Trips – Page 3 – Four Riders

Arrived Home

Posted onAugust 12, 2013April 24, 2015AuthorJim1 Comment

Left McDonough, GA at 9:30 am. Made 482 miles and arrived home at 7:20pm. The trip on I75 was very hot and humid. Riding on the interstate in August is not much fun. I was glad I was going in the direction of home.

Total mileage round trip was 1,460 miles. I got 52 miles to the gallon, which was nice. It was a great time, seeing George and Chad and the presentations by the members of Horizons Unlimited were fascinating and entertaining.

If I ever went on out of state again, I would fly instead of riding on I75 through Florida. I was beat up and tired when I got home. I’m getting older and riding in the heat with tractor trailer trucks is not fun.

I could rent a motorcycle at practically any destination, and there were opportunities to rent in North Carolina. But the roads in the North Carolina mountains scare me. I’m too used to riding on straight and level roads in Florida.

On The Way Home

Posted onAugust 11, 2013April 24, 2015AuthorJimLeave a comment

Arrived at McDonough, Georgia. Stopped at a EconoLodge Motel. Only made 229 miles for the day because of my late start and getting lost. I decided I wasn’t going to push myself by riding into the night.

The motel room as very nice, clean and well maintained.

Leaving Iron Horse Lodge

Posted onAugust 11, 2013April 24, 2015AuthorJimLeave a comment

Left Iron Horse Lodge at Setcoah for the trip home. I got lost again. I intended to get on 74 and turn to the right, taking me southwest to Murphy and homeward bound. Well, I turned right, but I should have made a left first, at Lower Stecoah Road and 28. Map of Highway 28

Anyway, I turned right on 28, thinking I was on 74. I began to think something was wrong when the curves started to tighten again, and the road was rising in elevation instead of descending. I passed a big lake on my right and the road was getting steeper and the turns scarier. I finally stopped at a gas station (the only one for miles) and asked for directions. I was shocked when the girl pointed at the map where we were. I was at Fontana, heading towards Deals Gap and the Dragon! I was about six or seven miles from the Dragon, but the road was already getting scary.

So I turned back and retraced my route, and finally got to Robbinsville, where I stopped for lunch. I knew I could find my way back from there

Saturday IH Lodge

Posted onAugust 10, 2013April 24, 2015AuthorJimLeave a comment

Raining again. I was getting ready for a beer run and then the rain comes down. 60% rain forecast. Sun comes out only for an hour now and then. It’s been raining the last two days.

We’ve been attending presentations from 2:00pm to 11:00pm the last two days. Some are more technically oriented and others are more of a personal account of one’s journey.

I really enjoyed the last presentation last night. The fellow went north to south across Africa during the civil wars there. He made a reference to Joseph Conrad and ‘Heart of Darkness’. Considering all the violence occuring at that time I thought it was very apt. He was from Australia and a natural storyteller with a sense of humor.