Grantsville MD Rally 28

 

Getting ready for rally number 28; Grantsville, MD

August 30, 2022

We leave in 3 days!  So, packing needs to begin soon.  Just put a new front tire on my bike and everything else was checked in the spring.  Don hasn’t ridden much at all this year so his bike is good to go; just hope he is.  Riding isn’t what it use to be.  Not sure how I’ll make out with the pain in my hip and leg and Don’s surgery is healed but still has issues.   Getting old is not for sissies that’s for sure.  We will be riding to the rally this year since it is only 234 miles from our home.  Not planning to play around on back roads or shortcuts, taking 301/50 over the bridge and then off on 97 then 70 and 68 west to Grantsville.  Brittany will be watching the kids for the first 3 days and then Shawn.  Figured we would leave at 7:30AM Saturday; not as early as in the past but since we don’t have as many miles to travel but we will have to stop every hour. 

September 3, 2022 – The bikes are gassed up, trailer hooked up and packed and bikes packed.  Had prayer and then pulled out.  First stop the Hardee’s just before the Bay Bridge; we ate a biscuit and waited for a few minutes to see if anyone was joining us.  We left there around 8:50AM and just as we got across the bridge I noticed a dozen or more police cars with lights and sirens on heading towards the bridge.  We made it across just before a major car pile up right on the bridge.  God is good.  We rode for about 100 miles before we decided to stop and fill up with gas and just stretch our legs.  Checked the google maps and we had exactly 100 more miles.  Traveling all major highways running 65 and 70 mph we covered the last 100 miles in about 2 hours and arrived at the hotel around 1:25 and they had our room ready.  We saw Scott pass us and then we passed Bill and Sandra but we all pulled in at the same time.  Bob and Cathy were already here.  Not long after we got settled in Roger and Ginny arrived as well as Gary and Ruth and finally Dave and Kelsie.  This year our group is small; six had to cancel due to health issues at the last minute.   We went to Castleman’s restaurant for dinner; we rode with Gary and Ruth in the truck.

September 4, 2022 – temps in the low 60’s this morning as we pulled out of the parking lot at 9:30.  Gary led us over Backbone Mountain some beautiful wooded roads and through some very old little towns.  Sky became dark and threatened rain but we headed back to the hotel and missed the rain.  Got back around 1:45 and some walked down the hill to Katie’s for ice cream.  I’m having way too much pain in my hip to do much walking at all; in fact, I have to use a cane most of the time now.  This is getting to be a real bother.  Ruth suggested I talk to my doctor and ask if it might be bursitis.  She said it sounds just the way she felt and a cortisone shot helped.  Might do that.  Plans tonight are to have subs and chips here and Gary has a slide show and a meeting planned.  Should be very interesting.  I have spent the last 3 hours doing payroll.  Deb felt she was not ready to handle it alone so I had to bring it with me.  This is the one thing I said I would not do. 

September 5, 2022 – rained all day – not a soft rain but rather a heavy down pouring all day.  So we jumped in trucks and took off and traveled back roads around WV.  The view was beautiful what we could see.  We went to a small museum in Grantsville and had a guided tour and details about a B52 carrying 2 thermonuclear bombs that crashed in the worst blizzard of 1964 right here in Grantsville.  An amazing story which was never publicized.  If those bombs had exploded it would have wiped out everything from here to the Atlantic ocean.  They have a count down from 10 to 0 when they are to drop a bomb and they were at 4 when the plane went down.  We ate at Castleman’s Inn – food was good.  The Castleman’s Inn was built when the National Road was the main way to travel through the area.  Stagecoaches stopped, drovers stopped, families stopped.  Meeting tonight.

September 6, 2022 – still raining!  Trucks again.  Today we went to Flight 93 and the Que Creek Mine rescue.  Flight 93 is just as amazing as always and just as emotional as every time I visit.  I cannot walk through the museum and watch the TV or hear the voices of the passengers without crying.  To think about these 40 people knowing they were going to die and deciding they would take things into their own hands and stop the terrorist is amazing.  The Que Creek mine disaster was so fascinating.  The location was on this man’s farm, he was one of the rescuers and all the miners were friends of his, school friends, church friends, the rescue was a personal thing for him and you could feel that in his film and talk.  He ended by telling of the one man who wanted to be taken out last because during the whole ordeal he found God and wanted 5 more minutes to pray.  Bill said he was a so so church goer, thought he was a good person but the ordeal brought him face to face with God and he realized that Jesus is our only rescue.  It was so good to hear him give just a few words of testimony.  I mentioned that it had to be God directing them when they drilled to put a pipe down to give them air and they drilled exactly in the right spot the first time – 240 feet down.  Bill smiled and said yes it was God directing them because they had no way to know where the men were.  When they later reopened the mine they had to drill and missed what they needed 3 times.  The hole they drilled had to be exactly plumb and they used a level and thought they had it right so the rescue tube could go down to get the men one at a time.  It worked perfect but later a mine engineer went down there and had someone up top use a laser to center and the laser beam never touched the floor.  That tube should not have been able to travel up and down the hole – but it did.  Praise God for his hand on these people. 

September 7, 2022 – looked like rain so some of us still went in trucks but a few decided to take their chances and go on bikes.  The sun came out and those of us in trucks were a little envious.  We went to Whispering Pine a very unique gift and furniture store.  Furniture well made by hand, I purchased another wind chime and a couple of items for the kids.  We did more riding on country roads then returned to the hotel.  Dinner was planned to go back to Castleman’s but a couple of people didn’t like that so they went off on their own.  The rest of us decided to go to Penn Alps where we are going to have our banquet.  It was very good.  Walked through the village but no shops open; we did walk up on the Castleman’s Bridge.  After dinner I asked to have a short board meeting and we discussed changing the rally to 3 days Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Arriving on Sunday and leaving on Thursday.  Everyone was in favor of the change; makes sense in the economy and we are all getting older.  We also will move the rally date to the second week in September to get away from Labor Day.  Gary said he and Ruth are looking at Elkins WV for next year’s rally and everyone liked that idea.  We also discussed and approved a ByLaw change.  Removing the 2 term limit on Board of Directors members.  I will bring this up at the next meeting so the full membership has a chance to discuss before we put it in the By Laws.

September 8, 2022 – weatherman was calling for no rain so we gassed up the bikes and headed out – in rain.  We were going to Ft. Necessity and then to Bradocks Tomb.  Only 30 miles away but it rained the whole time.  Even if the sun came out it was still raining.  We ate lunch at Bradocks Restaurant and the food was great and a lot of it!  As we left the sun came out and was a beautiful ride back to the hotel – a whole 60 miles today!  Game night tonight after dinner. Ok I cannot completely give justice to describing the game Ruth and Gary had planned.  The time they put into this was amazing.  First we divided into 3 teams and Ruth gave each of us a decoding wheel and we practiced decoding a few messages.  Then the fun began.   Each team decoded a message which led us to a place in the parking lot.  There we found a box and inside was an envelop with our team number on it.  Opening the envelop we found another message to decode and an item we had to take with us.  This went on for about 4 different boxes.  Each message led us to the next but it was also a question about something we learned or should have learned in our trips and Gary’s lessons each night.  Last we each had to throw one bean bag in the corn hole toss to earn points.  I dropped the bean bag in the hole.  The last challenge was someone on each team had to whistle Yankee Doodle but first they had to eat 2 crackers.  Our team came in second, only 1 point below the winners.  It was such a fun night. 

September 9, 2022 –Heading home tomorrow, which is kinda good since the weather is to be sunny tomorrow.  Don and I headed out this morning on our own going to Whispering Pines and then rode a loop back to the hotel.  Nice ride over some back roads together.  Gary led a ride this morning but only about 4 people went with him.  The banquet is at 1PM then packing up and Ruth has a movie at 7PM.  And then this year’s rally will be over.  Ken and Lois left yesterday and Bob and Cathy and Jim and Kim will leave right after the banquet.  Our group this year was pretty slim with only 17 total but 1 left after one day due to an issue at home, a couple left in the middle and a couple arrived in the middle.  Just returned from the banquet and as usual Gary and Ruth had a nice little skit planned.  The banquet food was wonderful; a seafood buffet at Penn Alps.  Gassed up the bikes, hooked up the trailer and now to pack.  Leon will be heading out with us tomorrow morning.  Hope to leave by 8AM at the latest depending on the fog.  Rally 28 is complete.

 

Day 6 - cutting it short

 

May 26, 2022 – plan was to go to Virginia Beach tonight and then drive north over the bridge tunnel tomorrow, but the weather is calling for a sever thunderstorm to come in with the potential of high winds tomorrow.  Temps are in the low 60’s so we need the leather jackets and the heated jacket as well.  Zoey started out on the bike but after a couple of hours she got in the van. We stopped at noon for lunch, and everyone agreed we could be home by late afternoon (for some) early evening for me if we skipped Virginia Beach and drove straight up the bridge tunnel and home.  Would be a long ride but all good highways. One concern was if the winds tomorrow get strong they might close the bridge – then what would we do?  Everyone tried to cancel their room but the hotel said we were past the cancellation time frame.  I contacted Choice, got Eugene (after 3 or 4 others) and he made it happen.  Gas up and head out to route 64 then 13 north and the bridge.  Zoey was riding with me on the bike.  It did not warm up much today, temps remained in the mid 60’s and then we had a few sprinkles not enough to put on rain suits but enough to make it feel even colder.  Another stop for gas and Zoey got back in the van.  We all took 113 at Pocomoke City because Don had Bill and Sandra’s stuff in the van.  Jimmy could have gone straight up 13 but he wanted to stay with the group as long as possible (he was my tailgunner) and did a great job keeping everyone together and me informed.  Everyone started peeling off as we reached the turns for their homes.  Don and I got home at 7pm.  420 some miles.  I sent a text message letting everyone know we were home safe and asked them to reply which they did with the time they arrived home.  Don kept one trip meter set in the car and we traveled 1440 miles from start to finish.  Do I have any regrets?  Yes one especially.  I wish I had taken the time to stop at one or two overlooks on the BRP so Zoey could have gotten a good view of the valley below and the feel for just how high up we were.  So we are now going to plan to take the truck, go to Gordonsville and clean off grandmom’s grave and then ride part of the parkway and make a few stops.  Just a Friday, Saturday and Sunday later this summer.

 

Day 5 - leaving the mountains behind and heading east

 May 25, 2022 – I’ve got to begin with what happened last night.  Zoey had been feeding the ducks and geese and some kids came by and were laughing at her.  Then we turned the lights out around 9:30 or so and suddenly we heard something hit the glass door on the patio.  We also heard people talking and laughing.  We got up and looked and it was a walnut so we assumed the wind (which there wasn’t much) had blown it over so we tossed it out in the yard and went back to bed.  A few minutes later we heard a couple of loud bangs and we looked again and this time there were 3 rocks on the porch and one was as large as the palm of your hand.  We called the front desk and asked if they had security and the guy said no but he would come down and check the yard.  Of course there was no one but he said if it happened again to call him and he would call the Cherokee PD.  This morning the geese were at the porch railing honking like crazy for Zoey to come out and feed them.  She certainly made some friends.  Then Don was taking things out to the car and left the door open and one of the ducks comes walking right in.  Breakfast and gas and then we pulled out at 9am.  Zoey and I left with only a sweat jacket for her and a long sleeve shirt on me.  It started getting colder with temps dropping to 59 then fog heavy enough to make the windshield wet.  We made our first stop in an hour and a half and right away I pulled out my heated jacket and our leather jackets.  My jean jacket and heated jacket were in the bottom trunk and to my surprise they were wet!  The trunk has never leaked but the rain was so hard the other day.  Bill said his bottom trunk had leaked too.  I put the heated jacket on plugged it up and figured the heat would dry it – which it did.  Zoey rode on the bike most of the day; even went to sleep for a few minutes.  Then for our second stop to eat lunch at 12:30 she decided to get in the van and really go to sleep.  I think we covered about 279 miles today; some mountains, some fog, and finally just some hills by the time we reached Danville.  All on major highways with speeds of 60 to 70 mph.  Temps never did get above 68 all day.  Everyone decided to go to a restaurant just 6 tenths of a mile from our hotel.  I decided I’d walk it with everyone as long as I had my cane, which I carry in the trunk of the bike.  I made it there and back but bringing up the tail of the group.  Of course Zoey didn’t go to an Italian Restaurant – there is a McDonalds 1 mile from the hotel so we made a stop and she stayed in the room, ate her dinner, watched TV and took a bath.  

Day 4 Spent the day in Cherokee

 May 24, 2022 – woke to the sound of the Oconaluftee River rushing over rocks.  The water was very high last night with a full day of rain but this morning it was down slightly.  Ducks and geese with their young are right up to our porch.  Bernie would love this.  Breakfast at 8:30 and then we headed out to the Oconaluftee Village to show Zoey what the Cherokee life was like.  Very good guide with lots of information.  I was surprised to learn this is not a reservation.  The government did not give this land to the Cherokee Indians they purchased their own land from the Federal government after it had been taken from them.  They are a separate nation within the United States.  They have their own government, law enforcement, hospital, schools but apparently no one owns their own ground it is all owned by the Cherokee nation.  Years ago the children were taken from their homes, put in “schools” and forbidden to speak their native language or dress like their ancestors.  Why the white man had to be so stupid is beyond me!  Any way, they are now teaching all their children from the age of 3 to speak the Cherokee language; they even offer classes for adults to learn their native tongue.  The casino is very big and very beautiful and half of the profits from that casino is divided among every Cherokee member and they get a dividend check twice a year. For children the money is put in a trust fund and when they graduate from high school they will begin drawing on that fund.  If they do not graduate they must wait until age 21 to begin drawing the money.  And since it will be a very large sum they will get payments, not the full amount all at once.  After the village we went to a couple of shops but one is very much like the next and we were getting very hot and tired.  Zoey purchased a couple of pair of earrings and then we just rode around and ate lunch at McDonalds.  Back to the hotel to rest a bit before dinner.  The sun is shining and the temps are hot; hope tomorrow is a nice day.  Zoey plans to ride on the bike. The ducks and geese were right up to our porch railing and Zoey and Don were feeding them.  Zoey even got brave enough to hold some in her fingers for the ducks to take.  Went to Granny’s Kitchen for dinner with Bill, Sandra and Jimmy; nice buffet of southern cooked food.  Had a nice time just sitting and talking.  Left Zoey in the room, sleeping, and then brought her nuggets, fries and a soda.  Found her outside down the hill near the river with 2 of the ducks trying to feed them crackers.  These ducks seem to have decided our room is a good place to hangout.  Well time to pack everything up, turn in and get ready for a long day tomorrow.  

Day 3 wet and more rain

May 23, 2022 – Up early and planned to leave at 9am.  Still raining – hard.  Rained all night.   Had to walk about a half a block to a restaurant for breakfast.  As I walked in Sandra motioned for me to come over to their table.  She said they had been talking and wanted to change our plans if I was OK with it.  They were concerned that the BRP would be too difficult to ride in the rain and fog and wanted to know if I was willing to drive directly to Maggie Valley because they wanted to go through Wheels Through Time.  I told them I was leading this ride for them because I have ridden the BRP 3 times so I was fine changing plans.  I agreed the parkway was just too dangerous in this weather.  So off we headed in a soft rain heading for route 40.  Make our first rest stop after an hour or so and the rain started coming harder.  In about 30 minutes of hard rain running down my face shield and pouring into the neck of my rain suite I was wet.  My feet started getting wet and the temps were 63 so it was cold.  Speed limit on 40 is 65 but I kept it at 54 because there are no wipers on a bike windshield or my helmet face shield which makes seeing very difficult.  Trucks splashing water as they pass.  Even at that speed there were times when everyone else was pretty far back.  We finally turned on route 19 heading into Maggie Valley and started looking for a place to eat before going into the museum.  By this time we were all soaked to the bone; well except for Don and Zoey who were in the van.  Spend about 2 hours in Wheels Through Time some in the group had never been there.  Still raining but we had to head for Cherokee up and over the mountain on route 19.  The tail of the dragon has nothing on this mountain road.  Add the fact that the rain was gushing down the mountain and across the road creating the possible hazard of hydroplaning.  Got to the hotel around 3:30 and we have a nice room over looking the river.  Still raining!  The group wanted to go to the casino for the buffet which we found out had been taken out over 2 years ago so all we had to choose from was the food court.  Zoey stayed in the room because we found a McDonalds and she was happy to have her chicken nuggets, french fries and coke.  We had a nice time with our friends and I think she enjoyed the time alone too.  Came out of the casino around 8 pm and the rain had stopped.  Maybe tomorrow will be a nice day.  Everyone is on their own to rest, shop or ride.  

Day 2 - day of challenges

 May 22, 2022 – Day started out beautiful, temps were low and Zoey started out on the bike.  We both had to wear jackets. Not long after getting on the parkway was our first challenge of the day.  There were hundreds of people on bicycles, some sort of marathon, and they were not riding single file.  We had to move to the wrong side of the road and weave back and forth.  I would radio back if there was an approaching vehicle.  We stopped for a break at Peaks of Otters and Zoey got in the van saying it was too scary with the twists and turns and no guardrails and then all the bicycles.  It had warmed up to 75 degrees and it was nice riding.  Next challenge we had the detour around Roanoke but it was well marked but took time.  Back on the parkway we rode for a couple of hours and I knew we needed to stop but couldn’t find  place with gas and I was getting low so knew everyone else was too.  Finally Bill suggested we were close to Meadows of Dan so we pulled off there, got gas and ate lunch.  Back on the parkway and next challenge was a cow out of the pasture and I was concerned it would run in the road.  After Roanoke the parkway opened to fields spreading out on either side.  Many of the fields were fenced with cows or farmers cutting hay.   The parkway meanders over the top of the mountains but I wonder how many mountain folk were displaced to give us the park.  The flowers blooming put a sweet smell in the air, Rhododendron, tulip trees, wild iris, plus a dozen or so I don’t know.  Not long after getting back on it started to rain.  Just a few sprinkles at first but I stopped to put on the rain suits and a good thing because it rained steady for the last 100 miles.  Had a short surprise detour just 15 miles before arriving at Blowing Rock but again well marked.  Azalea Gardens is still as beautiful as I remember.  Seems everyone on the group is impressed as well.  Went dinner at 6, walked to the restaurant which was a challenge for me since it was up hill.  It was mentioned during dinner that a couple of the group needed to stop more often than every 2 hours for a bathroom break.  I don’t know unless they tell me but I’ll try to make it every hour and a half from now on. We covered 272 miles today.

Day 1

 May 21, 2022 – first day and it was hot!  We have 11 people in our group on 6 bikes and one van.   Zoey left the house on the bike at 6:45 am then got in the van after 60 miles when we stopped at Hardee’s to meet everyone.  Then when we stopped for lunch at the inwood restaurant in Gordonsville she got back on the bike. 200 miles down at this point. Hottest part of the day.  From Gordonsville it was only about 40 minutes until we entered the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Temp dropped from 94 to 83 on the Parkway.  I had forgotten how tight the curves were and Zoey asked why there were no guardrails so people don’t drive off the edge.  It was beautiful riding on the top of the mountains.  Got on the parkway at 3pm and rode 45 miles to our first exit by 4pm.  Had a small accident getting off the parkway; Ken ran into the back of Bill’s trailer.  They straightened out the hitch and bungie corded the trailer led and we arrived at the hotel around 5pm.  God is good because down the road not very far was a bad accident which we might have been right in the middle of if we hadn’t been delayed by the little bump.  So tired and hot.  Took a quick shower and we all headed to IHOP for dinner. Covered 300 miles today.  Plan to leave at 8:30am if there is no fog on the mountains.