2008
Year 2
Posted Monday, March 24, 2008
Zebulon Country Moose Cafe Ride
Dear Son Chasers,
Let's get the riding season started with a short ride next Saturday, March 29th.
Dave Kyle suggested that we ride to Zebulon and eat at the Country Moose Cafe.
If you haven't been to Zebulon lately, it is in a bit of a comeback with new
businesses opening up in refurbished storefronts. The Moose Cafe is a pretty
interesting place with some good eats. I haven't planned an exact route yet but
we'll do some of the roads that we did last year while going to High Falls and
the Concord loop and end up at the Moose Cafe. In addition to eating and
enjoying the fellowship we'll also discuss the riding schedule for 2008 and pick
some ride captains for those rides. I have a pretty full summer calendar so I
may not be able to make every ride this year. So, if you would like to head up a
ride, let me know.
Let's meet in the Church parking lot at 9:30; kickstands up at 10. We should be
back by 2. Ride length probably no more than 100 miles.
Hope to see you next Saturday at 9:30.
Alan
Posted Thursday, March 27, 2008
Country Moose Cafe Ride - Cancelled
Dear Son Chasers:
Dave Kyle and I rode out today to find a route for
Saturday's ride and visit the Country Moose Cafe again. Well, we had a lesson in
why we pre-ride the routes. The Country Moose Cafe closed last week!!! So, we'll
pull out our Concord Loop ride from last season and have lunch at Mike and C's
while we plan this season's ride schedule. See you Saturday at 9:30 at the
church.
Alan
Posted Sunday, March 30, 2008
Reverse Concord Loop Ride
Dear Son Chasers:
It was good to see those of you that were able to make the ride yesterday. While
I have ridden in weather that would make today's 48 degrees, overcast sky a
welcomed improvement, today reminds me how perfect yesterday's 65-70 degree
sunshine really was. We had another safe, relaxing ride and some great
fellowship during the lunch at Mike & C's. We also were excited to see Robert
Hites join us for his first Son Chaser ride. Welcome Robert! Robert signed up on
our mailing list last year at the Mike Stokely Memorial Ride. (I haven't gotten
any info. on this year's MSM ride yet so we will try to work it in if and when
it is known.) Dave Kyle has already posted some pics from yesterday with more to
come.
During the planning part of our meeting we decided to redo all 7 of the rides
from last year and add three new rides: 1. The Whistle Stop Cafe of "Fried Green
Tomato" fame in East Juliette, Ga.; 2. The cookout at the Lewis' Farm near
Franklin, Ga. and 3. Mount Cheaha in Alabama. I propose the following dates for
the upcoming rides:
April 26 South Fulton Loop
May 17 Bulloch House Ride - Ride leader, Dave Kyle
June 14 Calloway Country Store Ride -
Ride leader, Rick Wassom, (I might be there but it is iffy)
July 19 Butler Mill Ride - Paul Burt, would you be able to lead this one? If
not, I should be able to make this one.
August 16 High Falls/ Buckner's
August 23 Whistle Stop Cafe Ride
September 26-28 Blue Ridge Ride
October 18 Mount Cheaha, Al.
October 25 Lewis Farm Ride
LET ME KNOW IF YOU CANNOT MAKE SOME OF THESE DATES. IF THERE ARE DATES THAT HAVE
TOO MANY CONFLICTS THEN I WILL TRY TO REARRANGE THE SCHEDULE SO WE CAN EXPECT A
GOOD TURNOUT. LET ME KNOW BY NEXT SUNDAY, THE 6TH, AND I WILL PUBLISH THE
SCHEDULE RIGHT AWAY SO YOU CAN ENTER THE DATES IN YOUR CALENDAR.
EXTRA TRIPS: I will be going to 29 Dreams and the Barber Motorsports Park on
April 18-21 for the Honda Superbike Races. My son and daughter-in-law are also
going but if anyone else would like to join us, let me know.
Dave and Ronna Kyle and Janet and I are riding from June 28 thru July 14 to
visit all five National Parks in Utah. If you would like to join us, let me
know.
I plan on doing part of the TransAM Trail (www.transamtrail.com)
in early to mid September. This will be a dual sport ride. Again I would welcome
anyone that would like to join me.
Please let me know of anything else that we could do to make the rides more
enjoyable and meaningful to you and any of your riding friends.
Alan
Posted Sunday, April 27, 2008
South Fulton Loop Ride
Dear Son Chasers:
Another very pleasant ride was experienced by those that
ignored the gloomy weather forecast and joined us for a tour of the still rural
areas of South Fulton County. The threat of rain never materialized and we
carried on the Son Chasers tradition of finding a place to serve up some good
eats as we enjoyed the fellowship that included three of the wives. The
conversation was lively and went on long after the food had disappeared. As the
saying goes, a good time was had by all. Have you ever noticed how little kids
look at you on a motorcycle; especially little boys? As we were leaving the
restaurant we got a thorough visual inspection by what looked like a two year
old little boy who could not take his eyes off our bikes....or maybe it was Dave
and Ronna Kyle's new matching jackets. The way I look at it, if it is appealing
to little kids, it must be fun!
I'll be out of the country during next month's ride (May
17) to the Bulloch House in Warm Springs but Dave Kyle will be there to lead the
ride. So don't worry and don't be late. Dave will not be deterred from finding
the best route to the buffet line.
Follow the Son and ride safely.
Alan
Posted Monday, June 16, 2008
Calloway Country Store Ride
Dear Son Chasers:
The six that braved the predicted "chance of thunder
showers" were rewarded with another DRY ride, with less traffic and crowds at
the restaurant! I guess the weather report caused a lot of other travelers to
stay home as well. I believe this was the first time that we were seated right
away at the Country Store.
Rick and Jackie Wassom did a great job of leading the ride
with consistent signaling for changing road conditions and the occasional
hazard; even the "late to take flight" buzzards. I hope the buzzards are able to
reset their road kill the way they had it before Steve rearranged it with his
front tire. I usually take a first aid kit, which I had today, but after
watching Chuck practice his panic stop I think that next time I need to throw in
an extra set of underwear to be on the safe side. In the end all was well, they
seated us all at the Country Store with only a few strange looks.
We had our usual time to chat, eat and get to know our new
riding brother, Don Dohallow. Welcome Don! I told Don that most of the rest of
the group was more civilized than today so he said he plans to ride with us
again! So don't let on that you know any better.
Rick and Jackie took some pictures with their cell phone
and if the email transmissions go according to plan, they should be posted on
the website. Don't look to me, without my grandkids around, I'm not allowed to
touch any electronic gadgets made after 1990.
Next month we ride on July 19 to the Butler Mill seafood
buffet in Alabama. The ride route is posted on the Son Chasers website. Dave and
Ronna Kyle and Janet and I will have just returned from our tour of the 5
National Parks in Utah.
Ride safely and Follow the Son.
Alan
Posted Thursday, July 24, 2008
Butler's Mill Ride
Dear Son Chasers:
It was on the warm side (93 degrees), but the ride was
safe and dry; the food was good and PLENTIFUL; and the fellowship was wonderful.
It seems more folks have heard of Butler's Mill because the crowds were lined up
at the door both before and after we were seated. Fortunately, we were seated
right away. Maybe they remembered us from last year, or maybe it was Ronna's
charming smile when she told them we were there. We'll remember to try that
again next time. A lot of fun was had by all and I especially enjoyed seeing my
Alaska riding brother, Tom Arlotto, from Roswell. Of course I had to not
exaggerate on my Alaska tales quite so much but it was good to reminisce with
Tom. We also welcomed a new member, Shane Carpenter, who brought his new scooter
of only one week to our fellowship ride. We enjoyed getting to know Shane who
fit right in and plans to ride with us again next month.
Several members were asking about the good, actually
miraculous, progress that Jim Kulaga is making in his surgery recovery and we
lifted him up in prayer before the ride. Dave Kyle has already posted the
pictures on the website so take a look at what contentment, as in having just
eaten, looks like. Until next month's ride,
Follow the Son and ride safely.
Alan
Posted Monday, August 18, 2008
Senoia Redneck Gourmet - Surprise Lunch
Dear Son Chasers:
It's hard to put into words what a joy it was to ride
yesterday's selected route and have lunch and fellowship with Jim and Diana
Kulaga. Well, here's my attempt. First of all a big thank you to God for Jim's
progress thus far and the safe ride. Also another thank you to all of you for
keeping the plan a secret, and to Russ, Linda and of course, Diana for getting
Jim to Senoia totally unsuspecting that anything was up. He was in great form,
cracking jokes and being his usual, personable self right in the middle of many
of the conversations going on at the Redneck Gourmet. (I had been referring to
it as the Redneck Cafe because I wasn't sure if I could spell gourmet! That
spell check button needs replacing on my
computer.) We had 11 bikes, 13 riders and a total of 18
for lunch. It was also a blessing to see so many of you turn out to pray for
and love on Jim even if you could not make the ride. That is a large part of
what the Son Chasers are all about.
We had two new members sign up yesterday: Doug Buckland
and Chris Proctor. Welcome guys! You're just in time for our annual romp through
the Tennessee/North Carolina Mountains coming up next month. You don't want to
miss this. More about that later.
Remember, NEXT SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, is the High
Falls/Buckner's ride. You'll want to skip a few meals to be ready to really chow
down on this run. The food is the best! NOTE: WE'LL MEET AT THE CHURCH AT
9:00, KICKSTANDS UP AT 9:30. See you then. Ride safely and follow the Son.
Alan
BLUE
RIDGE PARKWAY RIDE - SEPT. 26-28
Ride through the best roads in the SE US. It turns out
that there is a Blue Grass Festival going on in Townsend, Tn. this year on the
weekend that we scheduled months ago. There is not a room to be had in Townsend
on the 26th. So I have found rooms in Maryville, Tn. at the Luxbury Inn
(formerly called the American Classic Suites if you want to see pictures on a
website).
To book your room on the 26th, call 865-983-9839 and
identify yourself with the Son Chasers for a $59 plus tax queen and sleeper sofa
room.
To book your room in Asheville, N.C., on the 27th call
828-298-5562 and identify yourself as a Son Chaser and you will get a double
queen room for $81 plus tax. YOU NEED TO BOOK YOUR ROOMS NO LATER THAN SEPT. 19.
I will have to call by that date to release the rooms that
are not going to be used. They are holding ten rooms for us now. So when you
make your reservations please send me an email so I'll know who is going. I'll
send out a reminder with meeting times the week of the 21st. Hope to see you on
the 26th.
Alan
Posted Tuesday, September 2, 2008
High Falls Ride - Cancelled
Dear Son Chasers:
First of all, I want to thank the few (6) that showed up
for the High Falls/Buckner's Ride last Saturday. These rest of you took our rain
policy seriously and so we decided to do the same and officially cancelled the
ride. This was our first cancellation in 14 rides, so we were due.
Alan
Posted Monday, September 29, 2008
Blue Ridge Ride
Dear Son Chasers:
Another great weekend ride was experienced by the 11 that ventured out to the
Tennessee and North Carolina Mountains these last three days. Even with a little
rain, fog and a few trooper cars patrolling the Tail of the Dragon the
traditional route that we took was still a blast. The beauty of God's creation
was on display as usual and we were blessed with safe travel and great
fellowship. While the rewards of this ride are predictable I never tire of the
experience. God willing, I'll go back for more. In addition to the repeatable
pleasures of the BRP Ride we had some firsts this year. They include:
* First year not staying at the Highland Manor
Inn in Townsend; however, the Luxbury in Maryville proved to be a good
backup with many restaurants within an easy
ride.
* Dave Kyle demonstrated a right foot pirouette
in mid curve supporting a 900 lb. Goldwing, his bride and three days
worth of luggage. While I'm told he only
received about 1/3 of the available style points, witnesses were so
impressed with the fact that he pulled it
off without a scratch to the Wing and maintaining respectable exit speed
that his difficulty points are now a matter
of legend. I hope the swelling in that foot goes down by next Saturday.
If not, the riding boot will be a bit
conspicuous at the Sunday School pool party.
* The Son Chasers welcomed guests Ricky Wallace
and Jason Guthrie. While Ricky has made this particular ride
with many of us before this was the first
since forming the Son Chasers. Jason came as the guest of Randy
Banks. I believe I heard Jason exclaim that
he needs to get a bike now.
* We may very well have found the best steak in
Ashville this time.
* Eight of us ate at the Dillard House on the
way home on Sunday. Hey, the steak from the night before was only a
memory by then.
* Several from last year's ride talked about
how they missed hearing Jim Kulaga and Russ Gariota tell of their first
ride, let's see, how did they say
it..."chasing Alan along the Blue Ridge" . . . or something like that. Even
though,
I'm the subject of their critique, I enjoy
hearing it also. It seems to get better every time. Sort of a motorcyclist's
fishing tale. Can't wait for next year's
version. Well, for those that could not make it, we hope you can get the
schedule to work out next year. It was
really a fun time of fellowship and some of the best riding in the southeast.
As for our next ride, it will be October 18. The Lewis' have agreed to have us
down to their farm near Franklin, Ga. for a bar-b-que. In order to give Reed and
Robin a food order, I need to know by OCT. 5, IF YOU ARE GOING. So give me a
return on this email with your commitment. This will be another ride you won't
want to miss.
Ride safely and follow the Son,
Alan
Posted Sunday, October 19, 2008
High Falls Ride
Dear Son Chasers:
Just when I think that it can't get any better, God just
ups the blessings! Boy, what a great ride ten Son Chasers experienced today!
First of all we were blessed by the surprise appearance of Jim Kulaga, who not
only came to give a praise report for what God is doing with his recovery but he
also came to RIDE WITH US! He acknowledged that he still has a long series of
treatments to undergo but he expressed his thanks for our prayers and God's
blessings of positive recovery thus far. What a blessing it was to have Jim and
Russ riding with us today. We also had a new visitor, Linda Moss, a friend of
Randy Banks from
Oklahoma. I could tell that everyone enjoyed meeting Linda
and I think that we were on good enough behavior that she may come back the next
time she's in town. I know she enjoyed the food at Buckner's, as did we all. I
heard her tell Randy that he "undersold" it when talking about the food. We hope
you ride (and eat) with us again Linda.
While it took more than an hour for the sun to finally
chase away the clouds, we had a great ride through the back roads to High Falls
Park for a relaxing close up view of the Towaliga River flowing over the weir
and boulders below the reservoir known as High Falls Lake.
Our next ride is next Saturday, Oct. 25, to
www.thewhistlestopcafe.com
of "Fried Green Tomato" fame. I'll send out more details next week. This will be
our last scheduled ride for 2008, so be sure to come out and ride with us next
Saturday. Follow the Son.
Alan
Posted Sunday, October 26, 2008
Whistle Stop Cafe Ride
Dear Son Chasers:
The temperature was 50, maybe sub 50 considering wind chill, at ride launch
time, but we had a great time anyway.
First of all we had a new rider sign up. Mark Weiss has wanted to ride with us
for some time but could not get a Saturday off his busy schedule. That is until
today. Welcome Mark and thanks for putting up with a little cool weather to ride
with us.
After a terrific lunch at The Whistle Stop Cafe we toured the craft and funnel
cake booths in Juliette while absorbing much of the warmth from the now
brilliant sunshine. We then went across the railroad tracks to the motorcycle
museum and enjoyed seeing some old Harleys, Indians, Triumphs, Yamahas and
Hondas. Some were part of the museum and some were among the 100 or more
visitors' bikes that were on display.
We took a different route back in order to see more of the rural Georgia back
roads and still got home in time to watch some football games on the tube.
Another great day to ride and enjoy the outdoors. Thank you Lord!
Well, that wraps up the official Son Chasers riding season for 2008. If you have
any suggestions for next season, please send them in an email or just call me at
678-371-6468. I want to make the experience better for all of us, so let your
voice be heard. I plan to go to Bike Week in Daytona next March, so if you would
like to go with me, let me know. I'm also kicking around the idea of another
Alaska trip. So let me know if you'd like to come along. Until next time, ride
safely and follow the Son.
Alan