Hiawassee to Marietta
3 June 2015
Master Map
At the time we’d collected the bikes from EagleRider, the redoubtable Eddie had told us that, while we’d sure enjoy the Dragon, there were some good roads in the north of Georgia too. He drew a figure 8 on a map he gave us and suggested we have a look if we had a chance. In part that’s why we stopped in Hiawassee: to get on the circuit.
It was another late start partly because I figured how to use the coffee maker and Ferret’s tea bags to lubricate my morning reading. By the time we’d got packed and downstairs we’d missed breakfast. Ah, well, we’d find some.
Packing up
Our plan was to ride the figure-8 proposed by Eddie and then see where we were and how we were feeling. The bikes had to be back in Marietta the following morning by 1000 at the latest, so we’d have to make sure we weren’t too far away.
We set out westward on 76 intending to head north on 69. Feeling over confident, I didn’t use the GPS only to be tricked by the signage. When I hit Blairsville I pulled over to consult the map and realised we were way off target, so we turned around and headed back to Young Harris where we turned north on 66.
Chatuge Lake
66 northbound led us onto Old Highway 64, which turned out to be an excellent ride; probably better than 69 to 64 and west. As it was we joined 64 not long before Murphy where we soon again found ourselves on 129 heading south.
All too soon we were back in Blairsville, just up the road from where we’d stopped earlier and turned around. We stopped at the local Subway for food and coffee. A somewhat later breakfast than planned.
Soon we were off south again riding the other way along the excellent section of 129 ride4now had led us up past Neels Gap.
Just short of Cleveland we turned north again on 75A up the lower right-hand side of the 8.
What could you do with so many inflatable pink rubber tubes?
Heading north on 75, I had an acute moment of homesickness. We were stopped for roadworks and eventually allowed through. I suddenly found myself riding on what for me is the normal side of the road and wondered if I’d been teleported.
We soon turned onto 180 for what was a good, quick ride west to 129 again. Riding figure-8s is a good way quickly to get to know some bits of road well. We were not on 129 long before we again turned west on 180 for what could have been a wonderful ride — fantastic scenery, windy road — except for a truck that simply refused to get out of the way.
Lake Winfield Scott Dam
The small part of America we rode on this trip has a great many more substantial lakes than Australia and I found them very attractive. I like the way houses are built near to the water, but in the forest so they retain considerable privacy. I suspect they are often the preserve of the well off but they are, nonetheless, appealing. Paddling on one of these lakes in the morning and riding in the afternoon would be a pleasant enough way to spend time.
At around 2.15 we came to Suches and the Wolf Pen Gap Store where we bought fuel and, although I didn’t know it at the time, I took my final photo of the trip.
I made the mistake of laughing at this sign until I walked inside and saw the semi-automatic rifle hanging above the counter.
We pushed the bikes away from the bowsers and sat down to drink a bottle of water. The rain started. Gently. Soon it looked serious so we dragged on our wet weathers and, suited up, headed north along 60. It’s a great road and I’d love to ride it again on a dry day.
Reaching 76, we turned south and settled in for the highway run through the pouring rain back to Marietta. Luckily, as we got further south the rain eased and by the time we reached the Days Inn at Marietta we’d pretty much dried out again. EagleRider was just across the road and we realised we had half an hour before they closed so I rang and they said it was plenty of time to take the bikes back. So we did. It was a slightly sad moment, but there would be no riding in the morning and it would make the whole business of packing a good deal easier. They kindly ran us and our luggage back to the motel. I walked across the street for beer and Pterodactyl settled down to the business of repacking his suitcase. I probably sat and stared into space.
Realising we had a bottle of red wine which needed sorting before we moved on, we sent out for pizza. Somewhat reluctantly, we chose Domino’s. I say reluctantly because the Domino’s chain is well established Down Under and it’s not the sort of place that would generally rank high on the list of places to buy a pizza. Our cynicism was misplaced: we had two really excellent pizzas and a glass or two of red and didn’t have to leave the hotel to do it.
