Tallulah Falls State Park
Ride Safe
Waterin Hole
Oswald Chambers
Backroad Cruisers
Letter from Rick
Fall is officially here! Temperatures haven’t fallen much in the Midlands or Lowcountry, but the mountains are feeling fine! I had stated on my Stories From the Road blog page that I was going to discontinue what I affectionately call my mini-magazine. Well, its baaaaaack! I enjoy it so much that I couldn’t abandon it. So, Septembers will be a little late, but I will post when I’m done.
First of all, I’ll be adding some new sections to the magazine. Welcome Backroad Cruisers, Bar of the month, restaurant of the month and riding buddies.
I hope to add more content as well. Some of it funny, others more serious in nature. An ‘Interview with…’ section is also in the works. This is NOT a motorcycle magazine. If you’re looking for that, some of my favorites are Carolina Chrome, Full Throttle, and Born to Ride (Southeast edition) But it will have motorcycle events and people who live to ride featured in it. So with that said, Welcome to the continued evolution of this magazine.
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
On the Cover
Ride Safe
The weekend is finally here! It’s a perfect day to jump on your scoot and hit the open road! But before revving-up for adventure, be sure your bike is safe. Yeah, yeah, I know you want to get on the road, but an once of prevention could save you a lot of heartache later. Heck, it might even save your life!
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has created a little mnemonic called the T-CLOCK to help get you safely on the road..
T — Tires & Wheels - Be sure to check: Tread depth, wear, weathering, evenly seated, bulges, imbedded objects. Check air pressure when cold, adjust pressure to your anticipated ride load/speed.
• C Controls - check levers, cables, hoses, throttle
• L Lights - battery, lenses, reflectors, wiring and head lamp should not be cracked, frayed or broken
• O Oil - check for level and leaks
• C — Chassis - go over the frame, suspension, and chair or belt
• K Kickstand - check the center stand or ‘jiffy’ stand for Cracks, bent. Springs in place, tension to hold position.
For more Information on ‘T-CLOCK’ and additional safety tips, visit: https://www.carolinacycles.com/helpful-info/safety-tips/
Waterin’ Hole
I’ll admit that I like to ride BJ to nearby waterholes for an adult beverage and food every now and then. Recently, a local tavern was putting on a bike night featuring Carolina Chrome Magazine and several vendors. The name of the tavern had changed since the last time I was there, so I thought I would check it out and most likely run into some friends while there.
Now I do have somewhat of a dry since of humor and the new tavern name prompted me to call a friend and ask her how might I find a ‘Hidden Tavern’The conversation went something like this.
‘Hi Kathy! You gonna be at Hidden Tavern tonight?
Sure Rick, come on out! It will be great to see you!
Ok. I need directions to get there. It will probably be difficult to find a hidden tavern.
I’ll text you the address.
Thanks Kathy, but how will I know I’m at the hidden tavern? It is hidden you know.
What? Don’t make me hurt you, get your butt over hear!
LOL. Ok. I’ll be there soon’
I found the ’hidden tavern’and thank God I was not the first one there. The premises looked exactly the same, only the name was different. There was plenty of parking with a portion of it actually concrete. For more information about the Hidden Tavern, visit them on Facebook @thehiddentavernlexingtonsc
Tallulah Falls, GA
BJ has been limping along for a while. ASlick front tire, check engine light, battery light, and ailing compensator have been plaguing her for a while. She finally succumbed to the check engine/battery light below Edgefield. Coughed a couple of times and died, I coasted to the side of the road and called an ambulance for her. Aweek later, BJ has a new shoe, and her heartbeat has been restored with a new voltage regulator.After receiving her new ‘pacemaker’, I spent the first week just riding around town making sure she was ready for the open road. She passed with flying colors, and we’re both prepared for a ride to Tallulah Falls, GA!
I’m fortunate to have a group I ride with on occasion. On this day, they are riding to Tallulah Falls! An all-day ride that I have long wanted to take. Perfect to test BJ. ROAD TRIP!
It’s Time
Dreaming of sitting at the corner of WinslowArizona, the faint sound of my cell phone alarm clock slowly brings me back to reality.Areminder that I have a great day of riding in front of me. ‘The group’as I will refer to them to protect those under the witness protection program, are meeting at 7:30 a.m. to begin the ride. (just kidding about the witness protection program – I think)
I have a curse, albeit I enjoy it, of songs popping up into my mind during relevant experiences.Afavorite of mine is the Eagles ‘Take It Easy”. So, it came as no surprise to me that the ‘Gilligan’s Island’theme song popped into my brain as ‘The Group” pulled out from the Pitt Stop to begin the 3-hour ride to Tallulah Falls. OOPS, I did it again, make it stop! OOPS, I did again, by Brittney Spears.
TheArtists Kava House Grill
Making our way around Greenwood,Abbeville,Antreville, and a brief stop after crossing the Georgia state line to put on our brain buckets,’we continued on passing through Hartwell and Lavonia, into Tallulah Falls. There we stopped at a little restaurant called ‘TheArtists Kava House Grill.’I have mixed reviews about this place. The rustic exterior and front porch were inviting. It was just the
kind of place I like to frequent. Inside was more of the same. I have to say I liked to décor. There were 7 people in our group, not small, but not overwhelmingly large either. We all ordered our foods in a timely manner, but here’s where things got irritating for everyone. I’m not sure of the exact time we waited, but it was at least an hour or more. My food was good, but I kept it simple with a hamburger and onion rings with water. Others weren’t as fortunate. One person ordered Blackened Chicken, and that’s how it came out. Now I don’t know much about ‘Blackened’food, but it didn’t look appealing to me. One person in our group was so put off and ready to ‘get outta there’paid for everyone’s food to speed up the process. (I promise I’ll pay ya back buddy) I would like to go there again with a smaller group and see how it goes. I’m not condemning it yet.
Tallulah Gorge State Park
For a long time, I was confused about Tallulah Falls. I didn’t realize it was an actual town. However, I now know that Tallulah Falls is famous in at least two ways. Mention the movie ‘Deliverance’and two things pop into my head. There’s that head thing again. Sorry I digress. One is the song Dueling Banjos, and the other is ‘Squeal little pig!’Now I won’t go into details about either of them but if you haven’t seen the movie, it’s a must watch the film.
Deliverance, filmed in 1971, was shot all over Northwest Georgia, but many extras came from the Tallulah Falls area. Now I would think that would be good for the little town. Well, it was, but some locals believe the film depicted them as backward, inbred, unsophisticated hillbillies.Apparently, it’s a reputation that has been hard to shake. But that stigma wasn’t evident to me. Everyone I met was friendly and literate. Not one of them was missing any teeth.
Tallulah Gorge State Park will cost you 5 bucks to get in. But worth the cost of admission. Heck, the ride to the gate was great in itself with twisties I didn’t even experience during my journey on the ‘Tail of the Dragon’. Once you’re in, there is plenty of parking. (PSA..just between us, park near the building. You won’t regret it if you went down into the gorge)
The Museum
If you’re a museum type of person, the Tallulah Falls Visitor Center will rock your
world. Entering the center, you’ll encounter a continuous winding ramp for several floors ending at the rear entrance of the center, the gateway to the trails and falls.
The falls and suspension bridge
Now back in my ‘younger days’(like waaay back) hiking was an activity I LOVED. Every Spring, I’d make the pilgrimage to Madison, VAto base camp and hike theAppalachia Trail.Admittedly, I’m not that man today, but I was excited to walk on the suspension bridge. So, I head down the trail when I encounter my first look of the upper Hurricane Falls. Simply beautiful. I stopped to take a few pictures from the high overlook and headed further down the path.
Just as I’m wondering if I was near the suspension bridge, I encounter a sign next to some metal steps heading down into the gorge. Basically, it said the decent was moderately difficult comprising of 310 steps before reaching the bridge. Well, I didn’t ride BJ 3 hours to NOT walk on that bridge, so off I go. Let me tell you something, I was tired when I reached the BOTTOM of the steps wondering what demon was on my shoulder that pursued me to do this.
As I looked across that suspension bridge, one of my buddies was walking towards me. (yes, he got there way before I did) Each step gently increased the swaying of that bridge. Catching my breath after that treacherous hike DOWN the steps, I head across the destination of my ride. Stopping midway to look at the Tallulah River raging 80 feet below me, the view, for a while, blocked thoughts of going back up 310 steps.
Ok ok, it’s a long story, but I’ll wrap it up. I was thinking how brutal the ascent up the stairs was when a guy in his twenty’s jogs past me. Really?!As I reached the stair ‘summit’my buddies encourage me on for the final ten feet of my ordeal. I did make it back to the parking lot and straddled BJ for the ride home. As I rode home listening to the steady roar of BJ’s engine, I couldn’t help but think what a day this had been! What a day indeed.
https://utmost.org/
The Place of Humiliation
If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. —Mark 9:22
After every time of exaltation, we are brought down with a sudden rush into things as they really are, where it is neither beautiful, poetic, nor thrilling. The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God. We see His glory on the mountain, but we never live for His glory there. It is in the place of humiliation that we find our true worth to God that is where our faithfulness is revealed. Most of us can do things if we are always at some heroic level of intensity, simply because of the natural selfishness of our own hearts. But God wants us to be at the drab everyday level, where we live in the valley according to our personal relationship with Him. Peter thought it would be a wonderful thing for them to remain on the mountain, but Jesus Christ took the disciples down from the mountain and into the valley, where the true meaning of the vision was explained (see Mark 9:5-6, Mark 9:14-23).
“If you can do anything….” It takes the valley of humiliation to remove the skepticism from us. Look back at your own experience and you will find that until you learned who Jesus really was, you were a skillful skeptic about His power. When you were on the mountaintop you could believe anything, but what about when you were faced with the facts of the valley? You may be able to give a testimony regarding your sanctification, but what about the thing that is a humiliation to you right now? The last time you were on the mountain with God, you saw that all the power in heaven and on earth belonged to Jesus will you be skeptical now, simply because you are in the valley of humiliation?
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
When you are joyful, be joyful; when you are sad, be sad. If God has given you a sweet cup, don’t make it bitter; and if He has given you a bitter cup, don’t try and make it sweet; take things as they come. Shade of His Hand, 1226 L
Backroad Cruisers
About this group
If you love riding motorcycles, we are the group for you. Long rides to the mountains or short country rides to have dinner, this group is about enjoying the ride and the company of friends. We are not a bar hopping group. We are a group of friends who love welcoming new people into the group. Most of us are new friends but already feel like family. Join our Meetup page for any ride we have listed. We look forward to meeting you!
https://www.meetup.com/BackRoad-Cruisers-Riding-Group/
My first bike
My first bike was a custom hardtail chopper with a Honda 500 4 cylinder engine. What a beauty it was too! Sporting a raked springer / rocker front fork with a spoked narrow tire (no front brake) on the front and a 16” spoked tire on the rear.A king and queen seat with a sissy bar consisting of 3 square chrome bars extending upward for 14” was the seat of the day. The frame and gas tank was painted a ‘desert orange’with desert scenes painted on the tank. It was the envy of bikers in my home town. As time passed, I began receiving offers to join clubs. I rode along with one as a ‘tag along’, but the antic’s was a little more than I could handle. I’m not sure what year a got involved with riding clubs around Lexington, but eventually I hooked up with the Backroad Cruisers. Since then, I’ve gone on many
rides to various locations inside South Carolina and Georgia. One thing that drew me to this group is the love that everyone has for riding motorcycles.Atrip can be anywhere from a local dinner or an epic all day ride to the beach, mountains or a bike rally in Georgia or the Smokie Mountains.
So, having said this, enjoy some pictures from last Saturday’s ride to Tallulah Gorge State Park!
https://www.youtube.com/user/hoodboomer
@storiesfromtheroadtravel
https://www.carolinacycles.com/
