(Part 2)
We plan to leave out first thing in the morning, if the weather permits.
Late Evening; we are back from our ride. We went to a place called Hog Pen Landing. It was a small fishing camp on the lake, several of the spots filled, not near as pretty as this site though. I went topless part of the ride. No other traffic was around and I needed a quick cool off.
We have been trying to stay away from camp during daylight hours as much as possible-the yellow flies here are terrible. They were swarming us and bit every spot they could get to. Bug sprays were no help at all, so we hung fly strips around camp and on the handlebars of the Harley. Yellow flies are stuck all over them and not bothering us so much now. Makes it a lot more comfortable to be here. Heat must be the biggest factor in the draw for them. We have been swatting them like crazy. They die easily enough from a simple swat but are very annoying. They tend to go to bed at the edge of dark. Probably know that the frogs in the pond will devour them like they try to do to us! The fly strips we hung around camp seem to help a great deal.
The frogs are croaking out their mating tunes, and BB got a movie of the fire with the frogs in the background as a soundtrack.
He also just got a few shots of a UFO. No, I don’t mean we think it is aliens, I simply mean it is something we can’t identify flying over us in an erratic pattern, and doesn’t look at all like anything either of us recognizes.
While here, BB has gotten gorgeous pix of the Lily pond, dragonflies, butterflies and much more. This is a wonderful site, other than the yellow flies.
Day 14, May 24, 2008, Saturday, Mid Morning
I put on coffee water and got dressed while waiting on BB to wake up. He is up now and we are having coffee while deciding what we ‘sort of’ plan to do today.
Looks like clear skies so we are going to chance heading north as soon as we get awake and get the bike loaded.
5:48 P.M. We just got checked into the Econo-Lodge on HWY 441 in Dublin, Georgia, got our things off the bike, moved the bike close to the building so it would be under the awning and a tornado hit us!!! It hit fast and hard. Thankfully it was over with just as quickly as it started. Big hail balls hit the windows of our room pretty hard, the wind was crazy. It was raining so hard we couldn’t even see the parking lot, nor the bike sitting right next to the window. I was thinking the storm was going to bust or at least crack the windows but it didn’t. Not 30 feet from our room there are trees ripped out of the ground, the Pilot across the street has its sign ripped down and busted, McDonalds has its sign busted out, sirens are going off like crazy from ambulances and fire trucks as well as other emergency medical personnel and police. We didn’t actually see the twister but the lady in the room right next to us did, too bad she didn’t get pix of it. BB is out getting pix of some of the damages. The electric is off all over, and the emergency electric crew just pulled in here to see about getting it back on. Lucky we saw the sky turning bad ahead of time and decided to pull over, lucky too that we didn’t get under the awning at Pilot like I had suggested!
6:30 P.M. The electric is still off, BB is setting off the smoke alarm twice from the steam coming off the shower. Management has been down here to check that the room wasn’t on fire. They aren’t showing up this time, guess they figure its still the shower setting it off since there is no A/C to cool the room right now.
Hot water is all gone so I have to wait a bit to get cleaned up but it’s all good, I’m going to go down and get us a cold Dr. Pepper in the meantime.
BTW, if you are ever in Dublin, Georgia and decide to stay at this particular motel, the sign in the office says “No refunds after 10 minutes” Geez, not a lot of time to decide you don’t want the room, and BB would be very upset if they don’t get the electric back on soon, and we end up with no Fox News and no A/C all night, lol…He misses Fox News and Bill O’Reilly, I miss dancing at Angels & Wings. I can do without a microwave and a hairdryer but the lack of dancing is getting to me!!!
BB mentioned us going out to dance tonight. That would be ultra cool since I miss it so much. Obviously, he misses it as well. I need the exercise as I’m getting pretty stiff from a lack of activity. If we don’t go dancing, we will order a pizza and stay in. Either way it all depends on whether the electric is back on or whether we stay in the dark all night. It won’t much matter to me which we do, his hands are aching and my ankles are killing me, so staying in is just as good. I just know that I need the exercise. We can always go on another night if we don’t get to go tonight.
7:30 P.M. The electric is back on and the water is hot so I’m going to shower and do my makeup (I haven’t had it on but once since we left Kentucky) and then we will decide what we are doing tonight.
Day 15, May 25, 2008, Sunday, Late Afternoon
9:09 A.M. Check out is noon so I’m trying to get things packed up. We ended up not doing laundry nor going out. We instead went to get beer and order pizza, which Dominos managed to mess up really bad. As far as I know, a pizza has cheese and sauce whether it has anything else or not. Well, not by what we ended up with. BB had called and told them he wanted a large pizza with ham, pepperoni and cheese. Duh, that is all they put on it, not a drop of sauce, nor any dipping sauces to help fix it. How bright does a person have to be to put a main ingredient on pizza?
I woke up feeling very drained this morning; I guess I was during the night as well. BB said he tried to snuggle me and I snapped at him. I’m not usually bitchy, and he knows that, I’ve just been having a lot of pain and stiffness, feeling very tired and weak the last few days. Post Polio Syndrome is just wonderful…yeah right.
Anyhow, we plan to hit HWY 441 N and head up through Georgia after check out.
I went next door to Hardee’s and got us some coffee and breakfast. We both feel a bit better now.
Late Afternoon, we are now in the Chattahoochee National Forest, between Dahlonega and Suches, Georgia. Alan Jackson’s song is wrong though, it’s not hotter than a hoochie coochie on the Chattahoochee! It’s actually pretty cool and breezy on top this mountain.
BB picked us a spot at the 9 Mile Marker on HWY 180, about 9 miles south of Suches or 16 miles north of Dahlonega. Great spot in the middle of a road that has apparently not been in use in quite awhile. There are dead trees across it about 40 feet from where we pitched our tent and past that is a beautiful trail that goes off in two directions, one up a hill, the other down a hill.
We are very tired and want to get camp set up and ready for sleep, then head to the nearest store for supplies. Have some dinner and relax awhile. Go to sleep. Explore the area tomorrow after breakfast.
Day 17, May 26, 2008, Monday, Late Afternoon
As it turns out, we are camped on the old trail on the edge of the Appalachian Trail and some hikers came by today heading up the hill. We had went to the store at Suches yesterday, to Dale’s Market, which is at the crossroads of HWYs 180 & 60 and appears to be the only thing in Suches, aside from the Biker Resort across the road from Dale’s and several rental cabins along HWY 180. HWYs 180 & 60 connect to 19, which goes into North Carolina and is known as the Tail of the Dragon, or Dragon’s Tail, which is a great ride.
This spot we are in is gorgeous, we are at an elevation of about 3200 feet here, A sign on HWY 180 proclaimed this area to be Wolf Pen Gap, elevation 3260 feet, Blood Mountain is the name of this area of the mountain.
About 4 miles down from us, heading toward Suches is Winfield Scott Recreation Area. There’s a wonderful lake there for fishing, swimming etc and it’s just gorgeous in this entire area.
We went to W Scott and took a shower. Gorgeous campground, and the camp host there said that we are supposed to pay a $5 day use fee but since we didn’t know that and weren’t camped there, seeing that BB is a Viet Nam Veteran, he let us shower for free but said to not tell anyone…oops.
We went to Dahlonega today, to Super Wal-Mart, for some supplies. Beautiful small city built into the sides of the mountains, lots of bikes around. Looks like elitists live there but most were not snobby. A very clean and well kept city, just gorgeous. Many antique shops, biker specialty shops, and some historical houses etc, a biker restaurant set on the side of a hill on HWY 60, a variety of shops and people. BB and I both were impressed with Dahlonega, and we usually don’t care much for cities.
Last night right after we set up camp we heard sirens on HWY 180 and wondered what was up. This morning at Dale’s, I overheard some local bikers talking and it turns out that there were 4 guys on crotch rockets trying to take a 20 MPH curve on HWY 180 at a speed of 140 MPH. The first one went over the mountain and the other 3 were riding so close they went right behind him, couldn’t stop or slow down quick enough to prevent an accident. All 4 crashed. From what I could hear, the one guy was a local boy and he retold the story after the wreck. One guy got thrown 170 feet. One got killed, and he left behind a wife and children. Very sad. That is just plan messed up. Trying to take a hilly, snaky curve that much over the posted safe speed limit is just crazy. On top of the risk, a ride that fast misses the stunning scenery.
We had gone to Dale’s for coffee and pastries for breakfast and to get supplies but decided to pick up supplies in Dahlonega, since they have a Super Wal-Mart, meaning way more variety.
Day 18, May 27, Tuesday, 7:37 A.M.
I have a fire going and put on coffee water, waiting for BB to wake up so we can sort of plan our day. I didn’t rest well, we are sleeping n a slight slope and I kept sliding downhill in the sleeping bag. Maybe will take a nap later, if need be.
Late Afternoon-BB had strapped the camera onto the handlebar of the bike and filmed our ride from camp to Dale’s. We plan to post it on youtube and our other sites. Such stunning scenery we wanted to share with those who may never get to see it. Some bicyclists were on the road as we filmed, two pulled over and one didn’t. The one that didn’t was going a speed of what had to be at least 40 MPH as we were doing about 30-35 MPH most of the way and couldn’t keep up with him. We met up with him at Dale’s then the other two showed up while we were there having coffee. There are always a gazillion bikes and bicycles on the mountain.
We also went for a ride on HWY 60, pulled over at a lookout spot where some other bikers were parked. The woman is an active duty soldier and she talked with us a bit. Her husband and their friend were also friendly. Nice people. Most of the bikers we met up with in Georgia were friendly, except the women. We have only met two friendly female bikers in Georgia. Not to diss Georgia female bikers but other than those two, the rest were all snobby bitches who turned their noses up at us and wouldn’t speak or acknowledge us with even a simple wave. WTF, they are no better than we are…
At Dale’s yesterday we got water in our jugs and canteens, but will need more today. The ladies working there are very nice. The one reminds me very much of our friend Carla. Made me miss chatting with Carla. Anyhow, all the gas pumps were covered with plastic bags since they were out of gas till the delivery man decides to deliver. They told us it would be late last night or today they should have gas again. They had the Weather Channel on and the forecast is storms for the next couple days for Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky. Hopefully we wont get rained in again.
Day 19, May 28, 2008, Wednesday, 8:58 A.M.
We are up having coffee, warming up a bit by the fire I built, trying to wake up enough to decide our day’s agenda. BB took some pix of some birds while we drank; looked like big Blue Jays. Gorgeous.
We walked the Appalachian Trail yesterday and got some pix-Mountain Laurel, Magnolia, Jasmine, Flame Azalea, etc and some of us on the little bridge that crosses the creek running down the mountain.
Houseflies are pretty abundant here and rather annoying, but at least they don’t bite like those awful yellow flies in Florida. I did get ate up by something though while I was gathering firewood the first day here. My ankles and tops of my feet are a bumpy mess, as are my arches and hands. BB got some on his hands and said that maybe it’s poison ivy, but I didn’t see any where I gathered wood. Plus, I have scratched and touched other body parts with no spreading of the bumps, so maybe it’s spider mites or something. Could be chiggers but I see no red spot in the center like a person would normally get from chiggers. So maybe it’s No-See-Ums. All I know is that it is itching terribly. I put hand sanitizer on it, which helped the itching for a short time only. So I covered them all in Sally Hansen clear polish-same basic ingredients as Chig-A-Rid has-and it stopped itching for almost a day. Either way, maybe it will dry them out. Gotta love home remedies, lol…
We only got a small sprinkling of rain yesterday. Of course, we have a great amount of tree coverage here in the forest, so it may have gotten pretty wet on the road and elsewhere nearby.
We are ready to head on home but are afraid we will get caught in a storm, with no shelter. Neither of us rested well last night. We needed a hot shower and some exercise to help us wind down, I suppose.
I found out this area is a Ranger Training Station. That explains the helicopters overhead last couple days as well as the soldiers we ran into at Dale’s. They were in uniform and driving an Army Jeep. Friendly, polite young men.
BB got pix on Memorial Day at Dale’s of a T-Rex. The coolest thing I ever saw-I want one!!! Georgia is a great state for a bike trip-especially this side of the state. It’s a biker’s paradise, as well as a camper’s paradise. Florida was nice; we liked St. Augustine a lot (for a city) and loved our camp spot at the lily pond. It just sucked to be in Florida for several days to come back with no tan and not getting to swim while there.
We need to go to Dale’s for water and to check weather. They have a TV set up in a wooden box there in the parking area to make it easy for bikers to know ahead of time what to expect. Pretty cool idea.
Mid morning and we are back from Dale’s. We got the breakfast buffet-all you can eat for $5.99, coffee is .79 for a 16 oz. with free refills. Not bad at all. The buffet was full of sausage, bacon, biscuits and scrambled eggs as well as condiments and was very good. We picked up two gallons of water from their kitchen sink, just in case we get rained in.
The weather is still showing that huge storm front over us, and I checked the map to see where we can take shelter when we do head out-in case another freak storm hits. As it is, we think it best to stay another day and see what happens weather-wise. We headed back to camp at about 50 MPH to try to miss the storm that looked to be ready to hit at any moment.
We have a nice fire going and the rain still hasn’t hit us. Cool by me! We have a lot of dry wood under a tarp, in case we need it. If not, the next camper will have it. We are hoping to be able to head home tomorrow.
We are out of clean clothes and whatever was biting me before has now bitten other spots during the night, so I’m thinking it is some kind of bug. Another dose of Benadryl is in order. I just hate taking it because it grogs me out so bad.
I’m hoping we get home in time to go to Angels & Wings on Friday. I miss dancing with BB and my friends. I think he misses it, too. We probably won’t get home in time or will be too worn out to go dance even if we do.
Day 20, May 29, 2008, Thursday, Early Afternoon
The tick bite on the back of BB’s knee looks nasty so he pulled his jeans down around his ankles, laid on his belly and let me doctor it. A group of about 8 hikers, including children, were coming down the hill and saw me leaning over his half naked body, probably assumed we were doing the nasty and stopped to stay hidden till I loudly announced I was finished doctoring the tick bite on the back of his leg. I never saw BB get his pants on so fast-off yes, but not on hahahaha, gave me a good giggle!
We had planned to hike up the trail yesterday but didn’t want to get caught in a storm so we didn’t go. Now we wish we had because it never really got nasty out, just a slight drizzle, most of which didn’t even hit the ground under the thick cover of trees here.
BB looks very bored and tired right now. I’m not bored but I am a bit fatigued. We had walked out to the road to try to get pix of some of the bikes coming around the hairpin curve here at Mile Marker 9. It had started to rain a bit and no bikes came by, just cars and trucks, so we came back to camp. No sooner than we got here, we heard bikes out on the road-from the sound of it, Harleys and some crotch rockets. We couldn’t make it out to the road fast enough to get pix so we went for a walk up the trail and BB got some pix there. Gorgeous trail!!
There is an abundance of animal life here but so far we have only seen a squirrel and a chipmunk. We did see tracks of bear, wolf, deer, rabbit, and other animals. BB shot a short movie of the fire with a lone coyote in the background calling the pack, then the pack joined in his song. Will make a nice little souvenir for us. He is hoping to be able to put it up on our page.
There is also a large variety of plant life here, which BB has gotten lots of on film but he fell in love with the Flame Azalea and plans to plant some when we get home.
Early Evening-The wind is blowing up and it’s a bit chilly this evening but maybe it will pass off quick so we can head out. We decided to not pack up till we are sure we are leaving Georgia. We both love this area and wish we could stay longer but also need to get home.
This trip has been very good for us, IMHO, even though we haven’t talked a lot in a deep manner but it doesn’t matter, we have all the time in the world to do so and we tell each other several times a day just how much we love each other. We haven’t made love as much as normal on this trip. That doesn’t matter though since it has been spectacular for us both when we have made love. We also haven’t bickered and we work very well as a team. We seem to be able to fix any problem we may run into. We have been very patient with each other and he has been a total romantic toward me when any opportunity arises. I’m not much of a romanticist by nature but I do love it when he shows me that side of him. It’s very appealing to me, and he is very good at being a romanticist so it works out well for us.
It rained most of the night last night, a slow, steady drizzle and I can say I’m very happy that we didn’t get wet. Nor did we get cold. BB is like a human furnace next to me.
I have a fire going and put on coffee water while BB has taken this break in the rain to go to Suches to pick up a small jar of coffee, smokes, etc. He left the Glock 19 with me, in case any bears, or scarier yet, some love starved mountain men approach me while he is gone.
I’m a bit sore now, my hips and back are easy to get achy but I try to not complain as I know it would do me no good and probably make me feel worse, the mind/body connection is very strong in me.
I was going to write this blog with the details of what Post Polio Syndrome and Spina Bifida Occulta can do to a person but it’s going to be a very long blog as it is, so I will leave that out and if you, the reader, wish to know about that you can always look it up on wikipedia.org
4:30 P.M.-BB brought back some food and we had lunch then sat around the fire talking, having coffee and a smoke before crawling inside the tent to make love. That was very yummy. The lunch was, too.
Afterwards we went for a walk up the road and found another section of the trail, where BB got pix of us and then managed to get pix of some bikes coming around the curve in front of the road to our camp. The fourth biker didn’t seem to notice BB was there taking pix across the road, as he was too busy beeping and waving at me with a big grin on his face.
BB also got pix of a mama bird and her babies on our walk. Just a small bird with 4 babies, one of which seemed to be the hardheaded one who wouldn’t listen to her, as she had to keep ushering him back toward to nest. What made them so gorgeous was they all had a bright orange stripe down their heads and that was the only real color on them, aside from a pretty gray/brown pattern all over them.
We are hoping tomorrow morning is clear skies so we can head out. BB wants to get a room in Tennessee, get cleaned up and us go out dancing. We will see what tomorrow brings. It is still a bit chilly today after the rain last night. I have on jeans and a sweatshirt, and so does BB.
Day 21, May 30, 2008, Friday, Mid-Morning
We went to Dale’s for breakfast and gas then came back to start packing up. Looks to be clear skies all through the rest of Georgia and up into Tennessee. I’m just taking a short smoke break then getting back to packing.
Late Afternoon-We are in Madisonville, Tennessee. We got a room at Motor Inn Lodge and took long, hot showers. We plan to go out tonight if we can find a bar with a dance floor.
We had stopped earlier today in a biker bar just over the Tennessee line called Open Road Tavern on HWY 19 North in Turtle Town. We went in and ordered a beer and then found out they don’t take credit cards, nor do they have an ATM, and we had no cash. So we left and it started to sprinkle as soon as we got to the bike. The bartender, Sandy, came out and called us back, she didn’t want us to get wet and said she would buy us a beer. Very cool of her to do! She and her friend Ruth were the only people in the bar aside from us, and then several locals started to file in. Everyone was friendly and polite toward us. A lady named Sheila came in and sat near BB and I. She was very nice as well. As it turns out she is trying to sell her land and home in North Carolina so that she can move to Corbin, Kentucky. What a trip. Sandy bought us a second beer and BB got pix of her, Ruth and Sheila. We gave the three of them our card so they can keep in touch with us.
The manager of this motel gave us directions to the bar nearest here, though from what I can see in the local phone book, it’s the ONLY bar here. This is not a super small town but doesn’t seem to offer a lot to the locals, nor to the tourists who stop here.
11:30 P.M.-We are back from the bar, called Boomerang. It was one of the most redneck places I have ever seen, and I have been in some redneck dives in my 45 years!
None of the people there were friendly to us, except the waitress selling Jello Shots. Her name was CC “for Crazy Christy” as she told us. She was very sweet and friendly to us. Aside from her, I will have to give a politely honest critique of Boomerang.
First off, the bitch sitting at the bar stool nearest the entryway snapped at us in a hateful tone the moment we walked in, “Get back out there!” We didn’t know what we did wrong. BB said “What?” She snapped again, in that same hateful tone, “You have to pay!” Just about that time CC had walked up to greet us in a very pleasant manner and take our entry money, $5 each, and stamp our hands to show we paid.
We got a table nearest the dance floor, and bought a Jell-O Shot each off CC. We both choose Pina Colada, sounded good and she let us taste it on a plastic disposable spoon first. Wasn’t too bad, and we had neither had one before. So we got them, only $1 apiece, and swallowed them. Nasty! Never again. I will stick to Wildcats and flavored beer, thank you. BB said he will stick to Corona and Jack, thank you very much!!
To get on with the story, there was a live band playing. I didn’t catch their name but they were a pretty good band. They did C&W as well as Rock and Blues. Only bad thing was that many people were calling out from the tables for them to play some slow stuff. The young guys wanted to dance with the girls so they could snuggle up to them, and us older folks wanted something that wouldn’t wear us out too badly. Also, I have noticed that in most bars in the southern USA, most of the guys do not know how to fast dance or feel to uncomfortable trying to do so. The band pretty much ignored what the people wanted until BB asked CC if she would get them to play some slow stuff. She told him they will play anything he requested so on a band break, he stopped one of the guys and requested some slower moving tunes be played.
Over the course of the evening they played about 3 “belly rubbing” tunes, as they called them. So we only did 3 dances. I wanted to dance on some of the rock and hiphop played on break but a big redneck guy scared me. I don’t scare easy either. This guy was so drunk he kept falling flat o his back on the dance floor, getting up to dance a few more minutes then falling again. I figured that if I go ton the dance floor, he might fall on me and break me. That would really suck, and not in a good way.
BB and I had ordered food, and while trying to eat dinner, the guy came over and told BB “You have one fine woman”. BB agreed with him, so the guy said to me “I’m going to dance with you to this shit when you dance”. I said “NO” and BB said “NO” so the guy repeated that he was going to dance with me. Again I said “NO” and BB said “No you aren’t” So he leaned in, putting his face in BB’s face, and asked “What are you going to do about it?” then proceeded to fall flat on his back where he stood.
Another man was so drunk he kept trying to buy a beer off BB, and BB told him that he would have to find his waitress or go to the bar to buy a beer, but the man was so out of it that he couldn’t find the bar. I personally think it is very irresponsible of the bar owner and employees to have not cut both of them off long before it reached that point. Maybe put them in a cab home.
The owner of the bar was there, going around greeting the locals and totally ignored us, which I think was very rude. Our hangout here, Angels & Wings has always been good about greeting the newbies as well as the regulars.
The place was essentially an old pole barn converted into a bar, the floors were rough to dance on, uneven tiles and I need a smooth surface that I can easily slide around on. I did like the huge mirrors on the wall next to the dance floor, though.
The place had a platform with a brass pole that was made of steel, and some of the girls were getting up there to try their hand at pole dancing. Some were actually pretty good at it, too.
The food there was inexpensive but terrible. We order 6 chicken strips and fries for dinner—the strips were actually nuggets and the fries tasted like they had been deep fried in 400 year old grease. It was so bad that we didn’t even finish it.
There was air conditioning in the bar but obviously was not a powerful enough machine to do any good. Even the industrial fan sitting pointed at the dance floor did no good. We were so hot my feet were wet, and I had taken off my boots the moment we walked in so I would be prepared to dance. Yes, I dance in my socks or pantyhose. Sort of set a trend for it at our local bar.
All in all, we didn’t care for the place, mostly because of the attitudes of the locals there. To us, it was a waste of $10 entry to even get in. We both said that if we are ever in Madisonville, Tennessee again, we will not be going to Boomerang.
The Open Road Tavern is another story. If we are ever again in Turtle Town, Tennessee we will be sure to try to find it again. Great bar, wonderful people, nice mellow, happy atmosphere there.
We left Boomerang before they closed last night and stopped at Huddle House on the way back. The cook was very friendly and made me a nice Philly Cheese Steak sandwich and fries, but BB wasn’t hungry. Maybe the nasty food at Boomerang made him ill, wouldn’t surprise me at all.
Getting sleepy so will close out for the night and try to get some rest.
Day 22, May 31, 2008, Saturday, 7:17 A.M.
Went to Hardee’s next door and picked up coffee and sausage biscuits for our breakfast. BB said he wasn’t hungry but ate anyhow. After breakfast we were both still sleepy so we snuggled down to go back to sleep awhile but ended up making mad, passionate love instead. After the hours had passed, it was time to shower, pack up and get out of town since check out was noon and we were getting on 11 A.M.
Looks to be a very clear, sunny day. We plan to head north toward Tellico Plains & Farragut, Tennessee, then play it by ear from there on in.
Afternoon-We took one wrong turn at Knoxville and ended up on Kingston Pike and stopped for lunch at, you guessed it, Hardee’s. Seems to be a Hardee’s every stop, whether we want it or not, lol.
The countryside up to this point has been spectacular-rolling farmland, hills and flat areas all mixed in together. We passed through every little town along the way and saw some beautiful old houses and other historical architecture along the way. Now we are getting ready to get back on the road, head toward Clinton Hwy, as that is the same as 25.
Late Afternoon-We are stopped for a smoke after really baddirections for the cashier at Hardee’s in Knoxville. She had tried to tell us that we were not on Kingston Pike when we know for sure we were. Pretty ad when a person doesn’t even know where she works!
We ended up stopping at a bar in Careyville, Tennessee called Crabapples. Great little bar. Wonderful atmosphere, very neat and clean, friendly bartender named Lisa. I got a little kick out of her being named Lisa since she kind of looked like a cross between Elizabeth Montgomery and my older sister Lisa.
This bar has an ATM, takes credit and debit cards, has Tennessee lottery available, as well as US postage stamps. Nice little dance floor with a real brass pole in the center of it, big mirrors, plenty of air conditioning. Food is inexpensive and looked very good from what I saw of the orders taken to other customers. They have two pool tables in a room separate from the bar and dance floor, as well as some arcade games in that area.
We didn’t eat, just had one beer apiece and one or two dances to some Bob Seger I put on the jukebox-which is 2 for a quarter. Not bad at all. Most jukeboxes are way more expensive than that. I think Crabapples likes to keep their customers happy and coming back for more. Smart business move.
They have live bands on weekends and karaoke and other events during the week at Crabapples. I bet they stay packed during the evenings. If we are ever again in Careyville,Tennessee again, on HWY 25, we will stop in at Crabapples for a drink, a dance and some good company. Kudos to them!
Early Evening-We are home now, pulled into the driveway around 6:30 P.M. and basically just collapsed from exhaustion. What was happy to see us but also a bit angry that we left her for as long as we did. Poor thing. We were very happy to cross the Kentucky state line. First thing we did was pull over and take off our helmets. Every state we went had a helmet requirement except Florida, which you don’t have to wear a helmet there but have to be able to show valid health insurance if you ride without one. We weren’t used to having to wear a helmet and I kept a headache while wearing one, from not being used to the weight of it, I suppose. I’m happy to have it off my head and so is BB.
Now we are just happy to be home, ready to relax and take a break from riding. We won’t be going to Angels & Wings tonight, we are just too tired. We plan to relax and catch up on Fox News and Bill O’Reilly and just hang out at home awhile, maybe go dancing next weekend.
All in all, we had a great trip and I hope the readers of this blog enjoy learning about it all. Hugs, Babs
