Friday 07/01/16 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Dan's away this coming Friday, so I thought I would head to Mean Mr. Mustard in Hendersonville, NC, for breakfast.  I plan to leave the Key Mart parking area at 8:30 am.  If you're interested, I'll  see you there.    Steve

Mean Mr. Mustard

Trip Advisor - Mean Mr. Mustard

• It was a muggy morning for a breakfast ride, but two others besides myself, decided it was an okay day for a breakfast ride.  Joining me were Pat (diligently delivering magazines for Bill), and O. G. Bob.  No sooner had we started south on Hwy 130, we saw Bob B. coming toward us.  He made a quick turn around at the Fire Station, and then we had four riders for breakfast.  I'm still working on being as creative as Dan, but missed a turn I had planned on taking and we went through Pickens instead of around it.  Oh well, I'll keep trying.  We did take Devils Fork Road after leaving Hwy 11 at the F Mart, so we did have some twisty road to ride as we made our way toward Hendersonville.  Traffic was not too bad and we arrived a little after 10 at our destination.  We were able to sit outside, but did have to use a towel to dry the seats after the overnight rain.  O. G. Bob managed to sit under a plant that was dripping water, but he got it moved and stayed dry.  We were served our drinks fairly quickly, and our orders were placed.  They do have great coffee and the grits were pretty good as well. It was a familiar route back through Dupont as we headed for home.  It was another great day on two wheels.      Steve

One of the many bits of Beatle memorabilia decorating the restaurant.

Friday 06/24/16 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Steve started the trend, and, based on my discussion with others the “Beat the Heat Breakfast Ride” seems to be a highly requested alternative.  So my plan is to ride on up to “The Grill” near Lake Toxaway for some breakfast then circle back through Rosman to get home before it gets to hot for our cycling safety gear.  If you would like to join me let”s plan to leave the Key Mart parking area about 8:30 AM this Friday.  Hope you can make it.    Dan

O. G. Bob is hoping they have his favorite - a short stack of pancakes....

• Very nice turn out for a breakfast ride today.  There were 10 riders, including Dan, that took advantage of the early ride to avoid the afternoon heat.  Along with Dan were Lesley, Mike C., Rob, Steve N. (welcome first time rider), Steve G., Pat, me, Ed, and O. G. Bob. Dan displayed some uncharacteristic skepticism by arriving in full rain gear, which was a little unsettling for the rest of us.  However, we all bought into the rule (myth) that if one rider has the gear on, we'll be okay.  We did see darkening skies and a few rain drops on our windshields as we rode toward Lake Toxaway, but we did arrive dry. As is typical, we rearranged the restaurant tables so we could seat all ten together.  It was a little while before we got our food, but we did have our coffee to keep us going.  It took Ed about three tries to get the meal he actually ordered, but it all worked out.  Perhaps it was just rookie mistakes.  After lunch, some riders took a more direct route home, while Dan took the rest of us on a route that ensured we could ride the twisties on Hwy 215 and 178.  We managed to make it home before the heat reached its maximum and we were all dry.  It was another great ride on two wheels.   Steve  

Grill @ The Barn

O. G. Bob opted for a short stack of French Toast instead of pancakes.....

Honoring Their Service 2016

Fellow Riders,

• It was another hot and dry day when nearly 130 motorcycles arrived to lead the 2016 Honoring Their Service escort to Keowee Key.  The Upstate Legends Jeep Club was there once again to provide the transportation for the Marine service men and women from Camp Lejeune and the Wounded Warriors from the Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital.   Crowds seemed a little lighter this year, but there was still plenty of Patriotic spirit on display along the route to honor those that fight for our freedom.  The three days ended with an escorted trip over to Memorial Stadium at Clemson University.  As usual, Clemson University did a fantastic job by giving them a tour of the Veterans Memorial outside the stadium, playing a thank-you speech by Dabo Swinney on the JumboTron, and displaying the names of all those being honored on the big screen as well.  The tour of Dabo's office is always a favorite and CU provided a lunch and some momentos for the guests as well.  This is truly an honor to participate in this event.

• Here are some links to videos and photos of the event.  Anyone wanting to add video or photos can email them to me at swdflhtc07@gmail.com

• Check out these links:
• Mandy Gaither of WYFF4 - Originally broadcast live on Facebook - Arrival at Red Owens 
• Keowee Key Photos -
• Photos of arrival at Keowee Key
• Keowee Key Fire Department Flag Display
• Keowee Key Welcome Sign
• Video at Keowee Key South Gate by Bill Koepnick
• Clemson University Facebook Page
• Ken Scar - Clemson University Public Information Director
• WYFF4 News Report
• The Greenville News
• Upstate Legends Jeep Club

Friday 06/17/16 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Given a variety of circumstances, including Dan not being able to lead a ride, I thought a breakfast ride to The Zookeeper Bistro in Cashiers, NC, would make a good ride this Friday.  I'll be leaving the Key Mart parking area at 8:30 am.  I need to be home around noon, and a breakfast ride should make that possible.  If you're interested, I'll see you Friday morning.   Steve

The Zookeeper Bistro

• It turns out a breakfast ride was a great call for todays ride.  It was a small group, me, Gadget, Bob (sporting his summer black gloves), and Steve G., that made the ride to Cashiers.  We made our way up the mountain toward Sapphire by taking Hwy 64 east. Aside from very comfortable early morning temperatures, the roads were not that busy and it was a nice winding ride to get to The Zookeeper.  We had no problem getting a table and were served our drinks right away.  Our server took our orders and the food soon followed.  She even told us regular bacon was better than turkey bacon because the turkey version is a very processed food.  What a good tip.  The multigrain pancakes were great. The ride back was smooth and the heat built up quickly as we moved into the lower elevations.  I'm sure it was in the low 90's when we made it back home around 11:30 am.  You could tell it was going to be hot one.  Glad we went early to make it another great day on two wheels.    Steve

The Zookeeper Bistro

Surely, this bike is owned by a very thoughtful father.....

Friday 06/10/16 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Friday weather is looking good for a northerly ride, however I do have to be back to greet house guests no later than 3 PM, so I think I can scoot on up to Brevard, NC for some lunch at Mayberry’s Soup & Sandwich shop and still get back in time.  Parking is tough in Brevard but I hope we can find something.  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

Mayberry's

Trip Advisor - Mayberry's Brevard

Friday 06/03/16 Ride

Fellow Riders,

• Again this Friday afternoon in the mountains is iffy, but last Friday’s bit of rain didn’t kill me so I figured I would try again.  This Friday, weather permitting, I plan to ride on up to Franklin, NC for some lunch at the Gazebo Creekside Café.  Afternoon showers seem to be the norm when the heat builds up so if your wanting to risk it let’s plan on leaving the Key Mart parking area about 10:30 AM.  Hope it’s dry out.     Dan

Gazebo Creekside Café

Trip Advisor - Gazebo Creekside Café

How about it Big Guy, no rain on Friday?  

• Well, the Big Guy came through and there was no rain for the six riders making the trek to Franklin today.  We did have some wet roads for a few miles on the way back, I'm sure just to let us know who is in charge.  The riders today, along with Dan, were Len, me, Jim (wing), Ed, and Bob B.  Dan had another amazing route that took us north through Salem and ultimately over Toxaway Falls.  Highway 281 is a great winding road and is always a fun ride.  As we were heading toward Sylva, we made a turn that took us back south and west into Franklin.  This was a most impressive road and possibly, a prototype for the Tail of the Dragon.  It had a lot of curves and some nice straight stretches as well.  The parking was a little tight at the Gazebo, but we found a place and Len got us a table.  Our server got our drinks right away and we tried quite a variety from the menu.  The ride home was south on Hwy 441 to Clayton, and then the familiar Hwy 76  got us most of the way home.  The clouds were forming the familiar afternoon rain, but we managed to make it through two big clouds with only some wet pavement.  It was a warm, and fortunately, dry day today, and of course, it was another great day on two wheels.     Steve

Gazebo Creekside Cafe, Franklin, NC on a gorgeous day.

Orange Gloves Bob couldn't ride today, so he sent me this photo to post of him taking his
kids and grandkids on a motorcycle ride to Sisters when they visited a couple months ago.