Chased by wild turkeys Tuesday, Aug 30 2011

To celebrate both that the bike was running and a cool evening we decided to head out for a sunset ride. Once again I was determined to find the ever elusive “Stinking Creek” that’s about 15 miles away.  We headed down US-55 W and swung left onto S. Salem St. That turns into Old US-1 S and the road there has a mini road bump every few hundred feet. It does make it a little jarring but the scenery is pleasant enough.

As we came around one corner we saw a beautiful sight of of two pale horses idly milling about on some open space land. We swung around a few times hoping to get a better shot of them but even from the distance you can see their majesty.

 

We got detoured off Old US-1S and took a quick snap shot of the road sign as we got a little chuckle out of it. It reads “Apex Barbecue Rd.” When I mentioned it to a neighbor they explained that many years ago there was a popular bar-b-que joint on the road, hence the name.

 

By now the sun was setting nice and low beautifully highlighting the road ahead, skimming just above the treetops.

 

We were able to loop around back onto Old US-1 S and passed by more nice scenery at which point on the left we spotted another horse  enjoying the cool evening and what I thought was turkey lawn sculptures… until they started to move. I swung the bike around and stopped on the other side of the road to snap a picture of them when they started chasing us! The shots came out blurry because we were in motion and they were running right after us. There appeared to be two youngsters with them but they looked like 1 gosling  and a little duckling.  Since we were already headed in the other direction where we passed the other horse we rode down again and stopped to take a picture of that one too.  Once snapped we did another U-Turn to head south again and then made a right onto Gum Springs Church Rd. We traveled along the road for a while hoping to find an off-shoot that would allow us to get to the lake and creek but were unable to find the one I was looking for. As we headed deeper down the road I knew we were going to be headed a lot further from home than I wanted to be as it started to get darker quicker.Another U-turn and we headed out of Gum Springs and took the short cut onto the main US-1 N where we could hit highway speeds. The temperature was cool but still lovely and for a short ride we experienced some beautiful nature, being chased and all. By the time I pulled into the parking lot at home we clocked 50 miles even. It was wonderfully refreshing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Raleigh Oddities Sunday, Jul 3 2011

I was turned on to Roadside America recently and devised a series of rides throughout the state. One of which was to cover downtown Raleigh and the outskirts of the city.  All in all it was supposed to cover about 50 miles although with a couple of wrong turns and the return trip home we wound up packing on 94 miles.

Knowing we were going to be contending with excessive heat today and later “isolated storms” that sometimes kick up something fierce

we opted to head out first thing in the morning. We prepared everything the night before so we could literally roll out of bed and go. By 8AM we were on the road to the first attraction.

Moore Square Park – Giant Acorn:

Raleigh is considered the “City of Oaks” so to honor that the city placed this huge acorn in the park that can be seen right off the road as you pull up.

As it was still very early only a few folks were out and about so we had ample parking and were able to park right in front of the acorn.

Each year for New Years Eve the city uses this giant symbol and drop it from a large crane ala the ball-drop in NYC.

We were also graced with the presence of a squawking hawk right above us in the trees. I was giddy like a kid on Christmas to watch this beautiful creature and saw two additional ones (one in the open construction of a building the other flying across the street) as we left to head to our next stop on the tour.

The Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education is home to the Transparent Woman and several other wonders. Unfortunately, given it was a Sunday and a holiday weekend the place was closed. We didn’t find out until after we got home, actually, that the place requires advanced reservations in order to get in. We did manage to take a quick shot of the massive head that can be seen from the front door.

Next up was Gotno Farm:

According to Roadside America: “

When George Morris retired from the plaster business in 1967, he took up farming. That didn’t work out, and he soon developed the urge to build things out of concrete. (Sound familiar?) He eventually surrounded his house with hundreds of giant mushrooms, animals, planters, and other free-form sculptures. He also built a picnic area next to a lake on his property and dubbed the results Gotno Farm. For a time, Morris’s house became the center of the community, hosting picnics, Sunday school classes, and other family outings.

Some of the pieces, including the “Gotno Farm” sign out front, some mushrooms, and a 12-foot tall dog, have survived. Most have disappeared or been moved over the years. The sign and some of the other remaining pieces are visible from the road. I do NOT recommend trespassing to see the others — the home is now rental property, and there are lots of “Keep Out” and “No Trespassing” signs.”

We, too, got stopped at the driveway but since the house is right on the main road and I was on the bike I was able to pull up onto the sidewalk to take a couple of quick snaps without interfering with traffic.

You could see that there were definitely a bunch more things hidden in the bushes and trees but I wasn’t in the mood to piss off the residents. If someone was outside I would have asked permission to visit. Barring that we did manage to get a couple of shots.

As we headed to the next location we decided we were going to need some sustenance and water. We detoured briefly at the CVS on the corner to pick up some water and… the breakfast of champions… candybars. We quickly ate the chocolate to keep it from melting on the bike. A short jaunt up the road and we hit our next attraction.

Muffler Man

A large mountain man looking fiberglass statue is tucked away along an industrial park area. Unfortunately, take the side road down doesn’t grant a good view of the man. I’m told it’s best seen while traveling on I-540.

After trying a few different angles and different roads we opted to keep on going. We hopped onto the parkway for several miles. After SEVERAL u-turns up and down Glenwood Ave. we finally figured out our next destination was deep inside a parking lot of the Angus Barn.

Self-Kicking Machine:

After finally discovering the hand-cranked machine int he back of the restaurant’s parking lot we got a “big kick” out of the sign.

The sign reads” This machine is a reproduction of the original Tom Haywood Self-Kicking Machine which was located at Croatan, NC (10 Miles East of New Bern). The original machine delighted thousands of people for more than 50 years until it was recently dismantled and retired. Have you ever said I want to kick myself? Here’s your chance.”

It further goes on to some rules: 1. Use machine at own risk. 2. Children under 12 must be supervised by an adult. 3. One person at a time please. 4. Do not stand facing boots. 5. The Angus Barn will nto be responsible for anyone who does not like the way they were kicked.

We were further amused by the “real farmville”

sense we got by all the very aged antiqued farm equipment that lines the way in and out.

After some slap-stick fun we opted for a little culture. We were off to the NC Museum of Art.

Vollis Whiriligig

It seems like a great place to just explore on a good day but we were on a mission. We parked and took a short (albeit hot -) walk down the path. Along the way there are smattering of flowers and plenty of people utilizing the space for jogging, riding, or just taking the tots for a stroll.

We were determined to find the Vollis Whirligig. There are actually several of these throughout the city of Raleigh but due to some vandals and thefts the safest one is now located on the Museum’s property. The walk was pleasant and not overly far but I would recommend cold water with you if you’re there on a hot day.

It was easy to spot as it stood alone proud and tall in the middle of an open field. It’s made up of old and used parts from all kinds of things like cans to roadsigns. There it stood, in all it’s glory,

lazily twirling and whirling in the gentle (almost non-existent) breeze.

Within immediate sight distance were two other very cool pieces that we opted to explore. One is called “Collapse I” and is made of concrete and steel to resemble the bottom half of the human form.

By

itself it is impressive

but it was also too good to pass up having a little fun with as well

.

There was another one

of these by the same artist called “Untitled” but it was further down the trail and into the woods so we didn’t get to actually see it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, the other “piece(s)” is called Gyre

and I’m not really sure what exactly it’s supposed to be or represent but all I could think of was the

 

rings of Stargate. For those who have visited before the “Newspaper stack” appears to have returned. Apparently this is a dis/reappearing feature. Seeing as it’s made completely of real newspapers one can understand it’s periodic need for removal for safety reasons. Further, I completely forgot that the Cloud Chamber was also at this location. One person at roadside america described what you do in it: “.,.sit inside for about 15 minutes, and on a cloudy day when it looks pitch black when you first get inside. After about 5 minutes your eyes adjust and you can start to see light. After about 10-15 minutes you can see the clouds and the details of the trees outside plastered on the walls inside the chamber, through a small pinhole in the roof. At this point there’s enough light in the chamber to see the other benches. It’s a great mind-bending experience if you give it enough time and you go on the right day.”

After sweating like fiends we decided a leisurely stroll in the park would be good. Off to Pullen Park

Andy & Opie Statues

We initially landed on the wrong side of the park and talked to some park-goers for directions. The one young lady was very excited, asking if we were on a “treasure hunt.” I said yeah, it’s like a scavenger hunt of Raleigh. She was most delighted. With her guidance to check further down (and a little ipad help) we discovered how to get to the OTHER side of the park.

Unfortunately for us, fortunately for the park’s future, the entire section where the statues were held is under massive renovations. I did have hope, though, and decided to explore further in to see if they left the statues in place. Alas, they did not.  This is one I’d definitely like to return to once they’re done as it looks like they’ve rebuilding a whole new carousel and a small train that will travel in one large loop. There also appeared to be a beautiful bridge going over some water (small pond, perhaps?).

After this we were headed back into downtown Raleigh, finally making a full circle. Just a few more stops before heading home, and not a moment too soon. It’s now getting extremely hot and we’ve begun to use our water for dousing ourselves rather than drinking.

The Creamery

This is located on the corner of Tucker and Glenwood. Although we didn’t explore the building itself (although it might have been a good idea for a place to cool down) we did get a kick out of looking up.

I’m sure we got a few odd stares as we began looking up and snapping pictures. However, on the roof of the multi-story building is a super-sized blue dish, blue cup, and spoon. We got a few other shots that are a bit more clear of the cup itself but I picked this shot to include the building and the name.

After a couple of snaps we headed to the last stop on our list. Along the way we had to stop for gas, although while I had about 30-50 more miles left to my tank $3.32/gal was way too good to pass up. It also gave us a moment to get a large ice cold bottle of water and be in the shade for a few minutes for us and the bike to cool off for a moment.

The last stop on our tour was a bit more historical, more educational, and surprisingly a lot of fun. We rode into the heart of Raleigh.

First Rebel Soldier To Fall

There appears to be TWO statues to memorialize the first soldier to fall during the civil war. However, it was later discovered that this young man from Edgecombe County, NC who was shot in the head in 1861 was, in fact, not the first to fall.

 

However, Henry Lawson Wyatt (the soldier) had staunch historical supporters and the statue was erected on the grounds of the state capitol building.

Throughout the grounds, making a loop around the state building, there are several cannons and one mammoth gun of some kind.

It was difficult to behave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(The future citizen

of today meets the weapons of yesterday in an accidental tribute to Dr. Strangelove.)

We got to see some replications of our presidents and exalted educators and those within

the

NC government who made an impact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Across the street

is the beautifully crafted Law & Justice building. Facing this building, on the capitol grounds, is a war monument/memorial. It’s dedicated to those in the Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard. On each side of the memorial

are intricate bronze engravings for WWI, WWII, and the Korean War, each plaque listing the major conflicts within each of those wars.

As a further tribute to those who fight for our country there is an alarmingly realistic statue of two soldiers carrying another wounded soldier. It was truly eerie to even just look into the face on the soldier up front but the eyes are what draw you in and makes it seem nearly life-like. It was truly a poignant monument that should be visited by any who happen into Raleigh.

It was a wonderful end to a full morning of riding. There were two items that we were unable to locate, the one being the statues at Pullen Park. The other was a large Smokey the Bear located somewhere near the State Fair grounds. We were unable to pin-point the exact address although we’re suspecting it’s somewhere on the grounds of the Vet College or immediately near it.

Next week we’ll be exploring even more of the state and even more oddities. Stay tuned…

 

 

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Pop Shop Saturday, Jun 4 2011

Towards the end of the winter of 2009 I picked up an issue of my favorite Tri-state motorcycling magazine, “Backroads.” They’re headquartered in NJ so most of their rides are around NJ, PA, and the Delaware boundaries, although they do some extended touring. In one of the issues was The Pop Shop, which became famous for the grilled cheese sandwiches and won out against Bobby Flay in the throw down (although it seems many people do). I tried all that summer to get a ride together for this little jaunt over to the Garden State but it never panned out. Now that I live in NC I finally got the chance to go… Ironic?

Once all the rain (for the most part) stopped in NY Kim and I decided that Saturday, May 21 was going to be a day of riding. She suggested finally going on this run as one of the doctors she works with had recently brought it up. It was something I talked a great deal about when I worked at the same place and it was funny to hear how it still stuck in other people’s heads as well while I all but gave up hope of getting there. Excited by the prospect of hitting the road with a plan we got the directions and headed out.

While the morning was a tad cool to be riding in just a tank-top you could still feel the heat of the sun beating through to my skin. The roads through NY across the Southern State Parkway onto the Belt up to the Verrazano Bridge were bumpy as hell, right on par for New York. We came up to the draw bridge and, for the first time, I got stuck waiting for it to open.

I shut off the bike to conserve gas and to help cool it down. These things could certainly take a while to come up and back down, and this is when you could start to finally feel the sun warming you up after non-stop rain. It surprisingly didn’t take as long as I anticipated so we were not too far off our timing, although we had no set time frame.

Once we hit NJ the traffic wasn’t bad and the bumps stopped so we could finally enjoy a smooth ride the rest of the way

.

Despite a little wrong turn, with the aid of a nice motorist, we easily found the Pop Shop. As we drove into Collingswood it was like the town time forgot. Quaint would be an optimal word for it with beautiful store fronts and plenty of places to eat. But we already knew where we were going to fill our bellies.

You could almost miss it as the front of the building seems very narrow, almost just the width of an alley but we were lucky and scored a spot right in front and went inside to give our names, as there was a 20 minute wait. We did a quick walk up and back down the block before opting to head back inside and fortune shined on us again. The two names ahead of us disappeared so we got seated in half the time. The place is bright and has a charged vibrant atmosphere about it and lets not overlook their “Jerk” station just like the old fashioned soda fountains.

When we sat down we were each given a newspaper and to my delight I discovered it was their menu. And boy was it packed with nearly everything you could imagine from sandwiches, to breakfast, to their famous grilled cheeses. I went right to that section as it was the point of our journey but that did not make it any easier in narrowing down what I wanted. Each sandwich sounded better than the one before it – I think they should make a colossal grilled cheese that has a little bit of everything… maybe then can be on Man Vs. Food then? I settled on “The Park” with added bacon.

It was stuffed with melted ooey gooey cheese, perfectly cooked bacon just how I love it, between the most delightful pieces of Philadelphia pretzel, which was just hard enough not to flop around but still amazingly soft to just sink your teeth right into. We also split an order of the Collingswood Fries, which were fries tossed in old bay seasoning and then ‘loaded’ with cheese and bacon. Can you feel your arteries clogging by just reading this?

We each started with a classic Egg Cream and that went quickly before the food even arrived. It was time to look at their extensive (and I mean extensive) drink list for something else to try. You have the option to mix and match your own syrups to make a drink distinctly your own (the bubble gum flavor was tempting) but I opted for the Brown Cow. It was essentially your traditional root beer float but with an added dash, splash, and swirl of chocolate syrup topped with mmm, mmm good whipped cream.

Oh but our decadent indulgence did not stop there. Next was a booklet of their desserts. Once more I was floundering as every single thing seemed truly sinful and mouthwatering. In keeping with the theme of our little quest we opted to split the “Chocolate Grilled Cheese.” Really, how can you go wrong? It was pound cake lightly buttered and grilled with a cinnamon butter spread (I think), with an entire Hershey bar in the middle melted down to a gooey spread, topped with drizzled chocolate and powdered sugar with whipped topping on the side.

We were thoroughly indulged and not just by the food alone. The staff was friendly, attentive, and very accommodating to any changes or additions you’d want. The service was prompt but you never felt rushed like they wanted you out so they could fill the table again. And throughout the year they have various events like Father’s Day Pajama Party or you could walk into a wacky balloon hat extravaganza. I would highly recommend visiting their website and certainly check out their Pictures page to see some of the fun times they have. You can also apply to be a “Jerk” and make drinks for up to 5 of your friends behind their old-style soda fountains. Certainly check out their menu as well (the dessert menu isn’t available online, but you’ll be sure to find something you’ll just love if you do go).

Don’t let our craziness fool you. This place is not a clogged-artery waiting to happen. It certainly does cater to those glorious foods but there are healthy options available so everyone can enjoy this place.  I saw bowls of salad come out – and Olive Garden’s got nothing on this place when it comes to their salads.

Now that we were thoroughly stuffed we opted to walk a bit to help digest. We strolled down a small alley way and found a cute antique shop. Many beautiful pieces and pieces waiting to be made beautiful. In fact, the owner (who wasn’t around when we went in) seemed to be right in the middle of a project out on the floor just moments ago. Despite the craftsmanship involved the prices were very reasonable if you’re looking for a great accent piece or curios.

Continuing down the block (with our left over fries in hand) we stumbled upon an Old Woolworth sign.

While keeping with the quaintness of the town they kept this long-last store alive by maintaining the sign in pristine condition. However, inside was a cafe. It’s certainly a place to check out in the future as the old-tyme sign meets with a modern, almost futuristic interior.

Up the block just a little ways was a popcorn shop. We got to speak to the owner, the only one there, as he just finished making a fresh batch of concoctions. There was popcorn, beautifully displayed in old wooden barrels, making it look like a rainbow exploded inside. Every type of flavor you could possibly imagine (okay, well 30 flavors actually) was represented in all its glory melded perfectly with large, plump popcorns. While we were trying to decide (being stuffed to the gills made looking at more food a little difficult) the owner graciously provided us with sample cups. Kim tried a Lime while I tried a Cinnamon. It took a moment for you to taste it but after a few bites (of just one piece, by the way) the flavor started to fill your mouth. Being a bit unadventurous at this point we settled on a bag of traditional popcorn drizzled in chocolate.

Chocolate popcorn and loaded fries in hand we hoped across the street to a cute toy shop. No, not like Toys R Us, but rather all the old toys of yester-year that brought back wonderful memories, along with a few of today’s more popular friends. G.I. Joe and Star Wars were highly represented and, in fact, Star Wars (the original) had a wonderful display of the scene from the Ewoks. He-Man was up on another shelve, Hercules and Xena, Transformers, and a bunch of the Marvel Comics Superheroes were proudly displayed. Crush, Mickey, Minnie, Nemo, and Lightning McQueen and Mater plush dolls were on another side for the more current folks to enjoy. This place, too, was kept meticulous and was bright and airy. The woman behind the counter was extremely patient with us as we dug through all the Star Wars figures in an effort to find a birthday gift for my nephew who is a current Star Wars addict. I discovered a box of Star Wars tattoos – and not just tattoos, but ones you get to color first and then apply! That a few boxes of the “Baby Star Wars” figures and we were headed back to the bike. It was there we discovered that there was no way the toys plus the food was going to fit so we had to throw out the left over fries and since our beautiful bag of popcorn was starting to melt itself to the bag and get all smushy we decided it was time to head back home.

On the ride back you could see the weather was starting to turn.

There was certainly no turning back and a little rain wasn’t a big deal. Although the temperature started to drop a bit and the day was getting long we kept riding. Right into the rain, which started out as a drizzle and then became a downpour. A fast moving system like that typically means it’ll pass just as quickly as it came so once it got heavier we pulled off and waited it out. It really was only a matter of minutes but we gave it a bit longer in the hopes to let the ground dry up a bit as a rider can get just as soaked from the back splash of cars than we can from the rain itself.

By the time we hit the Staten Island and Queens vacinity we were sitting in traffic (SHOCKER) with a constant drizzle, the sun was setting and now locked behind clouds and we were trudging through. Despite the little glitch at the end with the rain the entire day was a beautiful adventure with lots of fantastic good food. It’s certainly one I’d love to do again, whether by bike or car and definitely bringing more friends with us next time.

POP SHOP: http://www.thepopshopusa.com

GOURMET POPCORN CREATIONS: http://mygourmetpopcorn.com/index.html

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New York Friday, Jun 3 2011

Despite having moved to NC I’ve been back and forth to NY nearly every month. Typically we were on a tight schedule because we had to rent a car/truck and had to be back in time for jess to get to work. This time, however, I was going alone, taking the bike, and had no rush to get back other than just for wanting to be back home. I was already supposed to be heading up for my nephew’s 4th birthday and told my family I wouldn’t be there until Saturday, May 21st except Kim and jess knew I was headed up earlier.

The initial plans were for me to leave between 6 or 7am Wednesday morning and detour into VA Beach and continue heading north but after watching the east-coast weather it did not bode well. The entire coast was being flooded with downpours and while I’ve traveled in rain (monsoon like rain at times) it’s always been for shorter distances. I was not in a mood or willing to risk sitting in rain for 12 hours (possibly more since the rain would slow everyone down.) I waited it out an finally opted to leave between 10 and 11pm as the forecast straight up the coast seemed to ease off and dry up. By the time I left it was 10:40pm and there was not much to see besides the dark road ahead.

I napped well during the day, had my 5-hour energy shots, my trust acetaminophen, and packed my luggage very carefully. Everything I wouldn’t need was packed towards the bottom with heavier gloves and such packed up front for easy reach. Everything was very neatly and carefully packed in plastic bags thanks to jess in case I still wound up hitting rain. I then secured the luggage to the bike with bungee cords and rope. They covered nearly every inch of the luggage and strapped down to every secure location I could tie-off to on the bike. I was ready…

As I hit the VA border I stopped for a moment to take a picture at the sign and the few moments it took to get my gloves back on and put my camera and things away I was definitely getting nervous. It was pitch-black, no street lights, virtually no traffic, and nothing but vast woods next to me on the side of the road. Images of crazed banjo playing defects and ravaging monsters played in my mind as I hurried to gear back up and get going. While I know, rationally, I was being silly there still is that very odd sense of unease (perhaps brought about by watching too many horror films) of being out there, alone, at night, in the middle of nowhere.

Another time I made a pit-stop, still in VA (shocker, I know) I needed gas. I kept waiting for one of those trusty big blue signs that told me there was a major rest stop ahead but the exits were getting far apart and my gas gauge was getting close to the point where the light was going to turn on. Now, with bikes, you have a “reserve” amount left which means I could still travel a good 40 miles before completely running out and I still had about 30-50 miles left before the light even turned on. However, being as it was still in the middle of the night and I didn’t know how far the next exit would be I shot off a ramp that said there was gas around somewhere.

I turned onto the darkest road possible where even my high beams barely cut through the blackness. A tiny glowing light ahead on my left gave me hope I could get gas and I pulled up to a closed station. Thankfully, though, down south the pumps still work after closing. I took off my gear, even my helmet to get some air through my hair and started pumping. All I could hear was the hissing of the pump as it sloshed into the tank and the tiny drip… drip… drip… as old rain puddled off the gas station’s overhang.  Once again I was surrounded by nothing but woods and once more unease filled me as images flashed through my mind of what could possibly jump out at me. This time I was picturing slow moving zombie corpses slithering out of the woods. Yep, definitely watching too many movies. I was quick to gear up and head back to the highway and was on my way again.

I hit New Jersey as the sun finally came out but it was hazy and overcast but at least I could see the roads. It started to sprinkle while on the NJTpke so I pulled over to get ready for the rain. I already had my rain pants on and gloves, but I needed my rain jacket as a saturated, already very heavy, leather jacket is not fun to ride in. I made sure the rain cover was on my luggage, although by now it’s was shredding from the wind so I tied off the ripped ends the best I could to reduce whatever rain I hit. I threw the rain cover on my tank bag, hit play on my ipod, and rode off – just as the rain stopped. Although a bit further down I was getting wet. Most of it seemed to be just thick hazy moisture as just the windshield got soaked but my face and arms were fine.

11 hours after I started I pulled onto my parent’s block and saw my mother’s car getting ready to turn into the driveway. I revved the engine and shot down the block and then clutched in and killed the engine, coasting silently the rest of the way. I pulled in right behind her and waited as she talked on the phone until she saw me in her side mirror. Screaming with joy she hung up on her call and was definitely happy to see me.

After making a few more plots I arranged to surprise my sister next who was just texting me I should leave that night so I could come even earlier. I gave excuses of homework and doctor’s appointments as to why I had to stay in NC a bit longer. I took my mother’s car so my sister wouldn’t hear the bike and pulled up to see her and my nephew. My nephew wasn’t quiet sure at first until realization struck that I was really there and he jumped in my arms and curled up against my neck.

The trip in general was very exciting and fun. I got to do a lot with my sister and nephew, saw family, and even went out with cousins whom I haven’t seen in years. At one point Kim and I rode three hours into NJ for grilled cheese… but that’s a story for a different blog…

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Missed it all Friday, Jun 3 2011

Well it’s certainly been a while since I’ve written but that’s typically because I’ve been having a lot of fun.

I did want to recount one little (mis)adventure we took a little bit ago. After reading a book on motorcycle traveling I used the suggested software (Street Atlas) mentioned in the book to plot out a new potential route for the day’s journey ahead. The program was a bit confusing and not nearly as user-friendly as I had hoped but it did allow me to see that a drive westward would bring me upon “Stinking Creek” and “Round Top Mountain.” Both sounded like interesting places, if for nothing else than to get a quick snap shot of some funny signs (i.e. Stinking Creek). Since I was having trouble with the software itself I went back to my trusty old friend – google maps and manually plotted the course and wrote out the directions. Written directions are no issue since I have jess as my passenger who can help navigate us on all these new roads (except when she lets the directions fly away in the wind).

The INTENDED route was Old US-Hwy 1 S, which we managed to connect to fairly easily. It was a very pleasant road albeit a bit like riding over a series of non-stop mini speed bumps. It’s a single lane each way but thankfully very little traffic now that the new US-Hwy 1 is open. You’re surrounded by trees on both sides, old tracks to the left (when headed south), and a few little gas stops dotted along the way. I would recommend having a full tank before starting or grabbing gas at one of these stops as you see them because the roads do become sparse with gas after a while if you’re running on a tank smaller than 4 gallons.

We hooked a right onto Moncure-Pittsboro Rd and then another right onto Gum Springs Church Rd. That was supposed to take us to Stinking Creek but I apparently didn’t realize there was an additional turn (which MAY be Jordan Ridge Rd).  Needless to say, we wound up driving past the creek, which is on the western side of the Jordan Lake Recreational Area/Park.

Gum Springs Church Rd becomes Hanks Chapel rd and that connects to 64 West. We connected to 501/15/87 South and took that way too far not realizing we needed to off-shoot onto 902 which would have put is right at Round Top Mountain in just minutes.  When I did another map search for Round Top it said to go back up to 64 and head west, which is what we did, completely – once again – missing the “mountain.” The trip itself was an estimated 40 miles one way for both stops. Not knowing there were apparently TWO Round Top Mountain locations in the state I wound up accidentally pulling up the directions for the one in Rutherford County near Chimney Rock.  We actually wound up riding all the way out to Mocksville, which was 120 miles one way.

It was a fun day even though we missed both of my landmarks, but after realizing the other Round Top was an additional 120 miles from there we opted to turn our sore butts around and ride back. We didn’t get back until night fall and were definitely saddle-sore after a nearly 250 miles ride that day. But we certainly did get to see a lot of the state and some of the smaller highways as we still tried to stay off the main interstates until we headed home.

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Falls Lake Picnic Thursday, May 5 2011

It was an absolutely beautiful and warm day around mid-80s so without a doubt we were going to hit the road

.

Since I enjoyed the Falls Lake ride I wanted to share it with Jess and we got some very nice shots. The ride is predominantly tree-lined and, as mentioned in the previous post, there were some nice twisties along Beaver

Creek. Instead of going right onto Bruce Garner Rd. where I turned last time we opted to explore a bit more and went left on Bruce Garner. From there we connected to 96 South then to US-1 South to 98/Durham Rd so we could head back to the lake.

Along the way we were greeted by periodic caution signs. One was the typical horse crossing, and despite passing them several times I’ve yet to see anyone actually riding

.Although we did get to see plenty of horses just grazing and lazying about.

However, one sign provided a good chuckle as we drove past. As a New Yorker I’ve certainly never seen a sign like this before and absolutely had to stop to grab a quick snap.

Once we made it back to the lake we were hot, thirsty, hungry, and well on the way to sun-burns. Thankfully we packed some sandwiches and plenty of water and found a nice little spot in the trees at a picnic table overlooking the lake.

I played my ipod softly, using a playlist that consisted of Andrea Bocelli, Sarahbrightman, Josh Groban and the likes.  It was wonderful to rest in the shade, lay back along the picnic seats. The sun glittered through the gently rustling trees as we just relaxed and took in the day. After pushing 100 miles for the day we opted to turn in.

It was a nice easy ride back down 50 South and reconnecting to the parkways on the way home. A nice cool shower to ease the sun burns and dump the road grime and we were good for the day. Until the next adventure…

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Record Tornado Saturday, Apr 23 2011

Since my birthday is landing on Easter this year my family decided to come a week early to celebrate with me and have the chance to see my new apartment now that we just moved to Apex, NC on April 6^th. Wanting to plan for a good weekend I diligently watched the forecast for the week and was so happy to see that the predicted rain for the entire weekend blew out with just “strong thunderstorms” for Saturday. I figured that worked out well since they’d all be tired from the long drive we wouldn’t do much and could plan for some indoor things.

Saturday, April 16^th, they arrived and after some breakfast and chatting we opted to head for Crabtree mall in Raleigh. My father headed back to the hotel to get some sleep and possibly a bike ride in later while my sister, mother, Kim, nearly-four-years-old nephew Christian, and I were planning for the mall. Jess went into work early and was going to get home earlier than usual. It started to rain so Kim gave me one of my presents early – a new bike cover since my original one got stolen right before we moved. By the time I got downstairs and got the bike covered the rain had stopped. I figured this would be the pattern for the day, in fact, by the time we got in the car to leave the sun was breaking through the clouds.

When we got to the mall it had gotten dark again but didn’t start raining just yet, but what did we care? A little water on an otherwise warm day and the fact that we were planning on being inside most of the time anyway the weather didn’t phase us. We walked around a bit, checked out Belk, the Disney Store, a couple of little stops here and there, and then we were on our way to Macy’s, as tends to happen when Kim is around

The ladies needed a potty break once we got to Macy’s so I stayed with Christian in his little car-buggy we rented. I noticed the lights in the store started to flicker sporadically and then you could hear the thunder echoing through the halls. It meant nothing to me as we already knew the forecast was for some “strong thunderstorms” so we went along our merry way through Macy’s and then out to a few other stores, eventually winding up in the food court. While we were eating Dad was texting saying his helmet was in mom’s car to which I said we wouldn’t be too long here but the weather is pouring and thundering with some strong gusts kicking up here and there – riding was perhaps not the best thing to do right now. Shortly after Jess sent me a message through facebook while she was at work (which comes to my phone like a text) stating there was a tornado watch in effect, which I passed along to the table. Mom wanted to text dad to tell him but I said let me so he won’t think it’s melodrama.

I wrote: “Hahaha, tornado warning just popped up.”

He answered with the theme from the Wicked Witch of the West and “I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too.”

I simply responded with “Hahaha funny.”

We had gotten tornado alerts in Tennessee before and nothing ever happened so I never gave it a second thought that one would hit right in the middle of North Carolina. I think I also got a bit cocky with my “storm repulsion” abilities. Anyone who knows me knows that, as uncanny as it is, storms tend to stay far away from me despite my great love for them, I think I was almost banking on that fact holding true for this storm as well.

We decided to leave and walked right out into the rain, but nothing real bad, in fact it was just like a spring storm. A few miles out my cousin Teresa started texting us from Raleigh asking where everyone was. I said we were just leaving the mall on the way home, Jess was headed home from Cary, and dad was at the hotel (little did we know the crazy man actually went for a four mile bike ride). She started to tell us it was getting really bad and the warnings were going up everywhere, to get off the road. I could see the rain coming down hard and fast as we drove but by now my goal was to get home – I wanted Christian in a safe place and I needed to get to my dog who was alone and Jess who was without a phone.

I looked to my driver’s side window and saw that the rain was banding, just like it did in the movie “Twister” and I started to let Kim (who was in the passenger seat) know what’s going on, showing her my phone so she could read what Teresa was texting. My mother saw it and made a joking comment about whispers and secrets. I said I would fill her in later. When Teresa texted that the tornado made touch down I forwarded the message to my sister in the backseat so she could know without alerting my mother to keep the panic from starting. My sister’s eyes grew large with alarm and kept getting bigger as we kept driving. I saw a large board of wood fly high across the parkway and couldn’t believe it – I WAS IN THE MOVIE!!! By sheer luck as soon as the hail started I came upon an exit almost immediately. I said “We’re getting off here.”

My mother said “Good, we can pull over” so that would could wait out the “rain.” As soon as I said “No, we’re getting out of the car” she started to get nervous, realizing that this was not just a rain storm. There was a small truck in front of us with his yellow emergency/hazard lights flashing and that was about my only real guide as to where the road was as I followed him. At the traffic light I started to go left, where most of the cars were hoping to follow someone to safety when my sister spotted the blue sign for the hospital off to the right. We went that way and as soon as I turned off US-54/Hillsborough St onto Blue Ridge St. the rain came down – not in buckets, but like I was sitting underneath Niagara Falls, I could barely even see my own windshield. There was no making it to the hospital, despite the fact it would have been a perfect place to be in an emergency. I made the first turn into a parking lot but when I saw some boats in front of me I said “Hell no, this is a marina!” I started to turn the car around and saw a small building ahead that said Public Safety and made a bee-line for it. We ran out of time, we couldn’t keep driving and I had to get Christian out of the car.

As soon as I parked Kim ran to the door to see if it was open. Apparently while I was turning around both Christian and Trish were unbuckling his car-seat belts and she just vanished. Mom and I ran around to the back seat and opened the door to get her and the baby and it took a full blown minute in torrential rain to realize the entire backseat was already empty. We all literally BURST into the building, slamming the door behind us. I told Trisha to get into the door frame all while in the back of my mind I realized that’s what you do in an Earthquake, but hoped one disaster plan would help for now until we could find help. I remember turning to look at the guard booth when you first walk in and watching the camera outside shaking like it was about to blow off and being oddly mesmerized by it. We were shouting up and down the halls hoping that someone was there or that there was an underground room they were in that we could get to. We were opening doors to everything with no real help other than to see the windows on the one side start to crack. We passed a bathroom and I remembered that’s a safe place (albeit they say to get into the tub with a mattress cover – and we had neither). I sat Christian on the sink counter while Trisha was trying to get through to Teresa and he was shivering straight down to the bone, teeth chattering, and you could see he wasn’t understanding what was going on and was very scared but he wasn’t crying. In the calmest voice I could I said “Don’t worry sweetie, Aunt Ness just had to pull over because it was raining too hard. I couldn’t see so we pulled over, but it’s just rain so no big deal, we will wait for the rain to stop.” It seemed to help and mom and Trish came back to the bathroom.

He turned to Trish and said “Where’s Aunt Kathleen? Is she okay? We need to call Aunt Kathleen.” Trisha tried a few times but the calls weren’t going through and by then Kim and I were exploring more of the building and found a large conference room. Even though it was on the outside wall of the building it had a lot of heavy tables inside it so we opted for that room. We told Christian we were playing hide-and-seek so we were all getting under the tables. It got quiet and mom said “It’s over,” I said something along the lines of “Not yet” as you always hear about the calm before the storm. He kept shivering – drenched as he was – and someone (Trish or Kim?) ran back to the guard booth and grabbed one of the worker’s jackets and wrapped him up in it. Kim saw it was reversible and turned it inside out so the reflective coating was on the outside. Kim finally got through to dad who was quickly realizing we were not kidding about the tornado and trying to find a way to get in touch with my apartment place so someone could get to Jess and Trisha was on the phone with Teresa who was giving us the play-by-play of the storm.

Kim and I got up to keep checking the area and she found a hallway deeper in that we thought, at first, would be safer. As they huddled in the hallway I kept walking trying to make sure I could see where all the exits were in case the main entrance got blocked but as I walked along the hall, right in front of them was a door. I opened it and saw all the heating and mechanical stuff in the room and said this is NOT a safe place to be.

We ran back to the conference room and got under the far corner table furthest from the windows. I figured worst case we could topple one of the tables to brace against shattering glass from the one window in the room but thankfully we didn’t need to. The storm seemed to calm considerably and I went outside to look. The family yelled at me to get back but I said there are people out there and the birds are out playing in the puddles. I figured the people outside were the least trustworthy but if the animals were back they’d be the best judge of the storm. Another burst of rain hit for only a moment and I was on the phone with my father who said it was sunny by them. At least then I knew I wouldn’t be driving right back into the storm – it seemed to have come over us and away from my dad… Little did we know then that it struck down practically right around the block from my apartment.

I ran outside when I saw a truck coming our way and waved him down asking if he knew anything. He said he had no idea but was just going to make a break for it. We decided to do the same and high-tailed it out of there. As we were driving closer to Apex half the sky was dark and swirling-like clouds while the other half was clear and sunny. Mom wanted me to get off again and wait some more but I kept saying we’re driving into the sun don’t worry – I HAD to get back to the apartment for Jess and Xena. How fortuitous that she left early so she could get to Xena during the storm, but yet ill-fated as she wound up leaving and driving right into the storm as well.

That night we went to Aunt Kathleen’s where Christian ran up to her and said he loved her and missed her. Needless to say we had a lot to talk about but when we got there Kathleen and Ricky were saying it wasn’t even a tornado – it was a “Downburst” although the next day after watching the news she said “I don’t think I realized how really bad it was” as they reported 61 tornadoes touching down and 41 reported dead and hundreds injured. It is said that it was “unprecedented” and a storm like this hasn’t been seen since 1905. How wonderful that it happened when my family was here from New York. Though the remaining days turned out to be very lovely weather-wise and despite the small “fire alarm” set-back at the museum the following day we all seemed to have a lot of fun.

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Falls lake and all around Thursday, Mar 24 2011

After dropping Jess off at her job in Cary I pulled open some riding sites that focus on the area. I knew the route 751 has been called a beautiful ride so I was pleased to find I could connect to it fairly easily from my current starting point in Cary.

Right as I was headed down the block I was able to hop right onto NC-64 west, which is a relatively uneventful ride down a two lane highway where you will have to watch out for police and trucks. You do pass the Iron Horse saloon on your left which seems to be biker friendly if you wanted a quick bite to eat. Eventually you connect to NC-751 north on your right and that’s where the beautiful scenic ride begins. The most exciting thing you will encounter is the White Oak Creek which is more akin to a swamp with low waterways broken tree stumps protruding out but shortly after you one upon Jordan Lake which is tremendous and right on the bridge there is a small area to pull off on either side to enjoy the view. Several little bits of land are scattered throughout the lake with inlets and curves as far as the eye can see with everything covered in tightly packed trees that would surely look breath-taking in full bloom and during the fall. You can hop off the bike for a moment to snap some pictures and watch the tiny boats with local fishermen meander by. I also happened to ride this route south bound back to Cary in the evening around 7 pm and saw the sun setting low reflecting brilliantly off the water.

751 continues on where you will find plenty of horse farms scattered along your ride. At one point I got to watch a couple of horses frolicking about which is the most active I’ve seen horses around here so far. There is even one spot if you can catch it (it’s easier to see when heading south bound) that has a small pen of goats right on the corner. But they seem to be the really small goats that were either babies still or the ones that play dead when you spook them. Eventually the road starts to become more residential although still a pleasant cruise but then it continues to become more populated and businesses start to pop up with more frequency. You need to start watching the signs because several times you will have to turn or cross over roads to continue to stay on 751.

As was convenient for me the road connects to 15/501 south which would take me home. Instead I stopped at the borders book store there that is closing and hoped to find some good riding books or maps of the area to help find more rides that were discounted. Unfortunately all the good stuff was already gone but this little ride was a bit too short for me, it was still in the heart of the day, and it was in the mid-80s so I was not going to pass up more riding. I took out my trusty iPad again and searched some more online until I found another route.

I headed back up 15/501 but north this time and was going to take the 751-64 roads but opted for I-40 instead towards Raleigh. I got off 440 and took the second exit. I realized I either went the wrong way or went too far so I hopped off the exit near meredith college and topped off my tank as I already used 1.5 gallons and wasn’t sure what the gas station prevalence was going to be like on this trip. I also stopped at the burger king right next store to make sure I was just as fueled up. I also took the opportunity to google map the right way to go.

I jumped back onto 440 east to exit glenwood ave which took me to the big craptree mall right there. I followed glenwood ave where you have to contend with the mall traffic and various stop lights until I turned right onto creedmore which is also 50 north. The first few miles here are uneventful as you are still riding through town and there are plenty of places to fill up or eat and if you didn’t do it before I advise to do it now as these stops do become sporadic later on in the ride.

On the right you will pass the Woods of Tiffany and pass funny road names like Tony tank rd. This is a nice long haul up 50 where you will cross over a few major intersections for highways but keep on cruising 50 north for a beautiful ride. Eventually you will come across Falls Lake and ride right through the middle of it. Like before at Jordan lake there is a small pull off right on the bridge to take some snap shots. This ride is ideal to have a passenger with because the road starts to become hilly and at one point if you look back in your mirror you can see the road behind you with the mountains as a backdrop. If you really want to pack on the miles you can keep heading north to connect to 15 north which you ride all the way into Virginia and through state parks, wildlife reserves, and more waterways. I, however, swung right onto old weaver trail then shortly after hooked left onto beaver dam trail. This is a great road for learning or improving hour curve riding as you will quickly enter a section of back and forth leans and I would advise to stick to the posted speed limit of 35mph unless you are a highly skilled rider. The leans even out to some longer gentler curves and you are riding through more farm like areas again. About mid-way the road becomes rock spring church Ed and then T’s off at the end. Make a right onto Bruce garner rd although you can go left a little and then make a right onto Lawrence and follow that down to 98 (the road will change names a few times) but then you will have to go right onto 98 to connect to six forks rd where you will turn left and head south. I, however, turned right onto Bruce garner which became new light then became six forks rd. This will eventually bring you back into the heart of Raleigh where you can pick up 440 or other interstates to go back to your home or elsewhere. I jumped onto the interstate and took that to exit 287 (if you go AWAY from weston you will drive right into William B Umstead park) which is Harrison ave and rode that down until it became n Harrison then s Harrison. Right at the amtrak station in between two sets of rail tracks there is a Virgo gas station on the right. I pulled in went around the front and went to pure gold to let the bike settle and cool off as by now it was radiating heat to the point it was burning my legs no matter where I put them. I was warmly greeted at the door, checked in, had 5 beers tipped dancer Erin, and gave the bartender my last $4 as tip before heading to get Jess. Nearly three hours there to kill time, drinks, and entertainment and it cost me a big whopping $20.

By 7pm it was time to leave and ride the shot distance up to get Jess. We enjoyed a beautiful evening ride home where it was still about75 degrees out and it was the first evening ride here, though we stuck to the parkways this time.

(this was written on the iPad so I will post the couple of lake pictures when I can but I plan to do this ride again with jess so we can get more pix)

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Almost Everywhere in NC Monday, Mar 14 2011

March 12, 2011

So it’s been nearly a month before we got another amazing weekend. While some weekdays were pleasant enough most of the weekends in-between we just a tad too chilly to get out for any series riding, but boy did we make up for it.

We already decided it was going to be a day for riding but had no real plans. I pulled out my little map I picked up at Ray Price’s Harley to see if they had any good routes to explore. There were a few ads for different dealerships and places to eat and then I spotted the ad for The Carolina Rider where we saw a Cancer Fundraiser run was going on. I also wanted to stop at a shop that seemed to have potential for picking up little things to help customize my bike and then I discovered an ad for a little Soda Fountain Shoppe. It worked out that we could do a huge loop to get all of them in but we’d have to leave immediately to make sure we got everywhere before anything ended or closed.

The Cancer Fundraiser was going to be our first stop which was located in Dunn, NC. It was about 74 miles from our house so we hit I-40 E all the way down with a quick turn off to I-95 S. I was so tempted to just keep going when I saw a sign for Florida Vacation – Hey, Disney couldn’t be THAT far away, could it? We turned of 95s and rode through some real small, very country, towns and rode right past the fundraiser. A quick turn around and I pulled in to see 3 bikes and butt-load of cars. Apparently we were an eyeful as 1. My bike was probably the loudest they’ve heard (stupid noise ordinance in NC, but I’m not changing my pipes), we were all in black, I was a woman rider, and I was a woman rider carrying another rider. We parked and were immediately welcomed although I couldn’t understand a lick of what they were saying, so thankfully Jess translated for me. They were going to try to call ahead to have the run slow down so we could catch up but we informed the very nice young-man that we weren’t going to stay too long and chances are they’re not going to answer a phone while on a bike. We were trying to squeeze past the food line when a little boy looked up at me and asked “Are ya ther po-lease?” I chuckled and said “No sweetie I’m not the police.” We then got stopped by a few others asking if we were going to catch up to the ride, they were very insistent that we could make it, and a few more questions about us being riders. Apparently we were bit of a novelty there. We opted to grab two hotdogs and sodas before hitting the road. I gave them the rider/passenger donation anyway as it was a good cause and we chowed on the dogs while walking back to the bike. This time I knew better than to undertake a long ride without stopping for a bite to eat when we could.

Next stop was the bike shop, Cycle Works as their website made it seem promising that they’d have some stuff I could pick up to attach to the bike. That was an additional 55 miles and a pretty good straight shot down 95-s and we were now virtually at the border of South Carolina. However, along the way, Jess forgot to put the hand-written directions back in her pocket and during a helmet adjustment they went flying away. I knew what exit we had to get off but not where to go from there so we stopped at the exit and thankfully had my ipad with us so I started looking up directions.

After trying to figure out which way was which and turning around a few more times we wound up back where we started at the exit ramp and that’s when we realized there were signs. The whole time I spent looking up directions I only needed to just look straight ahead. What does that tell you? I’m sure there’s a life lesson in there somewhere.  As we turned off and started to follow the signs they thankfully put all along the route directing us to the shop we started to worry as the entire area was residential. Sure enough, we pulled up to someone’s house with the large Cycle Works sign out front and the shop was a separate building right behind it.

We parked and went in and while it was a cute shop they had mostly replicas, about 6 shirts, a few jackets and vests, and some cycle works apparel. Not surprisingly, some of the vests and jackets and shirts were praising Jesus. I did managed to buy a pair of sunglasses (as mine were lost) just like my originals (with the foam on the edges to help keep grit out) but these had transition lenses. As soon as she said that I was thinking they were out of my price range as all the others I’ve seen were super expensive. $35.00 she said and I nearly jumped for joy. I grabbed a pack of Harley sticks for my nephew and the glasses and for some reason (although not complaining) she rang me up a 10% discount. While not much for shopping it was a very pleasant store that’s more of a repair shop than anything else.

Although they did have some very nice looking bikes outside.

Off to our next and final stop, which was about 62 miles, we jumped back onto 95, this time heading N. We got off at 87N and followed that all the way down until it became just 24W. What was nice, though is along the NC-87N route we got to pass Fort Bragg which my grandfather was stationed at for some point. I’d like to explore that a bit more to find out how long he was there, why, and all that jazz. It was tremendous between the base, the housing, and all the other stuff consumed by the military and you can definitely tell it was a military town… almost every 5 feet was a strip club and usually next to it was a tattoo shop.

Along the way and couple of wrong-turns later we passed by this house,

there were a whole bunch of these little, completely random, statue things out on the front lawn. I’m not sure if they were just for display or for sale but it was definitely worth a turn-around to get a shot of them. And that’s a monkey hugging the banana, by the way.

Once we finally made it into the actual town of Cameron it was like going back in time.

One, they seem big on their Antiques as there was this shop and then the deli was also inside an antique shop.

Second, all the buildings had an old, weathered look, but it didn’t come off as “run-down” but more of just an quaint old-time feeling. We were definitely in the mood for some good food and judging from the menu I read online nearly everything seemed delicious.

We pulled up and saw that the building was once a hardware store

and now the Dewberry Deli and Soda Fountain Shoppe resides around the side in a small but comfortable little dining area. In the front you can go into the antique store or you can get to it from the deli/shoppe and go upstairs from there.

Not one for much antique shopping, nor having a lot of space on the bike to haul anything back, we headed straight to fill our bellies.

The counter was full when we first walked in so we grabbed a booth, but you’re welcome to sit at the counter where all the fountains are.

By the time our drinks came the place pretty much cleared out except for two other people. Jess got an Orange Freeze concoction that tasted just like an orange creamsicle.

Instead of my standard Sprite I opted for a good ol’ fashioned Root Beer Float. The waitress was on the ball and friendly, very chatty as it seems to be the thing in the south.

Jess ordered a Turkey, Ham, and Roast Beef on Kaiser Roll with a cup of chicken noodle soup while I got the Half-and-Half dish. Half a tuna sandwich with a cup of soup, both came with pickles and chips.

We followed up with dessert, where Jess got the Dewberry Cobbler and I chowed down on traditional cheesecake with Dewberry toppings. I’d never had dewberries before so I wasn’t sure what I was getting into but after the first bite I was in heaven. Now thoroughly full and weary from the long ride we started to head back home.

Along the road we encountered a common thing that seems to just randomly pop up along the roadways here in the south. Random crosses.

We traveled back up Route 1 which became 15N and accidentally detoured onto the business route of 15N. It made the ride a bit nicer as we got to drive through some of the small local towns back toward home during this last leg of the trip, which was another 46 miles. Along the road we passed another house with tons of little sculptures and things outside. This time it was the French Antiques and African Art shop so we decided to make a quick U-turn and check out the place. It had many beautiful things including some cute creative creations. For example, little airplanes or keep-sake boxes made entirely out of old soda cans. Other things were straight from various locations of Africa ranging from fertility statues, wood carvings, sandstone carvings, and even various animal carvings that the top comes off to become the Mancala game – which my sister and I always enjoyed playing. The prices were certainly steep for all the hand-made craftsmanship so I’m not sure just how much actual business they do but it was wonderful to walk through and see all the different things so many people created. They even had a huge pig made out of various pieces of metal bolted and welded together that was actually a BBQ. I loved it and wished I could haul that bad-boy behind on the bike, but while there was no price tag on him, just judging from the price ranges inside on the smaller items he was sure to be a small fortune.

The shop owner was bringing his things in while we were heading to the door and said our goodbyes. Once more we were on the road to home and while tired we were definitely happy and utterly satiated. It was great when we finally walked through the door and settled in for the night and some nice hot baths.

Where to next????

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Exploring the Area: NC-54 Friday, Mar 11 2011

February 27, 2011 happened to be an utterly gorgeous end to a weekend. It was pushing 80 degrees that day and you had to be insane to NOT be outside. Needless to say, we were definitely hitting the road on the bike. I had a previous chance to explore some of NC-54 and Old NC-86 about a week prior when I was running errands that took me along that way so I was anxious to really set out and see what we can find. Some strange stuff crossed our path, that was for sure.

We topped off the tank and went down NC-54 W for a couple of miles before turning off onto Old Fayetteville Road where it later becomes Old Nc-86. It was mostly all tree-lined with tall, thin woods on either side of you on a single-lane road just wide enough for traffic on either side to drive along. It was a nice refreshing start to a great ride. We went past I-40 and I-85 and went into town a bit as neither of us had been down that way yet. The furthest I went was Old 86 to I-40 in the past, but this was a day for exploring.

We pulled off into the Daniel Boone shopping plaza which really looked like a little old western strip of stores. The thing that cracked us up the most in this shopping center, though, was the little “Dog House”

which was a hot dog stand. Unfortunately Sunday was the only day of the week they were closed. I’ve certainly had many hot dogs from various road-side stands but none that were in such a cute setting. It will be worth taking another trip (perhaps a Saturday this time) down that road to see if the dogs are any good.

Along the road we saw “Bull City Radiator & Wrecker” who apparently has a creative side

as they had these little guys on their roof and on the corner pole:

But you have to figure out which way you can go first.

The angle this photo was shot at actually makes it look like you can’t go anywhere due to everything being one-way.

At one point we turned down a tiny street and came upon one of the smallest “towns” I’ve ever seen. It was about the size of just one block that I could see and had maybe 5 buildings per side, one of which was the old movie theater which seemed shut-down. Straight ahead was the “town hall.”

I can only imagine there must have been more “town” somewhere around there but as soon as we made the left (as you can see) we were back on the “main” road again. Later, when we stopped at a bar we mentioned this small town and every nodded knowingly and concurred, it was really that small.

We stayed on NC-86/70 for a long time that day before we finally shot down 70 to I-85 and then reconnected with 15/501 headed back toward home. But the ride wasn’t over, that’s for sure. I wanted to find those elusive goats I saw on NC-54 W so we kept going down 15/501 until it became 54w, effectively making a complete circle except this time we kept heading down 54 instead of turning off Old Fayetteville Rd.

Still couldn’t find the original goats I saw one day along the road but we did find these “guard goats” of which there were several at a Storage Yard. Two were curious enough about us to come over to the fence and hang out for a bit

while the others couldn’t be bothered and just stayed laying down in front of the storage buildings… obviously taking their guard duties very seriously.

But this wasn’t the last of the strangeness, oh no. As we kept on cruising we actually passed by a whole series of large metal sculptures. I can only guess there was a house further up the small road that seemed to off-shoot from 54 and that was the creative mind behind them all. Unfortunately we didn’t get a good picture of them as we rode past, but we have a whole season ahead of us. Further along we actually came upon Llamas.

When I pulled off to the side of the road this fella came closer to the fence. I kept my distance because this was private property and remained on the side of the road. There was another one who was completely disinterested in me but this guy just kept a close watch on me the whole time.

From there we kept heading up and saw mostly open land with the smattering of abandoned sheds and barns. Of course I saw plenty of hawks flying over head and I can’t help but watch them every single time I see them.

Along the way we “discovered” Hidden Lake

- it wasn’t very well hidden, as you can see. We didn’t stop by because it wasn’t season yet but it’s on our agenda to swing by another time once the weather is a bit more consistently warm.

There wasn’t much to see other than wide open land, occasional cows, silos, and farms. We cruised through oddly named towns and kept going for a while. By now we were getting pretty hungry but really didn’t want to just stop at a Burger King or Taco Bell, we wanted something “local” but it seemed the only “local” restaurants were Mexican/Tex Mex, which I don’t eat.  We past what seemed to be a biker bar a few miles back and decided to turn around and stop there.

The Outer Limits Saloon right on 54 seemed promising, although we missed the huge group of bikers that were out there earlier. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the friendly bartender and a couple of local fellows at the bar. I was very pleased to find (domestic) beer was only $2.00 a bottle but was disappointed to discover their only food was small bags of chips, pickles, and pickled eggs. The conversation was very friendly and the guys (as a few more kept trickling in) were very helpful with telling us some of the local history, places to stop at, and tried to impart to me the glories of NASCAR, which still eludes me.

After two drinks we checked out and took their suggestion to head down 119 where we found the Blue Ribbon Diner. A cute little place that had Mini-Corndogs as appetizers, shakes, and generally pretty good food from what we ordered. Prices were what you’d find about anywhere else, but it was great to finally get something to eat now that it was nearly dinner time and we’d gone all day with nothing in our stomachs. From there we spun around, reconnected with 54 heading East this time and just went home. All told it was about 115 miles for the day and when we got back in I had the beginnings of the “raccoon eyes” that becomes my staple look for the entire summer.

Next ride… exploring all over NC…

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