Georgia On My Mind

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hppants

Well-known member
Joined
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Location
Lafayette, LA
Georgia, Georgia

The whole day through

Just an old sweet song

Keeps Georgia on my mind

Ray Charles

Spring Break came early this year, and a couple months ago, I started hinting to my riding buddies about a north Georgia camping trip. My good friends Poolboy (Mark) from Iowa and Cav47 (Josh) from Illinois were in from the word go. Boozer (Curt) from Iowa also joined us early and the lovely and talented 1911 duo (Duane and Marilee) arrived for one night from South Carolina. We met Wheaton (Mark) from South Carolina for a day ride, and we even picked up a stranger along the way. I had great company the whole week.

It was 6 ½ days and about 2,00 miles for me in total. I imagine the Midwestern group managed similar mileage. On the FJR, these numbers are childs play. My bike is setup nicely for long distance touring. I can bring all of my crap to the campground in comfort. And when I get there, I can unload the red beast and go play in the twisties. Not Valentino Rossi wanna be kind of play, but for my age and skill level, just enough to be sure.

A rainy front passed over us on Thursday night, and then we had 4 days of absolutely beautiful weather. Cool nights for camping gave way to days riding in the 50s and 60s on clean and dry roads with nay a cloud in the sky. Im definitely living large to be sure.

We camped at Two Wheels Only of Suches (TWOS). Ive been here many times before, and since the current owner upgraded the entire facility about 5 years ago, it is absolutely first class. While I prefer public land campgrounds, this privateer is located smack dab in the middle of some awesome riding and everything at TWOS is top notch. Seriously, if you are into moto-camping, and you find yourself in this part of the world, this is your place.

Georgia has been on my mind lately a bunch. My wife and I are getting close to retirement. Weve raised our kids, worked hard our whole life, made good decisions, and had some great luck along the way. Were ready to go play and the playground weve chosen is north Georgia. Ive loved this area since the first time I visited it, and I cant wait to call it my home. The Blue Ridge area seems to have just the right combination of modern conveniences without any of the hassles from big city life. The climate is fantastic and the people are wonderful southerners.

But that is still a couple years away for us. I know that time will pass like a fart in the wind, but Im getting antsy and itchy to be there. And so every chance I get, I find myself pulled to the southern Appalachians, even for just a few days to live my dream a little. For SWMBOd and I, the future is most assuredly very bright.

I hope you enjoy the pics.

Day 1: Lafayette, LA to Columbus, MS. Approx 325 miles.

I worked in the morning on Wednesday, but rode the bike to the office packed and ready to go. When heading anywhere East, Baton Rouge traffic has to be considered and Im betting that if I leave by noon, I should be fine getting through that cluster. I was right, as I ran right through our State capital with hardly a slowdown. I picked up a few forecasted showers along the way, and enjoyed passing a couple of pirates with NO gear on the slab during the heaviest down pour. That little 50 mile stretch of I-10 will be the last of the big concrete for me and good riddens, I say!

Mid-afternoon, Im on Hwy 569 steaming toward the Mississippi border.

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The old people call this yellow stuff milkweed. They wont let the cows eat it because they say it makes their milk sour. Regardless, I still like the color from inside my helmet.

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I cross into Mississippi and jump on US84 for a short stint East before climbing northeast on highway 35. Many of the roads in rural MS are in good shape and have very little traffic.

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Many dont think of Mississippi as so, but there are many bayous, sloughs, coulees, and other swampy waterways to cross.

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Now getting late in the evening, I stopped in Columbus and grabbed a room.

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Only $45.00 with my AARP discount. Room was spotless and it looks like they have just re-modeled.

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The desk clerk suggested that I run ½ mile just over the highway to this place for dinner.

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Im a little concerned as it seems if this place is that good, it should be more crowded. However, it is a Wednesday night, after all.

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OK I was worried for nothing. Obviously, the Q was not peppered to my Cajun liking, but the bark was well done and I liked the ground pork in the beans. For $12.00 including the tip, I thought I did well.

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Ive been watching the radar all afternoon and can see there is a huge line of rain coming toward me from the west. Local TV is saying tornado watches, so I ask the front desk clerk for a favor and I think she liked me.

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Never mind that she was about 72 years old and missing ½ of her teeth. She was a nice lady.

Day 2: Columbus, MS to Suches, GA, approximately 400 miles.

I slept like a baby on the Motel 6 mattress and woke up to rainy skies and a pretty crappy looking radar.

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I decided to pass on the FCB and walked 50 feet next door to the Waffle House for something a bit more substantial.

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The coffee was good, so I asked for a refill and after packing the bike, I took off heading northeast. Its still raining moderately, but Im dressed for it and perfectly dry and comfortable. About an hour into the day, I rode out of the rain ahead of the front Ive been concerned about. In Oakman, Alabama, I stopped for gas and the attendant warned me about the severe weather threat behind me.

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But the skies didnt look so bad, so I pulled off the rain gear and kept going. Last night, I consulted with my friend Turk, who lives in these parts, about the best route for me. He suggested Hwys 18, 69, and 91 heading northeast and these were all very good roads. Nothing real twisty, but good clean road surface, light traffic, and heading me in the right direction while avoiding the big cities like Tuscaloosa and Birmingham.

In Holly Pond, I turned right onto US 278. Im still ahead of the rain and making pretty good time.

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Past Gadsen, I crossed into Georgia and got behind this Chevy pickup with a brand new KTM 80 in the bed. I imagine some kid is getting a pretty cool birthday present.

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In Dahlonega, I picked up a subway sandwich for later and rode up Hwy 60 to Suches, where Poolboy was already setup from the night before. Amazingly, I stayed dry the whole way, but again,, the radar warned of things to come. So I put up my tarp over my tent for an added layer of protection.

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Boozer arrived shortly thereafter. It was drizzling while he setup his tent, but he made it in time.

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Poolboy spent his day wine shopping in the area, and loaded his trailer up with a gaggle of fermented grapes.

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The strong rain finally appeared, and the 3 of us walked up to the safety of the restaurant/office front porch. Cav47 arrived with his FJR in the back of his pickup truck shortly thereafter. He made great time considering he left southern Illinois about noon.

With adequate supplies, we waited out the 2 hour rain in total dryness.

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About 10 pm, the weather passed and we helped Josh setup his tent before calling it a night.

Day 3: 250 miles of roller coaster

I slept pretty good in my tent last night, and the birds woke me up with their timely day break chirping. The water running through the campsite is nice this morning.

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Fire wood is $10.00 a wheelbarrow load and Mark is getting our moneys worth.

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Freddie Cruger eat your heart out.

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Josh got a hold of Marks mini samurai sword and started constructing a bon fire for our breakfast.

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Apparently, Mark was nice and toasty in his tent with the space heater and the heated blanket and curling iron and the popcorn machine and whatever else he had in there.

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Hope he tested the GFI on the other end of the creek (he did).

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We met Phil this morning and offered him coffee and a bagel for breakfast. I was already about 4 or 5 off kilter jokes in when we learned that Phil is an Apolostic Pentecostal Preacher. Oh snap!! In spite of that, he decided to join us for the ride today anyway.

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Herding the cats..

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I led us through the twisties to our first stop.

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I’ve been here before and we take the short walk up the hill to the falls.

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Good times.

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I dunno exactly what’s going on, but I can tell that this guy is up to no good.

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Good flow at the falls today after the rain last night.

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We gear up and take the short ride to Batesville for lunch.

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I’ve eaten here before. Good sandwiches at this place. Although I didn’t have one, they also sell local craft beer here too.

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This kid was admiring our bikes and Josh propped him up and let him start it and rev it. Good stuff.

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Then we did some good riding through the North Georgia twisties. The roads here are great. Some are very technical, some have higher speed sweepers, and others are a good combination of both. It’s very easy to make loops throughout the region and the traffic is very limited. Please. I beg you, PLEASE – keep that between us for the time being.

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Mid-afternoon, we arrived in Blue Ridge. Coincidentally (or NOT), my sweet tooth started picking at me. Thankfully, I’ve got a fix for that.

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Josh is having a hum dinger of a time trying to decide.

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Fried pies all around. As you can see, we are REALLY struggling out here, man.

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After pie, Preacher Phil has to be on his way, so we bid him goodbye and wished him well. I hopped on Hwy 5 heading north, then turned west on Hwy 68 into Tennessee and onto US64 for our next destination.

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This was the site for the ’94 Olympic swift water sports competition and it’s a terrific place to wander around.

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We walked across the suspension bridge, and then down to the water and rocks to poke about.

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Curt is having a good time.

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Mark kind of painted himself in a corner.

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Crystal clear mountain water.

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Back on the bikes, on US 64 heading back to Georgia, we stopped at the Boyd Gap Overlook. Good visibility today.

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Then it was on to Blue Ridge for some supplies (err…. BEER!!!) and back at the campground, Curt wins the Jenga award for fire wood stacking.

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We had a couple of beers around the fire and then mosied 50 yards to the campground restaurant for some dinner. I like the décor here.

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Philly Cheese steak sandwiches all around, except Josh, who had the pork roast and was a bit disappointed. My sandwich was delicious.

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Sorry, Josh…..

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After dinner, we walked back to our camp site and got down to some serious business.

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Mark took charge of music and he started playing some really good stuff. I mean everything from 80s rock to classic country to Tone Loc!! I started sipping on my shampoo and getting kind of loose.

The fire rings at the campground are really cool!

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Day 4: 300 miles of roller coaster!!

Last night I slept much better, as it usually takes me a couple days to get acclimated to the sleeping bag. The temperature however fell to about 30 last night and about 2 am, I woke up and put on my heated jacket liner for another layer.

Yesterday evening, we bought groceries to make breakfast. My good friend Redfish Hunter (Andrew) gave me this AWESOME foldable chopping knife for my camping kitchen kit.

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I made coffee and then started getting breakfast underway.

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Curt was assigned egg cracking duty and it immediately became apparent that his lovely wife must do all of the cooking in his house!! Dude – we’d prefer not to have shells in our breakfast.

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Meanwhile, Chef Josh started warming up the tortillas.

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Then it all starts coming together and voila! Bon Appetite!

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The bikes were covered in frost and I started getting worried that the roads might be slippery. Wheaton FJR (Mark) got up at crack of dawn from near Greenville, SC and our plan was to meet him at 9 am in Clayton, GA.

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Poolboy’s bike had a weak battery and wouldn’t start. So we jumped it off using Josh’s truck battery.

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I texted Wheatie to let him know we’d be a bit late and he was nice enough to wait for us at the designated meeting spot. By now, it’s about 9:15 am and warming up nicely.

We leave campground very cautiously at about 40 degrees. But the roads were bone dry so I slowly wicked it up a little as we got closer to Clayton, where Wheaton was waiting ready to ride.

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From the gas station, Wheatie led us up Warwoman Road. I’ve ridden that road at least a dozen times, but by far, this was my favorite. Nay a speck of gravel to be found anywhere!

From Warwoman, the riding got even better! We hit Hwy 28, and then Hwy 107 into South Carolina, stopping on Round Mountain Road.

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Lots of riders out and about today!

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We turned left on Hwy 281, heading north to our next stop.

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This is Whitewater Falls, just inside the North Carolina border. I’ve been here before and it is an incredible cascade. I think this is the most spectacular waterfall I’ve seen east of the Mississippi River, and I’ve seen quite a few of them.

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We took the short walk down to the lower overlook.

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Some of us enjoyed the climb back up more than others.

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Back on the bikes, Wheaton decided to cut his planned loop shorter since we were late getting to him. I know that the roads we cut out were excellent riding, but it really didn’t matter. The point was we were all together and having fun.

Be that as it may – if one wants to follow this dude for the day, he’d better eat all his Wheaties for breakfast… if you’ll pardon the pun.

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Last night, Josh said something profound:

(Paraphrasing)

“The mark of good friendship is that you can be apart for a long time, and when you get together, it’s like you pick up right where you left off.”

Well done, my brother.

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I forgot which roads we took, but it hardly matters. We went left, then right, then left, then….well…. you get the idea. Ended up finding Hwy 64 between Cashiers and Highland, and we took a left.

Lunch was scheduled in Cashiers, where we met some new friends. 1911 (Duane) and his lovely wife Ms. 1911 (Marilee) came over with Philharmonic (Phil) from South Carolina to meet us. The 1911’s have this beautiful trailer painted to match their gorgeous 2007 FJR.

Writer’s note: Duane – I believe I called your wife “Marie” more than once this weekend and she, being the gracious lady that she is, didn’t pop me on the head with a piece of firewood as an incentive to “get your head out of your arse, Pants”. PLEASE extend my sincere apologies for my oversight to her – I promise to get it right going forward.

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We have found the meats!!!

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Pretty cool lunch menu – basically pick your meat, pick your presentation (sandwich or platter), pick your sauce, and pick your sides.

Brisket sandwich with sweet sauce for Pants. Damm fine, thank you very much!

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Ain’t nobody going hungry today.

(I know – double negative. Mountain people rub off on me.)

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After lunch, we turned south on 107, then reversed our route back to Clayton. Now some of you might turn your nose up on the thought of having to ride 107, 28, and Warwoman Road TWICE in one day, but to you I say:

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Shoot – I could ride those roads non-stop for a week. Back at the gas station in Clayton, it’s mid-afternoon and time for Wheatie to split off for home. Safe travels, my new friend. I enjoyed being with you today!!

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Philharmonic also broke off for home as he only had one day to ride. But the 1911’s are coming with us, and so off we go for more adventure.

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By the way, I told Duane that we wouldn’t change roads until we had eyes on him, and for he and Marilee to “ride your own ride”. I figured two-up with a trailer would be slow going. Uh…. Nope. They were right there with us the whole time, and we thought that was pretty impressive.

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We stopped for groceries in Helen. Mark picked me up some local red ale at the liquor store next to the grocery, along with some German beer for himself. Delicious!

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Back at the campground, Duane and Marilee started nesting.

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And Josh and I got to working on dinner.

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I pushed the limit of my little frying pan, but it worked out well.

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Duane was in charge of the avocado. It seemed like a relatively simple task. Marilee was enjoying taking in the show.

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Cheers!

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Meanwhile, back at the grill….

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You have to get the olive oil spread evenly on the asparagus.

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Mmmmmm…. Mushrooms, man.

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Starting to come together.

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Chef Josh is warming the tortillas.

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OK – full disclosure. I didn’t buy enough groceries for 6 people. I’m not accustomed to campfire cooking for that many. But we spread it around, everyone got a decent fajita, and to their credit, nobody complained.

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The 1911’s brought desert!! Madam – with those brownies, you are welcome in this gang ANY time!!

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Josh toasted the apple cinnamon bread – yummie!!

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After dinner, I started passing around the happy juice and Mark was playing some good music. Again, I may have gotten just a wee bit carried away. I’ll let the others chime in on that one.

Good fire, good spirits, good friends, good spirit – a great end to a fantastic day!!

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Day 5: You guessed it ….. more twisties!!!! Approx. 275 miles.

As soon as the tent stopped spinning, I was out like a light. I’m gonna have to get some better tent stakes.

I get up at daybreak and the first order of business hasn’t changed… coffee!!

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Josh wants to try some thick cut bacon over the fire, and who am I to argue with pig???

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Seems he can’t quite put a finger on what he is thinking. Granted, being a ride report internet sensation can get grinding at times.

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Soon, the others start stirring. It’s gonna be another nice day.

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Marilee has got some oatmeal going this morning for a nice warm and healthy breakfast.

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Curt has packed early this morning. He’s got two days to get home, but the weather forecast is not good for him, so he will leave early. So long my new friend. I enjoyed being with ya and I look forward to seeing you soon.

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Today is Easter Sunday. I’m not much of a religious man, but I think there are some things we just can’t explain, and I’m at a point in my life when I can accept that which I cannot fully understand. In my younger days, things were different. Everything had to have a place and a purpose. And if that wasn’t abundantly obvious, I’d get myself all lathered up trying to figure it out.

Looking back, how exhausting that must have been for me. Things are different now for Pants. Respectfully, I’ve had my own resurrection. I dunno if He is watching, but if He is, then surely He must see that I’ve earned my stripes. My wife and I have paid our dues with our sweat, our time, and our money. We’ve raised and educated our kids, and they are doing just fine. Our parents are all about 75 and healthy, but we know that can’t last forever. Right now, our time is precious and limited. The new name of the game is FUN! The time for “ME” is NOW and today, I’m in one of my favorite playgrounds with some of my closest friends.

The 1911’s will ride with us a while this morning, and we are thrilled to have them. In McCayesville, we stopped at a grocery and picked up some picnic supplies. Now I don’t have to worry about lunch – we’ve got lunch with us!!

I plotted a course for the Noxley Dam near Blue Ridge because I just wanted to see it. Turns out it wasn’t much to see so we pressed on. We kept moving north and instead of riding hwy 68, which is a great road, we took Hwy 315 and Hwy 30 toward Tellico Plains for something different. These are also great roads that are usually traffic free and we enjoyed them.

In Tellico Plains, we gassed up, and I jumped on the Cherahola Skyway. All day, I’ve been leery about riding the popular roads because it’s Easter and the weather is great. Turns out we mostly had the world to ourselves.

At the Cherokee Indian Boundary, I turned off and looked for picnic possibilities.

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Uh…. Yeah, this is gonna work….

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Mass production sandwiches.

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Chef Josh gets on the avocado.

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We got this, Duane. Just sit down and relax.

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Good things come to those that wait….

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Poor Mark – he’s been such a trooper, but he’s looking a little thin in the gills. I gave him a couple extra slices of cold cuts and cheese.

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“I told ya, Marilee. These knucklehead Turd Hustlers are not all that bad!”

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After lunch, the 1911’s have to go back to Suches and break their camp. They have horses that need feeding and they have to get home this evening. We shook hands and thanked them for the time they had. Good people right there, for sure.

Since the traffic is non-existent, Josh, Mark, and I decided to go ahead and ride the Skyway. I’ve ridden the Cherahola about 25 times and I tell ya, this was pretty good. Zero traffic to deal with. Great temperature. Clean road surface. Holy cow.

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At this stop, Mark was convinced he left his phone at the lunch place. But he used his SPOT device to tell him that the phone was connected, and it turns out, it was in his pants pocket the whole time. Well done, my friend.

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At this point, I’ve got to make some kind of loop, so in Robbinsville, I take 143 to Hwy 28 and in Stecoah, we start getting stupid. When I’m riding, some times I like to make motions with my arms, hands, legs, etc. to stretch them out and get the blood circulating. Josh and Mark decided to have some fun with it.

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Ladies and gentlemen – I give you Josh with his favorite Yoga pose!

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And here’s Mark doing the Running Man!!

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Although not pictured, we also tried the Canoe Paddler, the Cross Country Skier, the Eagle Lift Off, and a few of my classic Disco Dancing moves….

Guess you had to be there….

I was gonna take Wayah Road south but I was up here in November and I remember that they were re-paving Hwy 28 between Stacoah and Franklin. So we took Hwy 28 and HOLY COW – was that fun!!! Absolutely perfectly smooth black top pavement with fresh paint stripes and ZERO TRAFFIC!!! What little gravel was on the road was very visible against the black pavement, and we saw it well in advance. That was one fine piece of riding.

In Franklin, my mid-afternoon sweet tooth comes to the surface. Easy fix….

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Now getting later in the afternoon, we hoped on 411 toward Clayton and I found myself getting melancholy on the 4-lane. I love this place. It just feels right to me. In a relatively short time, I’m gonna live here. My extended family thinks that I’m whistling through my ass. But my wife knows me and she knows that anything I’ve ever put my mind to, I’ve done. And I’m going to do this.

The excitement of that overwhelmed me.

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In Clayton, we stopped for groceries and I led us back to the campground. On Hwy 76 heading west, I approached a blacked out F-150 from behind. After a few curves, like I had done countless times before, I stared plotting a move to pass on the double yellow. Just as I was about to signal Josh and Mark, the pickup truck flashed some blue rear lights at me. Thank you, officer for the notice. Happy Easter to you as well, Ma’am.

Back at the campground, Josh starts cooking. Wow, these steaks look delicious.

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Josh grabbed Mark’s mini-sami sword and started chopping things.

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That is a pretty sharp knife…

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We’re in good shape here. Decisions, Decisions…

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Absolutely scrumptious. Went down like an aspirin tablets, I tell ya.

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Guess I’ll burn my navigational aid tonight. This is one method, but of course, there are many others including the “close your eyes and point to the map” method. It doesn’t take any skills to lead a ride up here.

But it does take consideration to pull over and let the others lead for a while. Mark is always content to ride sweep, but I’m sure that at times, Josh would have preferred to lead. Selfishly, I didn’t realize that and I apologized to my friend for this.

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There’s been a full moon every night since we’ve gotten here. Tonight, it looks particularly fascinating. So we walk across the street to the lakeshore of Woody Lake and take it in.

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It’s been a great trip.

Day 6: Suches, GA to Louisville, MS. Approximately 400 miles.

We had company last night.

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Who could blame the little buggers? Hell, I’d be thankful for the fat droppings from that steak last night. Oh well – we cleaned it up and no harm, no foul. After a simple breakfast, we packed up and headed out. I was a bit sad to leave my friends, but we’ve gotten used to this part now, and our next adventure together is always just around the corner. After all, in Josh’s words, we are true friends.

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In Dahlonega, I’ve got a choice. I usually take Hwy 140 to Rome, GA, but this morning I’m feeling different, so I pick Hwy 53. At an intersection, my GPS doesn’t warn me of the road switch, and I ran straight through a stop sign!!! Unfriggin believeable, I tell ya. I was looking at my GPS and I completely ignored the stop sign. Worse yet, there was a pickup truck approaching from my left and by the grace of the almighty, he saw me running way too fast to stop, so he slammed the brakes and gave me a pass. I grabbed all brakes hard and the bike slowed down, but it was too late and I ran right through the intersection. After doing so, I waved sincerely at the old coot, thanking him profusely through my helmet for his generous and selfless driving. **** – I could have died right there.

In Rome, GA, I decided to stop at the hardware store and clam down. Last night, I lost my bike key. It fell down my triple tree area and I think it might have wound up on top of my motor. Next time I check my valves, I’ll probably find it. No big deal – I’ve got a spare key and I used it to have these peeps make me a couple of spares.

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From Rome, I pointed toward Alabama. The road is still just fine here.

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This is Weiss Lake, formed by damming the Coosa River.

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I ran through Gadsden, and jumped on US 278 heading West. In Holly Pond, AL, I stopped here for lunch.

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Grilled chicken sandwich with homemade onion rings. Excellent!

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I turn south on Hwy 91 and get into the pine trees. This is good riding. Not as twisty as where I’ve been, but I enjoy it none the less.

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Want to know where your food comes from? Find the back roads.

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In Aliceville, I wanted to visit a museum that is dedicated to the German POW camp that resided there, but I forgot it was Easter Sunday and closed. Oh well, next time.

I don’t see much in the way of hotels, so I decide to push on into Mississippi. On Hwy 14 heading toward Macon, the road is desolate and void of any cross roads. So this is how that area is best ridden.

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Pretty simple life for central Mississippi farmers….

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The courthouse in Macon, MS is very nice.

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In Louisville, I head straight toward my hotel for the night.

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I’ve slept here before and it’s a nice place. I’m almost out of shampoo. It must be time to go home.

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Now this is my kind of Happy Hour!!

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At the lodge restaurant, I ate the soup and salad bar. It was nothing extravagant, but good enough for dinner.

It is time to go home.

Day 7: Louisville, MS to Lafayette, LA. Approximately 425 miles.

The lake lodge room is quiet and the mattress is good. The in room coffee is not. None the less, I make due with it as I pack my bike and hit the road about 8 am.

There is no point in hurrying. The weather will hold and I’ve got all day to get home. There is some time to wander this morning, so I consult the State highway map and start zig zagging.

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Nice view up here.

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The riding is pretty good too in Mississippi. Seek the blue roads on the State highway map. They are all fairly good.

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With Old Man River rising, all of the back water bayous are full of water.

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I found a sign indicating “Nanih Waiya Cave” and I tried to get to it. This mud was hard packed so I pressed on with my bovine audience.

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Turns out that the cave was closed because the river is high now and when that happens, the cave fills with water. It would have been nice to know that back at the highway, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Doubling back to the highway, this critter has gotten loose. I’ll give her plenty of space.

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Back on the highway heading south, I’m enjoying my day.

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This is Hwy 501 between Forest and Raleigh, MS, and it’s a GREAT road to ride under the shade of the tree canopy in the Bienville National Forest.

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Every time I find a sign, I stop to learn.

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Beautiful home in the middle of absolutely no where.

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I pull up to the village of Mount Olive at lunch time. The decision is easy – this is the ONLY place to eat.

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I ordered a deluxe cheese burger and it was OUTSTANDING. I think they use a mix of ground pork and ground beef. The gal behind the counter told me that everyone that orders lunch gets a free donut for dessert. Cool!!

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Back on the bike, I turned west on US84 and the wildflowers are entertaining me as I make miles. The red Indian Clover is beautiful.

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I stopped in Clinton, LA to gas up and have my treat.

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There is NO way I’m gonna fight the traffic in Baton Rouge today. I’ve had way too much fun on this trip to ruin it now. So I detour to St. Francisville, and cross the mighty Mississippi River on the new Audubon Bridge.

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I’ve got a thing for bridges, and cable stayed ones are among my favorites.

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This is a beautiful structure to me.

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Now close to home, this is False River, which is actually a lake that was formed by an old Oxbow of the Mississippi.

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That was the last picture I took for this trip.

I arrived home safely about 4 pm. I stuck my filthy bike in the shop and left it there with my riding gear. I took a shower and when my wife got home, I greeted her warmly and was very glad to see her. We went out to eat and I enjoyed telling her about my great adventure.

So I’m back home in Louisiana now and things have returned to normal. The schedule is adhered to and the obligations are being met. I’ll do what the man tells me to do. For now, that is.

But make no mistake. Georgia is on my mind…..

Stay thirsty, my friends….

 
Sorry I had to miss, but looks like you didn’t need me this time.

 
Carver - does TwoWheelNut own that restaurant, or was you comment just a play on words that Gullable Pants couldn't pick up on?

Ok - someone has let me know that TWN is no longer with us. He passed before my time, and now I get it, Carver.

No disrespect intended, obviously.

 
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Riding, camping and eating with Pants and crew. It’s a not-so-micro lesson in LIVING!

https://vimeo.com/263729827

Will I apply what I learned this weekend and try to be more like Pants? Probably not.

I will try to pick my campground cooking game up a notch or two. And I may plan future rides with a little less structure. But I will never be the life of the party. That’s something you can’t fake.

https://vimeo.com/263656631

Thanks Pants

 
Carver - does TwoWheelNut own that restaurant, or was you comment just a play on words that Gullable Pants couldn't pick up on?
Ok - someone has let me know that TWN is no longer with us. He passed before my time, and now I get it, Carver.

No disrespect intended, obviously.
Freaking nooobies! :whistle:

 
Another fantastic installment in the journey of the life of Pants! Wish I could've joined y'all bro. Hate that I missed seeing you boys, and the chance to meet a few new folks.
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Re: Georgia On My Mind

Post by Poolboy2 » Sat Apr 14, 2018 10:55 am

Pants said above: "Apparently, Mark was nice and toasty in his tent with the space heater and the heated blanket and curling iron and the popcorn machine and whatever else he had in there".
If you had fully opened the tent flap it would looked something like this....

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I figure if I have to sleep in a tent I'm going to be comfortable.

Was great meeting Duane and Marilee, Philharmonic, Preacher Phil, and even meeting Wheatie wasn't that bad...lol
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I'm not surprised Pants didn't share the secret breakfast ingredient..... (just kidding no booze for breakfast)

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I'll let this picture speak for itself.

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Thanks for all the great memories boys.


 
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