Well, that didn't go as planned

It's been almost a year since I wrote that last little bit about returning to the Smokey Mtn - Western NC area. As it turned out I didn't go because two days before we where going to leave I was in an accident on my scooter. Less then a mile from home, some lady didn't see me (that's what she said) and pulled out from a median crossover right in front of me. I couldn't stop in time and drove into the side of her. Result was a compound fracture of the left wrist, a fractured right knee cap and a torn ligament. Surprisingly I experienced little pain after the accident and all the way through recovery. I did get my first helicopter ride because of this incident. Seems all trauma cases are flown to St Mary's Hospital. Thank God she did have very good insurance. With the help of a Personal Injury lawyer I now understand why vehicle insurance is so expensive, the settlement was way more then I could imagine. 
So there you have it. In the end I'm fully recovered and have a few extra bucks in my pocket. Believe me, it's not a good way to make a living (I couldn't imagine even thinking that way).

Next adventure coming soon.

ps The rest of the scooter riders did continue with the trip and had a great time.

The Return - with reinforcements

Well three of my fellow club members (Palm Beach Scooter Club) and me are going up to Smokey Mtn - Western NC area for some good riding. The "Tail of the Dragon" is located in this area.
I rented a "cabin" for a week.  . We'll take 3 days riding up and then 3 days riding back. This is pretty much our route, tinyurl.com/ptfy63h . Overnites at "B" and "C".
Ok, that's all for now, just wanted to get the blog for this ride started since I've been directing a lot of people to this site.

Always the Best Ending

Getting back home, in your familiar surroundings,your own bed, and most importantly seeing your friends again is the best ending to a little vacation. Getting back home with a whole lot better attitude helps.
I meet a lot of interesting people on this trip, a few I have spoken about, most got let out. Many conversations where started when stopping for fuel or whatever. Sometimes it was just wanting to know about the scooter; how fast will it go, what kind of gas mileage does it get, etc. Other times people noticed the Florida license plate; inevitably the conversation would start something like this "you rode that all the way from Florida?". Sometimes the talk would carry on for quite some time. Sitting on the 'Train Platform' always resulted in talking some about the train stuff, but often I would get little glimpses of peoples lives.
A lot of the motorcyclists that showed up at the 'Dragon', besides finding out where they where from, had some good riding stories - some about the spills they've had on the 'Dragon'. And the shear number of motorcyclist up in that area, western North Carolina, was almost unbelievable.
OK, here's some of the pictures I found, taken of me on the "Tail of the Dragon". There are at least two entrepreneurs, that maybe make a living photographing those riding the 'Dragon'. One is www.us129photos.com . Another is www.killboy.com.

These first three were shortly after I got to the Resort, but before I could check in, consequently I still have my stuff packed on the scooter. There was a slight drizzle at the time, wet roads. 

This next batch is after I got my room and unloaded my luggage. The rain had stopped.

And this one on Saturday morning as I was leaving.

Here's the stats on this trip - note that I didn't start the logging until somewhere after Ft. Pierce.

Stopped time includes all gas stops, rest stops, but usually not meal stops (like my two Mac coffee stops on my last day riding). Fuel cost is not there because I never told the GPS  my mpg.

Final thoughts.

While there were several days spent waiting out the rain in Folkston, GA over the Memorial Day weekend, it was well worthwhile, as I got the chance to know Penny a little better. The worry's over possible rain Wednesday coming home, really helped me start to drop some old behavior.

In the end this little sojourn has gotten emotions realigned with reality. I'm delighted the way it all turned out.

Hope you enjoyed.

Jack

Raise the Banner, Wave the Checkered Flag

A monumental day, record ride, continual rain worries. I made it all the way from Folkston, GA to home in Jupiter, FL in one day - 350 miles (best distance yet), 9 hours with two McDonalds coffee stops. I left Folkston at 8am, showers showing on the radar at several points along the route. Keep asking the man upstairs if maybe he could spare me the rains, or at least make them minimal. I would be heading, say south, with dark rain clouds up ahead, and just before I would get to them my route would turn, say east, where the sky's where less threatening. Just outside of Palatka it started to rain, a lite rain, enough to suit up. My first Mac stop was in Ormond Beach, still raining. By the time I had finished drinking my coffee and programing my GPS for the next leg, the rain had stopped. The roads continued to remain wet though clear to Titusville. The rest of the way was almost all dry riding - 1/4 mile from home a lite rain again started - I just made a dash for home at this point - really didn't get wet.
Other than two 1/2 hour doses of semi sunshine, it was a gray dismal day - but I managed to keep my spirits up for the entire ride.

This shot was taken about 20 miles out of Folkston on CR121 in Florida. It was about a half hour later when the clouds started looking black. Sky looks white here, but it is actually lite gray.

This is when it was time to suit up.

In Ormond Beach, fueling up after my Mac break.

Here's the routes for today. I found a really great route around the west side of Jacksonville, little traffic, and mostly country type riding (little city stuff).
Had to divide it into two parts (Google maps only allows a certain number of dots).
North part: http://tinyurl.com/7v2agsg disregard the little jog at Bryceville (a Google flaw)
South part: http://tinyurl.com/87tdmdz

Tomorrow I'll give a wrap up on my trip, and some shots of me riding the "tail of the dragon".

Still Here

What I also decided yesterday after deciding to stay last night in the 'Roadmasters Lodge' was if Dixie would give me the same reduced rate I'd stay tonight to. So I'm still in Folkston - always like this town for some strange reason.
First a few early morning train shots from the porch of my lodge.

Did I tell you, yesterday I choose to do some laundry - wearing the same cloths for several days isn't one of my normal habits. When I went into the laundromat  I was surprised to find they also would do your laundry for you - for a dollar a pound - how nice. Another reason to like Folkston. So today I had nice fresh clothes to wear/
After eating breakfast (would you believe the waitress, after only two previous breakfasts knows me), and watching the trains above go by, doing a little grocery shopping, it was time for lunch. Staying in the Lodge or Caboose gets you a 20 percent discount at Dixie's "Whitslin' Dixie" shop for lunch. Tom (the guy that bought the house two lots down from the Lodge) showed up about half way through my lunch. We talked about a lot of things, mostly his house. He has a home and wife up in Canton, Ga. Hopefully his wife will enjoy coming down here when Tom gets the place all fixed up. Tom been a school bus driver for the last 10 years or so, use to work for the railroad as a 'conductor'. I guess once the railroad is in your blood it never goes away. Don't have any good pics of Tom yet, but here's the backside of him in Dixie's place at lunch - then one of him in his pickup truck.

That's Dixie on the right and my waitress on the right (sorry didn't get her name). Inside lighting was low, so slightly blurry pictures.

That's the tip jar, and the cook? on the right.

This place is fascinating, both what's in it and the building an furnishings. A good deal of what she has inside is railroad related, a lot of paintings of railroad scenes.
Oh, before I forget, I want to say that the BLT sandwich I had for lunch was perhaps the best BLT ever.It's hard to see, but the two light fixtures on the right are something I've never seen before - the light is in the center, but then sticking out on each side is like a regular fan, and it all rotates if memory serves me right.

Here's what main street Folkston, GA looks like. That's the county courthouse at the end of the street.

Here's the inside of the Roadmasters Lodge.

And this is Toms house her bought. You can see the railroad tracks just behind his truck.

Well, the plan for tomorrow is to see how far I can get towards home (about 330 miles). Hopefully it is not raining tomorrow. It has been raining her for the past couple hours now (9pm).

'Careful'

Best not to pack your stuff on the scooter while it's on the side stand, especially parked on the grass. Yep dropped the scoot on the right side while trying to bungee cord the duffle bag.
the fall knocked the top case off and loosened the right mirror. One of the bolts that holds the top case mounting bracket to the rear rack got pulled through the mounting bracket. I went to the hardware store to get a few washers and an allen set to remount it, worked fine.
While I was fixing all this I decided to stay another night - in the Roadmaster Lodge since the Caboose was reserved for tonight. Dixie the owner had said she'd give me a discount next stay - so I took her up on the discount an got the Lodge at a lower rate then I payed for the Caboose.
Spent most of the day watching trains some, getting to know my neighbors in the Caboose, Lenny and his kids Trance and George. There from Blackshear up the road a bit, fact I rode through there both on the way north and again south. This is there first stay in The Caboose. Be interesting to see if any of them can sleep tonight - the parade of trains, especially north bound, sounding there horns no less than a hundred or two feet away.
Here are those pics of the Caboose I promised you'll. Again - click on the pictures to see full size.

 The tracks are about 50 ft from the Caboose.

The Lodge quite a bit biger then the Caboose. One big room in front with room to sleep five people. It's also the living room of sorts, tv, desk, and chairs. Behind that is a full kitchen, stove, refig, sink, plates, siverware and all. Off the kitchen is a full size bath, with good size shower. Pics of the inside tomorrow.

This freight train had to sit here for 5 or 10 minutes to wait for Amtrak to clear. This is the procedure - freights are sidelined to let Amtrak stay on schedule. That fellow in the yellow vest is the Engineer of the freight train by the way.

 These are my neighbors, not the couple farthest, but the gentleman closest, his daughter George, and Trance is way at the end where you can't see him.

This is my view from the porch.

ps It'll be a lot sooner if I get my photo assistant Bob #2.