The morning of March 29th, I met Reggie Chestnutt and Dave Hicks in Marietta Ga. for a 150 mile ride to a new Motorcycle Camp Ground and Resort near Birmingham Alabama. Since this was a work day for most folks, we decided to miss the morning traffic and leave about 9:15 a.m. knowing that most all the traffic would be clear in the Atlanta Area. We jumped right on the interstate I-75 to an almost stand still traffic, so Plan B is in order, but we had not discussed a plan B so just getting off that interstate sounded good. Then Dave chimed in on the C.B. and gave his opinion of back roads getting out of there. It all sounded good to Reggie and I, so off we went. We traveled the route of Hwy 20 West out of Marietta and then picked up U.S. Hwy 78 in a small town of Villa Rica Ga. Since this sort of Parallels the I-20 going to Birmingham we just stayed on it. We crossed into Alabama and were looking for a small town of Leeds that should be coming up, and to find the turn off S.R. 25 to the camp ground.
It was about then I began thinking about Kevin Daniels, he did not want to leave late as the 3 of us and he said he would do some riding on his own and meet us there, and how we had talked about hooking up with anyone else that may want to go near his home at the Shoney's Restaurant, but after discussing with him, Reggie and Dave we were the only people going on Friday from the Atlanta area and a few more said they may show up on Saturday. But I could not help wondering if Kevin slept late, or changed his mind and he would not of known about the traffic in Marietta and may go to meet us and we did not show. Then I dismissed it and said to myself, when we get to 29 Dreams Kevin will have his tent set up and be out riding. About then we found our turn off and its about 8 miles of really good motorcycle roads with some good scenery from a Mountain top before you get to the Resort. We pulled into the resort and it looked as if we were only ones there, only one other motorcycle on the lot and it wasn't Kevin's Connie. We went in the Lodge and met the Owners Tim and Greg. Tim showed us to the campsite's and cabin's, Dave had a reservation for a cabin and Reggie and I were camping. The threat of rain was to much for Dave or maybe he is just smarter than we are, but we were holding out and said we would just set up our tents and watch the weather, because we were suppose to have thunderstorms that night and most of the weekend. As Reggie and I had just got our camp set up and Dave sat on his cabin's porch swing and told us how hard it was walking in and just sitting his stuff down, (Give Me A Break!), Kevin came pulling in. He had been out riding, but he had also got a late start and went to meet us at the restaurant that we did not go to. Oh well we had a good laugh over that one!
We got ready for a ride into town for lunch and find our way around the area on a ride. This area is very close to Birmingham, less than 20 miles but the roads are not full of sprawl like I am use to in the Atlanta area. And seems like every road we found on Friday had lakes on it. We got back to the lodge and kicked back there for a while playing a few games of pool and talking with the owners. Then about 8:00 P.M. we went about 1/4 mile down the road to a BBQ restaurant for dinner. At the lodge they do not have a kitchen as of yet, but they have the license and have gotten the bids on building it. They do have a alcohol and pour license. Reggie and I wondered later if we had messed up big time because the buzz around the Lodge was how it was going to pour rain in the mourning and Kevin had decided to bunk with Dave in the cabin. We looked around and everyone was in a cabin but the two of us.
The sound of rain woke me about 5:30 a.m. and I figured this may get bad, but the rain just sang me to a deep sleep and by the time I woke again and heard voices after daylight it was just a little drizzle rain. We all got up and showered and by then the rain had stopped so we took off to find breakfast and some of these rides on the route sheets we had gotten from the lodge. It was to the Waffle House and all her glory, judging from the look through the glass from all the patron's they had never seen motorcycles as beautiful as a Concours, because everyone had there nose to the glass watching, as four guys took off their riding suits. After breakfast we rode some more and headed back to camp, and the last five miles the bottom of the sky fell out, it rained like I have not seen in a while. My poor Joe Rocket suit gave up before I got to the Lodge and it decided I needed some of this good rain on the inside as well. When we pulled in the campground Mike Carrick from Woodstock Ga. had ridden down to the meet to ride with us.
After an hour or so the rain stopped so we decided to ride over to Cheaha Mtns. the highest peak in Alabama and the ride to get there is a hoot. Kevin calls it instead of Yeehaw because he had ridden it before. As we rode we saw all mater of destruction, limbs off of trees and water in ditches almost to a flood height but we were not getting rained on, so we figured it had moved through while we were holed up back at 29 Dreams. We planned to eat lunch at the Hotel on Cheaha Mnt. and just as we got in site the rain came so we hurried in the Restaurant without much of the wet stuff getting to us. After a Long lunch and watching a rain and lightning storm from the plate glass windows in the Restaurant, we figured we would just stayed till it stopped. After a while, we figured well we might just stay until it gets slack because it may never stop. Mike was going to ride as far as I-20 where we were going West, the quick way back to 29-Dreams and he would go East back Home. When we got as far as Leeds Ala. (the last town before camp) Dave came up with the idea to buy everything we needed to have a Steak Dinner and all the trimmings and I showed them how a Givi Trunk can double as a Ice Cooler.
When we got back to 29 Dreams, one of the owners, Greg allowed us to use the front Porch of the Lodge and their own Gas grill to cook on. We had a feast! Reggie and I toughed it out in the tents another night but the rain was light and by 6:30 the next morning he and I had packed up camp and was waking Dave and Kevin. We figured to get on the road between rain showers, and we did. We rode I-20 in to Atlanta to a cloudy but dry morning, missed all the rain that day. And had a great weekend. and still got home by 10:00 Easter Morning in plenty of time to hide the eggs. I recommend the 29 Dreams experience if you get the chance.
James Freeman
Marietta Ga.