Fall Trip 2018-Day Seven

"...its about the journey, not the destination..."

Troy's Diner in Boone North Carolina. 

     I got up at 7am, cleaned up and loaded the bike. I rode to Troy's 105 Diner which was just up the street from the motel in Boone North Carolina. After breakfast I put on my fleece and leather vest under my rain jacket. It was probably going to be cool up in the mountains. The weather called for a chance of showers all day up to Roanoke. I was hoping to get out in front of the rain.

Early morning on the Parkway. Sometimes its difficult to ignore the scenery.

     I was surprised, considering the forecast, that there was a lot of blue sky to be seen. When I got up on the Blue Ridge Parkway the view was stunning. I simply had to stop and take a picture. The exit for Boone off of the Parkway is around the 292 mile marker. The exit for Roanoke is around the 122 mile marker. Today I was going to ride around 170 miles or so, hopefully riding the entire distance on the Parkway. I have been riding the Parkway for over 40 years, and I know it is no fun up there in rain and fog. My plan was to stay on the Parkway until I hit rain, and then get down to the low lands if necessary.

I couldn't help my self; I just had to stop and take a picture! 

     As I rode north I was pleasantly surprised at how good the weather was. Puffy clouds, blue skies, comfortable temperatures, just a great day to  ride. My buddy Gary talks about "staying in the moment," and when riding a motorcycle on a scenic, twisting road up in the mountains it is imperative to "stay in the moment." Watching the scenery rather than watching where you're going is a recipe for disaster.

The rest area where I stopped in the morning for a while. 

     Around 10am I found an overlook that had a picnic table. I sat there, enjoying the day reading. A gentleman pulled up in a pickup, and a puppy lept out of the bed of the truck. He put the puppy back several times. We got into a conversation, and he explained he was there to blow the leaves off of the parking lot, but his puppy, 9 months old, simply wouldn't let him get to work. The puppy won the "battle" and the guy surrendered and took the puppy for a walk in the woods. A nice guy, a very pretty puppy. Yet another story from the tour.

The afternoon stop in the picnic area for Smart View. Lots of picnic tables and lavatory facilities.

     There is a good restaurant just off of the Parkway at Fancy Gap, the Lake View Restaurant, mile marker 200. I got there by noon, and enjoyed lunch. After lunch I only had 80 miles or so to the exit for Roanoke. I decided to ride until 1:30 and then stop. I looked at a map, and the weather, and decided I need to be fairly close to the Roanoke exit in case the rain started. Smart View was about 30 miles south of the Roanoke exit, and I pulled into the picnic area. A nice place to enjoy the day.
   

OK. I know this is stupid. This is my favorite bike. I admit its ugly, but, to my eye, it is a "pretty" ugly. 

     Back on the road by 3:00 I arrived at the motel by 3:45. I checked into my room, and then around 6 went to dinner. Now back in my room, working on my blog while the movie All the President's Men plays on the TV. Home tomorrow, but I plan to ride the 120 miles to the northern terminus of the Parkway, get lunch in Waynesboro Virginia, and then ride north on the Skyline Drive to where US 33 intersects it. The it will be US 33 east to US 29 north, to US 15, and then to Frederick Maryland, and then navigate on back roads home. It should be a great day!