I'll take TWO please...

Every once in a while, the stars align just right for one weekend of great riding. With my saddle bags packed, I headed to the "Two Wheels Only" Camping Grounds in Suches, GA for just such a weekend. The weekend promised antcipation, sorrow, excitement, and fun. Meeting with friends, I would have one heck of a ride through the North Georgia mountains.

Ok, so, maybe the stars were pushed around alittle bit to align properly. The planning of this ride actually started about three weeks ago when my good friend, Ron, tells me that he is headed over to the "Two Wheels Only" resort (TWO) for a Kawasaki ZRX Rally and wants to know if I want to join. Not having a ZRX, I was alittle skeptical at first. Moreover, Ron has been riding motorcycles for longer than I am old. This makes me a bit more nervous because I fear that it will not be my type of crowd. He insists that I will miss one of the best weekends of the year if I don't go. If there is one thing I know about Ron, it is that he NEVER lies about having a good time. I promise I will give some more thought.

Preparing to tell the wife the bad news (ok...to ask for permission), she beats me to the punch and tells me she has to go on a business trip and will be gone the weekend of this ZRX Rally. This is where the stars were working on their own. Even though I wasn't overly excited about the wife being out of town for two weeks on a business trip, I was happy that there would be no barriers to my time on this trip. Later that evening, I called Ron and let him know about my lucky star!

In the excitement, I email my friend Jim, who lives in Auburn, AL, about spending the weekend at TWO. Well, low and behold, he is going to a dirt-riding class that Sunday in Alpharetta, GA -- a mere one hour away from Suches, GA. It didn't take long for Jim to decide; I can expect to see him at noon Saturday at TWO. Living about four hours away from me, this will be the first time I've seen Jim in months. The excitement builds for I know this weekend is forming to be a good one.

But, the trip was still two weeks away. The pre-ride anticipation set in quick as I start preparing for the ride. On the list of items I will need for this venture is to acquire a sleeping bag. I will also have to unpack my saddle bags from my recent move. Then, there is checking over the bike to make sure it is up to the challenge. Each night, I spent thirty minutes to an hour planning routes, finding the necessary bits (which is all complicated by the fact that I can't find anything after the move), and acquiring the necessary goods (translated: beer). Thinking about this weekend only made the anticipation worse.

Boy, I love planning for a trip.