Friday 01/01/2016 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• BTW, after this Friday, 12/18/15, I won’t be planning any rides until after the holidays.  So, if I don’t see you before then, have a Merry Christmas and a Great New Year.  Ride Safe.     Dan

Friday 12/25/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• BTW, after this Friday (12/18), I won’t be planning any rides until after the holidays.  So, if I don’t see you before then, have a Merry Christmas and a Great New Year.  Ride Safe.    Dan

Dan taking grandkids for a ride......

Friday 12/18/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• It has been warm enough to go up into the mountains, but because it is so close to the holidays I’ve decided to plan a little scoot closer to home, the Café at William’s Hardware in Traveler’s Rest.  If you would like to join me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM.  BTW, after this Friday I won’t be planning any rides until after the holidays.  So, if I don’t see you before then, have a Merry Christmas and a Great New Year.  Ride Safe.  Dan

Trip Advisor - Cafe at Williams Hardware

Friday 12/11/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• This great weather makes for some excellent riding so we should not waste it.  I’m planning to ride over to Clarkesville, GA for some lunch at the CopperPot.  If you would like to join me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM.  Hope you can make it.    Dan

The Copper Pot Restauran

I wasn't able to make the ride this past Friday, but here is the update from Dan.  "Also, Friday's ride went well. We had 11 riders. We snaked around through West Union, Westminster, & North Toccoa to get there, however, we ran into wet roads and heavy mist from Toccoa to Clarkesville. No big deal. Mostly great riding. I'm pretty sure you would rather have been with us. "  No doubt I would have preferred being out on two wheels.  Steve

Friday 12/4/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Friday is forecast to be a great day for riding.  I hate to miss such a great opportunity to ride but I will be unable to plan and lead a ride this week.  However, those that don’t want to miss such good weather should meet at the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM and select a destination and ride leader at that time.  Ride safe.    Dan

Dan says we need to pick a leader.... seriously???

Friday 11/27/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• For those of us that are still hanging around this Friday and want to do a little ride I thought I might scoot on up to the Sapphire Mountain Brewing Co. for some lunch.  If you would like to join me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 am.  Ride safe and have a Happy Thanksgiving Day.   Dan

A Yamaha, so it must be Bob preparing for the Friday ride.

Friday 11/20/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Let’s not be discouraged by a little rain because it is supposed to be long gone by Friday so I’m planning to ride my motorcycle on dry roads all the way up to the Flat Rock Wood Room between Flat Rock and Hendersonville for some lunch.  If you would like to join me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM this Friday.  C U then.   Dan

Flat Rock Wood Room - Menu

Friday 11/13/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Friday’s forecast is calling for plenty of sunshine but a little colder, especially up in the mountains, so I’m not planning to ride too far north, just up to Dugan’s Irish Pub in Brevard.  Might as well get used to it.  Want to join me?  Let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM Friday.    Dan

Dugan's Pub

• Eleven riders, including Dan, turned out for another great fall ride in the upstate and into the mountains.  Along with Dan, the riders were Gadget, Len, Steve G., Rob, me, Bill, Pat, Russ, Ed, and orange gloved Bob.  The destination was Brevard, and as always, Dan came up with a route that included familiar roads as well as some most of us had not been on.   Event director Sue, even while shopping feverishly in Greenville, took care of getting us a reservation. The girls at the restaurant were ready for us, but weren't sure if we wanted to be seated inside or out.  Apparently, they are not familiar with riding on two wheels on a cool mountain day.  We elected to eat indoors and the service was good and reasonably quick for 11 leathered customers.  The food ran the gamut from shepherds pie to Greek salad, with a lot of fried fish as well.  As we left, Orange Gloves became enamored with a seat in the bar area.  Maybe he was thinking it would look good on his bike.  You just never know what he is thinking.  The ride back took us west on US 64 to Hwy 281 south.  It was another great fall day on two wheels.     Steve 

Bob - "Wouldn't this look great on a Yamaha?"

Dugan's Pub founder - Robert McKenna Dugan...

Friday 11/6/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• It seems Mother Nature could only allow us one great day for riding and peeping, that being last week, thus this Friday’s forecast is calling for possible rain and drizzle so I am not planning a ride.  Should the conditions change at the last minute we can play it by ear.  Try and stay safe and dry.    Dan

You can only have so much fun in the rain, and today was a little too much....

Friday 10/30/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Rumor has it that all this rain will be moved out by Friday leaving a nice day for a ride, so let’s rumble on up to the Mountain Man Grill in Dillard, GA.  If you want to try it out with me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM Friday.  Hope you can make it.    Dan

Mountain Man BBQ

• There were so many bikes that showed up at Key Mart, you would think they were expecting a magnificently colorful fall ride through the mountains.  And you know what, they were right.  The cool temperature, the clear deep blue sky, and the spectacular autumn colors made for a perfect riding day.  Dan picked a route I'm sure most would take to Dillard - west toward Mountain Rest, north to Highlands, and southwest to Dillard.  This took us on some of the regions best mountain roads and through very colorful forests.  We arrived at Mountain Man BBQ, and thanks to Sue, tables were set up for our group of 13 riders.  The riders following Dan included Wes, Gadget, Len, me, Lesley, Russ, Denny, Rob, Bill, Pat, David, and of course Bob.  With the cooler temps, Bob came prepared with the classic orange gloves to keep his hands warm.  When we arrived at the restaurant, we were served fairly quickly and had enough tator tots around the table to keep a bunch of two-year olds happy for hours.  I had what you would expect at a northern Georgia BBQ restaurant - a gyro.  Several tried the fish sandwich special and only one taker of the BBQ.  We took a more direct route back, but no less curvy than the ride to Dillard.  We connected with War Woman in Clayton, and had another great road experience as we made our way back.  Today was as good as it gets in the Carolinas and Georgia, and of course was another great day on two wheels.    Steve

Trip Advisor - Mountain Man BBQ & Pizza

Friday 10/23/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• The forecast for Friday is still showing some decent riding weather so I’m planning to head on up to Dillsboro, NC for some lunch at Kostas Family Restaurant.  We’ve surely “been there, done that”, but maybe we will get some color along the way.  If you would like to join me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM.  Hope to see you there.    Dan

Kostas Family Restaurant

Friday 10/16/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• This Friday I plan to scoot on up to Highlands, NC and try out the Highlands BBQ Co. for some lunch.  Same old roads but a place we haven’t ate at before so I want to give it a try.  If you would like to try it out with me, let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30AM.  Hope you can make it.    Dan

Highlands BBQ Company

• A good turnout for a spectacular fall day in the Upstate of South Carolina.  There were eleven riders including Dan that wanted to take in the colors of the trees and the curves of the mountain roads today.  The riders included Gadget, Lesley, Rob, Pat, me, Jim (Wing), Bob B., Bill, Denny, and Ed (in full fluorescent green). The start of the ride turned into a non-starter because Ed's battery failed to generate a current to get the Honda started.   However, thanks to Dan's cables and Rob's German engineered bike, they were able to get Ed's Wing started and we were off to the mountains.  We took a not so direct route to Highlands.  Not everyone goes through Georgia to there, but we were all glad that Dan picked this course.  The temps were cool, the skies blue, and colors just beginning to appear as we made our way to lunch.  Our director of reservations, Sue, called ahead and a table was set.  We all enjoyed the BBQ sauces on a variety of meat including pulled chicken, pulled pork, and brisket.  Bill was convinced that because he made a comment about not getting cream for his coffee, he was the last to get his lunch, but overall it was good service.  The ride back took us along a busy, but colorful US64 through Cashiers, and the familiar 107/Wignington/130 route back home. It was truly a great day on two wheels.    Steve

Friday 10/9/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Mother Nature may be cutting us some slack this Friday so I figured to take advantage and ride on up to Tryon, NC for some lunch at the Sidestreet Pizza and Pasta joint.  We have been there before and it seemed OK so how about we give them another chance.  If you would like to join me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM.  Hope to see you there.    Dan

Side Street Pizza & Pasta

Friday 10/2/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Again the threat of rain prevents making any plans for a real ride this Friday.  Should it not be raining and the roads are dry maybe I can sneak in a short ride to lunch, otherwise, those wishing to ride regardless should meet at the Key Mart parking area and select a destination and ride leader at that time.  Ride safe.   Dan

Just a few drops.  Let's do it!!

Friday 9/25/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• The Friday forecast is calling for much needed rain so I am not planning a ride at this time.  Come Friday should the roads be dry and it is not raining maybe we can get in a short ride for lunch.  If you wish to ride regardless, meet at the Key Mart parking area and select a destination and ride leader at that time.  Stay safe and dry.   Dan

C'mon Man!!!!

Friday 9/11/15 Ride

Fellow Rides,

• I think it would be fun to ride on over to Laprade’s Marina on Lake Burton, GA for some lunch provided Mother Nature will cooperate.  If you would like to join me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM this Friday.  Hope you can make it.    Dan

Lapidaries' Marina on Lake Burton

• In addition to a great ride, a day to remember:

Michigan Motorcycle Trip - 8/17 thru 8/29/15

Fun Times

• The adventure began at 8 am, on Monday morning, but not without some drama with my bike.  A problem that I thought was fixed resurfaced when I tried to start the bike - it didn't start.  A little persuasion with the connector to the starter, and it fired up and I headed for our rendezvous point at Key Mart.  I assumed the bike cleaning the day before had put a little too much water on the connector, but figured I was good to go.  We left the wives behind and headed north with our first stop on Clinch Mountain, TN, for lunch.  Things were going well, and we all tried the vinegar pie.  It was good, but stayed with us most of the rest of the day.  What was supposed to be a dry day, turned wet and we rode in rain for a couple hours.  Clean bikes were now only a memory.  We made it to our destination in Lexington, KY, and we were officially underway with the trip to the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan.

• We had a great trip of 3,600 miles and saw three of the Great Lakes along the way.  At our stop in Port Huron, MI, we met a blogger with 1 million followers. An airline pilot named Dan, both he and his wife were driving Harley's on a trip to Maine.  Here is his blog = Dan 330.  We did encounter some rain and cool temps in the UP, but it was worth the trip.  We also took in a few great museums, a moving memorial, and a whiskey tour as well:
• Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum - Auburn, Indiana
• Henry Ford Museum - Dearborn, Michigan
• Harley Davidson Museum - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• National Corvette Museum - Bowling Green, Kentucky
• Middle East Conflicts Memorial Wall - Marseilles, Illinois
• Jack Daniels Tour - Lynchburg, Tennessee

• All in all, it was a great couple weeks on two wheels.    Steve

Photo Gallery of Trip

Friday 9/4/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• This Friday I figured I would scoot on up to Sylva, NC for some lunch at LuLu’s On Main.  To avoid some of the construction I’m thinking I will have to go up 178 so might as well take in some of the Blue Ridge Parkway along the way.  If you would like to join me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM.  Hope to see you then.    Dan

Trip Advisor - Lulu's on Main

Blue Ridge Parkway

• Today there were eight riders that wanted to take a ride into the mountains for some good lunch, cooler temps, and spectacular scenery.  Those following Dan included Lesley, Rob, Jim (wing), David, me, Russ, and "Ice Cream" Bob.  Due to the ongoing roadwork on Hwy 130, it was an easy decision for Dan to find an alternate route.  Taking the long route to get to Hwy 178, we got behind a logging truck that we expected to drop one of his trees at any time.  He did try to wave us around, but to paraphrase a familiar sign on the back of many semi trailers, "if you can't see my mirrors, you probably can't see me waving you around either."  Oh well...  Once we got to Holly Springs, Rob's Beemer got thirsty for a little oil, so he stopped to give it a drink.  We paused just long enough to get behind a flat-bed tow truck hauling what looked like a little cabin.  I wasn't sure it would make it through the curves and up the hill, but it did, although very slowly.  This allowed Rob to catch up rather easily.  This time, we could see the wave around and we picked up the pace as we climbed the mountain.  By the time we got to the Blue Ridge Parkway, after riding up Hwy 215, the temps were down to the low 70's.  As usual, the views from the Parkway are spectacular.  After a brief stop at the highest point on the famous road, 6,053 feet atop the Richard Balsam Mountain at milepost 431, we made our way down to Sylva.  David skipped lunch because he had "work" to do at home.  We suspect it has to do with Clemson's first home game tomorrow, but who knows.  The lunch was good, except for the overcooked burger Jim specifically requested he did not want. (note - don't order burger with special cooking instructions at Lulu's).  The ride back caused us to catch up with one of the random rain showers, but there wasn't enough to even clean Bob's bike.  On Hwy 107, a few miles north of Oconee State Park, I saw my first South Carolina black bear along the road.  Probably a juvenile, I just hoped he wasn't ready to bolt across the road.  He stayed put and we made it home without incident and a 160+ mile ride for the day.  It was definitely another great day on two wheels.     Steve

Friday 8/28/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Temperatures are predicted to be more tolerable this Friday so I thought I would do a lunch ride up to the Purple Onion in Saluda, NC.  If you are around and would like to join me, let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM this Friday.  Hope you can make it.   Dan 

Purple Onion - Saluda

• Here is the feedback I received about this excursion:
• "We found a place in Saluda where Bob could get his fix."  Dan

Words are unnecessary.  We'll keep Marie in our thoughts and prayers.

Friday 8/21/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Some of our regular riders took off on a most enviable ride to the north country, leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves.  It is starting to cool off enough for a lunch ride but the afternoon weather is still very unstable so I think we should stick to the breakfast format for at least another Friday.  I’m planning to scoot on up to Joe’s Café which is just north of Clayton, GA for some breakfast, then, of course, we can ride back on War Woman Rd.  If you would like to join me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 8:30 AM this Friday, weather permitting.   Dan

Jose's Clayton - Facebook

Friday 8/14/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Dan's still out of town, and I will be out of town the next couple weeks, so, I'd like to take another breakfast ride this Friday.  I was thinking about the Cupboard Cafe in Dillard.  We'll leave from the Key Mart parking lot at 8:30 am.  Hope to see you there.      Steve

Cupboard Cafe - Dillard, GA

• There were six other riders that came along for a ride this Friday morning to Dillard. Joining me for the ride were Len, Lesley, Bill, David D., Russ, and Bob.  There was a brief discussion about some "weather" that looked ominous near Clarkesville, but since I had not bothered to check the weather before heading out, I said "no problem," certain we could avoid it.  Fortunately, it never materialized.  The Cupboard Cafe serves breakfast all day, so I knew we didn't have to rush to get there.  After a little over an hour, we arrived and were seated at a table for seven.  Coffee was ordered right away, and then food orders were taken.  It really looked like a group of southern natives based on the biscuits and gravy, grits, and cheese covered omelets that were ordered.  The food arrived in a reasonable amount of time, and tasted great.  I think our server had to run to the bank to get change for everyone.  It took nearly 15 minutes to return with change for five people, but it did come with an apology when it arrived.  We then made our way to Hwy 106 and headed for Highlands.  This is a fun road with lots of curves and some scenic views.  I learned from Len that I could have taken a shortcut to get to Hwy 28, but it was too late, and we did encounter a bit of traffic on Main Street before turning onto our route home.  It was a nice ride down the mountain as we made our way back through Walhalla.  The slight overcast skies kept the heat down and it was another great day on two wheels.    Steve

You can see how excited Dan is to get back and lead the group on some really interesting rides....

Friday 8/7/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• With Dan back in Michigan, I still want to ride on Friday.  It looks like the rains will be gone, so an 8:30 am departure will be a cool way to start the day.  I'll see you in the Key Mart parking lot if you want to ride.  I'm thinking of Mike's on Main in Hendersonville, but open to suggestions.    Steve

Mike's on Main

• Ten riders, including me, were at Key Mart to take a ride up to Hendersonville for breakfast.  The riders that came along with me included Lesley, Len, David D., Bill, Pat, Rob, Russ, Ed, and Bob.  Assuming everyone was getting hungry like I was, I took a fairly direct, somewhat boring, route to  Mike's.  The only deviation was to take River Falls to Devils Fork, and connect with Gap Creek.  As we were getting close to Devils Fork, the ominous large orange signs said the road was closed ahead.  I was hoping we could get to Devils Fork before the closure, and fortunately, we did.  Then, it was back to the more boring route 25/225 to get to Hendersonville.  With a large number of bikes, I opted for the parking lot and had to feed three parking meters for the ten bikes.  Mike's had plenty of room for us.  I thought about calling Sue to have her call ahead, but decided we would take our chances, and it worked out.  We were served our drinks and gave our food orders. One side of the table was served fairly quickly, while it took the other side a little longer.  Len offered to lead the ride back and make a stop at Symmes Chapel, part of the YMCA camp in Pretty Place, SC.  The view is quite spectacular, even on a cloudy day.  We could see rain in the distance and were glad we missed it.  All in all, it was another great day on two wheels.

Trip Advisor - Mike's on Main

Symmes Chapel - Pretty Place, SC

Friday 7/31/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Continuing with our breakfast (beat the heat) tradition, this Friday I thought I would ride up to the Amore Café on Hwy 64 near Lake Toxaway, NC.   Since Hwy 130 is under construction I will have to take a less than direct route to the restaurant, but should still be able to get there before 10 AM (they serve breakfast till 11 AM).  After breakfast, weather permitting, I will take the long way back.  If you would like to join me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 8:30 AM.  Hope you can make it.   Dan

Trip Advisor - Amorè

• Ten riders decided a morning ride up to Amorè for a great breakfast was definitely the right thing to do today.  Due to the work being done on Hwy 130, Dan led us on an alternate route via Highways 28 and 107 to Wigginton so we could avoid the repaving effort underway.  The other riders included Gadget, Lesley, Len, Bill, Pat, Jim (wing), Steve G., me, and Bob.  The ride up the mountain was cool and refreshing and we made it to our destination in plenty of time to get breakfast.  Dan had alerted Sue to call ahead to make sure they had room and they were ready for us when we arrived.  They had a couple tables set-up and waiting outside.  We quickly asked for coffee and started looking at the new menu.  On our previous trips to Amorè, they had one price and basically served up a buffet for your breakfast.  They've now switched to a typical menu with a good variety to select from.  "Pancake Bob" jumped on the strawberry shortcake offering and was obviously not disappointed, other than the wishing there was some ice cream available.  Everyone else mostly, ordered some variation of eggs or omelets and the food was quite good.  After some discussion during the meal, Len suggested an interesting route and agreed to lead us on some roads most of us have not been on before.  I usually try to remember the route for future reference, but with the different roads we were on and the abundance of twists and switchbacks, the only thing I'm sure of is that we turned east onto Hwy 64 when we left the restaurant and an hour or so later, we were back on Hwy 64, and made our way to Hwy 178.  It was a great ride and offered a lot of challenging twists and turns.  Truly, another great day on two wheels.   Steve

Looks like a new sign will be going up soon.....

Friday 7/24/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• With the ongoing heat and unstable weather in the afternoon, it makes more sense to continue our trend of breakfast rides, so I am planning to scoot on over to the Starving Artist Café in Old Easley and then get a few more miles in after breakfast, weather permitting.  I love breakfast, so if your thinking like me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 8:30 AM this Friday.  Hope you can be there.    Dan
• ps.  Thanks to Steve Davis for keeping the Friday Ride tradition going while I was refreshing my memory as to “why we don’t live in Michigan”.

Trip Advisor - The Starving Artist Cafè

Friday 7/17/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Dan is out of town this week, but I thought it would still be a good idea to take a breakfast ride this Friday and avoid the heat of the afternoon.  There's a place in Hendersonville, Mean Mr. Mustard, that serves breakfast all day, so getting there around 10 am will be fine.  I plan to leave the Key Mart parking area at 8:30, and will actually wait until everyone is ready before pulling out of the parking lot. Here is a link to the restaurant.  http://meanmrmustards.com/#_=_ It's been in Hendersonville for a while, but has moved to a different location.  It moved to a place we'd been to once before, called Nib's Coffee Cafe.   See you Friday.   Steve

• Six riders took the chance that I would be able to lead them to a place for breakfast.  After all, I did promise to wait until everyone was ready this time before I left the parking lot.  The riders included Jim (wing), Denny, Rich (first time rider with us), Bill, Pat, and Bob.  I only use the Key Mart gas pumps as a last resort, and I needed to fill up today.  However, they went above and beyond their normal inadequacy, and were not selling any gas today.  This meant that I would have to stop along the way for fuel before making it to Hendersonville.  Turns out Rich needed some, too, so I was not the only one filling up while everyone had to wait.  I took a boring but direct route so we could get to the restaurant by 10 am.  The skies had turned cloudy, and we even passed over some wet pavement, but did not encounter rain.  There was a mishap pulling into Mean Mr. Mustard, but no one was hurt.  Rich went a little wide pulling in and hit the curb and the bike went down.  He was okay and so was the bike, but you could smell some of the juniper ground cover being toasted by the hot pipes.  This gave us all a chance to do some exercise and get the bike upright and he pulled into a parking spot.  I could tell what Bob was thinking - "this never happens when Dan is leading.."  Oh well, everyone survived.  We sat on the porch and were served promptly with coffee and breakfast.  It was pleasant sitting under the umbrellas and feeling a slight mountain breeze.  This was the first time I've ever seen a server actually split the check.  She tore the ticket into individual portions for each order.  You can see my portion in the picture below.  After lunch, Jim and Bob had other missions and took different routes home.  The rest of us made our way over to Hwy 276, passing Dupont and Caesars Head parks along the way.  As usual, the lower the elevation, the hotter it got.  Other than a bruised ego for one of the riders, it was another great day on two wheels.   Steve

She actually "split" the check for everyone....

Monte, the owner, is clearly a huge fan of the Beatles, especially John.
Photos and memorabilia adorned the restaurant

Friday 7/10/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Last Friday wasn’t so nice but this Friday is looking pretty good, except for the heat, so I’m going to keep the same plan as last week and ride on over to BJ’s Restaurant in Toccoa, GA for some breakfast.  We are heading to MI on Saturday so I won’t be able to ride next week.  That means it is Friday or nothing, so I’m riding Friday, 8:30 AM from the Key Mart parking area.  Hope you can join me.   Dan

"We'll head that way to Toccoa, then head for Michigan tomorrow...."

• No shortage of riders today.  The forecast for hot afternoon temps was enough to convince everyone that wanted to ride that earlier is better than later. The large group scooting along behind Dan included Lesley, Len, Jim (Wing), Steve G., Denny, Russ, Bill, Pat, Corey, and Bob. Jim (HD Road King) and I met up with the group at BJ's.  The server had us seated at tables if front of the big window.  Sounds impressive, but the panoramic view was overlooking the alley and parking lot.  I'm sure we shouldn't be concerned that they put us way in the back and not up front with the decent folks.  The server did a pretty good job getting the drinks and food orders.  Lesley was a little concerned when the server  told her that her order "might be getting made" as opposed to saying it's on its way.  The meal did arrive soon after and fresh, piping hot biscuits were brought to complete some of the orders.  With the large group, it took a few miles for everyone to catch up to the group once we left the restaurant.  Dan took us on some roads we hadn't traveled before, but we came to a rather quick stop when we encountered a road that looked like the one in the picture below.  Only Len and Jim (wing) had reverse, so it took a few minutes for the rest of us to back up and turn around on the slight incline.  From there Len moved up behind Dan to assist in getting us back on track. The ride continued to heat up as we made our way down the mountain.  I'm sure everyone was glad we took Dan's lead and made the ride an early one.  It was definitely another great day on two wheels.   Steve

Friday 7/03/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• This being a holiday weekend with family coming in, if I want to ride I will need to stick with our current trend of going to breakfast so I can get done early before family gets here.  My plan is to ride straight to BJ’s Restaurant in Toccoa, GA for some breakfast, then find a different route home.  If you would like to join me let’s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 8:30 AM this Friday morning.  Hope you can make it.   Dan

Sounds like we need to be ready to fly...........

BJ's Family Restaurant

• 6:59 am - Sorry for the very late notice but roads are wet here with 100% chance of rain in Toccoa so I will not be riding today.  Maybe next time.   Dan

Friday 6/26/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Because it is so hot I’m thinking earlier will provide some heat relief and more fun on the Harley so I am planning to do a BREAKFAST RIDE, this time to the Sunrise Café in Brevard, NC.  They usually do a pretty good breakfast.  In order to be a true breakfast ride I plan to go as directly as possible (11 to 178 to 64) and probably take a less than direct route home.  If that sounds like something you might enjoy than plan to join me leaving the Key Mart parking area about 8:30 AM this Friday.  Hope to see you there.   Dan

The Sunrise Café

• Just another gorgeous Friday morning in the Upstate of South Carolina and a perfect time to ride up into the mountains for some breakfast.  Eight riders joined Dan for a cool and refreshing ride to The Sunrise Cafe in Brevard.  The riders included Lesley, me, David D., Jim (wing), Rob, Steve G., Bob, and Ed.  There really is no quick way to Brevard, but Dan did stick to his plan to get us there while breakfast was still being served.  They have really good food and the menu always has some great selections.  The only challenge is being able to read the colorful, but high on the wall menu board.  We arrived just ahead of a lot of customers so we had plenty of seat selection.  Even with the many seats to choose from, we managed to take a table from a very nice grandmotherly woman who then had to find another table.  The ride back was a little longer and took us on some roads we had not traveled previously.  Dan chose a route that took full advantage of the many winding and curvy roads between Hwy 276 and 178.  We could definitely feel the heat by the time we made our stop at Durham's to fill up.  It was another great day on two wheels.   Steve

A hard to read menu, but some great food and friendly service.

Trip Advisor - The Sunrise Café

Always interesting art on the walls of the cafe.

Friday 6/19/15 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• It looks like Dan will be burning up the golf course and not the roads this Friday, but I still want to ride.  Based on the heat and potential for afternoon rain, I think I'll head out from Key Mart at 8:30, Friday morning.  I was thinking of heading up to the Highlands area for some breakfast.  Maybe I'll see you in the parking lot tomorrow.   Steve

You just have to find the right prescription !!!!

• Six riders, including me, decided an early morning ride was a good choice today.  Joining me were Lesley, Gadget, Jim (wing), Pat, and Bob.  I led the group today, but unlike Dan, I guess I left before everyone was ready.  In the words of Rick Perry, "oops!"  Lacking the deep knowledge of the many Oconee back roads, I took familiar roads over to Hwy 28 so we could make our way to Highlands.  The temps were great on the way up the mountain as we zigged and zagged through the curves.  I was looking for The Sports Page Sandwich Shoppe and their big blue awning.  However, as you can see in the photo below, there is no awning at this time.  This caused me to make an embarrassing turn around, but oh well.  The breakfast was good and so was the service.  It was not crowded, but you could tell a lot of locals frequented the place.  For the ride back we opted to head toward Cashiers and head down the mountain.  Some of us made the left onto Wigington, while others continued on toward Walhalla.  We were turned back when we got to Hwy130 due to a big accident south of the intersection that involved some heavy equipment, according to a worker blocking traffic.  Hope no one was hurt, but he said there were all kinds of vehicles at the scene.  By the time we got back to Walhalla, the temps and humidity were on the rise.  Also, as I write this, the rain is starting to fall.  Fortunately, an early departure made this another great day on two wheels.   Steve

Website version of how the place looks...

Actual photo of how it looked today...  I can see how I missed it.