Cruso - July 2013

As some of you know I am preparing to spend six months in Europe and the planning and preparation for that trip has not left me much time to ride this year.  Also we have had rain, rain, RAIN!  This is the wettest summer on record and we are only about half way through!

I did get a chance to go camping at the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground in Cruso, NC this past weekend.  Due to the weather there were very few campers and I almost had the campground all to myself.

My campsite at Cruso

I managed to get a good ride in on Saturday, but it did rain for about an hour.  Afterwards the sun came out and it began to "rain up".

Mist rising from the Little Pigeon River

This may be my last post of the year in my motorcycle travel blog.  Be sure to check out my other travel blog.  I will be driving to Texas and then to Philadelphia to board a freighter to Hamburg, Germany.  In Europe we will travel to Berlin, Poland (?), Austria and Bavaria!

Kickstand Lodge

I know I am VERY late in posting this, but it really was not much of a ride.  I rode to Kickstand Lodge in Stecoah, NC on Friday April 31 and returned home the next morning.  As I was having breakfast Saturday morning a guy comes by with a Smarty Phone and shows me the weather radar.  BIG storms were headed our way and I decided to pack up and ride for home.  The weather would not get here until Sunday morning, but I did not feel like packing up and riding home in the rain.

Since I had all day I took the long way home over the Blue Ridge Parkway.  When I woke up Sunday morning I found out I made the right decision.  Heavy rain all day!

Because of the trip to Europe later this year I really don't have any further planned trips on the bike.  Until I do...

Rick's Rendezvous

Rick\'s Rendezvous

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in North Carolina

The weekend of May 17-19, 2013 was Rick's Rendezvous.  This event was formerly called the Eastern Rendezvous but since Rick's death last year Silke and Hunter have taken on the task of keeping the Rendezvous going.

This year the Rendezvous was held near Hampton, TN and the weather proved to be a problem.  There was rain and more rain, hence no photos from this trip.  The cameras remained loaded on the bike and I never removed them from their cases.  The food and the camaraderie were outstanding.  The sun came out after the tent was packed and the ride home was uneventful.

This will be a short riding season for me because of my trip to Europe beginning in August, but stay tuned to see what else happens on two wheels this year!

ADV Old School Spring Fling

April 26 - 28, 2013 was the ADV Old School Spring Fling held at the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground in Cruso, NC.  Our weather pattern for the last few weeks had been perfect camping weather Monday through Thursday and then a cold front would come through bringing rain for the weekend.  This week proved no different.  Many folks came despite the rain and some even came from as far away as Canada!  Those are some hardy boys up there!  As I mentioned there was a lot of rain so I left my camera equipment in the bags for the most part.  I did manage to get a few shots, however.

This was my first trip in my new tent and the tent held up well.  Despite three inches of rain over the weekend it kept me dry!  As you can see I also rode my airhead since this was an "Old School" rally.

One of our Canadian friends had starter troubles on the way down.  He had a new starter Fed-Exed to the campground and installed it Saturday morning.

We kept an eye on the Pigeon River as it kept creeping up!

On Sunday I rode home in pouring rain.  The bike was ridden hard and put up wet.  No problem with the equipment and the bike ran like a dream.  Hopefully the weather will get better next month!

International Motorcycle Show

On Saturday, February 23, 2013 I traveled to Charlotte, NC to attend the 2013 International Motorcycle Show at the Charlotte Convention Center.  I have been to this event before and there was really nothing new to see.  The usual booths selling leather and jewelry to the Harley crowd and a smattering of new bikes from some of the manufacturers.  I took the frau with me and she opted to read the German newspapers on her iPad in a local coffee shop while I browsed the show.  All in all I spent roughly 45 minutes at the show.

Moto GP Umbrella Girl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My kind of bike!!

 

 

Not my kind of bike!!

After the show we went to the Light Factory and saw an exhibit of photographs dealing with social media.  It was very interesting.

Afterwards we went to the Levine Museum of the New South and viewed different historical exhibits about Charlotte and the surrounding area.

The season should be picking up in the next month or so and there will be more posts.  Come on spring!!!!

Airhead Ride in January!

Airhead ride in January at EveryTrail


We had some freakishly good warm weather this weekend and I took my R80RT out for a little 100 mile ride.  The R80 was grateful as she has been a hangar queen for the last year.  She was getting a bit jealous of the R12GS getting to spend time in Mexico and out west.  She did protest just a little by having a coil wire come loose in the middle of Nowhere, NC.  But, as always, she got me home!