Road Triiiiiiiip!!!!!...or my version of a "mancation"
My dear wife is aw-sum. What other woman would let her husband go wandering off for four days on a pointless journey with no destination or plan while she stayed with the three kids? She made it as guilt free for me as possible, and for that I am supremely grateful.
I think it has been about three years since I have done a multi-day motocycle trip...and I could tell. For a while now I've been itching to get on the bike and just ride. Last year, I got to do two trackdays and I thought those would help curb my wanderlust. But in reality, I just got addicted to trackdays and I still wanted to travel.
Initially, Chuck and I were supposed to go to the Ozarks and base our camp in Eureka Springs. It had been a long time since I had been up that way and I was hoping to get to hang out with cousins and family that live way up in Wal-Mart-land. Mother Nature had different plans though. Plans that called for biblical rains and "ternayders" in that area. None of that stuff blends with riding motorcycles very well. So we went East instead. East to the Smokies--home of some of the best riding in the country.
Day one started early. I left the house at 5 am and met Chuck in a puny little town about 30 min. away. He was waiting at the designated spot when I pulled up. I'm not sure he was thrilled with my idea to meet at 5:30am but I had my reasons. See, anytime I road trip it, I usually end up riding late at night, in the cold, because I spent half the day wandering around lost. Just ask Scott, he can back me up on that one. So I figured the earlier we start, the longer I can be lost and still get to the hotel before dark. Hence, the meeting at 5:30. Besides, we had 555 miles to go. Let's get it on!
By 7:00 am we had cleared 100 miles and were working our way across Alabama. The air had finally started to warm from the chilly 49 degrees to something more bareable and I was singing the Indigo Girls' "Get Out the Map" as loudly as I pleased in my helmet, slaughtering the lyrics and the melody at the same time. The rest of the morning was uneventful save for the wild goose chase the GPS led me on when we got to Rome, GA.
By mid-afternoon, we finally got to some mountainous terrain. Chuck had devised a wonderful route linking several state or county roads together to bring us circuitously to our destination of Spruce Pine, NC. Just imagine riding a roller coaster for about 3 hours straight. That is kinda what it was like. Curve after curve winding through some of the prettiest country anywhere. We arrived in Spruce Pine around 6pm or so. Our hotel was, umm, modest. But the proprieter let us park our bikes on the sidewalk under the awning just in case it rained.
Day 2 dawned nice and clear. We hit up a local joint for breakfast and then headed north, clipping part of Tennessee, before turning east to run just inside the southern border of Virginia and then heading back down into North Carolina. All of that took the better part of the day. Although we did get back to the hotel a little earlier than usual. I think the long ride from Day 1 had taken its toll and we were both sore and tired.
Day 3 had us packing up and leaving Spruce Pine for the last time. It was threatening raining when we left, but that didn't last too long. Although we did get rained on a little later in the morning. This day's ride would see us head west and south, riding along part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, turning south into South Carolina, and then heading west again into northen Georgia. We ended the ride late in the afternoon in Helen, GA. Let me just save all of y'all a trip to Helen. It aint worth it unless you like rednecks and a southern town trying desperately to be a fake Germany. We did end day three on a strong note though. After an okay steak dinner to celebrate our "man-cation" we decided to salvage the last bit of daylight and hit up the Richard Russell Scenic Byway, state route 348. When we got to 348, there was a sign indicating that the road was closed up ahead. We ventured on, not knowing when we would be forced to stop and turn around. It turns out that we had about 7 miles of curves all to ourselves. I won't go into details but lets just say that serious lean angles were achieved. No cars. No cops. Just two motorcycles and one glorious road.
Day 4 started with rain. Luckily, it only last for about 20 minutes. We pushed on, catching the last of the fun roads as we worked our way out of the Smokies and back towards our families. I was excited to get home. This trip had been exactly what I needed and was neither too long or too short. Chuck and I split off at the same place we had met at that dark hour on day one. We gave each other a thumbs up as we parted ways. 25 minutes later, I pulled into the driveway tired and sore but rejuvenated. Just what a "mancation" is supposed to do.
I think it has been about three years since I have done a multi-day motocycle trip...and I could tell. For a while now I've been itching to get on the bike and just ride. Last year, I got to do two trackdays and I thought those would help curb my wanderlust. But in reality, I just got addicted to trackdays and I still wanted to travel.
Initially, Chuck and I were supposed to go to the Ozarks and base our camp in Eureka Springs. It had been a long time since I had been up that way and I was hoping to get to hang out with cousins and family that live way up in Wal-Mart-land. Mother Nature had different plans though. Plans that called for biblical rains and "ternayders" in that area. None of that stuff blends with riding motorcycles very well. So we went East instead. East to the Smokies--home of some of the best riding in the country.
Day one started early. I left the house at 5 am and met Chuck in a puny little town about 30 min. away. He was waiting at the designated spot when I pulled up. I'm not sure he was thrilled with my idea to meet at 5:30am but I had my reasons. See, anytime I road trip it, I usually end up riding late at night, in the cold, because I spent half the day wandering around lost. Just ask Scott, he can back me up on that one. So I figured the earlier we start, the longer I can be lost and still get to the hotel before dark. Hence, the meeting at 5:30. Besides, we had 555 miles to go. Let's get it on!
By 7:00 am we had cleared 100 miles and were working our way across Alabama. The air had finally started to warm from the chilly 49 degrees to something more bareable and I was singing the Indigo Girls' "Get Out the Map" as loudly as I pleased in my helmet, slaughtering the lyrics and the melody at the same time. The rest of the morning was uneventful save for the wild goose chase the GPS led me on when we got to Rome, GA.
By mid-afternoon, we finally got to some mountainous terrain. Chuck had devised a wonderful route linking several state or county roads together to bring us circuitously to our destination of Spruce Pine, NC. Just imagine riding a roller coaster for about 3 hours straight. That is kinda what it was like. Curve after curve winding through some of the prettiest country anywhere. We arrived in Spruce Pine around 6pm or so. Our hotel was, umm, modest. But the proprieter let us park our bikes on the sidewalk under the awning just in case it rained.
Day 2 dawned nice and clear. We hit up a local joint for breakfast and then headed north, clipping part of Tennessee, before turning east to run just inside the southern border of Virginia and then heading back down into North Carolina. All of that took the better part of the day. Although we did get back to the hotel a little earlier than usual. I think the long ride from Day 1 had taken its toll and we were both sore and tired.
Day 3 had us packing up and leaving Spruce Pine for the last time. It was threatening raining when we left, but that didn't last too long. Although we did get rained on a little later in the morning. This day's ride would see us head west and south, riding along part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, turning south into South Carolina, and then heading west again into northen Georgia. We ended the ride late in the afternoon in Helen, GA. Let me just save all of y'all a trip to Helen. It aint worth it unless you like rednecks and a southern town trying desperately to be a fake Germany. We did end day three on a strong note though. After an okay steak dinner to celebrate our "man-cation" we decided to salvage the last bit of daylight and hit up the Richard Russell Scenic Byway, state route 348. When we got to 348, there was a sign indicating that the road was closed up ahead. We ventured on, not knowing when we would be forced to stop and turn around. It turns out that we had about 7 miles of curves all to ourselves. I won't go into details but lets just say that serious lean angles were achieved. No cars. No cops. Just two motorcycles and one glorious road.
Day 4 started with rain. Luckily, it only last for about 20 minutes. We pushed on, catching the last of the fun roads as we worked our way out of the Smokies and back towards our families. I was excited to get home. This trip had been exactly what I needed and was neither too long or too short. Chuck and I split off at the same place we had met at that dark hour on day one. We gave each other a thumbs up as we parted ways. 25 minutes later, I pulled into the driveway tired and sore but rejuvenated. Just what a "mancation" is supposed to do.
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