#121 Rainy Day in Georgia

Rainy Day in Georgia
317 miles

Day 4
Monday

I took my time getting up and out the next morning. Of course you could guess that Betty had breakfast for me. I couldn't eat it all, but I was generous when dipping into Betty's homemade whipping cream to top the peaches.

I leave just before 11am with a light mist falling.

Bishop is a small town south of Athens...
City of Royston, GA...home of Ty Cobb. Who knew?
I cross into South Carolina at Hartwell Lake.
I had a little fun with color on the shores of Hartwell Lake.
I saw this banner on US hwy 29 south of Homeland Park, South Carolina.
Jimmy Moore died in April 2003 when a car pulled out in front of him.
It was five years ago that Tommy Moore lost his son because another motorist wasn't watching out for motorcycles. Please everyone... pay special attention to motorcycles. Give us a little extra room and especially don't turn in front of us. The most common accident involving motorcycles is caused by a vehicle making a left turn in from of a motorcycle...then the driver saying, "I didn't see it." Don't forget to look for motorcycles!
Some say that the RT is a big bike, but I say it's all relative. This chair makes the RT look small...
It had been raining off and on all day. And started coming down harder as I pulled into Concord, North Carolina. I found this Sleep Inn off I85 about 5:30pm and stopped for the night. I unpacked in a light rain, it rained all night, and I packed up the next morning in the rain.

I haven't been in a sustained hard-driving downpour of a rain this trip, but so far I've been happy with my REI waterproof duffle I ordered "on clearance" for under $20. It has large grab straps on both ends, loop handles on top, and a shoulder strap along one side.
(Thanks for the tip, Jerry! I think it is very much like yours.)

I use Rok-Straps to cinch it down. To attach it to the RT, first I used two red soft ties to bring an attachment point from the rear bottom of the back rack closer to the duffle. Then I attached a set of Rok Straps - one end to the to the soft ties and the other end to the frame near the passenger pegs. Then I buckle them cross ways over the duffle and pull them tight. They are great straps -- very quick and easy to attach and remove -- and I fell the duffle is very secure in place. I put carabiners in the loops in case I want to quickly attach something or us them as a helmet keeper when parked.


Enough about packing techniques...
Tomorrow I start collecting for the VA Grand Tour shortly after crossing the state line back into Virginia.
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#120 Fried Green Tomatoes

March 30, 2008
Zero RT miles

Day 3
Sunday

Betty had me put the RT safely away in her garage shortly after I arrived. This is where the RT will stay, safe and dry, until I leave on Monday morning. Today, Betty will be chauffeuring me around in her cute little Pontiac as she plays tourist guide.


We always have a list of lessons learned (LL) from each trip. High on my list for this trip is...
LL: * Be hungry when you show up at Betty's house.
She is a wonderful cook and she makes sure that no one under her care goes hungry!

Saturday evening Betty served a platter full of hors d'oeuvres, then followed up with a full southern supper of pork roast, greens, yams, black-eyed peas, and cornbread. Then she finished us off with a homemade "just that morning" coconut cream pie! This morning I still wasn't in the least bit hungry so I passed on the full breakfast Betty was offering to cook. I need to save room for today's lunch.

Our first goal for today is located about 15 miles up highway US23 from Betty's home. After yesterday's warm temperatures in the 70s, we are surprised to step out of the house into a brisk and damp 42 degree morning. We hop in Betty's Pontiac as the misty rain turns to a light drizzle and back to a mist again. But our spirits are not dampened as we look forward to visiting the hometown of "The Bee Charmer" Idgy Threadgoode.

Fannie Flagg's book, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, was first published in 1987.

I had discovered the book and was already a fan when the film, Fried Green Tomatoes was released in 1991.
The movie was filmed in Juliette, GA. This is downtown Juliette. All of it. At the very end of the street on the left is the Whistle Stop Cafe.
We arrive before the cafe opens at 11am. We wanted to be sure to get a seat before they get busy.
What would you order when eating at the Whistle Stop Cafe?
Fried Green Tomatoes, of course! There they are...the namesake of print and film.
They went great with my cheeseburger and iced tea.
We finish eating our lunch as the cafe starts filling up. We leave, making room for others, and take a stroll outside to see what else there is to see in this small, but interesting place.
To the rear of the cafe we see the old BBQ pit made famous in the movie. Don't forget... "the secret was in the sauce."
Down the one street town...
One of these days I'd like to get back to Juliette to attend a first or third Saturday jam session at the Opry House.
I purchased some local honey in memory of the "The Bee Charmer" from The Honeycomb Country Store.

If you've read the book or seen the movie, you will know that the local train plays an important role in the story.
Our time in Juliette has come to an end. Time to hop in Betty's car and head back to Macon.
Back in Macon, we stop by Fort Hawkins a military supply point and frontier trading post established in 1806 which eventually became Macon.
Otis Redding, son of a Baptist preacher, grew up in Macon singing in the Vineville Baptist Church. He entered in a local talent show as a teenager and after winning 15 times in a row was banned from the contest. Otis Redding dropped out of high school in 10th grade and played with Little Richard's (also from Macon) former band - the Upsetters. He was killed at 26 yrs old in a chartered plane crash near Madison, WI on December 10, 1967. His most popular song, (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay, was recorded only 3 days before his death and released in January 1968.
This is a big, big week in Macon. It's the Cherry Blossom Festival! Nature has cooperated with the calendar this year and cherry blossoms are plentiful during the week+ of scheduled activities.
We were reminded that the parade was about to start when the Budweiser horses came prancing by.
We parked and made our way to downtown Macon to claim a spot to view the parade.
The Sheriff of Bibb County is secure enough in his manhood to sport a bright pink jacket during the Cherry Blossom Festival!
Though there are 11 Nu-Way locations in Georgia, only the one on Cotton Avenue in Macon is the original that opened in 1916 and still serves up the popular hot dogs...just not today. They are closed on Sunday. Darn.

"I'd Go a Long Way For a Nu-Way"®

LL: *It's okay to travel far for a Nu-Way...just check the hours of operation first.
It was just as well that Nu-Way was closed. I was still full from Sconyers BBQ, Betty's roast, pie, fried green tomatoes, etc.

AND Betty has another special dinner planned for tonight!

We get back home, settle in and the next thing I know Betty rings the dinner (supper, we are in the south) bell and calls me to the table. After eating just one meal made by Betty, you won't be surprised to learn that she has three bookcases full of cookbooks plus more stored in boxes that won't fit in the house. Tonight she serves her special spaghetti, a recipe she learned when living in California. As though the meat sauce wasn't special enough, she served it with pasta that she made herself! It was another delicious meal...with pie for desert! Can't get any better than that.

Tomorrow morning I will load up to head back north. I need to get back on the road while I can still fit into my riding gear!


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#119 Makin' My Way To Macon

March 29, 2008
146 miles
Makin' My Way To Macon
Day 2
Saturday

The next morning motorcycles started pulling into the parking lot of Sconyers at 10am.
http://www.sconyersbar-b-que.com/
When I pulled in, this is what I saw...
Riders from Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and maybe even beyond. Most MTF riders share a certain riding style .... that is to ride far and solo. And what better excuse to ride than to meet like-minded friends for lunch a few state lines away?!
Someone took this photo of me as I pulled in. Notice the stretched toes to the ground. This is the kind of situation I dread...an unlevel gravel parking lot on a significant slope. I pulled in and stopped to assess the situation and pick out a spot to park. Not only thinking about where to best pull in to park, but also where to park that I could safely maneuver out of with a belly full of BBQ.
This RTE served as a gathering to welcome Beth (Alex's mom) back to the USA. She had been deployed to Baghdad, Iraq for the last 18 months. Pictured with her husband, Dan, and their kids.
This is probably the oldest one here... the Honda, not Richard! OldWing!
Me and my buddy Richard from Florida. I met Richard for the first time at Moonshine, Illinois last year.
Next on the agenda is Makin' My Way to Macon. I have a very important meeting scheduled in Macon.

Charles (pictured with me below) is going to follow me to Macon (just because), then head home to Marietta, GA.
So with our bellys full, we made our way in the direction of Macon.
Bartow is a small community we passed through on our way to Macon.
We make it to Macon in time to get a stamp at the Ocmulgee National Monument.
www.nps.gov/ocmu




While at the park, the skies were threatening and the sky was beginning to spit down upon us. We saw the weather radar map on the ranger's computer in the visitor center and it wasn't looking too good for Charles' route back to Atlanta. It was looking like somebody was going to get very, very wet. Maybe all of us!

While Charles was "helmeting up" to get back on the road another MTF rider pulled in to the park in search of a stamp. Charles headed back to Atlanta and Don and I rode into the park to see the mounds. On the way we came across the this cool railroad bridge. Don took a picture of me as I rode through.
Sure enough, the rain starts pouring down as I travel I75 to the north side of Macon. My next stop is my very important meeting...

I am headed to Ms. Betty's house in north Macon. Let me explain who Betty is...
As many of you know, I write up my Fleeter Log trip reports and send them out to family and friends by email then post them to my blog. I started this routine in the summer of 2005. A few months after I started these reports a mutual friend started forwarding the Fleeter Logs to Betty. It didn't take too long for Betty to request to be listed proper on my mailing list so as there to be no delay in her receiving her Fleeter Logs. Ever since, she has been a number one fan of the Fleeter Logs! Betty has been campaigning for me to visit her in Macon for well over a year now. So this is my trip to meet finally meet Betty....

Meet my friend Betty...an 82 yr old faithful fleetering fan from Macon, Georgia!
Betty and I have a full day planned for tomorrow.

First, we will get fried in Juliette. Stay tuned...

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#118 Georgia On My Mind

March 28, 2008
527 miles

Georgia On My Mind
Day 1
Friday

Friday morning about 9:30am, I pull out of the driveway headed south with Georgia on my mind.
Someone called a RTE at Sconyers BBQ in Augusta, Georgia and this is where I feel I need to be.

This will be the first road trip with my new Bill Mayer Saddle (BMS). The RT's stock low seat was a torture device. I could only go 50-70 miles before I was fidgeting around in the seat, standing up on the pegs while trying to relieve the hot spots. By 80 miles in the seat I was looking for a place to pull over and get out of the seat long enough to get some circulation going again. Now what is the point of having a 250 mile range fuel tank if the seat limits me to less than 100 miles?! I ordered the BMS with a promise of a one week build. Good to Rocky's (Bill's son) word, I had the new seat on my doorstep in 9 days via 2-day shipping.

You may be able to see in this photo that the BMS even looks comfortable. I can now ride tank fill-up to tank fill-up with no need to pull over for butt relief. This RT thing is beginning to come together nicely!
Compare to the stock seat in these next two photos.


I am still concerned about the seat height. I think the BMS raised me about 1/2" when I really didn't have it to spare. I do fine when on level pavement, but if I stop where there's a slight dip in the pavement...I could have a problem. If you have ever been on a roof and used a step ladder to get down you may know how I feel. It's the unsure moment when you start hanging yourself off as you blindly feel for the ladder with your feet. If you misjudge, you will miss the ladder. Or as you are reaching for the ladder with your outreached toes, you may aim wrong and tip the ladder over. That's not good! The feeling of hanging off a roof searching for a ladder barely in reach of your extended toe is how I feel when stopping and reaching my foot to the ground. As it is, I can only get a tiptoe to the ground on both sides at the same time OR I have to choose the better side (smoother, leveler, higher) and slide my butt to that side so as to get the ball of my foot to the ground or, just maybe, a flat foot to the ground. If I have a flat foot on one side, the other foot is dangling on the other side somewhere above the foot peg (about 1 foot off the ground). That's a significant Butt Slide!

Now that we've discussed butt comfort issues and stretching feet to the ground, let's move on down the road. My goal for today is to ride from Fredericksburg, VA to Augusta, GA. Today's ride isn't about side trips and sightseeing. I95 will take me 360 miles south to I20 at Florence, SC where I'll continue the last 150 miles to Augusta, GA.

This was my typical view riding down interstate highways for most of the day.
Notice the additional mirrors attached to the windshield. These are great "scanner" mirrors from Saeng. www.saeng.com/scanners.htm
They allow me to see into the blind spots. I can see me, the area to my left & right, and all the way down the road that I just left behind. And I can see all this without having to turn my head or look down! I received these from an MTF member that no longer had use for them. I think they are great. On my way back home the right mirror came off and failed to stay stuck. I took it off and will deal with re-attaching it later at home. Even with only one in use, I could see much better than without. After trying them, I would buy new ones if I didn't already have these.

You may also notice that I've added stalk mirrors. These new stalk (GS) mirrors allow me to see better and take my fleetering photos that y'all Fleeter Followers have become used to!
After turning onto I20 in Florence, I have Camden, SC coming up less than 50 miles away. I start thinkin'....

Even though this trip really isn't about collecting stamps, some habits are hard to resist. I make a quick exit and find a stamp at the Camden Revolutionary War Site.

This group that I often refer to -- The Motorcycle Touring Forum (MTF) -- is an Internet group that discusses topics regularly via an online forum. But what makes this group special is that we also get together on a regular basis face to face. We often even ride hundreds of miles to eat together. (Ride To Eat = RTE)

One of the members decided that since we were coming to his neck of the woods for an RTE, that he and his wife would organize a bonus supper. He invited everyone to his house for a hotdog roast. This is a photo of the 20+ motorcycles lined up in their driveway outside of Trenton, SC. I hadn't decided for sure whether I would attend, but as I closed in on the exit to their house I saw the timing was right so at the last minute I switched on the blinker and headed down the road for a hotdog! Thanks to Andy and Susan for the hospitality!
We even had birthday cake for Alex as we celebrated her 9th birthday.
After about 3 hours of hotdog eating, birthday celebrating, and visiting, I made it to my motel room on the south side of Augusta, GA.

As I was checking in, the clerk mentioned that someone else on a motorcycle had just checked in. I inquired of the name, mentioning that I may know him. She declined to provide the name -- citing security reasons. But knowing that I just rode in from Virginia, she said that she doubted that I knew him...that he was an older fellow from Florida riding a big motorcycle. Little did she know that this was a good description of many MTF members. Sure enough as I pulled around the corner, I saw a gray haired gentleman wearing an Iron Butt Association t-shirt unloading his Goldwing. I stopped and we introduced ourselves. Yep, we were both in town for tomorrow's RTE.

I settled in for the night and dreamt of BBQ and Butt Slides.
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