Maggie Valley - Wheels Through Time

Friday, June 10th, finally brought us to the start of our overnight trip to Maggie Valley. Six of us met at the home base Chevron in Ball Ground (Dan would meet us later), and had wheels rolling by 4:15 p.m. or so. After a few sprinkles around Tate the rest of our ride to the restaurant on the Toccoa was delightful. Dan rode down from Morganton and after our meal showed us the way to his cabin in the woods. "Cabin" really doesn't fit. No outside plumbing here but rather four bedrooms and three baths, more than enough to make the seven of us quite comfortable (thanks Dan).

In the morning we made our way down the gravel hills and road to the highway and Murphy, for breakfast.

From there we headed for Andrews, the the Nantahala Gorge, the outskirts of Cherokee, then finally Maggie Valley and our destination the Wheels Though Time Museum. Quite a place, hundreds of vintage bikes, most at least 60 years old, a lot from the 1900-1920 era. This is not a roped off, don't touch museum, but rather a place were you can sit on the old bikes, get a feel for the controls and imagine you had a leather helmet and knee high lace-ups on out on a board track. Most of the bikes are in running condition and the owner, Dale Walksler, is more than happy to give you the bike's history and start it up, often on the first kick (or pedal). Dale took us into his workshop next door and showed us some projects on their way to restoration. It was interesting to hear of all that goes in to rebuilding these old machine and the value placed on them by collectors.

On the down side Dale told us of the problems he's having with the village elders and his plan to relocate his museum somewhere outside the valley. It's a great place and we hope it will still be accessible.

We headed out of the valley and down the Blue Ridge Parkway to Sylva for lunch and petrol. Soon the sky darkened and opened up. Luckily for us we were under cover at a BP station when it let loose. It looked like it would last a while so those that had them put on full rain suits. They were needed. The ride down to Franklin was one minute sunshine, the next a frog gagger. Cars were pulling off the road but we trucked on, albeit it slowly and cautiously. 

Steve split off in Franklin to head south to family on Lake Lanier while Bob K. took on the role of rabbit (to flush out Smokies) by shooting past us, rain jacket flapping, heading home (he had an early date). The rest of us waved Dan off at Morganton and headed into darkening skies further south. We dawdled around at a fuel stop in Ellijay long enough to let us skirt most of the storm (Bob K. road right into it) and didn't see much rain all the way to exit 27 and home. Dennis and Scott were not so lucky as they hit another downpour around Woodstock.

In spite of the rain, which comes with the territory, we had a great time and I bet another overnighter is in our future.