The Pik N Pig and Highway 42
One beautiful Saturday, amid COVID, we decide to meet up. After being in the house all week for some, this was a perfect outlet. This time, we wanted to go someplace we hadn’t gone before and do something we haven’t been able to do in a while – eat. I rode to our local meetup spot, greeted a few familiar and unfamiliar faces and we were off – destination unknown to all except one.
One of the great things about riding is that you don’t always need a destination. It was all about the ride. After back roads, stop lights, and about an hour and a half later, we stopped – for gas. Everyone gets off of their bikes, stretch, and gleefully gather to see which establishment we were going to get our “to-go” food (i.e. sitting on the bikes and eat in the parking lot). Many of us hadn’t eaten that morning. When we stopped, we were ready! You can imagine the shock when today’s destination holder stated that we had another 60 miles to go. I just knew he was kidding. Then…well…he wasn’t.
“Oh well” in my head. Just another day on 2. Those are the times when you realize…it’s all about the journey. We got on 95 South until we reach highway 501. We started to head towards Carthage. The ride was uneventful, as it should be. We were taking in the day, leaving the cares of the world behind with each mile. By the time we arrived, our spirits were lighter, along with our stomachs. The destination was the Pik N Pig. I would totally recommend this place as a stopping point on a nice ride. I had never heard of the Pik N Pig before. However, that’s not completely uncommon since we’re always seeking out new and interesting places to explore.
When we arrived, we were greeted with a gravel parking lot, plenty of parking, and an airplane on display. The Pik n Pig is situated at Gilliam - Mc Connell Airfield in Carthage, NC. The food was surprisingly good and the staff was welcoming to these hungry bikers. On this perfectly gorgeous Saturday of about 80 degrees, we sat outside on the covered patio enjoying each other’s company. I ordered the BBQ brisket and salad. The food was so good. I even got some hushpuppies (amazing) from a fellow rider. I’m not typically a huge fan of hushpuppies, but this batch made my day. I think I even did a little happy dance in my head.
We sat there and fellowshipped, which hadn’t happened in what seemed like a lifetime ago because of COVID. We watched a plane or two come in and just enjoyed the day. Eventually, we head out – destination home before the rain comes. I broke off from everyone on highway 42. Highway 42 connects Asheboro, Sanford, Clayton, Wilson, and Ahoskie and other little small towns. This is one of my favorite close back roads (between Sanford and Fuquay Varina anyway) because of the limited amount of traffic, nice curves, and lush, green trees everywhere you look around this time of the year. It doesn’t hurt that it’s super close to home. Every once in a while, you’ll find a few cars parked beside fishing spots. About 20 minutes from home, it starts. At least this time, I was prepared. I just so happened to be riding in my cute little pink and black Cordura water-resistant motorcycle jacket. Yay for water-resistance. I didn’t have the lining in there, but even then, I was dry (aside from the sweat that you’re going to get on a hot day). 6 minutes out- the downpour stops. The rainbow comes out. Home is just up the street. It was a good day – new friends, good food, got to see some airplanes, tested out a jacket, and got home safe (followed by the “home” texts).
