ADV Old School Spring Fling

The 2009 ADV Rider Old School Spring Fling was held April 17th through 19th at the KOA Kampground in Renfro Valley, Kentucky. I actually showed up the day before on the 16th. The weather was perfect...until Sunday and all of us had a cold wet ride home. I rode for five hours and the only dry road was in the Cumberland Gap Tunnel on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee! This rally had the usual hijinks and members of the ADV Rider site can see all the details and more photos by visiting the thread in the Old Skool section. The photo below shows what we did most...stand around and talk about motorcycles!

While this weekend's weather is supposed to be perfect I really need to get some photos for a couple of projects I have going on. So, I will leave the Parkway to the Harleys and let those fair weather bikers learn to ride after a winter of polishing chrome!

Day Ride Through Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee

On Wednesday April 15 I took a little ride around Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. I covered almost 400 miles on the airhead. I had just finished the annual maintenance and wanted to make sure everything was OK. The old R80RT ran like she was new! As you can see on the photos the leaves are not even out yet at this altitude. The shot above was taken on Highway 28 between Bryson City, NC and Deal's Gap.


After leaving Deal's Gap (I leave the Dragon to the youngsters) I rode over to the Cherohala Skyway to ride into Tennessee. At the top it got a little foggy and cold, but dropping back down into Tellico Plains the weather improved. Lunch was had at the Tellicafe, which I can wholeheartedly recommend!


I took Highway 360 to Vonore (where I use to teach school) and would up on 129 riding along Calderwood Lake. I turned off onto the Foothills Parkway and made my way to Townsend. From there I followed the Little River Road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park back to Cherokee where I picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway home. I rode several great roads that day. I have one more report I am preparing now about the ADV Rider Old School Spring Fling in Renfro Valley, KY. I hope to have it up in a few days! Ride Safe!!

Global Warming?!?

Next week is Spring Break and I plan on doing some major riding. Right now this is the scene out my front door!! I had planned on having my safety inspection done on the airhead today, but not with this weather. Hopefully next week's weather will be better. I plan on riding to Renfro Valley, Kentucky for the ADV Rider Old Skool Spring Rally. I would also like to get a few day rides in before. Thing are starting to shape up for this season. A lot of "local" rallies, but no real long adventure rides. More on that later as my plans progress. Check back next week to see if the weather gets any better!

Just Checking In

The weather here in North Carolina is still a little on the cool side. I did take the GS out for a little spin today. I rode her up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Cold Mountain of book and movie fame. Things should start get going in earnest next month. It seems that this year I will stay closer to home but still ride just as much. Well, that's what you get when you live in motorcycle heaven!

What a Difference a Week Makes!

Last week we had 6 inches of snow in Asheville. This week the temperature was in the 7o's (20C). I took advantage of this and went on my first motorcycle camping trip of the year. I rode to Kickstand Lodge in Stecoah, NC and camped with four other brave souls. Kickstand Lodge is a motorcycle campground in the western mountains of North Carolina. The daytime temperatures were fine, but it did get a little chilly at night. The weather prediction for the next week in not so good. This may be the last camping for a month or more, but I did get the first one in! As you can see I took the airhead. That motorcycle is 24 years old and still rides like she was new. I will take the GS on the next overnight trip. I love these BMWs!

Nothing remains the same, but change!

Well, this is what Asheville looks like today. That means we have a snow day at school. This is the last available snow day. If we need another...they will start taking Spring Break from us and that means the trip to Florida will have to be canned. The coast to coast trip is also looking doubtful at the current time. Due to some professional differences it looks like I may have the chance to take a year off. If this does indeed happen, making a coast to coast trip though the south and western deserts in June and July really make no sense! I think I would maybe just tour Nova Scotia this year and take a full year beginning June 2010 to travel the whole of the USA via backroads. I have also considered shipping the bike to Europe and making a year long tour there. My wife has suggested a RTW, but I don't know if I would do that alone. Oh well, I have time to plan all this stuff and that is half the fun! We watched Mono Enduro and Terra Circa again this snowy weekend just to get in the mood!

Believe it or not, with all this snow it is supposed to be 66F (19C) this coming weekend! Could this be the first camping weekend of the season? Check back and see!!!

International Motorcycle Show in Greenville, SC

Today I attended the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in Greenville, SC. It had what you would expect at an event like this...motorcycles, girls on motorcycles, more motorcycles, a motorcycle stunt show, and more motorcycles. Vendors were present selling everything from ear plugs to funerals for bikers! The lighting conditions were not set up for photographers so please excuse the harsh flash photos. Here are some photos from the show.





On the way home I decided to check out Jones Gap State Park and managed to drive into a forest fire. Here are a couple of shots of the fire. I was not permitted to go to the state park or get any closer to the fire.

I am starting to get pumped about the upcoming season. It is the end of February and spring will be arriving soon. Kickstand Lodge (a nearby motorcycle campground) opens for camping on March 6. That may be a little early for me, but at least if a nice weekend occurs it will be available. Keep checking back! You never know when something worth reporting may happen this time of year!!!!

February Blues

Sorry, no photos for this entry. That is mainly because I have not done any riding this month. I'm not likely to any time soon. I am taking two classes this winter at our local community college. One is a photography class that meets on Saturdays. Hopefully that means the photos from this year's riding season will be better than last year's.

Next Sunday I will be attending the International Motorcycle Show in Greenville, South Carolina. I will take photos and post them as soon as I can during the week. Check back!

Dreary Winter Daze!

Tomorrow is the first day of February and I can see the light at the end of the Winter tunnel! This month I will attend the International Motorcycle Show in Greenville, South Carolina. I will make a day trip out of this. It will be good to spend a day in a building that smells of gas and rubber!

It has been a slow month for riding. I rode the airhead on New Year's day but I have not ridden the GS at all. Tomorrow (February 1) The weather is supposed to be in the 50s (11-12C) and I may get a ride in just to charge up the battery. Starting on Monday we are due for another round of ice and snow. The snow melts quickly here but the problem is the salt and sand that the city and county spread. That stuff remains for weeks afterward. Sand and motorcycles are not a good combination (for me, anyway!).




















I am also busy planning my "Chasing Hemingway" trip scheduled for third week in April. This trip will only be one week, but it is to an area that I have never been to before. I am a huge fan of Earnest Hemingway and the main purpose of this trip is to see his home/museum in Key West Florida. I have included the route that I am planning to take. If any of you are familiar with this area and have some tips for me let me know!

Well, everyone hang in there and check back in two to three weeks. Spring is coming!!!!

Baby! It's Cold Outside!!

Some of you have been asking for updates since I have not posted in over two weeks. Don't worry I am fine and still alive, but there have been some goings on at our house. First I shipped son number 1 (he's the pilot, black belt, SCUBA diving one (don't you love it... land, air and sea!)) back to San Diego. Son number 2 (he's the one that just graduated college) has decided that Honduras are more to his liking than Mexico...so on Tuesday he flies to Honduras to begin his Dive Master course. This means he will not be in Mexico, so that changes my schedule for the summer. At first I thought that Honduras would make an interesting trip, but I just won't be able to squeeze it in this summer. Besides his course will be over in April and he does not know if he will remain in Honduras or not. Oh! To be young again! Anyway, I am back to my original coast to coast plans for this summer.

I have not ridden either bike since New Year's Day. You can see why in the photo above. I snapped this photo yesterday morning. I don't normally let a little cool weather keep me from riding, but I do have my limits! Nine degrees Fahrenheit (-14 C) is just below my limit. It does inspire me to plan my trip to Key West this April!

If you don't hear for me in a couple of weeks, don't worry! Spring will be here soon and winter will be a distant memory! For those of you in the southern hemisphere, ride safe...those in the north, stay warm!!!!