2012

Fogbee Red Boiling Springs Ride 2012
October 20, 21, 2012

This ride is getting to be a Fogbee tradition and for very good reasons. Red Boiling Springs is located at just the right distance from Hendersonville to make a nice one day ride for every rider level. It goes through beautiful scenery. The leaves should be in fine color about then. The roads are generally smooth with low traffic. Dennis and Debra Emery of Armour's Hotel are great hosts. It's no wonder this is the most requested repeat overnight getaway among all our trips. The first day is 58 miles with an option of joining at Hartsville for a 29 mile ride. The second day is 52 miles for long rides and about 30 miles for short riders.


2012 ride itinerary is as follows

Day 1 Saturday, October 20, 2012 Day 1 Ride with GPS

  • 8:00 am Long Riders Assemble at Sam's Sports Bar Parking lot and prepare to leave 8:30 am
  • 11:30 am Meet with short riders in Hartsville, Lunch at Dillehay's Restaurant in Hartsville.
  • 12:30 pm Leave Hartsville and ride to Red Boiling Springs. Rest Stop about mile 45 in Pleasant Shade just before big climb up the ridge
  • 3:30 pm Arrive at Red Boiling Springs Armour's Hotel
  • 6:00 pm Dinner at Armour's Hotel
Day 2 Sunday, October 21, 2012 Day 2 Ride with GPS

  • 8:30 am Breakfast at Armour's Hotel
  • 9:30 am Leave Red Boiling Springs
  • 10:30 am Regroup at McDonald's in Lafayette. Water and provision up. Next services are in Castalian Springs at Mile 34
  • 11:30 am Short riders continue on to Hartsville while Long riders take right onto Pleasant Valley.
  • 12:00 pm Regroup at store in Castalian Springs. Perhaps lunch.
  • 1:00 pm Passing Through Gallatin. Perhaps lunch. Route goes straight back via 31E but past experience is that Louie Law takes over about here.
  • 2:00 pm Arrive Back at Sam's Sport's bar.


No SAG has been arranged and as in the past, the ride directors do not dare tell non-riding significant others what to do, But, if anyone wants to volunteer to SAG, that will gladly be incorporated into the plan. The 2012 ride director required SAG from Dixon Springs to Red Boiling Springs and was to glad to arrive alive to be embarrassed. As for significant others, that is a separate issue. As riders sign up we are glad to help correlate carpools, provision of refreshing beverages, suggested arrival times and the like.


Specific Links
Armour's Hotel. This is our host facility. This will be our fourth trip to Red Boiling Springs and Armour's and the Emerys are the consensus favorite. They have a total of 16 rooms, each can accommodate at least two people, some three. Prices range from $85/night to $129/night for two people. This includes breakfast but not dinner. That is $14 per person. If more than sixteen riders sign up, there are two other historic hotels very near. These are discussed below.

Armour's is holding all their rooms for that night for the Fogbees till Oct 1, 2012. So it behooves you to call Armour's and make your reservation early. They can accommodate all of us for dinner. If anyone has specific dietary restrictions, please let us know and they can likely be accommodated. The standard fare is fried chicken and various sides. They have some special menus on request. Last time we went with the standard and everyone was please. Armour Hotel Phone # 615-688-2180. Tell them you are with the Fogbees.

Also located in Red Boiling Springs are two other nearby Historic Hotels, all on same street within half mile of each other. Each has a distinct personality.

Thomas House
. 615-699-3006 It is more like a huge home with lots of guest rooms. All rooms are entered from inside. The lobby and halls are chocked full of antiques and old pictures. The Coles are also great hosts and do a great breakfast. The Fogbees have not stayed there but Bruce Day has stayed on two of his bike rides and they were great hosts.

Donoho Hotel. 615-699-3141 The architecture probably has a name but this writer does not know it. It consists of a long row of individual rooms with a long front porch. Meeting rooms and dining room are in the kitchen. It is the most rustic of the hotels. The food is great but the owners other wise interact with guests very little. Or at least that has been our past experience. It was the site of our first ever Fogbee over nighter so has a special place in the old Fogbees memories.