKA Dudley) got a new ride this weekend. He and I headed to the Cycle Center in Asheboro to look at bikes. When we arrived we happen to see the same bike that we both thought was a great deal about 5 weeks ago. The bike was still there and I thought I would try to grab it before someone else did. It is a nice gray Honda VTX 1300. The bike was such a great buy because it had a lot of the accessories that Jordan wanted already on the bike. So last Saturday I bought it and this past Saturday Jordan and I went to pick it up.

Jordan was a little nervous about riding the bike from the Cycle Center so he asks me to ride it first. It was a nice ride but man is that bike loud. Everyone can hear you roaring down the road. It ran great and had a lot more power than the Honda Shadow Jordan was riding before. By the way, guess who will be riding the little Shadow now. That’s right, good old dad.

Anyway, after leaving the Cycle Center I rode the bike back to the house. Jordan was getting a little ticked at dad because the thought I was having too much fun riding the bike and taking my sweet little time getting back home. Of course, he was right.

Once home, Jordan and I took the bike over to a local parking lot for Jordan to get the feel of his new toy. He adjusted to the new bike just fine and now is enjoying his need freedom on ‘Smokey’ (he hasn’t given it a name yet, so I thought I would for now).

So next time you hear a loud roaring steal horse riding though you neighborhood, take a look, it may be Dudley cruising through. Don’t forget to wave, he most likely will not be able to hear you.

Below are a couple of photos of Jordan's new ride:

Until next time and enjoy the ride.

Pappy

Coldest Ride to Date…17 Degrees

2008-01-21T11:29:00.000-05:00

Well this morning I rode Big Red and it was a brisk 17 degrees. My original record for cruising in the morning to work was 19 degrees. Of course it got down to 17 and I felt the need to break my own record. I guess I figured 19 degrees wasn’t cold enough for a real biker like me. Now don’t get me wrong it was cold but not quite cold enough to prevent me from riding. Most people think I’m nuts. I just had to ride! Of course, I didn’t see anyone else feeling the same need.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

2007 Total Mileage on Big Red…11,786!

2008-01-01T19:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I just calculated my mileage for Big Red for this year. I was a little shocked that put on 11,786 miles on the bike in one year. That is pretty amazing. It was due to our trip to Ohio at the Honda Homing, a nice 3 day trip to the NC mountains with my old Harley buddy Paul, local rallies, a lot of mini trips with Slick on the weekend and of course me riding the bike whenever I could. The miles really did add up.

This year we plan to put even more miles on Big Red since we will be getting a trailer to haul stuff from our trips. Slick has already made me commit to some flee markets and other shopping trips. Oh well, that is why we got the bike to start with. To travel and put our extra junk in the trailer when we travel. Slick said she would not get too much stuff, but I know how that goes.

We also plan to take a few trips to the beach this year. One trip will be to the out banks. Other trips include traveling more rallies and to other states. Of course Jordan will go with us. That will be cool too. We just need to work in getting him a larger bike. His little Honda has to refuel ever hour and a half. That is good for him though. His butt needs a break too.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

New Stuff Coming Soon!

2007-12-26T13:37:00.000-05:00

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

Jordan's Longest Ride Yet!

2007-12-11T07:31:00.000-05:00

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

Father and Son Cycle Center Trip

2007-12-03T13:36:00.000-05:00

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

Jordan Became a Biker Today

2007-11-17T19:44:00.000-05:00

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

Dudley Can't Look Back

2007-10-17T06:39:00.000-05:00

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

Bike Display and Chapter Charity Event

2007-10-16T06:28:00.000-05:00

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

Dudley Strikes Again

2007-10-11T06:21:00.001-05:00

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!

Pappy

Jordan's First Ride

2007-10-10T06:36:00.000-05:00

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

Jordan and Slick's New Ride

2007-10-01T18:14:00.000-05:00

Checkout Jordan's and Slick's new ride.

Slick

New Riders Hitting the Road Soon

2007-09-27T06:18:00.000-05:00

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

Lost and Stepping Back in Time

2007-09-23T08:31:00.000-05:00

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

Riding with my Son

2007-09-17T07:20:00.000-05:00

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

Great Example of Road Rash

2007-08-18T19:08:00.000-05:00

Here is a great example of why you should away have protective clothing.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy