ADV Old's Cool Rally at the Minner!

I did not arrive at this rally until Saturday, April 24. It seems that the President of the United States decided to vacation in Asheville, NC and that really snarled traffic in the area. I took my students on a field trip and the bus got caught up in the presidential traffic jam causing us to arrive at our school late.

I arrived at Quiverin' Minner, TN on Saturday after riding through a thunderstorm all the way from Tellico Plains, TN. Most of the crowd was already there. After making initial greetings and what not I got on my bike to ride to the camping spot. The dreaded EWS! error popped up on my display and I began to sweat a little. I turned the key off and back on and everything seemed to be fine. I set up camp and met with the rest of the crew.

That night we had RAIN!!!! I'm glad we had the Minner to stay dry in. After an "all you can eat" barbecue dinner the place started rockin'! This was red neck central for the next few hours. It was a blast meeting some of the locals and observing their mating rituals! I finally crawled into my tent and slept well in the pouring rain.

Sunday morning I packed up and headed for a Waffel House for breakfast. I once again had EWS! errors but managed to get home. Since arriving home I cannot get the error to reoccur. This weekend I will be staying close to home, but check back in a couple of weeks. I will be riding to Buzzard Bottom or perhaps just over to the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground. You just never know!

Quiverin' Minner Recce Run

In two weeks the Adventure Riders Old's Cool gang will be having a get together in Quiverin' Minner, TN. It's really a marina on Watts Bar Lake near Decatur, TN. I had never been there before so I decided to make a weekend ride and recon the place. I camped at Hunt's Lodge in Tellico Plains, TN. This was my first time to stay there. I is a really nice place with good folks running it.

I had Friday off so after riding to East Tennessee I just rode around and enjoyed the beautiful weather after a long hard winter. In Reliance, TN I came up on this old abandoned Baptist church. I love "Southern Architecture", unpainted wood with a rock foundation. I am actually doing a photographic essay on this called "Southern Ruins". You can see this on my photographic web site in the Project gallery. This particular church was the Hiwasee Union Baptist Church.


On Saturday I rode to the Quiverin' Minner. I think this is going to be a fun little get together if we have decent weather. Below are some pictures of the "Minner".




This was only the first ride of the season. This year's plans include a long ride to Labrador and New Foundland to complete my quest to ride in all Canadian Provinces. This should be in July after a trip out west to see Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Arches National Parks. That trip will be made by car with my frau.

Check back in a couple of weeks to see how the Old's Cool Rally at the Quiverin' Minner went!!

Spring has Sprung!

Well, it has been a long hard winter in Asheville, NC this year. Yesterday was the first day of spring and I performed some of the annual maintenance on the GS. I am planning on making my first camping trip in two weeks. This year I will make a trip out west (but in a car) with my wife to Grand Tetons and Arches National Parks. There will be some photos for sure on my photography web site. I am planning on making a major motorcycle trip to Labrador and New Foundland, Canada in July. I have purchased a netbook to help with keeping up posts while on the road. Check back often to see my progress!!

Ride Safe!!!!

International Motorcylce Show, 2010 Edition

On Saturday January 9, 2010 I attended the International Motorcycle Show in Greenville, SC. There were a few new bikes to see, but all in all, I had seen it all before. I am really not in the market for any new motorcycle gear but it was kind of neat to be among fellow riders in the middle of winter. Here are a few photos from the show. Enjoy and let's all hope for an early spring!!!

Gaurav Jani's Visit to Asheville

There were showings of Guarav Jani's films Riding Solo to the Top of the World and One Crazy Ride in Asheville this past weekend. It was an honor for me to get to meet and speak with Guarav. For those of you not familiar with his films go to the Dirttrack Productions web site. His films are among the best motorcycle travel films I have seen. Even my wife likes them! Guarav and I spoke a little about what sets his films apart from other motorcycle travel movies. We agreed that it was because his emphasis was on the people he met and not the bikes.

Gaurav Jani

This fellow's name is Sobby. He was one of Gauarav's riding companions on One Crazy Ride.

It was also a beautiful weekend in Asheville and I managed to ride "the Bat" and a good stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Ride safe!!

Fred Fest 2009

On October 2-4, 2009 Fred Fest was held at the Kickstand Lodge in Stechoa, NC. Most people arrived on Friday and old friends were greeted and new friends were made.

Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day for riding. I started by riding into the Nantahala National Forest to Forest Service road 711. This was probably a well maintained road years ago. Now there are signs of neglect... broken pavement and potholes. In the fifteen miles that make up FS 711 I saw only one other person. It was a great ride.




From there I went to Wayah Bald. On the short gravel road I discovered Wilson's Lick. This was the first ranger station in the Nantahala National Forest. I saw rows of white and some white rocking chairs in front of the old ranger station and decided to investigate. It turned out that a wedding was planned for later in the day. Notice the box of Kleenex next to one of the rocking chairs. That must have been for the bride's mother!




I then rode on to Wayah Bald for some beautiful views! What a day to be in North Carolina on a motorcycle!!!



From there I rode to the infamous "Road to Nowhere". This road is just outside Bryson City, NC. In 1943 the government wanted to buy land from the inhabitants to flood and create Lake Fontana. The dam would generate power for the secret city of Oak Ridge, then working on the Manhattan Project. The creation of the lake would separate the inhabitants from a cemetery where many loved ones are buried. In order to secure the land the government promised to build a road linking the island cemetery to Bryson City. The government started building the road. When the war was over the funds for the road disappeared and construction on the road stopped just the other side of the tunnel in the picture. This subject is still a sore spot with many of the residents in this area. First the government took land for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and then the Road to Nowhere. It is no wonder that folks in this area distrust the government.






That night back at Kickstand Lodge we were treated to a rib dinner that couldn't be beat. That evening we were entertained by the band Peace Soldier.



Well it is the middle of October and the weather is getting less predictable. My plans for traveling next summer are either Texas or Nova Scotia. I will have a long winter in the Appalachian Mountains to decide which to do. I will keep posting at least once a month, so check back or subscribe via RSS.

To all my friends in the southern hemisphere that are gearing up for the riding season...Ride Safe!

ADV Old's Cool Fall Rally

The Old's Cool (Old School...get it?) Fall Rally was held September 25,26, and 27 in Tellico Plains, TN. I left Asheville about 3:30PM and by 4:00 I had on my rain gear. By 4:05 the rain had stopped but I cruised on to Tellico Plains, TN via the Cherohala Skyway. Got to the event and there was no food. Oh, well there was plenty of liquid refreshment to replenish my diminishing calorie supply.

The next morning stared off innocently enough. I had breakfast with Chromesux and Docwells at a place that had a really scary Jesus watching us eat. Chrome and I decided to head for the Joe Brown Highway. Once up on top of the mountain it began to thunder and lightning. We decided it would be best to go back to the campground.


Once we got back to the campground it began to rain. It was a good decision to get off the mountain when we did. We sat under the pavilion and it continued to rain...and rain...and rain! Soon the little creek where we were camping began to come up out of its banks. Some fellow riders were camped close to the creek and had to move their equipment before being flooded out.












It rained all day and eventually it stopped. The water receded almost as fast as it rose. When the rain was over we were rewarded for our perseverance with a rainbow.

That evening we had a BBQ dinner and most of us drifted off to bed to get some sleep for the ride home the next day.

The next day began foggy but soon cleared to be a great day for riding. On the way home I rode over the Foothills Parkway, through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.



















While riding on the Foothills Parkway I passed a bear grazing on the side of the road. Sorry, but I did not stop to take a photo!!!!



















While riding through the park I stopped at the Mingus Grist Mill to pick up some corn meal for cornbread!
































After riding through the park I took the Blue Ridge Parkway home for the last leg of the trip.


















It felt good to get home to a dry bed!

Labor Day at Kickstand Lodge

This past Labor Day I spent at Kickstand Lodge in Stecoah, NC. Riding there on Friday afternoon I passed a motorcycle fatality. It seems a man and his wife were riding their Harley in the passing lane up Soco Mountain and crossed into the oncoming lane head on into a car. The HD rider was going 15 miles per hour over the speed limit of 50 MPH. He and his wife were killed. I saw their bodies under sheets as I passed by. Incidents like this remind you that we are all vulnerable out there on our chosen mode of transportation. Let's take it easy and enjoy the ride! There is no need for speed.

On Saturday I rode to the Hiwasee Dam in extreme western North Carolina. This was one of the original dams built as part of the TVA project. It is still in operation today.
My next planned event is the Old's Cool rally in Tellico Plains, TN September 25-27. Stay tuned!

Horizons Unlimited Traveler's Meeting

I spent August 21-23 at the Horizons Unlimited Traveler's Meeting in Stecoah, NC. This was my third traveler's meeting and I always learn something new at each one. This year I met travelers from the USA, Belgium and Australia. Many interesting tales were heard each evening. Tips on "living life on the road" were shared and demonstrated. Tales of travel in South and Central America, Europe and the "Stans" filled the evenings. My bike had been giving me a pain in my right shoulder after riding only a short distance. Grant Johnson, the founder of Horizons Unlimited, checked my bike's ergonomics. He found my bars were too low and advised me to raise them. Since I did... no more pain!

Each year I attend this meeting (it is NOT a rally) I am inspired to ride even further. The school year has started and it is time for me to start planning next year's summer trip. Newfoundland & Labrador?

Mountains to the Sea (and Back)

On August 7 I left Asheville and rode to Cedar Point Campground in the Croatan National Forest near Jacksonville, NC.

On the eighth I rode back to Jacksonville to visit the Marine Corps Museum, but it is no longer there. They are building a new one near the Beirut Memorial. I visited the memorial and saw the new Viet Nam Memorial. It has all the names of those killed in Viet Nam etched in panes of glass. Very moving to an old soldier like me.

On the ninth I rode to the Cedar Point Ferry terminal and to the ferry to Ocracoke Island. I camped at the National Park Service campground and returned to Ocracoke village to have lunch at the Jolly Roger. That night at the campground I had a wonderful sea breeze and slept comfortably.

On Monday the, 10th, I rode to Wanchese via the the Ocracoke Hatteras ferry. I had lunch at the Fisherman's Wharf and rode back down Hatteras Island to the Frisco campground. That night for dinner I had tuna steak!!
On the 11th I rode to to Hatteras Village and visited the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. On display was an original Enigma Machine From the German U-85 submarine. I was extremely interested in that due to my military experience.

The next day I left Frisco and rode to Hanging Rock State Park in North Carolina. I had a little rain on the way, but nothing really worth mentioning

The next three days were spent at the Daniel Boone Rally in Boone, NC. This is a nice little rally put on by the Tarheel Travelers BMW club. Sunday morning I packed up and headed for home.
Next weekend is the Horizons Unlimited Traveler's meeting in Stecoah, NC.