ALWAYS AN EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE

It's that time of the riding season again for us; time to head down to Atlanta, GA for the first of two Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Ride For Kids events. These charity events are specifically set up in all 50 states for the motorcycling community to raise money for research to find a cure for childhood brain tumors. Ruth & I have been participating in two of these events for 12 years now; Atlanta and Asheville, NC.
We make the Atlanta ride a weekend getaway. Riding in North Georgia has always been a favorite destination, and doing it to help kids afflicted with a terrible disease makes it all the more worthwhile. Please do check out the Foundation's web site below.

SATURDAY, JUNE 2 - ATLANTA BOUND
Super spring weather greeted us this morning as we packed our last bit of kit on the ST. Bright sunshine and beautifully cool temps got us really excited for a full day on the motorbike. Breakfast eaten, riding kit on, we juimped on the ST and rolled on down our street to our first destination for lunch: Rider's Hill in Dahlonega, GA.
Rider's Hill is a motorcycle destination and jumping off point for riding the North Georgia mountains. They are an Italian motorsports dealer, selling the exquisite Italian motorbikes of Moto Guzzi and Aprilia. They also have a cafe, a full accessories and gear store, as well as a tire outfitter. All this is presented in beautiful natural surroundings with architecturally pleasing building designs.

Owning a Moto Guzzi is a goal of mine (and Roo's), and it will happen. We're just not through with the ST yet. Being of Italian descent, I must be seen on a Guzzi. But, for the time being, our lunch visits to Rider's Hill to be a Guzzisti for the day will have to suffice.


Moto Guzzi Breva 1100



Another view of the big Guzzi

 Roo finally pried me off the Breva and led me inside to the cafe for lunch. Ok, I can eat. Besides, there's more Guzzi's to try on inside!



The perfect motorbike for Roo - The Guzzi V7 Classic



Drool, drool, drool... Guzzi V7 Cafe Racer Limited Edition



V7 Racer. Now that is one sexy rear end......

Billy Joel stated it perfectly on the Cafe Racer TV series (did you know he has been an avid motorcyclist since his teens? Who knew?). "The Italians build the sexiest motorcycles in the world. I don't know how they do it, but somehow they manage to put sex into everything they build." Now who can argue with that..........

If I ever go back to riding a cruiser style bike, this will be it. The Moto Guzzi California, based on the CHP bikes of the 80's. What a beautiful machine.

Coming to a garage in Simpsonville, SC. Ahem.......



Having finally fully recovered from Guzzi withdrawal, we fired up the beaST and bid adieu to Rider's Hill. Taking a southbound tack, it was now a straight shot down GA400 to Atlanta. Traffic on this road gets heavier and speeds exponentially increase the closer one gets to Atlanta. Thankfully, we're only on this sheet of asphalt for about 45 minutes before exiting in Alpharetta, a burb just north of Atlanta, and to our weekend destination at the Marriott Residence Inn.
We checked into our room and pulled the gear off the ST. Then it was into our bathing suits for a late afternoon rest break in the pool. Roo pulled up some Jimmy Buffet on her pad, the palm trees around the pool were swaying in the breeze, the perfect prelude to our evenings dining entertainment at our favorite eatery in Alpharetta, Bahama Breeze.



Roo's all set to rock Alpharetta

This is where we eat each time we come to this event. The food is fantastic. We have never, ever, had a bad or mediocre meal here. But, more importantly (well, maybe not more importantly), the dinner theater in the tiki bar is quite entertaining. This is where singles in the 40 to 50's age bracket troll there lines hoping for a hot catch in Alpharetta. Absolute best people watching we encounter all year!



The outdoor "Tiki Bar" lounge with obligatory one man band

We settled in at the bar for a drink or two before dinner and to keep score on who was going to walk away with who in the mating games. Fun stuff.



Now that's a drink! Guess who ordered THAT!



Right you are!

We opted to sit outside in the lounge and eat dinner. The weather was perfect and so was the show! Roo decided to put on a show of her own for the camera...........

Quite the Virginia Ham that Rooster. After a scrumptious dinner and drinks, the entertainment really started to head south. So we called it a night and walked back to the hotel. Tommorrow the Ride For Kids event starts right behind our hotel.

SUNDAY, JUNE 3 - RIDE FOR KIDS
The partying in Alpharetta done for the weekend, this is what we are really here for: to help and give a show of support to the families and kids who are fighting brain tumors. Hundreds of motorbikes showed up at the North Point Mall in Alpharetta this morning for the police escorted ride north to Dahlonega, GA. Here, the ceremony of life takes place showcasing some of the children and their families who are local to the area.
A very emotional experience awaits us in Dahlonega.
But in the meantime, we've got a fantastic ride north with about 650 other motorcycles through small towns and beautiful countryside. Some of the kids get to ride in sidecars with designated motorcyclists and have the time of their lives, taking their minds off their illness for a short while and putting smiles on their faces.




Two of the many sidecar rigs that the kids get to ride in up to Dahlonega



Look at all these motorcyclists! What a great turnout for these kids!



One of the many Po-Po that escorted us safely to Dahlonega



Some very cool customs were here too, like this 3-wheeled Can-Am



Ducati Diavel - you really could raise some hell on this machine!




Old bikes came to ride too!

By 8:45 it was time to mount up and start the engines for a 9:00 AM roll out. Row by row 650 motorcycles filed in behind the Alpharetta Motorcycle Patrol to make our way out of the North Point Mall parking lot and onto GA400 north. One long ,straight, line of motorbikes as far as the eye could see was a sight to behold as the moto cops had us flying up GA400 towards Dahlonega. It's not too often you get the blessings of 5-0 to exceed the speed limits!


Off we go! We've got the entire northbound lane of GA400 to ourselves as the moto cops block off all interchanges to the highway until we all have passed. As the Rolling Stones say, "It's a gas, gas, gas!"





Here we all are on beautiful GA52, just outside of Dawsonville



Roo took this shot just as a motocop flew past us to leap frog
into his new position. That's him in the distance - flew by
like a bullet!

A beautiful ride on the backroads of North Georgia has us arriving in Dahlonega around noon. We weave our way through this historic Gold Rush town to Dahlonega High School where the Ceremony of Life takes place.



Making our way into Dahlonega High

Parking the bikes, everyone makes their way to the giant tent for the ceremony. The MC gets up to speak and run the event, the co-founder, Diane Traynor (with her now deceased husband, Mike Traynor) of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation gave a stirring speech, and even the moto cops who whisked us up here from Atlanta were given the stage to a standing ovation!
Then it was time for the star's of the event: local kids who are stricken with this disease take the stage to tell their story. Some are very young, some older in their teens and twenties. Some are in remission, some currently receiving treatment. Some are working and some have survived long enough to be going to college. A very emotional experience is had by all as we listen to these kids and their parents. Nothing like looking around you and seeing big, burly bikers wiping tears from their eyes during the ceremony (me and Roo included, except we're not big or burly)



The Stars

After interviewing the kids, the top fund raisers were asked to take the stage. If memory serves, I believe the top individual fund raiser raised $25,000! Wow!



Top fundraisers on stage

Door prizes were then raffled off by contributing sponsors, and the big prize raffled off at every single RFK event in the country; a brand new motorcycle donated by American Honda! Fantastic!
At the end of the ceremony, the fundraised dollars are totaled, and the big check is unfurled by the kids:

2012 Atlanta Ride for Kids raised $139,000! A fantastic event that will hopefully eradicate this disease in the near future.
After thunderous applause and wiping the remnants of tears from our eyes, we make our way back to the parking lot and the ST. Firing up the V-4, we roll back into town for lunch at our favorite Dahlonega eatery, The Crimson Moon Cafe. Luuunnnnccchh!
After a great meal, it's back on the motorbike and a fast paced 3 hour ride back home. What a great weekend! Asheville RFK is next up in August.

Online Info:
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation: http://www.pbtfus.org/
Ride For Kids: www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids
Rider's Hill: http://www.ridershill.com/













































































































































WE'VE GOT GEORGIA ON OUR MINDS

IRONHORSE MOTORCYCLE RESORT

STECOAH, NORTH CAROLINA



Who doesn't like a three day weekend. Particularly if you are going camping. Especially if you are going camping on your motorbike with your spouse! And so it was, three blissful days in the mountains of Western North Carolina, a stones throw from Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and beautiful roads into North Georgia and East Tennessee.

Ruth and I always bookend the "summer season", Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend, with a stay at Ironhorse Motorcycle Resort in Stecoah, NC. A beautiful, upscale campground, surrounded by gorgeous Appalachian mountain scenery interspersed with the creme de la creme of motorcycling roads east of the Mississippi. The perfect venue for me and my dance partner; no, not my two legged partner, Roo, but my two wheeled partner who leads me around this twisty, curvy, unpredictable dance floor!

FRIDAY, MAY 25 - LET THE DANCE BEGIN

Packed and ready to go, we left home and pointed the ST's shnoot north. There won't be much in the way of straight roads on the way to Ironhorse; the route chosen was specifically to wear the outer edges of the tires and keep Roo and I grinning in our helmets. Besides, this is a dance weekend for me and MyST, and after wearing down the middle of the ST's tires riding the straight roads of South Georgia at the rally last weekend, we were ready to do some Tengo! So, off we go with our first stop being about 100 miles up the road on the Blue Ridge Parkway.



Our rest stop on the BRP - who's that sweet lookin' thang back there?



A right hand drop-off on the BRP - See ya!

Most of you know my affinity for the Blue Ridge Parkway. I love this road, and ride it frequently throughout the riding season. Ruth and I rode the entire length of it back in 2006, and must do it again soon. In a few weeks, I head to Tennessee to ride a portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway, which is similar to the BRP, and the plan is for Roo and I to ride the entire Trace next year from Nashville, TN to Natchez, MS. But I digress........
Back on the Parkway, we head towards Ironhorse. A couple of hours later we arrive, check in, and eagerly set up camp.



The entrance drive to Ironhorse



Beautiful landscaping is prevalent throughout the property



Creekside camping



These ain't no shabby accomodations - cabin rental anyone?

After setting up camp, we settled in for a relaxing late afternoon. Temps were perfect, the sun was getting low in the sky and starting to hide behind the mountains surrounding us. After catching up on some reading, chatting with Roo and other moto enthusiasts, and having an adult beverage or two, we decided to take a walk around the grounds before dinner in The Lodge.
Ironhorse is a motorcycle resort, but cars, trucks, campers and motorhomes are allowed to "camp" here as long as they are carrying a motorcycle with them. So, you can see all shapes and sizes of vehicles here. Like this one:



Jeeeezzz! Look at the size of that thing!

In the teeeney, tiny trailer behind that monstrosity is a teeney, tiny, Harley Davidson Sportster (Harley's smallest motorcycle). They probably could have put it in the living quarters of the motorhome with room to spare. Watching this behemoth try to wiggle it's way into the campground was very interesting. But hey, they fulfilled the requirement of having a bike on board.
As we turned and continued walking with our backs to the campground entrance, we heard this beautiful, throaty sound coming down the entrance drive. But it wasn't the sound of a motorcycle engine. We turned to look, and both our jaws dropped. Wow!


Oh, James, darling. Where are you?



No words needed

Gawwwwd, that's beautiful! Ruth and I are classic car enthusiasts, but especially the European cars. Straight out of the old James Bond movies, you could just see Sean Connery tearing up the mountain roads here. This is one beautiful Austin Healey! Yes, James drove an Aston Martin, but maybe an Austin Healy before he became a 00?
After the car ga-ga was over, we strolled into The Lodge for dinner, then sat around the fire pit with fellow motorcyclists and listened to the days riding stories. By midnight, the fire was low, and so was our energy level. Off to our sleeping bags for a good nights sleep in the cool mountain air. The stars and moon were beautiful this night - leaving the rain fly off the tent, we could see the stars as we lay in our sleeping bags. Tomorrow, we ride to Blue Ridge, GA.

Saturday, May 26 - Passing Through the Land of the Noon Day Sun to Blue Ridge, GA. 
We woke up to another beautiful day that promised to be sunny, but a bit warmer than yesterday. A "bit" is relative, as it did hit 90 degrees briefly in the afternoon according to the ST's thermometer.
After a leisurely breakfast at the tentsite, we donned our riding suits and headed for the "Land of the Noon Day Sun", the Nantahala Gorge.
You can guess how The Gorge earned it's nickname, right? Ok. Our favorite stop in the Gorge is the Nantahala Outdoor Center, a rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, outfitter mecca. We love to eat breakfast or lunch here, browse the Outfitter's Store, and watch the kayakers play in the old Olympic Games slalom course



Our favorite place to eat at NOC. River's End-great food on the river's edge!



Play boating on the Nantahala



Heading towards the slalom course!



Surfing the hydraulic. Very cool.



Lot's of water dogs here.

Back on the road after about an hour at NOC, we head for Blue Ridge, GA., about an hour's ride down the road. The ride west is not very exciting, but lunch awaits in Blue Ridge, and we have the perfect place to eat.


Welcome all y'all



No, I didn't take the pic because of the young lady standing there. Really. Really!

 The L&L Beanery Coffee Cafe in downtown Blue Ridge, GA. Our new favorite coffee house in this town.  Their lunch menu is just mouth watering, and the sammiches are biker size! Coffee's are delicious too, all served up in a warm, comfortable atmosphere. Dine in or al fresco (Al who?).




Blue Ridge's topiary moose, behind the outfitters' store



Chillin' in Blue Ridge. I kind of like the helmet hair style, don't you Roo?



Some beautiful architecture in Blue Ridge.

 After lunch, then strolling through and around Blue Ridge for a while, it was time to head back to camp. We retraced our route and got back to Ironhorse in the late afternoon. It was hot today, so a nice shower with cold mountain water was a great way to finish off the day and freshen up for dinner in The Lodge. Tomorrow we head back home.

Sunday, May 27 - Going Up in order to Go Down
Today we awoke from a restful sleep and began to pack our gear. No rush to get anywhere, we took our time packing as we watched the sun come up over the mountains. No matter how many times I see that, it is always a beautiful sight.
Finishing breakfast by the campsite, we washed our cookware and stuffed them in the panniers. On with our riding suits, fire up the ST, and off we go back to the BRP. Once on the Parkway, it is a steady climb to Richland Bald, the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway and always an obligatory stop.



Looking north on The Parkway



View from the top

Mounting up, we have about 30 miles to go on the Parkway, then it's southbound and downhill all the way into South Carolina and home. Another great moto camping weekend comes to a close. Give the ST a rubdown, stow our gear, and get ready for the next adventure........next weekend!

Info:
Ironhorse Motorcycle Resort: http://www.ironhorsenc.com/
Nantahala Outdoor Center: http://www.noc.com/