TAG-O-RAMA!!!

It just seems so wrong to be waking up at 6:30 AM on day two of a three day weekend!  Why would I do that??  Sometimes things just come together that are supposed to be and this day was another spectacular weather day that could not be ignored.

We didn't have any intentions of riding but the temps were perfect and someone posted up a new tag...

What can I say...we took the challenge personally.  We had ferreted out the location of the new tag and verified it with Google's Street View.  We were out the door and on the bikes within 30 minutes.

To make the most of the cool morning air and light traffic we hopped on the freeway and took off!!  At a distance of 65 miles it shouldn't have taken us long.  So it was disheartening to see the electronic signs notifying us of traffic along our intended route.  Even Mr. Oilburner's GPS traffic seconded traffic issues.  But all color indicators couldn't tell us exactly where it was.  So on we went.  And as it always happens, just after the point-of-no-return, the brake lights become visible...across all five lanes.  Traffic was stopped.  Just stopped.  We actually discussed turning around and going up the on ramp, but I wasn't ready to break the law that much today.  Instead we ride down the breakdown lane through the gravel, fragmented bumper parts and broken glass.  Clenching my teeth and white-knuckling my grips to ride over those "wake up" grooves I didn't have time to identify the various articles of clothing; nor did I want to.

It was very uplifting to break the law, even to such a little degree.  :-)  Sorry, no pictures, no evidence.  I hadn't recharged the battery in the GoPro last night.

The remainder of the ride was mostly uneventful.  One little mishap of an idjit pacing me (in the lead) and then wandering into my lane.  But it was all good after that and afforded us the sight of a coyote on the backcountry roadside towards our destination.

Are you wondering where the new tag was??

Pine Log (The City of) and the trestle underpass.

And we knew exactly where we wanted to move it.  That little known and never visited (by many but us) the Gaol in Greensboro.  Can you tell that we really like that place?  More people need to know about it.  

The Gaol

I can only tell you about the location of the Gaol simply because someone picked up our tag the very next morning!  (Not that I haven't posted about the Gaol location in previous blogs...)

Sometimes you just have to love being on the bikes.  We stopped for a quick breakfast at a gas station Mickey D's...only for sustenance.  Half way through the meal an older gentlemen approached us to talk about the bikes and our destination.  Turns out that we had passed him (in his cage) about 80 miles back.  We turn up at the same gas station and he bends our ear on bikes he rides, bikes he wants, friends and destinations.  I just love chatting with fellow riders!!

Stats:

280 miles - mostly freeway

140 miles between tags

Glorious weather and temps - starting to become warm by the time we were nearing home

Ready to be off the bikes - setting a record 5 hours round trip

Home in time to sit on our fannies the rest of the day until it was time to light up the sky with fireworks

Madison for n00bs

I couldn't think of a better way to spend a weekend.

My brother determined it was time to come visit his little sister and go riding!!

If you have been keeping up you might remember that I hold my brother responsible for starting me down the road of two-wheeled bliss.  So it was a great honor that he wanted to come out and spend some time on the road with me!  ...and Mr. Oilburner. ;-)

April is a notoriously tricky time to visit Georgia with its fickle weather.  We had been experiencing perfect weather in the 60's (F) with low humidity.  But years past had given us frosts or snow in the middle of April.  We were crossing our fingers the perfect riding weather held.  But reports weren't looking too bright.  There wasn't going to be an option to change flights.  If it rained, we were just going to have to figure it out.  Him coming from one of those perfect climes that rarely sees rain, he didn't have much experience with it.

His arrival late in the afternoon on Saturday left us hoping that we could get home, grab the bikes and ride to meet some friends for dinner.  The black clouds and downpour of rain put the brakes on the riding plans.  But nothing was going to stop the dinner plans.

Day One:

Waking up the next morning Mr. Oilburner and I were taking it slowly.  Brother was groggy but quickly perked up with a coffee infusion.  Every other word out of his mouth was "When we goin' ridin'?"  He came here to ride and was extremely antsy to do it.  First order of business:  introduce brother to bike, bike to brother.

Since we hadn't sold the Harley yet, we made it available for the riding weekend.  But needed to let Brother acquaint himself with the 1200 cc, differing from his 750 at home.  He didn't have any trepidation about the meeting.  And proved quite quickly that he didn't have any concerns.

A couple turns around the block and he was looking very comfortable.  I was hating him already for looking so darn good.  :-)

Our route today was taking us into the sweeping country lanes in middle GA so Brother could get a real feel for the bike and not have to worry about technical riding.  It would also show him the back roads and farmlands of this great state.  Beyond the "When are we riding?" nags were the "I want to experience GA" statements.  We invited our dinner/riding friends from last night.  One managed to show up on his bike, but the other showed up in his convertible four-wheeler to follow us.  Humph.

We enjoyed perfect weather on some great roads!  We took a leisurely pace and stopped once along the way to Madison to make sure everyone [Brother] was doing well.  He was cool as a cucumber and looking quite GQ with the Harley.

We stopped in Madison for lunch and a walk around the square.

What is with all of the blue bikes??  My unique granite gray is hidden at the back.

We mounted the steeds and continued on our tour.  We headed for Washington to see more antebellum homes and the Fitzpatrick Hotel.  We did make one quick pit stop in Greensboro again to show off the gaol.

Washington was quiet and uneventful, being Sunday afternoon.  The Fitzpatrick was empty and the clerk was more then pleasant having to show the hotel and rooms three different times as everyone in our group couldn't get it together.  She then recommended a couple of lanes for viewing some wonderful antebellum homes, and possibly catching site of what she considered a haunted inn.  The houses were varied and spectacular, but we only stopped for one photo of Brother with the bike and a lovely home.

The weather remained perfect.  The companionship was great.  The riding was peaceful.  Still hating my brother for looking so damn solid on that bike!  :-)

Stats:

206 miles

Great weather, food, riding and friends