Here I am again on the road riding with 2 other folks my question is to me can I consider this a self date or not? If if is a self date are we all self dating ourselves together? Well there we are the 3 companions what a strange group we make. If ya wanted to play the game which one doesn't fit I guess well none of us do 3 riders 2 men, 1 chick, 3 bikes 2 Harley's, 1 import, 2 US citizens, 1non US citizen, 3 experienced riders 1 old rider, 1 well trained rider, 1 good rider all trucking down the road together. Heading out of North Georgia into the hills of Tennessee. The idea is to do the Cherahala Skyway head into Robbinsville, NC stay the night do the Dragon then head much further north. However on the road I thought of something flat out and told it to the GPS man. Who raised his eyebrows and said your right. What did I say? Well Robbinsville is located in a dry town. What I learned about my traveling companions is this though this may not bother me, it sure won't sit well with them. They like to have a beer or two after the journey and I can say I enjoy them too. So a new plan was derived and that was to grab gas and 12 pack at Telco Plains and do Cherahala Skyway then go on to Robbinswille. Well, One said why not just stay here. So, we went to look for cabins and found them they were clean and neat and I'd stay there again in a heart beat. The shower was awesome it had a little bench thing in it so ya could sit and shower perfect man.
We was checking in and I was happy I was l plagued with the same exhaustion I suffered from the whole time I was in Georgia. It's not that I didn't want to do anything, I was happy I didn't have too. I thought the heat and humidity was draining me dry, but there was some thing much more on tap for me, so with the constant battle of the heat I went in a took and nice cool shower, yes I sat on the bench. The boys were off babbling with the neighbors. It was a husband and wife team of BMW riders first time in my life BMW riders wanted to talk with me, maybe I looked harmless as my one companion was riding an import so they figured we couldn't be that bad? Me, if ya know I'm not a brand snob I might joke a round and all but I'm not. Anyway once I was done the shower I went out on our deck and joined in the babble, oh and it was flowing trust me. I was handed a beer and did more listening than taking, for some reason I just wasn't into babbling like normally. I love to talk about travel and places folks have been and possible someplace I might have been too. I really enjoy it they might have been some place that I've got to see, I am one of them folks ya know not happy unless I see it all and some times the all is seeing miles of nothing. LOL!
They talked and talked and talked, I drank 2 beers and just called it a night I couldn't go on any more it was too much I needed to sleep. I was dog ass tired, and I didn't even really push myself. Well in the am I was the first up so I got up pottied and went back to bed, why not and I actually went back to sleep. When I got up I found myself alone and they were up, so I walked down to get coffee, it wasn't that far of a walk but you would have thought I walked 20 miles up hill in 10 minutes go get that coffee the way I was puffin'. We sat on the deck drank coffee the guys had their stuff on the bike so I figured well I better get mine on too. One thing from years of travel and riding with guys is don't be the gal that makes the guys wait, in the early years they wouldn't wait, now they just get annoyed and bitchy. Just as I finished strapping it all on they were like ready to go, one we now can call "Suzie" cause he pulled Susan's key for the cabin. We pulled away from the cabins and why I ended up leading I have no idea and dam it if I didn't go the wrong dam way. Shit! oh well, I was happy to be sitting and not walking or expected to talk or act social for some reason I just felt tired and ready to go back to sleep. Maybe we fiddled around too much or was it cause once I was I up I went back to sleep?
Well, anyway "Suzie" got us going in the right direction and normal this would upset me abit that I was going the wrong way but for some reason I just didn't give a shit. We three reached the Cherahala "Suzie" first, and me in dead last. I was in no rush I've done this road dozens of times and I just wanted to sight see I guess I had my feet up cruise set at 50 as we went rolling through the bottom of the pass. I guess I got to far behind and the traveling Aussie's worried about me cause he turned around to see and I said, "dude , don't worry I'm just sight seeing" the higher we got the chillier it got so when I saw the boys at a pull over BSing with other riders I pulled in and got me hoodie out. I know the secrets of some of these passes and they can get down right cold fast. As far as we could see the sky was clear blue and the sun was shining I guess we were on the back half of the pass still, because at the top rain clouds were fight to get over the crest of the Cherahala. They took some photos and off we went. I decided that was not going to behind that Kawi in Deal's Gap or the Foothills all I could smell was raw fuel and it was kind of sicking to me.
Feet back up in second this time as we climbed to the higher elevations. We never stopped to take photos was no point because well we were wrapped in the gray misty clouds heavy with rain struggling to get over the pass. I've been through here when it was pouring and in continuations like this to take a picture is like looking at a white out. I had taken my feet off the highway pegs and disengaged my cruise control as vision was poor and I didn't want to waste that one second to disengage or shift positions if I had too. It was no problems we made it to the bottom of the Cherahala and were well on our way to Robbinsville. I asked "Suzie" if there was any reason we had to go to Robbinsville, he said,"no" so I said I know a short cut that connects Cherahala and Deal's Gap but I know know the road name or call numbers I just know it by sight. So, I was up front cruising along still not feeling fully awake. I figured I should have after all dam that upper pass was chilly and wake anyone up in the am. However, in the lower vallies it was warm as the sun was still shining. Ah, there it is! No, signal no nothing I just turned and pulled and slowed to the side I said dudes I'm sorry it just came up fast when ya looking with your eyes on a curvy road.
Yeah they were impressed with that I'm 100% sure but screw it how many times have they done that to me right? Along this winding road there are a few homes the river that run Thur Deal's gap. Folks I could easily live in this area not because of the great motorcycling, but I can see myself as a hillbilly chick. I like the beach and all but I'm a nature's type child I love to stroll along the wooded areas listen to the birds hike to the top of a rocky craggy and just sit and spend the day watching out and over all things. Its the smell of pine trees, the rushing of the streams, even the cold chilly mornings don't bother me. I for one don't hate the snow or cold really. I can think of a dozen things to do in the colder weather. Anyway it was a short distance to the Deal's Gap stop there I don't know what its called but the place everyone gets their photos taken. We stopped and grapped a bite to eat and just kind of watched the parade of folks come and go. Some of them bikes had more money dumped into them then miles that's one thing for sure. Earlier I made a comment that most American Single Men are into the Barbie's of the world so gals like me get passed over all the time. I was able to point out 4 different Barbie's to the Aussie Traveler whom had a hard time figuring out why I was single and had be so for such a long time. He said ah and got it right away.
I called first here, cause once your on the Dragon ya got no place to go so when we got ready to go after photos of the tree of shame. I pulled out first followed by "Suzie" and the import. Here on this road I would not use cruise control or put my feet on the highway pegs this road is relatively easy with any one who's spent time in the saddle of the bike they are riding. But me I like to put a challenge as I ride. This was mid week and one thing about mid week was less people, no officers patrolling. The posted signs I think are 35 and really I don't ever remember going through there at 35, on the sportsters we rip thought there somewhere around 55 with Joanna, but know on the King I keep it about 45-50, yeah age might have something to do with it too. After all we do feel different about things at 29 then we do at 46. I had pretty much clear sailing except for one car which made a quick pull off as soon as they could. It was a nice smooth dance over the pass and I pulled off by the lake there and asked the gents if that was too slow for them. "No, I wouldn't go any faster" ah, I internally smiled. To me that comment meant dam gal, otherwise they be impressed with me riding skills through there. Now there was some floor board scraping and trust me I could have given them more if they liked but well I was just happy sitting here on my rock at the moment listening to the comments of the traveling Aussie on the subject. We mounted up and continued on to Foot Hills Parkway.
The Foot Hills Parkway is another favorite of mine its just filled with nice wide sweepers nothing radical just wide sweepers. This is where I put my feet up on the highway pegs and just set the cruise control and just keep to the sway of the road. When I ride like that I feel like I'm just flying and when the two of them take off its just me sight seeing enjoying the what was created here for me to enjoy. The greens of the trees, feel of the breezes, glimpse of little fuzzies and birds doing there thing and the black ribbon of road before me. After we completed the Foot Hill Parkway it was Jam time no more pussyfooting around up went speedos and off we took to points north. When we stopped for the night I was so grate full though I would have kept going. I was struggling again and all I wanted to do was sleep. but I had to walk across the parking lot for food and what a pathetic site I was.
The whole two weeks I struggled, I struggled on the way home. I was just tired and slightly worried that maybe its time for me to slow down I mean way down. I'm now a special needs kid so to speak and my immune system is taxed to the limit every day, and a road trip just pushes it harder so I hoped it was just a combination of exhaustion and current health issues. I struggled so much coming home I was going the wrong way at one point but I as I wrote in an earlier blog I was able to still act in an emergency manor when I had too. When I got home I went to bed for like 3 days, really never got go up. I didn't want to eat I didn't want to do anything. The time I was awake I was very worried cause I feel like I had a cold but I couldn't even walk like 5 feet without sitting down and gasping for air. My chest hurt and I was scared. Really scared. I was fearing that my tumors had doubled in size in my chest over the last month and time was running out for me. However, after a few days rest I felt a little I mean little better so I made a phone call and went to lay on an ex ray table, gee a complete white out. What that means is that the chest is full of fluid. A few days of antibiotics and a recheck has shown that the pneumonia is well on its way leaving this person's body. In the future I have to remember that I am special needs kid and can't go running around 100 mile per hour with my hair on fire. Since I plan on being her a little longer than my given time stamp in 02, 05 then again in 09, then I'm going to have to slow and take extra care of myself while I travel the US. This I think I can do. There is so much here I want to see and do and I will not let myself be the death of me. So this is my lesson for the month. I'm still home resting and recovering from pneumonia, but I got me some plans for the future don't y'all worry. have a great one "T"
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