Carolyn and I took off towards Robbinsville on Friday... we have a route
we usually take. There's a burg (Hiawassee, Ga) in the way, I
typically bypass it...
This time I plunged right in, I wanted to try an alternate route I'd seen on the map.
There was a plug of stopped traffic a mile long, pretty soon we were part of it.
We finally got to our turnoff and it was not special or better... been there done that!
We passed a two motorcycle wreck on the way into town at Robbinsville. My
BFGPS was on, even though I hadn't needed it since the Hiawassee debacle,
and I looked down and saw that the road actually doubled back on itself just
ahead. As we got close to the corner we found that traffic was stopped. The bikes
crashed somehow in the curve, the riders were already gone but the bikes were
still there.
We had all the normal nonsense around the firepits Friday night... everybody
misses Miss Reba, but it still seems like the same good old Fall Color Ride. Carolyn
and I ate at the Mexican restaurant down the hill, it was good, but they seemed
to be running wide open on not enough staff... we must have been in there two
hours... Ross (RNFWP) from Greenville (my home town) came, for the first time I think...
He came up Wayah road, a good alternative to 28...
Saturday morning a whole bunch of people gathered to follow Joe, I made it to where
they were gathering up before they left... he headed straight to Wayah Road, I
had my camera turned on then...
We passed a bunch of these things...
People waved...
We stopped to gather at the end of Wayah Road, where something unfortunate happened...
As we all were leaving, one fellow's u-joint exploded, he pulled over and nobody realized
he had trouble... he got his bike back to the motel, though, and parts and jacks came out and his
bike was fixed before dark...
After that we followed Joe through Franklin and down 28 to the Highlands. Highlands
was thick with tourists and we became one with them through many cycles of the
several traffic lights. Along the way we passed Dry Falls and Bridal Veil Falls
and we came to Warwoman Road. We all beeped as we passed Britman's
house and split up for an hour in Clayton and everyone found something to
eat.
We met back up at the gas stop, and Stanley Steamer was there. He took
this picture...
We decided to head back to the motel from Clayton, Joe suggested we go
back this way:
I wrinkled my nose as if I knew a better way... that's all it took for Joe to shout
out that we're following me, so I led on the way back... good thing, it got
noticed that my right rear turn signal is out...
Wimp and Margie were there... they actually got there on Friday and I didn't realize it.
They added greatly to the firepit activities and numerous times the glass was
held up for T-Bird...
Rolled home Sunday morning... Clayton is on the route home, so we went back
just like on the map above... great ride home, great to see everybody! ...
-Mike
