Lemonade

[hppants]

In May, 2016, my good friend Mike P and I spent 9 days and about 3200 miles riding the roller coasters throughout the Appalachian Range. It has been a couple of years since I ridden over there, and I was looking forward to spring time in the Smokies.

I added a new State to my motorcycle repertoire (West Virginia). We found plenty of uncharted roads in Virgina to try, and they did not disappoint. While North Carolina, north Georgia, and Tennessee are well knowing motorcycle riding areas, do not discount the wonderful riding in Virginia and West Virginia. The roads are in great shape, are very twisty and challenging, and are virtually traffic free.

We caught up with some old friends, and made new ones too. I was planning to ride to the FJR Southeast Ohio Ramble (SEOR), but pulled a calf muscle in my leg a week prior and decided to postpone my departure. Some of the SEOR peeps continued their adventure into West Virginia after the Ramble and we met them there at Watoga State Park. Later in the week, we stopped in Deals Gap for one night to meet some of my old Nighthawk riding buddies, who were rallying there.

We packed the camping gear, but uncharacteristically, never pitched our tents. Between exhaustion, pre-arranged lodging, and the occasional poor weather, each night, we passed on camping opportunities. There will be other times for that.

In a word, the weather was varied. One morning, we woke up to 35 degrees and raining. On my last run home on the slab, the bike thermometer touched 95 degrees for a short while. It rained 3 out of the 9 days on us, and for spring time over there, I’d say that was pretty lucky. We got no severe weather, mostly that light nit picky shit that wets the roads and forces you to put on the rain gear. It seems that no matter where I go, at whatever time of year, I have to bring EVERYTHING. Thankfully, the FJR carries it with ease.

Some parts of this trip were not as good as others. Between the weather, a couple of oopsies, a nagging leg injury for me, and other unforeseen issues, at times, things were challenging. But we squeezed the lemons, added a bit of sugar, and made lemonade. In the end, that sweet drink quenched our thirst for adventure, and the result was a great ride.

My daily ride routes are not posted on this report because frankly I can’t remember which roads I took.

I hope you enjoy the pics.

Day 1, Lafayette Louisiana to Fort Payne, Alabama – approximately 625 miles

Our goal was to get to the mountains in one day. When you live on the Louisiana gulf coast, that means eat your Cheerios early, because we have got some miles to roll. We agreed on kickstands up at Mike’s house at 5:30 am.

I left the house at 5:15 am and stopped to fill up

We missed the morning traffic in Baton Rouge (always a relief), and spent most of the morning in 5th gear. We stopped in Louisville, Mississippi for lunch. I like this town and stop here often while on a bike trip.

Louisville is a typical southern county seat community.

We have eaten here before and it is very good.

If I’m lying, I’m dying - Blue Plate special for today – Stuffed Chicken breast with gravy, fried corn on the cob, brown rice, and creamed spinach. We might as well get the food porn off on the right foot!

After lunch, still hundreds of miles from any mountain, we put the heat to the coals on the big bikes. We have a nice non-interstate route just about perfected through northern Mississippi and Alabama. Late in the afternoon, we take Alabama Highway 176, also known as the Little River Canyon road. The temperature dropped as we started climbing.

They call this the Little Grand Canyon and it is easy to see why.

From one overlook, we can see the large waterfall near highway 35.

We were going to camp in Desoto State Park, which is a very nice place. But as we pull into Fort Payne, Alabama, we realize that it is getting pretty late and my arse has had enough. So we bailed on the camping. I turned 50 and paid $17 for an AARP membership. I got more than that back just in hotel savings from this trip.

Two blocks from the hotel, his place looked good enough for supper.

Mike reminded me that the famous country band Alabama is from the Fort Payne area.

Pretty good meal. Sweetwater is brewed in Atlanta and I have had tried this beer many times.

After dinner, we rode back to the room, poured a little tottie to take the edge off, and called it a night.

Day 2, Fort Payne, Alabama to Hot Springs, North Carolina, approximately 350 miles.

I slept well and woke up refreshed and ready for more. A waffle house next to the hotel provided a predictable breakfast. My daughter gave me this T-shirt and every time I wear it, I think of her (my last name is Pons)

The truth is that I have always operated well under pressure. I spend a good portion of my workday preparing for emergencies. When they happen, I usually don’t get very flustered and generally know what to do. Later today, that would prove useful.

After breakfast, we gear up and point the bikes northeast. We stopped at the little river to get a better look at that waterfall in the morning light. It did not disappoint.

We ran out of Alabama and into North Georgia, where the road started getting twistier and the views started getting nicer. I’m on the hunt for possible retirement locations and I have to say – north Georgia is on the list. I shall like to return with my wife and look around more.

At lunch time, we found ourselves in the quaint little city of Dahlonega, Georgia.

Brisket sandwich for Pants – not award winning, but not bad either.

After lunch, we continued generally north, where we saw a whole bunch of this…..

…. Mixed in with a good bit of that.

And then we got our first batch of lemons.

Mike was leading us on a little Georgia country road. Looking back, I was probably following a little too close, but regardless, I had a front row seat for the show. In short, Mike blew a simple left hand curve, got out of the preferred line, target fixed on the shoulder, headed straight for the shoulder, recovered just before hitting the shoulder and began to turn the bike, discovered a huge clump of gravel the EXACT same color as the adjourning pavement on the lane just inside of the shoulder, washed his front tire out, and then low sided at about 15 mph right there in front of me.

The bike landed on its left side and then flipped over onto the right side. Mike landed on his left pants leg and popped up immediately. Before I could stop my bike in front of him, I could see his 4 letter expression coming out of the helmet.

A couple of vehicles stopped and helped alert oncoming traffic while I helped Mike pick up the bike. I rode it up the hill, found a safe place to turn around, and then rode it back down the hill past the crash site to a driveway a few yards down the hill.

Mike gathered his things and his adrenaline was pumping. Been there, done that. For a minute, I thought the trip was over and if Mike wanted to go home, I would have gladly accompanied him there. But he never gave it a thought. He just wanted a few minutes to calm down, check the bike out, and then we would continue.

Of course, the front stay is torqued, the right mirror is broken, and there is rash on both saddlebags. But otherwise, the iron horse was good to go.

Lemonade Lesson #1 – When you fall, get back on the horse. It’s confidence inspiring.

 

[hppants]

And off we go right into North Carolina.

All afternoon, it was left, followed by right, followed by left … well, you get the idea. We arrived at our destination for the evening, the Hot Springs Campground. A friend of ours that lives in Brevard, Tennessee rented a cabin there with some other buddies, and they were nice enough to let us share.

It’s a great place on the French Broad River.

Happy hour was underway and it didn’t take us long to join in the festivities.

Refreshed (er… buzzed), we walked across the bridge to town for some vettles (and more refreshments).

Then we walked (er… stumbled) back to the cabin for a nice camp fire, some good story telling and fellowship.

Two days in and I’m in the zone now, baby.

Day 3, Hot Springs, North Carolina to Watoga State Park, West Virginia, approximately 400 miles.

As soon as the cabin stopped spinning, I was out like a light. The next thing I know, the light is shining through and it’s Sunday morning. The others all had early plans to hit the road, but Mike and I would prefer to have a cup of coffee and ease our way into our sobriety.

We took a look at Mike’s bike. Cosmetically, we can’t do much. But practically, we both would like to get his right mirror functioning. We grabbed a tent stake from my stash, some gorilla tape, and a few zip ties.

The file on my multi-tool made short order out of cutting the tent stake.

The bent front stay prevented the mirror from being on plane with the other one, but it was sturdy and he was able to use it to see behind himself. It made it like that for the rest of the trip.

So it’s back on the roller coaster we go, heading for points northwest to West Virginia to meet some FJR buddies. Early, the air is crisp in the upper 40s, but wind is nonexistent as we are protected by the trees and our speed is relatively low. We stopped at this rolling creek to shed a layer in the morning sun.

But as we crossed into Tennessee, things opened up a bit in the farming valleys and the strong north wind was getting chilly.

Finally sometime in the late morning, I stopped to plug in my heated gear. And shortly thereafter, I had a moment.

There’s a strong cold and damp cross wind that is running right threw my jacket. But I can’t believe I’m actually cold. The temperature is showing like 55 degrees on my bike. I’ve got the grip heater on WFO and that is not much help. So I stopped to plug in the jacket liner and I turned it on low. I intentionally did not turn it on the highest setting. Why, you ask? Because that is what I do. I always guilt myself into not using everything I got out of fear that if somehow that is not enough, I will not have any other option.

I realized that what is happening with my gear is EXACTLY what is happening with my life. I have resources. I have talents. I have support. But for some reason, my brain is afraid to use all of these. I have this fear that if I use all of my stuff, and somehow it is not good enough, then I won’t have anything left to try and by association, I will be a failure.

Now how stupid it that?

Then it hit me – I guess if I had to, I could just stop and pull over. That would make most of the wind go away and I would warm up pretty quick. That might give me time to re-assess my resources and come up with something new. Or if not, I could just stand in relative safety and wait. I could wait for the sun to warm up. I could wait for Mike to suggest something. Shit – I could wait for Memorial Day if necessary. But in any case, I wouldn’t be cold.

I turned the jacket on Hi and of course, in about two minutes, I was toasty warm in my core. This released more blood to my hands and they too became warm.

Lemonade Lesson #2 – Don’t do things half-assed. Use all you got and if it is not enough, there is no shame in stopping to re-group.

We arrived in Shady Valley, Tennessee about lunch time. That place across the street was full of pirates and squids.

And this place was full of pickup trucks and cars. So we ate there.

I had fried fish and it was pretty good. Not earth shattering, but pretty good. After lunch, we crossed into Virginia. Again I submit that if you haven’t ridden Virginia, by all means check it out. Anything in the triangle west of Blacksburg is fantastic. The roads are in great shape and plenty twisty. The mountains are just as majestic, but the rider is treated to more spacious valleys between the mountains. Here, the farm land is lush and inviting.

If I’m lying, I’m dying….

I missed a turn on the route that we selected to get to West Virginia. Mike knew I missed the turn and stopped at the intersection. I continued uphill about 1/8 mile on the straight section of the road. When I realized that I missed the turn, I attempted to make a u-turn on the road and head back to Mike. I didn’t take into consideration that the road was on a pretty steep incline. When the bike was about 90 degrees, I naturally attempted to lean a little – mimicking what we do when we turn anywhere. The incline then reminded me of its presence and over the bike and I go to the pavement.

A very old man just happened to be pulled off the road with his window down and saw the whole thing.

(Old Timer) “You there yung feller. Are you allright?”

(Pants, lying down on the road under his motorcycle) “Yes sir, I’m just fine.”

(Old Timer) “You should get off that highway. You could get hurt like that.”

(Pants) “Ok Sir. Just as soon as I get this big pig off of me, I’ll do just that.”

I picked up the bike and rode it down to the intersection. Set the kickstand down and dismounted. The left mirror collapsed and was rashed, but didn’t break and the front stay seemed undamaged. The T-rex frame slider did a good job of protecting the fairing. The left saddle bag was rashed too.

In my younger days, this would have been it for me. I would have stomped my feet and pitched a conniption fit worthy of a legitimate coronary explosion. This would have consumed my every thought. It would have ruined my trip at minimum, and I likely would have turned around and went home.

But I’m not in my younger days anymore. Shit happens and whether I like it or not, it happens to me. I wasn’t hurt. It’s a little plastic that can either get replaced or not. Either way, this is NOT going to ruin my vacation.

Lemonade Lesson #3 – Don’t let one sour grape spoil the entire bunch.

We had a nice ride in the afternoon to West Virginia, but it never really warmed up and we kept the heated gear plugged all the way. Hwy 219 is a wonderful road to ride up there and I really enjoyed it.

Late in the afternoon, we arrived a Watoga State Park. Intech (Bob) arranged to rent a nice cabin which sleeps a poop load of people

Plenty of stable parking for the bikes and would you just look at that stack of firewood? Man, we are really getting the royal treatment.

While Bob was at the store rustling up some dinner, (left to right) Steven, Heidi, Lisa, and David built a nice fire and we settled in for cocktails and conversation.

Each of the 3 bedrooms in this cabin are very comfortable.

Bob returned with groceries and after a 200 minute hour happy hour, we enjoyed a delicious simple meal. Apparently, hot dogs with a moonshine chaser is a local thing. Who was I to argue that?

After dinner, we sat by the fire and told lies like old friends, despite having only met each other a couple hours before. The motorcycle does this to people – I don’t fully understand it, but it is definitely real.

Day 4: West Virginia Loop, approximately 250 miles.

I slept very well in my cabin retreat, but I did have to grab another blanket during the night as the cold air against those logs was chilly. Heidi was having filter challenges with her Ecuadorian coffee, but it was tasty and did great job of warming me from the inside.

I stepped outside to check the temperature on my bike. 42 degrees, in mid-May. I’m most assuredly not in Louisiana anymore. During the night, while answering the call of nature, I was convinced that it was pouring down raining outside and for a moment, I got a bit sad about the upcoming ride. Thankfully when I peered beyond the window curtain, I was relieved to learn that the rain I was hearing was the white noise from the creek that runs adjacent to the cabin.

Lemonade Lesson #4 – Things are not always what they seem. If you look at it from all angles, you might find that it is not as bad as you thought it would be.

Early morning the sun is still well behind the mountain, but the light is coming up and I can’t resist walking over to the creek to listen and smell.

Inside the cabin, Bob is frying bacon and if that doesn’t get you amped up, then check your pulse.

 

[hppants]

We had a nice breakfast together on the large table in the cabin. Afterward, everyone geared up leisurely and got ready for the daily adventure.

Bob will lead the group and his brother Steven will run sweep as they both know where we are going and have communication via helmet intercom. Since we are all on a different fuel level, we warm up the bikes and ourselves as we take a short ride to the town of Marlinton to fill the tanks.

Lisa’s Gen II FJR is custom painted and I find this color suits her to the tee, unique, interesting, and lovely. Lisa followed me for a couple of stints and she is an excellent rider.

Heidi and Bob look loaded for adventure. Heidi has 100,000 miles under her belt on this 2004 FJR, and like Lisa, is a very good rider.

We hit the highway and immediately, I feel in love with West Virginia. All of the roads are in terrific shape. There is hardly any traffic, no litter on the ground. Everything is so nice.

Our first stop was at Green Bank. I told Bob I wanted my trip to be out of this world, and apparently he took me seriously.

We parked for a minute to wonder at the size of the dish. If there is anybody out there, and they would like to communicate with us, this thing should do the job.

The visitor’s center was pretty cool, too.

Mike is a card carrying scientist. He was checking this stuff out. When the words get to 3 syllables, Pants gets confused. But it was still pretty cool, man.

Unfortunately, Lisa had to split off here to head to her home. I wished her a safe ride and we pointed the bikes onward.

After some more rollercoaster, our next stop was here.

The weather is just gorgeous.

Once refreshed at Seneca Rocks, Bob announces that Pants will now need his big boy pants because we are “going to Smokehole Road”!!! With a name like that, it sounds twisty. And twisty it was – Bob and I broke away from the others and let the big bikes sing as we weaved left and right and left again.

We are well off the beaten path now. And boy it is wonderful.

An avid paddler, Mike was eyeing up this water imagining the preferred line through the rapids.

We popped out of Smokehole Road and made a short jaunt to the town of Monterey for lunch.

When they told me that this was the place to eat, I did not realize that what they meant was that this was THE ONLY place to eat. Small town café.

I was not disappointed.

Neither was anybody else.

After lunch – you guessed it, more rollercoaster. This time we run toward the town of Cass, where they have a quaint little rail station.

I climbed aboard the locomotive and starting imagining what it would be like to drive an old train. I don’t think the shifter is on the left side.

I’ve always been told that the three cylinder engines have lots of torque.

It was great fun and I’m having such a good time. Bob and Steven were doing wonderful. They took care of everything for us. We didn’t have to worry ourselves about anything. Just mount up and enjoy the ride.

Thanks for being patient with us, Steven.

We left the railroad and started climbing toward our next stop.

The overlooks were breathtaking. It kind of reminded me of the Cherahola Skyway in North Carolina/Tennessee.

If you don’t like this, go home and sell the bike.

Looking very good, Madam. Heidi followed me most of the day.

Bob – thumbs up to you too, sir. Ya done good!

Come here my little buddy – I love you man!!

I strapped the camera around my neck and took a few rolling shots. Right behind ya, my friend.

Are we having fun or what???

All I can say is that if you are ever in the Virginias, give Bob and his brothers a shout. You will not be disappointed.

Now getting later in the day, we made the obligatory stop for supplies.

I have not had much cell service in a while. At the beer store, I see that I’ve missed two phone calls from my wife. I call her and the news at home is not very good. Our family pet has not been feeling well for a couple of months and yesterday, she took a turn for the worst. The vet told my wife and son that she was suffering. She and my son made the decision to do the right thing.

A feeling of guilt overwhelmed me. My wife tried to call me for some support and I wasn’t able to be there for her. I could tell that she was very upset about the loss of our pet. They were extremely close. I asked her if she wanted me to come home. I would have gladly packed and left immediately. But she insisted that I stay. We talked a while and I told her that I would call her tomorrow. I called my son and asked him to spend time with his mother until I got home and he agreed to do so.

I’m not too proud to admit that I loved that dog too. She’s the only dog I’ve ever had. Thirteen years ago, my son begged me for a dog and reluctantly, I gave in. Ever since, she was a beloved member of our family. So long Ole girl. I’m gonna miss you.

Lemonade Lesson #5 – Kiss and hug your loved ones every chance you get. You never know if that will be your last chance.

I was taking a long time on the phone with my family, so I told the group I would meet them at the cabin. After I finished my phone calls, I was feeling a bit sad about our dog. I stopped on Hwy 219 on the way to gather myself.

Watching the cows graze and enjoy their evening was very soothing to me. For whatever reason, this is my favorite picture of the trip.

Back at the cabin, the Greenbrier River is flowing peacefully. I stared out at it a while and thought about things. After a short time, I was feeling better and was ready to move on.

Back at the cabin, we enjoyed the usual post-ride ritual. A “few” cocktails, some belching and conversation, a simple meal, and great overall comradery and fellowship,.

Day 5: Watoga State Park, West Virginia to Wytheville, Virginia, approximately 300 miles.

What a difference a day makes. I slept well enough as usual, but overnight, the weather has turned to crapola. Anticipating this change, David left last night on bald tires riding a heavy Harley soft tail. I think that was a good decision. I walked outside to check the temp on the bike – 35 degrees and wet. Yuk!!!

We take our time packing the bikes as we are in no rush to get out in this crap. By 9:00 am, we are packed and bundled up. I’ve got frog togs on top of my mesh jacket, heated jacket liner, and whatever else I thought might help. As we taxi out of the park, the temp has risen to 46 and the rain has basically stopped. But the road is nasty and we are in no hurry to get moving.

None the less, the New River Gorge bridge was on my bucket list, and I wasn’t going to let a little bad weather get in my way. By the time we found the bridge, my gloves were soaked and my hands were wet. But I wasn’t cold as the FJR provides great wind protection.

The clouds and fog made it tough to see anything, but we took the road below the bridge and made the best of it.

I’ve got a thing for bridges and this is one fine structure.

 

[hppants]

What a magnificent steel connection. I know some engineers that would enjoy seeing this.

The road down there was pretty scenic in its own rite.

We stopped for a subway and to re-group. Then continued generally south into Virginia.

The weather appeared to be drying up, but all afternoon we rode in and out of it. Nothing too severe, just that light nit picking shit that is just enough to wet the roads and piss you off.

At times though, it was pretty nice.

Late in the afternoon, we decided to stop in Wytheville for the night. Camping seemed kind of stupid, so I googled for a decent cheap motel and found this.

For $38 bucks, we got a decent room, if you ask me.

We washed a load of clothes, took a shower, and had a nice rest. We asked the hotel clerk to recommend a good local restaurant, and she suggested the Log House Restaurant.

It was constructed in 1776 and is made from hand sewn logs that are nothing short of a work of art.

Oh, and the food is not too shabby either.

Day 6: Wytheville, Virginia to Burnsville, Tennessee, approximately 250 miles.

Again, I slept like a newborn baby last night. Between the bike, the wind, the food, and the alcohol, when I collapse, it doesn’t take long for me to go night night.

The weather forecast is iffy, but we are determined to see the sights anyway. We plot a course of uncharted water though southwest Virginia, and almost immediately, we are knee deep in it.

We turn off Hwy 21 onto Hwy 658 and this 35 mile stretch of farm land was just wonderful.

Spring is in full swing for these parts. The flowers are quite lovely and I enjoy watching them as I ride.

On the other side of Hwy 658, we find Hwy 58, which is a great East/West motorcycle road in these parts. It takes us to our next destination.

This is a huge state park located on Mt. Rogers. My leg is feeling much better now, and we are both itching to take a walk.

This is the Cabin Creek trail, about 2 miles of fantastic hiking. Mike grabbed a trail brochure and was providing guided commentary as we walked.

In the beginning, the creek is small, but the water trickling down the rocks is nice.

However, as we walked further, waterfalls started to appear on the trail.

I sat down at this waterfall to rest a minute and be thankful for my blessings. The white noise of the water was soothing to me. It was a spiritual experience. To be honest, I cannot believe that I am so lucky to be doing this. Many people live their whole lives and never get a chance to explore uninhibited. They certainly don’t get to do it several times a year. A feeling of happiness and thankfulness comes upon me. Less than 2 weeks ago, I could not stand on my left leg. Today, I’m climbing a mountain. How cool is that?

Lemonade Lesson #6: There will be obstacles that will always get in the way. Do not let them dissuade you for chasing your dreams. In the end, the success of overcoming this will be even more rewarding than you can imagine.

About mid-point on the trail, there was a spur that leads to the waterfalls overlook. It was very steep and rocky. I tried to climb it, but my leg was having none of it. As I retreated back to the trail to wait, Mike went to the top on his own.

The second half of the trail was much easier as we ascended gently back toward the parking lot. However, the views were no less stunning.

It was a great hike. I always enjoy a walk in the woods.

Back on the bikes, we ride west on Hwy 58 into Damascus, Virginia just in time for lunch.

 

[hppants]

The gal at the counter suggested chicken salad on a croissant. The portions were a bit small, but nobody is going hungry on this trip.

With this place next door, we could not resist dessert.

It started to rain during lunch, so we put the rain gear on and continued south. All afternoon, we popped in and out of the rain. Again, nothing strong – just more drizzly crap that you just can’t ignore.

At times, we were treated to some fine scenery.

We rode over Roan Mountain.

We pull into the town of Burnsville, Tennessee late in the afternoon. Again, the rain is scattered all around us and the forecast calls for increasing chances, so we opt for a motel. Not much to choose from in this town, but the reviews on this place were very good.

The room was spotless, renovated, and very quaint.

Settled in, Mike and I sat on the front porch and passed some time. The motel kitty took a liking to us and stuck around.

Again I asked the clerk for a good local restaurant and she suggested The Snap Dragon. Only about 5 blocks up the hill, we walked to dinner.

Good brews at this place.

Good burgers too.

After dinner, we walked back to the motel for a tottie and a nightcap, and called it a night.

Day 7: Burnsville, Tennessee to Robbinsville, North Carolina, approximately 250 miles.

The mattress at the old motel was kind of spongy, but I slept pretty well anyway. Our traveling neighbors suggested that we walk next door for breakfast.

I remember our waitress was kind of bossy. Picture a female “No Soup for You” kind of lady. But we exercised restraint and were rewarded with a fine breakfast. Pig and Grits for Pants – hey, when in Rome……

Today we will try to find a cascade waterfall that we have visited together twice before. It’s on Hwy 19 near Erwin, Tennessee. You can see it from the road, but it takes quite a hike to get down to the water.

After that, our goal was to make it to Kickstand Lodge in Robbinsville, North Carolina. A motorcycle only campground, I’ve stayed there many times in the past. The Honda Nighthawkers were having their annual gathering there this weekend, and on this Thursday, some had already arrived. I hoped to re-connect with some old buddies tonight.

In route, we stopped on a bridge over the Toe River. All of the water is crystal clear in this region, which is so vastly different to my home.

Mike has an excellent memory and in short order, he found our cascade.

We parked the bikes at a safe location and walked back to the cascade. Then over the guardrail we go, hiking down to the water. This is the upper cascade and the flow today is magnificent.

And this is the middle falls, my favorite place to witness this place.

We took an hour and brought a snack down there to just sit and enjoy it. We kind of refer to this as our cascade and it was cool to find it again.

We stopped for lunch in Woodfin, Tennessee. Watching the radar, the rain is inevitable and the roads here are VERY technical. I’m not much of an ice skating fan, so I suggested that we might enjoy the wet roads a bit more if we just took the Blue Ridge Parkway.

What a terrible idea. As we climbed to the summit at Mount Pisgah, the fog appeared and then we found ourselves riding through the clouds. Visibility was down to ZERO. I was riding 20 mph with my hands clinched with some kind of death grip. By the time we realized our situation, it’s too late. You have got to get down from the mountain and there is only one way – forward. I was kind of upset with myself for suggesting this.

We descended somewhere south of Ashville. Nerves shot, we opted to just get on Hwy 74 and start burning it toward Robbinsville. We arrived at the Kickstand around 4 pm and were greeted by Mr. Bobby immediately. I haven’t seen him in years, but he remembered me instantly. Bobby and his wife Mo are some real good people. With the weather forecast not looking too good, I asked Bobby if he had any sleeping cabins available. Luckily, the Barn Cabin was open.

I know – it’s a Lowes tool shed that cost $45 bucks a night. Aw what the hell, it was comfortable.

Plenty of activity on the campground already.

With plenty of daylight left, I was feeling frisky so I told Mike I was going to make a run up to the Dragon. The road was dry, radar looked pretty good, and I just felt like uncorking the big red girl.

Mike followed me to the Tail of the Dragon store and opted to just wait there instead of riding it. Since his low side earlier in the week, understandably, he has been riding pretty timidly. I know from experience that it is best to take these things slowly, so I am being supportive whenever I can.

I take off and use the first few curves to get warmed up. The road is dry and absolutely clean. Not a pebble of gravel to be found. Once more, there is hardly any traffic going my way or the other way. So after about 20 curves, I turn the big girl loose. Second gear, running her up between curves, I was having a blast.

I stopped at the overlook to take the obligatory picture. As it happens, this weekend the Kawasaki two-strokers are having their get together. This 125 café racer was so cool.

I figured that was far enough and did not want to keep Mike waiting too long. So I ripped it back down to the store, having just as much fun as the previous run up.

Hmmmm – smells like brake dust……

(he he he)

Having gotten that out of my system, Mike and I rode down Hwy 129 toward Robbinsville. I stopped one time on the way to capture this picture with the good sun to my back. I just can’t get enough of these rolling mountain creeks.

We stopped in Robbinsville for dinner (Mexican, eh – so so) and then rode back to Kickstand Lodge for some relaxation. The atmosphere at the KSL is always laid back and I enjoyed talking with old friends.

Paul has lost well over 100 pounds and looks just fantastic since the last time I saw him.

I was hitting my tequila pretty hard and we had great fun telling stories and lies. About 11 pm, I gave up the ghost and called it a night.

Day 8, Robbinsville, North Carolina to Columbus, Mississippi, approximately 500 miles.

Today we have to start working our way home. I woke up early and examined the radar. The severe weather that ran through my home town last night has broken into two weather systems. The more severe part is running toward us from the West, and another less strong system is running well south of us. We have a decent window of opportunity but it is closing fast on us. So we packed up pretty quick and scooted out of KSL about 8:00 am. In my haste, I forgot to pay for the cabin. I sent word to Mo and Bobby of my apologies and promised to send payment when I got home.

This is the ONLY picture I took that day and it pretty much tells the story.

We got as far as Dawsonville, Georgia for lunch. And then it started raining. We ran through it all afternoon. Since the weather was so bad, we decided to just keep pushing southwest until we rode out of it. 500 miles later, that happened in Columbus, Mississippi. By that time, the skies were clearing, and we certainly could have camped. But getting all of the camping gear wet seemed futile for just one night, so we moteled it one more time. A local steakhouse across the street from the motel provided dinner. The steaks were tasty, but a little bit tough.

Back at the room, we are both pretty exhausted from the long day. It’s time to go home.

Day 9, Columbus, Mississippi to Lafayette, LA Approximately 350 miles.

It’s been a great trip, but I’m sensing that Mike is antsy to get home. We pack up pretty quick and hit the road under cloudless skies and 70 degrees.

We stop in Louisville for fuel and Mike and I decided to part ways for the last day. I wanted to wander a little on the way home, and I knew that he was interested in a more direct route. So we shook hands and agreed to catch up later.

If you grab an official Mississippi map, any of the blue roads are good. This is a section of Hwy 43 that parallels the Natchez Trace.

I thought the downtown Edwards community was nice.

At one point, in the middle of nowhere, I stumbled upon this.

Similarly, I was faced with a choice too.

I have found that when in doubt, take the middle ground.

I ride through Port Gibson about lunch time. I found a guy selling watermelons on the side of the road and I stopped.

(Pants) “Good day to you sir. Where’s the best place to eat in these parts?”

(Dude) “That’s easy. The best place to eat is in my wife’s kitchen.”

(Pants) “Excellent! Do you think she could fry me up some chicken? I’ve got a craving for it.”

(Dude) “No sir, I don’t think she would take too kindly to that. You best bet would be to ride about 10 miles south out of town. When you see a sign that says ‘Red Lick”, look to your right. There is a grey building that says General Store. Stop and eat there.”

(Pants) “Ok, many thanks!”

Dude led me right to it.

I walked in and I love it already.

I’m greeted by a pleasant looking lady about 30 years old.

(Lady) “Welcome to the General Store. Will you have lunch with us?”

(Pants) “Yes Ma’am. I’m told you have pretty good fried chicken.”

(Lady) “Ours is the best you have ever eaten.”

(Pants) “Well now, that is a pretty tall order.”

(Lady) “Tell you what – if you don’t like it, I’ll give you your money back.”

(Pants) “Fair enough.”

Well now, this ole gal knows what she is talking about.

About midway through, she approached my table.

(Lady) “You want your money back?”

(Pants) “No Ma’am that will not be necessary.”

(Lady) “Thought you would see it my way. Enjoy your lunch.”

Now early afternoon and the sun is shining strong. I stopped somewhere south of Natchez to drink some water and watch these cows.

That was the last picture I took. It’s getting hot and I’m ready to wrap it up. I gassed up in Woodville, and then rode the last 100 miles straight home. Over the last few miles on the slab, the temp reading was 95. What a vast difference from the Monday prior.

I was glad to get home and see my wife. She had a rough week and I felt useful to be supportive of her in person.

As expected, it was a great tour. Perhaps 3200 miles over 9 days is a bit much, but with the right equipment and attitude, it all goes just fine. It was everything that I knew and hoped it would be. I learned a lot about myself and had plenty of time to reflect and think.

Perhaps my fondest takeaway from this trip is the same thing I take away from every trip – a reaffirmation that the world is a good place with good people that do good things for the right reasons. I am truly blessed to be able to witness this first hand from the seat of my motorcycle.

So when life throws you a few lemons….. make lemonade.

Stay thirsty, my friends.

 

[RossKean]

Nice RR. Great pics and (as usual) entertaining narrative!!

 

[Niehart]

^^^^ Like ^^^^

 

[Uncle Hud]

Damn, yung feller; two incidents on Day One?!?! Glad they were minor, and glad both of you decided to keep on truckin'.

 

[LCB]

Awesome!!

 

[thompsonian]

Wow...what an awesome trip and report! Fantastic job Pants!

 

[luvtoride]

lol! Good one Pants!

 

[bigjohnsd]

Pants, your Ride Reports are tops, and with the lemonade you should become either a preacher or an inspirational speaker!

 

[Intech]

Excellent ride report as usual. It was fantastic to meet you and ride together. You know we barely scratched the surface, right? Ya gotta come back and we cans spend days touring VA & WV and you will never get bored. Both states have excellent campgrounds too.

Yes. I am still thirsty....

 

[Mudslide Miller]

Great pics and RR pants. Thanks for taking us on your journey!

 

[Mihalis fjr]

Excellent ride report with wonderful pictures!!

Thanks for your time to sharing all that with us!!

 

[mcatrophy]

Excellent RR (as always).

But we are mixing our metaphors a little - "Lemonade Lesson #3 – Don’t let one sour grape spoil the entire bunch" .

Love it.

 

[NTXFJR]

Bravo Mr Pants!! Excellent

 

[RJAMT]

Loved all the "babbling brook" pics. I grew up around that area and am always a sucker for a tree-lined stream.

I'm getting tired of hearing about you falling off your bike. That stuff has to stop!

Also, sorry to hear about your dog. They aren't people but somehow they do become family.

 

[Fontanaman]

Great ride report and pics. I especially like Lemonade Lesson 2 Don’t do things half-assed.