Autumn In Dixie Victory Ride Scouting Trip !

I was sipping on my second cup of coffee standing out by the bike when I heard that  familiar rumble. I turned toward the road and rounding the corner at the end of the street I saw the glow from David’s headlight cut through the early morning light. 

 

After my third cup and David’s first, I gave Karen a kiss with a promise to be careful. We hit the shell station for a fill up and cigar purchase before heading to Starbucks to meet Russell. We arrived right at 6:30. Russell was outside talking to one of the employees when we pulled up. A few minutes later Russell took  the point and we hit 72E heading toward Kimball to meet Roy and Bruce.

Shortly after passing through Gurley, Paint Rock and Woodville, we came upon the first sighting of water and the misty morning fog that made for some beautiful scenery.  The sunrise beaming through the mist, placing Russell in silhouette made me wish I could drive and shoot at the same time. A few miles later, off to my left, the cloud formations in concert with the  fog, lily pad filled water and color pallet made it extremely difficult to not given in to the photographer in me and stay on course. We were supposed to have breakfast at the Cracker Barrel with Bruce and Roy around 8:30 or I would have. As it turned out we got there by 8:00. Should have stopped.

 

The breakfast was good, as usual, and after topping off at the Shell station we hit the I24 ramp around 10:00. The ride through Chattanooga via I24 and 75 was nerve racking to say the least but once we hit the Cleveland exit the mood of the

By - Wendell Rogers - Aka: Rocketcitymadman, Photography by Bruce, David, Russell, Roy  & Wendell

OK, guys I’m getting hungry!

ride changed dramatically. I had to make myself pay attention to the GPS over my surroundings. Somewhere on US411 we  crested a rise and off to our left the grassy field seemed to go on for as far as you could see. It was a huge area set aside for glider planes. There were dozens of them on the other side of the field but I didn’t see any in

the air.  I bet that is one peaceful ride.

 

When we hit Etowah we took a right on TN310/39 and for the next 14 miles the fun level rose a notch as we eased through the Tennessee countryside. I kept checking the mirror and at one point I remember thinking ”I wonder if they’re having as much fun as I am?” I think it’s safe to say they were.

The smile says it all!

Let’s go find that Cabin!

Hidden Treasures!

That 14 miles went by lightning fast and in a matter of minutes we hit TN68 and then the Cherohala Skyway arriving in Tellico Plains around noon. We spent a few minutes in the shade of an umbrella over a picnic table deciding our next step.  Just before we turned on 68 the battery on the GPS gave out. No, I haven’t rigged a 12V connection yet. Any way, I checked the printed map for direction to the Cabin Rental Office and it was less than a mile away. We finished our drinks and made the short run to the office just off the Cherohala.

might have gone that route. Very nice.

 

We headed back into Tellico for lunch at a place Bruce said they stopped at when they were on a ride with Tigger during the South East meet. Nut-n-Fancy was just that, but the food was good and the owners and staff made you feel like they had known you all they’re life. It wasn’t long before our little group was the main course of entertainment for the day. Russell’s joking with the owners and David’s insistence on

His collection is growing!

Lunch was nothing fancy!

getting a picture with the pretty waitress on his bike, had the whole bunch following us outside. The rest of the customers were taking it all in wondering what planet this group flew in from. Russell kept trying to get a free sample of just about everything on the desert menu, without success, while David was trying to convince the young waitress that his wife wasn’t going to come looking for her. We had a wonderful lunch and David added to his Bike Babes collection. What more can one ask for. We let Mickey and Linda get back to their normal customers while we hit the Cherohala on our way to the Dragon.

We’ll be back on October, you’ve been warned!

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Something tells me this is a common site!

Nice!

Once I explained that we had the cabins reserved in October and wished to check the place out, the manager handed me the keys to the Crows Nest and told us to just lock it back when we got through.  To say the pictures don’t do it justice is an understatement. We spent the next hour checking the place out and the ideas for the weekend and how much fun it was going to be started flowing. I believe there’s going to be a foosball tournament sometime during the weekend. Who knows, maybe a poker game as well. With some reluctance we locked the doors and headed back down the drive to the office. The manager took us on a tour of her latest cabins on the river. What a beautiful view. If I had known they were open we

Taking in the view on the Cherohala!

Movin’!

If you’ve never ridden the Cherohala Skyway you owe it to yourself to do so. It’s no Dragon but it is a lot of fun to ride especially if you’re looking for a ride that doesn’t require a seat suction. I was in the lead for the first segment and the start of the second. We stopped to take in the view and get a couple of pictures. When we pulled out it wasn’t but a few minutes and Bruce was rounding my left shoulder with Russell and Roy right on his tail. I’m still a little hesitant because I can’t get my right foot all the way on the brake and at one point, before they passed, it slipped off as I was entering the curve. I had to lean it harder to compensate. David and I fell back and let them go. I knew we would catch them at the next stop.

OK, David and his little Chick’s are getting out of hand!

Winding down!

We made it to Deal’s Gap a little before 7:00. When David and I pulled up next to Russell and Roy by the gas pumps, Bruce was no where to be found. They said they hadn’t seen him. I said I bet he hit the Dragon without even stopping. By the time we checked in and were unloading the bikes up by the rooms, here he come.

 

Everything closes down at 8:00 so we made our way to the store for some snacks and hit the café for a sandwich for later. The constant scream of bikes heading out to slay the Dragon was beginning to ease up but it never did completely. We heard them way past midnight trying their hand.

 

taste but from the way Bruce was going at that honey bun cake I take it, it was to his liking.

 

It was after 3:00 when we left Tellico Plains. The ride back is never as good as the ride over but it was still enjoyable. We made a couple of stops along the way and the trip through Chattanooga was an experience. You would think Sunday afternoon wouldn’t be so congested. By the time we passed the “Kimball Exit 1 Mile” sign, I was more than ready to get off that Interstate. We hit the Shell station to top off one more time and enjoy a few minutes of reflection on the weekend, before taking the final stretch toward home. Bruce, Roy  and Russell hit I24 heading north while David and I took US72E.

 

That last 80 plus miles were a blur as I was lost in thought. I have a pillow with a inscription printed on it that Karen’s sister and her husband gave me while I was in the hospital. It reads, “You Never See A Motorcycle Parked Outside of a Psychiatrist’s Office”. Thanks guys, a weekend like this is the best therapy a man could ever receive and I’m looking forward to the next session.

Thanks Russell for a good smoke!

Everybody staying at the hotel sat outside the door of their room and engaged in stories of their Dragon conquest for most of the evening. A fire was glowing from the fire pit and one of the guest was sharing his excess Brats to anybody who wanted one. Of course the Visions were attention getters everywhere we stopped and we had a steady stream of visitors all evening. Roy and I were treated to a couple of good cigars from Russell who apparently was growing tired of my cheap imitations. I have to admit they were considerably better. The Bristol race was on both TV’s and was background for the evening while we laughed and relived the events of the ride over. As fun as a ride can be hearing each other offer their different perspective is just as fun.

Nightlight!

It wasn’t long before the days activity took it’s toll and we called it a day.

 

Morning came and before everybody was dressed and out the door Russell was easing down the drive toward the exit for his first time on the Dragon. He wanted to get out there before the crotch rockets clogged the pipeline. It wasn’t long before Roy and Bruce were mounting up for their attack as well. Once they rolled up the hill and out of sight I hit the shower. By the time I was dress and joining David outside it wasn't but just a few minutes and Russell was easing back down the hill and making the left into the resort. As he brought the Vision to a stop the smile on his face was all that needed to be said. But it wasn’t. He gave us a turn by turn account.

That smile tells the story!

I never grow tired of hearing that story.

 

It was after eight and the three of us were way past hungry so we headed toward the café. Surprisingly it was a good breakfast. We  finished breakfast and were back up by the room by the time Bruce came down the hill with Roy following a short time later. Of course Roy had his story to tell as well and we sat back and let him testify. We followed them back to the café and sat there while they ate and relived it all over again. How many times did Russell eat breakfast that morning?

 

When we found out Bruce didn’t have a bell Russell went to the gift shop and bought him a

sharp Dragon bell. While he was searching for

Get away from that tree of shame!

a place to attach it to the bike, he asked David where he could put it so it wouldn’t get knocked off. David didn’t miss a beat; “How ‘bout your helmet?” I nearly shot diet Pepsi out my nose. Turns out he should have took his advice. After returning from the last run on the dragon, Bruce got off and started looking under the left foot board. “I knocked the bell off!” I just shook my head.  While he was shooting the bull with some more Vision admirers I went and got him another one.

 

We got our obligatory shots in front of the sign and spent a good long while talking with all the Dragon groupies before deciding that we had better get started back. I told the three Amigos to take the point; might as well, they were going to take it sooner or later anyway.

Makes you wanna pull up a chair!

Just thought I would save them the trouble. It was probably going on 11:00 by the time we left the monster in our rear view.

 

There’s not a bad stretch of road anywhere near that part of the country and we enjoyed every click of the odometer making our way back to the skyway. About half way up the east side; the guys ahead of me long since disappeared, I rounded a curve and there sat Bruce at a pull-off snapping a picture of David and I. I knew it wouldn’t take long; I hadn’t even gotten the thought out of my head and he was fast approaching David. The fog had started rolling in like waves up the side of the mountain and by the time Bruce got to me I could barely see past the front fender. Coming out of the curve and through a break in the fog, he made short order of me, and was out of sight by the time I hit the next one.

 

During the next twenty miles or so I started getting into the rhythm and that long awaited comfort level started coming back. Before I knew it I was taking the curves at 55, 60, and 65. I completely lost track of time, just enjoying the ride at a level I hadn’t experience in about three months. It felt damn good!

 

We stopped for lunch a second time at “Nut-n-Fancy” and this time Russell’s attempt at free desert samples paid off. Linda turned to one of the employees and said” go get me a bowl of banana puddin’ and a piece of that honey bun cake. I didn’t get a

Guys, I had a blast; thanks!