Deprecated: Array and string offset access syntax with curly braces is deprecated in /home2/rayvitam/public_html/blogs/plugins/_auto_p.plugin.php on line 502

Deprecated: Array and string offset access syntax with curly braces is deprecated in /home2/rayvitam/public_html/blogs/plugins/_auto_p.plugin.php on line 500

Deprecated: Array and string offset access syntax with curly braces is deprecated in /home2/rayvitam/public_html/blogs/plugins/_auto_p.plugin.php on line 500

Deprecated: Array and string offset access syntax with curly braces is deprecated in /home2/rayvitam/public_html/blogs/plugins/_texturize.plugin.php on line 116

The Annual Oktoberfest Trek

I know, I know. The "To Helen Back" is a much-overused pun; and admittedly not a very good one at that. But I've never used it in a blog before, so I thought I'd take this rare opportunity to share this trite expression with all of you who undoubtedly don't give a shit.

Anyway, I'm off to Helen, Georgia, again. Just in time for their "Oktoberfest" celebration; which, in Helen, lasts about 11 months each year. They just "ratchet up a notch" during September, October and November; which translates to higher prices and more traffic.

My friend Bill Marshall (who deserted all his friends in Alabama and moved to North Carolina) started this annual ride back in 2003. Our chapter has made this trek ever year since then -- except for this year. Bill lined up special rates and a large block of rooms at a nice hotel in Helen. But after advertising the ride and discounts for several months, the hotel had booked exactly two rooms - one for Bill and one for me. Last year we had more than 60 bikes make the trip to Helen; but for a wide variety of disconnected reasons, nobody else wanted to (or could) make the ride this year.

So a few of us (Bill and his wife Ann, our District Attorney Randall Houston and wife Stacey, and a number of RH's staff [yes, Beverly, I'll mention your name, too] and friends) decided we'd go on our own. It's a week earlier than normal, but that's to accommodate RH's busy social calendar.

So we're heading to Helen on Thursday to eat, ride, eat, see some sights, eat, relax, and possibly take some time to eat. Should be a FUN 4-day trip! You can find photos at the same "photo album link" in the right-hand column. So, ..... C'mon along now, hea'?

Thursday, September 18

Before I get too far into the trip, let me formally introduce our cast of characters:

• RH - Randall Houston, our esteemed District Attorney.

• Stacey - RH's wife.

• Beverly - RH's "Special Assistant" (think "Special Olympics" and you'll get the idea).

• Jennifer - one of RH's staff.

• JC - Jennifer's husband.

• Todd - JC's brother, who joined us in Heflin, AL.

• Todd's wife. Okay, I'm ashamed to say it, but I've not yet even heard her name. I'm assuming she has one. I'll add it if she does.

• Bill - my old friend (and when I say "old" ... well, I mean it) who used to live in the Montgomery area and was very active in our chapter

• Ann - Bill's wife, who was also very active in our chapter, and (I think by sheer coincidence) also lived in the Montgomery area.

Now, I'd heard that traveling with RH (that's Randall Houston, our District Attorney) is always quite an adventure; so I knew this would be an exciting trip. And the "fun" started even before we left -- the day before, actually. Beverly went over to help RH unload the bikes, and as soon as his got on the gravel they learned the battery was dead. Then when they tried to moved his BIG truck so they could roll the bike under the shelter out of the morning rain, they found that the TWO batteries in the truck were dead as well! They removed the battery from the bike and took it to the dealership (to make sure that was the problem), and ended up buying a new battery and got it installed. So finally RH had his ride ready to go.

We had a very pleasant ride up to Helen. It took about 7 hours to cover the 270-something miles. We stopped a lot. In fact, our first stop came after almost 10 miles! Seems RH had a phone call he had to take, so we had to pull off within shouting distance of his office. After that call, he either limited his calls to times when we stopped for food or gas, or had Jenny make the calls for him.

In all, we had 5 motorcycles and a total of 8 people from Montgomery, plus Bill on his bike and Ann in their Toyota Prius from Statesville, NC. Jenny and Stacey piloted their SUV, which RH kept referring to as the "Cargo Van." I have to admit that reference was fairly accurate. They carried a lot of stuff -- they lashed 4 bicycles on the back of the SUV, and carried more cargo inside than Hannibal packed on all his elephants as he crossed the Alps.

Somewhere in the wastelands of western Georgia, RH came on the CB radio and said he'd received three phone calls from some phone number he didn't recognize. He could SEE that he'd gotten the calls, but couldn't answer or call them back while riding. So he asked Jenny if she'd call that unknown number and see who it was -- and, we all assume, what the person wanted. In the end, Stacey made the call. About 15 minutes after his request, RH came back on the radio, asking if they'd called that number. Stacey dutifully reported that she'd had a very nice conversation (about 10 minutes worth), and they'd talked about their kids, the ride, their lives, and other stuff. ...okay, but who was it? Stacey said, "Well, I don't know!" She finally admitted that whoever it was that had called RH -- and whoever it was she'd just talked to for 10 miles -- was so nice and seemed so familiar, she was embarrassed to ask who the heck she was talking to! Okay, so she won't live that down for a long time!

When we got to Helen, Bill and Ann were sitting outside the hotel waiting for us. After we got settled, we all headed down to a local German(ish) restaurant for dinner. (I think maybe Bill and Ann got the better of the deal - they'd previously eaten some great food at a local Mexican place; with better service, more food, and lower prices.) I'd like to say, "We'll learn," but this IS Helen, after all.

But this town is eerie right now. Normally, the town is crowded -- CROWDED -- with people and traffic. Last year when we came up a day early on a Thursday, it was MUCH less crowded. But tonight? It's like a ghost town. There was our group and two police cars. I guess that's a proportional response to the threat. Still, it seems strange to see the streets so deserted. Kind cool, too.

Tomorrow we're planning to ..... well, ..... gosh. Actually, we have NO plans so far. I trust we'll come up with something when we wake up.

Friday, September 19

Marie! Finally, "Mrs. Todd" finally has a first name. Cool. I guess it's like Stacey and her mystery phone call -- there comes a point where you're just too uncomfortable to ask someone, "Okay, just who the hell are you?" We no longer have to do that.

I met up with Bill and Ann for breakfast this morning. (Actually, I was sleeping like a bear in hibernation when they called.) Went to a local Huddle House. Every table and chair was filled, and only four people working the whole place. It may have been quicker to ride 30 miles down the road to a larger town for a McDonald's breakfast, but we stuck it out. One thing Helen does not excel at -- service. I can't remember a single restaurant we've ever used that didn't have poor service. Maybe it's the German influence?

I led our little group (just four bikes) to our first (and arguably our only planned destination for the day, a little town called Hoschton about 50 miles south of Helen. This small town set out to break the World Record for the most scarecrows in one town. (We all need to claim some kind of fame in life, don't we?) The world record had been something north of 3,000 scarecrows. As of today, according to a reliable city official (in that he just happened to be wearing a shirt that said "City of Hoschton" on it -- and I think the word "sanitation" or "inmate" or something like that -- they have created and posted WAY more than 5,000 scarecrows. And they're not done yet. So they've easily shattered the world record. Some cool sights, too....see the photo album if you'd like to see them.

From there, we did a quick U-turn (okay, that was NOT okay with everyone) at the scarecrow football field (see the photos), and then things went straight downhill fast -- at least according to the other three bikers on this little ride. We decided to head to a small town near here called Dahlonega. It's a very cool, quaint little town with lots of shops, cool things to see, and lots of local history. I used my trusty GPS to plot us a route south of Lake Lanier (neither I nor the GPS had ever gone that way before) and then north to Dahlonega. Unfortunately, that route was perilously close to some Atlanta-ish traffic and involved about 20 miles of Interstate travel. None of that was well received. But heck; on the bright side, maybe they won't ask me to lead the way again!

From there, we took a route we've used often, through some scenic rolling hills and involved some great "twisty" roads. I think everyone like that. Tried and true comes through. Back in town (which is still fairly deserted), folks are heading different directions for dinner. I'll head out with Bill and Ann. Since we've already eaten TWICE today, I'll just have dessert while they chow down on schnitzel and wurst. And I should note, that the "wurst" here is the kind that you EAT .... it is NOT the wurst for WEAR.

Ugh. Sorry. Good Night, Gracie.

Saturday, September 20

And Sunday is a Day of Rest. Amen.

Most folks decided to really "chill" today. Some took it easy in Helen until time to watch a football game on the tube. Others probably found some shady, quiet bike trails to ride their bicycles. And a couple (I won't mention either Bill or Ann) just sat outside their room and watched the water flow down the stream. Restful.

But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ride; so I did. Headed up into North Carolina, where I found myself some seriously twisted roads. I'm glad my GPS keeps track of where I've been, because I gotta remember some of those roads. Beautiful scenery, sparse traffic, good pavement, and a WIDE variety of riding conditions; up hills, down hills, across hills, left turns, right turns, wide sweeping turns and tighter-than-hairpin turns -- and sometimes all at the same time!

As I was going along, I encountered a couple signs; one said, "Reduced Speed Ahead," followed by one that set the speed limit at "45 mph". 45? FORTY-FIVE? For the past half hour, I'd never been able to get going that fast! The roads were so twisted and narrow that doing 30 was "pushing it."

One town I came through was exceptionally cool. A place called Cashiers, North Carolina. A beautiful town, with lots of shops and activities, beautifully landscaped main street, little side streets full of shops, and other "tourist stuff." (Bill/Ann, I'm sure you're familiar with it. If not, check it out!)

Two corners on today's ride stand out....just don't ask me where they were. On one, I literally found myself looking "backwards" over my right shoulder in order to see the road ahead of me. Honest. This was probably the second-tightest corner I've ever seen on a highway. (The tightest being near the top of Mt. Evans in Colorado.) That was fun! The other was banked (or not, or something) in such a way that I actually dragged one of my highway pegs on the road! Heck, I didn't even know that was possible! I've dragged my foot-boards many times on tight corners, but never a highway peg -- which sets up over a foot above the ground. Maybe I don't want to go back to that particular corner.

I came through one little town in South Carolina and was minding my own business on this four-lane road. I was doing at or under the speed limit on the inside lane going South. Then I noticed a sheriff's car pulling up behind me. He got right up on my asphalt-hugging rear tire and stayed there. Followed me like that for several blocks. Then some kids (or thugs or vandals or juveniles or whatever) came up on the outside lane and passed us both. As soon as they were past me, the sheriff pulled around me and tucked in right behind the kids in their pickup truck. They continued to speed down the highway. At that point, I guess the sheriff just couldn't contain himself any longer and flipped on his lights. And at that point the kids' "pickup truck" became a "picked-up truck." Can YOU say, Duh!

And tomorrow morning we pack up and head for home. WOW, the time went SO FAST! Then again, I warned you this was gonna be a quick, short trip!

Sunday, September 21

Had a great time last night after I posted the blog. I was going to take a walk down through the shops on main street, and managed to convince Bill and Ann to go with me. (Ann didn't mind at all -- Bill's arm probably still hasn't returned to its socket.) Amazingly enough, we ran into everyone from our Montgomery and Heflin group at some point; and saw RH on two separate trips. (It seems he has a ritual of going to town for fudge and candy during football's half-time show.)

Now, far be it for me to pick on anyone by name, so I won't mention names. But just after we bumped into RH and Stacey, one of their cell phones started ringing. I won't point fingers, but when she finally fished her phone out of her purse, sure that she'd missed the call, she stuck it up to her ear and yelled, "Hello? Hello!" Nobody there. A moment later she realized it'd been a text message and not a call. But I won't say who did that!

Bill, Ann and I eventually ended up at the Troll Tavern for dinner. Excellent dinner and great company. And it was so much more enjoyable once Bill figured out which light was flickering on and off. (Long story. If you have any brains at all, you won't ask.) Anyway, thanks again, Bill, for buying dinner. I think I now owe you a month's worth of groceries.

Homeward bound....Homeward bound.....

Our Alabama contingent headed South this morning while Bill and Ann headed North. As we stood together in the parking lot just before leaving, I realized this whole group had only been together twice this whole trip -- once for dinner the night we arrived, and now just as we're leaving. It's neat that Helen has so much variety that we could be there together but doing different things.

The trip back was fairly uneventful. We hit a couple spritzes of light rain, but not enough to get us wet. And, of course, we had our share of close calls with maniac drivers. Todd and Marie left us where we'd found them, in Heflin, Alabama. And we made the rest of the trip in good time.

This has been a perfect trip in so many ways. JUST the right people (and the right number of people), great location, ideal weather for ANY activity, good food, and nice people around town. No Diary Queen or McDonald's, but maybe that's too much to ask of Helen; as adding anything like that would ruin the aura.

Check out all the new photos added to the album. Bill and Ann took some pictures -- some on a separate trip they made to Hoschton (a/k/a "scarecrow city"). They're worth a few moments of your time.

Pardon me while I relax a while. I'm going to sit at home and "chill" for several weeks before I head off on another delightful adventure. Stay tuned for the Fall Season Premiere on October 11th.

.......