Motorcycles, Photography, Rants and Raves: May 2008

I had been wanting to make a run to Edenton for quite a while. Everything came together so that on May 26 we headed our bikes to the North.

Debbie and I left home at 8:30 or so and ran across the river to check out the newly opened Dunkin' Donuts. My personal favorite is a raspberry donut and one of their great cups of coffee. What a great way to start off the day.

We head back across the Neuse river to meet the group at 9:30 in Bridgeton. The wind is about ten mph and the temperature is already in the low to mid sixties.

On hand we had Earl, Dallas, Jackie, John,
George and Terri, Chad and Lynn,
and Debbie and myself.

The tanks are topped off, it's 9:45, and time to roll.

Our first stop is the Town of Windsor. Windsor is the county seat of Bertie county and sits on the banks of the Cashie River between the Roanoke and Chowan rivers.

Visit the Windsor web site for some interesting history.

Even though the new highway construction caused me to miss a turn we arrive at the riverside town park some 70 miles north of our starting point.

Beautiful sunny skies and temperatures in the low to mid seventies.

The next short twenty mile leg of our trip takes us across the Chowan river/Albemarle sound and in to Edenton where we plan to have lunch.

To be a holiday and be on Hwy 17 North the traffic was fairly light.

We found ample parking a block from the waterfront park on South Broad Street in downtown Edenton.

Virtual tour of Edenton.

The gardens of the Cupola House.

The Corbins relaxing in the gardens.

Kristi's place for lunch. There were ten hungry riders and I believe everyone enjoyed the meal.

We take a few minutes to visit the waterfront park.

1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse

Learn more about this unique building.

We take the not so main road back to Hwy 17 so we can see some of the older homes in town.

We prepare to head to Mackey's Landing Guns and Mackey's Ferry Peanuts, just west of Jamesville.

The group is getting up to speed on the onramp.

80 degrees and sunscreen applied.

A portion of Hwy 45 runs through a large area of river bottom land.

You cross several rivers and creeks in less than a mile.

Billed as one of the largest, if not the largest, gun shop in the world.

Unbelievable quantity of guns and accessories.

Mackey's Landing Firearms.

Adjacent to the gun shop is Mackey,s Ferry Peanuts and Gifts.

Debbie and I picked up some peanut butter, blister fried peanuts and pumpkin seeds. I can vouch for the quality of the items here.

Next we take Hwy 171 from Jamesville to Washington. Both of the Ultra Classics were riding two up and needed fuel. Our fuel light came on at about 155 miles and was near 170 when we hit Washington.

We made the final leg back to New Bern and Bridgeton and racked up about 200 miles with today's journey. We really had a great time and had the opportunity to meet some new riders. We enjoyed scenery that most folks don't see in their hurry to go from place to place on the main roads. We are very lucky that we live in Eastern North Carolina and can enjoy the region with it's rich history, scenic routes and easy paced lifestyle.

Now where will our next ride take us.....?

Keep and eye on the rear view and keep it right of center.

-Ralph-

One big advantage of my job, for me at least, is the varied scenery I am exposed to. In the past couple of weeks I worked in the Wilmington, NC area and then a few days later I see the awesome views of Jefferson, NC. While I will always be partial to our coastal region, with it's lazy summer days and ocean moderated temperatures, I certainly can't resist the allure of our mountains. What a wonderful state we live in!