Stories From the Road
Letter from Rick
Fall is in full swing. Cooler weather is here and there are many events around the Palmetto State to fill my weekends.
Acouple that come to mind are Scooters for Hooters in Charleston and Richland County Sheriff’s Foundation Car and Bike Show at CarolinaAle House in Irmo, SC.
I attended the Scooters for Hooters event with Carolina Chrome Babes. What a great bunch of gals that gave their time to help out on such a worthy cause!
The Richland County Sheriff’s Foundation Car and Bike Show. It helps raise money for lifesaving equipment like Walkie-talkies, off-road bikes, winter gear for bike officers, hand-held metal detectors - even a camera to create IDs for school kids.
New for this issue is the ‘Only in this state’Department. Here I’ll share planned or visited locations that can only be found in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Also, starting with this issue, I’ll be giving my opinion on a wide variety of subjects. Some relevant and some not so much. It will be a fun read!
Last but not least, several important things happen in November. Turn back your clocks on November 4th, Mid-term elections on November 6th, Veterans' Day on November 11th, and Thanksgiving Day November 22nd.
Be sure to visit my YouTube videos as well.
They’re not perfect, but I’m working to improve the content of them as well. See the closing pages for YouTube address.
As always, be sure to check out Carolina Cycles and sign up for their free newsletter. You can find Carolina Cycles on the web https:// www.carolinacycles.com/ or on Facebook carolinacyclesdotcom
Ride safe! Ride Often!
I would love to hear your road stories and share them with others in my newsletter. If so, just email your story and send a few pictures to:
storiesroad53@gmail.com
Ride Safe
Heated Gloves
I remember back in the summer riding BJ was nearly impossible because of 90 + degree temperatures with 10-degree heat index. Many times I said I can’t wait for cooler temperatures that will allow me to ride more!
Now that cooler temperatures are here, it is important to keep my hands warm during my long adventure rides. I wanted to ride BJ and never feel cold hands again!
So, I invested in a pair of warm gloves I always have on hand. (pun intended)
But what makes heated gloves better than standard gloves? What are the main features to look for in a pair of heated gloves?
So how do these heated gloves work? How do they differ from any other pair of gloves
pending on what you want to do.
However, Never Buy Heated Gloves If they Do Not Have These 3 Things:
1.) Adjustable temperatures
Heated gloves just wouldn’t be heated gloves if they didn’t have adjustable temperatures for maximum comfort. You should always look for gloves that offer at least three or more heat settings. The best-heated gloves will often have a high setting, a medium setting, and a low setting.
2.) Waterproof, Wind-resistant, and Touchable
Waterproof fabric is something that should always be considered when buying any gloves. No one likes dealing with soggy, cold gloves on their hands. The waterproof fabric also protects the heated chip layer from damage and ensures your hands remain nice and dry while outside.
3.) One size fits all solution
Heated gloves are basically a type of glove that contains a heat chip layer sewn in between a waterproof outer layer and a warm fabric lining. The combination of these different layers is what gives you the desired warmth you seek in a pair of gloves. Regular gloves don’t have this heated chip layer and often aren’t waterproof. Many regular gloves aren’t wind -resistant either which is why you still get cold hands. Because regular gloves don’t have these major features, they won’t be able to provide you with the best protection from the ice and cold.
Heated gloves come with many features de-
Always look at the sizing options when buying any gloves, including heated gloves. Often times your best bet for a good fit can easily be solved with a one size fits all.
I hope this information will help find that perfect heated glove for your winter riding adventures!
Waterin’ Hole
Sand Dollar Social Club
My first visit here was during an impromptu trip to Folly Beach. I heard it is the best place in town for electric blues music, but I can't verify that yet. There is a membership fee, but don't sweat it though. Awhole dollar ($1.00) will get you in for a year. This is a dive bar with an eclectic mix of folks, and there are on occasion a host of Harleys parked at the curbside (mine included). Yes, cold beer is here in this somewhat dark little bar. No doubt about it this is a local dive bar with all the charms that come with them. You'll know if this place is for you as soon as you walk in. This is the working class type of bar, and the people are very friendly. Everyone has a story to tell so be prepared to listen. The bartenders know how to handle the crowd and liven their spirits. The alcohol is cheap. I mean really where can you be on the beach in 10 seconds and be able to buy Bud Light for
$1.50 all day. Imported beers are a couple of dollars more.
My second trip to the Sand Dollar was for the 'Scooters for Hooters' breast cancer fundraising event. Blue skies, warm temperatures were ordered for this event, and no one was disappointed.
So the next time you’re in Folly Beach, make the Sand Dollar Social Club one of your destinations. The drinks are cheap, the staff really takes care of you, and the patrons are comprised of all types from bikers to lawyers; old and young.
Be sure to check out the 'Scooters for Hooters' feature in the 'Features' section of this issue!
Sand Dollar Social Club
7 Center St
Folly Beach, SC 29439
(843) 588-9498
I attended The Richland County Sheriff's Foundation Car and Bike Show this fall for the first time. CarolinaAle House in Irmo, SC has been the home for this event for many years, so I figured I could see some cool cars and bikes while enjoying a great meal and beverage.Although it was a cloudy day with rain late in the afternoon, the judging had been completed and it didn’t dampen the spirit of the event..
Joni James, president of the Richland County Sheriff’s Foundation, took some time with me to talk about ‘Live PD’. You can hear her comments by clicking on the following link. My apologies in advance for the sideways shot.
https://www.facebook.com/storiesfromtheroadtravel/ videos/2206834956217868/
Live PD t-shirts
Fargo Dog Tags
Photo Gallery
Many cars and bikes caught my attention. Some of them customized and super neat to look at while others were cool and unique in there own ways. Following are some of my favorites!
Special note about these tires. The owner informed me the letters were peel and stick. That’s an epic task to get them looking like ‘the real deal’.
Sittin Purdy
There were so many cars and bikes I liked but I don’t have room to put them all. If you haven’t already been to my Facebook blog ‘ Stories From the Road’, you can find by searching @storiesfromtheroadtravel. There you can find the album I made ofALL the pictures I took during this event. I would appreciate it if you would LIKE and SHARE my page while you’re there!
OnlyinSouthCarolina
I was looking for somewhere nearby to go one Saturday morning in September. So as I usually do, I hop on BJ and head out the neighborhood. This morning would take me to downtown Columbia to deliver a package. I didn’t know that one of the states largest street market events is held between the 1300 - 1500 block of main street in Columbia? Every Sat-
urday at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (rain or shine) Main was filled with food, shopping, and roughly 7000 friendly people. Did I mention there was food? If you’re wondering where the name Soda City came from, it’s a popular colloquialism ‘Cola’which is an abbreviate for Columbia. If you would like to learn more about Soda City, Visit their website sodacity.com .
I’m known for riding my bike everywhere I go.And this destination was no different. BJ was not designed to haul watermelons, so I passed on loading up on any fruit.Anyway, today was not my healthy food day. Just saying. You can find anything you want atAlice’s Restaurant...uh..I mean Soda City.
The fresh fruit looked good, but I came hungry! So, I’m was looking for some comfort food, like this!
Now this was something I could take home...if I liked boiled nuts.
Now we’re talking! Comfort food for the ole sweet tooth!
Music is one of my first loves! I might add it’s not good therapy for my habit of associating a song to anything I might here or see. This was no different. My bluegrass festival days flashed in my mind. Camping under the starts, listening to Doc Watson and Bill Monroe to name a couple.
One of my favorite street art attractions is the ‘Neverbust Chain’create by a local artist named ‘Sky’. I wonder if he collaborated with Frank Zappa for this unique name?
In My Opinion
Rick’s thoughts on just about anything
Motorcycle campingoften referred to as a fun excuse to test someone’s rock bottom.Are you looking for adventure backcountry camping in the Great Smokey Mountains, a weekend at the state park, or maybe you’re using it as a trial for a partner, or friend, you’re thinking of abandoning? If your choice is the latter, by merely adding gnats and tent instructions made by an absolute moron, you will sift through the psychos and decide who you want to keep as a loved one. Sadly, if that psycho turns out to be you, professional help is available in the yellow pages. For the rest of us, some resources can help you achieve your camping bliss. Following is a guide to help.
Preparation – To avoid being the source of ridicule during the next bro gathering at the local water hole, consider the following. Should I bring someone with me? Secondly, choose camping gear based on my decision. The advantage of the company is someone will drag me to safety if I get attacked by a bear. However, this isn’t a problem if I choose someone who runs slower than me. The disadvantage is someone will be mad when they get attacked by a bear, and I leave them to die. In this case, my gear should include a vinyl cable to string my food from a tree branch furthest away from me. Bringing company will determine my type of campsite.At a car campsite, I can quickly shove this person in the trunk of a car, (reference above why you’re going camping) but in the wild, I have to be creative. Well, it seems I’ve lost the map, Dennis. How about I
find civilization, and you sit here and wait? Great! Here’s half of a Cliff’s protein bar. I should be back in ten to fifteen days. On the other hand, designated sites allow me to hear the campers in the location next to me as if they’re in my tent. I can catch up on things like Grandpa’s knee replacement, Brewer’s bowel movements, and Sally’s child delivery. If you’re unlucky, your dreams will involve… well, it’s best not to get into it. You will have a hard time sleeping for the next few months.
Activities - For most people, camping is a hike, eat, sleep, repeat. I love all those things. But I can add more variety to my journeys by including downtime into my trips to eat, drink, and be merry! Should I go hiking? Nature, exercise, wildlife, mountains, rocks, blah, blah, blah… I should need no other reason to hike than to be able to snot-rocket the contents of my nose on the trail and shrug it off as usual. In civilization, I would be ridiculed and abandoned. But in the wild, I will be honored; as it is a gesture of solidarity, an action that says, There isn’t much holding me back from eating a roach for lunch. Games. My favorite adult game is Truth or Dare. Campers take turns either answering a question (a truth) or performing a dare. The rules are simple. Each camper takes turns as the asker, spinning a bottle to choose which camper to question.An example of a truth: Where is the strangest place you have peed or pooped?An example of dare: Let the group play a song by slapping your butt cheeks till someone guesses the song.Another favorite campfire game of mine is Storytelling. Campers gather around the campfire and tell scary stories. One of my favorite crime stories is the time I went to Carolina Honda asked about trading my Harley in for a Goldwing.
Another story of mine is the time I let someone ride BJ (my bike) on the Tail of the Dragon and crashed into the Tree of Shame. Hey! I didn’t say the stories had to be true!
Survival – Survival skills are best learned while camping, said no one ever. I take the time to learn lifesaving skills like how to start a fire, purifying water, or finding edible foods by staying in a Holliday Inn Express. How do I start a fire? It worries me that this is the first question. Officially, fire is best left in the hands of professional candle lighters and teenagers without strong authority figures in their life. Unofficially, starting a fire is like matching Tupperware lids some people can do it, some people can’t. It’s frustrating, and most end up completely losing their junk and buying new Tupperware. There are two ways to start a fire: the normal mode or the redneck way. With the usual way, you use words like “lighter wood,” as in “This lighter wood should start the fire in hopes it will one day provide warmth for my buddy and me.” The redneck way involves a different vocabulary: “Hold my cigarette while I pour some gas on it,” “WATCH THIS BUBBA,” or “BUBBA! PUT IT OUT, PUT IT OUT!” In the beginning, you may not have a Southern accent, but after siphoning gas out of your buddy’s motorcycle and using it to create a fire that ultimately destroys your friend’s bike, you will.
Last but not least, drinking water. The average human can live 5 to 7 days without water. However, after 3 days serious side effects like constant skin irritation, hallucinations, and the swelling/ cracking of the tongue could appear. Heck, I’ve had this after
eating a 3-year old fruitcake at an office party. NO ONE FILLED ME IN ON THE CHRISTMAS JOKE! OK! So, using my newly acquired fire starting abilities, I will gather some water in a pot upstream from where my camping buddy is standing and boil it.
I hope my guide to camping has filled some voids in your camping life. Whether you’re looking for adventure backcountry camping in the Great Smokey Mountains, a weekend at the state park, or maybe you’re using it as a trial for a partner, or friend, you’re thinking of abandoning, you’ll find useful tips in Rick’s Guide to Worry-Free Camping!
See ya on the trail!
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