A wee group rides the Natchez Trace!

A small group is heading off to ride the "Natchez Trace Parkway." If you're not familiar with it, here's how Wikipedia describes it:

The Natchez Trace, a 440-mile-long path extending from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, linked the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers. It was a traditional Native Americans trail and was later also used by early European explorers as both a trade and transit route in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Today, the trail has been commemorated by the 444-mile-long Natchez Trace Parkway, which follows the approximate path of the trace.

On the trip, Jim and Sandra Penner (the whole trip was Jim's idea, so we're blaming him if anything goes wrong), Calvin and Molly Nelson, Louie and Paula Hall, Bill and Ann Marshall, and myself (Jack will have to be MY "better half" on the ride).

Bill and Ann rode/drove (Bill on his Harley Ultra, Ann in her cool Toyota Prius) from their villa in North Carolina to Prattville on Friday, Oct 12, to spend the night before we all left town. That's good for me; it gives me the opportunity to have a pleasant dinner (or "supper," depending on your political affiliation) with them again.

Saturday, October 13, 2008
Prattville to Natchez, MS

Had a nice time with Bill and Ann last night. Ate at a local barbeque place. I had something called a "Classic Rib Sandwich." Being a regular customer of McDonald's where they often feature their Rib Sandwich -- processed pork rib meat slab and flavored ketchup on a bun -- I assumed I'd see something similar. What I didn't expect was to find four ribs on a small bun. Ribs. Bone and all. Silly me. I ended up with a fractional rack of rib with a bun chaser. It was good, though.

We all met this morning at the local Holiday Inn, which is where Bill and Ann spent the night. After a little chatting, coffee, and pee breaks, we were on the road.

Had a fairly uneventful trip over to Natchez. Saw one lonely cow that got out of the fence and was trying to cross the road in front of us. (Why DID the cow cross the road?) We all avoided him, with thanks to Jim who led the group and pointed him out to us before we got to him.

Jim and Sandra had made this ride a few weeks ago, so Jim suggested we stop at a little "caboose restaurant" where they served barbeque and chicken. He warned us ahead of time, they had very, VERY limited hours, so they might not even be open when we got there.

They weren't open. And it wasn't a caboose. It was a large, red cargo trailer -- presumably with a stove and refrigerator inside. "Well, it was RED," Jim said. Caboose. Trailer. About the same -- less the tracks.

We finally stopped for lunch at a no-name place just outside Laurel, MS. I think its name was "Mr T's Dairy Barn," because that was at the top of a menu page inside the place. But otherwise, it was just a dumpy old building along the road. The food? As Molly said, 'It's a MUST STOP PLACE if you ever get through here." I was good, too.

Sandra asked one of the employees if they had restrooms in the place. "Yes, it's out back. You have to go around to the back of the building behind the dumpster, and there's a door there." Amazing place. Not a AAA Five-Star restroom, that's for sure. But it worked.

When we stopped in Selma, just 40 miles or so from our starting point, we bumped into another member of our HOG Chapter -- Ken Eddy. He and a number of other guys were riding west to the Natchez Trace as well. Amazingly enough, we left Selma about the same time; they stopped for fuel, food, and necessaries at different times and different places than we did; and by the time we got to Natchez some 350 miles later, we were almost in one big group. We'll probably see 'em again tomorrow.

Gas prices stayed fairly constant along the route, running in the $3.00-3.30 range. We saw it below $3/gallon once. And not everyplace HAD gas. But we made it anyway.

We only had one "problem" on the way... Sandra's new bike "just quit" part way across Mississippi. Don't know why. She pulled off the road and stopped, hit the starter, and it cranked back up again. So we're clueless; but praying that it continues running for another 700 miles or so.

Speaking of Sandra... At our last stop about 10 miles shy of Natchez, she came up to me and said, "I hope you've noticed that I've been ignoring you this whole trip." (I hated to admit that I hadn't! ... and wisely didn't.) Seems that was her way of "getting back at me" for giving her a little "thank you gift" after buying me dinner in Milwaukee. Gosh, I was just trying to be NICE for a change.

Once I got settled in the campground, Bill and Ann got settled in their hotel, and the other six (YOU go look up their names) got settled into their Monmouth Plantation rooms, we all got together in the courtyard to chat until time to eat. We had reservations at the spectacular dining room at the Monmouth. The place is really cool. ALL truly antiques everywhere, heavy velvet drapes, plush carpet in the hallway and what were probably original wood floors in the dining area, flowers and portraits all over... and on and on. Amazing place that Jim & Sandra found.....I have no idea how, though.

The dining room was ultra elegant. (The chandeliers didn't contain lights -- they had old-style GAS flames. How's that for posh?) And more silverware than Ann could fit into her purse. She said next time she'll bring a pillow case!

The dinner? Wow. We lost track of the "courses." At 6:30 we had oar-derves (hey, YOU try to spell it while sitting on the ground!). We were chimed (actually, "belled," but that doesn't sound as sofisticated) to dinner at 7:30. The meal started off with cheese biscuits and lovely little patties of butter. Then came the "seafood brisk." Basically fishy tasting broth served in a flat saucer -- I'd have felt like a cat lapping milk, except they gave us a monster spoon to scoop it out with. Then a colorful and exotic green salad with some white stuff poured in the middle of it. Then another serving of cheese biscuits -- daintily served one to a customer with silver tongs. Somehow that lost the charm when I'd seen a handyman carrying a plastic bag slung over his shoulder, with the bag full of 'em, into the building before dinner.

Then we got a real treat. Shave Ice! Not much -- barely a spoonful. I guess you call it "shave ice" when it fills a cup, and "sour bay" when it's just a dab. Still, it was tasty.

The main course; you had your choice of beef (insert fancy name here), chicken (insert fancy name here), or fish (insert fancy name here); each served up with potatoes and spinach. And all were masterfully decorated by their resident "chef." No, really. A real chef! This place spares no expense when fixing a meal (as long as they can pass it along to the customers, I'm sure). That was followed by a lovely (if not tiny) dessert - a "rum, Kahlua tiramisu" (or however it's spelled). That consisted of two bites' worth; but they were wonderful bites! I think we finally left the dining room at about 9:45, all stuffed and ready for a good night's sleep.

What a great night! One of those "once in a lifetime" things.

On the way back to the campground, I spotted 8 deer on the road or shoulder, and at least a couple more just into the woods. And, I also spotted about 4 armadillos on the road that were -- please, if you're not already sitting down, sit down now, take a deep breath -- they were ALIVE! Hell, I never knew they were live at any point. I thought God just created dead carcasses on roadways. Learn something new.....

Sunday, October 14, 2008
Natchez to Tupelo, MS

The worst part of this trip so far was getting up early to leave on Saturday morning. Having gotten to sleep at about 2:30 a.m., 6:30 came way too early. The second worse was getting up THIS morning. Unlike most previous trips, I was sleeping like a rather chunky rock, even though it was my first night on the road (usually it takes several days to "get comfortable" on the ground again.) But a McDonald's with WiFi a few miles away made the morning feel almost civilized.

Then the REAL day began ... and what a day it was.

Bill had the honors of leading us up the Natchez Trace Parkway, since he had a GPS and sounded like he knew what he was doing. Our first stop came at the very beginning -- a group photo opportunity too good to pass up.

Then it was on up the Trace. Almost perfect roads, beautiful scenery, and less traffic than you'd see in Deep River at Midnight. And LOTS of places to pull over and look around -- sometimes just nature, sometimes historic sites, sometimes unique views of the original Trace, and on rare, RARE occasion, you'd find a restroom. (Rule To Remember: If you ride or drive The Trace, bring along an ample supply of toilet paper. You'll need it when you lean back against a tree!)

We rolled along the Trace, stopping about every 10-20 miles (okay, sometimes 5) to look around. "How often DID you stop?" you may ask. Well, let's just way that Paula and Molly decided to ride along with Ann in her car, just so they wouldn't have to keep putting on and taking off their helmets!

Our FIRST stop was at a Women's Academy, which operated in the first half of the 1800's. This stop was noteworthy because TWO cameras fell to the ground. I started getting ready to take another group photo using my camera and tripod. I mounted the camera and started extending the legs of the tripod. ...at which point the head of the tripod flew off, taking my camera to its brush with death on the asphalt. The fall broke my filter and the retaining ring; but I think it's still working okay. So it wasn't terminal. However, just a few minutes later, Sandra borrowed a camera from someone -- sorry, I forgot whose it was, but it doesn't much matter. While taking a picture, she dropped it. One dead camera. Sandra said her "allowance" for the next two months will go to buy a new camera to replace it. (Budgets are hell, ain't they?)

Having left downtown Natchez at 8:30, we made some spectacular time on the parkway. By Noon, we'd already gone 50 miles. (Yes, fifty miles in 3 1/2 hours.) Funny. On the way over to Natchez, we pondered how we'd ever fill the days ahead, with only about 240 miles to ride on each leg. We had SO MUCH time, we figured we'd have time for shopping and leisurely meals along the way. Now here we were, facing the stark reality that we were getting somewhere, but not fast!

And since it was getting to be LUNCH TIME, Bill poked around on his GPS and found a restaurant that sounded interesting. So he made a turn off the parkway and headed west. Five miles later, with MY GPS showing no signs of civilization anywhere near, I radioed to Bill to see if he knew where he was leading us! He sounded like he did. After riding 20 miles and coming to within a mile of being back in Louisiana again, we pulled into an old shopping mall -- in Vicksburg! (You'd have to see the map to know how far we were off track!)

The place he picked just because he liked the name? "Horse Face Harry's cafe." Well, we HAD to check that out. We quickly learned that this little hole-in-the-wall cafe in a dying strip mall had TERRIFIC food. Tea and water served in quart-sized Mason jars, vegetables all FRESH from the fields, biscuits made right there, and meats that had more flavor than you could handle. Turned out to be a great side trip, even if it was 40 miles out of our way. I suggested we come back again next year JUST to eat here again. Good idea.

On the way back to the Trace, we were riding along this nice country highway. As we passed one side street, I noticed a guy standing in the street next to his mailbox. And on top of his mailbox he'd balanced a laptop computer, and was busy working away. I radioed to the group that maybe folks down here just didn't quite get the hang of "E-Mail"! Well, maybe that's true. But then Jim hopped on the radio with a more logical explanation. He said the guy probably had an account on AOL, and every time it said "You've Got Mail!, the guy would run out to the mailbox with his computer fetch his mail! Yeah, sounds about right.

By 3:30 this afternoon, we'd made our way only as far as Jackson, MS. That meant almost 200 miles TO GO to get to Tupelo. We had to concede that we had to stop stopping. So we hit the road again, but now we were only stopping when necessary -- like when we found a bathroom, the one time we just happened to stumble across a much-needed gas station, and when folks needed to peel their butts off the leather for a few minutes. We made it to Tupelo at about 7:30 tonight. Nobody much liked driving in the dark, but we really had little choice. With a LONG ride ahead of us again tomorrow, we really needed to reach our daily goals.

The other six folks headed to a local hotel, and I found my way to a State Park where I'd reserved a camp site. I think it's a nice place, but it's too dark to see. It's QUIET, though, so that's a plus! If I sleep as well as I did last night, I'll be thrilled.

Tomorrow it's on to the end of the Trace (we're at about milepost 260 now, and it ends at 444) near Nashville, then slip across town to our hotel there. Then it's dinner at Buca de Beppo's! We can't wait.

Monday, October 15, 2008
Tupelo to Nashville

What a busy day. We covered the remaining 200 miles or so, stopping often, laughing MORE often, and generally having the time of our lives. To be honest right up front, much of the day seems a blur right now. So much happened in such a short time. All I remember for certain is that we had a blast!

We headed out of Tupelo and went a good, solid mile without stopping. And from there on, we stopped whenever anything looked interesting. With fewer miles to cover, we knew we had the luxury of spending more time seeing things up close. (If you ever want to tour the Trace and do a good job of it, allow at least 3 days, 4 if you're really into history.)

As we rolled along to the north, the temperatures dropped a degree or two, and the trees slowly turned more numerous and deeper colors. Fall is definitely here, especially in Tennessee. The colors got brighter and the air got cleaner with every passing mile.

One of the most significant stops we made was at the "death and burial place" of Meriwether Lewis -- among other things, he was governor of the Louisiana Purchase and part of that whole "Lewis and Clark" comedy team. The grave site and memorial was interesting, as was the Grinder House where he died. If you're into history, this was a Mecca.

For lunch, we again turned to Bill's GPS. We found several possibilities, and Bill decided we'd try a place called "Jadd's Burgers" in Florence, Alabama -- about 13 miles away as a crow flies; about 30 miles as Harleys roll. As we rounded the final corner leading up to Jadd's, Bill said over the radio, "Hey, WHO KNEW?" Jadd's was a drive-through quick-stop burger and BBQ place. Unfazed, we walked up and ordered off the drive-through menu, then had a little picnic at some tables across the parking lot. Made for a nice little lunch. Then again, we didn't want much to eat, since we ALL had our sights set on Buca di Beppo's for dinner tonight.

I'd like to tell you about all the fun we had trying to get out of Florence and back on the Trace; but I don't think I could do it. We made so many turns and U-turns and were on so many different streets (including going the wrong way through a Crystal's drive-through!) that I lost track. One thing's for certain. In all the commotion, Sandra put the finishing touches on making a 10-point turn with her Harley! Nice going!

We also stopped at an old (but obviously still functional) tobacco farm. Jim, who's been without a smoke now for a full MONTH, did well here. He faced the temptation of hundreds of pounds of drying tobacco leaves and walked away clean. ... but with three lollipops in his mouth!

On the final "run to the end," we made a stop at a pull-out where there was a solid, made-of-brick restroom. Ah, luxury. Little did we know, it turned out to be one of the best spots of the entire Trace. As we walked toward the potty, we saw, some 30-40 feet below us, a fantastic little picnic area down in an old river valley. Now, only a small stream of crystal clear water flowed slowly, winding around the area. We took a path down into the valley and found ourselves surrounded by the banks of the now-gone river, carved through rock and leaving amazing formations. Trees covered the entire area. Sitting in that valley covered by trees, it was the most peaceful place we'd seen on the trip -- and one of the most peaceful most of us had ever seen. Pictures just didn't to it justice.

Despite my attempts to the contrary, I did manage to learn some new things -- about the Trace, about life in those times, and about a couple other things. Made my head hurt.

We got to the hotel tonight by about 5:30. We made a quick turn-around and headed to Buca's for dinner. For those who may not know, Buca di Beppo's is an Italian food chain that serves HUGE portions of GREAT food in a "family style" way. A platter of lasagna can feed a small army. They also serve up some very magical Sangria -- the small group went through three pitchers during the meal.

We had a great evening talking about this ride and those we've shared in the past. We ate, we drank, we laughed until we hurt, and we celebrated both Jim's and Paula's birthdays. What a marvelous way to end up the trip. (And we did it all without getting thrown out of the place!)

Tomorrow is our last time together. Bill and Ann have a long ride/drive ahead of them as they head back to North Carolina. The rest of us will head south, getting home again tomorrow afternoon. I'll issue a final wrap-up note tomorrow, so stay tuned.

Tuesday, October 16, 2008
Nashville to home

We all managed to drag our tails out of our nice, comfy beds at the hotel in Nashville, had a light continental breakfast, and it was time to move on. We bid farewell to Bill and Ann and they went on their way. The rest of us headed south by Interstate -- an odd feeling after having spent the last two days riding at 55 mph - at best.

We made a quick stop in Huntsville, as several of the group wanted to re-visit a coffee shop in the "old downtown" area. From there, Jim and Sandra decided to follow some state highways home -- more scenic and a slower, more relaxing ride. The rest of us (the Halls and Nelsons) took the Interstate the rest of the way.

It's always good to get home; this was no exception. And I'm looking forward to NOT getting up at 6:30 in the morning. Why these folks always wanted to get on the road by 8:00-8:30 in the mornings is beyond me. That was downright inhuman. Cruel, even. Now I can sleep until Noon again.

Overall, the trip involved 25 1/2 hours of saddle time and covering about 1,270 miles (except for Bill, who had to ride a LOT further and longer, as he made the round trip from Statesville, NC).

And so ends the trip. Now, keep this in mind: These are only MY thoughts and stories. There were a LOT more interesting things happen that I didn't see, didn't hear about, didn't know about, or just didn't feel like making up. All those other stories will take on a life of their own as time goes by.

Bill took a lot of cool photos, and I've posted them to the photo album as well. They may appear at the end or the beginning of the album; they're kinda hard to control -- kinda like our riding group. Anyway, it gives you more stuff to laugh at!

......

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.

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