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Ride Date |
Ride Details |
| May 27,2011 |
To All,
We had a good group turn out this Memorial Day weekend and the list included: Raydawg & Kathy, Big D & Christina, Hardcore & Cindy, Wizard, Hoss and myself. Hardcore had gotten some Harley Gloss inside his helmet and made it unusable, so we headed up Hwy 176 to Old Furnance Rd to Hwy 9 with a stop at Red, White & Biker at Lake Bowen to get him a new one. After a little shopping we got back on Hwy 9 and headed to the "Rock" and then over Black Mountain on to Hwy 25 with a stop at the new Harley of Asheville (use to be Parkway Harley) after more shopping, Big D took lead and got us to back to Moe's BBQ ( I know we went there last week, but but this is some good grub) After another great lunch, Hoss had to split off for home and the rest of us went to Discount Shoes so the ladies could check out the shoes and Raydawg & Big D could look at the Harley boots. Then it was back on Hwy 191 into Hendersonville and then Hwy 176 back down the mountain with Wizard, Hardcore & Cindy splitting off to Greenville to Powersports and the rest of us heading for home.
As always, great roads, great food and great friends to share them with!
Todays Notes:
1. I asked Hoss this morning to become our first chapter Chaplain and he accepted. Hoss has been blessing our rides for many months and I felt he would be the perfect person for the job...Thanks Hoss!
2. I would like to wish everyone a most blessed Memorial Day and to the vets in our chapter I would like to thank them for their service to this country. To most folks this is just another 3 day weekend, but to a vet it is a day of remberance to those we gave us the right to enjoy this 3 day weekend...from the bottom of my heart and soul, thank you!!
Ben "Sarge" Rodgers MSgt, USAF (Ret) 1st Officer, Chapter 313
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| May 21, 2011 |
To All,
It was a great day for riding with 7 bikes and 8 riders making what turned out to be a trek to the Asheville NC area. The group included: Raydawg, Big D, Hoss, Hardcore and his son, Pastor Dan, Big Ben, and myself. We left Sparkle City and headed up Hwy 176 to Hendersonville and then Hwy 25 to Asheville with a stop at MR Cycle where Raydawg had a coupon to demo the new Yamaha Stryker and the rest of us did some shopping. The GM at MR and I were chatting and he informed me that they had purchased Parkway & Ghost Town Harley just that week because after Gene Lummius's death last year the dealerships were about to go under and MR Cycle wanted to expand into a chain of dealerships. After shopping we headed to Moe's BBQ for lunch, now this was a new place for the group, but the guys & gal at MR said it was some good BBQ and we were not disappointed. Big D had to split after lunch and the rest of us got on I-40 down to the Hwy 74A exit and headed for Lake Lure with a stop at Heavenly Hoggs and then on down Hwy 9 where Raydawg & I split for Harley of Greenville to pick up some chrome and the rest of the group headed for home.
Great temps, Great food and great friends to share the road with!
Note: If the weather holds we will be doing a Black Mountain NC/Moose Cafe run next weekend, with according to the ladies a little shopping at Discount Shoes on Hwy 191 in Asheville.
Sarge Out!
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| May 7, 2011 |
To All,
12 bikes and 17 riders, this was the largest group that we have had in a while for our trek to Highlands NC.The group included: Raydawg & Kathy, Hardcore & Cindy, Carl & Diane, Chief, Doc & Sidewinder(Mikey Jr), Charlie, Jim & Trudy, Wizard, Brian J (my friend from work), Gary G. & Miss Betty (Chief's friends from work)and me!
We headed up Hwy 176 to Hwy 11 and then Hwy 178 up the mountain to Rosmon NC and the Hwy 64 all the way in to Highlands with a stop for lunch at Flipsides Burger's. My cousin Randy and his wife Chris, with friends Rick & Steve rode up from Georgia to met us at the grill and I got to do a little family bonding while we ate. After a great lunch we headed back down Hwy 64 to Hwy 281/131 with a stop at Whitewater Falls and then on to Hwy 11 again for the ride back home with folks splitting off along the way!
As always great roads, great food and great friends to share it with!
Note: Next Saturday (weather permitting) a bunch of us are going to do a one day trip to Myrtle Beach for bike week, and everyone is welcome to join us. We will meet at the Waffle House at Hwy 221 & I-26 near Dorman HS at 7:00am sharp! This is about a 4 1/2 hour trip down and back, so we will be riding hard with only a few stops until we hit the beach. It should be a fun day so come if you can!
Sarge Out!
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| April 30, 2011 |
To All,
What a great day for riding, temps in the mountains were in the 70's with plenty of sunshine. We had a great turn out with 10 bikes and 13 riders which included: Raydawg, Big "D", Hoss, Wizard, Hardcore & Cindy, Big Ben, Carl & Diane, Chris, Charlie and his friend Robin, and me. We left Sparkle City up Hwy 221 to Marion NC and then Hwy 226a around the city to 226a up the mountain to the Mountainview Grill at Little Switzerland NC. After a great lunch we got on the BRP and went up on Mt.Mitchell where for the first time in years there was not a cloud or fog bank in the sky and the temps were in the high 60's. Big Ben had been having some throttle problems on the way up so he and Big D had dropped of on the parkway before Mt. Mitchell and did some quick repairs, so we met them on the way back down with everything working good as new. We then back tracked on the parkway to Hwy 80 and took it back down into Marion and then it Hwy 221 back home with folks splitting off along the way!
As always great roads, great food and great friends to share it with!
Note: Weather looks good for a ride this Saturday and I'm thinking Highlands NC with lunch at Flipsides (used to be Don Leon's) If your interested, I will see you at the Waffle House at 9:00am.
Sarge Out!
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| April 23, 2011 |
To All,
We had 6 bikes and 7 riders show up
Saturday: Raydawg, Steve, Daniel, Josh &
Cindy, myself and my friend / co-worker
Betty. Roads were a little wet in the
morning so we headed east (not sure how the
weather would be in the mountains) out to
Jefferson for some BBQ. After our first
stop in Lockhart, Daniel had to head back
due to time constraints for the holiday
weekend. We took Hwy 9 to Pageland then
headed to Smokehouse Grill for lunch. After
lunch we headed back out Hwy 9 towards
Spartanburg making out last stop in Lockhart
everyone starting splitting off for home
along the way.
Weather turned out nice by lunch and as
always a Great Ride, Great Food and Great
Friends to share the day with.
Happy Easter to all!!
Chief
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| April 9, 2001 |
To All,
We had 4 riders show up Saturday: Raydawg, Doc, Big Ben and myself. Instead of heading to T-Bones we wound up going to the open house at Cherokee Trikes in Greer where Doc and Raydawg demoed some Victory bikes and all of us got to meet the Godfather of the custom cycle and his son: Arlen and Cory Ness. After checking out the displays we headed over to Quaker Steak & Lube for lunch with Kierstin and a friend and then we left Doc with the girls and headed over to Hwy 14 and then down Hwy 11 where Ben split for home and Raydawg and myself headed to Spartanburg Harley. After some shopping and a cigar we hit the road and split for home.
Great ride, Great food and of course great friends to share it with!
Sarge Out!
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| April 2, 2011 |
To All,
We had six riders make the trek to the Rock House Cafe in Linville NC, the list included: Raydawg, Big D, Hoss, Doc, Big Ben and myself. We took the scenic route up Hwy 221, to Marion NC and then Hwy 70 to Morganton NC Hwy 64 to Hwy 181 to Hwy 183 ending up at the Rock House at Hwy 221. Now let me tell you the temps got down right cold hovering in the high 40's on the mountain with a 45 knot wind gust, during lunch we even got some snow flurries. During lunch Doc agreed to take over as the 2nd Officer, so Raydawg will retire as soon as I can get State and National to approve the change. After lunch it was back down Hwy 221 all the way to Spartanburg with folks splitting off along the way.
We also have two new members, Jim & Trudy Moran from Boiling Springs SC, please welcome them at the next ride or meeting they attend!
Sarge Out!
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| March 19, 2011 |
To All,
WOW...13 bikes and 15 riders!! This was the largest group of riders we have had in about a year. We had 8 members and 6 guests, our group consisted of: Raydawg, Big Ben, Big "D"& Christina, Hoss, Hardcore & Cindy, Carl B. and myself. The guests included Pastor Dan & his friend Al and the rest was a gang from Michelin.
We headed up Hwy 176 to Landrum and then continued up Saluda Grade to Hendersonville and then Hwy 64 to Brevard and then Hwy 276 to Hwy 23 stopping at Bogart's for lunch. Dan & Al split and headed back home and the rest of us made a stop at Ghost Town Harley for some shopping and then it was Hwy 74 to Hwy 19/23 back through Clyde NC and then Hwy 191 to I-26 where we hit some hit and miss rain (mostly hit) all the way back home with riders splitting off along the way!
All in all a great ride with great friends & food!
NOTES: 1st: Charlie, Ben has your back tail light cover that fell off on your last ride. 2nd we plan on riding next weekend to either Little Switzerland NC or the Rock House Cafe in Linville NC, riders choice!
Sarge Out!
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| March 12, 2011 |
To All,
We had 7 bikes and 8 riders show up for the ride to Dugan's Pub in Brevard NC, which included: Raydawg, Big Ben, Big D, Hoss, Charlie, Doc & Mikey Jr.and myself. We headed up Hwy 176 to Hwy 11 to Hwy 8 across Ceasar's Head into Brevard and Dugan's and after a great lunch we took Hwy 64 to Hwy 178 back down the mountain to Hwy 11 where everyone started splitting for home.
Ride, food, weather and company was great as always!
Note: We are planning to ride next Saturday with a forcast for temps in the 80's under sunny skies!
Sarge Out!
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| February 26, 2011 |
To All,
Before I start the ride report I have some bad news to pass on first, Steve "Mongoose" Eplee was involved in an accident on his bike this weekend. I'm not sure of the details, but the it appears that a cell phone using cage driver has found another victim! Goose is posting on facebook so I assume the injuries are not to bad (?????) hopefully someone will chime in and let us know what happened and how bad he was hurt ( Wizard, Wild Bill). Anyway please keep Goose in your thoughts and prayers for a speedie recovery.
On to the ride report: This was a great ride with 8 riders making the trek to the Moose Cafe in Asheville NC to include: Raydawg, Hoss, Charlie, Greg, Ben, Big D, Pastor Dave and myself . What made it so great is that Ben Stegall our former 1st Officer and SC State Officer was once again back in the saddle riding with the group. Ben has been on a break from riding for about 4 years, but he has purchased a great looking V-Star 1300 and brought it out to enjoy the wind with us...welcome back my friend, it's great to see you back on the steelhorse again!!
We headed out Hwy 176 over to Parris Bridge Rd and then on to Hwy 9 to the "Rock" for a stop at Heavenly Hoggs and then over Black Mountain with a stop at Parkway Harley-Davidson and then on to the Moose for lunch. After a great lunch, Big D got a call from work and had to head back, so Raydawg and Greg went along for protection (you know how them mountain boys think Big D's pretty) and Ben, Hoss, Pastor Dave, Charlie and myself headed down Hwy 191 into Hendersonville and then Hwy 176 down the mountain to Landrum and the Hot Spot for our last break and then everyone split for home!
It was a great ride with good weather and awesome friends to enjoy it with!!
Last Note: When my daughter got married in September, I informed my new son-in-law that he had to ride a bike to stay in my good graces, well as of today he is the proud owner of a new Black Harley Softail Deluxe and the newest member of the HOG club...congrets John!!
Sarge Out!
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| February 19, 2011 |
To All, We had four riders (Rick, Wild Bill, Brian and me (Big D)) show up for one of the best February days I have ever seen. We thought long and hard about heading north to the mountains and the twisties but we simply could not forget the “Icy Mud Run” over Black Mountain. So, we decided to head in a direction we had never been before. We headed down Hwy 176, then over to 221 South. We followed 221 to Hwy 72 just outside of Greenwood. Then we headed west on 72 until civilization ended, just for the record; that’s at the west side of Abbeville. We continued west into Calhoun Falls, which is a town smaller than the four-lane highway running through it. After asking where the best chow in town was, we were informed that there was two options: Mindy’s Café &Bakery and microwaved pizza at the gas station. Opting for the best (and only) café in town we made the (literally) 400 foot drive to Mindy’s. Upon entering the dirt parking lot with the burned-out mobile home at the back, we knew we had hit pay dirt. This was defiantly our type of place. The siding was rough-cut planks and there we plastic bags stuffed in the overhead vents for added insulation. We entered and demanded to see Mindy and was informed that see was outside on a smoke break (classy). Once Mindy returned, we ordered some really great burgers and wings. I, of course, sampled a hot dog which wasn’t bad, but was no Chimney Rock Dog. After finishing up we headed up Hwy 81 to Anderson and home on 85. Brian and I stopped at the Harley shop because it’s the Harley shop and then onto the house. The weather was perfect and the ride was awesome, a little flat and wide compared to some of our favorites but the views were great. A good time was had be all and any day on two wheels is a great day. Good friends, good roads, good food and good weather (in that order), enough said. Joe Big D
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| February 12, 2011 |
To All,
With no ride in mind until we met Saturday, it turned out to be a pretty good ride in the edge of the mountains. The following members made the trek: Big "D", Hoss, Chris (Hoss's friend from work, Wild Bill, Doc, Raydawg and myself. We headed out Hwy 176 to Campobello, them Hwy 11 to Echo Valley for a pit stop. With Big "D" now in the lead we turned at the F-mart and he wound us through the back roads with what was going to be a stop at Roscoe's (Six Oaks) but when we pulled up there was Fire trucks and cops everywhere, it seems that Roscoe's had burned down during the night. So Joe took a left on the old Hwy 25 and we headed to Flat Rock with lunch at a new place (for us anyway) called the Southpark Grill. After a great lunch we headed back down the mountain via Hwy 176 with our last stop at the Hot Spot in Landrum, where everyone started breaking off for home.
Temps were cool that morning, but warmed up nicely during the day with plenty of sunshine. As always a good ride with good friends to share it with!
Note: At Thursday's Club Nite it was voted to leave it at Fatz for now, but when the day's get longer to rotate it to other places in town and in Greenville.
Sarge 1st Officer, Chapter 313 Spartanburg, SC
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| January 29,2011 |
To All,
Had a good group show up for what turned out to be a ride to the Dam Bar & Grill in Columbia SC. The list included: Raydawg, Hoss, Wizard, Josh (new member), Big D, Greg "The Dragon" Lancaster, Wild Bill and myself. We headed down Hwy 176 all the way to Ballintime SC and then Hwy 6 across the Dam, stopping for lunch at the Dam Bar & Grill. After a great lunch we headed back across the Dam down Harbinson Blvd to I-26 and then up one exit with a stop at Harley Haven. After checking out the shop and a test ride, we headed back to I-26 West back to Sparkle City where everyone started splitting for home.
The weather was great with temps in the 60's with lots of sunshine and a great bunch to take in the warm air with!
By the way we have a new member, Josh Robinson who rides a 2011 Road King. Wizard brought him on a ride back before Christmas and he has now joined our merry band. Make sure you welcome him at the next Club Nite or ride he attends!
Sarge 1st Officer, Chapter 313 Spartanburg SC
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| January 8, 2011 |
To All,
Since Saturday's ride started out at 27 degrees, it qualified as a Polar Bear Division ride. Riders included: Wild Bill, Hoss and myself with Big Daddy showing up to have breakfast with us. We made this a short one with a ride up Hwy 176 to Landrum and then through "Hunting Country" back over to Hwy 14 all the way to Forest City and then Hwy 221 back to Chesnee and then out by the Cowpens Battleground to the Hwy 11 Cafe for a great lunch and some much needed heat. After lunch we headed back up Hwy 11 to Chesnee and then on to Hwy 221 towards Spartanburg, along the way Wild Bill split off for home and then Hoss and I took a detour through the country over to Parris Bridge Rd, where I split off and Hoss headed for home.
I think the high on the ride was 39 and using Bill's formula for temp/speed on a cycle, the wind chill was about -5 or so (give or take a few degrees) when we were doing 55 to 60. But where most folks think were crazy to ride when it's that cold, I love it! (It gets the blood flowing and reminds me that I'm alive) So as always, Good roads, Good food and Great friends!
Sarge 1st Officer, Chapter 313 Spartanburg, SC
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Past Rides & Photos 2011