Hi all:
Late tonight so this will be short. We are packing to hit the road again tomorrow. This was a nice break and we met so many nice people and enjoyed the change of pace but now are anxious to return to our journey.
There were mountain bike races at the resort today and many well built young men and women participated. They had a spaghetti dinner that we were invited to for $7.00 a piece very nice and we walked over to the general store and had a chocolate shake for dessert. Oh those calories!!! There was also a square dance in the big hall but we had to pack and couldn’t participate this time.
There is no internet in our room I have to go to the main lobby to get this sent so I doubt it will go out tonight. But at least it is written.
Our plan tomorrow is to go back to Robbinsville and then to the Cherohala Skyway Route 143. The one thing that we want to see is a big Dam that every one has been talking about.I will take pictures and send them with this tomorrow. Got to run more details to follow.
Happy Trails, Carol & Chriss
It is now Sunday AM. I walked up a big hill and three flights of stairs to get to the HOT Spot in the lobby. Sorry no pics. Will send these tonight from a new hotel hopefully with wifi in the room. Weather is great. Storms in Arkansas but we aren't there yet and we are taking a southern route to avoid Knoxville and Nashville. Partially on Rte 30.
Love to all, Mom & Chriss
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Fontana Village, NC
Hello from Fontana Village, in NC. In the Great Smokey Mountains. How we got here is quite a story. We left Maggie Village today about 12:30 after an adequate free breakfast at the hotel, destination Smokey Mountains. The weather was very nice, not hot, as we traveled to the BRPky, but as we traveled to a higher elevation the temp dropped significantly and we stopped to put more clothes on, dressing by the side of the road.. No class… The Blue Ridge ended in a Cherokee Indian Reservation. All kinds of shops, junk yards and stuff.
(didn't stop) Followed our plan to head for the Cherohala Skyway.
Missed the turn but found ourselves on a very nice country road. That went on and on towards the town of Robbinsville didn't see any motels that would be by a restaurant so we continued on to a place that we saw had a nice lake (Lake Santeetlah) thinking that we could find a nice lake side motel or at least something better than we saw in Robbinsville. WRONG We finally found a country restaurant/ Inn that looked descent so we pulled in and after 5 hours on the bike we crawled off and Chriss went in. I should have known when I didn't see any cars in the parking lot. The place was closed owners on vacation but the couple that was working there said that about ½ hour up the road was a nice resort called Fontana Village and maybe they would have a room. Chriss and I looked at each other and said OK so they called and said they had a room left. We didn't ask how much but said hold it for us and off we went. Long ride on windy road from Tampoco NC to route 28 to Fontana Village. Surprisingly like Woodloch Pines but much more rustic. And the biggest surprise of all it was$89.00 per night. We were very happy have a very nice room and had dinner in the dining room, met a very nice couple from Fl. Who were eating at the table next to us, introduced themselves and we had a nice conversation. We decided to spend Saturday night here also. We needed the break and then we will move on. There is no phone service here in the mountains and the internet hot spot is up by the pool, so I am typing this in word and will send it later. Will take pictures of the place, to show you.
To be continued tomorrow….. Love, Mom and Chriss .
The trip so far - thru 8/8/2008 (click to see a larger image)
(didn't stop) Followed our plan to head for the Cherohala Skyway.
Missed the turn but found ourselves on a very nice country road. That went on and on towards the town of Robbinsville didn't see any motels that would be by a restaurant so we continued on to a place that we saw had a nice lake (Lake Santeetlah) thinking that we could find a nice lake side motel or at least something better than we saw in Robbinsville. WRONG We finally found a country restaurant/ Inn that looked descent so we pulled in and after 5 hours on the bike we crawled off and Chriss went in. I should have known when I didn't see any cars in the parking lot. The place was closed owners on vacation but the couple that was working there said that about ½ hour up the road was a nice resort called Fontana Village and maybe they would have a room. Chriss and I looked at each other and said OK so they called and said they had a room left. We didn't ask how much but said hold it for us and off we went. Long ride on windy road from Tampoco NC to route 28 to Fontana Village. Surprisingly like Woodloch Pines but much more rustic. And the biggest surprise of all it was$89.00 per night. We were very happy have a very nice room and had dinner in the dining room, met a very nice couple from Fl. Who were eating at the table next to us, introduced themselves and we had a nice conversation. We decided to spend Saturday night here also. We needed the break and then we will move on. There is no phone service here in the mountains and the internet hot spot is up by the pool, so I am typing this in word and will send it later. Will take pictures of the place, to show you.
To be continued tomorrow….. Love, Mom and Chriss .
The trip so far - thru 8/8/2008 (click to see a larger image)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Blue Ridge Parkway - Maggie Vally, NC
Hi All:
Happy Anniversary to Linda and Jeff.
Each day has been a little different but still doing well on the bike, amen. Still exploring this area and enjoying the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Such a great motorcycle road and today had its own surprises. We got back on the BRP in Asheville, NC about 1 mile from our hotel, the sun was out but clouds were visible. After about 20 miles or so we pulled into an overlook area that already had three bikes in it . All young men on crotch rockets. One on a cell phone and the two others hovering over a bike. We stood aside for a few minutes then asked if we could help. Seems one of them had the bike a little too far over when he dismounted it he dropped it and broke off the clutch lever.
They were having a problem as they couldnt start it and then couldn't shift. Chriss helped them figure out a way around their problems and eventually after many futile tries to reach a motorcycle repair place from up in the mountains with poor cell conections, they pushed the bike to start it and started down the mountain the last we saw of them was going around the corner. We then left too and didn't see them anywhere on the road. Guess they made it.
We then continued on our ride. Met a few other people at overlook stops, one took a picture of us for us and we did the same for them.
Amazingly little traffic on the BRP after reading about the crowds I am surprised. We were still running from thunder storms but stayed dry today, very interesting cloud formations but although we saw some wet areas none of it landed on us. Tonight we ended up in Maggie Vally, NC on route 19. Had dinner in a local restaurant and tomorrow will peruse some of the local places including a motorcycle museum and the house that Maggie lived in. Seems to be a pretty historic town.
After dinner we came back to our hotel and used the hot tub which felt marvelous. We are going to turn in earlyl Love to all Carol & Chriss
Linda & Jeff - Happy Anniversary
Tom and Jen. - Thanks for the Blog, I will use it just too tired tonight to figure it out. Can you add this to it? We are in Asheville, NC tonight Brian and Sharon. Glad you enjoyed the pics.
Jan and Rick Enjoying your texts keep them coming Rob and Sandy I have electrical tape on my knees because the armor in my mc pants was rubbing a blister on my knees and some stranger gave us the tape. He he he....
Happy Anniversary to Linda and Jeff.
Each day has been a little different but still doing well on the bike, amen. Still exploring this area and enjoying the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Such a great motorcycle road and today had its own surprises. We got back on the BRP in Asheville, NC about 1 mile from our hotel, the sun was out but clouds were visible. After about 20 miles or so we pulled into an overlook area that already had three bikes in it . All young men on crotch rockets. One on a cell phone and the two others hovering over a bike. We stood aside for a few minutes then asked if we could help. Seems one of them had the bike a little too far over when he dismounted it he dropped it and broke off the clutch lever.
They were having a problem as they couldnt start it and then couldn't shift. Chriss helped them figure out a way around their problems and eventually after many futile tries to reach a motorcycle repair place from up in the mountains with poor cell conections, they pushed the bike to start it and started down the mountain the last we saw of them was going around the corner. We then left too and didn't see them anywhere on the road. Guess they made it.
We then continued on our ride. Met a few other people at overlook stops, one took a picture of us for us and we did the same for them.
Amazingly little traffic on the BRP after reading about the crowds I am surprised. We were still running from thunder storms but stayed dry today, very interesting cloud formations but although we saw some wet areas none of it landed on us. Tonight we ended up in Maggie Vally, NC on route 19. Had dinner in a local restaurant and tomorrow will peruse some of the local places including a motorcycle museum and the house that Maggie lived in. Seems to be a pretty historic town.
After dinner we came back to our hotel and used the hot tub which felt marvelous. We are going to turn in earlyl Love to all Carol & Chriss
Linda & Jeff - Happy Anniversary
Tom and Jen. - Thanks for the Blog, I will use it just too tired tonight to figure it out. Can you add this to it? We are in Asheville, NC tonight Brian and Sharon. Glad you enjoyed the pics.
Jan and Rick Enjoying your texts keep them coming Rob and Sandy I have electrical tape on my knees because the armor in my mc pants was rubbing a blister on my knees and some stranger gave us the tape. He he he....
Blue Ridge Parkway - Asheville , NC
Hi Again:
We woke up at about 6:am to thunder lightening and RAIN. Went back to sleep very depressed. Woke up again about 8:30 to sun shine. Happy Day. We had a wonderful day. Got up repacked our three bags, showered dress and and had a very nice breakfast (FREE) supplied by the hotel and left at 11:30. Since the day was a surprise for us we decided to have some fun with it and throw plans to the wind. We headed toward The Blue Ridge Parkway back in NC.We rode some nice back roads and picked it up Spruce Run, NC Route 201. It was a fantastic ride nice wide sweeping turns and it was an extremely clear day with great panoramic views.
Quite warm in the valleys but nice and cool more like cold on the mountain. We rode to the top of Mount Mitchell 6800 feet up and had dinner at the restaurant overlooking the valley. Beautiful mountain ridges and had a great trout dinner. Talked to some natives and a few travelers like up. The restaurant wasn't crowded because the pkwy was closed on the other side of the restaurant and we all had to back track down the hill.. It seems there was a landslide early in the year and the road has been closed since. While on the parkway at one of the overlooks we talked to a bunch of Harley riders. After we ate be rode the rest of the way to the top of the Mitchell mountain just because we could. Then back on a road called Rte 80. It was like no other road I have ever been on with many switchbacks and twisties. Chriss really road well and we are home safe and sound. As we pulled into our Hotel a Quality Inn we ran into the Harley guys from up on the mountain. Surprise, Surprise they are staying in the same hotel. they had heard about Rte 80 and didn't want to ride on it. Now we are exhaused and ready to sleep.
We woke up at about 6:am to thunder lightening and RAIN. Went back to sleep very depressed. Woke up again about 8:30 to sun shine. Happy Day. We had a wonderful day. Got up repacked our three bags, showered dress and and had a very nice breakfast (FREE) supplied by the hotel and left at 11:30. Since the day was a surprise for us we decided to have some fun with it and throw plans to the wind. We headed toward The Blue Ridge Parkway back in NC.We rode some nice back roads and picked it up Spruce Run, NC Route 201. It was a fantastic ride nice wide sweeping turns and it was an extremely clear day with great panoramic views.
Quite warm in the valleys but nice and cool more like cold on the mountain. We rode to the top of Mount Mitchell 6800 feet up and had dinner at the restaurant overlooking the valley. Beautiful mountain ridges and had a great trout dinner. Talked to some natives and a few travelers like up. The restaurant wasn't crowded because the pkwy was closed on the other side of the restaurant and we all had to back track down the hill.. It seems there was a landslide early in the year and the road has been closed since. While on the parkway at one of the overlooks we talked to a bunch of Harley riders. After we ate be rode the rest of the way to the top of the Mitchell mountain just because we could. Then back on a road called Rte 80. It was like no other road I have ever been on with many switchbacks and twisties. Chriss really road well and we are home safe and sound. As we pulled into our Hotel a Quality Inn we ran into the Harley guys from up on the mountain. Surprise, Surprise they are staying in the same hotel. they had heard about Rte 80 and didn't want to ride on it. Now we are exhaused and ready to sleep.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Luray, VA
Hi again:
Another interesting day. The plan was. Get up early have a nice breakfast at a diner next door, go to Lauray Caverns take the 1 hour tour come back pack the bike and leave for parts unknown, ie. the
Skyline drive through the Shenandoah. Sounds good? Well this is what
actually happened, Mother Nature had other plans! Get up early dress go out to the bike and feel "a lot of moisture in the air" and a few rain drops. That is when we realized our plan wasn't going to work. So we looked at TV and saw that the rain was over a large area all the way to half way across North Carolina. So we quickly packed all of our stuff
on the bike and got on to go Instead of boogieing down the Skyline
drive where we would have gotten drenched and had no place to get out of the rain. We headed west directly to I-81 and out ran the rain all the way to Wytheville, Va almost to Tn. When we got dumped on. So we quickly got off of 81 and went to a gas station that had covering over the pumps and got out of the rain. Then we noticed an empty small pull through car wash in back of the convenience store with the gas
station. We quickly relocated there and checked Chriss's cell phone
weather info and waited for the storm to pass about 1/2 hour. Back on the road (81) and on to Bristol, Tn when we felt a couple of drops again. We pulled off and found a very nice clean Best Western and decided to call it home for the night. Supposed to rain tonight and the front desk man helped Chriss and I to get the bike up on the sidewalk under an overhang for the night. We are now wondering how we will get it out in the am but that problem is for another day. The manager also recommended a good Italian restaurant next door that also gave a discount to Best Western customers. Good Deal. We had a great Italian meal and a very nice waitress. So the day ends, more adventures tomorrow, and it looks like more rain for the next two days.
More tales from the road tomorrow,
Carol (Mom) & Chriss
Linda, How was your trip to the shore?
Jan, How was the craft fair?
Rob, Looking forward to seeing you?
Sharon, Happy Birthday
Tom, Sorry no pic.s from the Shenandoah yet. Got a couple. One of the small bear as he was leaving. will send later.
Another interesting day. The plan was. Get up early have a nice breakfast at a diner next door, go to Lauray Caverns take the 1 hour tour come back pack the bike and leave for parts unknown, ie. the
Skyline drive through the Shenandoah. Sounds good? Well this is what
actually happened, Mother Nature had other plans! Get up early dress go out to the bike and feel "a lot of moisture in the air" and a few rain drops. That is when we realized our plan wasn't going to work. So we looked at TV and saw that the rain was over a large area all the way to half way across North Carolina. So we quickly packed all of our stuff
on the bike and got on to go Instead of boogieing down the Skyline
drive where we would have gotten drenched and had no place to get out of the rain. We headed west directly to I-81 and out ran the rain all the way to Wytheville, Va almost to Tn. When we got dumped on. So we quickly got off of 81 and went to a gas station that had covering over the pumps and got out of the rain. Then we noticed an empty small pull through car wash in back of the convenience store with the gas
station. We quickly relocated there and checked Chriss's cell phone
weather info and waited for the storm to pass about 1/2 hour. Back on the road (81) and on to Bristol, Tn when we felt a couple of drops again. We pulled off and found a very nice clean Best Western and decided to call it home for the night. Supposed to rain tonight and the front desk man helped Chriss and I to get the bike up on the sidewalk under an overhang for the night. We are now wondering how we will get it out in the am but that problem is for another day. The manager also recommended a good Italian restaurant next door that also gave a discount to Best Western customers. Good Deal. We had a great Italian meal and a very nice waitress. So the day ends, more adventures tomorrow, and it looks like more rain for the next two days.
More tales from the road tomorrow,
Carol (Mom) & Chriss
Linda, How was your trip to the shore?
Jan, How was the craft fair?
Rob, Looking forward to seeing you?
Sharon, Happy Birthday
Tom, Sorry no pic.s from the Shenandoah yet. Got a couple. One of the small bear as he was leaving. will send later.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Arrived in Luray, VA
Hi all:
Arrived safely in Luray, started the Skyline drive, saw bambi, faileen, and Teddy along the road. Cute little teenage bear waiting by the side of the road, ran away when we got close but was adoreable anyway. Not major traffic problems except in NJ Blasting in Ledgewood and traffic tie up before delaware bridge. We took 611 to Easton to avoid it and had free sailing from there. Bike behaved fine and we kept the rubber side down. Will write more tomorrow.
Love, Carol Mom, Nana
Arrived safely in Luray, started the Skyline drive, saw bambi, faileen, and Teddy along the road. Cute little teenage bear waiting by the side of the road, ran away when we got close but was adoreable anyway. Not major traffic problems except in NJ Blasting in Ledgewood and traffic tie up before delaware bridge. We took 611 to Easton to avoid it and had free sailing from there. Bike behaved fine and we kept the rubber side down. Will write more tomorrow.
Love, Carol Mom, Nana
Monday, August 4, 2008
Chriss and Carol's Excellent Adeventure Begins!
Hello family and friends:
Hurray, today is the day, 8/4/08. We are all loaded and ready to depart for parts unknown. Our first stop will be at Luray, Va. and we already have a motel reservation. After that we will wing it. We hope to see the Luray Caverns while we are there. Packing a week or mores worth of clothes and necessities in two small saddle bags and the other possessions that we couldn't live without in the top box that sits in back of me was fun and after a few "discussions" regarding what I couldn't live without and what Chriss couldn't live without we are loaded and ready. I wonder how the Early Americans traveled without their cell phones, GPS, rain gear, maps, clean undies, ziplock bags XM radio, IPod and weather forcasts? We may be on a bike but this isn't ruffling it. Will write more later and let you know of our progress.Happy Travels,Carol & Chriss
Hurray, today is the day, 8/4/08. We are all loaded and ready to depart for parts unknown. Our first stop will be at Luray, Va. and we already have a motel reservation. After that we will wing it. We hope to see the Luray Caverns while we are there. Packing a week or mores worth of clothes and necessities in two small saddle bags and the other possessions that we couldn't live without in the top box that sits in back of me was fun and after a few "discussions" regarding what I couldn't live without and what Chriss couldn't live without we are loaded and ready. I wonder how the Early Americans traveled without their cell phones, GPS, rain gear, maps, clean undies, ziplock bags XM radio, IPod and weather forcasts? We may be on a bike but this isn't ruffling it. Will write more later and let you know of our progress.Happy Travels,Carol & Chriss
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