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.