Aussies Go US

[The ferret]

I know how you feel Cormanus. I loved my tour of Europe and would go back there in a heartbeat if it wasn't so expensive. I don't know what you spent, and not asking, but I know between airlines, hotels, food, guide service with motorcycle rental, trip insurance etc it cost us nearly $15,000 for 13 days in Europe. More than the price of a new motorcycle, and it was over in two weeks... a very quick 2 weeks. I saved for 10 years for that trip. Heck airline tickets alone were over $3000.

I know chances I ever get back there are very slim, and there are other countries I would have like to have toured..Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Scotland, Spain. At a crusty 65.. Not enough money, time or energy to do much more. Should have started when I was 30 instead of hunting all over the world, but then I would regret not doing more of that.

After reading this report I went to my picture file and looked at pics of our European tour. brought back great memories and I thank you for that as well.

[Django]

Cormanus, thank you very much for your splendid report. I really enjoyed reading every line.

Then, it really creates wanderlust. Exploring foreign countries on the back of a motorcycle. I'd really like to go out right now.

Cheers!

[ride4now]

(07-11-2015 04:22 PM)Cormanus Wrote:  Thanks for all the kind words chaps. They're appreciated.

(07-10-2015 09:35 PM)EmptySea Wrote:  The area around where the AT crosses the Nantahala River is one of my favorite spots in the area. We only stopped there because we wanted some beer for the evening and it was on our way to a hiking trail not too far from there. It was a very pleasant stop. Too bad you had rain, but so glad you found such a beautiful place to wait it out.

I really liked my ride along the Nantahala River. It was all lovely and that spot particularly so. I'd go back tomorrow. And I could try the beer!

(07-11-2015 04:04 AM)ride4now Wrote:  Did you stop in the town of Highlands? Or did you just turn right at the intersection coming up from Bridal Veil falls? I hope you stopped for a bit and walked around...

No, sadly, ride4now, we just rode slowly through. I can't remember why. I think it was that we'd stopped in Franklin and been off the bikes a couple of times to examine falls. I remember the entry to the town being very pretty—another lake I couldo have enjoyed.

Oh well...put it on your list for when you return. Before Evelyn and I purchased our beach place, we considered a 2nd home in Highlands; it's considered the Palm Beach of the mountains with high end shopping, great restaurants, wonderful hiking trails, lakes, golf, and of course great motorcycle riding.

---

(07-11-2015 03:24 PM)Cormanus Wrote:  Day 12—Leaving town

4 June
Pterodactyl had the first flight out at about 1300; mine did not leave until 2200. There was a long day ahead.

At breakfast, there was a choice of cereals and porridge. Passing on the Fruit Loops, I elected the oats and keenly watched Pterodactyl as he cooked his in the microwave. I’ve never been a microwave fan—my wife and I haven’t owned one for 15 years—and had only one experience of cooking porridge in one. It was at least 25 years ago when I used to cook porridge for my three young sons. On the stove, in a saucepan. One day we had some oats with instructions for cooking them in a microwave and I thought I’d try. I recall the boys thought I should get with the technology and encouraged me. Carefully I followed the instructions, placing the oats in a bowl with a little water and covering the bowl with cling film.

The boys—all quite young—sat lined up at the kitchen bench watching (as did I) the microwave as it turned round and around and around. Suddenly there was the most almighty PFFFFT so, quickly, I stopped the infernal machine and opened the door. Stalactites of porridge hung from the roof, gobs of the stuff were all over the walls and the window. The boys, blast them, laughed and laughed at my incompetence and for months told the story to anyone who’d listen.

There was no such calamity this time. Apparently you have to watch it like a hawk and, as soon as it starts boiling, open the door and stir it a little. Repeat.

We got to the airport late in the morning and enjoyed a final cup of coffee together reflecting on the trip before Pterodactyl went off to do battle with American airport security and I went to find a quiet spot to read until I could check in. I sat down, hauled out my reading contraption, connected to the free WiFi and couldn’t find my reading glasses. I turned out my back pack and grovelled through my suitcase all to no avail. It was not the greatest of calamities as I can read with normal glasses on, but it’s not as nearly as comfortable. I rang the Days Inn to learn that, yes my spectacles were there.

“Can you post them to me in Australia?”

“Oh, no, sir, we can’t do that.”

“Could we get a taxi to pick them up and bring them to me at the airport?”

“Oh, no, sir, we can’t do that.”

“Right. Thanks for your help. I’ll see what I can come up with.”

Ah, well, what else did I have to do really? It was a long, long wait for check in, let alone the flight. So I hailed an Uber car and was collected by the delightful Marsha who drove me from Hartsfield-Jackson to Marietta and back again and entertained me with conversation and information about Atlanta and life in the US for a bit more than an hour. I still had plenty of time to read and eat and drink tea and coffee before the earliest possible check in. I used the time to look at some of the photos taken by the Dragon photographers and recalled a few very happy days riding in a new place.

That was it, really. My flight left on time and late the next morning local time I was in London telling my wife tales of George and the Dragon.

Postscript

It’s been lots of fun culling the photos, drawing the maps and reliving the rally while I wrote this account. I’d not been to the US before and it was a great experience. I hope to get back there to see more of it some day. I enjoyed the roads; I was blown away by the beauty of northern Georgia, North Carolina and the little bits of Tennessee I saw. The hospitality was generous and the members of the forum even more agreeable in person than they are on the inter webs. I enjoyed looking at all your bikes and I’m quietly relieved you didn’t get to see my far less beautifully detailed, but equally loved, steed.

TylerSC, when you proposed the meet up, I doubt you expected quite so many to turn up in your absence. We missed you, but your ‘excuse’ was one of the best possible. I wish you and your wife the joy of your son.

Guth, when you set up this forum, I bet you didn’t expect people to travel half way round the world to attend a rally which came about only because of the forum’s existence. I certainly didn’t expect, when I joined, that I’d become so active or make so many virtual (and real) friends. I’m sorry you weren’t able to be there so we could say g’day. I can say it was the camaraderie, the ride reports and the photos of your lovely country on this forum that first made me want to ride there.

Ride4now, thanks again for meeting Pterodactyl and me as we picked up the bikes and inducting us into the US road system. Thanks again for having us to stay.

SanPete, wherever you are at the moment, thanks for being a great riding buddy on the way to and from and during the rally.

Pterodactyl, who’s not only a great riding companion but who never let me off the hook from the moment I suggested we attend the rally, thanks for holding me to it.

Thanks to my long-suffering wife for encouraging me to have this adventure and allowing me to spend our money to do it.

Heartfelt thanks to everyone else for making it such a memorable few days. There was some great riding, some good laughs, and some memories I’ll always have.

Courtesy of Killboy

I wish there was more...but alas, it looks like you're finished. Very, very well done! Thanks again for the great read!

[Cormanus]

Ride4now, there's always retirement. Accessing bike time would be so much easier and prettier at Highlands.

Ferret, it was an expensive trip for me, but worth ever cent. It was made more so by my flying on to Europe from the US rather than returning home. Return airfares seem cheaper and that was a huge component of the cost. I hope to have a chance to get to the US to ride again, but other considerations affect my overseas travel plans.

EmptySea, if I ever get back, I'll be sure to look you up. LSD is pretty appealing.

[Cormanus]

Addendum—Spot the deliberate mistake

Reading this post by EmptySea about broken links to photos in various ride reports led me to review one of my threads with lots of posts and lots of photos. This thread in fact.

Well, er, bu ... blow me down. What can I say? Thanks all for being kind and not pointing out that I'd completely missed a day. Luckily—or not depending on your point of view—I have the write up that, for some reason, I completely missed posting.

So, for those who you who've wondered what happened to Day 11, here you go ...


Day 11—And back to base

3 June



At the time we’d collected the bikes from EagleRider, the redoubtable Eddie had said us that, while we’d sure enjoy the Dragon, there were some good roads in the north of Georgia too. He drew a figure 8 on a map he gave us and suggested we have a look if we had a chance. In part that’s why we stopped in Hiawassee: to get on the circuit.

It was another late start partly because I figured how to use the coffee maker and Ferret’s tea bags to lubricate my morning reading. By the time we’d got packed and downstairs we’d missed breakfast. Ah, well, we’d find some.

Packing up

Our plan was to ride the figure-8 proposed by Eddie and then see where we were and how we were feeling. The bikes had to be back in Marietta the following morning by 1000 at the latest, so we’d have to make sure we weren’t too far away.

We set out westward on 76 intending to head north on 69. Feeling over confident, I didn’t use the GPS only to be tricked by the signage. When I hit Blairsville I pulled over to consult the map and realised we were way off target, so we turned around and headed back to Young Harris where we turned north on 66.

Chatuge Lake

66 northbound led us onto Old Highway 64, which turned out to be an excellent ride; probably better than 69 to 64 and west. As it was we joined 64 not long before Murphy where we soon again found ourselves on 129 heading south.


All too soon we were back in Blairsville, just up the road from where we’d stopped earlier and turned around. We stopped at the local Subway for food and coffee. A somewhat later breakfast than planned.

Soon we were off south again riding the other way along the excellent section of 129 ride4now had led us up past Neels Gap.


Just short of Cleveland we turned north again on 75A up the lower right-hand side of the 8.



What could you do with so many inflatable pink rubber tubes?

Heading north on 75, I had an acute moment of homesickness. We were stopped for roadworks and eventually allowed though. I suddenly found myself riding on what for me is the normal side of the road and wondered if I’d been teleported.


We soon turned onto 180 for what was a good, quick ride west to 129 again. Riding figure-8s is a good way quickly to get to know some bits of road well. We were not on 129 long before we again turned west on 180 for what could have been a wonderful ride—fantastic scenery, windy road—except for a truck that simply refused to get out of the way.







Lake Winfield Scott Dam

The small part of America we rode on this trip has a great many more substantial lakes than Australia and I found them very attractive. I like the way houses are built near to the water, but in the forest so they retain considerable privacy. I suspect they are often the preserve of the well off but they are, none the less appealing. Paddling on one of these lakes in the morning and riding in afternoon the would be a pleasant enough way to spend time.

At around 2.15 we came to Suches and the Wolf Pen Gap Store where we bought fuel and, although I didn’t know it at the time, I took my final photo of the trip.


I made the mistake of laughing at this sign until I walked inside and saw the semi-automatic rifle hanging above the counter.

We pushed the bikes away from the bowsers and sat down to drink a bottle of water. The rain started. Gently. Soon it looked serious so we dragged on our wet weathers and, suited up, headed north along 60. It’s a great road and I’d love to ride it again on a dry day.

Reaching 76, we turned south and settled in for the highway run through the pouring rain back to Marietta. Luckily, as got further south the rain eased and by the time we reached the Days Inn at Marietta we’d pretty much dried out again. EagleRider was just across the road and we realised we had half an hour before they closed so I rang and they said it was plenty of time to take the bikes back. So we did. It was a slightly sad moment, but there would be no riding in the morning and it would make the whole business of packing a good deal easier. They kindly ran us and our luggage back to the motel. I walked across the street for beer and Pterodactyl settled down to the business of repacking his suitcase. I probably sat and stared into space.

Realising we had a bottle of red wine which needed sorting before we moved on, we sent out for pizza. Somewhat reluctantly, we chose Dominos. I say reluctantly because the Dominos chain is well established Down Under and its the not sort of place that would generally rank high on the list of places to buy a pizza. Our cynicism was misplaced: we had two really excellent pizzas and a glass or two of red and didn’t have to leave the hotel to do it.

[redbirds]

Thanks for the update George, made me long for another ride in the mountains. I assume you took the Wolf Pen Gap Road near Suches, one of the best roads in north Georgia.

[EmptySea]

Yes, thanks for the update. I love to read your reports. Oh, and you only THINK you had excellent pizza. Please come to Chicago sometime and I'll set up up with some truly wonderful pizza (and, no, not all of it will be "Chicago Style" deep dish)

[Cormanus]

You're welcome, Steve. I'm sorry I missed it the first time. It is an affront to the anally retentive part of my brain that it's out of order! We did indeed ride the Wolf Pen Gap Road from 19 to Suches and I recall liking it alot. Route 60 north from Suches was also great, although the ride was a bit marred by rain. There's a curious thing about what's happened with the picture size limiter Guth uses. The picture my maps usually doubles as a link to the Google Map I've drawn in the unlikely event that someone wants to look more closely at it. That link hasn't disappeared, but it no longer works. So, if you want to drill into the map to see in detail where we went, try here.

ES, Thank you. It's a bit tragic, but I quite like writing them. I'm missing being bikeless and not having the opportunity. One day I'd love to come to Chicago and sample many pizzas, perhaps not all at the same time. Nemo, I think, asked me if I was coming back to the US for the 2016 rally. I don't think I'll be able to, but it's sure tempting. I could ride north to Chicago and then on and on and on and on. I hope my bank manager is not reading this with a view to squashing what's left of my dreams. If not next year, maybe some other time. Maybe Pterodactyl will be up for it again too.

[curlyjoe]

I missed this thread the first time around. Great story and glad you both had a good time in the states!