Sean's and Andies Motorcycle Adventures

Our Motorcycle Ride to Washington, GA on March 12, 2008

2008-03-13T09:01:00.001-07:00

Hello!!

Well the hubby and I decided that it was time to go for another ride. Plus we wanted to test out a new bike that we are thinking about buying. We really need a touring bike because we want to take some fairly long rides this summer and the Triumph is just too small. We are definitely doing a 6 hour round trip ride in April and we hope to go to visit my best friend Brooke in CT sometime this summer. That's 17 hours one way!! So we def need a big bike. So here's the bike that we rode:

It's a Yamaha V-Star 1300. I absolutely loved it!! This one is used but the one that we would be getting would be brand new. It's sooooo nice. Super comfy and really smooth. We rode for about an hour and my butt was just barely sore. It was such a nice change!! So it looks like we are going to buy it. Hubby gets super deals since he works at a dealership. So yesterday we decided to hop on the bike and take it for a test ride down to Washington, GA which is about an hour south of here. Washington is a VERY old and historical town with lots of antebellum homes and plantations. The first stop off we made was at Callaway Plantation which has been restored and turned into a sort of museum. They have all sorts of stuff around there. They have 4 old homes including the manor house. Here's a little bit of history on the manor house:

It was built of red brick in the Greek Revival style in 1869. So, since it was built after the Civil War, it isn't technically an antebellum home. All I can say is they musta been in concert with some Yankees to be able to afford a house like that in 1869 in the middle of Reconstruction!! Okay so that's my two sense on that. Nothing against Yankees but if you were a Confederate, I just am not sure how you would be able to build a house like that at that time. Keep it, maybe, but build it, uh uh!! Here is what the website has to say about it: "The home remains virtually unaltered. The doors, mantels and most of the plaster are original and have survived in remarkably good condition. Each room is furnished with excellent examples of period furniture. Connected to the rear of the mansion by a breezeway is a self-contained brick kitchen. It is equipped much as it was when the plantation was at its zenith."

Here's an old pic of the house:

Here are some of the pics I took:

These are some pics of around the house. In the barn and places like that:

They also have a log cabin that was built in 1785 there!! It was amazing to see it. Here is what the website has to say about it: "The oldest building in the complex, the hewn log cabin, most likely an early settler's first home, was constructed around 1785. It contains many early domestic and agricultural tools as well as primitive furniture. The interior of the log cabin consists of a single room with a fireplace for heating and cooking and a table for preparing food, eating and a myriad of other activities necessary to the survival of the early settlers."

Here are some pics I took of that:

Well, as they got to be a little bit more stable, they were able to build a nicer house. So they built a Federal Plainstyle house which is now called the Gray House. If you ask me, it looks more blue than grey but I'll let you come to your own conclusions. Here's what the website says about this house: "As the settler's economic situation improved, they abandoned their log cabin for a more spacious home, the Federal Plainstyle house, and then used the cabin as a kitchen. This two-story, four room plainstyle house contains furnishings typical of the 1790's including a loom."

Here are some pics:

Then we moved on the the Gilmer House which was scary!! It looks like they are still fixing that one up but it was neat to get to see the way that they used to plater walls. Below is a pic.

Here is what the website says about the Gilmer House: "The Gilmer House, built in 1800 and located on lands adjacent to Callaway Plantation, is the boyhood home of George R. Gilmer who served as Georgia's governor from 1827 to 1831 and from 1837 to 1839."

There was also a schoolhouse and many other buildings on the property. Here are some pics of all of those:

Then Sean and I rode into town square and ate at the Sandwich Shop. Good food, historical building (an old bank and jewelry store), a little pricey but you do have to expect that in small town eateries. So after we ate we headed down to the Robert Toombs house. It's was soo beautiful.

Here are some pics:

And then we headed home. But it was a great day riding!! Loooove that bike! Can't wait to own it!

Don't forget your jewelry for the ride!

Here are some books about the South and the Civil War:

Fiction:

Non-Fiction

About Washington, GA and Robert Toombs

I've joined MyLot.com

2008-03-08T17:04:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I've joined Mylot.com. To view my page please visit myLot User Profile. Thanks!!

Our Trip Just Down the Road on Monday, February 25, 2008

2008-02-26T19:43:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone,

Welcome to my new motorcycle adventures blog. I am really excited to get it started!! I can't wait to show you all the wonderful places that my hubby and I go on the bike.

Yesterday we took off for a short little ride because we didn't have a whole lot of time. Let me just say that "short little" is defined as about 80 miles. So it was not that short or that little :-). We didn't have a whole lot of time so we just took of to a little town about 20 minutes south called Lexington. Here's the pic of the Triumph. It's the bike that we take out on most excursions.

So we headed to Lexington to look at a house that we were interested in buying that was built in the 1850s! I love finding houses around this area that survived Sherman's March to the Sea. This area was lucky because it's a bit north of Atlanta and Sherman missed it.

Well the house is beautiful outside, but needs sooooooooo much work inside. It had rats and the floors were about to go. So we decided that unless we had an extra $100,000 to put into fixing it up (which we don't), then we shouldn't get it. So we won't. But it's such a shame because it could be an absolutely phenomenal house. But it needs to be completely rebraced underneath, the walls need to be redone, the flooring needs to be replaced, all the baths need to be redone and the kitchen needs to be redone! Not to mention the fact that it's a 6 bedroom house but only has 2 1/2 baths! So we would need to add at least on more bath. Just too much money for us right now. Hopefully someone that has that kind of money will purchase the house and put it back to its former glory. Let's hope so anyway.

After we left the house, we took a ride down to Watson's Mill Bridge State Park. It's a wonderful covered bridge that is very historical. Here are some of the pics I caught there.

So after about 45 minutes down here, we hopped back on the bike and headed back home to go and get sushi for dinner. I loooooove sushi! So it was our first adventure of the year!! I hope that there will be many, many more!!! I'll keep you all up to date!!

Don't forget to get your jewelry to show off your motorcycle passion at http://www.andiesartistryjewelry.com/. Jewelry made from motorcycle parts is coming soon. I'll let you know when I have it ready! Here are some of the pieces that I currently have avaiable. Don't forget that I do custom pieces. If you can imagine it, I can more than likely create it (if it's beaded of course :-)

Happy Trails!!!!

Need to purchase motorcycle parts at a cheap price? Click here to view my eBay listings!!!! Or you can go to eBay and click on advanced search. Choose search items by seller. My seller name is threebigtrends.