Chrome Divas of Columbia SC
Chrome Divas Club House
1119Smyrna Road
Elgin SC 29045
Date: July 28, 2009
To: WENDY CRAYTON
RE: "Motorcycle Mama’s Rally" Maggie Valley
Bravo! Bravo! Thanks to your vision and your unique abilities in the role of "Motorcycle Mama’s Rally" you created a very special event for all our ladies riders. It was a "happening"- the first of many! You can count on us next year. I hope to see you and all the Chrome Divas ladies riders next year. We know it took a lot of hard work to plan this event and a lot of time and effort in putting this together. The show and dinner on Saturday was wonderful. Everyone had a great weekend and couple of nights to remember!!!!!! Your organization is incredibly organized and extremely professional!!!!!! The event was a HUGE SUCCESS!!!!!!!! Thank You for Everything!!!!
Director Edna "Lil Bit" -
Assistant Director: Sofie "Little Feather"
Pam O’ Connell, (Smiley)
Marianne Wellborn (Stitch)
Sherry White (Taz)
Mary Lynn (Snoopy)
Carnelia H. Jackson (Corney)
Theodosia Foy (Smurf)
Shirley Aschen (Roadrunner)
Paul Bedrosian (Scorpion)
Larry Collins (Raven)
Wellborn, Dennis
The trip to Maggie Valley was great and many thanks to Diva Wendy for all her hard work to put together such a fun week-end. I managed to put 1800 miles on my bike and had an incredible week.
Our ride up was fast and furious. I put together spiral bound books for everyone with maps, routes and contact phone numbers so everyone would be comfortable about where we were going.
The plan was…three groups of 4 each riding at their own comfort level and meeting at pre-determined exits for gas. I must say I was surprised that the other 2 groups kept pace with me.(85-90 miles and hour is within my comfort level on the Interstate) We made it in only 8 hours which got us there in plenty of time to enjoy the cook-out by the pool.
Diva Nancy was already at the hotel with her dude Ted awaiting us, having trailered up the day before. She was kind enough to transport some of my important stuff (alcohol) and I was happy to find she had not indulged in my stuff. LOL
Diva Carol (one of the toughest Divas I know) left Jacksonville later in the afternoon for the ride up. Not only was she bruised, sore and dizzy from her accident the day before, her bike had some minor damage too. We had a welcoming committee in front of the hotel with a cold Mich Ultra waiting for her at 12 AM.
Divas Pam and Janice got a later start pulling a trailer and arrived after 2 AM to find that the hotel didn’t know anyone’s room numbers. Somehow all the rooms remained in my name even after the check in.?? The hotel must have thought I was sleeping around. LOL
Day two we decided to split into 2 groups…one headed for Deal’s Gap and the Tail of the Dragon and the other for a more leisurely ride up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mount Mitchell for lunch. I was happy to lead the group and we were accompanied by 3 guest riders from SC. Again, we split into riding partners and planned to meet at various spots to re-group.
The ride up to Mt. Mitchell was beautiful and lunch was great, especially the peach cobbler (which I had first so I wouldn’t be too full to enjoy it). Diva Andrea got some great photos to share from the summit. The ride back Selena and I took the Parkway after giving Diva Andrea very specific directions to Maggie Valley via the highway. Not sure of what happened to split the group but all found their way back with stories to tell.
That evening we awaited the arrival of Diva Jennifer who made the trip after work. Her welcoming committee was on hand around 9 PM and I was happy to have all the Divas safely in Maggie Valley.
Day three Diva Jennifer, who loves Mt. Mitchell, wanted to ride up there again for lunch so off we went. Diva Wendy had arranged a waterfall tour guided by an experienced rider and a group of about 20 left ahead of us. We decided to go on our own and four of us took a different route from the day before riding by Looking Glass Falls on scenic Highway 276. Diva Pam was along for the ride determined to conquer the tunnels. What a trooper!! Diva Peggy was riding like a pro and looked like it was a piece of cake for her.
That evening after dinner and a great fashion show by Diva Patty AKA the Leather Lady we started a game of Left, Right, Center out by the pool. Lots of laughing, drinking and fun. There were also some shenanigans out in the parking lot involving chalk outlines that looked like a crime scene. What the hell was that all about? LOL
Day four was departure day for most of the group. Divas Mitzi, Peggy, Andrea and Dawn headed for the Interstate while Diva Pam (my hero) made her way home alone via the back roads of Georgia. Thanks for keeping us updated on your ride home.
After a breakfast at Joey’s Pancakes several of us headed to Diva Wendy’s log cabin on the top of the mountain. With an incredible waterfall out back and her gracious hospitality we made dinner and enjoyed the evening telling stories.
Divas Jennifer, Carol and Pat headed out Monday morning to get back to the grind stone while the rest of us, along with Wendy’s friend Rebecca rode to Nantahala for lunch and up highway 1310. Even Diva Letricia was able to keep up on the challenging steep and winding road. That evening we went back to the Rendezvous for all you can eat ribs. Early to bed to get ready for the next days ride.
Tuesday Diva Selena was riding to Hot Springs to meet a friend so we decided to ride with her. Highway 209 was a great ride! Nice turns and plenty of challenge. After riding to a favorite watering hole “Bobarosa” north of Hot Spring we returned for lunch in Hot Springs and then to Waynesville for shopping. The rains came and we spent a little more time than expected in Waynesville but made it safely, albeit wet back to the mountain top and a great spaghetti dinner.
Wednesday Divas Allyn and Diana headed south for home in the rain. After lunch in Maggie Valley Divas Wendy, Letricia and I took off for shopping in Cherokee (in a car) and then home for a much appreciated nap before an incredible dinner at the Old Stone Inn hidden away in Waynesville. Thanks Wendy!! Later that evening we were treated (?) to Karaoke night at the Rendezvous. Diva Wendy surprised the hell out of Letricia with a rendition of the Ella James classic At Last. Either I was really drunk or she sounded damn good. After once again being over-served we made it home to start packing for the trip home.
Never known for taking the easy way home, Diva Letricia and I decided to visit historic Charleston on the way. We arrived at the Hampton Inn in the historic district after riding 190 plus miles in the rain to get the last room in the hotel. It meant we had to share a queen size bed but it was dry and no complaints from us. Showered and refreshed we headed out looking for dinner and any mischief we could find only to be doused with the rain that followed us. We got wetter walking around the city than we did on the ride. LOL Looking like two drowned rats, we stumbled into an exclusive (and expensive) restaurant in Charleston Place only to find the menu was out of our realm. Caviar? For god’s sake…we’re bikers! But they did have Crown. Deciding to take a taxi back towards our hotel the bell captain hooked us up with Calvin and an awesome Navigator for a limousine ride to a great restaurant next door to the Hampton. Calvin even walked us to the door with an umbrella and promised to come back for us if we wanted to explore the city. Sitting at the bar in 39 Rue de Jean, we made a new friend Amber from Wilmington, NC. Amber has an aunt in Orange Park who rides and was sharing stories via text. Sounds like quite a woman.
Friday, with clear skies we packed up and headed home down Highway 17 with the news of the tragic death of Bruce Rossmeyer weighing heavily on my minds. A quick stop at Savannah Harley and we were back on the road for lunch in Brunswick. Checking the weather, rain suits were in order and we were prepared to stop at any watering hole is it got bad. Fortunately it wasn’t the worst rain we had encountered so we rode through it for home. I made it to my garage around 5:30 and slept like a baby in my own bed.
What a great week and now I’m ready to go again!!
DIVA JAN MYERS, JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL
Where in the hell IS everyone? Divas Becky, Peggy and I were sitting at the Busch Drive Hardees right where we were supposed to be choking down our greasy breakfasts. It was 7:30 and no one was in sight. "This isn't like Jan. Something ain't right." I gave Jan a call. "We're at the Hardees near the airport." "Well whatcha doin' there? You said Busch Drive." Ohhh that hag's NEVER gonna live that one down but I'm still laughing about it. Long story short we got the wrong address but it was fun watching Jan try to squirm outta that one. No matter. The rest of the gang was only a short distance away so Peggy, Becky and I hopped on board and jetted down the road to meet up with our other 8 or 9 divas. Soon enough we were all off like banshees, headed to Maggie Valley NC for the 1st annual Motorcycle Mamas in Maggie Valley bash.
Our 85-90 mph pace made the morning's miscommunique a moot point. We made it to Maggie Valley in 8 hours instead of 10 like we planned despite Letricia's deep-seated desire to shop in each and every gas station/convenience store we stopped at. The little bit of rain we hit lasted only 5 minutes, not even enough to stop and don rain gear. We pulled into the parking lot at Maggie Valley Inn with engines roaring and horns blaring lest anyone miss our grand entrance. Naturally Jan won the race from Jax to Maggie making Danica Patrick look like a snail. The rest of us were following with our tongues hanging out, scanning the horizon for the nearest bar. Jan won the race to the bar too but everyone's drinks were going down just fine thank you very much. We were all just happy to have made it there without Johnny Law on our butts and all in one piece. Tomorrow, however would be a different story.
DAY 2
I went to bed alone but I woke up spoonin' my riding buddy Janice. I'm surprised she even found our room. Admittedly we left her in a lurch not informing the desk clerk that she'd be coming and leaving directions for her to catch up with us in room 216. Well hell, we couldn't think of everything. After all we WERE drunk. As misfortune would have it, Janice and Pam sadly missed the grand prix 90 mph Jan Myers speed fest invitational on the way up. Probably best they skipped that anyway since they were trailering. We hurried and got them untrailered before anyone found out the divas even own a trailer. Gotta maintain the rep ya know. A little breakfast was in order and then we were off to parts unknown. A few of us were headed to Deal's Gap to ride the tail of the dragon, a juicy little piece of mountain road encompassing 318 turns in oh, about 11 miles. The majority of us were headed toward the Blue Ridge Parkway for a less technical ride. Well actually to a Florida girl any street with more than 3 curves qualifies as technical which basically makes every inch of Maggie Valley one technical knockout. The place is like a slinky on acid. It had some of us spinning too. Each group would have their share of accidents.
For the Blue Ridge group it started with Selena's dead-stop tipover in what had to be the most graceful get-off I've ever seen, looking more like something out of Swan Lake and less like the usual stumble, bumble stop-drop-and-roll the rest of us suffer. We threw her bike upright again, scolded it, and forbade it such behavior for the rest of the week. Diva Becky wasn't so lucky. The dragon chewed her up and spit her out like last Xmas' fruit cake but damn if she didn't bounce right back, road-rashed, swollen and bloodied and ride her butt back down the mountain like the rock hard diva she is, garnering her the "our new hero" award. And let's not forget Diva Carol's crash-and-burn before she even got out the gate. At this point, still stuck in Jacksonville, she was having the bandaids applied to her Harley at the Jax dealer after clipping a little old lady who couldn't decide whcih way to turn (so many choices dontcha know----think I'll turn in front of this big bike). "Screw it. I'm still going," was Carol's answer with little birds still circling her head. Atta girl Carol.
The Blue Ridge, for those of you not knowing, in one swoopy-turny sweet ass ride that every biker should experience. Tree-lined and twisty the whole way with steep drop-offs and scenic views it commands a rider's attention. We enjoyed it all the way up to Mt. Mitchell elevation 6,578 feet, the highest point this side of the Mississippi where a restaurant awaited us. Good thing too or we might have had to go back down the hill a few feet and shoot and eat the bear that Janice "Bearkill" Wise-Springsted almost hit on the way up. Would have tasted pretty good with the turtle soup we could have made out of the one we nearly missed before the bear incident. There's some interesting wildlife on the parkway but I bet no one up there has ever had a close encounter with a toothy gator crossing the road. After lunch we climbed a few more feet up to the very top of Mt. Mitchell and took some pictures. "Hey, does this mountain make my ass look fat?" Just take the picture and let's go.
On the way back to Maggie some of us decided to stay on the parkway and some of us rode back via a less technical route skirting Asheville. And some of us just plain got lost. I gotta claim responsibility here. My bad for not waiting up enough and I'm sorry I lost my fellow divas. It's a little easier guiding everyone in Florida where you can see down the road for 30 miles. Trust me, leading a pack is harder than it looks and anyone who thinks Jan has it easy needs to try it sometime. Fortunately everybody made it back to the hotel.
The Deal's Gap group, however, didn't have such a hot day. Shortly after the Blue Ridge group got settled in Becky showed up at the bar icing her very swollen arm. Somehow she still had a smile on her face. Maybe it was the application of the alcohol and we ain't talkin isopropyl. Diva Allyn's bike sustained electrical ills and had to be trailered back. Our diva wrench Letricia jiggled a few wires (and a few other things) and did some hocus-pocus and got the thing fired back up so all was not a loss for Allyn. Yay.
But hey, that's the stuff that good stories are made of isn't it? Now we have more to talk about than the last ride up when Jennifer put Jan in a ditch. Wonder what happens tomorrow?
Day 3
Deciding to take it easy today and in desperate need of a fine wine/fine food fix, I kidnapped Selena and headed down 19/23 toward Asheville for the Bele Chere festival. I only got us lost twice falling victim to an obscured road sign the first time. Selena was a trooper and didn't kill me either time I got us lost. "Hey I'm just trying to show you the historic pulp mill and the 42 antique stores in beautiful downtown Candler. Live a little, will ya?" I finally got us to downtown Asheville. Oh by the way..it's HOT there. By now I was starting to rethink not going on that mountain ride with everybody else. But I gotta say the festival was great. Where else can you walk just 10 feet and spend 1/2 your life's savings? Selena and I were a poor influence on each other. "Yeah I really think you need to get that now. If you come back for it it'll be gone and then you'll be kickin' yourself." The end of the day would see us wishing for a Goldwing with an attached trailer just to get all our new junk home.
Lunch was great, a sandwich and beer for Selena and steamed mussels and 2 glasses of Honig sauvignon blanc for me. Aaahhh. Just the ticket. A cool band was playing Stray Cats outside when we left the restaurant. Tempting to buy the cd but I held off this time. I was happy enough with my very cool and very strange piece of artwork I bought. And it was even cheap!
Our ride back to Maggie had us throwing on the rain gear. We had to wait it out at a gas station. We made it back in time for the fashion show that night which went off without a hitch and afterwards had Patty busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest selling stuff she'd shown on the runway. Good job Patty. You deserve it!
Everyone swapped riding stories that night over our usual cocktail and a game of Left-Right-Center. Jan and a large group had gone on a waterfall tour. Sounded nice and I'd have liked to have done that also. So much to do, so little time. I'll get it next trip. I know when Jan writes her piece about that trip I'll be kicking myself in the ass for not going but I keep looking at my funky little perfect piece of artwork and then I feel better about it.
DIVA ANDREA ASHMEAD, JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL
DAY 1
SHARING THE LETTER FROM THE RALLY
OR SHOULD I SAY, "SHARING THE LOVE"!
Click here to add text.I had SO MUCH FUN! I was never afraid on the trip back. I felt that my bike was strong and that it wouldn't let me down. Every time that I stopped I would get a bottle of water so that I would stay hydrated. Whenever I filled up with gas I ALWAYS struck a conversation with someone who had a "bike" story to tell me. It was so exhilarating.
I remembered Jan told me to get gas more often using the back roads which I did. I also was aware of the number of miles to the next town where I always took a look at my odometer to do a quick calculation of how far I may need to walk if something were to happen. I also made a mental note of the location of homes for the same reason. I took 321 straight down to hit 17 in Savannah. This was the longest stretch of road that I saw the fewest cars.
After I left Jennifer a message the rain blew over and I had a little daylight left so I moved on down the road to try to get my 500 miles for the day. (I ended up with 507 for the day and 618 for my entire trip home alone). I ran into another small rain event. I made it to Darien and found a restaurant on 17 where I had my meal for the day. I asked around and found a Hampton on the interstate at Darien that wasn't scary so that I felt comfortable leaving my bike under the front entrance. The clerk gave me a room on the ground floor so that I could check on my "baby"!
I asked the clerk if he had a brush that I could have to help me eliminate my helmet hair! He only had a small black comb. I took a shower and spent at least 30 minutes trying to work the tangles out. I had no change of clothes so I just slept in the buff that night.
My back or butt never hurt. My middle fingers are still a little numb though. My chiropractor should correct this once I make the appointment.
I got dressed the next morning wearing the same underwear and sour bra that I wore the day before (remember I have no saddle bags). My shirt wasn't completely dry. As I almost gagged when I buttoned it I thought to myself how happy I was that there wasn't a buzzard in the area to think that I was some sort of road kill. LOL I knew that as soon as I got on the road that I wouldn't have to gag on my on odor.
Jennifer, you are absolutely correct with the statement "at one with your bike". I felt that way the entire trip and I can't wait to experience the rush again.
I could tell when Mitzi, Peggy and Dawn and I were gassing up that morning that they were all concerned for my safety. I really
appreciated their concern but I reminded them that I was ready to do this solo trip the day before. I suppose that I would have been
concerned as well.
I still have alot to achieve. I know that I must work on my fear of traveling 85 or 90 miles an hour on the Interstate. I remember that
when I started riding I would NEVER travel on a road that I didn't check out first in the truck. I would NEVER travel on the Interstate
and I would NEVER ride over a bridge. I actually rode the seven bridges ride two years ago to help me overcome that issue!
I really enjoyed work today. I relived the entire weekend over and over as my friends asked me how my trip was.
Thanks again to Jennifer and Jan for the wonderful inspiration!
...and a great big YEE HAW is in order!!!!
Diva Pam
DIVA PAM, JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL
