Yearly tradition

[the Ferret]

Every year, for as long as I can remember, my younger brother and I take a ride on New Year's Day (weather permitting of course .. which means no snow or ice on the road)

This year the weather terrorists predicted sunshine, 28 degrees going up to 36 degrees. Zero chance of precip. Can't ask for much better than that!

We decided to meet at my house and ride out to a restaurant in Georgetown Ohio called the Country Inn for brunch. It was right at freezing when my brother showed up on his FZ, but the sun was shining and it would only get warmer.

Holding up the 1-1 fingers (January 1st)

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The ride out to Georgetown is on State Route 125 which runs east-west some 150 miles from Cincinnati to Portsmouth, Ohio through the Shawnee State Forest near it's western terminus. Here we are going into a valley between the villages of Hamersville and Georgetown which White Oak Creek flows thru. The creek runs all the way to the Ohio River about 12 miles south of here. BTW 18th President Ulysses S Grant lived for awhile and went to school in Georgetown and famed wildlife artist Carl Ruthven lives there.

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The Country Inn is known for it's great home cooking and homemade pies. (Fun fact ... when President Obama was in this area during his first term he stopped here to eat.)

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We were here for a breakfast meal called the Slammer. Eggs, bacon, sausage, hash brown potatoes and pancakes. A lot of food for $7.99 .... Man it was good.

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We waddled out of there and needed to work off that meal by riding some more. Here's a neat little natural falls. Runs all year unless there is a draught.

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We weren't the only ones out riding. Here a Harley brother goes past headed west. 36 degrees ... NO helmet... not even a knit hat. I felt like a wimp in my electric jacket liner and heated grips, balaclava and full helmet. Said it a million times, I am not tuff enough to ride a Harley.

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We were even able to get in some might fine curves on the way to my brothers house

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Notice sun and shadows in these pics. Awesome. 114 miles today. Great way to start racking up the miles in the New Year.
(btw checked my records and Jan 1 2015 I rode 111 miles so, I'm ahead of last year bwahahahaha)

[Chapomis_imp]

Great way to start the year Ferret ! - !

[emptysea]

Delightful start to 2016

[redbirds_imp]

Looks like fun Micky, glad y'all got out.

[Cormanus]

Good work, Ferret. I think your report speaks more to your Harley mate's sensory capability than your tuffness.

[Ron in MO_imp]

Nice ride! On days like this I do miss my Electra Glide with heated everything.

[Blockhead_imp]

What a nice tradition, looks fun. That breakfast looks awesome...I would have to curl up and take a snooze if I ate that much food!

[Rocky_imp]

Glad you were able to get out.
Up here we have snow and wet and salty roads

[quietguy_imp]

Thanks for sharing, Mr F!

Beautiful photos, areas! Didn't know Ohio had such country - I've visited Bryan and Napoleon; both were FLAT, lol.

And I was wondering how you manage all that cold weather riding, didn't know you had heated stuff.

[Huladog_imp]

Wished I ate so well on my New Year's Ride!

Started doing an early morning Jan. 1st ride some years back with a buddy to ensure we started the new year off right. Since not much was open early in the morning we would just ride around the island (about 100 miles) with only a stop to pee if needed.

Would get home early enough to have some breakfast since the ride isn't that long, maybe three hours, but of course the weather was a lot more pleasant for sure (this year it was a bit cooler, like 68 so I had to wear a shell under my mesh jacket).

We called the annual ride the "Iron Okole" (your bottom end in Hawaiian). Not real hard to do, nothing real special, but just a little tradition to keep the riding going for the rest of the year.

Aloha,
Huladog