It is Thursday, 9-1-16, 6:45 a.m., temp in the 60s, rain possibility, 30%. Pushed out of the garage on Mr. Red Bug and headed to the meeting place, Exxon, to join up with biker friend Paul for another day discovering back roads in NC. But first, a cup of coffee while waiting for Paul.
He showed up a bit early and I had finished my coffee so at 7:13 a.m. we rolled out for NC, going the faster way to allow for more time discovering.
I'm getting more use to those early morning starts and this allows me to see some sunrises.
A few miles farther up the highway and the sun starts peeking out from behind the mountains and trees. Love the colors.
We ran up 339 to Dandridge and caught I-40 East there. It crosses some fingers of Douglas Lake which shows a nice sun bounce off the water this morning.
Not as much fog or mist this morning compared to Tuesday morning's ride but still enough in places to enhance pictures.
This was a look at the mist in the mountains just before you come into Hot Springs, NC.
Downtown Hot Springs, NC early in the morning. We didn't have to worry about the taxi cabs or street cars today. In fact, you don't have to worry about them any day, mostly motorcycles heading for a ride on The Rattler, NC 209.
This is a very popular MC stop in Hot Springs, NC. Across the highway from this store is the famous Hot Spring Spa.
Not too far out of Hot Springs we started running into a bit of the early morning fog and it was also cooler here. Good thing I put on my rain jacket beneath my riding jacket this morning as it felt good in the cool damp mist.
They have been getting more rain on this side of the Smokies than we have been getting as everything is still green and lush. That sign points to a run-away truck ramp as we are going down the mountain.
Lots of Kudzu. It's everywhere, it's everywhere.
Paul looks to be riding into the mist. I wonder if he will come out of it. Wait, that won't happen. I'm getting this mixed up with the old movie "The Fog". He and I both rode out of it.
We should have named this ride The Barn Ride as I have never seen so many barns in one area as we saw on this trip. We were riding in what was once one of the prime tobacco growing areas of NC. Now there are only a few places still growing it. The tall barns were used to hang poles of tobacco to cure before going to the market.
I love some of the older styled houses we saw on this trip. Some were so close to the highway that the post person could just hand the mail to you while you were standing on the porch.
I put this out the other day and am sorry that it is slightly blurry. I was trying to hold the vine while the wind was blowing and take the pic at the same time. This, my friends, is the flower on a Kudzu vine and it gives off a wonderfully light sweet aroma. This picture was taken while riding a road that would make the Dragon feel like a Sunday afternoon ride. Lots of difference in the road surface, the banking of the curves and narrow also.
The road mentioned above was called Grapevine Road. It is justly named. One end stops at the junction of another road and this old store, Cody's Store, was there. It is no longer an operating store.
This was one of the valleys that we rode through today. Believe me folks, you could almost hear banjos playing. You wouldn't be running to Walmart's every day from here. Maybe once a week or so.
At about this point my camera battery died. I guess I didn't charge it up all the way. But the scenery here is great, the highways have little to no traffic and the people we met are very cordial. We did 245 miles door to door for me and spent a lot of time in the saddle doing it. It was nice to ride some different roads but it wasn't nice to get wet when it started raining on us as we were heading back to the house. You makes your play and you takes your chances. It was still fun.
So until the next adventure, look around and find a place you haven't been or haven't been lately and give it a try. Most of all, enjoy what you have been given and what you have toiled for. Memories last a lifetime.
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