This was a "bonus ride". It was supposed to be an "off weekend" and we needed an excuse to ride, so a couple weeks ago I came up with the idea of going to the Cherry Blossom Festival. The weather had been so nice this year and since Macon was further south, I figured it should be really nice.....ooops....

It was an off weekend..... for the weather! Leaving home at 6:45 am in the dark, it was 33 degrees! Several of us met up on the north side of Atlanta and rode to the south side to meet the rest. By the time we arrived at the Chic-Fil-A my fingers were numb (and I had on my warmest gloves). The rest of me was okay, but I had on full leathers, winter clothes and thermal underwear. It took forever to get on the bike and once  on, I could barely move...but I wasn't  cold. I knew it was that it was supposed to be sunny and Macon was south, so it should be a little warmer and I could always shed clothes.......well it was sunny later!

We warmed up and had breakfast and coffee before heading on down to Macon. By the time we left the restaurant, the sun was out, but it was still very cold. The ride down was nice (but still cold). The temp rose a little and the sun being out made you think warmer.

Arriving in Macon we found the city looked to be still asleep. Downtown was quiet and there were no signs of any festival except for some pink bows tied to doors and blowing in the wind and and a few pink blossoms painted on the streets. We stopped and got off the bikes looking for someone to give us some directions...but no one was there.  We wandered aimlessly among the deserted streets and empty stores. Finally, a lone empty bus pulled up to a stop light...blocking the road with out bodies we kept the driver from leaving until we wrangled directions from her...well....actually we all stood by as Doug walked up to driver and politely requested information....Now we knew where to go so we jumped back on the bikes and rode another 6 full blocks to the park and center of all the festivities.

After the parking the bikes and securing our goods, we headed to the event. By now the temp was up to about 40 and the wind was blowing about 15-20 miles an hours. We all noted that we had been warmer while riding on the bikes! Looking around the first thing we noticed was no pink blossoms. The cherry trees had not bloomed. 400,000 cherry trees in Macon and not a single bloom. Upon entering the park, we  immediately noticed a pavilion that appeared to have stuff inside....inside meant out of the cold and wind...so guess where we went.

Inside we found a great photography exposition, some flower arrangements, and a pink wooden poodle decorating contest. After viewing all that we headed out the back and across the street into another building with more things to see. This building had various vendors, a model railroad club's display, and a very interesting show by Mr. Masaji. He performs amesaiku, the 2000 year old art form of candy making. It was amazing to watch. He took a ball of toffee and in minutes transformed it into a dragon or dolphin. He was very entertaining.

By now it was probably 45 outside and we had seen everything inside, so we had little choice but to head to the outside. The sun was out, the wind was still brisk, and temp was slowly creeping upward. Outside it was a carnival atmosphere. There were rides and food vendors...lots of food. On the outdoor stage was a clogging act. We stopped and watched for a while. Some could not resist the food and got something to eat. As we stood around it got warmer and we actually started shedding a layer of clothes.

We then wandered over to the dog fashion show. There were hundreds of dogs, all in costume. Many were dressed in pink, but just about anything went. There were big dogs, little dogs, fat dogs...all kinds of dogs. There was even a goat and a duck all dressed up. Masters paraded the dog down the runway...and in some cases I thing the dog paraded their "master".

In a nearby field was the dog frisbee-catching competition. This was not some little local exhibition. This was a national competition. Dogs from all over the country competed for awards. There was even a little Yorkie in the competition. We spent a good deal of time watching this. It was really fascinating to see them follow and then catch the frisbee.

By now it was mid afternoon. Our stomachs were wanting food and we knew if we waited too much longer we would be riding back in the same conditions we rode down in ...cold...an dark (if we waited too long)

Leaving the park we headed to a nearby restaurant for a meal. We discussed the day and just had a good time eating and talking.

The ride home was much warmer. But, as the sun lowered itself in the sky, it took the warmth with it. By the time we all got home, we had our jackets back on, gloves were on our hands and our faces were once again covered.

It was a great day. I am glad we went. The morning was tough, but sometimes you just have to suck it up and deal with it. The reward of the festival, time on the road and most of all the time spent with good friends was well worth it.

Attending:

Doug & Teresa Turco
Gary Kohl
Mitch Argo
Gary Kohl II
Jim Hale
Ed & Gwen Barber (Chapter 285)