Opa Rides

Thank you, John!

Thanks for the nice pics and writeup. It's been many years since I've been through Enoree. I don't know that I have ever been but just to the edge of Laurens. I've been through Clinton many times, though. Back in my twenties I used to get on the old Goldwing and just ride wherever the road took me until near dark then I'd figure out where I was and how to get back home. I haven't ridden like that in many years, though.

Thank you for the kind words!

@popscycle has a wonderful thread you may enjoy. I post once in a while, he posts at least daily!

https://advrider.com/f/threads/good...-the-old-long-and-new-short-of-it-all.972857/

.

Then I went to the dairy, Happy Cow Creamery. We like their milk and it is an excuse to ride the mule for supplies..... one of these days I guess I should photograph the dairy for this thread. After loading up on milk (pasteurized but not homogonized) I stopped to get a replacement tag photo.










Link to site describing this action. Scroll down to 'Laurens County.'





























I thought this was where the cemetery was supposed to be. Guess not



























A couple random shots on Boggy Branch Rd, Laurens county, SC.


























Me and my shadow


















Recrossing the Enoree River on Harris Bridge Rd
































About the end of that ride.




.

Thanks Loren. Enjoyed the trip. Mostly too cold or wet or snowy to ride up here now.

Got out for a ride or three last week. Several beautiful afternoons! Guess I better put pen to paper before I forget what I did.



First ride was to Saluda, NC to get some apples.
On the way


Barn








For some reason I started noticing a lot of United States flags. Maybe they were always there and I just started seeing them? I don't know. A few flags along the way.


































Yard art























A flag and a lighthouse























Not sure I got all the flags, but those were in a seven mile stretch of New Cut Road.






.

An old store/station













The other end of his property






















Another old place

































There's another flag













Let's go to the races...


























Flag at Links O' Tryon












Old schoolhouse repurposed as community center, Gowensville, SC


















,

Another old cabin











And a flag













One for the bridge thread



















Then I flushed a great blue heron

































One for the fire house thread


















So I always seem to forget to get the views of the places I stop. At the Apple Mill Market; gift sets.





















Old Howard Gap Rd. It is still closed going down the mountain.

















Looking downhill on I-26, Saluda Grade. Old Howard Gap goes down the mountain over on the right. I've read that this old road dates back to the Cherokee. On the left there are a dozen or two houses hidden up on the mountain.












One for the church thread















Another barn view






















Stopped to look around here; old Saluda Grade on US 176















The bridge across the North Pacolet River. The motel was back in there and there are some homes over there.













Downstream view













Upstream view












Love that old Edney stone warehouse.















Another firehouse in downtown Tryon















And a one lane bridge






















Then to home.......









.

I went out and got a ride in the next day. Started by chasing down a tag not too far off.


The tag was this trail head sign







I wait until I get home to post up my tags. Got bruced this time!














I saw this old house on the way in (and out) to the tag. The owner stopped just as I got off and told me it would be all right to walk in the yard.



































































And this beautiful home with horses in the front yard















































.

These were all around Pauline, SC. Then around Foster Mill Circle, past the DNR firing range where I found one for the Bridge thread.



















































.

Next stop was Glenn Springs, SC. There is a lot of history in this small area. Easy to miss just riding through.


























The pastor was just leaving as I arrived and stopped and talked to me for a time. A lot of the information is on the historic sign, but he told me the interior of the church was very nice, and the stained glass windows, especially on the end were priceless. My light was not great for recording them.

























Across the road from the church is the old Post Office. This one gets photographed quite often.









































Third shot from the same spot





































Site of the original Calvary Church


































.

Just across the street from the the Calvary Cemetery is another church grounds with several buildings. It is called Shiloh Springs and they have bought the original Glenn Springs, which are now but a small trickle. The springs are inside this building.


























Then I went in here. Right across the street from the Post Office.
















There was a couple with Preservation Society working in the church. When they left they stopped to talk for a bit giving me the information about the area.

This church dates to 1907. It is now used as a community center/event center.


















And this building is on the same property. I did not move the motorcycle for these shots. Originally this was the Cates General Store; serving the mill and the hotel. Later the church used it. They have replaced the roof and painted this building and locked it up until they can work on it.













I was sitting on this bench when the couple left, stopping to talk first.































Standing about where the motorcycle is and looking the other way. The hotel was over in that clearing, private property.




















Peeking in the window


















And here you can see the Post Office across the street.









That is a second Eagle Scout project bench.






This house dates from 1897.














And this one (which we saw earlier from a different angle) dates from 1850. It sits to the left of the house above and next to the Calvary Church.



































Working my way home; Tyger River bridge on Old Hills Bridge Rd.































At the top of the hill












And home...






.

I better try to finish this up. For the third consecutive day I went for a bit of a ride. To make up for getting bruced......




Started out here, very close to home.


































Then stopped to get one for the Bridge thread. The building on the left, behind the tree is the homeless shelter. They had a murder close by the day after I took this.








































SC hiway 9, north of Boiling Springs heading for the tag



















And with a fire truck in the parking lot!













And the tag










Some shots of the front of the fish camp









































.

Heading into Tryon, NC.


























Tryon is an epicenter of equestrianism, and once was a toy making metropolis.












That building above the red jeep (barely visible) is the old train depot. Pretty sure I did a post on it a long time ago.













I had decided I was going to see what was left of this place. I didn't notice it was a private drive..........

This is 3 miles north of Tryon.














Mostly kudzu it would appear.




















Found this old post card at Cardcow.com

This appears to be about the same place view as my photo above

























From looking at the post card, this would have been the farther building












The kudzu made walking treacherous and all the running water coming down the hill was between me and the chimney
















The motel would have looked down on the swimming pool. US 176 in the background














A lot of times when I head up the hill to the Saluda area I only use 176 heading away from home. Recently I used it coming back home and found a new to me mural at the junction of US 176 / NC 108. It is entirely possible I went right past it while it was in progress (or not) as I don't see it when west bound. Can't miss it when east bound.

Nina Simone, born Eunice Waymon in Tryon.

















A more complete biography here










.

I finally remembered to take a few shots at the dairy. Happy Cow Creamery. We like their milk and other products and it makes for a good excuse to get on the motorcycle. Or as I refer to it on a ride like this, the mule.

The shortest route has the dairy 40 miles away. This ride was right at 100 miles. I have done it in around 250 miles also. Using the short route home!




























And they offer a 10% discount for military, active or veteran.






















I know these are pretty exciting, so I will save some for later.........






.

What an awful year this has been. I lost my best friend to pneumonia backed up by the chinese virus last week. I will show some photos of him now and again. We met while we were both out playing tag. He met me, recognized my motorcycle from tag photos, turned around and chased me down. I guess that was 10 or so years ago.


At a fuel stop in West Plains, MO; 2017 on our way to California. This is Augie Ensley. @augiedog on ADV.








We had been chasing a storm on US 160 when we came upon this.










That bank was too much for us to try to get by, so we waited a bit until someone showed up with a chain saw. We helped out long enough to clear a path for two motorcycles...






A couple hours later....





















.

Opa...Loren so very sorry to hear about Augie's passing. From your ride reports I can tell his friendship meant a lot to you. My condolences to you and any of his other friends and family that may read this post.......Dave.

Thank you, Dave. We all appreciate that very much.

If there is anything more heart-wrenching than losing family or friends, I don't know what it is. Condolences.

Thank you, John. So true.