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Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Monday, April 12, 2010 - 08:23 pm: |
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Hey all, After 6 years riding out west, I finally have a chance to ride the East. I'm attending school in Quantico, Va and have a follow-on school in Pensacola, Fl. I plan on hitting the Blue Ridge Pkwy, the Dragon, and maybe the Cherokola Skywy. If you have a favorite ride along my route, please suggest it! I'm in the planning phase. I'll be riding late May. I'm excited to be taking a break on the road in-between schools. (Message edited by charlieboy6649 on April 12, 2010) |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Monday, April 12, 2010 - 09:07 pm: |
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CB - Me 'n D have moved since the last time we all rode together (Oktoberfast??), and now live on the Parkway near the VA/NC border. Please pay us a visit on your way thru - our casa su casa, amigo. FB&D |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Monday, April 12, 2010 - 09:08 pm: |
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I hope to get ya'lls help getting a good ride planed and chronicle it here. I'm getting pretty excited. The Uly gets picked up in San Diego Wed! |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Monday, April 12, 2010 - 09:09 pm: |
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Ferris! Thank you so much for the offer! I'd love that...a must! |
Etennuly
| Posted on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 12:54 am: |
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421 'The Snake', from Bristol Tn to Boone NC is an excellent ride. The Dragon is supposed to be open from the NC side only, ride up ride back. Highway patrols on duty when it is open from 8 am to 8pm. Another excellent ride is 'New Found Gap' from the South end of the Blue Ridge Parkway to Gatlinburg Tn. Not a speed ride, very scenic and a nice twisting road, but you need to catch it on an 'off' traffic day. If a bear can be seen from the road, traffic can back up for miles. |
Tastroman
| Posted on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 09:01 am: |
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If you are down near the Dragon make sure you ride NC 1310, Wayah road. It's 30 miles of dragon like curves without the traffic or police. |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 09:23 pm: |
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Thanks guys, I'll be looking at google maps for those roads...I appreciate the input! |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Friday, April 16, 2010 - 08:56 am: |
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CB, I concur with Ettenuly's suggestion of doing The Snake, and Tastroman's Wayah Road - both are a hoot. The Snake is patrolled pretty thoroughly by the THP on weekends during the season - too many squids making the trek up from the Dragon, I reckon. How much time are you taking for your trip? The Parkway is "only" five hundred miles, but to do it right really requires at least three or four days, and a week (or more) would be better. I've got enough Buell-worthy roads in my backyard to keep you busy for a lifetime. I don't want to give too many away, but one that comes up on the boards frequently is Squirrel Spur Rd., just up the Parkway a ways. There's another road near here that's so good that anytime we ride it, we all swear an oath not to publicly divulge the name or number of the road, so as to keep out the riff-raff. I took the day off yesterday (hey, it's what I do) and scouted out a loop that drops quickly down off the Parkway to the east near Roanoke, VA, then climbs back up near Floyd, VA on a paved road that isn't even wide enough for a centerline in places. It was my first time on it, and ol' Ferris likes it a lot. Please make sure you're heading out with good tires. FB |
Jb2
| Posted on Friday, April 16, 2010 - 09:10 am: |
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Charlieboy6649, Hey Ferris turned me onto this thread. I'd like to invite you to our Big Jim's Ride that will take place over Memorial Day weekend. The day of the ride and gathering will be Saturday, May 29th in Franklin ,NC. We'll be doing a lot of riding in the mountains around Franklin on Friday the 28th and the 29th. The Blue Ridge Parkway is right out the back door. There will be plenty of Uly riders in attendance. Stop by a kick up your heels for some real southern hospitality. The gathering in the evening is always a hoot with Lou "Mystic" Usher providing entertainment and plenty of riders to share and swap road stories with. JB2 |
Prior
| Posted on Friday, April 16, 2010 - 12:15 pm: |
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Charlie, I am right down the road from FB&D- let us know when you're passing through, I am sure we can meet up and ride, and you are more than welcome to crash at the house if you need a place to stay. JB2, Looking forward to seeing everyone in Franklin. Not sure if Heather will be coming down or not, but we'll start planting the bug in her ear. She's got school on Monday and it's right at the end of the year- so lots to do. Alex |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Friday, April 16, 2010 - 12:42 pm: |
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Hey all, My travel dates aren't really firmed up yet, but I really appreciate all the hospitality. I know I'm supposed to check into Pensacola on Memorial Day but I'm going to attempt to get that pushed so I'll have more time to ride (to whenever date my class is supposed to pick up; I've got a ton of leave on the books). If I can get my dates pushed, I'd love to make the Memorial Day ride. Sounds like a hoot! Otherwise, I'll be wishing I was there :-( As far as the po-po, I'm not too concerned about that. My barnstorming days are over...I've traded the R for the Uly. Age has in fact brought reason and I don't want anymore close calls but for the track. I'm looking for a nice scenic route I can incorporate into my trek South. I'll never be as fast as FB anyway ;-p Chuck |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Friday, April 16, 2010 - 01:51 pm: |
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Age has in fact brought reason... cough (bullshit) cough.........
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Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Friday, April 16, 2010 - 03:26 pm: |
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Ok ok bad statement, track time has brought reason. I know that if I crash on the track I'll most likely get up and dust myself off...mentaly I still hold a drool cup. |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Friday, April 16, 2010 - 05:28 pm: |
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CB, I've got a drool cup permanently installed in my helmet, with tubing running down to my Depends... I'll never be as fast as FB anyway... Yeah, right! I'm just an old man on a couch these days, amigo. You 'n yer Uly will be running circles around me. |
Etennuly
| Posted on Saturday, April 17, 2010 - 09:32 pm: |
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CB, I've got a drool cup permanently installed in my helmet, with tubing running down to my Depends... Now that's funny right there!.....or is it sad Uh Oh.....I'm guess I'm getting old enough I don't know what is funny or sad anymore.(probably 'cause it is in my not too far off future mods for the Uly plans). I gotta get over to that Blue Ridge thingy again this year(a few times at least). I will post up about it one of these days so we all can meet up somewhere. Or for that matter if timing is right I would like to get to your Big Jim's Ride. |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 08:13 am: |
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Hey FB, I'm in the midst of my route planning. Could you PM me directions to your neck of the woods? Thanks. CB |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 11:55 am: |
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OK this trip is getting more and more interesting by the day! I'm combining two of my favorite things on this trip. Motorcycles and FOOD! I found a great website (flavortownusa.com) that has mapped all of the stops on Diners Drive-inn's and Dives! I will be incorporating meal stops at those locations as much as possible! I hope I still fit in my uniform when this trip is done!!! LMAO! |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 12:06 pm: |
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Hey FB, I'm in the midst of my route planning. Could you PM me directions to your neck of the woods? Thanks. CB, you've got mail. FB |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 08:02 pm: |
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Put a 400 mile ride in to VaBeach 1 just to see it, and 2 to get my butt ready for 980 miles to Fla! I'm getting really excited! |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Saturday, May 22, 2010 - 09:29 am: |
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So VaBeach was a lot of fun, I got a few pictures developed and thought I'd share. I overnighted in VaBeach proper enjoying some of the local "wildlife" i.e. ran into a wedding party at an irish pub called Keegans. Awesome place with a 2 piece band playing some great music. FB I thought of ya and the Thunderdome as Journey was played. I rode Hwy 60 and Shore Dr up and over Norfolk to VaBeach and snapped these while I was there.
This was as close to Triton as I could get :-( I really wanted to put the Uly right under him but there was some kind of festival going on.
I was starving after "hydrating" all night so I asked the locals where to get some good breakfast. EVERYONE replied Pocahontas so I thought I'd try it out...
It was inexpensive and my spinach omelet with fetta was AMAZING! Thank you locals Eat there if you're in VaBeach! On the way back to Quantico I hit the Civil War museums in Richmond. I still can't fathom the carnage of brother on brother fighting. Just hard to put my mind around.
I hit a lookout trail back in Quantico and took a gratuitous shot of the National Museum of the Marine Corps for ya'll.
There are Marine Officers in the making out there in the background somewhere. So glad it's not me!!!! I'm done!
So, Graduation is behind me. It is so good to be done! Eliz is out till Tues. We are enjoying some vacation in DC till then when I'll point the Uly South Wed morning |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Saturday, May 22, 2010 - 09:35 pm: |
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Funny how my Uly looks like a standard "s" model under my ginormousness. Never thought of that before. Eliz and I shot out to Baltimore today. Had a lot of fun walking around the shops on the water and exploring Federal Hill.
Had lunch on the water. Can't beat crab and lobster fondu, sirloin, grilled shrimp, & pizza! Like I said before...hope my uniform fits when I check into Florida!
No canon jokes please...
Gratuitous happy dance for Bart on none other than Charles Street |
Bartimus
| Posted on Saturday, May 22, 2010 - 11:25 pm: |
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Thanks Charlie, that made my day! Glad to see your off and rolling, looks like a grand trip indeed. Down a few cold ones with the "old timers" for me. |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Sunday, May 23, 2010 - 07:56 am: |
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http://www.dublinerdc.com/ I met the gentleman that owns this place while at the tea garden reception at the Commandants house. Looks really good. I'm gonna try it out today. Here's a pic from USMC.MIL of me in the reception line.
I know I know...been in 14 years and only have two and a half rows of ribbons. Damn air winger! LOL! |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Sunday, May 23, 2010 - 08:05 am: |
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Hey Alex, (Prior) I found out that I don't have to be at work till the morning of the 2nd which means I can make Big Jim's ride. Maybe we could scoot South together? Charlieboy |
Prior
| Posted on Sunday, May 23, 2010 - 04:27 pm: |
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Charlie, Sent you an email earlier this morning- shoot me an email back or give me a call and we can get something together. Have you arranged lodging in Franklin yet? |
Charlieboy6649
| Posted on Sunday, May 23, 2010 - 11:38 pm: |
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Prior, you've got mail. Sorry for the late reply. I was out sightseeing. No hotel yet, but I'm going to look right now ;-p |
Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 11:50 pm: |
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Charlieboy is here. Gratuitous happy dance for Bart:
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Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2010 - 10:24 pm: |
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Charlieboy has now been drop-kicked into Alex & Heather's capable hands: K-Vegas will never be the same...
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Jerry_haughton
| Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2010 - 10:27 pm: |
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PS: Gratuitous happy dance for Bart...
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Reepicheep
| Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2010 - 10:35 pm: |
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Excellent! Charlie, make sure you kick over a big bag of fertilizer in the garage before you go, it's a tradition! I got cigars today, they are headed to Franklin tomorrow! |
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