Dashboards and Saddlebags the Destination Magazine™ Issue 004 July 2011 | Page 29

The Grass Routes M otorcycle enthusiast Mike McLean, is launching a Saturday morning ride program for those that “just want to ride” called “The Grass Routes”, that will visit historic & scenic locations in Western North Carolina. These tours offer bikers and vehicles of all types free guided day trips of 100 - 200 total miles through the back roads of Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. They will spotlight famous and fascinating locations that contributed to local culture. Located between the Blue Ridge Parkway and Hendersonville, NC on Hwy 64, and just south of Asheville, NC, Horse Shoe is centrally located in an area rich with waterfalls & history. Tours will leave after breakfast on Saturday mornings at 10 AM from the McLean’s family restaurant - the Grass Roots Cafe, located at 4165 Brevard Rd., Horse Shoe, NC 28742. The Grass Routes will ride on the “old” roads, and visit areas of WNC’s past, keeping memories of bygone days intact and rekindle conversation and oral history of southern Appalachian culture. Beginning June 25th, the Grass Routes will travel to Whitewater Falls, Looking Glass Falls, and DuPont State Forest’s Triple Falls. The route will be on some of the oldest highways in Western North Carolina, and motorcyclists will enjoy plenty of “twisties” and “switchbacks” to visit these liquid treasures. This ride will be a feature event for the Sons Of Liberty Riders (www.sonsoflibertyriders. com) South East Regional Meeting, held in Etowah, NC that same weekend. FUTURE SATURDAY RIDES WILL INCLUDE: The Historical Marker Tour (Road Signs you pass by) The Kings Mountain Battlefield Tour The Cowpens Battlefield Tour The Cold Mountain & Sunburst Tour The Shelton Laurel Massacre of 1863 Tour (Hot Springs, Marshall, and Shelton Laurel) Mountain Heritage Day September 24, 2011, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC (Mountain Heritage Day generally attracts 15,000 to 20,000 attendees to the one-day festival. ) OUR MISSION STATEMENT: To ride American Highways, visit our Towns and Communities, reliving a simpler way of life when Interstates did not exist! Grass Roots Cafe, 4165 Brevard Rd., Horse Shoe, NC 28742. 828 275 4057 www.thegrassrootscafe.com DashboardsandSaddlebags.com 704-706-2365 29