MaxMetal Custom Motorcycles

 Diane’s Grandparents - Wayne and Alice Rolofson - Sometime in the 30’s on Indian.

March 24 and 25 - two wheels, two lanes, two days. We took a trip around upper and middle Georgia - staying far away from Atlanta.

Roads taken:

GA365 -Toccoa to Gainesville on 365.

GA53-Gainesville to Rome. Not recommended. The scenery can be pretty at times but a there is too much traffic on the winding road to allow for much relaxation.

GA 100-Rome to Greenville. Follows down the Alabama border.  This was enjoyable riding - heading South on an open road. Hoganville looke like an interesting town to visit another time.  It was built along and around the railroad. 

GA18-Greenville to Barnesville where we had reservations for the night.  (G.T.’s mom lives there and she always has room for a couple of vagabonds. )

• The photo is of the old Barnesville Buggy showroom.  For many years, the building housed Barnesville Hardware - a real hardware store where you could get anything from bolts to beeswax, harnesses and horse linament, cast iron cookware, hunting supplies.  If you couldn’t find what you wanted, you just had to ask and they would bring it out from some stack in the back.  Now it is the site of Susanna’s Day Spa.  http://www.wandisu.com/wst_page7.php - for several activities in the Barnesville and surrounding area.

GA16-Griffin to Thomson.  The weather was beautiful for riding but pollen filled the air, looking like yellow fog. It stuck to our skin, face shields, and clothing -turning the front of our pant legs yellow.

GA17-Thomson to Toccoa. This runs not far from the South Carolina line and takes us straight back to Toccoa.

These roads were pleasant, easy riding, wide open, country roads - very relaxing riding. Approximately 500 miles.

By Robert Frost, this is one of my favorite poems:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler,long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the under growth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black.  Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence:  Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Life is made up of choices.  I’ve made some good choices in my life and a few bad ones. Seldom is there a chance to go back and do it over.  But each new day is an open road in front of me to travel as I choose.  I’m choosing to enjoy the ride. 

We are just getting started in this internet stuff.  The MaxMetal web site www.max-metal.com is new and still in development.  Coming soon is our web store where we will be selling all kinds of motorcycle parts and accessories.

This business grew out of a love of motorcycles and riding, G.T.’s incredible ability to design and build all things mechanical, and the desire to just enjoy living life everyday.

The physical location of our shop is in the country, on the top of a hill, in Northeast Georgia.  It is a great location for taking in the beauty of the world around us.  Right now, in the woods and meadow surrounding the shop, spring wildflowers are blooming and birds are singing.  The Blue Ridge Mountains are visible in the distance, beckoning with the promise of winding roads waiting to be explored when we ride this next weekend.

We live in a biker’s paradise. The mild Southern weather allows year round riding. The Blue Ridge Mountains, at our doorstep, offer fantastic rides. We are far enough away from any large cities so the traffic is light and easy to negotiate.  The open roads stretch out from Toccoa in all directions offering a wide variety of scenery within a few hours ride - from the mountains to the seashore.