Wing and Harley 2007 Mountain Range Tour

Well the Wing and Harley tour is over for 2007. With that, I promised to post some notes from my trip with my old buddy Paul (aka Pablo). So here it goes:

Day #1

I left home Wednesday the 11th of July to hit the road and ride to the western mountains to meet my old buddy Pablo who is from the flat lands of Texas. My original plan was to head out from home around mid morning. Well, that didn’t happen due to the weather man saying there was a good chance I was going to get dumped on before I ever left home. So, I packed up Big Red and left home around 0830. As I was cruising down the road, I was thinking, ‘I might just make it without getting wet’. I was wrong. As I left Greensboro on I-40 I barely made it to Winston Salem before the drizzle hit. So I ended up pulling off the side of the road and put on my trusty Frogg Toggs. I like my Frogg Toggs because they do keep a man dry, but when it is humid outside, they tend to get a little toasty.

Anyway, I suited up and headed west. I did promise my mom I would stop by and see her in Lenoir NC before I headed up the mountain on highway 321 toward Boone NC. I arrived at her home and she did what all good mothers do. She feed me. Nothing is better than good old mom’s good cooking, right?

After my visit with mom, I jumped on Big Red and started to head out for Boone. Of course, the clouds were looking worse. At first I wasn’t sure if I could make it to Boone without getting soaked. I started to leave the Frogg Toggs off. I decided not to. Luckily for me I put the suit on because no more than 2 miles up the road from my mom’s home the rain started and it rained all the way up to Boone. The road up 321 wasn’t that great to start with. There was a lot of construction going on and my mom warned me of that. With the combination of road construction, mud, gravel and rain, it was not that great of a ride to Boone. Luckily for me, it was a short one.

At around 1430 I rolled into the Holiday Inn parking lot and there was my good old AF buddy Pablo with his really nice Harley. Thankfully, I could say hi to him because he turned that loud monster off. Pablo and I talked a little about our bikes and covered them up before the rain hit hard, grabbed a bite to eat at a Ruby Tuesday’s, talked about our route for the next day and basically just chilled out for the rest of the night. Thursday was really the beginning of the trip and the part we were looking forward too; the mountains.

Day #2

Thursday morning was finally there. It was time to hit the road. The morning started off with some patchy clouds and the streets were dry. There were a lot of motorcycle riders at the hotel too. Some were doing the same thing we were planning; hitting the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Finally, it was time to get started. So we grabbed some grub from the hotel and Pablo drink his normal 4 cups of coffee (man, that dude can drink some coffee). After breakfast, we started packing our bikes for the day. It took me about 2 minutes to take the cover off Big Red and throw my bags in the bikes saddle bags. It took Pablo a little longer. One piece of advice for anyone traveling with a Harley rider, add about 15 minutes for your planned departure time. Harley riders take a bit longer to pack up and move out.

After Pablo finally got packed up and all his gear strapped down we headed south on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The weather was great with mostly sunny skies and the temps were in the upper 70’s to mid 80’s. We could have not asked for a better day for hitting the mountains. We headed up the mountain and stopped on many overlooks. Of course we took a lot of pictures. I believe Pablo was really enjoying the mountains since he was from Texas and there are not too many mountains there. In NC we call Texas mountains hills and bumps.

Our goal for the day was to start in Boone NC and go all the way south to the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Well, we did that. But, of course, we made several stops along the route. Some of the stops included stops at Grand Father Mountain, Mt. Mitchell (the highest peak in NC), and many overlooks throughout the Pisgah National Forest. While at Grand Father Mountain, we talked to a couple that were from Ohio that also stayed at the same hotel Pablo and I stayed out. Actually Pablo talked to them earlier. They were a nice couple and were experiencing the empty nest time of their lives. So of course, they were enjoying life riding the parks on their bike too.

Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:

One quick note for anyone visiting Grand Father Mountain, expect to pay $14.00 to get into the park. I noticed that a lot of bikers go to the park but many of them were shocked to find it cost so much to get in.

As for Mt. Mitchell, be aware that there is some construction going on at the very top of the mountain. The park is in the process of building a new observation deck and the very top of the mountain is closed. You can still get some great pictures from the parking lot. Also be aware to check the weather conditions before you visit the mountain. It is pretty cloudy up there on many days. We got lucky and the view was great. If you decide to visit Mt. Mitchell, stop by the restaurant at the top of the mountain. The food was great and the view was very nice. It was well worth the stop and besides, we were starving.

The day was filled with great riding conditions. So much that we actually ended up riding the whole route on the Blue Ridge Parkway from Boone to the end of the parkway in Cherokee. Once we got to the end of the parkway we made a decision to find a place to stay in Cherokee. We located a very nice motel in Cherokee for the night for only $70.00. Pablo paid for the first night of lodging and I told him I would take care of the Friday night stay. We unpacked our bikes, covered them up and planned the next day of riding. However, it was not going to be as nice as the first day.

Some of things I had noticed about the trip on the first day was there were a lot more curvy roads than I expected. The curves were fun and was a great day to ride with the curves, but I wasn’t expecting that many. Another thing that got me was the lack of wild life on the trip. I expected to see some wild life. Even a deer or two would have been nice.

Day #3

Friday morning came and it was time to plan the day’s events. Pablo and my original plan was to head west toward Deal Gap and take on the Tail of the Dragon. We scratched that idea due to the rain. Luckily we did not go to Deals Gap to the dragon. I learned later that 3 people died that day on the dragon. One single rider lost control and ran off a cliff and landed 80 below the roadway. Another couple riding a trike lost control and ran head into a SUV carrying a boat. They hit the boat so hard it detached it from the SUV. Both accidents were due to speed and over-braking.

It did start to drizzle most of the morning. So we decided to head west toward the Great Smoky Mountains and tour some of that area. Even though the weather wasn’t that great we did have a good time riding through the smoky mountains. We just had to take it a little slow.

Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:


As we traveled through the Great Smokey Mountains on highway 441, we ran ride into Gatlinburg TN. Pablo was a little shocked by the sudden change in scenery. One minute we were touring through mountains and forest of the Pisgah National Forest. The next minute we hit civilization, tourist, rain and bumper-to-bumper traffic. Oh joy!

The traffic was really bad in Gatlinburg. We travel through bumper-to-bumper traffic for a good 10 miles. Once we got through Gatlinburg we had to deal with Pigeon Forge and then Sevierville. Pablo and I decided that since we were not going to take on the dragon we would continue on north until we hit I-40. Once we hit the interstate we decided to head east and then find a place to discuss our next route and get off the interstate. Besides, interstates are boring. We found a safe exit to take to discuss our next move and so Pablo could down another pot of coffee. After Pablo’s caffeine fix, we decided to head toward Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. I figured Pablo would like Chimney Rock and the lake.

As we rode east on I-40 we decided to take highway 276 east. That road wasn’t too bad until we had to take highway 9 east. There we decided to grab some lunch off of exit 104. If you ever think about doing that; don’t. It was a terrible place to get off and try to get access to food. There is food there (Shoney’s), but it is buried behind a Shell station and a large Wal-Mart off of an access road. It was not an ideal place to stop. Oh yeah, it was still raining.

After lunch and escaping the jacked up traffic situation, we continued on highway 9 until we hit highway 64. From that point on, it was pretty smooth riding to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. I have always liked highway 64. It has some really nice roads to ride. Even though it was raining for most of the day, the riding and scenery was great. As we got closer to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure the sun come out and life was good.

Once we arrived at Lake Lure, we drove past Chimney Rock so Pablo could see it. He was pretty excited about visiting it. We drove through Lake Lure and decided find a place for the night. We choose the Lake Lure Hotel and Spa. It was a really nice place to stay. If you ever get a chance to visit that hotel do it. It is a great place to take your spouse. We saw a lot of families there too. I called Slick and told her about the hotel and that we would have to come back in the fall for a weekend. Pablo called his wife and told her about it too. The hotel was built is 1927 and is loaded with history. The service and food was great there too. I really enjoyed cheese grits. I had never had those before. I need to get that recipe.

Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:


Day #4

Saturday was Pablo and my last day of riding together. So we decided we would top off the trip and visit Chimney Rock. I knew Pablo would like that. After a great breakfast and watching Pablo drink about half dozen cups of coffee we headed to Chimney Rock. Once we got to the entrance we parked our bikes on the side road and I had the bright idea of wanting to walk to the top of the entrance to the park. For some reason I decided we should probably take the bikes instead. I am glad we did. Even though I had been there several years ago I had forgotten how far it was to the top of the entrance to the park. You have to go one mile to get to the ticket booth to pay your $14.00 and then 2 more miles up some very sharp curves to get to the entrance way. Oh yeah, it is a bit steep too.

Once we finally got to the park entrance we parked our bikes and decided to climb the stairs to the top. We had a choice of taking the elevator, but we though, hey we are still young enough to walk the stairs. Well, we did, and realized that we are not 30 any more. The bright side is we made it to the top and man what a nice view we had. We could see for many miles and the skies were almost perfect for taking photos.

Pablo said he plans to take the wife to Chimney Rock, Lake Lure and the mountains next year. I could tell he really enjoyed the parkway and mountain. Heck, I have been here for half of my life and I never get tired of the mountains; especially, when I can ride Big Red through them.

Below are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy:


After the death march to the top of Chimney Rock it was time to head down the stairs. It was much nicer going down the stairs than going up. Once down, we mounted our bikes and headed down to exit the park. Pablo and I departed Chimney Rock. He was heading back to Texas and I continued on east on highway 64 and then I-40 toward home. Once home I unpacked Big Red and cleaned up Big Red.

All-in-all it was a really nice trip. I really felt relaxed and free on the trip. I had the opportunity to see an old friend, tour the mountains of NC and TN, and talk about the old days and our families. Next year we plan for another ride to some where. For now, we have no idea where. Wherever we decide to go, it will be fun.

Last but not least. Here is the photo of the trip. Enjoy!






Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Great Sunday Morning Mini-Trip

Today Slick and I took a little trip up north today. Actually it was about a 3.5 hour ride. It was a beautiful day to ride. It was a little toasty but not enough not to ride. We headed out about 8:30 am from home and headed to highway 52 toward Winston Salem. We actually enjoy riding early on Sunday mornings because of the lack of traffic and it is a little cooler this time of year. We headed toward Mt. Pilot and Mt. Airy. We had a great view of Mt. Pilot this morning. The skies were clear and bright. Just right for the view of one weird looking mountain.

Once we got a little south of Mt. Airy it was time to hit 89 east toward Madison. Both of us had not been there before and I did expect a nice country road on that part of the trip. Man, did we get that. We were really in the sticks and really enjoyed it. One thing that did surprise both of us was the amount of curves on 89. We did have some interesting events on 89. We saw a pretty good size deer that threatened to jump out in front of me. The deer did ran back in the woods which was a good thing for us and the deer. Another thing was a small dog decided the get the crap scared out of him. He was about 50 yards in front of us on our side of road. I figured the stupid dog would move since he was looking right at us coming toward him. I guess the little fellar was blind because he decide to run in the opposite direction in front of me doing about 50 mph. He came within a foot of my front tire. I had decided that if he ran in front of me, he was going to get hit. I have heard of too many riders having wrecks trying to avoiding dogs. I was not going to be one of them. Besides, when I took the motorcycle course, they had us run over a 2x4 board. I guess the board represented a dog because I haven't seen too many boards in the road. Anyway, Spot almost got hit. Lucky for him, I was quick enough to use my superior quick stop skills (just kidding) and avoid tagging his little butt.

After we left 89 we hit 704. That road was just like 89 but less curves. (Did I mention Slick is not too crazy about curves? They scare her, but deep down, I think she really likes them). We headed east on 704 to Madison. Once we got to Madison we jumped on highway 220 south and headed back home.

The trip was a nice short trip for a Sunday morning. We had great country roads, open fields, great views and even some wild life to hit if we needed too. We do plan to do that trip again. It was a nice trip for about a 4 hour ride.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Great Weekend Ride

Today Slick and I headed out for a nice ride in the country. It was a great day to ride. The temps were in the low to mid 80's and low humidity. It was great. We road for about 220 miles and were gone for about 4 hours. As part of the trip I took Slick to the old Liberty road which is a really nice road to practice some tight turns. She hadn't been on that road before. So when she told me she wasn't ready to go home, I decided to take her for a ride on the curvy roads. She seemed like the road even though she didn't said word during the turns. I know she was nervous but she did great.

We also stopped for gas and we had a few people come over and took a look at Big Red. A couple fo guys came over and said they it was a nice bike and as usual, they asked if the bike was new. They could not believe the bike was 3 years old. Slick even heard a couple talking about the bike as they walked into the store. The lady said she liked the color of the bike. The guy stated the back of the bike looked like a car. Slick and I thought that was kind of funny.

After our trip, we headed back home and I cleaned up Big Red. It was nice to take the bike out and enjoy the day with Slick. I really enjoyed it because it has been about 3 weeks since I got a chance to ride. Thankfully, I will be home for a few weeks and can enjoy the trips again. I am really looking forward to the trip in the middle of July when I head off to the Smokie Mountains and who knows where else I will be go on the 5 day trip.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Memorial Weekend Trip

Yesterday Slick and I returned from our scheduled trip to the Shenandoah National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway. We headed out on Saturday morning and basically took highway 220 N and then interstate 81 to Front Royal VA. It was a great day to ride. The temperature was actually pretty warm with a lot of humitiy, but it was sunny and we didn't run into any rain.

There was bikes every where. One reason was there was a lot of bikes heading to Washington DC for a memorial ceremony. Many I believe were part of a club called Rolling Thunder. We happened to have seen a piece on the news about them.

After we arrived at Royal Front we decided to relax for a while. We were a little tired after being on the road in the heat for about 7 hours. We were so tired that after we got in our room we couldn't decide if we wanted to eat in town or order out. So I decided to do the next best thing. Walk over to a nice place for some fine dining called McDonald. Many you have heard fo them. Only the best for my wife, I have to say.

The next day we got up around 7:00 am and started packing for the trip through the Shenandoah National Park. We were really looking forward to that. Both of us had not been there before but we had heard a lot of good things about the park. The weather was nice and cool but we noticed that taking pictures might not be that great due to the morning haze. We took some pictures anyway and they did turn out pretty nice. See them below:

As you can see we stopped at a lot of overlooks on the SNP parkway. The scenery was great. We saw some deer and even a small black bear club. Luckily we did not see good old mom walking around. The traffic was pretty lite too. Most of that was because we got on the park around 8:30 and got off around 12:30. If you have not been to the SNP you might need to know the speed limit is 35 mph, the park is around 105 miles long and you willhave to pay to enter the park. It is worth it. Slick and I did not mind the slow pace because we went there to enjoy the scenery, not to set a speed record.

After the SNP we hit the BRP. It was nice but we both said we actually liked the SNP best because of the lite traffic and all the overlooks. The SNP had overlooks every where and many of the parking areas were large enough to handle several vehicles. We rode the BRP for about 50 miles and then realized we needed to find some gas. So we took a road off the parkway to look for gas. I don't remember the name of the road but Slick and I will not forget it, but the road was very narrow and the curves were very tight. Slick wasn't too thrilled with that road. I thought it was pretty fun. Evenually we found some gas near interstate 81. We talked about going back on the parkway but decided not to due to it getting late in the day. So we headed back home on interstate 81. By that time it was pretty toasty and we were pretty hungry. We decided to head to the house.

All in all the trip was just what we expected. We had great weather and spent some great quality time together. We also put on over 750 miles on the bike and road for a total of 17 hours. Today we plan to rest and I need to give Big Red a bath.

Below are a few more picturs of the trip. Enjoy!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

New Big Red Photos

I know I have mentioned to a lot of people how much Big Red has changed over the past year. The bike is no longer "naked". Check it out and let me know what you think.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Great Day to Ride the Parkway

Today was a great day. The temperature this morning was about 70 degrees when Slick and I headed out to ride to the Blue Ridge Parkway and met Cindy and Scott. Slick and I headed out around 10:30 and headed toward Fancy Gap on highway 52. It was a great day to ride. Since it was Sunday morning traffic was pretty Lite. But there were plenty of other bikers out on the roads on the way up to the BRP, thru it and on the way home.

Slick and I were all decked out in our “Old Biker” clothes (including our cool vest). Actually the vest got pretty hot for me on the way home when the temperature got up to 83. Anyway, we headed up to Fancy Gap and we had planned to met Scott and Cindy Stevenson just right off the parkway just south of highway 21. We were not exactly sure which site to stop at and of course, we drove right by it. We were early so we didn’t really miss them because they had not reached the park. We just ended up riding about an extra 20 miles and ending up heading toward Wilkesboro

Once we realized we needed to turn around we headed back to an area that we thought they were talking about. And sure enough, 20 miles back, we found Scott and Cindy waiting on us. They had been there 30 minutes. Oh well, at least they got to enjoy the scenery, right?

After a little chat about the mix up, we got on our bikes and headed out to get something to eat. Slick and I were pretty hungry. We had been on the road for about 3 hours and ate little for breakfast. So our plan was to grab a bite to eat and get some fuel. I was getting low due to running all over the park looking for our riding partners. We were pretty lucky since Scott grew up near the parkway and go us up and running and looking for food and fuel. We went to a couple of eating joints near the parkway but the wait was too long. So we ended up eating at one really nasty Wendy’s. The food was okay, but the place was a dump. After the nasty food we headed onward on highway 16, toward 421 and home.

On the route Scott took us on some great two lane roads once we got off the parkway. It was all country roads. The parkway was great and Slick and I really enjoyed it. Even though the speed limit was 45 it was really nice. The scenery was great and so was the weather (Did I mention it was in the mid 70’s). We could have not asked for a nicer day to ride.

All-in-all we ended up riding 400+ miles and were gone 8 hours. Once home, I washed Big Red and got it ready for the week of riding. Next weekend is going to be even better because Slick and I plan to head to Skyline Drive in VA and ride the BRP some more this Memorial Day weekend. We are really looking forward to that.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Chapter's Open House

Last Saturday was our chapter’s annual open house event. It all started with Slick and I getting up at 5 am to be at the Cycle Center in Asheboro by 7 am. We were a little late due to having to stop by and getting 5 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. Of course, I had to do a little taste test and take one for the team. Actually, I took 2 for the team.

After arriving at the Cycle Center our chapter began setting up for the event. The weather was a little soggy but it was bearable. Most of our chapter members were there. After the set up, I decided to do a little shopping so I could beat the rush and get my 20% discount. I ended up buying about $200.00 worth of stuff for Big Red. Slick decided to buy us some matching “Old Biker” vest and shirts. We really like the Old Biker gear. The prices are good and the items are great. Actually we are starting a nice little collection of Old Biker gear.

We were able to make a pretty good profit from the open house. As for door prices I was able to win a nice sleeping back that I plan to use for my trip with my old Harley buddy Pablo in July. I also won a can of Honda polish too. It seems that everyone wants that stuff since Honda is discontinuing that product. My old buddy Craig really racked up and won 6 cans (lucky old fart).

Slick and I did our part by working the awesome duck game. It was really hard to do that job. We also did our part to participate in the “Pin the Trailer on the Goldwing”. All in all it was a lot of fun. Our chapter was able to make about $1400.00. That was about $300.00 off of last year’s total. We know we would have had a better showing if the rain would have held off. Oh well, we will just plan for next year. Below are a few pictures from the open house.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Great Time at Spring Fling

I am a little late on this post but here it is. Last Thursday Slick and I headed to Spring Fling in Pigon Forge TN. We met up with some members of our group in Lexington before headed west. Big Red was packed to the max. Actually, having Big Red packed with all the extra weight was a real pain for me. Slick and I talked about it and decided that our next big purchase will be a trailer. But that will have to wait a few months. Luckily, we only have 1 more trip where we will be gone for more than 1 day and that is to Marysville Ohio to the Honda Homecoming in July.

Once we met our gang in Lexington we headed to TN. It was an interesting trip. We were trying to beat a storm that was coming from the west. We didn't make it. We rain into the rain about an hour outside of our destination. All of us had to put on our rain suits once we hit the mountains. It just worked out that there was a lot of traffic backed up and we decided to put on the suits at that time. Once the rain gear was on we were ready to roll.

It took us about 4.5 hours to get to "The Grand" in Pigion Forge. There was a lot of bikes already there. There were all types. There was even some Harleys there. Man, did they look out of place. Once we got settled in we met up with the remaining members of our group. There was a total of 17 of us that showed up for the rally. We met up and headed for our first group meeting. Of course, that involved food. We took a trolley to a local school where we were served hot dogs and hamburgers. Those tasted really good since we had to wait in line for about 45 minutes. I felt like I was in death camp waiting in the line that long. All I could keep telling myself is those hot dogs better be good. They were. Or I was just so hungry that a brick would have been tasty with a little salt.

After the meal we headed back the the hotel for the night. I stopped by the vendors to see what they had. All of the vendors were not there on Thursday so I decided to wait until Friday to give them all my money.

Friday came and we started out the day with breakfast. Did I mention that Goldwingers love to eat? We had a nice expensive and fattening breakfast and hit the vendors hard. Slick racked up on body chrome for her (jewerly) and I started out slow. I first bought a back rest, Slicks passengers floorboard and her arm rest. I was going to stop there but Bubba bought a lot of his chrome and I was a little jealous because his bike was looking really good. My bike was really naked. So I bought more stuff and my motorcyle mentor Craig put all my stuff on. He is a really talented guy and I don't know what I do without him.

After spending all my money and helping Craig fix up Big Red it was time to get cleaned up and go to a local show called the Dixie Stampede. It was a really good show and I highly recommend it. At the show we had a group photo and individual photos made. After the show we headed back to our hotel and the guys play a little poker and then the gang wanted to head over to Shoney's for a nightly snack. I shouldn't went there, but man that hot fudge cake and coffee was good.

On Saturday, we did a little more shopping. Of course I was broke but I was able to buy a few "Old Biker" products. Slick bought more body chrome and then we all got ready to go to the "Apple Barn" for dinner. That is one really nice place to eat. They just give you way too much food. And of course, I ate too much. After we returned to the hotel, it was time to do the next best thing after a heavy meal. That's right, crash!

Sunday morning came and it was time to pack up and hit the open road. Four couples left around 8 am. and hit some of the back road before we hit interstate 40. It was the first time some of us got to ride for the weekend due to rain. We actually took a small part of the Blue Ridge Parkway on the way back. It was a beautiful day to ride, but we couldn't stop to enjoy it because we all had to get home at a decent time. Slick and I plan to return to the parkway in the next few weeks.

On the way back we stopped to have lunch at the Moose Cafe in TN. That was our breakfast for the day. If you like country breakfast and biscuits that is the place to go. After breakfast we mounted our bike and began to hit the road again. I did not get too far because once I started to leave the parking lot I dropped my bike. I wasn't going fast enough and I chalk it up to going too slow and all the extra weight. That was the first time I dropped it. It was a real bummer, but oh well, it will not be my last time. What made me feel better was that the veteran riders that I was with told me it happens to all riders. Craig's wife Melinda told me she had been dropped 2 times. So I didn't feel too bad after a couple of hours.

After 3 of us picked up the bike we headed east toward home. It took us about 6 hours to get home due to all the stops. All-in-all it was a great trip. I got to spend too much money and my bike no longer looks naked. Of course, I am not done but I did make a huge improvement in the bike thanks to Craig.

If you get a chance to go the Spring Fling I suggest you do it. It was a great trip and Slick and I do plan to attend the event next year. Oh yeah, below are a few photos of our trip. Enjoy!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Spring Fling...Here We Come!

Well, Slick and I are preparing for our first trip to Spring Fling in Pigon Forge, TN. We are going with our chapter to the event and from what I was told it sounds like we will be having a great time. There will be lots of vendors and I plan to buy a lot of cool stuff for Big Red. The weather looks great for the trip and the scenery should be awesome. Everyone that knows me knows how much I enjoy the mountains and combine that with Slick and Big Red, and I am set.

Tonight we start packing for our trip. The packaging should be interesting since this will be our first trip on the bike and the trip will last more than 1 day. So packing for the trip will be a little tight. I figure in the next year or so I will have to brake down and buy a trailer for trips that last longer than a few days. The good thing about the Spring Fling trip is that several of our fellow wingers have their own trailers and have been really generous in saying they will bring back anything we can't bring back.

I plan to take a lot of pictures and posts some of the stuff that happens on the trip. It should be a great time and we are really looking forward to the trip.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!
Pappy

VA Trip Today!

Today Slick and I went on one of our regular trips to VA to eat at Wendy's. No, it is not that the Wendy's aross the border in VA is all that great, but it is an excuse to ride. So we took it. After a little snack at Wendy's we headed east on highway 58 east to Danville VA. Once we got to Danville we headed back on highway 29 south toward home.

We did make a couple of stops. One was at a rest stop and information center as we crossed back into NC. There we saw couple of Harley riders. The two riders were from Wilson NC and it looked like they had been camping for a few days. They were going to head to WV but they had heard of a bad motorcycle accidents and they decide to avoid that area. One guy came over to me and looked at Big Red and said that was a really pretty bike. He also thought it was new. I must take good care of it because a lot of people think Big Red is new. Also at the rest stop I had 2 other people stop and said they thought the bike was beautiful. One guy also said that is one really red bike. I like that because it make it unique.

As we left the information center we made 2 more stops. Both of them were at Slick's favorite hangout, Walmart. Of course, I didn't go in. Those that know me know I hate to shop unless it is at a motorcycle shop or on the Internet. Even at Walmart, I had people stopping to look at Big Red and made comments on the bike. Once dude walked from 3 rows over just look at Big Red and said, dude that is once nice bike.

After the 2 stops at Wally World we headed toward home. Slick was in the mood for a shake so we headed to Archdale to have a shake at the Cookout Drive Thru. We hung out there and watched all the Harley's stop in at a place across the street called the "Bandana". It looked pretty cool. Oh yeah, even at the Cookout a couple in a mini-van stopped and asked me about Big Red. He asked me what it was. I told him it was a Goldwing. He said he wanted to get he and his wife one. Of course, I said you should. Hey everyone should have a motorcycle, right?

Finally, we headed home and the ride was done for the day. It was a great 80 degree day, lots of sun and plenty of motorcycles were out and about. I finished up the day with washing and polishing Big Red. All in all, it was a great day and the rest of the week looks great too as we prepare for our trip to Spring Fling in TN on Thursday. Can you say "Road Trip"?

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Great Article from My Motorcycle Mentor

Below is a great article from my motorcycle motor, Craig. He is old but he is wise. Enjoy!

Enthusiasm, Skill and PBS?

About three month’s ago a rider died when he hit some gravel while participating in a charity ride to raise some funds for another rider that died a couple of month’s earlier. Now someone will be remembering him with a Charity Fundraiser. This rider had been motorcycling for many years. But, he hadn’t had an ERC refresher in many years. An ERC skill refresher quite possibly could have saved his life. This rider had too little skill and not enough enthusiasm to take an ERC refresher course.

A year ago a rider ran head on into a dump truck in a curve. This rider only had his motorcycle for about a month. He hadn’t taken a BRC or read any Motorcycle Safety Information before purchasing his motorcycle. This information was available online or at his place of employment. It was reported that this rider was trying to turn his handlebars away from the on coming truck. Instead, unknowingly he performed a Counter Steer, right into the truck. Had he the enthusiasm to participate in a BRC and learned the proper motor skills quite possibly he could have been with us alive and well today. Rider error? Yes! This rider had too much enthusiasm with not enough skill.

Last year a rider on a Sport Bike struck an SUV at an intersection. The 350 pound Sports Bike knocked over the 5000 pound SUV. The result of this rider’s negligence is he and an innocent victim are now dead. Rider error? No! Too much enthusiasm with too little skill? No! This rider had too little brain power. I prefer to call this Pea Brain Syndrome (PBS). Being able to stop a motorcycle is more important than going fast! It seems this rider never learned to stop his motorcycle. And now he won’t have the chance to learn.

PBS we see it all of the time. Riders pulling stunts like wheelies, handstands, sitting on the handlebars and other stunts on the streets, highways and interstates. Now let’s not forget my favorite PBS, racing on the public thoroughfares! Racing on the public thoroughfares is not the place. Take it to the track. On the racetrack if the rider loses control he has hay bales to tumble into if he goes down. Maybe he’ll pay a visit to the ambulance for a strip of gauze and head back to the pits to straighten his handlebars and to think about his mistakes. On the public thoroughfares this type of thinking and practice is a no win for everyone.

Furthermore, it seems that the PBS has migrated from the youth culture to our older and mature culture. It’s been my observations that many matured riders are riding immaturely. Using excessive speed through curves and through unknown highways and back-roads, overriding their headlights at night, failing to slow down while riding in the rain, and just plain riding too fast for the overall road conditions.

We as members of the GWRRA need to remember that we are observed by others the same as the crotch rocket culture. When non-cyclists see a motorcyclist they are just looking for the slightest mistake or error to make a negative comment. Remember this, someone will tell approximately 11 other people of what they saw negatively. Where as that same person will tell approximately 3 other people of something a motorcyclist has done correctly or nice. We must always be the example and lead as the example. Let’s continue to be the organization in the forefront of motorcycle safety. As always, let’s think before we act. Safety is for life!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Progressive Ride

Saturday our Goldwing chapter had a great progressive ride. If anyone is not sure what that is, that is where we found another excuse to eat. Actually, it is a great event in which we all meet at one of our members homes and do a little fellowship and enjoy each others company.

We started the progressive ride at Lennie's home. There we had a great salad and some really nice fresh fruit. We stayed there for awhile and talked about how nice Lennie's home is. He and his wife are some really unique people. They do a lot for kids in there home. Angie and I really respect them for that and don't see how they do it. They have a lot of love for the kids they help and support.

After the salad bar, about 12 bikes headed toward Donna and Brian's home for chilli. Of course, my old buddy Craig (aka Pops), took us on some country back roads. Slick and I had no idea where we were going, but we both thought we heard banjo's. It was pretty impressive to see all those cool looking Goldwings headed down the highway and through the country roads.

Once we arrived at Donna and Brian's home we all piled in and took a quick tour of their home. They have a really nice home. After the tour, we did what all Goldwingers are noted for; we ate again. This time it was chilli, chips and dip. Donna made several types of chilli. All of them were great. After words she said that it was the first time she had made some of the chilli and we were her test subjects. All I know it was some good stuff and as of the time of this post no one had to go to the hospital. (Donna if you read this, it was great chilli).

After Donna and Brian's stop it was time to head to Andrew and Vickie's homestead for guess what; desert. We all jumped on our bikes and by this time it was dark. Slick and I were not sure where we were for most of the trip to Vickie and Andrews home until we were almost there. Once we arrived, everyone headed for our last meal of deserts, drinks and coffee. All of which were great. A lot of the guys sat around and told stories of how they dropped their bikes and wives. I thought those stories were great. I haven't dropped Slick yet but I have come close. I know my day is coming.

After about an hour it was time to hit the road and head back home. Slick and I had a great day of riding. We actually rode about 2.5 hours in the morning and then with our chapter Saturday night. We all had a great time and the chapter is already looking forward to planning another progressive ride other members homes. That should be fun.

Next event for our chapter is the Spring Fling in TN in April. That should be fun.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Mebane Swap Meet

Saturday I attended the Mebane Swap Meet with my old buddy Craig. I picked up my old buddy Craig and we headed off to the meet to hopefully find some good good deals. I did. I was able to grab a trunk organizer for just $10.00. They sell for about $30.00. My biggest buy was a pair for heated gloves that sell for well over $100.00. I got those for only $25.00. Now I am set for next years cold weather. I was also able to sell my footboards. Now I have the money money to buy Slick some footboards and arm rest for this years riding season.

There were a lot of our chapter members there too. The chapter holding the event feed us and it seemed everyone had a good time just getting together and sharing their motorcycle stories and buying some stuff. Even Craig told me some cool stories that I hadn't heard before. Thanks Craig!

Overall, I had a great time and it was a great way to spend a Saturday even though it was too cold and windy to ride our bikes.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Rode Back Home This Week

Monday I headed off for a road trip to my home town of Lenoir NC. Actually, I had to go there to do some training for the Caldwell County Sheriffs Office and Lenoir Police Department. The weather was great all week and it actually felt more like late spring than late winter. I got the opportunity to put on about 280 miles on my 3 day trip. The cool thing is it only cost me about $14.00 for the gas to go to my training assignment and my company was paying for that. Actually, I made about $100.00 extra off the trip for mileage. If I had taken the truck it would have cost me about $50.00 to fill up the truck. Oh the joy of having a bike and making money too. Life is good.

When I left home on Monday I basically took the back roads. I don’t mind taking I-40. It is faster but to me, it is too boring. I took off and hit B-85 to Mooresville. From there I hit 64 west to I-40. I took I-40 to Statesville and then jumped back on highway 64 west to Lenoir. I like 64 off of I-40 to Lenoir. It is a nice ride even though the speed limit is a max of 55 mph. On the way back I took the same route.

Packing for the trip was different this time too. I had to pack for at least 4 days. That included my work related paperwork, computer, bike cover and extra clothes. So I pulled out the travel bags that I bought for the bike. I had 2 saddlebags and my trunk bag. I actually strapped my computer and trunk bag to my back seat. I was really amazed at how much stuff I could put in the trunk bag. It was the size of a suitcase. Of course, it will not hold squat in the trunk, but it did come in real handy strapped to the back seat. I was able to take all my stuff and still had room to spare. I didn’t even have to take my luggage rack bag.

Throughout the week I was approached by a lot of people asking me about Big Red. A lot of people thought it was new. They were surprised that the bike is a 2004. Some asked about how heavy it was. I can understand that. Goldwing’s are huge bikes and even regular bike riders are amazed at the size of the bike and what it has on it. It was fun talking to people about the bike.

All-in-all the trip was great. I put on some good miles on Big Red. Now I need to clean it up and it needs the oil changed and a tune up before the next big trip to TN next month. That will be fun.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Rode All Day

Saturday Slick and I decided to take a little ride to Conover to do some errands. The trip was only going to be about 2 or 3 hours. But, of course, the weather turned out to be great and we decided to keep riding. We really didn't care where as long as we got to ride. It had actually been about 4 weeks since Slick has got to ride, due the cold weather.

We started out and left the house around 9:30 and the temp was around 54. We put on our winter jackets and headed down 85 and then toward Lexington. From there we hooked up with 64 east and toward interstate 40 and Mocksville. There was a lot of construction on 64 and is always been confussing for me to get through Lexington and 64. I just haven't figured out why and I always blame it on the signs.

Once we got to Mocksville and I-40 we headed west toward Conover. The weather was great and getting warmer. After our errands were done we decided to take I-77 south off of I-40 and find something to eat. I was trying to avoid the Statesville traffic that is usually bad when you get off the interstate. We though lets just take I-77 and see if we can find a place to eat. Well, we did, but we ran into more traffic than we would have if we had taken the Statesville exit. It turned out okay. We didn't have too much trouble finding our way back. We took highway 152 through Mooresville. It was a big town than I expected and once we got out of town we hit some really nice country rodes and eventually got back on I-85 and headed back home.

Once on I-85 we both decided we were not ready to go back home. The temp was near 70 and so we stopped to take the liners out of our jackets because it was getting a little toasty. We took back off on I-85 and then hit highway 62. From there we headed to Burlington. Slick wanted me to checkout some of motorcycle stuff at J & R's. They had a lot of cool stuff if you are a Harley rider. Also they had some very cheap chaps. The more I thought about it, I could not see myself wearing chaps. Of course, I may change my mind later and I could always go back to buy some.

After J&R's we hit I-40 and headed west toward home. We finally got home around 5:30. We really enjoyed our ride and put on over almost 300 miles. They weather was great and so was my company. We look forward to riding again and of course that will be as soon as we can: probably today.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Remembering Safety While Riding

Anyone that knows me, knows I enjoy reading about motorcycle trips and how to become a better rider. Well, I read some great information that I thought I would share. Even though it is common sense, it is amazing how much we all don't remember the basics and how not doing that could cost us and our passenger our lives. Here are a few tips to always remember.

Riding in Blind Spots

One of the most dangerous mistakes motorcyclists make is to linger in other driver’s blind spots. Motorcycles easily disappear in the invisible area between typical car and truck mirror coverage. Few drivers seem to practice head checks to determine if a lane change is safe. A motorcyclist is riding along, and all of a sudden a vehicle is com- ing into their lane. A rule of thumb is to ride through blind spots. Also, avoid changing lanes into a driver’s blind spot and position your motorcycle within your lane to ensure optimum visibility in traffic.

Trying to Keep Up

Group rides can be a lot of fun. But too many times, group rides turn sour as inexperienced or less skilled riders crash trying to keep up with the group. This often happens if a rider is afraid of losing touch with the group, or appears less capable than the others. It’s important for group leaders to have a plan that keeps the group together and to assure slower riders that they won’t be left behind. It’s also important for individuals to recognize when they are being influenced by the need to stay with the group.

Accelerating Through An Intersection

It is tempting to twist the throttle through an intersection to try and beat a red light. It’s a reflex many of us have, and even the smartest riders have been known to do it. The problem is that intersections are the number one location where crashes occur. It’s important to remember that motorcycles have small visual impact and can be lost in surrounding traffic. The small frontal profile not only makes us harder to see, it can also make it more difficult for others to judge our distance and approach speed. Keeping this in mind, you can see why drivers often pull out in front of motorcycles, thinking it is safe to proceed. The lesson here is that increasing your speed through intersections is a “bad idea”.

Stopping Too Close To the Vehicle In Front Of You

Too many riders position themselves poorly for escape when stopping behind vehicles at a stoplight or stop sign. in Give yourself plenty of room to maneuver case a driver approaching from the rear can’t stop in time. This means positioning your motorcycle well away from the vehicle in front and to one side (usually the left portion of your lane). This position allows room to move forward, past the car in front and has the added benefit of keeping your tires off the often slippery center part of the lane. Be sure to keep your eyes on your mirrors to monitor vehicles approaching from the rear. Keep your motorcycle in first gear so you can respond quickly if necessary.

Signaling Too Late

Miscommunication is a major cause of traffic related mishaps. One of the most common examples of this is slowing down or maneuvering before signaling your intent, which forces surrounding traffic to guess what you are up to. Well timed communication ensures that traffic around you is not surprised by your actions. Remember, simply rolling off the throttle may slow your motorcycle enough to require the typical car driver behind you to brake, but he doesn’t know what you are going to do. Signal three to five seconds prior to turning and activate your brake light early to alert drivers of a change in direction or speed.

Leaving Riding Gear At Home

It’s easy to leave your riding jacket, gloves, boots, or helmet on the shelf for a short trip to the local store or restaurant. But many crashes happen close to home, and at relatively low speeds. It doesn’t take much of an accident to render yourself brain dead without some head protection. And road rash is no laughing matter either; a simple low speed fall can do a lot of damage to your epidermis without the benefit of sturdy protection. Wide skin abrasion can easily turn into infection, and the risk of lethal septic shock. Do yourself a favor and make riding gear a habit, no matter how short the trip. Can you see how easy it is to pick up any of these BAD IDEAS? And how little effort it takes to turn them all into GOOD IDEAS!

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

"Wild Hogs" Review

Last night Slick and I went a saw the new movie "Wild Hogs". We liked it and apparently everyone in the theater did too. I read a lot of reviews from some critics and they said the movie was childish and not worth the time and money to go see it. I guess I must still have some child left in me because I liked it and so did Slick.

The movie is not going to win any Academy Awards but it is a good movie. The bottom line is it is a good old buddy movie about 4 middle aged guys that start to wonder if there boring life's are over. So they take out on a week long motorycle trip across country. The movie has a lot of male humor that even Slick liked. There was a lot of out loud laughter from the audience in the theater. Which is something that I haven't heard in a movie in a long time.

There were a lot of bikers, couples and middle-aged people (like me) in the audience enjoying the movie. It was funny and I plan to buy the movie on DVD when it is released. I am sure there will be some bloopers on the DVD. I have seen some of the bloopers already and they are pretty funny too.

If you get a chance, checkout the movie. You might find it funny too. If not, you are probably not old enough to get the humor. That is sad! Below is the official Wild Hogs website:

http://wildhogs.movies.go.com/

Until next time and enjoy the ride.

Pappy

Uwharrie National Forest Road Trip

This morning I took off on a solo trip toward Uwharrie National Forest. It was a nice day to ride. The only thing was it was pretty windy. Some of the gust had to be as high as 30 mph. I took off from home on I-85 to highway 62. From 62 I branched off onto 22. 22 was a little longer than I thought and was out in the middle of some very nice farm country. It was mostly country roads, which is what I like to ride on most. I actually started second guesses my route and actually pulled over to check the map to make sure that I had not passed my exit off of 24. Like I said, 22 was further than I thought, but it turned out I was right on track.

After getting off of 22, I took 24 west and then headed toward the little town of Troy. I had been there before, but it was nice to go back through that area again. After leaving Troy I headrd further west on 24. Soon I was turning north onto 109. Troy and 109 takes you in the heart of the forest. The national forest is really nothing to look at, but it is a great place to ride. I saw a lot of bikers either entering or exiting the national forest.

Soon I headed back on I-85 toward home. The entire trip took about 3.5 hours. If the wind wasn't so bad it would have been perfect weather. Tomorrow is another story. The high is expected to be only 47 and very windy. That is why I took advantage of the 65 degree weather today.

Oh yeah, Slick and I plan to hit the theater today to see the movie "Wild Hogs". It hasn't gotten great reviews, but that is okay. We don't listen to critics anyway. The trailer still looks funny to us.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Chapter Meeting News

Last night at our chapter meeting in Archdale we had a pretty nice time and the turn out was great. We had a lot of visitors from all over the central part of the state trying to get 2 of the awards that we had. One was the couples award and the other was the central travelers award. Our chapter had both and of course everyone was after it. Below is a photo of the couple that got the couples award last night and our "Couple of the Year", Brian and Donna (they are cool ones in the hats) who presented it to them.



Speaking of hats and awards, Slick and I received an award too. Since this months theme was St. Patrick's Day, people were ask to dress up and be a little silly. So we thought, why not? So we put on our stuff and we won the best dressed. Below are 2 of our cool photos. I actually think we won because of the cool glasses and sexy hair. We dressed up like this and believe it or not we weren't even drinking.

Another award that I presented was for the high mileage award for the month of February. Below is the list of the mileages. The winner this month was Greg and Kathy Permar.

1st Place: Greg and Kathy Permar - 725 miles
2nd Place: Roger and Angie Younce - 549 miles
3rd Place: Anthony Bond - 220 miles
4th Place: Joel and Mary Beth Roach - 210 miles
5th Place: Brian and Donna Vertefeuille - 153 miles
6th Place: Andrew and Vickie Butcher - 69 miles
7th Place: Lennie and Joy Maynor - 24 miles
8th Place: Craig and Melinda Virden - 10 miles

Actually I think Craig got all his miles from going back and forth checking his mail at the end of his driveway.

All in all we had a great time. It was a nice crowd and everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy

Old Liberty Road Ride

As most people know, I love to ride on the country roads. Most days, I take an hour or so ride in the country after work if I can. The other day my Goldwing mentor Graig, told me about a nice road called "Old Liberty Road" in Liberty NC. He told me it was a nice road with quite a few nice curves. He wasn't kidding. It was nice and curvy. It was just the type of road to practice riding on. So after work yesterday I took one of my favorite routes on interstate 85 to highway 62. Then I hit highway 421 south to Liberty. From there I hooked up with Old Liberty Road. It was a nice trip and only took about 1.5 hours. It was a nice leisurely trip and the weather was really nice. I recommend if any one gets a chance to ride on Old Liberty Road, they should do it. It is not the Tail of the Dragon, but it is still fun.

Also as a side note, I was able to put on about 549 miles for the month of February. That is not too bad when I have to consider I only got to ride about 2 weeks for the month. I expect March to be a good riding month. I have a couple of 200+ miles trips scheduled for the month. I expect to tack on 1000+ miles in March. I need to atleast beat my largest monthly total of 1090 that I had in January.

Until next time and enjoy the ride!

Pappy