Part VII "That's What I Like About The South"

Saturday August 27th.

Up and at'em early as the bike has to go in for a new set of boots this morning at 9:00. Trey's up as well to escort me to the Suzuki dealer on the other side of town. The air is fresh but not cold so I don't need a jacket, only a long-sleeved shirt. It takes us about twenty minutes. We arrive on time and they are ready for me. We look at the tires, although not exactly the same as I've been using, a sport style tire, the dealer has the ones Suzuki ships stock on the V-Strom. Bridgestone Trail-Wings. I've used them in the past and have had an OK experience with them. They are a bit on the soft side but they will work for the trip home and a bit left over. Peter the service guy says, "I do have these other tires if you're interested." He pulls out a set of Metzler Tourances in my size. Now these are serious tires for the serious touring machine. They are rock solid with a tread that gives any Interstate the finger. I go with these Bad-Boys and Trey and I scoot off for breakfast while the guys at Ultimate Motorsports service Buddy Black.

After breakfast we run over to another bike apparel shop Trey knows to see about getting me a new rain jacket to replace the one that blew off way back in Illinois. We walk in and there is a jacket, comparable to the one I lost, two sizes too big, which I want so it will fit over my riding jacket with room to move, hanging on the rack. I try it on over a borrowed riding coat and it fits great. Turns out this jacket is on the clearance rack and has been marked down considerably. I figure it's down to probably fifty dollars but I'm pleasantly surprised at the check-out where the saleswoman rings in $14.95. Bonus!

The bike's ready and we're off, back to Trey's house to pick up Kathy and go riding in hillbilly country. Trey has a Yamaha V-Star 1100 cruiser on which he loves to cruise the local mountains. Trey leads us off on a round the houses ride with a key stop in the first half hour. He pulls into a small parking lot in front of a store with a sign that says Ciderville Music Store. Now this place is a small country music store specializing in guitars, mandolins, banjos amps, all the toys any player likes to slobber over. Trey is an accomplished guitarist himself so he is well at home here. You walk in and almost walk back in time. The wooden floor creaks and groans as your boots clump across it. The walls are covered in stringed instruments, posters, photos, memorabilia and anything remotely relevant to picking. Behind the front counter is a kindly woman in her sixties who says Howdy and jerks her head to the back and says, "The fellas are back there playing some tunes." I go back through a couple of small rooms full of instruments and find these four gents picking Bluegrass music. Now remember where I am. This is Eastern Tennessee, on the edge of the Appalachian Mountains, where this music was born! I'm like a kid in a candy store drooling from the ears to the wondrous sounds. We stay for four or five songs and sadly we have to go as there are roads in the hills waiting for us.

                                      
                                          Kathy & Trey outside Ciderville Music Store

Picking In The Back

This banjo player could really pick!

                                          Every wall was covered with instruments.

Back on our way, Trey takes these winding rural roads that disappear into the trees and valleys. We pass by lots of small homes tucked away in little clearings in the trees. Small farm holdings with some livestock grazing in the fields and the ever-present convoy of pickup trucks and ATVs. These are hill folk and they've been there for generations. They may have a few more modern conveniences than their ancestors, but they are dyed in the wool hill people nonetheless and their roots run deep.

We are riding a combination of roads, three main ones in fact, that collectively are known as The Devil's Triangle. The surfaces are excellent. Shoulders and ditches? Forget about it. Do not venture too close to the side or you're going down into some deep ravines. Along the way we pass Brushy State Penitentiary, an old State Prison built in 1896. Back then it was in the middle of nowhere in this secluded valley and made escape an impossible task. One note of interest: James Earl Ray, Dr. Martin Luther King's assassin was housed there. He did escape once but was captured in the dense bush three days later. The prison closed it's doors in 2008 or 2009 and now stands like a ghost.

Norris Dam

We made a stop at Norris Dam where I took some photos. From there it was an enjoyable ride back down the hills to home stopping to pick up some monster T-Bones for the barbecue that night. Trey and I jammed some guitars down in his studio and we spent the remainder of the evening kicking back with the usual cold refreshing beverages.

I love the pace in Tennessee. The views are spectacular, the people are very friendly and Trey and Kathy epitomize the famous Southern Hospitality.

Feeling burnt and beat I'm off to bed.

Good night.

It is Sunday morning and in the tradition of the South we're off to Church for 9:30. Trey is the Worship Pastor and Musical Director so he heads out earlier to get prepared. Kathy and I soon follow and take our seats in the second row. Now this is a church that rocks. They have an eight piece band plus four woman singers. Trey is the leader of this group and vocalist too. The band is very professional and puts on a wonderful Sunday morning concert. The Pastor's sermon was interesting and thought provoking. The topic was something that has been on my mind lately and gave me some affirmation that I was on the right track. Coincidence?

For the afternoon we went out for lunch at a Mexican restaurant as a precursor to Trey's Birthday the next day. I spent the afternoon updating the blog as well as Trey and I washed our bikes. For dinner Trey, originally from Texas, cooked Chicken Fried Steaks. I understand it's a Texan speciality and I found it delicious! That evening we stayed up a bit too late watching TV but it was a very pleasant way to sit and enjoy the company of good friends.