TRI COUNTY WINGS BERKELEY CHARLESTON DORCHESTER

Transcription

1 Gold Wing Road Riders Association Southeast Region A - South Carolina District CHAPTER SC G TRI COUNTY WINGS BERKELEY CHARLESTON DORCHESTER The Official Publication of the GWRRA Tri County Wings, Charleston, South Carolina MAY 2016 GWRRA National Directors Ray & Sandi Garris Rider Education Directors Bob & Althea Berry Member Enhancement Directors John & Barb Pons Deputy Directors Region A & N Bob & Nancy Shrader Region A Director Jim & Sue Jackson Rider Education Directors Mike & Mary Coral Member Enhancement Directors Rick & Madalena Buck SC District Directors Phil & Judy Stone Assistant Dist Director Joe & Brenda Wood J.W. & Yolanda Worley Rider Educators Mike & Mary Coral Trainers Donna & Glenn Bumgarner Membership Enhancement Coordinators Jean & Rich Kitko District Couple Of The Year John & Cindy Wood Inside this Edition: Article Page Chapter Director 2 Assistant CDs 3-4 Rider Ed 5 Motorist Awareness 6 Couple of the Year 7 Recipe & Tid Bits 8 Member Article Calendars Birthdays & Anniversaries 19 Welcome to Chapter G Bringing the Fun to our Friends and Family The Month ahead! May brings many beautiful things, so here are a few festivities for May to enjoy: May 1 May Day and Mother Goose Day May 3 National Teacher Day May 5 Cinco de Mayo May 6 Eiffel Tower opened to public, 1889 May 7 Kentucky Derby & Pulitzer Prize established (1917) May 8 Mother s Day May 9 1st Newspaper Cartoon in USA, 1754 May 11 Twilight Zone Day May 12 Kite Day May 13 Tulip Day May 14 Beginning of Lewis & Clark Expedition in 1804 May 15 National Chocolate Chip Day May 16 First US Nickel Minted in 1866 May 18 Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980 May 20 Lindbergh Flight Day in 1927 May 21 Armed Forces Day & American Red Cross Founded in May 24 1st Morse Code message sent, 1844 May 26 Blueberry Cheesecake Day May 27 Golden Gate Bridge Opens in 1937 May 29 John F. Kennedy born in 1917 May 30 Memorial Day Enjoy them all. NEXT CHAPTER GATHERINGS May 7th & June 4th Gather at 11:00am, meet at 11:30am, eat at 12:30 at Logan s Roadhouse 211 Azalea Square Blvd, Summerville, SC Chapter G Team Chapter Director Mike- Melton & Anne Sheets director@gwrra-sc-g.org Assistant Directors MJ & John LeBlanc acd-1@gwrra-sc-g.org George & Gloria Servant acd-2@gwrra-sc-g.org Chapter Educator & Asst Craig Miller twowingcircus@att.net Mike Melton Motorist Awareness Karen Miller twowingcircus2@yahoo.com Membership Enhancement Coordinator Fred & Anita Hull shs74@knology.net Chapter Treasurer Evelyn & Dan Pittman 2016 Couple of the Year John & MJ LeBlanc Activity Coordinators Anita Hull Karen Miller Kathy Truluck Sissy Morris Goodie Shoppe Dan Pittman Newsletter Editor Ron Morris moroutback@yahoo.com Photographer Karen Miller Webmaster Mike Melton admin@gwrra-sc-g.org Web Editor Bob Loomas

2 Chapter Directors Mike Melton & Anne Sheets P.O. Box 61885, North Charleston, SC Three for the Team Well, it s May already and the Mountain Trip is just around the corner. Hopefully the rain will get out of here and we will have beautiful weather for the trip. Working on the final details for those who are going, and appears to be a good number for this trip. For May, we have a few events planned, of which we hope you can find something of interest and come out and join us. We had a good turnout for the Education Seminars, the Frogmore, and the Meet to Eat at St. James Place (36 people attended this). Hopefully, our selections for this month will be equally as inviting. We will be asking for folks to let us know if they intend to come, so we can try to give an accurate head count to the restaurant. It helps to have an idea, especially, if we are going to have a large crowd. So, if you would like to attend, let us know you are considering it, and if you have to cancel at the last minute, that is fine. I taught an Advanced Rider Course (ARC) in April, and we had 12 bikes with 17 riders in the course. Some folks needed it more than others, but they all said they learned something. There are plans to have another one during the SC Rally, and a Trike Riders Course (TRC) also. I m working on a hopeful location here in Charleston, and if it works out, we will have another one down here. Next, I want to ask about the Education Seminars. I am considering making arrangements for a place for us to meet one Tuesday a month, and one Sunday afternoon a month, to have Education Seminars. But, before I do, it would be helpful to know who would be interested in attending, to see if it is worth my effort and time to make these arrangements. So, if this is something you would consider attending when you can, please drop me a line and simply say, I d be interested in the seminars. Last thing I want to talk about is communications. You have a very good team supporting you, and they need to hear from you. They need your thoughts and inputs for suggestions of things we may be interested in doing as a group, or individuals. Not everything we send out is a group activity. If you are planning something, and would be willing to share that with others to see if they may be interested in doing also, drop us a line, and we can get it out in a G-Mail. We do try to limit the G-Mail notices to two a week, unless there are changes or urgent matters, so get your inputs in early. And if you want to address your current leadership, you can us at gmail@gwrra-sc-g.org or to me at director@gwrra-sc-g.org. We look forward to riding and doing something with everyone of you. Until next time, ride safe and often, Mike Melton 2

3 Assistant Chapter Directors 2016 Chapter Couple of the Year MJ & John LeBlanc MJ John acd-1@gwrra-sc-g.org The Biker s Second Annual Frogmore and More. It s been a busy month for us and missed some of the events posted on the calendar but glad we made it to the second annual Frogmore. It was a huge success, thanks to both Guy, for hosting and cooking, and to Mike, who is a certified trainer, for teaching the seminars: Motorist Awareness Division (MAD) and Planning a Chapter Event. Since May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, it was a perfect time to put this on the calendar. As you know, GWRRA offers a wonderful program to help members be better and safer riders. It s called the Levels Program and outlined in this month s Wing World as well - Level 1: Safety by Commitment; Level II: Safety by Education; Level III: Safety by Preparedness; and finally, Level IV: The Master Level. We completed the TRC Rider Course last year at the SC Rally and took the CPR/First Aid Course in January of this year so we only needed MAD to obtain our Level III rider patch. The MAD seminar focused on educating the motorist community whereby the motorcyclist and the motorists are equally responsible for their own safety. The seminar covered an array of topics including road hazards, blind spots, turning across oncoming traffic, driver distractions, safe space cushion, vehicle stopping distances, etc. Did you know that in 1955 we only had 450,000 motorcycles registered in the U.S. and today it exceeds 10 million! Motorcycles are just harder to identify in traffic and most motorcycle crashes with other vehicles are caused by the motorist failing to yield the right-of-way. For me, riding a motorcycle has made me a better driver. Make it a habit to look for motorcycles and share the road - give them more space, don t follow too closely, be cautious at intersections and look twice it could save a life. The second seminar Mike presented was on Planning a Chapter Event and used the upcoming poker run as an example. To execute a successful plan, you really need to work backwards and start with the expected outcome/goals. Then form a committee, detail your plan, list the potential problems and always plan for contingencies (a hiccup or two will surely surface). The success of your event is based on knowing the key elements: who, what, where, when, and why. But least we not forget one more important w - weather, which can make or break your event, so have an alternate plan. Finally, promote, promote, promote get the word out far and wide. After the event be sure to gather feedback especially if you plan on making the event a recurring item on your calendar. First layer included the spices, onions and sausage this added flavor to the base. Then the potatoes and corn. Finally, the shrimp and MJ and John LeBlanc Now it was time to eat and Guy had everything ready to go. To the pot of boiling water he added the various ingredients in stages. frog legs. As usually, all those who attended also brought a dish to share. We had a wonderful time!. 3

4 Assistant Chapter Directors George & Gloria Servant George Gloria acd-2@gwrra-sc-g.org Ride for Kids. Ride for Kids Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation is the longest-running, most successful motorcycle charity event in the nation. Since 1984, motorcyclists have raised funds to help children with brain tumors, which are the top cause of cancer death in children. Although there was some confusion on details about the ride and uncertainty about the weather, four of us decided to ride to Lexington and help support Chapter P s fundraising efforts and offer to give the kids a ride on our trikes. We met on a rather cool Sunday morning and decided to take secondary roads to Lexington. We enjoyed a nice ride through some country roads, complete with a few actual hills, something I had not experienced in the Low Country in months. As we approached Lexington, we realized that the food that was to be served was likely only hot dogs and not until after the actual ride, so we opted to stop for some lunch. By the time we arrived at Lexington High School, all the kids that wanted to ride were already assigned to bikes, trikes and Slingshots (they were all the rage, and with about eight or nine available, the lucky teenagers that rode in those were really excited). We signed our releases, made our donations and joined the 250 or so motorcycles for a police escorted ride around the area. Being at the rear of the group we experienced the slingshot effect several times, going from a near or complete stop to eighty mph to catch up at times. Probably a good thing we were not riding any kids after all. Our Group Riding skills were tested that day, and only a couple of Harleys broke down as best we could tell. Upon our return to Lexington High School, we did a quick U-turn and headed to Dunkin Donuts for a 3 o clock coffee (and donuts). Topped off our tanks, and took I- 26 back home. Back to the donations: the ride was actually free. Donations were accepted in any amount. The $40 tickets that were suggested originally in order to be eligible for prizes, including a motorcycle, was deemed unlawful in South Carolina, and any donation would enter you in the running for prizes. You must be present to win, however. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation was created in 1991 by the founders of Ride for Kids, and is now the leading nonprofit funding research into childhood brain tumors. The many events across the US also fund free educational resources, college scholarships for brain tumor survivors and emergency financial aid for families. The Lexington event raised over $36,000 and over $375,000 has been raised nationally this year. The goal is nearly $2,760,000 this year. Anyone wishing to make donations can do so online or contact Chapter SC-P. American Honda is the presenting sponsor of Ride for Kids as well as GEICO and Cycle World magazine. George & Gloria Servant 4

5 Rider Education Safety Corner Chapter Educator Craig R. Miller 106 Heritage Ln, Summerville SC May Topics to Consider This month, we have two subjects we would like to address. First, let s talk about the Levels Program. Yes, that again. But, we had a Motorist Awareness Seminar during our Frogmore Education Seminars, which filled the requirements for five people to now meet the Level III certification. We would like to congratulate those recent submissions and hope they have learned things to make them feel and be safer on the motorcycle of their choice. So join me in congratulating the following: John LeBlanc, (Rider); MJ LeBlanc, (Rider); George Servant (Rider); Gloria Servant (Co-Rider); Guy Lamb (Rider). The chapter will provide their patches and hopefully be able to present them at an upcoming Chapter Gathering. If you would like to see where you fit in the Levels Program, just contact Craig or Mike, and we will be glad to explain things for you. And for everyone s benefit, everyone qualifies for Level I with a simple commitment, to ride safely. Next, let s talk about the Gold Wing Recall. Without a doubt, all Gold Wings, from , need to have the recall completed. There is no confusion for the bikes out there, but there appears to be some confusion on the trikes. Some dealers are saying they don t have to do the recall if your trike is a certain Asst. Chapter Educator Mike Melton P.O. Box North Charleston, SC meltong@cfl.rr.com brand(s). (These vary with the dealer). After having a discussion with the maintenance folks at Sumter Honda, their comment was, it doesn t matter. Since the master solenoid needs to be replaced, AND, it still feeds the front caliper that works in conjunction with rear brakes, the recall SHOULD be done on all Gold Wings. But, they have a back log on the parts, so if you have trouble getting a local shop to complete the recall, you can contact Sumter Honda, and they will take care of you. You can see their ad on the last page of the newsletter. After that, here s hoping everyone will ride safe, and if you have any topics or discussions you would like to see here, drop a line. We will do the research. Ride Safe and Often, Mike Melton 5

6 Motorist Awareness Division (MAD) Karen Miller 106 Heritage Ln, Summerville SC things car drivers should know about motorcycles. Excerpted from April 7, 2011 Hell for Leather Magazine In 2009, 5,474 people were killed on American roads due to distracted driving. Now, April has become National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The MSF has put together a list of 10 things folks who drive cars need to know about driving around motorcycles. I hope you re not reading this on your iphone from the driver s seat. It is now 2016 and the statistics are the same. There are now even more motorcycles on the road. You can expect one of two things to happen. Either drivers will begin to notice motorcycles more because there are more on the road OR there will sadly be more accidents because drivers perceptions have not changed. There are many more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road and some drivers don t recognize motorcyclists. They ignore them, usually unintentionally. Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at an intersection. Most motorists don t deliberately ignore the fact that a motorcycle is in their area. That s why it s so important for the motorcyclist to make him or herself as visible as possible. A motorcyclist may look farther away than he or she is in actuality. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, estimate that a motorcycle is closer than it looks. It s a combination of optical illusion and a conditioned response by many drivers. They equate what they are seeing with what they are most accustomed to, which is the automobile world. We are smaller and therefore appear to them to be further away. We need to be prepared and assume the driver THINKS we are further away. A motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car s blind spots or masked by objects or backgrounds outside the car. Thoroughly check traffic, whether you re changing lanes or turning at intersections. Again, our smaller size makes it possible for us to be completely concealed in a car s blind spot or any object that could obstruct the driver s field of view (trucks, signs, hang tags on the mirror, etc.) We need to stay out of those blind spots whenever possible. 4 A motorcycle may seem to be moving faster than it really is. Again, don t immediately rely on your perceptions. Again the optical illusion effect. Our size deceives the driver by making him THINK we re going faster than we are. We need to anticipate that a driver may misjudge our distance. This is particularly dangerous at an intersection when a car is preparing to turn left. We need to be prepared to react. Motorcyclists sometimes slow down by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Don t tailgate motorcyclists. At intersections, anticipate that motorcyclists may slow down without any visual warning. We need to remember to communicate with drivers around us. We can tap our breaks and give hand signals to let them know we re slowing down. Turn signals on a motorcycle are not often automatically self-canceling. Some riders, (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off. Try to determine whether a motorcycle s turn signal is for real. And if you re driving a car, remember to use your turn signals too. They re a great communication tool for riders and drivers when used properly. This is a common problem with cars as well, and it causes confusion on the road. We need to be conscious of what we re communicating to motorists around us at all times. In summary, we need to: Make ourselves as visible as possible to the drivers around us Communicate our intentions clearly to drivers around us, and Anticipate that a driver is going to misjudge our distance or speed and be prepared to react. In other words, we need to RIDE AWARE! Ride Safe and Ride Alert! Karen Miller 6

7 2016 Couple of the Year Order of the Red Spoon (ORS) Ride and Patch During our recent Key West trip, a few Chapter SC- G members were inducted into the Order of the Red Spoon (ORS). We rendezvoused with FL1G chapter in Deltona, FL. The ORS ride consisted of both scenic views and country byways through the area that ended at a local Dairy Queen. The induction ceremony starts with current members of the ORS forming a gauntlet with their long red spoons. As each new member passes through, the Royal Wizard (Chapter Director Tom Mitchell) beckons: Having driven many miles, and endured inclement weather, step forward and be rewarded for your bravery and induction into the Order of the Red Spoon. As we emerged from the gauntlet, we are given our official red spoon, sampled the ice cream sundae and presented with our DQ patch. It was a fun evening and a big thank you to members of FL1G for their hospitality! MJ and John LeBlanc SC- G COY

8 Tid Bits of Information Here are some other news items you may find of interest. Submit info for this page to What s Going on in the Area May 6-7 Strawberry Festival, Fort Mill May 7 9 th Annual Dragon Boat Festival, Charleston May Shaw Air Expo, Sumter May 27-Jun 12 Spoleto Festival, Charleston Jun 4-5-Salt Games, Myrtle Beach Jun SC Humanities Festival, Beaufort humanitiesfesival/ RECIPE FOR MAY Sensational & Easy Turkey / Chicken Noodle Soup 3 1/2 cups Swanson Chicken Broth Generous dash ground black pepper 1 medium carrot, sliced 1 stalk celery, sliced 1/2 cup uncooked medium egg noodles 1 cup cubed cooked turkey or chicken MIX broth, pepper, carrot, and celery in a saucepan. Heat to a boil. STIR in noodles and turkey or chicken. Cook over medium heat 10 min. or until noodles are done. NOTE: To make this easier, use a package of carrot sticks and a package of celery sticks ANOTHER NOTE: This recipe serves 4, but it is very easy to increase the ingredients to make the soup for a crowd. CHICKEN SOUP IS VERY GOOD FOR YOU, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE SICK OR HAVE A COLD. ENJOY Evelyn Pittman Jun History Alive Festival, Greenville Jun th Hampton County Watermelon Festival Jul 7-9-SC Festival of Discovery, Greenwood -festival-of-discovery Jul Beaufort Water Festival MJ & John LeBlanc 8

9 What Happened Last Month Here are some things that took place last month. Submit info for this page to Chapter Gathering Our gathering was on Saturday, April 2nd. We arrived at 11:00 to get our food orders in before the meeting. The meeting started at 11:30 and we had a great turnout with our guests from Chapter SC-S joining us, and bringing the Hot Potato. We handed out some recognition pins and certificates for some of our officers. We started filling our bellies at 12:30 at Logan s, Roadhouse, 211 Azalea Square Boulevard, Summerville. Logans is providing the meals at 15% discounts. After the meeting, we high tailed it off to drop off the Hot Potato to SC-J. It was a great ride. Mikey s Rides Each Thursday, Mike has planned a ride. You see, Thursday is his day to escape and go ride for a short trip, so he decided to invite others to enjoy.. So far, we have done rides to Red s Icehouse, in SeaBrook, with a nice ride down River Rd. We took a trip up to Pappy s Place in Monck s Corner, with a ride by Bushy Park, and a ride over to Walterboro, to check out Fat Jack s, with a ride up Hwy 17 and Hwy 61. Kathy s Craft Night We had an evening of good times to include making decorated letters. Everyone had a blast. Do you have an ideas for craft night? If so, please contact Kathy at mkt321@comcast.net or by her cell phone at Meet to Eats We had two Meet to Eats last month. At the first one on the 14th, we enjoyed the food at St. James Place Grille, Goose Creek. It was very delightful to see all that turned out (36 members). Our second one, on the 28th at Swig & Swine in Charleston. We had a great turn out there also, and had a great time. Hope to see you at one next month. Frogmore We had our 2nd Annual Frogmore at Guy s house again. We started things off with two Education Seminars and had a great turnout for that. It is so good to see folks who want to learn more about riding. Then we settled down to a feast, with the Frogmore Boil provided by the chapter, and the covered dishes and desserts provided by the members. Great turnout, great food, and lots of fun. Hope to see you next year. And many thanks to the clean up crew for all their help. Ride to Swan Lake We had six bikes/trikes and nine riders for the trip. Beautiful weather at the Lake, and lunch downtown was great. Great way to spend a Saturday. May have an article next month with all the pictures. District Plaque Capture The April plaque capture took us to Rock Hill, to Pier 51 Seafood Restaurant. There were 94 folks who showed up, even though the Tennessee Rally was going on. We had a great time with some of our upstate friends. Chapter SC-M from Greenwood captured the plaque and will be hosting in May. Details to come. Port Royal Ride We had a group to head down to Port Royal for the Soft Shell Crab festival. Eight bikes/trikes and fourteen riders enjoyed the festivities for the day. 9

10 What s Happening This Month and Beyond Here are some things that are coming up in the future. Submit info for this page to admin@gwrra-sc-g.org. Chapter Gathering Our next gathering will be on May 7th. We are doing things different this month. We will have a Rider Ed Seminar starting at 10:00am. Then, we will go into our normal program at 11:00am. Food orders can be placed before we start our meeting at 11:30am. Food will be served at 12:30, or as we finish the meeting. We will be meeting in the back room We will be given a 15% discount on any menu item, excluding alcoholic beverages, so come on out and find out what we have going on. And weather permitting, we should have a after meeting ride. Mikey s Ride Each Thursday (except the 12th), Mike is planning a ride. Thursday is his day to escape and go ride for a short trip. So far, we have done rides to Red s Icehouse, in SeaBrook, with a nice ride down River Rd, we have been to Pappy s Place in Monck s Corner, with a ride by Bushy Park, and one to Walterboro, to check out Fat Jack s. All of the rides start at 9:30 from the Sunoco on University Blvd, across from Wannamaker Park, and we try to be back home by 1:30-2:00. Let Mike know if you have a suggestion for a ride, and let s go have a good time. Meet to Eats We have two Meet to Eats this month. The first one will be on the 12th at Carolina Ale House, 191 Sigma Dr., Summerville. The second one will be on the 26th at Ms. Rose s Find Foods, 1090 Sam Rittenberg Blvd, Charleston. We will eat at 6:30. Kathy s Craft Night Kathy's Craft is on the third Thursday of the month, and this month will be on May 19th from 7pm- 9pm. This month, they will be making clay pot solar lights. You can pick up your clay pot and spray paint it the color you want and we will decorate it at craft night. Also get your solar light. Some were seen at Walmart and Dollar General. Contact Kathy for more information. Her contact info is phone at or mkt321@comcast.net. Monthly Plaque Capture Next months plaque capture, will be with Chapter M in Greenwood, SC. At the time of this writing, we don t know the times yet, but expect eating either at 11am or 12pm.Again, depending on weather, we plan to ride the bikes up. We will send out a G-Mail with the ride meeting location and time, but this is a full day ride, but a great opportunity for some back country roads. Spring Mountain Trip The deadline for the group rate has passed, but there may still be rooms available. We are heading up to Murphy, NC this year, staying at the Best Western, May 12 through 15. The group code was GWRRA-SCG. Each person is responsible for their own reservations. The phone number for the hotel is Reservations must be made directly with the hotel in order to receive the group rate. Reservation cancellations need to be made 48 hours in advance. There are several restaurants in the area so food shouldn't be an issue. Contact Karen Miller with any questions at twowingcircus2@yahoo.com. We will be heading up early Thursday morning. We will have a meet in Summerville, then go to Orangeburg to eat at the Crackle Barrel. It will be about 300 miles up on Thursday. Then we have a rides planned for Friday and Saturday, with some free time in there also. Then we will head back on Sunday. 10

11 PICS FROM LAST MONTH Here are some pictures for the last month. Submit info for this page to This goes to all of you. What you would like to put in!!! If any of you take a ride and would like to put in a story and pic... If you have a business and want to put in a copy of your card... If you know a place which you received excellent service that you think GWRRA would be interested in If you have something to sell or give away... Send them to us. Remember, this newsletter is only as good as the people sharing their information. Thank you each and everyone for all you do. Send me anything you would like. Ron Morris moroutback@yahoo.com or text

12 Bob and Lynne s Great Spring Florida Adventure (Editor Note: Sorry for not getting it in last month) In the tradition of GWRRA (Gold Wing Restaurant Reviewers Association) we present this story of our adventure. All restaurants mentioned have our recommendation. Day 1 - We left home on a sunny Friday. We made a detour to Doctors Care in Port Royal to get some meds. We stopped for Lunch in Pooler Georgia at Cheddars before heading to Cedar Key Florida for the night. We loved the area when we spent the night there in December of Cedar Key is located 57 miles west of Gainesville, off Hwy 24; we arrived at Faraway Inn just after sunset. We stayed in the same quaint beachy hotel room as before. Dinner at Steamer s was fresh and delicious. It was the place to be, with great food, live music and waterfront location! We stayed till closing (10 PM) walking back to our room Day 2 - We had a great breakfast at Away From The World Cafe on Cedar Key, where we observed people fishing right off their balcony at the Harbor House Hotel! Then we headed to Port Charlotte, Florida. We arrived at the home of good friends Ken & JoAnna Murray in Port Charlotte later that afternoon. We treated them to great dinner at the Sunset Grill sitting outside on the harbor with perfect weather, sunset, food and company! They had driven us to dinner and gave us a tour of the local area before heading back to their house. Day 3 - They treated us to breakfast at a great local place! Always enjoy time with friends! On the way to Key Largo, we met up with the chapter G group who were on their way to Homestead. We met them at the end of their airboat ride and had lunch in Everglades City at City Seafood. That was yummy and fun! Then we headed across Alligator Alley for a scenic ride toward our lodging for the next three nights! We left the group in Homestead, and got to our rented camper in the Key Largo Campground. We found it to be exactly as described. The campground was great, with a heated pool, many games such as corn hole, shuffleboard, and volleyball. The first night we went to Hobo s Café, locally crowded and fabulous food. Day 4 - The next morning we met the group for a late breakfast at the Island Grill on Islamorada, where everyone enjoyed the food and atmosphere (and yes, I had fresh grouper with my eggs and toast at breakfast, YUM), then we headed on to Key West. Upon arriving in Key West, it was crazy crowded and parking was scarce. Bob and I were on the Gold Wing and FJR, and then there were 3 trikes and 2 vehicles. We all agreed to park and meet at the buoy (Mile 0), to take a group picture. By the time Bob and I got there, the group was done with picture and ready to move on. Bob and I planned to take the Conch Train Tour of Key West and encouraged the group to come with us. After the two hour ride and the crowds they just wanted to get out of Key West. We couldn t blame them we did the same thing in We said bye and headed to the train. We really enjoyed the 90- minute tour of Key West with a great local tour guide who was born there 63 years ago (referred to as a true conch )! The great advantage with the conch train was being able to get off at three different places, to look around and experience Key West! We walked around Mallory Square and that part of the city, had the traditional Kermit s Key Lime Pie on a Stick, explored Duval Street, and the Mile O Buoy area. After spending most of day in Key West, we decided to head north to catch the sunset closer to home. We missed the sunset that evening as we traveled north, but we got to the Florida Keys Steak and Lobster House and were again thrilled with a great meal! Day 5 Still in Key Largo we made a great breakfast discovery close to the campground in Key Largo called Keys Bites. I can still taste the wonderful Island Pancakes, Yum! After breakfast (Continued on page 13) 12

13 Bob and Lynne s Great Spring Florida Adventure (Continued from page 12) we explored the roads and neighborhoods around the campground and then rode to lunch at an open air biker bar/restaurant called Alabama Jacks which is just the other side of the bridge from Key Largo. It s really fun on Saturday and Sunday with their live band. That day it was a little tame, but the food was great as before! Relaxation was the plan of the afternoon, so we came back to campground and I enjoyed the heated pool. Late afternoon found us headed to the Sunset Grill on Marathon Key to at the Seven Mile Bridge to catch a great meal and sunset. Definitely worth the drive! Day 6 - We had to say goodbye to the Keys and head toward Daytona. We started the day with a final breakfast meal at Keys Bites. We headed north through sugar cane fields, many nurseries, gardens and farms. The ride was much more scenic and beautiful than running up the interstate or through Orlando! We had lunch that afternoon at the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp on the St Johns River in Cocoa! Another fabulous waterside meal! Late afternoon we made it to our lodging in Ormond Beach with our friend Bob Cross s brother Bill and wife Beverly. Fine folks and great accommodations! The house was only a few blocks off US 1 where Broken Spoke Saloon and Iron Horse Saloon were happening! Heard some live music, saw an oldie Leon Russell! Day 7 -We had a late start and just grabbed a snack at McDonalds so we wouldn t spoil our lunch at the 3 Bananas Restaurant, on the St Johns River in Crescent City where we were meeting our friends Pete Tamblyn & Jackie. We rode part of the Ormond Beach scenic loop and then had a nice little ride through the country to Crescent City. We met up with Pete and Jackie. After a great lunch we all rode some back roads before heading over to the speedway and checking out some the vendors before leaving to meet up with the group for the Dairy Queen ride. We met up with the group at the appointed departure point late due traffic and were relieved to see that they had waited for us. After an hour long ride we arrived at the Dairy Queen, where we became inducted into the Order of the Red Spoon. The folks of FL1-G were fun and accommodating! Day 8 - We rode half of the scenic Ormond Loop taking a break for breakfast in Flagler Beach for breakfast at another favorite restaurant the Oceanside Beach Bar and Grill. Heading back to the Daytona Speedway we rode the remainder of the scenic loop. We wandered through the vendors while waiting for our friend to finish a couple of demo rides. We then went for a ride on back roads west of Daytona before contacting his brother and agreeing to meet them for dinner at the Oceanside Beach Bar and Grill. Although they live there they had never tried it so we treated them to dinner as payment for the three nights we spent at their house. The meal and service were great as always and we returned to Bills house. We had just enough energy left to visit the vendors near the Iron Horse Saloon and buy a couple of T- shirts before heading to sleep. Day 9 Time to head home with Bob Cross. We had breakfast one more time at Oceanside Beach Bar and Grill. We took US 1 until just south of Jacksonville. We stayed on I-95 until I-16 in Savannah where we picked up US 17 and crossed into South Carolina. We went through Beaufort and up US 17 to home. Bob and I had a wonderful, safe 2400 miles (only around 500 of it on the Interstates) wandering throughout Florida! Can t wait to do it again! Bob & Lynn Singletary 13

14 MAY 2016 GWRRA Event / Ride Schedule for Chapter G Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Chapter G Gathering & Ride Mother s Day Meet To Eat Spring Mountain Trip > Spring Mtn Trip Team Meeting Kathy scrafts Night Car & Bike Show 10-2pm Alabama Rally / Convention, Eufaula > Meet To Eat Plaque Attack Memorial Day Chapter G Gathering & Ride THIS MONTH IN CHAPTER G Everything on this calendar is subject to change. Check our online calendar for the most up to date info at 7 MAY - Chapter Gathering & Ride - Logan's Roadhouse, 211 Azalea Square Boulevard, Summerville, Meet at 11:30am, Eat - 12:30pm, Ride afterwards MAY - Spring Mountain Trip, Murphy, NC 12 MAY - Meet to Eat, Carolina Ale House, 191 Sigma Dr, Summerville, Eat at 6:30pm 17 MAY - Team Meeting, Location TBD 19 MAY - Kathy s Craft Night. 7PM. 21 MAY - Car & Bike Show/MAD Event, 1101 Savannah Hwy, Charleston, SC, 10am-2pm. We will set up a MAD Tent around 9am. 26 MAY - Meet to Eat, Ms. Rose's Fine Food & Cocktails, 1090 Sam Rittenberg Blvd, Charleston, Eat at 6:30pm 28 MAY - Plaque Attack - Will be going to Greenwood, to visit Chapter SC-M.. Upcoming Events July SC Rally, Anderson 31 Aug - 3 Sep Wing Ding, Billings MT Ride To Eat Eat at 6:30pm 12 MAY - Carolina Ale House, 191 Sigma Dr, Summerville 26 MAY - Ms. Rose's Fine Food & Cocktails, 1090 Sam Rittenberg Blvd, Charleston 14

15 JUNE 2016 GWRRA Event / Ride Schedule for Chapter G Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Memorial Day Chapter G Gathering & Ride Meet To Eat Team Meeting Kathy's Crafts Night ARC in Fayetteville, NC Father s Day Meet To Eat Plaque Attack THIS MONTH IN CHAPTER G Everything on this calendar is subject to change. Check our online calendar for the most up to date info at 4 JUN - Chapter Gathering & Ride - Logan's Roadhouse, 211 Azalea Square Boulevard, Summerville, Meet at 11:30am, Eat - 12:30pm, Ride afterwards 9 JUN - Meet To Eat, Sesame Burgers, 4726 Spruill Ave, North Charleston, Eat at 6:30pm 14 JUN - Team Meeting (Location TBD) 16 JUN - Kathy s Craft Night. 7PM. 23 JUN - Meet To Eat, El Jalapenos, 3786 Ladson Rd, Ladson, SC, Eat at 6:30pm 25 JUN - Plaque Attack - More details to come. Chapter G Gathering & Ride Upcoming Events July SC Rally, Anderson 31 Aug - 3 Sep Wing Ding, Billings MT Ride To Eat Eat at 6:30pm 9 JUN - Sesame Burgers, 4726 Spruill Ave, North Charleston 23 JUN - El Jalapenos, 3786 Ladson Rd, Ladson 15

16 JULY 2016 GWRRA Event / Ride Schedule for Chapter G Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Chapter G Gathering & Ride Meet To Eat Team Meeting South Carolina District GWRRA Rally, Anderson > Kathy scrafts Night Plaque Attack THIS MONTH IN CHAPTER G Everything on this calendar is subject to change. Check our online calendar for the most up to date info at 2 JUL - Chapter Gathering & Ride - Logan's Roadhouse, 211 Azalea Square Boulevard, Summerville, Meet at 11:30am, Eat - 12:30pm, Ride afterwards. 7JUL - Meet to Eat, Two Keys Public House, 205 Grandview Drive, Summerville, Eat at 6:30pm (This is close to Buffalo Wild Wings) JUL - SC District Rally in Anderson, SC. More information at: Convention/test.htm 19 JUL - Team Meeting. 21 JUL - Kathy s Craft Night. 7PM. 23JUL - Plaque Attack - Location TBD. Meet To Eat Chapter G Gathering & Ride 28 JUL - Meet to Eat, Southern Roots Smokehouse, 2544 Savannah Hwy, Charleston,, Eat at 6:30pm (You can park in the State Farm lot for more space) Upcoming Events July SC Rally, Anderson 31 Aug - 3 Sep Wing Ding, Billings MT Ride To Eat Eat at 6:30pm 7 JUL - Two Keys Public House, 205 Grandview Drive, Summerville 28 JUL - Southern Roots Smokehouse, 2544 Savannah Hwy, Charleston 16

17 About Honda of Sumter: At Honda Of Sumter, we can handle all of your cycle needs. We have proudly served the power sports industry for over 44 years. We have been a licensed Honda Dealer under the same ownership and management since We also have been your go to dealer since 2001 for trike conversions. We have everything from atv's, dirt bikes, cruisers, sport bikes, touring bikes and trikes. Our mission at Honda Of Sumter is to provide you exceptional product knowledge and courteous customer service for life. We are here to serve you in all areas of your power sports experience. Celebrating 15 Years serving the Trike Community! Over 400+ Trike Conversions Installed! We are a California SideCar (CSC), Motortrike and Champion Trike dealer! We specialize in vehicle customization and accessorizing your bike to your specific needs and wants.. Your bike is an expression of yourself, come see what Honda Of Sumter can do for you! About Honda of Orangeburg We are a small dealership that carries Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha. We sell motorcycles, ATVs, PWCs, SxS, and scooters. We are located between Charleston and Columbia on I-26 at exit 154A. Our store hours are Tues Fri 9:00am 6:00pm and Sat 9:00am 5pm. We cover sales, service and parts as well as deliveries to the Charleston area. We can be reached by calling as well as visiting our web site, Thank you, Chris Gizmo Campbell Sales Manager Honda Kawasaki Suzuki Yamaha of Orangeburg 170 All American Lane, Orangeburg SC O (803) C (803) Thank You, Chris Moody - Sales Honda Of Sumter hondaofsumter@hotmail.com Store Hours - Tues-Fri 9-6 Sat 9-4 (EST) Your Business Card could appear here also. Contact Mike Melton or Ron Morris for more details. admin@gwrra-sc-g.org moroutback@yahoo.com 17

18 MIKEYS RIDES On 14 April, we had a nice little back roads ride to Red s Ice House on Sea Brook Island, via River Rd and some others. We were able to sit outside and enjoy the weather and the good food (one member even said the lobster roll was pretty good compared to what they were used to in the New England States). Then, on 21 April, we took another ride, were we made it up to Little Pappy s in Moncks Corner, via Bushy Park and some more back roads. And then on 28 April, we took a third ride over to Walterboro, via Hwy 17 & Hwy 61, for some more nice back roads ride. We ate lunch at the new location for Fat Jacks, and everything was good. ONE OF OUR OWN SEWING PATCHES Need a new GW patch sewn on your vest or just want to relocate existing patches? Send me an at gloria.retiring@hotmail.com or call me at The charges are $2 for each small patch and $5 for a large patches. I will match thread color to patch as well as inside lining of the vest. I also donate 50% of the fee back to the chapter. Closeout Sale Official GWRRA Earrings in both Post and Drop Styles. Post Regular $6 Sale $3 Drop Regular $11 Sale $5 Limited quantities available Get yours at the next Chapter Gathering on May 7 th Choose Chapter G Red with Gold Thanks, Gloria Servant 18

19 THE BULLETIN BOARD APRIL APRIL ANNIVERSARIES Ed Pearson... May 01 Guerry Tamsberg... May 03 Kevi Brown... May 07 Gene Wallace... May 07 Jack Webster... May 15 Bob Singletary... May 16 Faye Garrison... May 17 Roger Burriss... May 18 Daniel Hill... May 19 Note: If you are new to Chapter G, or if we've missed your birthday or anniversary, please send an to Evelyn Pittman Include your name, birthday (no year needed) and anniversary (also no year needed). None that we know of. REGION / DISTRICT EVENTS May Alabama Rally, Eufaula July SC Rally, Anderson 31 Aug - 3 Sep Wing Ding, Billings, MT Sep Wings Over the Smokies, Cherokee 6-8 Oct VA Rally, Roanoke Oct MS Rally, Gulfport Oct Region A Rally, Eufaula For some, the rides have been fewer over the cooler months. That means, before you head out, you need to do that T-Clock. Check your tires, your cables, controls, levers, oil and other fluid levels, to make sure your bike is at peak performance. The alternatives could be very abrasive and expensive. FRIENDS FOR FUN,, SAFETY AND KNOWLEDGE, S 19