I wasn't planning to even go riding this weekend. Debbi and I had made other plans a couple of months ago. We even set up a Dog sitter. Then the plans fell through but we decided that we had a dog sitter so we needed to get out of town. A weekend ride to the mountains sounded good to me but the weather forecast sucked. So I came up with plan B. We loaded the scooter in the truck and drove to Cartersville, Ga. We go a motel for 2 nights and went riding on Saturday. When I lived in Marietta I had a couple of favorite routes to get up to the mountains. One of them went through Cartersville. So I picked up that route for our ride. From Cartersville the route is almost all back roads without a single traffic light in the 95 mile route.
Here's a few pics i took on the way up to Suches:
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300004_zpsxd0o3qn2.jpg)
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(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300005_zpsr8e15glt.jpg)
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(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300008_zpsjevrwsc7.jpg)
The last road on the way to Suches is also one of my favorites, Hwy 60. This is a great curvy and scenic ride. I had a great run only briefly getting slowed down by a couple of bikes.
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300009_zpsmzxrzfti.jpg)
I passed at the first good spot and had a clean run on those great twisties just north of suches.
The we arrived at one of my favorite destinations. They had made some changes over the winter. Can you spot the change?
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300024_zps9vtuglis.jpg)
Quote from: klaviator on May 01, 2016, 07:00:58 PM
The we arrived at one of my favorite destinations. They had made some changes over the winter. Can you spot the change?
Is it the 40 billion cubic feet of concrete?
I don't know about 40 billion but they did pave the driveway and some of the parking area. It won't be nearly as much fun watching terrified riders paddling along with their legs and occasionally dropping their bikes because of the gravel.
We looked around some as there were more changes. Another view of the parking area and lodge.
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300013_zpsmbxhmjd1.jpg)
Then around back to the camground. They added some large rocks along parts of the banks of the creek.
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300014_zpsleru3oqe.jpg)
They also cut down some trees taking away a popular tree for hammocks. This one was hanging over the bank:
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300016_zpskugtwsxo.jpg)
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(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300017_zpsu3tl0mtp.jpg)
Then we had really tasty chicken salads for lunch.
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300020_zpsuxcfmxbr.jpg)
We timed it well. There was no line when we ordered lunch but not long after that the line was across the whole room.
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300021_zpsxc5mi1vu.jpg)
Glad to see you guys had a good time on a whim. I do know that you know the best roads over in that area. ;)
Looks like you had a nice, and much needed, getaway.
I'm back home now, time to finish up this report.
I always love riding to TWoS. Part of the reason is that can be a great ride no matter what direction you come from. The other reason is that it's just such a cool place to hang out. There is normally a variety of bikes to look at I and I pretty much always run into old friends. This time was no exception. I ran into an old friend who recently got a really cool new (to him) bike. So I went and checked it out and took a pic:
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300022_zpsoje0h4mo.jpg)
After taking the pic Debbi said that I'm always getting pics of bikes but do I actually have any pics of my friend???
So she took a pic of us:
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300025_zpsja7a0htm.jpg)
This is my friend Mike who I got to know back in 2006. Both of us were hanging out at TWO and it turned out that we had both just gotten in the business of selling bikes. He sold HD and I was selling Yamasaki's. Neither one of us are exactly the types who could sell air conditioners to Eskimos so we both eventually moved on to other things. However, we both continued to ride and run into each other from time to time in Suches.
A couple more pics. Here's a cool old classic:
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300023_zps2o6ddq5t.jpg)
And a pic inside the lodge:
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300027_zpsqks97kw3.jpg)
Then we rode back to Cartersville. We did get into a rain shower on the way back and had to put on our rain suits for a while. Still, overall it was a real nice ride.
Then on Monday we went to Marietta and visited our old church. Then we went to our old favorite restaurant but it was no longer there. It had been replaced by something else :( We ate at the new restaurant there but it wasn't the same.
Then it was off to Norcross for a night. Monday we drove home. One thing the visit to the Atlanta area did was make me REALLY glad we moved to Alabama. Even though we didn't do any driving during rush hour, the traffic just SUCKED. How do people live there? I know I did it for 11 years but I couldn't go back.
Did I mention I'm really glad to be in Alabama?
Quote from: klaviator on May 03, 2016, 10:31:54 AM
One thing the visit to the Atlanta area did was make me REALLY glad we moved to Alabama. Even though we didn't do any driving during rush hour, the traffic just SUCKED. How do people live there? I know I did it for 11 years but I couldn't go back.
Did I mention I'm really glad to be in Alabama?
Word.
Bill has made some fantastic changes to the TWoS. I was up there friday and saturday with a group of friends and had a few meals there. I was on my super enduro so mostly dirt roads in the area for me. Our group was camped/cabined at the High Valley airport.
great weekend of riding, except for a bit of rain on saturday afternoon. I had to get back to atlanta early on saturday evening, so I slabbed it from clayton to atlanta on the super enduro after I realized my front sprocket was missing a few teeth. guess those second gear wheelies aren't good for chain/sprocket life. :)
Quote from: SpeedyR on May 04, 2016, 06:41:14 AM
Bill has made some fantastic changes to the TWoS. I was up there friday and saturday with a group of friends and had a few meals there. I was on my super enduro so mostly dirt roads in the area for me. Our group was camped/cabined at the High Valley airport.
great weekend of riding, except for a bit of rain on saturday afternoon. I had to get back to atlanta early on saturday evening, so I slabbed it from clayton to atlanta on the super enduro after I realized my front sprocket was missing a few teeth. guess those second gear wheelies aren't good for chain/sprocket life. :)
We were probably at TWoS at the same time on Saturday. I was there from around 11 to a little after 2. Although I am glad to be living in Alabama I do miss being just a few hours from the Suches area.
I hope to get out to Suches before long. Nice write up.
Quote from: klaviator on May 01, 2016, 09:37:25 PM
I don't know about 40 billion but they did pave the driveway and some of the parking area. It won't be nearly as much fun watching terrified riders paddling along with their legs and occasionally dropping their bikes because of the gravel.
Seriously, I'd be spooked on a downhill decent into gravel lot on a 900 pound bike. Good business move in my mind. Hope it pays off for him.....that is a lot of concrete. Can't be cheap. I was just goofin'. Looks nice. I hope nothing but the best for places like that.
Quote from: kdtrull on May 04, 2016, 08:48:27 PM
...I was just goofin'....
I thought it was a lot of concrete also. I'm fairly certain that the gravel kept out quite a bit of the riff-raff, but I'm sure the owner needs more revenue. Let's hope the place doesn't turn into a squid hangout now that access is easier.
The original owner Frank Cheek purposely kept the gravel to keep some of the Harleys away. He didn't like Harleys. I think the next owners, Britt & GT just couldn't afford to pave it.
I have seen a few riders dump their bikes in the driveway/parking area there. Then again, I've seen a few dump their bikes at the Deal's Gap Resort and that's all paved.
Quote from: klaviator on May 01, 2016, 07:00:58 PM
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300009_zpsmzxrzfti.jpg)
I passed at the first good spot and had a clean run on those great twisties just north of suches.
They must have been thrilled, being passed two-up on a scooter!
Quote from: maydaymike on May 05, 2016, 07:36:32 AM
Quote from: klaviator on May 01, 2016, 07:00:58 PM
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2016%20PICS/P4300009_zpsmzxrzfti.jpg)
I passed at the first good spot and had a clean run on those great twisties just north of suches.
Yeah, if they have a problem with being passed by a scooter, they may want to stay away from curvy roads.
They must have been thrilled, being passed two-up on a scooter!
The bike in the pic was a new Versys 650 and the rider appeared to be a beginner. He was very hesitant in curves. So I passed him on the outside of a long right hand sweeper. The second bike was an older triumph Tiger and the guy waved me around.
I wasn't going all that fast 8)
Quote from: klaviator on May 05, 2016, 12:06:28 PM
I wasn't going all that fast 8)
That's the story I'd stick with also.