Rock On!!!

It’s hard for me to believe that Hedo, from the BoozeFighters, has been gone for over a year. I know his brothers still mention him every time I’m around the All American Club, and it seems like it was just a few months ago that Jack was preparing for a fight against the cancer that was in his body. He was a good man who honestly loved his friends and family and is missed daily by all. Anyway, the BF M/C will be having a Memorial Bar Crawl & Party for Hedo at the AAC on June 19th, starting at 4PM. If you want to drop by, as those whose lives were touched by this man are celebrating his life, please do so. The Jokers Band will be performing later that evening at the party.

Life seems so short here lately as we seem to be losing friend after friend to the death angel. (Al from the Foxhead also left us last month). And because of our age, and getting older, we must face the truth that we do lose friends more rapidly as the years come quicker now, thus that is why I have tried to plan a few road trips this year, as we just don’t know what next year, or even tomorrow holds for us.

I took such a trip in May to the foothills of the Smokey Mountains. I rode by my self and had plenty of time to reflect upon my life, both in the past and the future. The trip just cemented even more into my heart that if I wanted to ride and see America, now is the time to do it.
The first day of my journey was pretty uneventful as I pulled out about 8AM heading North on I-95. I hate riding interstate, and truly believe that we should abandon them for private use, allowing only commercial vehicles to use them. This could be another little thing we could do to help save our economy. I mean if we started traveling the minor highways, which the majority of them are now four lane, we would perhaps stop spending all our money at the “franchise” stores and revitalize the “Mom & Pop” businesses again. I remember going into these type truck stops as a child, and it was, well, just a good place to stop and eat. Today we stop at the “Big” places and get raped by the Cooperate Man.

After I got past Jacksonville, I hit Hwy. 1, and proceeded to 301 and then to 25, which mostly as I said are four lane roads. The only difference is you get to enjoy some awesome scenery and small town America. I didn't mind at all having to slow down going through the little cities as I was blessed to be able to appreciate all they had to offer as far as small restaurants and stores. The first day about all I bought was bottled water and gas as I looked for fresh fruit to munch on while riding. I did happen up on a Shoney’s that had a $4.99 lunch buffet, and stopped only because I saw their clientele, which was some older black folk. Listen, you can believe that tale about truckers knowing the best places to eat if you want, but I know that truckers have to eat at places where they can “legally” park their rigs, which have become in franchised lots only. But they will tell you as I’m about to, that if you want good “seasoned” food with real sweet tea, then you pay attention to where the older crowd from the black community dines and you will find southern cooking at it’s finest.

I know Shoney’s is a big business, or it use to be, but this place was different. It was locally owned and the main cook was a dear old lady who was in her late 60’s that wobbled when she walked, and appeared to enjoy carrying out pan after pan of fresh cooked fried chicken and all the fixings, which encompassed real banana pudding. Needless to say, I back slid on my cholesterol free diet. I only eat one plate of the entree, but went back for seconds on the dessert. This place was in Statesboro, GA, and I’ll stop again if I’m ever through there and if they’re still open, as the lunch crowd seemed low, for the price and quality of food.

I proceeded on into South Carolina on Hwy 25, with only stops for gas and water, when I realized just how much I miss the country. I hadn’t seen corn fields in several years, and the vegetable gardens were humongous. I could actually smell onions as I passed one spot in the road.
Though I relished the sights that brought back good memories, I also gazed upon some things that kind of makes you sad; like the run down and some times rottening general stores, the old telephone exchange buildings, way past repairs on aged “home places”, (how many of you remember the site that your parents and grandparents referred to as the old home place?), and even some falling down places of worship. I past one store that looked as if it had been closed for 20 years and was falling down, but it still had the “spit & whittle” bench gallantly posed right out front by the door and as I saw it, I thought, “Boy if that thing could only talk”. I will say if that were possible, a talking bench, I would have pulled over right then and there and stayed as long as the stories were told. Man, I miss those days, don’t you?

It clouded up some as I crossed over into North Carolina and the temperature dropped from around 85 to about 65, and it was at that point I was awakened to the fact that this ain’t Florida.....HaHaHa. I sucked it up and ran into I-26 for a short jaunt, then onto I-40 for a few miles before taking the Maggy Valley exit (yea, back to 2 lanes). I rode into the Valley only to find my directions had blown out of my windshield bag, but for some strange reason (to me) I remembered exactly all the turns that would take me to a place where I was to met some old friends, some which I had not seen in 3 years, called “Wheels Through Time”.

Tinman and JW were the first people I recognized and then Buttas. It was great seeing these good men and amigos standing there with a smile on their faces and a warm embrace extended my way. After the salutations and a cold drink we headed to a local watering hole for $1 PBR’s and some grub, I passed on the food, still full from Shoney’s. The name of that place was Hardtails and a dude named Carl owned and ran it, he treated us like royalty. Look him up if you’re ever around Maggy Valley, also stay at a motel called The Rolling Brook, it was with out a doubt the cleanest place I have ever laid my head. Me and another buddy actually looked for dirt, filth or anything that was remotely unsanitary, and even after the “white glove” treatment, nothing!!!
After Hardtails we headed back to the motorcycle museum (Wheels Through Time) and feasted upon the coolest of cool bikes and accessaries. This is a must for any biker!!! If you go ride the “Dragon”, please stop by this place, and be prepared to be treated like family by owner Dale and his son Matt. It is a place that I will not soon forget. Just the Knuckleheads alone are worth the stop. Many of my friends here, like Doc from Samsula knows of this establishment and Dale, and I’m sure they will back me up on what I’m writing, it’s overwhelming.

While there Tinman decided we needed a way to separate the Gray Beards from the Younguns, and much to our delight and entertainment he came up with this, “If you haven’t been poked, then you’re a joke!”, and pointed to his vaccination on his left arm. It didn’t take long for us all to pull up our shirt sleeves and prove we were the real deal...HaHaHa. It was all in fun as we laughed with the younger cats, who said they missed the big shot by only a few years. That is what I love about this group of men I meet periodically, they dish it out (in love) and they can take it. Everyone laughed together as we begin cutting on each other about our ages. I told someone that I may still be a joke, even though I was poked, in 1960.

We left Dale’s place and went to a place next to the motel, a single wide 2 bedroom trailer that some of our New Jersey buddies had rented, to finish up a few beers and catch up on each other’s past. Before long it was 2AM and this old man hit the sack in that clean room with that clean bed, without a telephone or remote for the TV, which I don’t know if it played or not. I wasn’t in the sack long before I was out, only to be awaken by coldness, thank goodness the heater worked, though it did dry my sinuses out which made for a few hours of “snoting” the next morning.

I got up at 9AM and after a good warm shower I followed the crowd over to a local eatery, and sit there and watched as they devoured eggs, country ham, bacon and so on..................I eat a small amount of SOS, and some good sweet tea. Now it was time to repack the bikes and head out to Reliance, TN. There would be a pack of riders going along with a famous photographer named Michael Lichter as he was documenting this weekend for Cycle Source Magazine, but instead of riding out with the large group, we (my closest friends) decided to ride by ourselves so we could catch up on what each of us had been up too, since the last gathering, which was in June of 2007. So off we go,at noon, heading over the mountains, with more twist and turns in the roads than should be allowed by law, (I, along with 2 others of our crew actually got “car or sea sick” as we maneuvered turn after turn. About half way through, one of ours, Fritz, went down. Three broken ribs and a broken ankle, plus a road rashed “new” Shovelhead was the outcome. It could have been worse.............