Mountains - Yea

Had it all mapped out and ready to leave Augusta, GA by 9am. Seem to be getting up later each day.
Last night I was searching the Deal's Gap area of NC looking for a reasonably priced motel. Use to be one in Franklin, NC that I got the last time I was up here for $35 or $40. It's now $65. Happened on the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort http://www.dealsgap.com/index.html , at $65 total cost. Because of  there cancellation policy, I decided not to call and reserve until I got to Franklin, just in case it rained or something. Bad choice, as when I got to Franklin, there was no Boost wireless coverage. I tried a pay phone but that didn't work either. So what to do - it's still 55 miles to the Gap, it's like 2pm - decided the best is to stay in Franklin tonight, go to the Gap tomorrow morning (weather permitting).
Unfortunately this joint cost me $65 even with a senior discount.

Aren't many pictures today - the ride was to fun, and it required all my attention.
My route today http://tinyurl.com/breyhmq was one of the best I've had to date. Little traffic, great scenery, lots of hills and curves.

 Again neat little towns along the way. Lots of hills and curves.

First true sighting of the mountains. Expand the picture to get a better look.

I had really good Mexican food yesterday and probably the worst tonight at this dump accross the street from the motel. This little town has more Mexican restaurants than most towns have Chinese.

Hopefully the Gap tomorrow.

You ought to hear the snyed(sp) remarks my little SYM is getting. Just wait!!!!

"On the Road Again"

Willie Nelson - on U-Tube

Wasn't sure what direction I might be heading to - all dependent on what the rain storms where up to. Checking the radar first thing this morning, with storms coming in from the west, heading southeast, the choice was clear, head North as was planned for yesterday.

First breakfast, say goodbye to my motel neighbor, and one last stop to catch the southbound Amtrak.

Rode the "Woodpecker Trail" north. http://gowoodpecker.weebly.com/all-towns.html

http://tinyurl.com/6vue2fk

This turned out to be a really great route (ever saw one woodpecker). Very little traffic, many times I would go 10 miles or more without a single car on the road.

 The beginnings of rolling hills - no more flat land - yea.

Did you notice the number of vehicles in these pictures. One.

These two pictures are in Metter, Ga, one of the two towns of any size I passed thru on this route (208 miles).

 A lot of these towns have older homes which I really like. They are rarely damaged in hurricanes or windstorms.

My one an only rest stop today was at this gas station/store at the intersection of hwy's 121 and 80. Absolutely nothing else anywhere around. I had a coke (I like pepsi) because he wasn't stocked up yet.

Here's where I landed today (about 3pm) in Augusta, GA. Took a swim and then off for some Mexican food - very good meal for little money. The two restaurants in Folkston are awful.

 Still can't hold a camera level.

 really modern styling.

As a side note. I though I might tell you that for my entire stay in Folkston I had this lovely lady as my next door neighbor, her name is Penny. On and off over the five days we would see each other and share a little conversation. Seems she was here because her mother was having a heart operation in some hospital in Jacksonville (she was staying in Folkston because she use to live here). She has two boys and a daughter, all grown up now. She works cleaning mostly new homes and businesses. She had a male 'friend' over from Hilliard (few miles south of here) several nights, so we only talked. She did 'kind of' 'sort of' promise to 'share' the caboose with me next time though. http://www.railsidelodging.com/index.php/about/the-caboose

Once again a reminder - if you double click on the pictures they will open full size.

Also please commend on this series. Rather sad that only 19 people at most, usually only 10 viewed this blog

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Didn't get out of town

This is going to be a short post.
I had planned to leave this morning rain or shine. Rain it was when I got up this morning - rain from here to clear where I was planning on going.

I decided to go for breakfast first, then come back and pack up. Well it was raining pretty good when I left the restaurant and on the ride back the scoot told me I wasn't riding in heavy rain. Seems I've had this problem before, and I though I had fixed it. Apparently not. So I have to 'wait out the rain' and stay another night in Folkston, GA. Oh well, watch more trains and also get real bored - bummer.

Of course another Diary Queen Blizzard was part of today's plan.

Till tomorrow.

And it Rained and it Rained

The heaviest rain and wind happened overnight, although it really didn't amount to much. Constant rain up to about 10am keep me at the motel. Got a chance to spend some time talking to my neighbors in the room next to mine. Penny is here because her mother is having some operation done in some hospital nearby. Joe is a friend of her's, nice enough to take me out for coffee this morning. Of course the three of us talked about my scoot, Penny wants to get one, Joe already has a Goldwing motorcycle.

During a break in the rain, I headed off to the restaurant for breakfast, the down to the Train Platform.

Notice how many different shipping companies the are, seems like twice what I remember seeing from before

First time I have seen these cars on the end, no idea what they for.

 Five engines on this train of over 125 cars, something like 8500 ft long - over a mile and a half long.

 These are rolls of steel rod.

New automobiles in these.

 Plastic pipe.

 Cute little Haley and her dad - they where still watching when I left at 8pm.

  Amtak is so fast they are a blur.

I tried to capture some of the art work.

The day was spent moving about between rain showers, breakfast to trains, trains to motel, motel to dinner - you get the idea. Managed to stay dry though.

Lot of interesting people in this town, including other Georgia folks visiting. My observation - very few overweight women, fewer overweight men, women do a better job with appearance (makeup and dress maybe).

I'm sitting here thinking how easy it is to be pretty much myself around strangers. And realizing how that is much less true around people I know. I've got to view my friends more like I do strangers - ie be myself - forget about my image - forget about what they might think of me.

On the road tomorrow - no, you'll have to wait till tomorrow to find out where I'm going.

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