My First Poker Run

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

Rained all weekend - next weekend looks better

Bargain Barn (03-09-2009)

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 )

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...

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.