Taking a Wild Ride

Originally Published in Southeastern Rider Magazine, October 2017

So I’m going to start off with a confession. Nothing wild really happened during this ride except for the destination, the Pee Dee River National Wildlife Refuge. These preserves can be a great destination, and make for an enjoyable day when you pair it with a scenic route.

It was a Sunday in May, mid-morning, and we had a good sized breakfast in our bellies. We were looking to check out the wildlife area, then find a place for a bite to eat. Being from Indiana, I’m used to cool temperatures still hanging around on May mornings, but Tar Heel weather is a bit warmer this time of year. After filling the belly of my Honda VTX 1800, we headed south on Highway 200, also known as Central Avenue.

It took a few minutes for the V-Twin engine to heat up and mix with the cool air whipping by. The sky had much more blue than gray, and the sun was also helping to warm things up. After we crossed Highway 24/27, we took a left turn on Elm Street, winding our way out of Locust and into Stanfield. Elm ends at Big Lick, which we took east. This is a stretch of asphalt I know well, as it’s a great way to avoid taking the dual lane, divided Highway that is 24/27.

Our loop starts and ends in Locust, North Carolina and takes us south of Ansonville into the PeeDee Wildlife Refuge.
Map compliments of Google Maps, planning provided by ITN Converter.

To make our way to Oakboro, we would have to head south on SR 205. From Big Lick Road, it is not long before rolling into the Stanly County town. On the southern edge of town, we take a left on State Road 138. We cruise east on this ribbon of asphalt that winds through the Carolina country side. It is another stretch I have ridden frequently, so I know the turns that the radius descends surprisingly. I found more often than not, southern curves can tighten up on you. Easing into the counter-steer and keeping the throttle up can be a comfort, or a scare.

The next burg along the route is Aquadale. If you are hungry for seafood while in the area, I would suggest the Rocky River Fish Camp. Be advised, if you go on a weekend night, you might be taking the spot of a regular. I’m pretty sure southern hospitality dictates that you would never find out.

It is time to head south on Plank Road. The road continues as the others, winding back and forth, and making gentle rises and falls, bringing us through Cottonville, and then across Rocky River. If you ride Stanly County very often, you will cross back and forth over this wondering waterway. It is as if the road is battling the river for the number of bends.

Plank Road continues us into Ansonville. This town appears to be sleepy, but does have a classic car museum, plus US Highway 52 runs through it. I chuckle a bit inside, because US-52 was a road I put a lot of miles on while in Indiana. The personality of this road is very different in the two locations. In Indiana, it’s dual lane with a grass strip divider in the north half of the state. South of Indianapolis, the US Highway grows more like North Carolina as you proceed south and west through the Hoosier State.

Heading south out Ansonville, it’s a short trip the refuge. We did have to make a quick slow down as a church goer had to pull into small café along the road. It was called the Down Home Diner, and is on the list as a future destination. I’ve traveled enough to know that place like this out in the middle of nowhere, with that much business, is worth a visit.

We made our way to the headquarters, but being a Sunday, it was closed, and not much was there. We did find a kiosk that had a map, which displayed a scenic route. We took a spin through the lush area, not really knowing whether it was really a route for motorized traffic or not? We ended up back out on US 52. There were no signs to tell us where to go next? The GPS would provide a way to our next destination.

Sometimes it is just better to get out of the saddle and take a walk.

We found another roadside stop and Visitor Information Center, and I gingerly pulled into the loose gravel parking area. We decided that a little hike to walk off the saddle soreness wasn’t a bad idea, so we headed down the trail. It’s probably passable on a bike, but I wouldn’t have seen the subtleties along the greenway.

We eventually arrived at another parking area. This one had three cars occupying the gravel area, and we spied a couple posing for pictures. From what we could gather, they just exchanged wedding vows before we arrived.

We made our way down the dirt trail, stepping through lush woods. Once in the Covered Bridge, we would find a bit of history. Originally, the area was the Gaddy Wild Goose Refuge. Lockhart and Hazel Gaddy preserved the area for up to 10,000 geese to have a safe, winter home. The sign further revealed that people came from all over the world to learn more about waterfowl management from 1937 to 1975.

A Two Foot, instead of a Two Wheel, Travel along a boardwalk lead us
up to a Covered Bridge. Not a long span, but there are some great views.

We made our way back to the bike, passing three men touring on horseback. The sun had burn out most of the clouds, and we were feeling the heat and the exercise. We had worn our mesh jackets on the hike, and were now beginning to regret it.

We mounted The Black Pearl, I pulled out from the gravel area, and continued through the refuge on Pinkston River Road until we returned to US 52.  

We made our way north through the sweeping curves into the town of Norwood. There’s a lot more here than you might think from seeing the place on a map. The Pee Dee River swells nearby, giving Norwood has its own beach. There are certainly the usual signs: boat storage, sales, and accessory stores dot Main Street. We had spent less time at the refuge than we thought we would, so our hunger had not grown enough to find an eatery in this town.

Sometimes to get great views like this, you have get off the road, and off the bike.

The urban area fell away, and we continued north. The next spot of the map would be the city of Albemarle. We frequent this town, as it an alternative to heading to Concord or Charlotte for “big city” needs and the stores that sell them. There was a new restaurant in town that I had heard good things about, and we made our way through the city. I would mention more about the place, but it was not a great experience. The steak we shared had good seasonings, but it was compensation for the items that surround it, including a freezer burned dessert that we refused to eat.

After the meal, the motorcycle had grown hungry too, and the fuel light was beginning to glow in the dash. We made our way to a fuel station on the edge of Albemarle. We had to take a brief stint on Highway 24/27, but peeled off to find more weaving backroads. 

We started on Canton Road, and wound our way across Stanly County. It amazes me how much raw land is out here. Back home in Indiana, it seems every spare square foot is covered with corn or soybeans. Letting nature take its course creates some lush scenery. I ignored the GPS, as I believed I knew where I was going. Canton bent around, and we ended up on Biles Road, which returned us back to Austin Road, which we had just crossed a few miles ago. I know this road, and how it can take us home, so we head south and west on what the locals call The Austin Highway.

Austin ends at Bethel Church, and we made our way west, veering right, toward 200, and back where we started. By all standards, the ride itself was pretty mild. We got enough of a teaser of the refuge to return and explore more of the nature being preserved. It might even be a good visit in the winter to see if the wild geese still return.

For more information:
Pee Dee Wildlife Refuge: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/pee_dee/

To read more about my Two Wheel Travels, check out my blog: http://rodneysmcblog.blogspot.com/