So after a very long hiatus from riding I finally got the Scrambler charged up, washed up, tires pumped up, started up, and ready to go out for a ride.  At time of writing, late August 2026, it's still very hot here in Georgia but I thought what the heck, so I donned my gear and headed out late on Friday evening.  I only got a few miles out and I suddenly remembered the thing missing from my "get 'er ready" check list was sticking the new tag on the license plate.  Well that cut short the Friday evening ride, and I turned around to go home and address said oversight. As it happens timing was perfect as a little rain started shortly after I got home.  I decided to go out for breakfast on Saturday morning instead, which weather-wise looked promising.

Saturday morning came and after hurriedly feeding the cats I decided I would head off to Keithsburg, GA. Never heard of it? Well, more of that shortly.

I pulled the Scrambler out and headed off towards Ball Ground. Riding Bells Ferry Road isn't the same anymore with the road widening project having destroyed the tree cover until you get well past Allatoona, but after that it's still enjoable and it soon felt like old times.  The route took me to the end of Bells Ferry Road, onto Marietta Hwy, then Riverstone Parkway, and finally Ball Ground Hwy to Keithsburg Cafe.

It was planned to be a combination day with the November TLCMC ride sweeping around to take in the Connections Car Show at The Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, GA.  Unfortunately several things conspired to scupper the ride including Larry’s KTM service being delayed by the need for a special order cam timing tool, but as it turned out the weather on that Saturday morning was not conducive to enjoyable riding anyway.  Even driving up in the ’73 Mustang convertible included some interesting moments as the rain on the concrete roads made for some slick and slippery driving conditions.  

Arriving at the Savoy we were one of the small group of show cars on site, but as the morning progressed the rain stopped, the sky brightened, and the cool toys came out to be shown and judged.  

I relocated from our home of 35 years in Marietta, GA. to coastal North Carolina earlier this year. We moved to the town of Bolivia, NC, located about halfway between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. Our families are from eastern NC, so we are close enough to visit but far enough away to not have them show up unannounced.

Two immediate differences in Coastal NC and north Georgia were immediately apparent. First, there are no curvy roads here. If you look at Hwy 17 on the map it is a straight line from Wilmington to Myrtle Beach. When I ride to the grocery store there are no curves at all in the 15 miles from home.

Which explains the second point. Almost all bikes here are cruisers. On one afternoon ride I counted 65 cruisers, 15 Tri-Glides, 4 sport bikes, and no ADV bikes.  The closest Triumph dealer is about an hour and a half away in Murrells Inlet, SC. I pass 5 HD dealers on the route when I go for service.

I recently rode to Southport, NC and took a ferry across to Fort Fisher and into Wilmington. It's a 30 minute crossing on the ferry . There are 3 more ferries up the coast that are on my ride list, going all the way up the NC Outer Banks before turning west at Nags Head, which coincidentally is the start if the TransAmerica Trail.