Georgia Magazine - June 2017 - 21

Georgia treks on a trike
BY DEBBIE KITCHENS

am not a native Georgian; my family moved here when I was almost
14 years old. I was born in Mobile,
Ala., and my family lived in California
before moving to Perry when my father transferred to a new job at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins.
Although my husband, Jimmy,
has lived here his whole life and I've
been here nearly 50 years, neither of
us had seen all Georgia has to offer-
until he bought a three-wheeled motorcycle (trike) and found a reason to
hit the road. I said I would never get
on that trike, but thank goodness I
put my fears aside. Once on, I never
wanted off!

During one ride, we met members
of the Patriot Guard Riders.
This inspired us to join, and we
welcomed troops home and
escorted the Vietnam Memorial
Moving Wall in Savannah.

worries; life is good. Everything is
up close, making a lasting imprint:
the sights of sunflower fields, farmland, haystacks, mountains, beaches,
charming towns, coyotes, deer and
soaring hawks; the sounds
of cows mooing, birds singing and church bells ringing;
and the smells of honeysuckle, fresh sawdust from a
lumber mill and even cow
manure!
No matter our plans, we
had good times. We traveled
to many festivals, such as
the Fire Ant Festival in Ashburn, where my husband
did his imitation of a fire ant
call, and we visited beautiful
Providence Canyon (Little
Grand Canyon) in Lumpkin,
where we met tourists from
Debbie and Jimmy Kitchens explored much of Georgia
overseas. At Reed Bingham
on this three-wheeled motorcycle.
State Park in Adel, we saw
an enormous bald eagle
We started taking day trips, many nest, alligators and pied-billed herwith my husband's brothers and their ons. We rode on many motorcycle
wives. As bikers say, "It's all about the poker runs, a fun way to support a
ride," but we found it to be much good cause and meet new people.
Sometimes with no destination in
more. It was about taking the time we
thought we didn't have, sharing ad- mind, we happened upon antique car
ventures, creating memories and shows, unique places to eat and disappearing treasures: the Auchumpgrowing closer.
There's something special about kee Creek Covered Bridge in Upson
triking. With the wind around you, County, which was built in 1892, and
you feel young and free, you are the 1792 Hightower Mills water wheel
in the moment and you have no at Tobler Creek in Yatesville. We alJune 2017

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ways loved seeing something unexpected. Once, a crop duster flew
down close to say "Good morning!"
While riding around Macon, my
husband showed me his childhood
home, the park where he played
youth baseball and the fire station
where he worked as a young man
and where his grandfather served
back in the day when horses pulled a
steam fire engine.
During one ride, we met members of the Patriot Guard Riders. This
inspired us to join, and we welcomed
troops home and escorted the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall in Savannah. I'll never forget the veteran on
the sidelines, standing at full attention and holding his salute as our parade went by.
I'm forever grateful to my husband for persuading me to join him
on the trike. Whether sharing his old
"stomping grounds" or together discovering new pathways, it's all a part
of his Georgia, which I proudly claim
as my Georgia!
Debbie and Jimmy Kitchens live
in Perry and are both retired from
Robins Air Force Base. They had to
give up the trike trips for health reasons; "we miss it dearly," she says.

Jimmy and Debbie Kitchens meet a new
friend at the Fire Ant Festival in Ashburn.
21

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - June 2017