Well, today's the day we've been hearing about for so long. We'll be riding roads like "The Snake" through back country North Carolina on the way to Boone. We'll also be re-visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway for a bit On the way to Linville Falls and Grandfather Mountain.

The weather was perfect. Lots of sun and cool temperatures. But there was some tension in the air too. We've been hearing warnings from Greg and Moe that some of us, myself included had voiced some concerns. Alternate routes were suggested but we all decided to give it a try and then, after the first leg, we would see if we would continue or detour.

Turned out to not be a problem. The roads were twisting and turning and yes, there were a couple of switchbacks that brought most bikes down to first gear, but all in all it was wonderful. The Snake lived up to its name and we had a ball. We celebrated at the gas stop/general store in Shady Valley. The rest of the morning was more of the same. Nice curvy roads, farmland and back country. Arriving in Boone was a bit of a shock. It's a bit town (compared to where we've been) and there was lots of traffic.

Quick side story....last evening, I was blocking traffic so we could get out of the gas station and back on the road. 20 bikes and 2 vans makes for a large group, after all, and we want to stay together. Anyway, I was blocking traffic but I didn't see the vans off to the side. When the bikes cleared I took off, too to get to my place in line. I forgot about the vans and they got caught in the traffic. Even though I apologized later there was a bit of a penalty to pay as I found out when I went to get my morning dose of ibuprofren from Scott. The picture says it all.

Lunch in Boone was at the Golden Corral where several riders were interviewed by a local TV station. After lunch it was back to the Blue Ridge Parkway to a place called Beacon Heights. Along the way we had some issues.

First up, the last chase car in the line, with Brenda driving, got stopped by the police. Brenda, being British, isn't all that familiar with the rules when one gets stopped by the cops and there was a bit of confusion as she got out of the car and the cop told her to get back in and then she had to get out to get her purse from the back and, well...you get the picture. The problem seems to be that the Ranger thought we, as a large group, needed a permit of some kind to visit the Parkway. Brenda, not being the organizer of the ride, couldn't answer all of his questions, so they wanted to get Greg involved. But Greg was with us a few miles down the Parkway at the parking area for Beacon Heights. So they drove over.

This is where the fun began. The Ranger was more than a little... perturbed... about such a large group being in his domain without a permit. Greg, in an attempt to be helpful, asked if we could get the permit through him...the Ranger. Meanwhile, we're all about a 10 minute hike away from there, sitting on the ledge of Beacon Height enjoying the view. Alice calls over and tells us to stay there and to please not send over any kazoos. Wha? So now we're all wondering what's going on and is Greg going to get hauled off to jail or what. It all worked out in the end. It turns out that the Ranger, on hearing what we all do for a living, mentioned that he used to work for Big Apple Circus. Theatre and Circus jokes followed and Greg got off with a warning. It was weird, but in the end we went on our way to Linville Falls without incident.

By the way, there are no pictures of this little event. DGB had tried to get a picture of Greg and the Ranger and the Ranger about chewed DGB's head off. Not wanting to join Greg in the slammer, DGB beat a hasty retreat.

After Linville Falls we headed to Greg and Alice's house for dinner. Neighbors and friends joined in and we had a great time. Greg and Brenda took turns telling their part of the story, much to the amusement of the rest of us.

And so ends Day 4. This one definitely qualifies as a "never a dull moment" kind of day.

Other Links:
Dennis Booth's Facebook Photo Album
Star Markham's Vespa Journey's Blog