South Carolina Ride, April 28

[hubcapsc]

A few weeks ago me and my buddy Dan took a ride on some South Carolina back roads I've
been figuring out how to hook together for a while...



Me and Joe and Wimp and another fellow  rode across South Carolina to Savannah last year
and we had a good time, and the country highways we used were a lot more fun than Interstate
26, but they were basically kind of straight roads through the forest all the way, kind of boring
when you're used the Cherohala Skyway and stuff. These roads I'm talking about now are more curvy,
more backroads, no dirt roads, but still not the Cherohala Skyway... a mellow ride. Unless you stick to
Oconee, Pickens and Greenville counties, mellow is the best South Carolina has to offer...

Anyhow, I've been speaking to the park ranger in charge of access to the "Caldwell-Hutchison Farm"
a 200 year old "dog trot" farm house, and he promises to meet me (and you, if you decide to come)
at the gate at noon on  April 28 and let us go through the house and see the out buildings...



Besides roads like the one above, this ride will include a trip to Grits and Groceries for eats around
10:00am... bring $15 or $20 with you when you go to Grits and Groceries, you might see a lot
of things there you want to eat, and they take cash, check and IOUs.



A stop at the Caldwell-Hutchison Farm around noon, and more sometimes-curvy little roads
past maybe a couple of other historic crossroads deeper into the state after that. Here's where
me an Dan went a few weeks ago, basically this same ride with fewer wrong turns, I've about
got it down now... 



In case there was anyone outside of the Upstate who wanted to roll in on Friday,
I checked out the Days Inn in Seneca this morning. There's only about 10 rooms left as of now, some
smoking, some non-smoking. It is a two story park-at-your door motel, all the Duke Power people and
Linemen crews seem to stay there, it seems clean and is $66 a night (that includes tax she said)
for a double.

    Days Inn
    11015 N. Radio Station Road
    Seneca, SC
    864-885-0710

I told the park ranger I'd be there alone or with a crowd at noon. If a crowd shows up at Grits
and Groceries, they can feed us both at inside tables and outside tables... there's always a bunch
of people there. We have to roll out of there around 11:00 in order to meander our way to the
Hutchison farm by noon.

-Mike
   

[DDT (12)]

Hey Mikey, aka HCSC,

At the risk of being overly optomistic, I assumed your blanket invitation included card carrying rednecks from Alabama... so I made a reservation at the Days Inn you mentioned... When and where will we be meeting up Saturday morning? I plan to arrive Friday evening to sample the night life in ol' Seneca... if there is any. If not, then I'll just have to improvise and make some my own self... I may have a riding partner with me, but so far it'll just be me... Grits 'n Groceries sounds mighty fine to this good o' boy; I'll be hankerin' to see what that's all about! The old house tour sounds interesting, too...

DDT

[hubcapsc]

When and where will we be meeting up Saturday morning?

Well... now that someone's coming, I think we should meet at the Days Inn on Saturday morning.

KSU 9:00am should get us to Grits and Groceries by 10:00, eat stuff and drink coffee for an hour,
and get to the Caldwell-Hutchison Farm by noon, and then just wing it after that. The deeper we
get into the state, the harder it gets for people from far away to get home. I know plenty of
back roads to keep going for several hours beyond the Caldwell-Hutchison Farm, and except
for a few annoying roads around Columbia, I know how to take backroads all the way to
Folly Beach on the Atlantic Ocean , if people like this ride, perhaps there will be
a next time...

I'll take anyone who wants on a ride to the mountains for awesome BBQ, an ice cream cone and
even a little bluegrass on Friday night. By "night", I mean around 5:00pm...

Me and Carolyn went into Seneca last Friday night (for an ice cream cone  ) and
were flabbergasted by all the police activity, at least five people pulled over with flashing lights
and a row of police cars without lights on zoomed past us on 59 where it widens to two lanes
each way... Seneca's night life probably isn't a calling card for this ride.

I look forward to seeing you there...

-Mike

[DDT (12)]

Awesome BBQ? Bluegrass? Does admitance invlove being checked through some pearly gates by a guy named St. Peter? Even an ice cream cone sounds good... That sure beats delivery pizza. Sounds like a plan! I'm in!!!

DDT

[Stanley Steamer]

I could MIGHT be able to do this ride if'n the Boss says so.....and it doesn't rain, sleet, hail, or snow and .....y'all don't run off and leave me all alone in the SC backwoods......

[thumper]

Mike,

I'd love to come up and do this ride with you but I've got family obligations that are going to make it impossible.

My brother Greg, who some of you rode with on one of Smokin' Joe's rides a couple of years ago, was diagnosed with lung cancer a year after I found out I had cancer.  He had surgery, radiation, and chemotherepy and 6 years of clean CAT scans.

Well, he found out in the last few weeks that his cancer has returned.  It's inoperable so the only way they can attack it is with radiation and chemo.  His daughter and my wonderful niece, Kimberly, is flying in tomorrow from California to celebrate what may be my last birthday and spend time with her father.

We will be spending the entire weekend together which is about the only thing that could keep me out of the saddle and missing this ride.

You all ride safe and I will catch you on the next one.

[hubcapsc]

You all ride safe and I will catch you on the next one.

I look forward to it.

Carolyn just walked in from Wednesday night church with a handful of
Bible verses...

The Spirit is the One who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all.  John 6:63

-Mike

[Stanley Steamer]

I'm a go for this ride...the Wife is helping her Mom deliver/set up 3 wedding cakes....I'll have to find the street addy for grits and groceries and meet y'all there

[hubcapsc]

I'm a go for this ride...the Wife is helping her Mom deliver/set up 3 wedding cakes....I'll have to find the street addy for grits and groceries and meet y'all there

Just put Grits and Groceries into google, every hit on the first page is them...

   2440 Due West Highway  Belton, SC 29627

        http://g.co/maps/jrrmf    <---- google map link

-Mike

[Shades]

Going to try to make it . Hope to see ya guys in Seneca.

[hubcapsc]

Going to try to make it . Hope to see ya guys in Seneca.

Awesome...  my buddy Sammy from Church sez he might show up on
Saturday morning on his Harley... and Dennis, with the Confederate Valkyrie, said he
wants to be there too...



-Mike

[hubcapsc]

Bump.

-Mike

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Bump.

-Mike

DDT is in The Great State Of Tennessee ( Sweetwater ) . I was going to ride out and hook up with him tonight however as of now my area is under a severe thunderstorm warning and the county next door is under a tornado warning    They claim golfball to baseball size hail with these storms don't think I care anything about screamin' down I-75 in a tornado or hail storm on my bike. I'm planning on making this ride however if tornado's are rippin' powerlines down my boss will no doubt change my plans 

[FloridaValkRyder]

Wow.. What a gorgeous paint job.. I have never seen that pic before 

[hubcapsc]

Bump.

-Mike

DDT is in The Great State Of Tennessee ( Sweetwater ) . I was going to ride out and hook up with him tonight however as of now my area is under a severe thunderstorm warning and the county next door is under a tornado warning    They claim golfball to baseball size hail with these storms don't think I care anything about screamin' down I-75 in a tornado or hail storm on my bike. I'm planning on making this ride however if tornado's are rippin' powerlines down my boss will no doubt change my plans 

It's rumbling outside here, and the radar makes it look like its coming this way... hope you
get to make it down...

-Mike

[Stanley Steamer]

I've got the addy for Grits and Groceries in my GPS now.....about 55 miles according to it.....and I am planning to have the ........

Red Rooster Breakfast
Battered and Fried Chicken Breast,
with Fried Eggs Smothered in Country Gravy,
served with Grits and a Homemade Biscuit
$9.00.............

http://www.gritsandgroceries.com/index.php/home

[..]

Excellent weather forecast.

Born to be mild 

Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild	powered by Aeva

120 miles for breakfast.

Grits and Groceries	powered by Aeva

[hubcapsc]

Me and Carolyn plan to show up at the Days Inn in Seneca a little before 5:00pm
today (April 27)... Around 5:00 we'll leave for the BBQ place, Brasstown BBQ (AKA "The
Gathering Place") on Hwy 76 near Longcreek. They don't have a web page, but here's
some info from one of those review places...

http://www.yelp.com/biz/brasstown-creek-gathering-place-bbq-westminster

I think DDT is looking forward to BBQ, and if Joe or anyone else shows up on Friday night,
there will probably be several of us on the little Friday evening trip.  If we decide to go to listen to
Bluegrass for a few minutes, we'll be back to the Motel by 8:30 or so... the bluegrass place isn't a
bar, its a little one room music hall where locals (and later on Friday nights, professionals) play
bluegrass... not a smoking or drinking place, a little tip jar at the back. The Motel
is right in the middle of all the places you could get stuff to drink at the Motel.

-Mike

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Me and Carolyn plan to show up at the Days Inn in Seneca a little before 5:00pm
today (April 27)... Around 5:00 we'll leave for the BBQ place, Brasstown BBQ (AKA "The
Gathering Place") on Hwy 76 near Longcreek. They don't have a web page, but here's
some info from one of those review places...

http://www.yelp.com/biz/brasstown-creek-gathering-place-bbq-westminster

I think DDT is looking forward to BBQ, and if Joe or anyone else shows up on Friday night,
there will probably be several of us on the little Friday evening trip.  If we decide to go to listen to
Bluegrass for a few minutes, we'll be back to the Motel by 8:30 or so... the bluegrass place isn't a
bar, its a little one room music hall where locals (and later on Friday nights, professionals) play
bluegrass... not a smoking or drinking place, a little tip jar at the back. The Motel
is right in the middle of all the places you could get stuff to drink at the Motel.

-Mike

Not sure what time we'll be there since we are making a ride getting to the ride.5:00 might be possible but cut us alittle slack  on that    See you this evening I'm getting ready to roll out to hook-up with Bruce ( DDT ).

[Buzz 4200]

Hey Mike & all,

I'm obviously socially networking challenged, but I think I finally got this thing working and have a bookmark on my computer so I can find it again!!  Anyway, plan here is still to join the fun tomorrow.  See you there.  Be safe.

Dennis

[BIG--T]

This sounds like a nice ride and Britman's vid made me hongry! 

I hope to see ya'll there if I can "wiggle" out of some stuff tomorrow!

Keep the shinny side up and the rubber side down. 

[hubcapsc]

This sounds like a nice ride and Britman's vid made me hongry! 

They picked some unnaturally quiet time to film that... we'll probably all want to
sit outside, in order to sit together, and to get through there in the time alloted..
and the food will be just as good as what you saw in the video.

Unless 40 riders show up, we won't make all that big of a dent in how many total
people are there... I've seen 8 or 10 bikes show up there, and it ain't nothin' but a
thang...

I almost always get one of their specialties when I go at lunch, at 10:00am I might
get eggs, grits and bacon...

-Mike "tomato pie... praline bacon... fried cheese grits with tomato gravy... "

[BIG--T]

This sounds like a nice ride and Britman's vid made me hongry!  

They picked some unnaturally quiet time to film that... we'll probably all want to
sit outside, in order to sit together, and to get through there in the time alloted..
and the food will be just as good as what you saw in the video.

Unless 40 riders show up, we won't make all that big of a dent in how many total
people are there... I've seen 8 or 10 bikes show up there, and it ain't nothin' but a
thang...

I almost always get one of their specialties when I go at lunch, at 10:00am I might
get eggs, grits and bacon...

-Mike "tomato pie... praline bacon... fried cheese grits with tomato gravy... "

Umm here comes that hunger again- I just ain't eating chicken with my eggs! . If I'm right I counted 8 including myself and I know some friends will be with you.  However many, it's gonna be great! Ya'll better watch the skies around 5:00PM, there was some hail here yesterday and last I heard there will be more today...hope I'm wrong.

[Stanley Steamer]

I just got in a while ago....285 miles round trip...had a good time today and will post a few pics later tonight

[BIG--T]

 I had a good time myself and it was nice meeting ya'll. Stanley can't wait to see the pics! 

[BigAl]

Put some cheese on them Grits.

[T-Bird]

Hey Mike & all,

I'm obviously socially networking challenged, but I think I finally got this thing working and have a bookmark on my computer so I can find it again!!  Anyway, plan here is still to join the fun tomorrow.  See you there.  Be safe.

Dennis

Great paint job Dennis! Welcome to the Club 

[BIG--T]

T-Bird, This was on our Saturday ride

[DDT (12)]

I ended up riding all the way home today (Saturday)... got in about 9:15pm. Yeah, it's a long story, but maybe I'll tell it in a day or two... or three. I'm too pooped now to tax my thinker muscle hard enough to attempt to splain.

I will say this, though... Mike put on one heck of a chow run!!! Rode my buns off starting Thursday mid-day... I did, however, eat some killer ribs and a sensational breakfast along the way... And, I got to do it all in the company of some of my favorite folks plus some new friends, as well. We also did all that fine dining in between some of the best riding in this corner of America... I had a fabulous time, and I do thank Mike for putting it all together... I also thank Carolyn for being our driver Friday evening, so we wouldn't have to ride our bikes through another thunderstorm.

DDT

[BIG--T]

I ended up riding all the way home today (Saturday)... got in about 9:15pm. Yeah, it's a long story, but maybe I'll tell it in a day or two... or three. I'm too pooped now to tax my thinker muscle hard enough to attempt to splain.

I will say this, though... Mike put on one heck of a chow run!!! Rode my buns off starting Thursday mid-day... I did, however, eat some killer ribs and a sensational breakfast along the way... And, I got to do it all in the company of some of my favorite folks plus some new friends, as well. We also did all that fine dining in between some of the best riding in this corner of America... I had a fabulous time, and I do thank Mike for putting it all together... I also thank Carolyn for being our driver Friday evening, so we wouldn't have to ride our bikes through another thunderstorm.

DDT

DDT, I'm  glad you made it back safe from that long ride and it was a pleasure meeting you. That was a long way to ride for some chow!! 

Tony

[fon1961]

Put some cheese on them Grits.

Don't know who the pretty lady is but I do recognize the two ugly mugs with her 

Glad that you all got some go riding in.

[DDT (12)]

Tony,

Thanks, dude! It sure was nice meeting you, too... and sharing some wind with ya, as well. Yep, a long way indeed to ride for some chow, but hey... I've been known to ride to Texas for some BBQ... If ya ever go Hotglue & Flamingobabe's, you'll know why!!!

Hope to ride with ya again... perhaps the Return to Hillbilly Ride in June...?

DDT