Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Appalachian Ride...

That's a good question. I have a 2001 Kawasaki W650, a 2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan, and a 2008 Kawasaki Versys 650. I usually do all my own service: Tune ups, oil changes, filter changes, adjustments, tires, etc... Other than an engine rebuild, most bikes don't have serious issues. I've had lots of bikes and never had a serious enough issue to have to take one to a dealer for service. Hell we fixed Dennis' bike in the parking lot of a Huddle House with just basic tools and common sense.

I'm no serious mechanic, but I know my way around a wrench, which is why I like simple, easy to work on, reliable bikes. I would love to have a BMW R1200GS, but with the shaft drive and all the electronics, it looks like a service nightmare for a common wrenching guy like me. Plus they cost as much as a nice car or truck.

Regarding the Moto Guzzi and the Husqvarna, I'll have to ask my buddy. His wife Tina has a BMW F700, so I don't know what they do for service. I would suspect they go to Atlanta or Chattanooga.

Awesome pics and looks like a great trip with good folks! Thanks for taking us along, glad when you gave up on forums you didn’t give up on us fellers here. safe travels!

I realize I haven't hardly posted any food pics on this thread, but trust me we have been eating good. Kind of a sad day yesterday, my travelling buddy Dennis had to leave. His fiancé came back from her business trip and no doubt they have been missing each other, so he headed back to Lawrenceburg, KY. He, Mrs. Irish and I had a nice breakfast at Tapoco Lodge before he left. Great food at Tapoco.




Since Mrs. Irish showed up Thursday night we decided to extend the trip to a his and hers trip and move over to one of our favorite places for a nice weekend, The Hemlock Inn in Bryson City. I know I have recommended this place on here before, but it is truly a hidden gem. It is a Country Inn in the greatest of traditions. It has been family run for 2 generations and it is a quiet, family oriented inn hidden away on a Carolina back road. A full country breakfast and a full country dinner is included with every night's stay, and the food is magnificent. Breakfast is served at 0830 every morning and dinner is served at 1830 every evening.

There are several round tables in the main lodge and each one sits 10 people. In the middle of the table is about a 4' lazy Susan full of food. Everyone is assigned a table and you eat family style with other couples and folls and end up making new friends over the course of your stay. You don't have to worry about where you are going to eat everyday or how much it's going to cost. Pretty neat, old fashioned set-up.

Last night's dinner:

Fresh pan fried trout
Roast beef with carrots, mashed potatoes and gravy
Turnip greens
Pinto beans
Vidalia onion pie
Baked apples
Corn bread
Yeast rolls
Peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream

Please try not to be jealous when you see this spread. This is just for one table... and this is every night you get food like this.




A few pics from The Hemlock Inn. The inn keepers Mort and Lanie are wonderful people and great conversationalists.


This is the view from the veranda.




This is the main lodge and yard. Usually there are kids and parent playing games out here.




On cooler nights there will be a fire going in the main lodge.




Inside the main lodge and dining hall. There are no televisions here and pretty spotty internet, but there are lots of board games and yard games to play, and there is a nice library on site.




Sometimes it's nice just to sit a while...

Irish, have you ever been to the Dillard House in Dillard GA?

Nope. Never heard of it.

You should check it out. It's home cooking. No menu. Everything is served on a lazy suzan, all you can eat. It's a lot like Bryson City. We would ride down, on back roads, from Maggie Valley and eat every trip. It's close to the Chattooga River, where Deliverance was filmed.

https://www.dillardhouse.com/

Husky is owned by ktm company now. Makes some great dirt an enduro bikes. Any ktm dealer can service either one. Ktm is probably as popular as honda an yamaha now especially in off road world.
The trans American trail come through my back yard. Just few miles north of al line in collinwood tn. I work there often an see guys come through riding the trail. I have friends that have rode the trans America trail. Took them couple years to do it. Rode sections of it at different times an trailered there bikes to where they left off. Mostly gravel roads, trails an few connected sections on pavement what i been told. Have a tagged bike to do it. When I retire I may try it . I really want ride a bike to Alaska from here. Have a neighbor that moved here from Alaska an rode his bike back up there last summer. Had his son follow him in a camper.

I know some of y'all will be disappointed to know I made it home safe, but here I am drinking a Guatemalan beer and a shot of Tequila on my very own Camp Little Ridge back deck.

Interesting stats:

6 states
1492 miles
The bike averaged 53.25 mpg
Zero issues with my bike
I lubed the chain about 4 times
I think I gained about 10 pounds

My buddy Dennis and I are already planning a more ambitious trip for 2023, but first we are taking the girls to The Dominican Republic this December and see what trouble we can get into there.

Yesterday it rained all day, and since Mrs. Irish was there we flipped her Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring into Sport mode and went exploring. Mort the inn keeper let me park my bike under cover. He's such a nice guy...

Breakfast at The Hemlock on Saturday morning...

Bacon
Poached eggs
Stone ground grits
Toast
Bran muffins
Granola
Vanilla yogurt
Bananas, Walnuts and honey
Biscuits
Kona Coffee

Everything made form scratch everyday.




I wanted to buy everyone on Aldeer one of these, but they didn't have enough. Sorry guys...




We surreptitiously found Dillsboro, NC so while Mrs. Irish went shopping I lucked into a really nice brewery that just happened to have a nice porter and the Alabama - Texas game on. The beers I drank were better than the game. Unfortunately, Mrs. Irish found me and joined me for a glass or two of Chardonnay.




I snapped a couple of pics of the little town. Cool place.








After we left Dillsboro, we traveled curvy roads through mountains and the rains, by mountains, streams and rivers, through hills and towns like Tuckaseegee, Cashiers, Highlands, Franklin, and eventually back to Bryson City for a little R & R and finally dinner back at Hemlock Inn.

Country ham
Chicken pot pie
Creamed corn
Spinach and artichoke casserole
Green beans
Candied pumpkin chips
Biscuits and cornbread

I ate until I think I was going to pop.




Pretty uneventful ride home. Went through some rain from Andrews, NC through about the Georgia line, but dried out the rest of the way home.

Looking forward to the next one. Maybe it will be out west or up the east coast after I retire.

Thats just plain cool Irish... Thanks for taking us along on your trip, It was Awesome...

Glad you enjoyed it. Dennis and I are already planning our next trip. I think Mark and I are going to plan an Alaska trip and ride to Deadhorse. Sort of a bucket list thing before we get too old to do it. Jeff has a young wife, so he's either too busy listening to bitchin' or screwin' to go on a trip for too long.

X2

Nice. That hemlock inn is calling my name 👍

Me 2. Some of the best looking grub I've seen

This has been an awesome thread to follow and read. Thank you much for sharing. Loved every bit of it!

I really enjoyed your trip, thanks for including us :thumbup :

well just think, when you finally deliver all that cocaine hidden in the gas tank the whole trip will be worth it and you won't have to answer any emails.

Why did you have to blow it for me. I had a nice paycheck coming.

Just tell Mort that Mark and Max sent you guys and maybe he'll give us a hard time next time we go there.

Think you’ll take the Kawasaki?