Corner To Corner - Chapter 3, Lost in the Blue Ridge Mountains

It was the best day riding of the trip, although it was not long in miles -- only 276 today. But its not distance, its quality that counts. There was a spectacular thunderstorm near Thomson, Georgia last night, which cooled things off nicely and actually de-humidified things as well, so when we hit the road a little after 7am it was actually kind of chilly, but it felt wonderful after all the sticky heat of the last three days. The sun was just starting to come up, and the clouds a vivid salmon color, which makes riding that early in the morning so wonderful. And after a rainstorm, the air smells so clean and fresh you wish you could bottle it up and sell it as an air-freshener. We headed north on GA-43 through the pines and red-Georgia clay hills along the Savannah River. Of course on such a beautiful morning, Tony tries to take the first picture only to find that the camera battery died. This is not the land of 24-Hour Walgreens so we had to ride until we found a min-mart just over the South Carolina line where we bought a couple of emergency AA batteries which will work in a pinch.

We motored up SC-23 which runs along the Strom Thurmond Reservoir on the Savannah River, through lots of small little towns that could have been stand-ins for the set of the movie Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café – with abandoned stores and buildings covered with Kudzu vines. It was such a pleasant ride this morning we hesitated to stop in Anderson, South Carolina, but we needed to check the map, and to get real camera batteries and a few other sundries. Besides there was a Harley-Davidson dealer and we had yet to stop at one this entire trip! I know, hard to believe coming from the guys who have over 170 HD shirts between us.

Now I’d carefully plotted out a nice route for the day, but it was becoming obvious that it would be to circular and we needed to find a slightly more direct route. The Walgreens clerk had one idea and her manager had another, and they argued among themselves for a minute while I tried to write it down and couldn’t. However they could agree on how to get to the HD Dealer, so we went there, and while Tony got some parts for his bike, I asked the parts counter lady what she thought. Well she and another parts department lady go into a discussion of which was the better way to go and how far we could get and was there food or gas along the way. In the middle of that, along comes a customer who had to give his two-cents. Now mind you this isn’t a heated discussion by any means, just a long drawn out Hee-Haw sketch of how to get from point A to point B and where to eat and stop along the way, with me trying to pick up key words here and there. So we decided that we’d head up into North Carolina and ride the Blue Ridge Parkway into Ashville, and stop in a town before that to ask about timing. All three could agree on that.

We left out of the HD dealer and headed north on US 178, and passed several more big Baptist Churches, one of which told me that Jesus was coming and asked if I was ready (I better have Olga come clean before he gets here). When the ladies said it was slow going they were right. We averaged 30mph for well over 65 miles between Anderson, SC and Balsam Grove, NC. I would estimate only one mile was actually straight as an arrow through the trees and up into the Blue Ridge Mountains. This was grand fun for me, as my bike is nimble and quick, however Tony struggled in this big lumbering Ultra-Classic Geezer Glide, which is very heavy and not made for quick sharp turns.

We climbed up into the mountains and crossed into North Carolina and it seemed like a great place to stop, take a picture, and answer the call of nature. We’d not passed any cars for a long time so I figured it would be safe. Well, I assumed the position and just then Tony heard a bike, and around the corner came a group of 8 other HD riders on their way back to Ohio, who also decided then and there to do the same thing I was doing. So one glorious mass urination and grunting and knuckle dragging Neanderthal behavior all the guys talked bikes for a few minutes. Hearing southern accents I asked them for their advice on where to go, and promptly got 8 more different answers and a long drawn out discussion. I pieced together some of it which will be helpful tomorrow as we get into Ohio, and we waved them off as they roared up the mountain ahead of us.

Shortly after that we crossed the Eastern Continental Divide, and we both started getting hungry. Unfortunately there were no towns on the map, and we’d not passed any out of the way honky-tonks or bars. Fortunately we dropped into the small town of Balsam Grove which had a post-office and another building that said “sandwiches” and had an “open” sign. We did a U turn and went back and found ourselves at “Galloways” which was a small room with three tables, one of which was occupied by four folks who all said “Howdy” to the two bikers who just invaded their sanctuary.

We went up to the counter to order, and I saw they had burgers listed, so I ordered a Bacon Cheese Burger and asked the cook “does anything come with that?”, and she replied with a drawl as thick as molasses, “a smile…” How Southern is that? Picture “Flo” on the old TV show “Mel’s Diner”. Actually it came with home-made potato salad or chips. I opted for the chips. We ate and looked over the map, and one of the men at the other table asked “y’all need hep?” And I replied we were trying to get to Ashville, which is apparently pronounced “Ash-VULL” note “ville”. He told us that we should keep going on NC 215 and pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway, then take it up to "Ash-vull" and take Highway 191 and pick up US 23 and go to Johnson City, TN for the night. While he was telling us this, his companions decided to correct him and tell him, no, take this road, or take that, and don’t take the freeway. It makes for a lively discussion, but once compromise and agreement is reached, we have a plan. Now it was time for desert – which in this case was home-made yellow cake with chocolate icing. The setting, the service, and the cake reminded us of the Whistle Stop Café in Paradise, Montana which we hit on our SMC ride a few years ago. THIS is why you get off the damn freeway and find the back roads!
We paid our tab and I wandered out and called back, “Thanks”, to which Tony said “you realize you just fell into a southern accent don’t you?” I don’t think I did, but he says I have a habit of mimicking accents in the oddest places.

We hopped back on the bikes and headed up NC 215 and climbed up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This spectacular road winds along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains for nearly 400 miles. When we got to the junction however there was no directional sign pointing towards "Ash-Vull" so I took an educated guess and turned. Tony unfortunately took the turn too wide and he and the bike went into the shoulder and down. He was OK, but we had to bend back his pegs and his mirror and his faring was a bit bent, and he was shook up, but otherwise fine. He rode a bit cautious for the rest of the day, and we’ll have the bike looked at by a HD dealer along the way tomorrow.

We got back on the road, but after about 10 miles I felt we were going the wrong way – it felt “west” and we needed to go “east”. I had just a gut sense, because there was no way to tell from the maps or road signs. We decided to turn around – figuring the worst that could happen is that we’d end up a bit further away from Asheville than we wanted to be, when we came across a waiting boy-scout troop. Who better to ask directions right? So we pulled over and asked the scoutmaster who said that indeed we had been going the right way to begin with and he said it doesn’t “feel” right either but it was. We thanked them and did another U turn and went back the way we were going the first time. The weather was a bit cool up that high, but still we both agreed it was the best day of riding so far this trip, between the scenery and the weather. I would love to come back and ride the entire thing one day. As it was we did only about 50 of the 400 plus miles, and could have kept going all the way up towards Roanoke, Virginia. In fact we debated it as we got towards Asheville, but after looking at the big picture map realized we’d really be going the wrong direction and have to scramble to get back West. We will just put that on the list of rides to do in the future.

In Asheville we picked up US 23, which has been re-signed as “Future I-26”, In other words, a “freeway”. Well, sometimes you have no choice, so we motored up “Future I-26” to Johnson City, Tennessee where we pulled into a nice Quality Inn. I have to ask though, what is it about Southerners and Buffets? The restaurant next to the hotel said “Steaks, Chicken, Buffet”. I was in the mood for a steak. I got yet another buffet and no steak. We had buffet for dinner Sunday, lunch Monday, dinner Monday, and now dinner Tuesday. They grow ‘em big here in the South and I do believe the prevalence of the Buffet is one of the culprits. I’m going to have to do double workouts at the gym when I get home to work this off!

Tomorrow we’ll continue up US-23 (now NOT a freeway), and aim for Columbus, Ohio for tomorrow night. We’ll go across a bit of Tennessee, a bit of Kentucky, and a bit of West Virginia too, before crossing out of the South and into Ohio. I’m going to miss these southern accents and hospitality – where else so you get a cheeseburger with a side of “smile”.