Ride to Erwin, NC With Wisconsin Friends

Tuesday Morning, June 13, 2017.  Temps in upper 60s with 90 for the high.  Rain, well about 40% when we hit the peak of our destination.  Here, just some  clouds but sunny.  Will meet up with group at the Pilot Station corner of Boyds Creek and TN 66, gateway to the Smokies.  Riders from Wisconsin passing through so Paul has set up a route that will take us into North Carolina and back.  Will also do some interstate riding in both directions which is for the benefit of the Wisconsin folks as Paul wore them out Monday in the mountains around Gatlinburg area.

Pushed Redbug out of the garage at 6:50 a.m. to meet them for 7:30 and that will give me time for a cup before leaving on the ride.  Maybe we can miss the rain.

Sun coming up at the end of my street.  Had on my rain liner beneath my riding jacket since it would be a bit cooler when I hit he highway.

Passing by my old favorite, Island View School.

After the meet up we hit I-40 heading toward Ashville, NC.  We would take a faster route to our destination point.

Sun coming up over a finger of Lake Douglas.

Traffic wasn't too bad this morning.  

Mountains are getting closer and soon we would leave the interstate for some smooth back roads.

Early morning riding also provides some nice shadows for pictures.  Trying to catch the right pic holding the camera up at road speeds is a trick also.  Sometimes good and sometimes slow.  Have to consider waking the camera up before you really snap the pic you want.

One of the rivers we crossed today.  Or it may be the same river and we just crossed it many times.  Either way, we had a bridge.

Our route, as we found out, is under construction.  They are repaving the road and warning signs let you know the pavement was grooved.  Grooves can play heck with a motorcycle.  You get in the groove and wobble like a drunk.  And this surface was very rough.





Finally the construction zone was over and we were headed for some zig zag roads.

After the construction area and a few more miles we slipped across the line into North Carolina.

The weather was cooperating with us so far today.  And this road was a really nice ride, smooth and nice curves.

A nice morning view of the mountains.

Heading through Hot Springs, NC, noted for hiker replenishment of supplies and a hot spring spa.

On the way out of Hot Springs heading toward Marshall, NC.  The caboose bathed in the morning sun.  It subs as a visitor information center.

Then we cross the French Broad River continuing on to Marshall where we may make our first stop of the day.

Running through the mountains in NC is a real nice ride.

Nice sweeper curves, lush greenery along with the purring of the engine, ah, a nice day in America.

And yep, we pulled into the parking lot of Ingle's Food Store, home of the Apple Fritter and a cup of coffee.

Left to right: Wisconsin Jim, Redbug, Paul and the White Roach; second row, Hal and Dick.  I think if you totaled the years it would be about 4 centuries.

Hal and Dick.  Dick's bike is the red one on the left.  It has over 301,000 miles on it.  He's got about 900+ thousand miles of bike riding.  That's a lot of seat time.

After our break we headed out for Erwin, NC on some more back roads.  When you get to this intersection you had better be ready to make a decision or be prepared to pick splinters out of your body.

Drats, Paul's waving his arms again.  We've caught up to a mowing tractor followed by an escort vehicle with flashing lights.  It's doing about 25 mph so not too bad.  Thank goodness it turned off a short way up the road.

An old barn and an old house, separated but still doing their job.

Riding along side a bubbling stream.  Very peaceful.

Heading back toward Interstate 26 and the house.

Another stately old barn.  

The clouds are becoming more threatening.  We stopped for lunch at Yoder's Store which is filled with a lot of stuff that you would like but if you have any sense of self-control you will leave it on the shelf.  They make a great sandwich and deserts, not to mention the many other tasty things I would liked to have had.

After Yoder's we ran the interstate for a bit and crossed back into TN.

This is a sign letting you know if your vehicle, mainly big rigs, loses its brakes, you can exit up a sand filled ramp to stop you.  And there was one not far down the side of the mountain.

Hopa, hopa hope that the rain will hold on for a little while longer.

When we hit the interstate we rolled trying to get back to Seymour dry.

But then there was a need to take another back road in the same or similar direction as the house.  Pleasant with the river running along side of us.

That little white church was sure standing out with that black cloud ahead.

A pleasant looking business establishment.  It was a lodge but I can't remember for motorcycles or fishing or whatever.

Love these country scenes.

Running through a tunnel of trees still heading to the house.

Some wild orange lilies were along the highway in numerous places.  Pretty decoration.

When they say I live in a barn they really mean it.

A very nice country scene along the route.

This is hay baling or rolling season and in some areas you see many rolls ready to take to the hay shed or barn.

We were riding through tomato country so the white plastic are beds ready for planting tomato plants.  Plastic helps to keep the weeds down.

We eventually wound our way back and made a stop at Mountain Motor Sports for a break, some lip flapping and to pick up a bike battery for Jim.

It was a very nice ride.  Door to door for me was 234 miles.  Redbug averaged 79.1 mpg.  And we arrived back at the house dry and with goodies.  It was a great day with friends I get to see only twice a year if I'm lucky.


So, until the next Valkyrie Adventure take some time to visit friends, old and new.  It's a good way to spend the day and see something other than your own four walls.  Watch for motorcycles, it's that season.  And turn on those headlights on whatever you're riding or driving in the rain and fog.  Helps me see you.

Touristing In TN and Sightseeing in TN and NC

Arrangements made.  Meet up at Exxon (now open again) at 7:50 a.m. to ride with biker friend Paul today.  Temp in mid-50s with a high in the upper 70s.  Partly cloudy with a 40% chance for rain (somewhere).  Paul has 2 coupons for a $2 pancake breakfast at the Farmhouse Restaurant in Pigeon Forge.  We shall partake of those round layers of carbs before we get serious about the rest of the day.  So off we went, pancakes dancing in our minds and then on to Ober Gatlinburg to play.

Just outside of my subdivision heading to the meet up point.

At the meet up point.  Sky doesn't look any happier.

I'll have to be very careful but I may just need to check this place out.

On TN route 66 heading for the Tourist Spots in the Smokies.  Sky looks more inviting.

Playing in the traffic on the Spur, that span of highway between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

For a $3 donation and if you were from Sevier County, TN you could ride the Tram from Gatlinburg to the top of the mountain to Ober Gatlinburg.  And we did.  This is looking toward NC from the tram.

Up at Ober Gatlinburg we went to the nature center after we got our wristbands.  One of these pictured here is Paul.

Two of the three bears here.  One is 34 years old, close to max for a bear in captivity and about twice as old compared to living in the wild.

There were two Bobcats, born in Arkansas and brought here to stay.  One weighs about 5 lbs. more than the other.  Beautiful cats.

This is the oldest bear.  And I forgot his name.

Here's another old bear and I do know his name, it's Paul.

There were several Otter but tis one was taking a sunbath.  Later they let everyone know they were about to feed them.

When the feeding started they went after that food lickity split.

Then like all good tourists, we had to ride the chair lift to near the top of the mountain and take the Alpine Slide back down.  No more Alpine Slide, these old bones won't bend enough to wad up inside of that small sled.  The other ride they have there is new but it wasn't running today.  Of course, it also didn't come in the package we were privileged to.

A shot of the ice rink.  Two of my grandchildren use to come here on Monday's for private skating lessons and they performed in the Annual Christmas Show.










Leaving Ober Gatlinburg heading back into Gatlinburg, notice the brown spot on the side of the mountain.  That's from the forest fires we had up here.  Looking from an elevation you can see the fires ringed the city in spots as hot embers were blown by the high winds.  Still amazing the city center escaped destruction.

Our bikes were parked in front of a business and this wagon was used as a flower urn of sorts.  A BBQ restaurant.

Then we saddles up and off we rode into the Smoky Mountain National Park to cross the mountain into North Carolina, henceforth mentioned as NC.

A pretty drive from Gatlinburg to the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

Alas, going up the mountain the clouds began to look a wee bit furious.  In fact, down right threatening.  We just may get wet, soaked even.

But nonetheless, we pursued our quest to ride some NC backroads today. wet or dry.

And then you break out into a clearing and it looked more like a beautiful day in the mountains.

Did I mention that we might get just a little damp today.

And into Cherokee we rode with the river on one side and our destination ahead.

We would be riding toward Franklin, NC but not actually to the town.  Our turn off was on the Cherokee side of Franklin.  

But as we rode, depending on the direction of the road, the clouds kept getting darker and more threatening.  We caught NC 28 and believe me, this was one of the most crooked roads I have been on.  From the time you hit 28 you flip flopped until you reached the end of it.  And the curves were not steep banked.  However, should you depart the roadway there was plenty of Kudzu you could grab hold of as you left the road.  Maybe.

On our way out and back toward Cherokee we crossed a nice river.  The bridge had an emergency lane so we used it to take this picture of a raft floating downstream with some guys fishing from it.  Now that is how to have a relaxing day.

The scene was so nice that I thought it would make a good backdrop for a picture of Redbug, my faithful steed.  Sort of like a Mustang horse, good spirit, tough as nails and run baby run.

We came upon a construction where a new bridge was being constructed.  The old bridge shown here is a single laner.  Being that Paul is older than I, I found it fitting to let him cross it first and if all went well I would follow.

We scrambled on a road here and a road there heading back into Cherokee and on to the house.

A good surface, dry and curvy.  Great way to spend the miles.

Mountains in the background, we must be getting closer to Cherokee and the clouds don't look so threatening either.

Just another old tumbling down barn showing its many years of use and now neglect.

Closer and closer we come yet still miles to go.  Who wouldn't like that scene.  Peaceful at its grandest.

Then we cross another river or it may have been the same river at another area.  Anyway, we crossed it.

Another country church, small, but meeting its requirement for its Believers.  Tranquil spot.

We get back to Hardee's in Cherokee, check the weather maps and Paul decides he will put on his rain pants.  I decided it was too much trouble for me so I was going to stay as I was.  After we rode off heading back into the Park, the roads were soaked.  The time we spent checking the weather and putting on rain pants let us miss a pretty good rain cell so all we got was road spray.  Shortly after that the roads were dry again.


We rode back to the house without another drop of water touching us.  A miracle at its best.  A great road to remember riding, a great day playing tourist, and good time with a friend.  Total cost for the day, approx. $10.  Total value for money and time spent, 100% payback.

Total mileage racked up for today was 196 miles for me door to door.  What a day.  Bending curves, playing the the out of towners, and dodging rain storms.  But then, that's just an average day for a biker.

I started this the yesterday and am finishing it Sunday, June 11th.  I just found out this afternoon that a biker/church friend, Ron, got killed yesterday/last night while riding with a friend. Please watch for motorcycles and bicycles.  They're not as big as a car and have a lot less protection.  And remember, the highways belong to all of us, not just cars and trucks.  If otherwise, I'm buying a tank and you may be sorry.  Prayers for Ron, his wife Wendy and their family.  R.I.P. Ron.  He's now a Rider In The Sky.