soichiro Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 Hello all. My wife's birthday is on November 23'rd always around Thanksgiving. Go figure, her birthday wish was a 2day trip on the VFR with a night in Helen, Georgia! Who was I to deny such a request... We always go to my granparents for Thanksgiving. My grandparents live 30 miles from Deals Gap. What a great location to begin our adventure. Most years, weather permitting we bring a bike. This year we brought the VFR and did a tri-state birthday ride to Helen, Georgia. We didnt take a ton of photos, to be honest, it was pretty damn cold. I hope you enjoy & happy birthday honey! This is the start of our tour at my grandparents house. The temp actually dropped to 33F at the Foothills Parkway and didnt go over 37f all day, BRRRRR Deals gap, crowded, too many cars, cruisers? Haha, this is what it looks like in the off season. It was actually quit treacherous because of wet leaves in the road. We had to follow six inch car tire tracks. Usually it is pristine this time of year. Their were all of 3 bikes and 6 corvettes. We were going to do the Cherohala to TN Hwy68, but we were afraid of crazy cold temps and I think there was snow up in them thar hills. We just stayed on Hwy129 most of the way. It was pretty cold after 50 miles or so. Here is a pic of my lovely wife. Trust me she is much easier on the eyes than me. She gains 40 pounds with winter gear. We stopped to feed the magical iron horse. We made it to our destination just before dark. Helen, Georgia, it is supposed to be like an old german town. It is mainly a tourist attraction, IMO. It was pretty neat, kind of like a miniature Gatlinburg, TN with a german feel. The front desk clerk was awesome. My wife said " hey do you mind" Then the clerk interrupted her and said park the bike anywhere you want. We parked right outside our door overlooking the chatohoochee river. Our room was on the back side of the building so the bike was totally hidden. Very cool indeed. The town of helen had christams lights up. Here are a few shots. I thought the sidewalk tunnel under the bridge was neat. Saturday morning at the Hofbrau Riverfront Hotel. At 10:30 it was still just 30 degrees. Here Angela does some EXTREME VFRD rocking chair sitting. We did the north Georgia famous loop and stopped at Blood Mountain. We actually saw a few snow flakes. We saw a mountain lion. We barely got away! We did get a couple pretty shots in Georgia. We continued all the way up Hwy60 to TN Hwy264(IIRC), to TN Hwy68. We pulled up to this very senic gas station. Actually we used the trailer to block the wind & warm up a bit. Newish pilot powers held up great to the extra weight. Of couse Angela weighs 95 lbs and we only packed for an overnighter. 35F, no chicken strips, no slips, 2up with luggage. What else could you ask for from a tire except it last forever. The VFR performed flawlessly. We covered right at 400 miles for the two days. Normally it would of been at least twice that, but with the cold temps and lack of daylight we could only do half of normal. We had an excellent trip and my wife had an awesome birthday! Thanks for reading. This is my first real ride report and I hope everyone enjoyed reading about our trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dbs05 Posted November 26, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted November 26, 2007 Pretty damn cool Doug! (no pun intended) Looked like a great adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlecreek Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 looks like you had a great trip. thanks for posting. i would love to hit helen this time of year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 Nice and thanks for sharing! :thumbsup: Do you guys have heated gear??? :goofy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer skuuter Posted November 26, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted November 26, 2007 Great report and pics Doug.....the wife has been mentioning Helen again lately. The Gap Store looked the same when we rode up this year on New Years Day...kinda' strange................ :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soichiro Posted November 26, 2007 Author Share Posted November 26, 2007 Nice and thanks for sharing! :thumbsup: Do you guys have heated gear??? :goofy: Thanks guy's, we had a great time. No heated gear! Just lots of layers. Heated gear is on my christmas list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 Nice and thanks for sharing! :thumbsup: Do you guys have heated gear??? :goofy: Thanks guy's, we had a great time. No heated gear! Just lots of layers. Heated gear is on my christmas list. His and hers Gerbing Jacket Liners would be a good choice, not just a vest and has heated sleeves & Collar with I think a Lifetime warranty. retail $199 (77 watts) As TN VFR Gal described them, "Like a warm blanket wrapped around your body" :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kwr8728 Posted November 27, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted November 27, 2007 Doug, glad you guys seemed to have fun. I get to come home Dec 7-9th so hopefully it'll be warm enough to ride...warm enough not to freeze i should say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WERA910 Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 Great ride report! The Hofbrau hotel is the one that hosts the HSTA "SE Star" rally every year. They're very "motorcycle friendly". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rivcyko Posted November 27, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted November 27, 2007 We saw a mountain lion. We barely got away! LOL. Cool. Looks like fun. Snowing and crap, up this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer cruzinaz Posted November 27, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted November 27, 2007 Sure looks like a great ride,,,but I gotta say,,WHAT A WIFE!!! 2 days, cold as h@^*, and still wants to ride??? You are one lucky man :thumbsup: BTW,,, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 That's my idea of a birthday ride... :thumbsup: The only real thing I miss about the midwest is a true fall season....unfortunately, the cactus spines here in Arizona never turn a lovely red color... BTW, what kind of pants is your wife wearing? They look like a great fit, without being to bulky or snug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer PhatPat33 Posted November 27, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted November 27, 2007 Nice job on your trip report!! Looks like an enjoyable trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soichiro Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 That's my idea of a birthday ride... :thumbsup: The only real thing I miss about the midwest is a true fall season....unfortunately, the cactus spines here in Arizona never turn a lovely red color... BTW, what kind of pants is your wife wearing? They look like a great fit, without being to bulky or snug. I know, i'm lucky. I thought it was pretty damn cool when she said lets take a 2 day ride for my birthday. She is wearing FRANK THOMAS pants and matching jacket. I could not find the exact model online. They may not make that specific madel any more. We bought them about a year ago at cycle gear. She also got the gloves to go with them. I am thinking of getting some frank thomas pants myself. frank thomas has women specific gear so the fit is flattering without being too bulky (for winter gear). Of course Angela thinks they are still too bulky. She doesnt wear jeans underneath just an under armor base layer with fleece thermals. The material of the pants and jacket is very robust. It reminds me of aerostitch suit material. They have all the normal CE pads included. The only drawback to this set, is the liners are not removeable. It is meant for serious cold and or wet weather riding. She has never had a drop of water get to her in many miles of downpour. The liners are made into the jacket and are not seperate. This was ok for us because she wears this set in the cooler months of the year. She has an alpinestars set for summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer skuuter Posted November 27, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted November 27, 2007 Yeah, I've got one of those great wives also......not too many conditions she hasn't ridden in, both on the back with me and on her own bikes. Tagging along with me all year isn't easy sometimes.....but.....we always have fun together, and that's the name of the (motorcycle) game........... :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BonusVFR Posted November 27, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted November 27, 2007 200 mile days work ..............keeps her happy and ready for the next trip. :thumbsup: Heated gear :thumbsup: Good report! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soichiro Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 OH yeah the wife loves the VTEC. She says anything above 7k rpm, rocks. Thats my girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 2 thumbs up on the vibration.... :unsure: Thanks for the tips on the pants....I've yet to try Frank Thomas products, but have heard good things about them. Did she find she needed an exact size, or do they run larger or smaller and less true to size like some manufacturers clothes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soichiro Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 2 thumbs up on the vibration.... :unsure: Thanks for the tips on the pants....I've yet to try Frank Thomas products, but have heard good things about them. Did she find she needed an exact size, or do they run larger or smaller and less true to size like some manufacturers clothes? I believe she was able to go with the normal size she would wear. Cycle gear sells frank thomas and is a great place to try stuff on. If you have one near you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer skuuter Posted November 27, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted November 27, 2007 Out of curiosity Doug, how much was a room in Helen ? I know seasons and other variables exist, but I was just wondering for a rough idea......... :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer cruzinaz Posted November 27, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted November 27, 2007 2 thumbs up on the vibration.... :rolleyes: Ok, leave this alone or,,,,,,,,, I better be good, could get a mod after me,,,,,,but just wait till we get together next time!! :beer: :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 be good...be good, or I will tease you endlessly about your mad cap adventures in Arivaca..... :lol: oh yeah, BTW Soichiro, I do have a CycleGear nearby....sounds like I should pay them a visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soichiro Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 Out of curiosity Doug, how much was a room in Helen ? I know seasons and other variables exist, but I was just wondering for a rough idea......... :thumbsup: We paid $80 for a room at the hofbrau. The hotel was ok. Clean but a little old. I would say it was a fair price. One of the best things is that we parked the bike at the hotel and all the attractions are 2 blocks away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer skuuter Posted November 27, 2007 Member Contributer Share Posted November 27, 2007 Out of curiosity Doug, how much was a room in Helen ? I know seasons and other variables exist, but I was just wondering for a rough idea......... :thumbsup: We paid $80 for a room at the hofbrau. The hotel was ok. Clean but a little old. I would say it was a fair price. One of the best things is that we parked the bike at the hotel and all the attractions are 2 blocks away. Thanks, that sounds reasonable enough...clean and old is fine. Mitzie is "tighter" about what she pays for a room than for a motorcycle............. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soichiro Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 Out of curiosity Doug, how much was a room in Helen ? I know seasons and other variables exist, but I was just wondering for a rough idea......... :thumbsup: We paid $80 for a room at the hofbrau. The hotel was ok. Clean but a little old. I would say it was a fair price. One of the best things is that we parked the bike at the hotel and all the attractions are 2 blocks away. Thanks, that sounds reasonable enough...clean and old is fine. Mitzie is "tighter" about what she pays for a room than for a motorcycle............. :rolleyes: Just as long as you undrstand I mean old as in need of a re-model. Not old like the biltmore house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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