Edifice Tribe "Run for the Hills"

Eric, the owner of Edifice, put together a motorcycle ride that included any employee that wanted to go and a few subcontractors. We left from work on Friday morning and rode to Hiawassee, GA. We stayed two nights in Hiawassee and came home on Sunday. Friday was pretty much spent getting to GA. Saturday we rode all around the area and enjoyed the scenery and the views!!

We went to the famous 'Dragon's Tail' at Deal's Gap. It's NC/TN best known motorcycle road. It claims to have 318 curves in 11 miles. We rode it and I'm not sure I counted 318 curves?? But now we can all say we've 'ridden the dragon!'

We also stopped at NC's last virgin forest. There were some HUGE poplar trees. The only thing was we had to walk a LONG ways to get to these trees!! Let's just say, once you've seen one big tree, you've seen them all...maybe except for the Redwoods, which I have yet to see.

On Friday, after we arrived in Hiawassee, Mike and I took a little side trip before dinner. We rode to Helen, GA. It was about 30 minutes away. I read a story in the Observer a few years ago about Helen, GA and I've always remembered it and wanted to go. So, this was my chance. It is basically a tourist trap, but the town looks like an Alpine Village.

Edifice built a church about 2 years ago in Hiawassee so we attended services on Sunday morning before we headed for home.

There were a few 'incidents' along the way, we were only the cause of one. The shield for my helmet blew off on Hwy 74 going towards Hendersonville. Mike and I turned around and we saw it on the road. However, before we were able to get turned back around to get it, a big 18-wheeler came along and needless to say, the shield was no more. No biggie, I bought another helmet in Hendersonville (I needed a new one anyway!). One guy dropped his bike and then tried to ride off with another group of riders (we got him back though). Then on Saturday one of our group set the fire alarm off at the hotel. He burnt his toast, but he likes it burnt!!

I need to take a brief moment to say just how generous Eric is. When he said he wanted to get a bike ride together, I thought, OK, this has been a slow vacation year, Mike and I can afford to go. Well, I underestimated Eric. He paid for EVERYTHING but the gas!! How fantastic was that!! I really do work for a great company with a great owner. He really does try to take care of his employees and is very generous with his money!!

Here are a few more scenic pics:

Trip to L.A.

Well, Mike and I left for sunny California last Thursday. We flew back on Sunday. The main point of the trip was to see two Angel's games. We saw the Thursday and Friday games. The Angels won both, Friday's by a walk-off home run. Thursday, we saw K-Rod tie the all-time saves record. So, that was definitely fun!!

Now, as for the rest of the visit...just so, so. If you ask Mike, he'd say that the highlight of the trip was bacon. Yes, that's right, bacon. He was so in love with the bacon served by the Doubletree at breakfast I thought he'd never shut up about it. He gorged himself on it both mornings we were there and went on and on about how he'd never had such good bacon in all his life. He's easily entertained!! (This blog is really pissing me off, I can't get it to put a blank line between these two paragraphs. I've tried like a hundred times!!! What the heck!!!!!)

Other than the baseball games, we did some sightseeing. L.A. proper wasn't much to see if you ask me. Hollywood was very dirty and quite frankly, a little scary. Beverly Hills is overrated. L.A. is surrounded by some beautiful mountains though. We explored the Angeles National Forest on Friday afternoon. There were some really nice, twisty roads (better suited for our bike than the rental car). And let me just say, California should really consider investing in bathrooms with running water. A toilet that flushes is all I ask for. Anyway...these are some pictures from Friday...

I thought this was one of the most amazing sights I'd ever seen. From the lookout from the mountains, all you could see were clouds!

More mountain pictures (see above).

On Saturday the plan was to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway and stay outside of Santa Barbara. Well, the coastline along the highway was nice, what we could see of it. There was so much haze, or smog, I'm not sure, that the view was very limited. Once we got to Goleta, we drove through the Santa Ynez Mountains (I think, I can't really remember). Anyway, it was actually very pretty. Again, may I suggest that California invest in a few more rest stops. These are a few pictures...

Notice there are no pictures of Mike and I. That's because the pictures were less than flattering. The camera and I are not friends. I don't think I'll be going back to L.A. for anything other than baseball games anytime soon.