Scooter and me moooved out of McCormick about 7 am. He was sitting at the front door ready to go when I came out. Though the McCormick Inn is closing I am sure it will open again soon and I will be back. If that is next weekend we can join in the cow milking contest.
Today started like yesterday ended in that we where on the back side of a rain shower. The road was damp but not enough to break out the rain suit. We continued on US 221 and it was a nice rural ride to Greenwood.
In Greenwood I missed the turn out of town again, but unlike Valdosta, I was probably rubber necking and missed it. When the little alarm went off in my navigation system saying I had gone to far, I pulled into a gas station and asked a customer who came out how to get to Spartenburg not mentioning US 221. She said go straight ahead. When she so me get on the scooter she came over in her car and said “you don’t want to go that way on the moped, it’s to much traffic. Follow me and I will take you over to 221 and that is a much better road”. She led me through town and then stopped and said that was 221 and “to get on it an just go striaght. Keep on going straight.” I thanked and headed out. Not only was Chardie a very kind and nice person she is a hard worker because when I shook her hand it was tougher than any mans.
We keep going straight on a 2 lane rolling road with some farms and a few houses. I stoped at Crenshaws cricket, worm and groceries bait shop. Oh yea, and lots of dry bones on the roof.
We rolled into Spartenburg SC about 9. The lights in this town are timed so you will stop at every one. At the first light two teenage boys in a SUV with trailer pulled up and we started a converstaion I have a 100 times. This was just a rolling one.
Frist light: “You come from Floirda on that?” “Yep” “No shit!” “Yep”
Next light: “How fast will it go?” “65 but I cruise at 50” “No Shit!” “Yep”
Next light: “What kind of gas milage do you get” “About 60 to the gallon”
“No shit?” “Yep”
Next light: “You come from Florida today?” “No this is my third day” “No
Shit” “Yep”
Next light: “What you boys doing in town?” “We are from Gaffeney and
We are moving our grandmother” “Well, you have a nice day”
I am a hungry man and so some times I watch “Dinners, Drive Inns, and Dives”. One of the shows featured the Beacon Drive Inn in Spartenburg SC, so I put it down as a destination. I read some reviews and my brother Charles and his fellow pilot Brian had visited it just a week or so before. Both gave it 2 thumbs down. Charrlie said it was the greasist food and the dirtiest place he had ever eaten. Brian agreed and said he had eaten there 30 years ago and he was sure that they where still using the same grease. Despite this review I decided what the heck I am here, lets go. Normally there is a waiting line but on Saturday at 9:30 there was no one. I could not face a signeture dish of hamburger and chilly with french fries and oninion rings, so I went for a breakfast. Two eggs, grits, 2 biscuits, peachs, country ham and a side of gravey and a coffee..$7.50. The food and service where good. But I must confirm the place was less than clean. The roof is falling in, the styrofoam cups had grease on them as reported, and there was food on the floor. The clean up staff was doing an excellent job for her age and worked steady, but she is 83. I doubt she sees the food on the floor. The food was good, but it just once again confirms my theory that in the rural south at least, quantity is always more important than quality.
In Cheesnew SC I stopped at the American Legion Post 48 because they had the first AH-1 Cobra helicopter I had ever seen outside of a museum. The windows of the building were covered with bed sheets so I don’t know what they are hiding. They are still playing war because it sounded like a fire fight with lots of guns in the woods behind the building. Downtown the shriners were collecting downtown on main street and the recurited Scoot to help with traffic.
We crossed into North Carolina about 11:30 and started the climb into the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was a beautiful ride up the mountains and on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
We arrived at Timber Ridge about 2pm after a great but long 7 hour day.
Scoot was immidiately highjacked by my brother Scott and his wife Peggy (both Harley riders) and they took him for a short spin.
Anybody can ride a Harley across America, but it takes a real man to ride a Vespa
