| What started off as a last minute Saturday morning decision certainly turned out quite well. I wanted to put a few miles on the Ultra and run the back roads. Well here in eastern NC we have a great deal of back roads and as the interstate system and the local highways are having lanes added that frees up the secondary roads. I searched Google maps for a bit Friday night and decided Highway 41 looked promising. I have always liked 41 because of the way it winds through some very interesting countryside. |
| I ran across a restaurant called the Mad Boar, http://www.madboar.com/, on the web that was in the area and the country buffet at The Country Kitchen Cafe, www.dougandpaulette.com . Sometimes food is the reason for the destination. I called Chad and Lynn late Friday evening and mentioned Wallace. To be honest there was not a lot of excitement about a trip down 41 to Wallace. Lynn said "Wallace? What's in Wallace?" Both Chad and I are familiar with Wallace and the surrounding area since we had spent quite a few years traveling through the area with our earlier jobs. We decided to call in the morning and set up the ride if the weather was good.
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| With Wallace, NC as the destination and thoughts of the country buffet in town we headed the machines toward Trenton to pick up 41. Towns one will encounter along 41 are the likes of Trenton, Comfort, Hargetts Crossroad, Beulaville, and Chinquapin. All small towns or just a crossroad with the possibility of a gas station or used car lot. Farmland? Oh yeah, there is plenty of farmland along the way and some nice scenery. The road condition is actually very good along this route. I do remember a stretch for a few miles that was a bit rough but I don't remember the exact location. Besides the road, the weather was great. Low 70's in the morning and approaching 90 or so later in the day with a wonderful Carolina blue sky. |
 The run to Wallace was about an hour and a half and we arrived at about 12:00 or so. That was kind of planned you see. There is an impressive new development just before I40 and that is where we blew past the Mad Boar restaurant. Just in to Wallace proper we pulled in to a convenience store parking lot. With a brief discussion we decided to check out the Mad Boar. |
| We all enjoyed our lunch a great deal. The menu was quite varied and I would definitely like to return. We sampled the Salmon, Meatloaf, Southwest Chicken and London Broil. Good food, good price. While we were enjoying lunch Lynn mentioned the Duplin County Winery to our server. We discovered that the Winery was only minutes away. |
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A quick ride on I40 and we were at the Rose Hill exit.
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Some of the vineyards are visible from the Rose Hill exit.
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With the Sportster, Street Bob and Ultra all lined up it was evident that we were not the only visitors on two wheels.
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 I'm a beer kind of guy so I didn't think much of a winery. I was in for a pleasant surprise. |
 A wine tasting you say? Why certainly old chap, it's a must you know, pip pip and all that. The wine tasting was actually a lot of fun and very educational. I can now determine the sweetness of a wine by the way it streams down the inside of the glass. Can you? |
 Wonderful items inside..... |
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 and wonderful views outside.... |
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 Lynn and Chad are all smiles at the winery entrance. Are they happy about the wine tasting or the ride back astride a Harley? |
 Debbie and I pose for a similar picture with Chad at the shutter. |
| I see a return trip for the vineyard tour and to sample some of the food from the Bistro. This is a place you don't want to miss if you're in the area. It's worth the drive even if you're not in the area. Check 'em out online. http://duplinwinery.com/ |
| Parting Shots |
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