Road Trip

Rome to Dahlonega

154.8 Miles. For today we staked out a spot on the first climb of the day, a category 2 climb to the top of Fort Mountain. We were joined by about a dozen other people at our little wide gravel spot about 3/4 of the way up. We chatted up a few other fans and even helped one guy write GO EKI in big letters with chalk in the road.

After the riders were all by, we drove back down the mountain and leapfrogged around them to get to the finish in Dahlonega. Even though the skies were threatening we had the top down all the way until about 15 miles from town when the surrounding black skies caught up with us. (Note: You can raise the top on a Miata while going about 35 MPH if the passenger helps. :)) About 5 miles later the Emperor passed through the 23,000 mile mark, right around the time the HAIL started. Not big, but a little frightening for a while there, what with the blinding rain and flashes of lightning that accompanied it.

Started up, went down, back up, back down, up again, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 118

Around Rome

61.0 Miles. We got up EARLY and drove the day’s 18.6 mile time trial course. Tough damn climb in the middle and if the cyclists had ever stuck their heads up while competing they would have seen some beautiful views. Then again maybe not, as it got cloudy and then rainy by the time they went out.

We went to the start area and watch a half dozen of the 140 odd riders start their TT. We then headed into downtown to the finish. We had lunch at a place called Harvest Moon Cafe, mmmmmm. Brian’s Local Eating Tip #27: The food is great at any place that has the words Moon & Cafe in it. When the rain really started coming down we snuck up to the back roof of the restaurant and hung out with several others under their umbrella-ed tables overlooking the finish line.

Later that evening (the rain had passed) we went to see a Rome Braves baseball game. I’ve got a whole wordy post about this experience that will come in the near future, so just hold your horses, OK?

Started up, went down, back up, back down, up again, down, up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 114

Macon to Rome

233.0 Miles. Mistimed our arrival in Fayetteville and missed the start. We were one block away and could actually hear the announcer countdown from 5 to send the riders on their way. That meant we got stuck in the ensuing traffic jam. That made us almost miss our next peek at the riders outside of Carrollton. We had to pull off the side of the road and powerwalk about a 1/2 mile back to catch the peleton. We did have plenty of time to catch the finish in Rome.

Started up, went down, back up, back down, up again, down, up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 108

Around Macon

61.4 Miles. We watched a bit of a women’s crit in downtown Macon and had planned on just hanging around waiting for the Tour de Georgia finish. We got bored, so we headed out of town and caught the Tour about 20 miles out. After they passed we raced back to the finish via an alternate route to catch them actually finish.

My plan for starting a dead musician’s grave site photo gallery was squelched when we visited Rose Hill Cemetery and couldn’t get close to the grave sites of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley because a state prison crew was doing some lawn maintenance.

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 102

Aiken to Macon

188.7 Miles. Breakfast – $3.79 (two muffins and OJ at the New Moon Cafe in Aiken, SC) Lunch – $7.14 (ruben sandwich & tomato & rice soup at Chester Dean’s in Sandersville, GA) Dinner – $28.00 (seafood teryaki & katsudon at Tokyo Grill in Macon, GA) Total $38.93 for both of us. Eat your heart out Rachel Ray.

Started down, went up, back down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 100

Mr. & Mrs. Bogardus Go To Washington

Wednesday:
Arrive Dulles midday. Wait 1/2 hour in bitter cold, accented by bitting wind for Metrobus. Three bucks each, 3/4 hour later, arrive hotel in Rosslyn section of Arlington. Thaw briefly. Walk 1/2 mile to Iwo Jima Memorial. The regular size canteen holds 1 quart. The one on the monument holds 8 gallons. Passing the Norwegian Carillon (?), we walk 3/4 mile to Arlington National Cemetery. Walk 3/4 mile through Cemetery to Tomb of the Unknowns. Wait 1/4 hour in bitter cold, accented by bitting wind to witness changing of the guard. Walk 1/4 mile to grave site of President Kennedy. Eternal Flame does nothing to ward off bitter cold, accented by bitting wind. Walk 1 mile back to hotel. Thaw completely. In early evening walk 2 blocks to friend’s apartment. Walk 4 more blocks in bitter cold, accented by bitting wind to Red, Hot and Blue a Memphis style BBQ joint. Thaw out while eating ribs. Walk 6 blocks back to hotel. Really long hot shower. Bed.

Thursday:
Breakfast on 17th floor of Holiday Inn. Good view of the city. Good coffee. Bland buffet. Hey, its free. Walk 2 blocks to Metro station in bitter cold, accented by bitting wind. Get off at Union Station and walk to Capitol Building. Giant construction project in front so you can’t get near. Walk around giant construction project. Snap photo of Supreme Court while standing in bitter cold, accented by bitting wind. Duck into National Botanical Gardens to thaw out. Walk behind Capitol, snap picture of group of students gathered to have panoramic photo taken of them. Walk to Smithsonian Air & Space Museum to have lunch and escape the bitter cold, accented by bitting wind. Cross mall to National Gallery of Art. Wander though fabulous sculptures, not really paying attention. Paid attention to exhibit of Ed Ruscha. Walk further down the mall in the bitter cold, accented by bitting wind to the National Museum of American History. Thaw out completely viewing the The Price of Freedom: Americans at War exhibit. Head to Washington Monument. Can’t get close because giant construction project. Tiring of the bitter cold, accented by bitting wind duck into Metro station and return to hotel. After a couple hours in room thaw completely. In early evening walk 2 blocks to friend’s apartment. Walk 6 more blocks in bitter cold, accented by bitting wind to The Mediterranean Cafe. Thaw out while eating kabobs and humus. Walk 8 blocks back to hotel. Really long hot shower. Bed.

Friday:
Breakfast on 17th floor of Holiday Inn. Good view of the city. Good coffee. Bland buffet. Hey, its free. Walk 2 blocks to Metro station in bitter cold, no wind. Yeah. Take three dollar Metro bus to Dulles. Ask about shuttle to National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center at airport. Doesn’t exist. Shuttle is from museum at mall. $12 cab ride from disappointed American Dream immigrant we arrive at center. Bag inspector at the door tells Donna that she must put snacks in her purse back in car. He lets her in after she explains we came via cab. Bag inspector at the door says nothing to Brian while looking through dirty underwear in suitcase. Big Damn Place. Lots of cool stuff to look at. Lots of blurry pictures taken (need tripod next time.) $12 cab ride back to airport. Long wait in crowded, noisy terminal for plane. Gratefully arrive back in small quiet Columbia airport. Real South Carolina BBQ for dinner. Ride part way home with top down.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 47

Beaufort & Back

In June I’m leading the Master’s Miata Club on a trip to the Hwy21 Drive-In in Beaufort. We are going to be joined by the Low Country Miata Club from Charleston. Last year the 2 clubs got together to go to the only other drive-in in operation in SC, The Big Mo, just up the street from us in Monetta.

Today, Donna and I took our first fact finding mission to Beaufort. We left Aiken at 9:00 AM and it took 2-1/2 hours to make it there, with 2 small breaks. This seems like a good start time, as it will get us into town around lunch. After lunch, activities will probably be walking around the historic downtown, shopping or just sitting around the waterfront. Mid afternoon we will drive to the hotel and check in, maybe freshen up before heading over to the drive-in to get in line so we can get good parking spots.

The drive-in is about 5 miles from the historic district and is across from the Marine Corp Air Station. You can’t miss it as they have a huge sign right on US21 visible for about a mile in either direction. The drive-in is about 200 yards down a side road. Because they also do a flea market thing on Saturdays during the day it was open, so Donna and I stopped in for a visit. The first thing you notice is that it is a lot bigger than the Big Mo. There are 9 rows for cars where as Mo has 6, maybe seven. The concession stand and the restroom facilities are light-years improved over the Big Mo’s. They are bigger, brighter and better kept up. We chatted with the owners a bit, told them we were coming with a car club in June. They seemed very friendly. When we told them where we were from they of course asked if we knew of the Big Mo. These guys are only coming up on one year of drive-in ownership, so when they were starting out they of course visited the Boaz’s at the Big Mo to get pointers on running a drive-in. As a matter of fact the FM transmitter they use for the movie audio is the Big Mo’s back-up unit. The cool thing about the Hwy21 is that they didn’t actually need the transmitter, but felt they should have one for modernization, because nearly all of their corded speakers still work!

We thought at first we would try to stay in a B&B. That might have been an expensive proposition and we were not too sure that the Miata Club folks would want to go that way. Plus it seems a shame to stay at a place like that when you are really getting a short night sleep and leaving, what with staying out late at a drive-in. A B&B should be savored. There is a Best Western right in the historic district, so we went inside to check it out. They were already all booked up for the Saturday night in question anyway. For kicks we asked the price, $139 to $169. Yikes! Those B&B’s are not sounding so expensive after all. When we left town we drove back the way we came and there are about 6-8 chain motels in between downtown and the drive-in. There was a Country Inn and Suites that looked promising. When we got home we went to the internet to check prices and they are $115 a night. Ain’t nothing cheap.

More research is required. I envision at least one more day trip in our future. Cool thing is I now have a Beaufort phone book, no I didn’t steal one from a phone booth, they had them as giveaways at the Visitor’s Center. While we were they we also picked up a bunch of menus from restaurants in town. In tomorrow’s installment I will tell you all about lunch in Beaufort…

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 25