Maggie Valley, NC

Today we went to Maggie Valley, NC.  For any of you motorcycle enthusiasts you probably know why we went there.  Little Maggie Valley, NC contains probably the best collection of antique motorcycles that exists anywhere in the country.  If you have ever watched the program "What's in the Barn" on TV then you have already seen Dale and Matt Walksler the father and son who own the museum named Wheels Through Time.  These two individuals have traveled all over the country to acquire antique motorcycles, belly cars, or in some cases just old cars.  The museum is 98% motorcycles and gets visitors from all over the world.  I met Dale and Matt today and both are very nice down to earth guys who love motorcycles and have a passion for preserving the history of motorcycles.  I have watched the TV program where he has paid several hundred thousand dollars for very rare bikes.  The museum cost us $12 a piece to go through and that was a real bargain.  They also raffle off two motorcycles each year that will be given away tomorrow.  This is how they are able to support the growth of the museum. 

 I think Maggie Valley got it's name because it is surrounded by mountains that today the tops of these mountains were all covered with snow. 

This belly racer was originally purchased by Mike and Frank the two guys on the TV show American Pickers.  They worked some kind of a deal with Dale and it now resides in the Wheels Through Time museum.

These are the two bikes that are being raffled off tomorrow.

This 1949 Veritas was purchased from the Lee Roy Hartung estate auction in Glenview, IL. and was purchased for $195,500.  Hartung never had the car running and owned it for about 50 years.  It won second place at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance auto show in a new class named "What Were They Thinking".  It is a German built car with a BMW racing engine.  Dale got the car running after spending about six months and 1000 hours on it.  They made sure they preserved the original dirty appearance it was found in.

 

 

 

 

They are making snow on this tubing slope

 

 

Out in the sticks outside of Maggie Valley is where Popcorn Sutton was born and raised.  Popcorn was known for being one the best moonshine makers that ever lived.  He spent time in prison many think for making moonshine but locals say that wasn't the reason.  The reason he was sent to prison is because his still blew up and burned down 1800 acres of government forest land.  He took his own life in his old model T Ford by sticking a hose from the exhaust pipe into the truck.  He did this right before he was being sent back to prison.  People who knew him also said he was having serious stomach problems and Popcorn believed he had stomach cancer and he didn't want to deal with that in prison. 

 

Hank Williams Jr. and Popcorns wife have taken his moonshine recipe and process and went legit.  Apparently you can buy it now but since we just purchased some moonshine a couple of days ago we didn't need anymore.  The variety we purchased was the non legit variety and cost us $30 for a quart.  It's very strong but doesn't burn like the moonshine I used to drink in Muncie some 35 plus years ago.  You could feel the burn on that all the way down while what we bought this week is much smoother.  No matter what you want you can buy it one way or another. 

 

 



 

 

 

 

My understanding is that something similar to the gesture below is on his tombstone.

 

 

Jim,  This is a yurt.  It has a fireplace and a heater and probably a stove to cook



 

on.