Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Ride to Roan Mountain

On Saturday, August 28, I rode the GS to Roan Mountain State Park in Tennessee just to eat a picnic lunch. On the way there I rode through some interesting localities. I love the name of the town of Loafer's Glory, NC. I also stopped in Kona where Charlie Silvers is buried.

Charlie was caught cheating by his wife and she killed him and chopped him up into pieces. You can't tell from the photo but Charlie is buried in three separate graves. There is one headstone and three foot stones. As they found pieces of Charlie scattered about the countryside they would bury them in a new grave. Charlie's wife, Frankie, was the first woman hung in North Carolina.


In this part of the country we remember ALL of our war dead.


Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Weekend in Cruso

I spent August 13-15 in Cruso, NC camping at the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground. Friday evening was spent relaxing with members of the Time Warp Vintage Motorcycle Club from Knoxville, TN.

On Saturday I rode to Oconee Station in South Carolina. Oconee Station was used as a meeting place for the Cherokee and British in the early part of the the 19th century.



My next planned trip is to the Horizons Unlimited USA East Traveller's Meeting in Stecoah, NC next month. Until then, Ride safe!!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Kickstand Lodge

August 6-8 I spent camping at Kickstand Lodge in Stecoah, NC. Kickstand Lodge has become a favorite hang out of mine while living in North Carolina. The owners and customers have become like family. It also serves as a good retreat from my weekday life as a teacher. Stecoah is located in extreme western North Carolina and has some of the best riding roads in the United States. Some of my favorites in the area are US 74 through the Nanthahala Gorge, Forest Service Road 711 (when I am on my GS) and the Cherohala Skyway. Yellowcreek Road and NC 28 leading to the Tail of the Dragon are other favorites. The Tail of the Dragon is among my least favorite roads in the area. On a nice weekend it is filled with young teens on sport bikes seeing how fast they can ride the 318 curves in 11 miles. It is really like a circus with all the tricked out bikes and color matched leathers.

I took advantage of the roads and road FS 711 and NC 28 to Fonatana Dam on Saturday. Below are some photos from the days ride.



Thursday, August 5, 2010

Cades Cove, Tennessee


On Wednesday, August 4, I thought I would take the airhead to over to Cades Cove. What a mistake. For those of you that don't know Cades Cove is an 11 mile, one-way loop in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The problem is the traffic. It was over 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the old R80RT is an air cooled engine. At times there would be a three mile back up due to a deer feeding on the side of the road. I swear! City people!!

Once I finally got off the loop (it took 2 hours to go 11 miles!) I headed for Clingman's Dome. Higher Altitude = Lower Temperature