Hoggin' Miles in LaGrange

The Museum of Wonder

2012-01-27T14:07:00.000-08:00

In the beginning of last year, I wrote down 10 rides that I wanted to accomplish in 2011. This was both to prevent the night before dilemma of where to go and to encourage further exploration of Georgia and Alabama. In the end I was not able to cross off one of those rides. It was not a banner year for hogging any miles.

A new year brings the same goal, as well as a GPS to aid in navigating these trips. The weather was excellent this week and allowed me to cross off my first trip of 2012. Terence was home on leave, so he joined me on the experience.

I found our destination on Roadside America, which is one of the best places to locate those truly unique locations. I entered the address in the GPS for The Museum of Wonders in Seale Alabama. The default settings avoid all highways so we were able to cruise down the back roads and small towns of Alabama as we made our way South. It was so nice having the GPS and not having to worry about finding the next turn. I was able to relax and enjoy the ride - even when we hit a detour that sent us down forgotten roads.

When we got there we saw a mailbox and a long driveway that led somewhere way off the road. I stopped there and someone pulled up in a pick-up truck and asked if we needed anything. We mentioned the museum and he told us to follow him down the driveway. The person in the pickup was Butch, the curator of the museum. After we parked the bike, Butch unlocked a wooden structure designated as the museum. We went in to explore and he continued to work around his place.

The sun was right over the building and made for a rough picture

The museum far exceeded the high expectations that I had set after my Internet searches on the location. The building was packed, but not too crowded, with treasures. You could tell that he had spent a great deal of time on this labor of love. This place was truly awesome and had an atmosphere that was creepy, beautiful and comical.

Here are some of the shots I took there and later manipulated on the computer.

Upon leaving, I noticed that I had left my headlights one, which resulted in a dead battery. Butch pushed me down the hill and I was able to pop the clutch to get it going again. I had never done this before, so it was nice to learn a new trick.

I decided to take the main roads and interstate on the way home. The temperature had reached the low 70's and we thoroughly enjoyed some extraordinary January weather in Georgia.

Nashville

2010-10-23T15:19:00.001-07:00

This was the last big trip of the year. The plan was to get up early, tour the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, see Nashville, visit with Kim, Tim & Kelly, and camp somewhere between here and there on the way back. I loaded up the saddle bags the night before and strapped my sleeping bag onto the rack behind the sissy bar. A loaded bike with a full tank and a sleeping bag had my spirit on road eight hours before my body was ready to follow.

A short stop along the way

I got up early and hit the road by six. It was dark out and the oncoming traffic made it impossible to see what was on the road beyond the next headlight. Roadkill is plentiful, so I was concerned that I’d hit something that the bike wouldn’t take kindly to. I did end up running through the center of a fresh armadillo, but the hard shell provided pretty good traction.

The sun was coming up by the time I entered Oxford Alabama an hour and a half into the ride. I was going to get a cup of coffee but was feeling good so I stopped at a gas station and put some air in the tires instead – they were low. After thawing out I removed the face mask and headed north.

Upon entering Tennessee, I felt a feeling of exhilaration and let out a victory yell. This was the farthest I’ve gone on the bike and everything was going perfect so far. Soon after, I got to the Jack Daniel’s distillery and got a number for the next tour. They had a nice museum that I went through while I waited for my tour. The guide took us through the various buildings used in the process and showed us some of the historical buildings on the grounds.

The distillery has special parking for motorcycles

The wood and location of the distilling process

Natural water used to make Jack

Jack Daniel and Me

The safe Jack kicked which led to his death

Things of note:

The distillery is in a dry county
All workers receive a free pint on the first Friday of the month (Good Friday)
Jack Daniel died of gangrene after getting mad and kicking a safe in his office

After eating lunch, I headed out for lower Broadway in Nashville. I walked up and down the strip while I waited for Brother Tim & Kelly to arrive. I visited a brew house, saw the Charlie Daniels’ museum, and caught a couple songs at one of the numerous bars with live bands along the strip.

The Charlie Daniels Museum

Broadway during the day

At The Stage

Tim & I

We also met up with Kim in town and then went back to her house to catch up. I was finally able to meet her husband, Ron, before we headed back to Tim & Kelly’s at 12:30. The ride was about 45 minutes and I froze.

Broadway at night

Kim, the King & I

The next morning, Kelly made us pancakes and we had a nice time to hang out and talk about what is going on in our lives. Instead of stretching the trip out another day, I wanted to get home, so I left early and made a beeline for LaGrange. The drive was nice but turned to awesome once I got off the highway and cruised along the blue highways. By this time the day had warmed, the sun was out, the humidity was non-existent and I was almost home.

The rest area entering Georgia

I reached a new personal best for miles traveled in a single day. I rode 349 miles the first day and 249 the next for a total of 598 miles. Next year I’d like to take a trip down to Panama City, Fl.

Plains, Georgia

2010-09-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

I prepared for the event the night before by getting addresses, mapping the destination through Google Maps, writing out the direction (left or right), the road name and the miles on sticky notes for the windshield. The round trip mileage was to be 185 miles, which would be a little over 4 hours. This would be a nice distance while giving us lots of time to wander around Plains.

The directions were great but I got a little nervous when I reached the final road and I hadn't seen a sign for Plains yet and we were heading down this isolated country road. We reached the end of the road without seeing anything resembling Billy Carter's Gas Station Museum, which was the destination. We broke out the map of Georgia and found the best way to get back on track.

The road into Plains was straight, flat, about 8 miles long and surrounded by cotton fields. I've seen cotton fields since being in Georgia but it still fascinates this Northern boy. It seems surreal to see cotton balls growing out of plants. I also can't help but think of the time when people would be working out there in the Georgia heat picking this stuff.

We stopped at the visitor center upon entering Plains, which was also the old high school and housed a museum devoted to the school and Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter.

They had one section briefly documenting many of the great things this couple has done throughout their life. I had visited the Carter library in Atlanta earlier this year with my parents and was amazed at all they had done. I have great respect and admiration for Jimmy & Rosalynn and don't know how they had the energy to do all that they have done.

Elizabeth and I ate lunch outside the museum on some picnic benches that we under the shade of some trees.

After learning a little more about the president and first lady, it was time to visit the museum devoted to the more colorful member of the family. I was in 5th grade when Jimmy was elected president and I remember seeing and hearing about Billy but missed out on most of his escapades. I have since read up on him using wikipedia and it sounds like he was quite the character.

The gas station was very small and those working there were busy getting ready for Peanut Festival that was happening the following week. We had planned on hitting the festival, but I was to be on-call that weekend and needed to stay close to home.

A big focus of the museum was Billy's associated with beer, mostly the failed Billy Beer product. They also went into his controversial relationship with Libya as well as his unique manner of dress.

Billy lost most of what he had due to unpaid back taxes, eventually acknowledged being an alcoholic, and died of pancreatic cancer in 1988 at the age of 51.

After leaving Plains, Elizabeth and I headed into Columbus to pick up some beans, yeast & stuff at Country Life Vegetarian Restaurant and Natural Food store.

The trip that was supposed to be 185 miles ended up being 250. The ride home was extremely hot (high 90's) and we were thirsty and exhausted.

Now I'm ready for my next road trip :)

McIntosh Reserve Park

2010-09-19T05:01:00.000-07:00

I left debated on whether I should ride with my family or go solo on the bike behind everyone. The day was beautiful and I knew the colder weather would be here in a couple months, so my rubber arm was easily twisted into the saddle.

It was a short ride that amounted to 110 miles total. We planned on going up to McIntosh Reserve Park in Carroll County and then back through Newnan for a little window shopping and coffee.

Sarah Joy took position as photographer in the cage as I cruised along behind or beside them.

The park has some beautiful wooded roads and I spotted a copperhead slithering off the road as we entered the park. Elizabeth had already pulled over, because she knew that I would be doing the same. Unfortunately, we believe this snake was hit prior to us getting there because it was moving awkwardly and had some blood on one side of its head. We ended up walking by it later in the day and it didn't look good. I love these snakes and have been graced to see a number of them in our travels.

We didn't have a definitive plan, so we found a trail and just started walking. Our only goal was to hit the "water park" and walk along the water way.

The water park amounted to a couple fountain type things that would get you wet. I liked the mushroom.

We visited a small family cemetery where most of the graves were from the 1800s.

They also have a replica of an old cabin that was used as a inn.

Your faithful narrator

The Chattahoochee runs through the reserve and we saw people fishing, boating and just enjoying view.

Elizabeth along the Chattahoochee

Dylan tearing up the trails on his unicycle

After we left the park, we went into Newnan and enjoyed a cup of coffee at Barnes & Noble before heading home.

Cloudland Canyon

2010-09-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

I planned out an ambitious bike trip earlier this week. This was ambitious for me because it would be my longest day trip and would include riding on the interstate, which I hadn't done in the two years I'd been riding.

I had heard good things about Cloudland Canyon, GA and for one reason or another, we haven't been able to make it up there. It is a long drive and something else usually gets in the way.

Googlemaps told me that it would take me 3.5 hours to get there and that is exactly what I needed. It was a good ride, but I was pretty cold for most of the trip. I threw on a flannel thinking that it would help, but it didn't do the trick. Other than the cold, the trip up was uneventful. I did ride on I-75, but there was so little traffic that I didn't really consider it riding on the interstate.

I parked at the top of the canyon and the view above is the first that I saw.

The path down into the canyon to the waterfalls was very easy. It consisted of metal stairs, wooden walkways and flat dirt trails - such as above.

Above is the first set of water falls. As I got closer, I got nervous because I didn't hear any water. When I got there I realized that it may have been better to make this trip in the Spring rather than the fall.

Above is the river bed that signs told us to avoid because of slippery rocks and danger of falling in the water. I managed to stay dry.

The area was very peaceful. I saw two people coming down when I was leaving and that was the only time I saw anyone other than the people working at the park.

Below is the second set of water falls, which was fed from the first set.

The leaves haven't started to change in LaGrange and it was nice to see the colors as I walked around.

Below is the walk down to the overlook that gives you a good view of the entire canyon.

Most of the life I saw consisted of squirrels getting ready for winter.

My bike ended up with 9,980 miles by the time the trip was over. I knew that I was close to getting my 10,000 miles maintenance check and that I also needed a new back tire. I had planned on stopping at Great South Harley on the way back but didn't plan on getting the work done that day, which I did. I got there around 3:30 and they finished at 6:00. I didn't mind staying at the dealership for 2.5 hours, but it is a dangerous place to hang out.

Mentally, I think I spent a few thousand as I customized my bike visualizing the things on the wall on my faithful stead. I planned out all new foot controls, hand controls, replacement chrome parts and various other accessories. I didn't get any of these, but I did end up getting a new skull gas cap and a Harley addition to the back of the sissy bar.

The trip totaled 370 miles and I rode on I-75, I-285 (through Atlanta) and on I-85. The interstate riding wasn't bad at all, even Atlanta, which had me a little nervous. It was fun just leaning back and cruising along with all the folks in their cages. I left at 7:00 in the morning and got back home at 7:00 in the evening. It was a full day but I felt awesome as I parked the bike in the garage.

In the beginning of the summer, I wrote down 10 destinations. I have hit 5 of them and would like to hit a few more before the weather turns.

Sweetwater Creek

2010-08-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

It had been a long time, possibly over a year, since Elizabeth and I had a Friday to take off on the bike and enjoy the roads, sights of Georgia and each others company.

The initial leg was about 80 miles on back roads. The GPS, also known as the sticky note on the windshield, got us there without any problems. It was a little cool on the way up but we knew it would be heating very soon.

Sweetwater Creek boasted a visitor center that is one of the greenest buildings in Georgia. They have composting toilets, recycled rain water, photovoltaic panels, a vegetated roof and other elements of conservation. The bathrooms may not smell the freshest, but it is worth the effort being put forth.

We had been here before with the family and took the trail by the mill that was burnt down during the Civil War, so we decided to take the bridge over the water to explore the other trail.

After finding the bridge out, we decided to retrace the path that we had previous visited last fall; when it was a lot colder and a lot less green.

One of the nice things about our Fridays is that most people are working or in school, so we have an opportunity to visit many of these parks with few other visitors. We saw a few joggers but that was about it.

This is the ruins of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company. It was a mill that produced cotton prior to being burnt down during the Civil War.

Beyond the mill is a walkway that takes you down to the creek where you can walk along the water.

My attempt at taking our picture on a rock in the creek.

The creek without our mugs

After out hike, we ate lunch and hit the road. The drive back was much warmer and I ended up losing my sticky note on turn, which placed Elizabeth back in the role of navigator. We broke up the ride back with a stop in Newnan for coffee at Barnes & Noble.

After our coffee, we drove down to Great South Harley and were greeted at the door by C.G. I hadn't been there in about a year so it was nice to look around again. They had a bike on display that had 16" ape bars that I was able to sit on and see how they felt. I got a silly grin on my face that let everyone know what my bike was going to look like in the not too distant future.

This shot has been edited upon request

We were about 20 miles from home when we noticed the dark foreboding sky ahead, which was accompanied by flashes of light, heavy gusts of wind and some rumbling. We drove through some sprinkled that quickly turned into a downpour. I slowed way down, stayed upright and focused on the road ahead of me. I don't believe the taxi in front of us could see very well because it kept crossing over the lines on the road - first one side and then the other. We pulled over so I could empty my pockets and then road on. The ride was cold but enlivening - I do like riding through a storm (I might feel differently if this happened in the beginning). Once home, we changed, got a mug of tea and curled up on the couch to wait for the kids to come home.

Andersonville, Georgia

2010-08-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

I planned out 10 trips for the year based on the distance from home. I've seen a few clubs making trips to Andersonville, so I threw it on the list in complete ignorance of its place in history.

It took Dylan and I about 2.5 hours to get there. We left around 9:00 and the temperatures were nice at that point. We threw four water bottles in the saddle bags and put on a liberal coat of sun screen because I knew the temperatures were going to rise quickly in the afternoon.

We weren't sure where to go once we got into Andersonville, so we stopped at the visitor center in the Civil War Village. After eating lunch, we went back across the train tracks to the National Historic Site.

"Andersonville, or Camp Sumter, as it was officially known, was one of the largest of many Confederate military prisons established during the Civil War. It was built early in 1864. During the 14 months the prison existed, more than 45,000 Union soldiers were confined here. Some 13,000 died from disease, poor sanitation, malnutrition, overcrowding, or exposure."

This at the site of the prison, which contained many monuments from various organizations. The temperatures reached about 100F that day so we tried to go from shady spot to shady spot.

The prison extended to about as far as you can see in this picture. Dylan was running ahead to see if he could see the stream over knoll.

Our last stop was the National Prisoner of War Museum. We watched a 30 minute video on Andersonville, that gave many first hand accounts and a historical overview of the prison and its place in time. The actual museum centered on all prisoners of war and had displays covering most of the wars America has participated in, as well as American prisoners taken outside of a war environment.

We had to get back to LaGrange by 4:30, so our time was limited and we were running out by the time we hit the museum. Unfortunately, we quickly browsed through the displays and left feeling unsatisfied with the amount of time and attention that we wanted to spend there.

Prior to leaving we rode around the prison site and took a picture at the South Gate.

The ride back was uneventful. My back was sore and Dylan's butt was ready to vacate the back of bike. I decided to take the windshield on the journey because I can write down the directions on a sticky pad and stick them to the windshield. It makes the journey so much easier. I hope to get a GPS for the bike in the future, but until then it'll be sticky pads.

Day Date in Cheaha on the 4th of July

2010-07-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth and I had 5-6 hours to steal away for a 140 mile road trip that would include a couple hikes and some cherished time together. Life has been busy lately and our rides have suffered because of it - it was nice to hit the road again. About midway through the trip we also realized that it was five years ago to the day that we moved to Georgia. So much has happened since then.

The day was perfect with temperatures in the 80’s and humidity low - for Georgia/Alabama. The only problem was that my left contact was bothering me and about 40 miles into the trip if left my eye and became a piece of refuge to be cooked on the hot Alabama asphalt. I was able to see with one contact but it did mess with my perception as we navigated the twisting roads and gained altitude in Northern Alabama.

Our first hike was a short, flat walk to a rocky overlook. With such a prize at the end it seemed as if you were cheating by having such an easy walk in.

The second was more difficult but one we have done many, many times. We hiked down the mountain to a lake and then back up. The trip down was difficult as it really bothered my knees. I thought of bringing my hiking poles, but I didn’t think that I’d need them because it was only a mile down and a mile back up. The beginning of the trail is very steep and rocky and my knees didn’t care how long we would traverse the trail, they let me know right away that they didn’t like it.

We took a couple breaks to enjoy some fruits, vegetables and water. The walk back was hot but we found a ledge with a nice breeze to hang out on to cool off.

This is the lake we hiked to.

This is looking up from where we started.

The time was special as it allowed us to talk about our past, present and future. There is so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to.

Little River Canyon, Fort Payne Alabama

2010-05-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

I slept in a bit and missed my 7:00 departure time, but was able to get the kick stand up by 7:30 and reach Alabama by 6:30. It was a little colder than I expected on the ride up – not cold enough to get a deep chill but still enough that you were looking out for that next sunny patch of road.

Early this Spring I decided to make a list of ten Summer destinations. I was tired of spending the day before a trip trying to figure out where to go and figured a little early planning might help this tiresome routine. The last trip to The Big House was on the list and this trip to the Little River Canyon in Fort Payne was also on the list. I ended up riding up 431 in Alabama past Cheaha, which I found difficult to pass without motoring through the mountainous roads or enjoying the many hikes and views. I followed 431 until I hit 9, which took me through a very large lake region as I continued North. Although beautiful, the overcast morning would have made for poor pictures – so I throttled on until I reached the falls at the beginning of route 176.

I parked the big in the open parking lot that also contained a few cars, left the leather on, and headed down the walkway to the falls. The falls area was open and you could walk out on the rocks or sit on a ledge, which I did while I enjoyed a snack and peaceful scene. Other than a couple other people wandering in and out, I had the area to myself. After a period of rest I donned the helmet and took off down 176.

Route 176 hugs the canyon and has about ten scenic stops along the way. The first gave a nice view back at the falls and the river running along the bottom of the canyon. The road was full of dips, hills and twists and turns. I wasn’t familiar with the road so I took my time and enjoyed a stretch of pavement devoid of all other vehicles. I did see a few more cars later in the day but for the most part I had the part to myself. Each stop showcased a deep canyon created by a running river and surrounded by lush trees and high cliffs. There were birds soaring over the canyon and I was able to get pretty close to a vulture perched on the railing of the overlook. After reaching the final stop, I turned around and went back to the falls. There was one stop along the way that had an unnatural gathering of rocks that looked completely alien to the rest of the setting. One of the rocks was left in the middle of the road and parted the lanes.

My longest trips have been around 250 miles round trip. I have discovered that at this point my body is tired and my riding is compromised. When I purchased my Fat Bob, I bought a removable windshield. I rode the bike home with the windshield and found the turbulence of the wind wobbled my helmet in continuous manner, much like a paint mixing machine, that was hard to ignore. So, I got home and put the windshield in the closet. I’ve been told that I could ride farther with a windshield so I decided to try it out again on this ride. I hiked it up as high as it would go hoping that this would help with the turbulence. The shake didn’t seem too bad during the trip, but it was still there, but my visibility suffered as I was looking through a slightly reflective sheet of plastic that would occasionally fog up as I drove through the high humidity of the Deep South. In the end, I did ride for almost 300 miles and the fatigue wasn’t there the way it had been in the past.

Many people ride while listening to an iPod. I have avoided this because I enjoy the peaceful sounds of the Harley tooling down the road. This time around I decided to try the iPod so I put on The Zac Brown Band and hit genius mix – the iPod will then automatically create a mixed playlist based on the original songs style. I ended up with a mix of older country type songs and couldn’t hear the songs while riding. I tried kicking up selection by throwing in a mix of harder rock songs. The effect was pretty much the same. I could barely make out what was playing while riding and it was too loud when I stopped. After about an hour of this annoyance (86 miles to be more precise), I removed the iPod and embraced the music of the big twin cruising through Alabama. The iPod has gone back into retirement while riding.

On longer runs, I find that the middle of my back gets very sore. This usually occurs a little over midway through the trip, but this time it started to hurt at beginning of the run. I think it had more to do with my posture than anything else. I’d like to get some ape bars in the future and have been told that they will ease the pressure on the back and make for a more comfortable ride. This will probably not happen until next year, if then.

When I got back to the falls, I shed the leather and grabbed the lunch my lovely wife, Elizabeth, packed for me. After calling Elizabeth and enjoying the sound of falling water, I once again hit the pavement. Instead of taking the same route home, I decided to cut over into Georgia and head down 100. After traveling down this road for a pace, it became evident that this was a road that was well utilized by the truckers. I have utmost respect for those driving the big rigs and enjoyed sharing the road with them as I made my way back toward LaGrange.

It is about a week later and I have since removed the windshield from my bike. The difference was night and day once I got back on the road. The windshield was nice in that I didn’t get as tired and I wasn’t hit in the face once with debris or by flying bugs, but I also found it confining and a visual obstruction. I will probably put it on for trips in excess of 200 miles but it will stay in the closet for anything else.

I did end up running on fumes at the end and almost ran out of gas again, but I’m not going to talk about that. The next run will be in June and, weather permitting, T (my oldest) and I will be heading to Charleston SC for the weekend.

The Big House in Macon, Georgia

2010-04-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Allman Brothers Band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969. Linda Oakley, the wife of Berry, rented a house in Macon, Georgia as a home base while the band recorded at Capricorn records. The Grand Tudor-style mansion at 2321 Vineville Avenue came to be a communal living location of family bonding and was the birth place of such classic songs as “Ramblin’ Man,” “Blue Sky,” “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More,” and “Please Call Home.” The Allman Brothers Band also had tragedy in Macon as they had lost both Duane Allman and Berry Oakley to motorcycle accidents while there. The band left the “The Big House” in 1973 and it has recently been opened as a museum to celebrate their career and especially their time in Macon.

I woke up to “Midnight Rider” at six a.m. and was on the road a little after seven. I rode out of my neighborhood with the four day old full moon fading with the morning dawn. To combat the 48 degree temperature, I wore a flannel, my leather jacket, thick gloves and a face mask. The maps told me that I had about 120 miles before I hit my destination and the Weather Channel told me to expect temperatures to stay within the 50’s throughout the trip. The sun was in front of me and revealed itself as a huge red ball just over the horizon as I left LaGrange. It quickly turned to a brilliant yellow and I replaced my goggles with my sunglasses.

The sun made a huge impact on the temperatures, as I quickly realized whenever I dipped into a tree covered section of road and the cold bit through the various layers. About 60 miles into the journey, I decided to shed another protective layer and I took my face mask off. The air felt great even though it was still cold and I was fighting the occasional shiver that overcame me as I rode. I entered Macon pretty much right on schedule and quickly found "The Big House." After parking the bike and gobbling down a cheese, lettuce and jalapeno sandwich, I went in and paid my admission with a shaking hand. The chill from a cold ride can take awhile to get beyond and this one was set in pretty deeply.

The following pictures are mine. Pictures are allowed in The Big House but flash is not, therefore some of my pictures are blurry. There are much better pictures on their site and on their Facebook page. The following picture is a cut and past of both sides of the open gate as I entered.

I don't know what the building looked like prior to the restoration, but it is beautiful in its present state. I love these old southern homes and this is a great example of one. It is a worthy tour even without the copious amount of Allman Brothers memorabilia. I'm not going to give a blow by blow of the museum, but I will say that if you make it anywhere near Macon, it would be a sin to miss it.

A tribute to 'Live At The Fillmore East' with the box that contained the recordings on the wall to the right.

The current temporary exhibit is featuring Gov't Mule.

There were many highlights to the museum, such as the restored hookah room, Duane's restored bedroom, the band pictures, the historical items, and the experience of walking in a place of packed full of memories of the past. I was alone most of the time. It was an experience to just hang out and soak in the atmosphere and meditate on the ghosts of the past. I could visualize what it was like forty years ago in the home; with the music being a crucial thread bringing it all together.

Duane's Bedroom

The record room seemed basic at first, but it brought me back to those days when records ruled. To thumb through the rack, pick one out, examine the front, back and then move to the few with the treasured fold out center, such as the psychologically painted center of "Eat a Peach" - which was also seen as a wall painting in the hall.

Most of the exhibits are not currently labeled and there are plans to include an audio tour in the future. If E.J.'s story telling in the one room is a vision of the audio tour to come, it is going to be incredible and I can't wait. I picked up the DVD documentary "Please Call Home" at the gift shop before I left, knowing that I would be returning to before too long.

My next trip to Macon should include lunch at the H&H diner and a visit the Harley Dealership. I hit the road and took a more southern route in order to ride through Pine Mountain. The temperature was now in the 80's so I shed the thick gloves, flannel and leather jacket. It was about 12:30 and I was embarking on a 130 mile road trip in short sleeves with milky white winter arms and the hot Georgia sun. It is at this point that I should have slathered on the sun tan lotion conveniently placed in my saddle bags before I left, but didn't.

The trip back consisted of eating bugs, getting pelted by bird feces, which i discovered are not only gross but smell bad, and getting sandblasted by the dust of the flat bed truck in front of me and getting hit by the occasional pebble that gets thrown in the air.

It is Spring in Georgia and everything is blooming.

I stopped at one point to remove the sticky pad in my pocket in order to determine my next intended road and noticed that my low fuel light was on. I knew that I had about 25 miles of gas left so I wasn't too concerned. However, I did get concerned after about 20 miles further down the road and finding only open fields and back country roads. A beautiful ride unless one's stead is sucking fumes. Eventually, I hit this small town that didn't seem to have anything commercial to speak of. I came down a hill that looked hopeful and the Hog gave up the ghost. I looked to my right and saw a gas station about 100 feet up the road. After finding neutral, I pushed the bike to the station and filled both it's tanks, as well as mine.

There is comfort in a full tank and I bathed in it as I pulled out onto the road again. Next time around, I'll fill up before waiting for the light, of which I am a habitual offender. The road led me across Georgia, over Pine Mountain and back to LaGrange. I saw lots of other bikes out enjoying the weather. The total mileage for the day was 255 miles. The damage report was two very sore sunburned arms that are now entering the itching phase three days later.

Once home, I put in 'No Place Like Home.' We went camping later that day so i didn't get to finish the DVD until Sunday night, but that is irrelevant at this point. Anyway, I didn't know what to expect from the documentary and must admit that my hopes weren't set too high. After watching it, I can't wait to both watch it again and to head back to "The Big House." They captured a magical moment in time that contained extreme highs and devastating lows. I think it is true that you can't physically go back home, but you can go back in a non-physical sense and the documentary brought the viewer back to a special time in history that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise partake in.

Two Trips - One Entry

2009-11-29T12:14:00.000-08:00

I've been slacking. The Fall has been wet, wet & wet. I haven't been able to get out much and when I did it was for a short little journey traveling over familiar ground. This first trip was about a month ago. Elizabeth and I took off on a Sunday afternoon as the weather was cooperating.

It wasn't raining but it was cold. I remember my eyes tearing throughout the trip and Elizabeth commenting on the salt lines coming from my eyes when we got back to the house.

We rode down to the dam and went for a walk along the shore for awhile.

I was seeing how close I could get to a gray haron, which wasn't very close. I disturbed him from his hangout and he flew to the shore we had just come from. When we walked back he flew off and went right back to his spot under the tree.

The second trip was a couple weeks ago with Dylan. The weather had broke and it was warm enough for me to leave the leather at home (although by the end of the trip I wish I had worn the jacket anyhow - it got cold).

We rode through LaGrange and down to Warm Springs and walked around with the hundred or so other bikers who were taking advantage of the day. The day was perfect. I picked up a face mask and neck warmer at Xtreme Leather for those cold morning rides to work.

After Warm Springs, we rode down to, and through, Pine Mountain. From there we went over to West Point, across the dam and back home through Alabama. The mileage counter hit 100.0 as we coasted into the driveway. All for now.

Cave Creek Trail in Cheaha State Park

2009-10-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

After dropping Jessie Ann off at school, Elizabeth and I hopped on the Harley and headed North West toward Cheaha State Park. It is about 75 miles away and the roads are beautiful. I did have to zip by a tracker trailer because it was kickin' up dust and I felt like my face was being sandblasted away - so much for my youthful appearance.

This trail wins the award for best entrance. The stones had impressions of leaves and footprints that you can probably see if you click on the picture, thus making it larger. I chose this trail because its length of 3.3 miles seemed reasonable. When we looked at the sign we realized that it was 3.3 miles one way. It has been a long time since we've done a hike over 5 miles but here was an opportunity.

The trail was close to the top of the mountain and had lots of gnarled dead trees that I found really cool to look at but hard to properly capture in a picture. They were very Burtonesque - if that could be a word.

We came across this fungus along the trail and it speaks for itself. Honestly, look at this stuff. I did a google search for coral fungus and wasn't surprised to find that is its name. Who would think that fungus could be so beautiful.

The path was very easy. It was pretty much clear and relatively level. It made the distance very doable. I don't even remember there being many roots or rocks on the path.

We were on top of a mountain but there were very few views available to us. We did find one spot where could climb out on a rock and see into the distance. Unfortunately the view was still greatly hampered by trees and didn't make for a good picture.

We did stop for a snack and designated it as our location for lunch on the return trip.

The trail was called 'Cave Creek' because of the creek, or creeks, that we often crossed along the way. There aren't any caves and I read why it was still given that name, but I forget the reason.

I have found it very difficult to take a good picture of a mushroom. Because they are small, I use macro but that makes it very impossible to bring the whole thing into focus. I took a few pictures; each with a different part being in focus. I chose this one because of the intricate edges of the top of the mushroom. It reminded me of homemade paper.

We didn't know how long it would take us to hike 6.6 miles, so we decided to turn around after an hour and a half if we didn't reach the end by that point - it took us an hour and 25 minutes. The return went quickly and we were anxiously awaiting peanut butter and jelly on the rock (it was all we hoped it would be).

I love snakes. I am fascinated by venomous snakes. My favorite is the copperhead. My first hike in Georgia was on September 16th 2005 and Elizabeth and I found a copperhead hanging out across the path. I was in glee and Elizabeth was ready to say goodbye to the trails. I was mournfully commenting on how we haven't seen a venomous snake in the woods since that first encounter.

We were anxious to get back to the bike and were cruising along at a pretty good pace. About 5 minutes from the end of the journey, I stopped quickly, back pedaled with Elizabeth behind me at the site of a gorgeous copperhead chilling out across our path.

I'm going to geek out here. The colors were beautiful on this critter. I saw no scars and it's eyes were bright yellow with that vertical slit. I assume it had shed in the not so distance past. I've read that copperheads will freeze if they encounter danger and will only bite as a last resort. This one froze and didn't move the whole time we were there. I took advantage of the lack of movement and took lots of pictures and got closer than I probably should have.

I've included about half of the pictures I took. Isn't she beautiful. I have often wanted to keep one in the house, but the more sensible occupants do not share my enthusiasm.

This one was about 4 feet long, which is a good size considering the average size is about 3.5 feet.

We also saw a little ringed neck snake on the way out (non-venomous). They are very tiny and Elizabeth was the one who spotted this one. The ringed neck snake does not freeze at danger and did not result in any good pictures. They are black with a orange underside and an orange ring around their neck.

Before heading back home we stopped at the lake at the base of the mountain for the facilities and a photo opportunity.

The ride back was beautiful. The sun had come out and it was just perfect. I did catch a rock in the forehead by the mowers on the side of the road - no blood but that'll wake you up. The total trip was 148 miles on the road and 6.6 miles on the trail. We were spent and were looking forward to sitting on the porch with our mugs of coffee - which was as wonderful as expected.

Mountain Creek Nature Trail Loop

2009-10-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth and I planned a wonderful family hike down in Pine Mountain on Sunday(10/4/2009). Due to lack of family support it turned into Harley miles with my Honey.

They did call to give us support prior to the hike - or it might have been for mediation regarding who is on the computer and for how long.

The trail interwove through streams and pools of water, which were all prospering due to the abundance of rain that we've been having this Fall.

The path had some nice bridges over various stream which afforded us the opportunity of using the timer.

This seems to be a recurring picture as of late. I love a road with thick woods along the sides and a trail being engulfed by the surrounding landscape. The unencumbered narrow passage through an impassably environment and the short distance of clarity with the light indicating more beyond what we can see.

We didn't see much wildlife on the hike but the various trees, paths and streams were full of character. Next time we are going to highly encourage all the kids to come along with us.

Except for the end, the trail was well marked. We lost the trail once it exited the woods and went in a few circles trying to relocate the bike.

When we got back to the Trading Post, we took the citation off of the bike and had lunch. I didn't see a place to get a parking pass and got busted for it. It wasn't a big deal, I just paid for the parking pass and all was well.

There was a small lake/pond right next to the campground where we took the hike.

The actual ride was uneventful. It was a little cooler than I expected but not too bad. I did make a U-turn at one point and didn't think I was going to make it. The shoulder was pretty steep and it wouldn't have been pretty.

Sprewell Bluff State Park

2009-09-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

This could also be called the "Mist Tent Morning Ride" or "The No Wave Ride."

Elizabeth and I had not been out on a ride for several weeks and we were itchin' to get out there. I was on call this weekend so Friday morning was our only chance, unless we wanted to wait another two weeks. It has been raining all week but weather.com told us that there was very little chance of rain early in the day. Even their radar maps were void of green blobs.

I've been running a little hot lately. My temp was up there the evening before, all night and into the morning. I was looking for a good cool down, so I left the jacket at home. I had a t-shirt on and was looking forward to getting chilled to the bone. I wasn't disappointed as I was shivering, sneezing and jaw chattering by the time we got there - and it was good.

The start to the ride was great. It was cool and kind of dark because of the cloud cover. I was just enjoying being out there instead of being in a building. I passed one of my co-workers on the way to work while I was headin' out and it made me more thankful for the opportunities to take Fridays off. About 45 minutes into the ride we hit a heavy mist - not rain but also heavier than riding through a cloud or Georgia morning humidity. It was at this point that I took my first wrong turn - add 20 minutes to the ride and a heavier rain. We got back on track and had a horrible time finding the unmarked road that we were looking for. We ended up going back and forth down the same road three or four times. The cattle and horses would just watch us pass each time. Eventually we just turned at the 4.5 mile mark and that worked.

The road to the park was way off the beaten path and we enjoyed riding up and down some nice hills and leaning through the curves. Once in the park, the road ended near the Flint river and I made a mad dash to the bathrooms up the hill while Elizabeth soaked in the scenery. There wasn't any parking down there so we doubled back to a parking lot we had passed on the way in.

Once, parked we poured a cup of coffee to help us warm up. My shirt was pretty wet at this point and my pant legs were soaked through. Elizabeth, who had the jacket, was dry.

The paths weren't marked really well so we just started walking and tried to remember our turns - right, right, right. The path we took brought us to a parking lot which ended up having a Harley that looked just like mine. After realizing the circle we went in, we choose a different direction that brought us down to the river. The walk was peaceful and we stirred up several deer during our hike.

Saw lots of mushrooms on the hike. They were pretty big and I tried to get a good picture, but wasn't pleased with the way these turned out. It was hard to get a close picture and keep everything in focus.

The hike ended up taking us along the river. We saw no one else out there and it was very peaceful with the water on our left and open woods on our right.

This was back up in the parking lot. A fog was rolling through and was gone right after the picture was taken.

After the hike, we broke out lunch and enjoyed our daily PB&J followed by an apple. Once fueled we hit the road, still wet from rain - and sweat - but warm. The warm quickly went away once out on the main road, although I didn't get cold. It was actually very comfortable.

The ride home brought more mist and ended up in rain once we got closer to LaGrange. We were passing cars with their lights on and windshield wipers going. There was something about being out there in the rain cruising down the road that spoke to me on the way home - that is probably the Zen we speak of while riding. As I ride through more rain, I am finding that I like it more and more - you are just kind of out there experiencing it instead of being protected from it.

When we got home we both agreed that it was a great ride and a great morning. The next adventure should be in two weeks.

Helen Hog Rally - Day 3 & 4

2009-08-31T03:44:00.000-07:00

Friday night there were more festivities at the festival hall. I went over a little before 8:00 as the sun was setting.

The band was good and we had about twenty in our group from the Great South Harley chapter from Newnan. They had me laughing so hard my face hurt. I left around 11:30 and went to sleep soon after that with grand expectations of riding the next day.

After an excellent continental breakfast, I set out for Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia. The road up the mountain was very steep and very twisty. I was sharing the road with quite a few bicycles. I felt kind of bad cruising past them on these steep hills and they gave it all they had to pedal up them. When I got pretty close to the top things went white and I was in the cloud.

These are the pictures from the parking lot on top. It looked a bit like the mist from dry ice floating across the lot.

There was also a path or something that would take you to the summit, but I didn't bother going up any further. This is a view off the mountain - I didn't expect it to get much better if I went higher. I left it for another day.

This is one of the mountain roads and was also one of the straighter lengths.

More scenic shots from the views off the side of the road.

The bike couldn't take my picture so this is what you get.

After going back to the hotel room, I set out Lake Burton and Lake Rabun. On the way out I was able to see about five turkeys hanging out in a field. A little further up the road traffic was stopped for a considerable amount of time. Once it got moving again, I saw the flashing lights and bikes on the side of the road. As I went by, it was obvious that there was an accident. I later found out that something happened between a car and a motorcycle and resulted in a lady hurting her foot/leg. I don't know much more than that. It was a sobering scene and I was glad no one was hurt, but it does impress on you necessity to be aware of everything around you.

The first lake I hit was Lake Burton. There was a nice store and restaurant on the lake where I stopped and walked around for awhile. They had a good spot for motorcycle parking and many were taking advantage of the location.

It is difficult to follow directions on a motorcycle. You have to memorize a few turns then stop and memorize a few more. Somewhere along the way I missed a turn and I don't really know where. This was another lake that I found and it could be Lake Rabun or it could be a different lake. I don't know, but it was a nice spot to stop and memorize the next few turns.

The ride home took me back along the roads that I rode Friday night. Not much to tell that hasn't already been said.

Saturday night they had the closing ceremony, which contained lots of door prizes and recognition of those who put so much energy and time into the rally. There was a very long line of people waiting to get into the building. As we were waiting, I guy was driving down the road in front of us and didn't quite make the turn - he nailed the curb, wobbled back and forth, and quickly took off down the road - it was an awesome recovery. It happened so quick that you weren't sure if he really did that or it just looked like he did. He did do it and took a nice chunk out of his boot in the process.

I knew I had a long ride the next day, so I went back to the hotel, watched a movie and went to bed early.

Sunday morning I got up around 6:30, had breakfast and hit the road. It was a little chilly but things went well. I was making really good time and only got confused at one location. I stopped at a gas station and got things figured out before going on any further.

I noticed that the sky was getting darker and contemplated putting on the rain gear. I felt a few drops and pulled over to suit up. About 100 feet after starting out again, the downpour began. My body felt fine in the rain, but my face took a beating. Heavy rain on your face at 60 really hurts. It felt like you were continuously getting snapped with rubber bands all over your face. After awhile I think my face got kind of numb because I noticed that it didn't hurt so much. However, after stopping for a light I had to go through the process of numbing my face again before it was so painful. At one point, I noted that at least I didn't have to worry about thunder and lightening. A couple miles after this thought I started to see the lightning bolts, hear the rolling thunder and the loud cracks of lightning. As crazy as it was, there was something exhilarating about it - you are right out there with it all. I had to ride through this for about 100 miles.

It took me about four and half hours to get home and I had rode 226 miles. The total tally for the weekend was 658 miles. My bike broke through the 5,000 mile mark and I have almost hit the point where I have ridden 10,000 miles - that will be for another day before too long.

Day 2 at Hog Rally in Helen

2009-08-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday night they had the opening ceremonies which featured the band 'Ratz in the Attic.' They played lots of covers, including lots of classic hits - my favorite was the Jethro Tull. I hung out there until a little after 11:00 and then called it a night.

Notice the good bikers with their reflective gear.

Good for road - bad for pictures

This is the crew that I hung out with. They're a good bunch and we had a good time. I hope to hang with them again this weekend and in the future.

Welcome to Friday morning. I checked the weather and it was calling for rain all day. I ate breakfast and then went back to the room. I was able to meditate in the room for 20 minutes and that was nice. I was concerned about the wasted time in the hotel room, but that grounded me again and all was well. After that I watched a movie and tried to walk into town, but had to turn around when it started raining again.

This is my bike getting wet all day instead of being ridden :) - it's on the right in case you don't recognize it. Gotta get me one of those plastic cover things in the future. She looks kinda sad and pathetic out there.

At about 3:30 I went into town and walked around some. People were venturing out and things were starting to look like a rally again. When I got back to the room I checked the weather and it looked like I had 2-3 hours without rain, so I called Elizabeth to say, 'Aye,' and then suited up. I had a trip planned out, but went in the wrong direction and it turned into something else.

Right in the beginning I was riding and saw two small deer on the side of the road. I pulled over and watched them until the passing traffic scared them away. I wanted to take a picture because they were pretty close, but just enjoyed the moment instead or trying to capture it.

The roads were wet and my pant legs got damp but it wasn't raining - Yes! Things were just beautiful out there. I ended up on a road with lots & lots of twisties and switchbacks. I had opportunities to get some real deep leans in on some of the turns - lots of fun. Some parts of the road also had some heavy banking which was cool. I can't wait for Elizabeth and I to get back up here.

At this point I didn't know where I was but knew how to back track to Helen. I ended up meeting up with a guided tour and followed them until I saw a pull off with a view (above and below). The pictures don't do it justice. The greens were much more vibrant and the clouds more white and defined. It had that after rain feel and was just good. I had to hit the throttle a little heavy after the pictures in order to catch up with the group - because I still didn't know where I was. I caught up and followed them through the mountains of northern Georgia.

Tomorrow's weather looks beautiful and I can't wait to get out there. I love the mountains and these roads are awesome. I hope for some spectacular pictures tomorrow.

Tonight I am going to the festival hall with the rest of the Harley folk at 8:00 to see Rockasaurus as they are celebrating Oktoberfest in August. They are going to have to really impress me with the party real quick (lederhosen, polkas and bar maids w/liter mugs) because I plan on going back to Big Daddy's to see Chris Unck play. I hadn't heard of him before but watched a few of his videos and think it would be good.

Can't wait to ride tomorrow morning....seriously

Road to Helen - GA State HOG Rally 2009

2009-08-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the path. I only took one wrong turn on the way up, which isn't bad considering all the zip zags along the way. I left at 6:30am and got to Helen around 12:00. The trip was a little shy of 250 miles.

Here is the big concern for the weekend. I was being chased by the rain out of LaGrange - it was moving North. I did manage to get to Helen before the rain, but it has been raining most of the afternoon. We will see what tomorrow brings.

It is pretty hilly where I live in Georgia, but when traveling North you reach this point where you come over the hill and see the mountains. This picture gives you an idea but it really doesn't do it justice.

The ride up was a little cool, which was perfect considering I was wearing my leather and had no place to put it if I did want to take it off. I road through a small town called Tate which appeared to have lots of nice things to see. This is a railroad station that they are going to be moving and restoring. There were also some nice houses in town that I didn't get a chance to really look at.

I drove across a bridge and saw a nice stream and decided to stop. There was a parking spot and a wooden path that lead down to the water and continued both up and down the stream. It was a beautiful little find. I hung out here for awhile and had 1st lunch.

I got into Helen and registered for the ralley. Unfortunately, I had to wait until two before I could get the room. I walked around some and then hung out in the room while it rained.

They are having the opening cerimonies tonight at 8:00 and it is 7:52 so I'll be headin' over there now.

Dam Trip on Sunday

2009-08-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have been studying for about two months for a science test and I finally took it this Saturday. I knew it would be tough and it proved me correct. I don't think I did well and won't find out the results until September 21st. However, I am very thankful that it is over. I studied and put my best foot forward and can move on. This weekend was beautiful (told you I was moving on). The temperature and humidity had dropped and left us with an incredible weekend. We didn't think we would get a ride in, but Elizabeth and I ended up running away for a couple hours Sunday night.

A favorite run of our is around the lake, over the dam and back the other side. We decided to mix it up this time around and go to the dam on the Alabama side, go over the dam, and then turn around and go back on the Albabama side again. Excitement has changed some.

We did find a part of the area that we hadn't explored yet and took a nice walk down along the river below the dam. BTW, my low fuel light had come on about 5-10 miles ago so that was running through my head though I wasn't too concerned at this point.

There were quite a few people down there having barbeque, fishing, and just enjoying the weather.

I'm not sure if you can make it out in the picture below, but I took it at the same time that a fish had jumped in the background. If you click on it, then it should get blown up and you can see the fish in the background. It is above the tallest stump branch that is pointing up.

We saw a bunch of people out in the water wading and saw these buckets on the shore. On our way out, we met one of their friends and he said that they came down from Atlanta to collect snails to eat. He thought they put them in soup or something. They ended up coming out of the river with like 8 buckets.

We went back the same way that we came (I know I already mentioned this) and my bike told me that I had about 25 miles left in the tank. I knew that it took us about 19 miles to get there so it should be fine. I was watching the 'miles left in the tank gauge' as we left and it was going down a mile every 100 feet or so. At this point there was nothing I could do about it so I turned it to read the time.

We made it to the gas station, but I would have probably enjoyed the trip more if I felt sure that we would get home without pushing. Next time I will fill the tank if it is at all sketchy.

Talladega Morning

2009-08-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth and I can travel in about a 100 mile radius from our house on our Friday road trips. I think I might try to stretch it out to 150 in the near future. This week we went to Talladega. I've driven by it many times and decided to see what is up there.

On the way up we pulled over in the parking lot of a power company office so Elizabeth could fix her glasses. One of the men working there came out to talk with us. He has a Sportster and is looking at stepping up to a larger bike so he and his wife can take road trips. So often I feel rushed to get where I'm going or to finish what I'm doing and it was nice to have the time to just hang out and chat for awhile. It was a little thing, but added something special to the day.

Once in Talladega, we found The Walk of Fame right near the main square and spent some time looking at the past Nascar greats. This is Elizabeth next to Jeff Gordan's plaque. Others that I recognized were Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Truth be told, I've never watched a Nascar race and don't really know anything about it. Down the road it would be nice to take a tour of the raceway, but I really don't know anything about the sport so I'm not sure how much I could truly appreciate it.

In the main square is the oldest operating courthouse in Alabama, which was built in 1838.

We were hoping for a nice coffee shop in town but found nothing. Elizabeth had heard that McDonald's coffee was supposed to be rated very high among taste tests. I have had my doubts but decided to put it to the test today - due to lack of other options.

It didn't work out so well. It wasn't horrible, but did not compare to good coffee. In the future, I plan on getting a gps for the bike and this should help in locating a proper coffee house.

Instead of heading back to LaGrange after Talladega, we went North to Oxford. I had ridden up here before because I wanted to visit the Harley dealership. My last visit was during the gas shortage last year (2008) and there was only one gas station with gas. I couldn't find the dealership and it was a long way home with the small Sportster tank, so I had called off the search early. This time we found it and I had a good time looking at the new 2010 bikes and we enjoyed lunch on the picnic tables outside the building. The folks up there were real nice.

Elizabeth and I have really taken to Alabama. The roads we traveled today were beautiful and I love seeing the mountains so close. We took 431 back down to LaGrange and traveled by Cheaha State Park. There was a short area of construction that slowed us down a bit but other than that it was great.

Two more weeks before the Harley rally in Helen, GA. I can't wait!!

Pine Mountain Trail

2009-08-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

Dylan took the back seat this time around. We left around 9:00 in hopes of beating most of the summer heat. I left the leather home this time and was very thankful when we made the return trip around 1:00.

The last time we took this hike the road was horrible because of construction. Construction is now complete and the roads were a dream. Newly paved = beautiful ride. We also rode by some fields that had been newly cut and you just can't beat that smell.

Eventually got off of that road and got on another with a lot of airborne dirt/dust and if felt like my face was being sand blasted. After about 10 miles, we found the culprit, which was a road cleaner that was doing far more damage than good.

I was falling behind taking pictures so the crew took a break to wait for me.

The first picture of this is totally washed out. Dylan showed me how to adjust the light coming into the picture and hopefully my future black & whites will be a little more balanced. We'll see...

This is where we park while we take the hike. The view is on one side and the country store is on the other.

Lunch under the flowering tree. I forget the name but Elizabeth knows it and I'll ask her if you really want to know. Unfortunately, the ants were also enjoying the shade and this pretty picture ended up in mayhem with Jessie Ann getting bit in the butt and everyone else vigorously swatting ants off of their persons. I missed out on the fun...as I was taking the picture instead of sitting there.

Sarah Joy took this one and I like it, so, here it is.

Dylan being goofy while I try and maintain the image. My family ride either in front or behind me and they confirm that Dylan is goofy most of the time on the back of the bike.

Finally, a couple more road shots that Sarah Joy took. She has managed to take some nice shots during our outings. We need to get a convertible so that she doesn't have to shoot through the glass.

Lumpkin's Little Grand Canyon

2009-08-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

The kids went back to school today and Elizabeth and I returned to our Friday road trips. We decided to start with a longer one. We planned out a trip to Providence Canyon in Lumpkin GA, also known as The Little Grand Canyon. We took 27 down from LaGrange, through Columbus and pretty much right to the front gate of the park. It was 100 miles down and 100 miles back. I pulled the sled into the garage with 200.1 new miles on it.

The trip down was uneventful, but I did discover that I never want to be behind a chicken truck on a motorcycle. The smell was horrendous and gave me flashbacks of the chicken coops of my youth (I loved my youth but I don't like chickens).

There are many hikes there and we decided on the relatively easy 3.1 mile trek through the canyon and then up along the ridge. I was in jeans and my Doc Martins, so I wasn't really dressed for distance summer hiking in Georgia.

Below is one of the stream beds on the bottom.

There are a few old cars out along the path that the woods have claimed as their own. We were down here a year or so ago and it seemed like the vehicles have decayed exponentially since our last visit. It is hard for me to take a color picture of a rusted out car body in the middle of the woods - it has black & white written all over it. I've started exploring with this medium and the pictures may be rough for awhile - sorry. Most are too light - these are on the dark side.

This is Elizabeth along the ridge, followed by a sweaty picture of myself. The path way along the ridge has progressed further away from the ledge over time because of the unstable ground. The view is still spectacular but is slowly getting lost among the growing underbrush. I imagine it was awesome 10-20 years ago.

We left in the morning around 8:00 and the weather channel website said 65F. Elizabeth and I were wearing our leather jackets and were still a little cool during certain shaded parts of the trip. On the trip back we passed a sign saying the temperature was 98F. The leather was still protecting us but, Man, was it hot. When it is that hot, even the wind at 60 doesn't to much to cool you down.

East to Zebulon

2009-07-20T17:21:00.001-07:00

The day was open, the weather was perfect and I knew that I was on call next weekend. After staring at the map for a good 30 minutes, I finally asked Elizabeth which direction she wanted to head in - North, South, East or West. She said that we don't normally go East, so that is where we went.

It took us awhile to get through LaGrange, but things opened up nicely once we got past the exits for 85 and headed into the country. As there was no destination and only a direction, we just cruised and enjoyed the day and held our breath as we passed the occasional carnage being cleaned up by the vultures. At one point we passed about 8 on the ground and 3 in the air taking care of an opossum on the half shell.

As we were riding I found my destination - Zebulon. A small town with a memorable name.

We'd been riding for about an hour when I spotted a gazebo to stop at and enjoy that thermos of coffee that we'd brought along. As we sat and enjoyed our brew, we watched the many other bikes out enjoying the day.

We reached our destination and Elizabeth graciously took my picture to show that we successfully completed our journey.

We took a side road on the way home and ended up in Warm Springs where we walked around for awhile before heading back home.

Great South Harley Davidson 2nd Anniversary

2009-06-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

The temperatures have been close to 100F for the past couple weeks and I was expecting the heat to get the best of me this day. It ended up being hot but it did not negatively affect the day in anyway. Dylan and I took the back roads up to Newnan and I fell in love with riding all over again. The whole experience was great - temperature, roads, scenery, etc.

We got to the dealership ready to eat. There was a band playing, outside booths, lots of folks and a slew of bikes. After digging into the hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, soda and water we found a shady spot to enjoy the spoils.

After the dealership, we headed up to Ashley Park so the girls could go shopping and we could enjoy a hot cup of coffee.

Elizabeth, the boys and myself sat outside of Barnes & Noble visiting with a cup of joe while the girls went from store to store.

Then we went home. The day didn't result in any great stories but it the simplicity of enjoying the outside and relaxing with my family left me completely satisfied and content.

Ride For Literacy

2009-06-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

On June 20th Jessie Ann and I got up before everyone else in the house and went into town for the 2nd annual Ride for Literacy. The ride took us down to Warm Springs, through Pine Mountain and back to Loyd Presbyterian for burgers.

This is Jessie Ann by the bike getting ready for the trip

We had a police escort on the journey and the lead bikes blocked traffic as we went through intersections and then jumped into the back of the line.

Abate was also hosting a ride and party in Warm Springs so bikes were everywhere when we got there. We saw some really nice older bikes, custom bikes, choppers and other such toys.

We ended back in LaGrange where we stuffed ourselves with good food and company. After lunch I made for our air conditioned house because the temperatures have been around 100F this week and the bike's air conditioning just doesn't cut it at that temperature.

Back to Horseshoe Bend

2009-06-23T17:27:00.001-07:00

Saturday June 6th we got back to Horseshoe bend with the crew. Dylan and I rode the bike and the rest of the crew took the cage. Prior to starting the hike we had our snacks and we were off.

The last time Elizabeth and I didn't have time to walk the trail so got there early in order to have plenty of time. Along the way there were stops explaining the different sites.

I really need to blog these after doing them because I'm a blank. I do remember the nice bridges along the walking path - as seen below.

If you notice the two tiny white spots to the left of the sign, you will see Jessie Ann and Dylan doing a little reenactment.

After the hike we saw a movie explaining the history of the park and I unsuccessfully fought sleep. Then we went down the road a bit and ate lunch next to the river.

There was a beautiful river but the kids found a much nicer place to hang out and film cars going by.

Here is a not so good picture of me, but one of me doesn't show up often so I thought I'd throw it in. Besides, I shaved and I miss my crazy mustache.

The ladies looking at turtles in the river. One of them grabbed Dylan and they were concerned that he may not be able to make the return trip.

For the record, Dylan made it home but he was wet so he rode in the cage and Jessie Ann went with me.

The Mother's Day Honeysuckle Run

2009-05-10T12:59:00.001-07:00

For Mother's Day Elizabeth wanted to take a hike at Cheaha State Park. This is a great time for this hike because the hydrangea flowers are all blooming along the path. I also had the pleasure of smelling the honeysuckle flowers the entire trip up and back - real good stuff. Terence and I took the bike and the rest of the crew went in the cage.

As we got closer to the park, the sky got darker. We had checked weather three days ago and everything looked fine and we were hoping that it hadn't changed. This is a picture on the top of the mountain and you can see the dark & windy sky.

Here is a nice scenic shot that Sarah Joy took.

Everyone but Dylan and his friend, Draven, in poser shots.

At the bottom of the mountain is a small lake for swimming, playground, bathrooms, and picnic area. We let the crew relax a bit and we ate snacks before headin' back up.

This is us back at the top of the mountain heading back to the car to enjoy the meal that Elizabeth prepared for us.

We did one more walk before dropping Draven off at his parents, who were camping in the park that weekend.

This walk is a wooden walkway that leads to a nice overlook.

We visited with Daven's family for a bit before hittin' the road.

Leather for Mama

2009-05-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Today's goal was to get Elizabeth a leather jacket. We've looked before and failed but we had a better idea of what we were looking for this time. Elizabeth has been wearing her winter jacket, but now that it is in the mid 80's in Georgia, the winter jacket just doesn't cut it.

We went down to Xtreme Rider in Warm Springs and found what we were looking for in no time. Warm Springs is a fun little place and has recently added so many things that cater to the biker community. We stopped into the tattoo parlor and it has got me thinking again...

Elizabeth with her new jacket and posing in the courtyard.

Elizabeth had wanted to take my picture and we found the perfect setting.

I still have the goggles, but I did pick up a new pair of sunglasses today. Dylan told me that he liked these better, although he does still like the goggles for the goofy factor.

We took the long way home and drove through Pine Mountain. The temperature was in the low 80's and it was just perfect. The only downside was that we knew the rain was coming. As we got closer to home, the sky darkened and it started to get a little cooler. I took this at an intersection about 5 miles from home.

We made it home before the rain hit and took one more poser shot in our new attire. About 30 minutes later we were drinking coffee on the porch watching the rain come down.

Around the Lake - always bring a camera

2009-04-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

We went to Virginia for a wedding reception this weekend. Traveled about 1,300 miles in a cage between the two days. I took today (April 24th) off because I knew I wouldn't be ready for work - and I wasn't.

I only planned on taking a short ride with Elizabeth, which wouldn't amount to a "trip" so I didn't bring the camera. The trip consisted of moments of "I wish I brought the camera."

We started off by going to Highland Marina. The marina visit is because I have often said that Elizabeth and I are going to live in a house boat when the kids have moved on. If you say something enough, someone listens. Elizabeth recently thought about it and expressed enthusiasm over the idea. So, I've been looking more serious into the perspective plan.

After the Marina we went to the West Point dam and visited the visitor center. Behind the center are a couple benches overlooking the lake. The provided the first opportunity for me to say, "Why didn't I bring my camera?" I will bring my camera next time and you'll see what I mean.

After driving across the dam, we drove through a couple state parks. All of these were beautiful and contained more camera moments.

Then we stopped at the South Harbor Marina. We bought a few diet cokes and the lady behind the counter told us that we could go out on the docks and look at the boats, as a few were for sale. The first dock housed some beautiful boats and we left really excited about the possibilities. We started out onto the second dock and Elizabeth grabbed me and yelled, "Stop." I looked ahead and saw a cottonmouth relaxing across the dock. Elizabeth was like, "I'm done, let's go." I grabbed a stick and, after much prodding, convinced the viper to move into the water. We ended up going down the dock, but Elizabeth was far too concerned with her feet to look at any of the boats. At this point, she is trying to erase the experience from her mind. She likes the idea of a house boat and is completely freaked out by venomous snakes - a normal reaction. Oh, this was another time I said, "I wish I had my camera" - because I happen to be completely intrigued by all snakes, but especially venomous ones - not exactly a normal reaction.

We then went home and had ravioli.

Pine Mountain - Peace & Coffee

2009-04-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

I think "we went to Pine Mountain today" is going to be a reoccurring statement. This trip was on April 24th. When we only have a few hours, this makes for a great ride (another is over the dam and around West Point Lake). After packing our lunch we hit the road - another beautiful day.

Elizabeth in front of the Callaway Store
and the view in front of her.

We had our lunch outside of the Callaway Country store. A group of riders from the military base, I believe, arrived there right after us for lunch - as seen behind me. We saw lots of bike out this day.

This has become the standard stop. Elizabeth and I had the overlook all to our self today and we relaxed with a cup of coffee. I wish I could do justice to this time in writing, but I can't. There are those perfect moments of contentment and this was one of them. My wife, the natural beauty of the mountains, the coffee and the perfect weather. We had a wonderful ride in the morning and another to look forward to when it was time to move on.

I always liked pictures of the road and now I know why.

Horseshoe Bend, Alabama - Part I

2009-04-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Just as I am late getting this blog out there, so were we late when we headed to Horseshoe Bend, Alabama on April 17th. The trip was too short and we didn't get to see all that we wanted. This is going to be part I to be concluded with a family trip at another time.

It didn't take us long to get there and the back roads were beautiful. Nothing eventful about the ride, so I'll move onto the park.

This is from the website link above:

"On the morning of 27 March 1814, General Andrew Jackson and an army of 3,300 men consisting of Tennessee militia, United States regulars and both Cherokee and Lower Creek allies attacked Chief Menawa and 1,000 Upper Creek or Red Stick warriors fortified in the "horseshoe" bend of the Tallapoosa River."

"Facing overwhelming odds, the Red Sticks fought bravely yet ultimately lost the battle. Over 800 Upper Creeks died at Horseshoe Bend defending their homeland. This was the final battle of the Creek War of 1813-14, which is considered part of the War of 1812. In a peace treaty signed after the battle, both the Upper and Lower Creeks were forced to give the United States nearly 20 million acres of land in what is today Alabama and Georgia. The victory here brought Andrew Jackson national attention and helped him to be elected the seventh President of the United States in 1828."

There is a museum in the visitor center as well as a movie, but we didn't have time to spend there and we were hungry. After eating lunch on the lawn outside we took the bike along a 6 stop driving tour of the park.

This was the first stop and faced an island across the water. Andrew Jackson's men were ordered to kill anyone trying to escape the area and it was said the the river water was red and unusable after the battle. Both Elizabeth and I were saddened by the whole scene. I understand that there are many sides to a story and it can be difficult to see all of these. It is said that this battle led to Andrew Jackson becoming president, which also led to the Trail of Tears. This park is such a beautiful place but led us to feeling very sorrowful.

We took a different ride back that led us through construction as well as a fast & busy roads. We won't be going that way again. During the construction portion, I had to take the bike off of one raised lane of the road and then back up onto the raised portion after the work area. I haven't had to go over raised areas before and was pretty nervous about it. I made it without difficulties, but didn't like it.

I'm noticing that these summer rides are giving me face a lot of sun and I'll need to break out the suntan lotion in the future. Also, there are a lot more bugs out and my face is taking a beating on these rides. I wonder about getting a 3/4 helmet with a face shield. Bugs at 60 mph hurt.

a Zen moment

29 Dreams & Barber Museum

2009-04-17T04:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, T and I went over toward Birmingham Al with the Newnan HOG group to stay at 29 Dreams and visit the Barber Museum.

We left our house around 6:45 with a temperature below 50F. It was a very cold ride up and we were hoping for some sunshine that wouldn't show up until the next day. Upon arriving in Newnan we met up with the HOG group, had some coffee, and were briefed on the ride. Then we hit the road with 14 Harleys (18 people).

The trip took us back through LaGrange, down to West Point and then over into Alabama. The ride would have been a lot nicer if it wasn't so cold and if I was better prepared for that fact. At one point I couldn't stop shivering. The leather jacket did not come off all day.

Just before we got to 29 Dreams an owl flew out of the woods and across the road in front of me - very nice. There must be something about birds and bikes. T and I were set up to camp in a tent, but another couple had to leave that night and gave us their cabin, which we shared with Bill.

We signed into 29 Dreams and they served us and excellent lunch (pasta, meatballs & bread).

After lunch, we took some twisties through the mountains and rode into Birmingham to visit the Barber Museum. The museum has lots and lots of bikes. I wish I knew more about motorcycles because I am sure that I could have gotten more out of it than I did. A return visit is inevitable.

Saw a very cool replica of the chopper from Easy Rider.

After more twisties through the mountains, we arrived back at 29 Dreams where we had a couple beers and sat around a fire while waiting for supper (ribs).

Once supper was finished we hung out be the fire and toasted marshmallows. We were all pretty tired and I was crawling into my sleeping bag before 9:00 Alabama time.

The sun showed up the next day and we started it with some good coffee and a full plate, or two, at the 29 Dreams breakfast buffet.

We had one more photo op before hitting the road and then we were off. The ride back was great. The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect.

We left the group in Roanoke and were home by 12:30 for our Easter celebration. The miles for the trip were about 344 and we put on a little over 60 the day before for a total of over 400 miles for the weekend - not too bad.

Pine Mountain Hike - Callaway Store

2009-04-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

April 10th the family went down to Pine Mountain for a hike. This was a big trip because Jessie Ann finally decided she wanted to try out the bike. She had ridden around the neighborhood once, but that was it.

She started the journey holding on for dear life and soon loosen up a bit and enjoyed the ride. It was a nice ride - slightly overcast but not cold. We hit some construction on the way with loose gravel on the roads, so decided to take a different route home. Loose gravel is bad - thankfully it was on a straight away and not on curves.

We were supposed to get rain later on in the day so we were racing the to get in the hike and then get home before it hit. I didn't bring my rain gear and was taking a very long ride the next day and didn't want to deal with wet leather.

We started the hike at Callaway Country store and followed the ridge along one side, crossed the road, went down for a spell and then gradually climbed the ridge on the other side. It was an easy and relaxing hike - 3.4 miles.

We saw one deer on the hike and lots of nice scenery. It did sprinkle on us a little but not enough for us to get wet.

We took the long way home which took us through West Point. Dylan rode with me most of the trip and then T hopped on for the final leg.

My First Poker Run

2009-03-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

Friday I brought the bike up to Newnan for its 1,000 miles service and we also picked up a new helmet for Elizabeth. We went with a 3/4 helmet that wasn't so constricting. However, we did find it had it's own issues.

Saturday I spend riding with my daughter, Sarah Joy. We started out by going on a Poker run, my first, which was set up to raise money for someone dealing with breast cancer. They had about 18 bikes involved in the run and we all went off individually when ready.

It was a cold start but the sun warmed things up nicely eventually. Our first stop was in Warm Springs where we visited Xtreme Leather, walked around town and went to the museum. I had a time getting out of the parking lot because I parked in a gulley and almost dumped it while trying to get out without hitting any of the other bikes. It was both embarrassing and scary due to the potential of hitting other bikes. Lesson learned - take time and don't worry about pride. I've only been riding a little over 9 months and need to remember that it is going to take a while to be completely comfortable with moving the bike around.

Sarah Joy and I then had a really nice ride through Pine Mountain. A turkey ran out in front of us and then took to flight about half way across the road. This is the second turkey encounter and I think the hog might be calling them out of the woods. It was close enough to enjoy the sighting without being a hazard. We stopped at a gas station outside of Pine Mountain and Sarah Joy told me that her face shield had disappeared. She was looking in her lap and around her person for it and it wasn't there. I laughed later, but at the time I was concerned about her riding without face protection. I think she lifted her head up, wind got underneath it and it did in fact disappear. We back tracked and, thankfully, were able to find it.

We ended up missing a turn along the route and ended up in West Point where we took a different road to Peach State Power Sports. They had folks there giving out hot dogs and soda. The last stop was the mall where we got our final card. Our hand didn't yield anything noteworthy, but the ride and the cause were a greater reward than any prize would have been.

After the run, Sarah Joy and I went up to Newnan to pick up the Twilight movie. In the end we put on about 170 miles and got a little sun on the face.

March 13-15th

2009-03-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Rained all weekend - next weekend looks better

Bargain Barn (03-09-2009)

2009-03-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

I got a call from my friend Derrick, who I took the Rider's Edge class with last May. He is an officer with the Southern Cruisers and invited me to join a ride they were taking to the Bargain Barn Sunday. I, in turn, invited Dylan to join the ride and we were set.

We met with the Southern Cruisers at Walmart around 12:30 and we headed toward Lineville at 1:00 with 8 bikes. We picked up two more on 109 and headed across West Point Lake into Alabama. The ride took us about an hour and was steady riding with the exception of one pit stop due to access coffee consumption on the part of one of the riders. I was second in the group and as we entered Lineville, a large turkey flew across the road in front of us. I'm not sure why I love seeing wild turkey, but there is just something about that bird that I love - and it doesn't have anything to do with Thanksgiving.

Our destination was the Bargin Bain barn and my personal quest was a half helmet, which I eventually found. I had purchased some goggles there earlier so I was set to go from full helmet to half. The half has a different feel and I'm still not completely sure about it. However, my daughters are sure about the new look and they don't like it.

We took a different route back and I left the crew at Pizza Hut in Roanoke Al so I could get home for a meeting at 6:00. The day was perfect for a ride - the sun was shining and it was about 70 out. The only down side was that it was a bit windy, but that wasn't anything to complain about.

This was my first real group ride. I went on a couple short rides with three bikes, but don't really consider those true group rides. I enjoyed it, but I do like the freedom of being solo and being able to stop and enjoy a spot at will. On the flip side, it is also nice having a group at the destination and the joy of riding with a gathering of those with a common passion. There is also something to be said for the rumble of a group of bikes pulling into a town.

I hope to have another entry next weekend, but it is calling for rain, so we'll just have to see.

Manchester GA (03-06-2009 )

2009-03-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

Destination - Manchester, GA for lunch and coffee

My wife and I headed out Friday morning around 10:44 for Manchester GA. It was cloudy and about 65F when we left, which seemed nice until we got going around 60 and the wind hit us. It took awhile to get through the traffic of LaGrange and we were glad to get past the mall where the traffic thinned out. The road back there is mostly farm land with scatterings of cattle. As I drove along these roads, I was struck by the amount of trash on the side of the road. This did end the farther we got from town, but it was a discouraging way to start. I can’t understand why people litter.

As we got into Greenville, I noticed some snow still on the roof of one of the houses from the snow storm we got earlier in the week. It is a rare occurrence when we get snow in this part of Georgia and it is even rarer if it is still there two days later.

The town after Greenville was Warm Springs, which most riders down this way are familiar with. I would have liked to have hit the Xtreme Rider, but as they are only open on Saturday and Sunday, that will have to wait for another day. I drove around the ‘Art in Motion’ motorcycle museum and noticed that it has expanded since I was last down here – again this will need to be visited on another trip.

Upon entering Manchester, we saw a train leaving the station and enjoyed it’s snaky retreat prior to getting our long sought after cup of hot coffee. The sun had still not broken through the clouds and a slight chill had set in at this point.

We had coffee and lunch at ‘Generations Coffee House and Eatery.’ The ladies there were real nice and the coffee and food was excellent.

We left Manchester and headed into FDR State Park. The woodsy mountain scenery with the curvy roads made for a relaxing thoroughly enjoyable ride. I noticed quite a bit loose gravel on the road early in the ride and was very cautious in how I took the curves through the hills - once we got into the hills all sign of loose gravel was gone. We stopped at one of the overlooks to sit and soak up the sun which had now made it’s presence known. We noticed a few other bikers enjoying the drive as we road along the mountain top with a overlook to the valley below on both our left and right. The road leading us out of FDR Park dropped us off at the Callaway Country Store, which we stopped at to browse and look for potential future purchases (I saw some hot sauce that I’ll be getting down the road).

We took 18 from Pine Mountain to West Point and discovered a wonderful road. We had often intersected this road on our way to Columbus but this was the first time we traverse it. One of the joys of riding the motorcycle around these parts is finding roads that you would normally not get to enjoy because they don’t lead you to where you want to go.

We took a bypass after leaving West Point over the Dam and walked along West Point Lake for a little while. The next stop was home, but the journey wasn’t over. Our last leg took us around the lake where we got glimpses of the lake as we rode over and around it’s many inlets and offshoots.

We got home around 3:30, it was in the low 70’s and we had traveled 108.4 miles. The day trip took us through farm land, in several small scenic towns, along mountain passes, across a dam and around and over a lake. As I pulled into my neighbor a fellow friend and biker was leaving in his truck and gave us a wave. A great day.

The Journey Begins...

2009-03-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

I made an announcement around November of 2007 that I was going to get a motorcycle. It was something that had been pulling me for some time and I finally decided it was time (listening to my neighbor leave on his Deuce many a morning did aid this decision).

I took a Rider’s Edge class at Great South Harley Davidson in Newnan the last weekend of May and bought a 883 Sportster the next weekend.

My plan to eventually purchase a larger bike was hastened when the Motor Company made a special offer to us recent purchasers of Sportsters. I traded my bike in at 4500+ miles for a Fat Bob.

With the Fat Bob came the ability to take road trips with a passenger. I had enjoyed many a trip on the Sportster by myself and am looking forward to many more road trips with my wife and kids. My desire is to chronicle these journeys through this blog. I am going to try and make is simple – a map, a few words and some pictures.