Oldfeller--FSO wrote on 09/07/11 at 10:30:45:

10-4

I'll call Dad and get the Mt Mitchell forecast the day before lift off.





http://www.accuweather.com/us/nc/burnsville/28714/forecast-details.asp?fday=11

I might wear my leathers anyway this time.  

The trees ought to be showing off this time of year !

Just talked to that brother of mine , He's covered up in work and glad of it.  Winters comming on and jobs get scarce the later in the year it gets.

One last ride befor cool weather gets here.

OF I PMed you my cell ph #. I've been having trouble sending PM's. If you dont get it let me know.

Mines 2122 Boogy Woogy Avenue. I recieved your #. If I make it I'll be on highway 80 1.5 miles on the other side of the parkway.I can hook up with you guys anywhere around 80. It dont look good. I went to my Doctor Fri and I've lost 22 lbs in 4 weeks. My blood pressure has dropped too low. She almost put me in the hospital. Told me not to drive until my blood pressure got back up. My blood pressure to is low 90's over low 60's this morning. I'm one of these people thet my blood pressure has to be 120 to even function. A lot can happen in a week, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. OF you can delete my ph # soon as you read this post.

Got PM from Kel, he ain't gonna be able to make it.


===================


Packing Light is Such a Joy --- all my clothes will fit inside my little saddebags along with a video and a still camera, should I actually feel like putting glorious fall colors on record to make everybody on the West Coast drool.

I am gonna pack one additional soft case strapped to the front of my sissy bar, it shall include one cuddly blanket and my good pillow, wrapped securely around a 13" laptop.   I will certainly use the pillow every night, and the blanket will come in handy on that last night in the camping cabin.

This is a civilized fall weather trip, WiFi is available everywhere but the camping cabin (and I might bring my WiFi long eye to see if that isn't negotiable too).

I'm bringing long johns, long sleeves and a riding coat and gloves as 73 for a high isn't very high and a low of 53 is downright chilly for early morning riding.

I left at a quarter till 7:00 AM this morning and my Savage ran great, and there was only temporary traffic in front of me -- all of it dissipated at once when I used the Secret Magic Word for the trip  (Wax ON !!) and was instantly magically displaced behind me.

Average speed for the trip up was 60-65 mph, I never touched I-40 and ran up Hwy 74 alternate (the little fun old twisty original one that goes by Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, Bat Cave, etc.)  I still remember going up that road with my parents when I was a kid .... and some of the same old stuff is still there, too.

I was eating lunch over a bubbling mountain brook at Chimney rock at 11:43 AM and deciding what to do with the extra couple of hours the magic word had created, so I went down the long looping round about stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway that goes all the way up to Maggie Valley.   Average speed Parkway was 50-60 with rubbernecking tourists instantly being teleported behind me (Wax ON !!  Wax ... Wax ... Wax .... Wax On !!)



Thought some about the guys who couldn't make it on the trip .... so I stopped at their overlook and took them a picture.





Weather was great, rode through some clouds up at the peak areas that fogged the road down to like 200 yds visibility but that is to be expected when you ride up 6630 feet above sea level.






Made it to Wheels Through Time Museum at 2:22 PM and waited for the guys to show up.   Place was polluted with Hurley hogsickles inside and out.





Blue Ribbon winner BIGGEST HOG of the trip.   He's just a bouncing baby boy,  but he sure is a biggun, ain't he?



Here is his Momma and his Daddy, a family that glides together stays together, that must work OK fer them Hurley folk as well.




There were some pretty neat miniature race cars on display as well as every sort of old cruddy motorcycle you could imagine -- it wuz a plum HUGE shrine to Hurleydom and it had at least a half dozen of every model of Hurley every made.





Here is the Hotel Room we stayed in -- right nice for $29





Our room came with its own plum tree growing right outside the window -- I plucked off all the ones within easy reach and ate them (they were very very good tasting)

If you look sharp in the background of this particular picture, you can see MMRanch showing the other guys the proper form of the BOYSCOUT BACK SPLAT dive (I done told him the pool warn't deep enough to dive in, but he's jest a splashin' beaucoups of water, not divin' proper-like).

Our $29 flea trap hotel is actually kinda nice, it has tv, fridge, microwave, coffee maker, sauna, indoor heated pool, outside cold pool and seems to be in pretty good shape (no cockroaches at all that I can see)


Tomorrow the great adventure starts all over again .....

OF, I am not drooling, yet.. lol...
Nice you finally got this ride together.
Have a blast.. Keep the pics coming.. Hugs.. kim