ROLL CALL


We propose a Monday Sept 19  2:30 PM arrival at Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum ($12 admission) followed by a roll around the area and a Hotwire $29 split between 2 guys hotel stay in a local 2 star hotel.   This area is to include a trip down the infamous ROAD TO NOWHERE and a video of you going into the Tunnel of No Return.  If we want, the entire Dragon loop we used to ride is touching this area to the West so the next morning we could go Dragon our way up into Tennessee instead of going up tame old hwy 421.   This would leave the Dragon fresh in our minds to be compared against the Diamondback for quality of twisties.

Tuesday we will stay at a $29 Hotwire Gatlinburg/Dollywood area hotel and we will roam around Tennessee's Country Tinsel Town for a bit.   What we do depends on what catches our fancy as there is TOO TOO much to do to even describe all the opportunities.  The best Aquarium on the East Coast is only one example, the infamous Ripley's Believe it or Not is another.

Wednesday we will loop around and down to Little Switzerland and do the Diamondback (a dragon wannabe) and go visit Mount Mitchell.   We will meet up with Serenity and whomever else finally answers the ROLL CALL and we will roll for however long they have.   We need a complete roster of people to book wherever we stay -- so answer the ROLL CALL !!

Get up Thursday with all of the Black Mountains before us, having found a local road map we also might just find a wee little black line or two that goes over the top of something interesting looking.   We will go ride up them durn rich people's extended state supported driveways that go up to all them impressive chalets you see hanging off the peaks of some of those tall tall mountains.

Friday AM early, split up and trek on home, all tired and beat up in body but all happy in soul ....




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Roll call will close on this trip in a few days as we have to start booking Hotwire hotels if we want the cheap $29 rates (leaf time is approaching and the rates go up to over $100 a night soon).

Lancer PM'd me -- he is out of state visiting his mother during our time frame.   Sends his best wishes to all.


Weather is holding all sunny and pretty -- time to book some rooms.



Whoooooo!!   Whoooooo!!

That's the sound the paddle wheel river boat makes when it is raising the gangplank and undoing the ropes holding it to the dock ....

You see the frantic cowboys beating their horses trying to catch the boat, but they are still coming down main street and you jest know they ain't gonna make it ....  

You can see the leaders of the pack judging the gap between the dock and the boat rail  --  lookie there !! they are squaring up for a jump  !!!

Monday the 19th we are staying here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g49313-d94593-Reviews-Microtel_Inn_Su...



Tuesday the 20th we are staying here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60842-d314333-r65106429-River_Edg...



Wednesday the 21st we are staying here in the large camping cabin (mainly because this is the night the Midnights and the Serenitys and the Toymakers who mebbe showing up to join us and we need to have room for everybody who might actually manage to make it)

http://www.linvillefalls.com/



Now, here is the trick -- I had to pre-pay for all these places so as far as sleeping goes THIS TRIP IS FREE FOR EVERYBODY THAT HAD THE GUMPTION TO SIGN UP FOR IT BEFORE NOW.

            yeaaaaa !!   I love free stuff !!


And, because I am a nice guy, the last night (Wednesday night Sept 21) at Linville Falls Camping Cabin is free to anybody that can drag themselves out of their house and ride for an hour and a half to get there.

(yes, Toymaker -- both you and Serenity and Midnight live jest that close by and if you don't come it will be because you were jest too too slack to make it)

There will be a wild party in the cabin Wednesday night -- y'all come on down and bring a six pack wid ya !!!

FREE PARTY NIGHT, bunks for the first 3 and clean dry heated floor space for everybody else that can make it.

http://www.linvillefalls.com/


I have reserved the place for the 22th in case we have any next day cripples who can't get up and ride the next day  ....  such pitiful next day hangdogs you never seen in yer whole life as some of these guys.

Babyhog, you need to come take you some pictures of this one, its gonna be worse than the campfires up at the Dragon.

Here's your challenge -- figure how to get us from Gatlinburg to Linville Falls without running down I-40 any at all and also totally avoiding Ashville completely.    

Pick smaller, more vertical roads (nothing bigger than a highway) ...... you can do it by going over the mountain tops on them little black lines.   Zoom in tight and Google will show you the way.

    you might want to print this out and follow along the google map to catch my little goof ups before we go.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=linville+falls+campground+an...


For example, you could take hwy 321/73 north from Gatlinburg until you tee right on hwy 32 which is a nice Savage road for about 15-20 miles until you cross the Tenn/NC border and it changes names to Mount Sterling rd which turns left on to Mountain Service Rd 288 which goes a whacky jerky long way before turning left and becoming also Harmon Den / Service 288 rd before crossing the river and going under I-40 and becoming Cold Springs rd which continues until it turns left on (or becomes) Falls Branch road then it hits Max Patch road where you turn left then take an immediate right on Littlecreek rd which eventually tees right on Meadow Forks rd then we take a left on Caldwell Mountain rd which changes names to Foxtown rd when it crosses hwy 209 (check mileage and gas) then changes again for no durn reason to Miller rd which tees right on Duckett rd which then turns right on to (or becomes) Biltmore Branch rd which does a lot of sharp left angle turns while keeping the same name but eventually goes straight and becomes Black Branch rd which tees left on to Big Pine rd.

(Stop at the Big Pine Volunteer Fire Dept and let me rest my legs and take a leak)

Continue north on Big Pine until Farmer Mountain vees off to the right which then becomes Mary Tweed rd which goes sorta south until it tees left on Paw Paw rd which goes a long way until it tees left on Little Pine rd which crosses the river and goes a way before it tees right on hwy 25 70 which leads to lunch in Marshal (business 70 is Main Street so keep going south on 70 or 25 after lunch is over)

Buy gas  Buy gas  Tank up  Buy gas

Anyway, head south out of Marshal on any version of Main Street, 70, 25, or Ivy Hill (River?) rd and keep a sharp lookout for Jupiter rd to take off to the left which is the road you want which eventually crosses I-26 and then becomes Barnsville Hwy 197 then becomes North Fork rd 197 and becomes a really good Savage riding road which travels uninterrupted for 25 some odd miles through the Pisgah National forest with no cops (and only one Sporster to hunt)  Wax on, Mr Meagi !!  then 197 tees right on 19E which is civilized and goes a long way until you go past Mayland Community College and then past the Avery County Airport (Morisson Field) and take a vee right on Mullen Hill rd then a quick right on 3 Mile rd then a right on Linville Falls hwy 221 south, go under the Blue Ridge Parkway then turn right on Gurney Franklin rd and then turn right into the Linville Falls Trailer Park
(you has arrived !!)

This might not take all morning and afternoon to get there, but I suspect it will put a good dent in it.

Meet the guys at the cabin, yak and eat dinner and go do something else, run the Diamondback mebbe?


     they say if you give a Scoutmaster a map, a compass and good directions he will never get you lost.  
We shall see, now won't we?    After all, neither google maps nor me EVER NEVER make a goof up, never !!

'Zuk, this is the third try on that intricate pathway -- I did them in line/road view then checked them in Spy Satellite view and found that one of my roads wasn't really a road, it looked like a fire break (grass & short shrubs) so I scotched that pathway and found another that looked like it was paved.

Dirt roads, yep, I bet some of them are dirt.

But when you go straight over the tops of the terrain you gotta expect some of the roads are gonna be kinda hinky.

It is all part of the big adventure.         hee hee, them west coasters ain't into any real adventure fer very much, ain't got no fizz in their wickets.



      And now we are the Three Musketeers !!!

I'll check in the hotels then we can go off for dinner and then smuggle 'Zuk in quietly while nobody's looking.

Zuk, you will need to bring a bag and an air mattress as we supposedly only have 2 beds in the room in the hotels, but we have 3 beds in the cabin but you need your own pillow and blankets for the cabin as they don't provide any.

I'm gonna pack a bed roll w/pillow and air mattress because if I don't I'll wind up needing it and if I do bring it then I won't.  



Remember, we wind up at the Camping Cabin on Wednesday night.

Campin' Cabin:
If you like to camp, but don't like the ground... or the tent, this cozy cabin for you!   Located along the woods edge, this cabin has one double bed and a set of bunk beds, perfect for a family of four!  There is no plumbing, no stove, no dishes, no linens.  You Bring The Gear just as if you were tent camping, without the tent. There is a private deck, picnic table,  fire ring and barbeque grill just outside.  It has a mini fridge, a microwave, a heater, power sockets  I called and asked.   Also called and verified the two motel room reservations for having 2 beds in them, non-smoking

Guys, this is exactly what Diamondback/Mt. Mitchell Wednesday was intended for -- quite a few of us on the list are suffering and got no ride this year for money reasons among other things coming up (like not getting vacation due to seniority).

Serenity, if you can get enough gas into the scoot to make it up on Wednesday afternoon we can take care of you that night and gas you up to get you home on Thursday.   That jest ain't enough reason for you not to be coming.

I am remembered of Willam Paul Davis, deceased, a good man whose family I married into who spotted folks money when they needed it without expecting anything in return.   I am remembered of Bobby Mathews, still living, who spent what money he had freely to help other people, including me.  

"Pay it forward" is something you do when you are able, and I am still working and I am able.  For you not to come because of a few bucks simply isn't enough of a reason.  If you want to come and are physically able, please come.   I would still like to meet you.

Guy if I go my condition is going to have to get a lot better. Had to spend a night in the hospital 3 weeks ago. Lupus is kicking my a$$ right now. I might be able to ride up to Dad's place and hook up one day with the guys there, cant say for sure. Just have to live life one day at a time right now.