I think it’s safe to say that winter has officially thrown in the towel here in central North Carolina. The trees are green, flowers are blooming, and last year’s shredded Dunlops have officially been retired… get it, retired? All of the moving parts on the Bandit have been checked out, dialed in, oiled down, and tightened up all in anticipation of the first ride of the new season. No worries though, being a student of history, I left all the bug guts from last year’s last ride in place, a homage to a fine season of motorcycling in 2011. Well, that and I’m too lazy to actually wash my motorcycle. A rainstorm will surely jump us at some point this spring. Any way, the bike is ready, the road is calling and destinations abound. The problem is, with work schedules and such, we only have time for a day ride. I ask Kathy if she has any suggestions. Being the nitpicky passenger that she is, she replies “I don’t give a (expletive), I just want to ride”. Sometimes she’s really difficult to work with, and that potty mouth of hers… geez.

OK then, that leaves it up to me. Of course, a great road is a given. But with all the fine stretches of tarmac knitting together our nearby Appalachian Mountains, that criterion is a moot point. So maybe a great view of the surrounding, newly green valleys? Well, that too is an easy find once we scale the Blue Ridge. So, I guess that leaves the food option and I know exactly what I’ve been craving. With little thought involved, I announce; “We’re going to Floyd”.

Floyd, VA is just a couple of hours from home, accessible via some of the coolest roads in the area, and home to the Floyd General Store and their world famous (at least to me) Mocha Malt Milkshake. Several years ago, I stumbled across this creamy cup of deliciousness quite by accident, and since then, I’ve been hooked. Plans have been changed, routes altered, and family gatherings forsaken all for the Mocha Malt. It most often marks the conclusion of the year’s riding, starting in June just to be on the safe side, and this year it will kick things off.

It’s a gorgeous Sunday morning and we arrive just before they open at noon. I’m one of the first patrons in, bum-rushing the ice cream counter with a ‘let no-one-stand in my way’ determination. Ahhh yes, luscious, cold, velvety, and just as delicious as I remember. It can now be declared official; the 2012 riding season has begun.

Well, now you all know my sticky mustachioed secret to the big kick-off, so tell us, what’s yours. It would take a Herculean suggestion to lure me from the Mocha Malt, but I’m certainly open to suggestions.