Riding the Snake

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Slow start today; we left the hotel around 9:45 traveling about 10 miles to Fancy Gap where they were having an Apple Festival with Bluegrass music. Shouldn’t have been surprised when we arrived and found it was about 6 vendors since Fancy Gap is about 1 mile on one road. We began to walk around the vendors and one was spinning Alpaca hair into yarn. Several of us gathered around and began asking questions and the mother said they had a farm about 4 miles south on the Blue Ridge and she would be happy to go home and give us a tour if we would like. Would we like? Oh yes! So in about an hour we headed for the farm. She was a wealth of knowledge; they currently have about 47 Alpaca and several of them are blue ribbon winners. Each is named and they have the most beautiful black eyes and curious looks as they tried to figure out who we were. And anything made of Alpaca hair is so soft and expensive. After leaving we headed back to Fancy Gap for lunch and then off to meander back mountain roads ending at the hotel after about an hour or so. We packed the trailer for the trip home tomorrow. I don’t understand how we traveled for 11 years without a trailer and we did just fine but now we can barely stuff everything we need in this oversized trailer. Banquet as usual was good food and lots of fun exchanging door prizes and gag gifts given to match issues experienced during the week. Ken received a coonskin hat with a tail and a gun for being the tail-gunner all week; Ginny received glasses because she is always borrowing someone’s glasses to read the menu; Don received earplugs because he had me as a passenger all week (wonder what that’s all about) and the list goes on and on. Winners of the 50/50 were Ken, Glenn and Willa. Back at the hotel hugs and kisses and goodbyes are said as we each decide our routes home and two or three join up in small groups to travel together. The rally has ended for 2011.

Friday, September 09, 2011

Bill led us to Mabry Mills up on the Blue Ridge today. What an interesting place; I found out why the fences are built in a zig-zag and we were given a demonstration of the grist mill. Next we rode over to Meadows of Dan for lunch and a little time to shop the area before heading back to the hotel. Don and I went to check out a small private shop where I had seen a sign advertising handmade quilts. The room was filled with quilts in all sizes; potholders, aprons, baby items and Bible covers. I would have loved to purchase a quilt for each of my kids but couldn’t afford it so I settled on one for me. Prices were about a third of what they are in Lancaster so I think I got a pretty good deal. Had a wonderful dinner at Galax Smokehouse; BBQ ribs of course. The entertainment tonight was at the Rex Theater where the Church Sisters preformed some good ole toe tapping Bluegrass.

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Going to the Mountain Music Museum in Bristol VA today; George was leading and he decided to follow 58 which proved to be a perfect road for motorcycles. Over the mountains it twisted and turned and followed a river that babbled over the rocks. No problem riding this route for 110 miles. The museum was interesting but small so after maybe an hour or so we headed back to Galax by way of 58 again but this time we took a side route to find The Snake – 1 valley, 3 mountains and 489 curves and switchbacks. We were not disappointed! This road was so challenging a couple of our ladies got off their husband’s bikes and into the car with Bernie and Shirley. Even on the back of Don’s bike it was fun. After riding 10 hours we’re all tired and ready to rest so we can do it all over again tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Cloudy but no rain so we head out at 9AM to tour Mayberry USA by way of some great mountain roads. Wondered around Main Street in and out of the 5 and dime, Floyd’s Barbershop where Andy Hale got a haircut, Snappy Lunch where we enjoyed a wonderful pork chop sandwich, Opey’s Candy Shop (guess what we got there) and the Soda Fountain for a hot fudge sundae.

Toured the old jail which was a bit creepy and then down the road to Wally’s Service Station where we talked to an old gentleman who gives tours. He told us about the largest granite quarry in the world located just a couple of miles outside of town. The astronauts use this quarry as a reference point when orbiting the earth. He was more than happy to lead us out to view the site. It was amazing to stand at the top and watch the trucks and equipment moving about like toys in a sandbox. Bernie, Shirley, Don and I headed out to find a place to eat tonight. Driving into Galax we spotted the County Line Café and the parking lot was packed – that’s always a good sign – so we pulled in. Entered the front door and found an empty table and immediately a little waitress came to our aid. Prices were right but the food – OMG it was beyond words! We all left way too full and very satisfied.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Woke to a heavy rain and promises of only worse to come during the day. Off and on down pours, wind, flash floods and tornado warnings and watches. Okay let’s make the best of it – we gather in the hospitality room and visit or play games. Ordered pizza for lunch and then talked some more. According to the weatherman the sun should be back tomorrow and the rest of the week looks great. Sun finally came out around 4PM so I took Bessie out for a spin with Don as the passenger. Only went a few miles on a back road with twists and turns climbing and dropping but it was great. Of course it was a bit nerve racking for him since he has never been a passenger. But he said I did fine and he was convinced I could drive any time if something happened and I needed to bring her home. The group headed to Stingray for dinner – wonderful food and great prices. Now back to the hospitality room for games and gossip.

Monday, September 05, 2011

Riding double with Don means he has to ride lead because I am leading the group to the rally. He is not comfortable riding lead but Ken is a fantastic drag; in fact the two make a good team. Pulled out of the hotel at 8AM under dry skies but weatherman is calling for rain and winds from a tropical storm in the gulf. Halfway down the Blue Ridge Parkway the rain started and the fog developed on several of the mountain tops and the hollers. We passed at least 2 dozen deer including a 5 point buck; several turkey and 5 or 6 groundhogs. Due to the low visibility several in our group pulled back and didn’t see us turn at Fancy Gap. I reached Bernie on the phone and told him he was lost! Well he knew that! In just a few minutes the whole group was back together and eating lunch in the Fancy Gap restaurant and creating more noise than most of the other patrons wanted I think. We arrived at the Quality Inn by 2 PM and are very pleased with the rooms.

In the pouring rain Bernie taxied 3 people at a time down the hill to Shoney’s for dinner but the rain had let up enough for us to gather outside our room on the sidewalk and tell stories, joke and work on Roger’s bike.

Just how many UTR men does it take to replace a headlight anyway? And why is George Curlett’s nickname Chief Brown Bottom?

Sunday, September 04, 2011

Dwayne and Sherry arrived at the hotel around 7:45 and we made the introductions all around. So happy we were going to be able to spend the day with them. Soon we were all heading north on 29 to find Walton’s Mountain. I have always been in love with this wonderful TV series and in the 1970s while the show was on the air I gathered clues to the exact location in Virginia. Then we took a road trip and low and behold we found the mountain and the childhood home of Earl Hamner which is what the show was based on. His mother still lived there – there was no museum or gift shops just a very proud mother who served lemonade and cookies to strangers. Today the school has been turned into a museum and the house is open for tours. The Baptist church they attended is still serving the small community. After a couple of hours we visited Ike Godsey’s General Store less than a mile down the road and ate lunch under the shade trees in the yard.

Next stop would be 120 miles over mountain roads to The Home Place for a wonderful family style dinner. We climbed to the top of mountains through twists and turns and raced down the other side into the hollers. We spent 2 or 3 hours playing in the most beautiful corner of God’s garden. Off to the left I spotted a deer munching on the tall grasses; a hawk sat on the wires watching for his lunch in the field below and we had to slow down to allow the flock of wild turkey to cross the road. After eating our fill we wondered out to the bikes; said our goodbyes to Dwayne and Sherry and headed the 60 miles back to Lynchburg.

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Not a good start.

Got a half mile down the road and the GPS was not working correctly. Thinking it might be the plug we turned around and went home to get the one from the car. Okay ready off we go to meet Bernie and Shirley at 6:30AM and everyone else at the McDonalds on Kent Narrows. It’s cool and clear a beautiful morning to be riding. We pull into the McDonalds parking lot just seconds before the others and dismount. Suddenly several people notice Abigail is pouring oil from under her belly. Not just a few drops like in NY two weeks ago – oh no this is a steady stream. No way can I ride this bike another 50 feet. What to do! First thing in my mind is call my shop but it’s 7:30 and L&D Suzuki doesn’t open until 10. I’m sick; my stomach begins to churn. Out comes the laptop to find the last name of some of the guys. Then try superpages for phone numbers. Boy has this site gone downhill- no help. So I begin calling 411 and trying several different names and finally this poor operator has the name of one person – the general manager. Is it the same person? We’re going to find out. I call and a sweet lady answers the phone. I ask if her husband, Jim works for L&D. A hesitant yes. I explained my problem and told her I needed to talk to him right away. Bless her heart, I don’t know if she rides but she was so sympathetic she called him right away to the phone. Jim made some calls and in very short order assured me they would come and get Abigail. Now I had no choice but to clean out my saddlebags and prepare to ride two up on Bessie with Don. Tossing everything in the trailer we managed to leave the McDonalds an hour later than planned but at least I left with the group while my bike sat lonely in the parking lot. I tried to tell myself everything happens for a reason; at least this didn’t happen 400 miles from home where I would have had to find a shop or worse had an accident. Did it help? No I still cried for the next 50 miles but no matter how you are riding you cannot feel blue too long with the sun and the wind in your face so I’m better now. So this rally will not be exactly what I had in mind but it is going to be fun because I’ll be with my UTR family and friends and I’ll be on the road. By lunch time I had a call from the shop Abigail was on the lift. Stopped in Lynchburg for the night and the off to Walton’s Mountain tomorrow.