Fall Trip 2019 II

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

Beautiful view from an overlook on the BRP. You have to pick and choose; you can't stop at every one!

     The ride from Roanoke VA to Brevard NC consists of 292 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping for lunch and gas at Boone NC (mm 290), then continuing down to the Pisgah Inn (mm 408) where we would meet Curtis' brother Gary. An entire day on the BRP. Heaven!

Another overlook with mountains going off to the horizon. 

     Following my habit of getting up and out in two hours, and since we had a 300 plus mile day, it was "...up at 6, out by 8..."  We had breakfast at an IHOP restaurant on the way from the motel to the BRP. On the BRP by 7:45 we cruised south, running at 55-60 MPH with little traffic. As we rode south there was less and less traffic, but it was a little heavier than usual. As we would find out, due to our taking the trip a couple of weeks later than usual people were coming to the BRP to see the fall foliage. There were places, particularly in the Asheville area, where the road is at its highest elevations, that the trees were starting to change. Beautiful time of year on the BRP!

Gary and Curtis enjoying a libation as we wait for our table at the Pisgah Inn.

     The ride was uneventful, but GREAT! The BMW'S are a joy in the "twisties." As large as they look they are extremely easy to lean into turns, and hold the line well. The brakes are tremendous, the steering is very light. I generally like to stop around 10am and 3pm at an overlook and enjoy the view. With that being said we were both anxious to get to the Pisgah Inn and meet up with Gary. The plan was to meet Gary there, have dinner, and then ride down off of the BRP to Brevard and on to the cabin we'd rented. Arriving around 6pm Curtis and I put our names in for a table, got a couple of drinks and sat down in some Adirondack chairs to wait for our table. Gary arrived about 10 minutes later.

Beautiful blue sky, puffy white clouds, rolling mountains; the view never gets old!

      After a delicious dinner we rode about 4 miles further south to the exit for US 276 (mm 412). This is a VERY twisty road with very faded lines on the road. The saving grace is there are reflectors you can follow. It is safe to say you travel this stretch of road down off the BRP at a much more moderate pace at night than you would in the daytime. US 276 merges with US 64 into Brevard, then continues south towards the South Carolina border. We had never stayed in this cabin before, and it was down US 276 almost to the SC border. The cabin itself was great, but the road back to it was 4 miles of poorly maintained dirt road, no street lights, many curves and dips, sometimes narrower than my driveway. Needless to say we wouldn't be running back and forth from the cabin and Brevard several time a day! We all made it to the cabin safely, unpacked, and settled in for the night.

Curtis looking a little the worse for wear at the Mexican Restaurant in Roanoke VA. While Gary's hair always looks neat, Curtis does not enjoy that genetic trait!

     Mother Nature can throw a monkey wrench into your plans, and often does. In this case Curtis had to be home Sunday night to work on Monday. We met Gary and got into the cabin Thursday night. Heavy rain was forecast Sunday, so Curtis had to cut his trip short. He decided to leave Saturday for the 8 hour highway trip back to his home in Chantilly VA. Riding all day long in sometimes heavy rain is no fun, and can be dangerous. Gary and Curtis went hiking Friday, and Saturday morning, then Curtis left for home around 3pm. After Curtis left Gary and I went for a really nice ride along a series of back roads, crossing the BRP several times. We had dinner that night, and the rain hit during the night. It was supposed to end by mid morning Sunday. We'll see!

Another overlook, this one on a back road that I was on Friday as I wandered around south of Brevard. Great place to sit and read for a while. 

Fall Trip 2019

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

A view from one of the many overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway

     Its that time of the year again: the fall trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway to Brevard NC to spend a few days with my buddies Gary and Curtis. They both work, while I'm retired, so the trip is planned around their busy schedules. This year Curtis was doing a presentation at James Madison University in Harrisonburg VA. He would be finished by 1 PM Wednesday, so I arranged to meet him at that time in Harrisonburg.

The Chili's in Eldersburg MD. GREAT place for lunch!

     I decided to leave on Tuesday and ride to Front Royal VA and spend the night there. I have a route to Front Royal that includes no interstates, and features a ride through the Maryland horse country north of Baltimore. I have found that I am in Eldersburg MD generally by lunch time. There I stop for lunch at a Chili's. Then MD 26 to US 15 near Frederick MD, and then pickup US 340 which goes right into Front Royal. I stay at a Super 8 there, and then get on the Skyline Drive the next morning.

My bike sitting in the drizzle in Front Royal VA while I sat in a gazebo and read.

     The weather was cloudy and threatening rain the entire trip, but although I ran into isolated pockets of sprinkles along the way it never got heavy enough to put on rain pants. When I reached Front Royal I stopped at a small park in town that offered a gazebo with a picnic table where I could sit for a while and read. At the motel I ran into a pair of motorcyclists from Mississippi and we struck up a conversation. That evening we went across the road to a "burger joint" and had dinner together. The first example, of many along the way, of the fun it is to talk to and meet folks when you travel. This really adds to the enjoyment of traveling.

This is the third overlook on Skyline Drive heading south from the northern entrance. I stop here every trip. 

     Wednesday morning dawned bright and clear, with crystal blue skies. Using my senior pass I got up on Skyline Drive, speed limit 35 mph, to enjoy the 105 mile ride down to mile marker 66 where I would pick up US 33 over to Harrisonburg. The run down US 33 off of the Skyline Drive offers some interesting "twisties" on the way down off of the mountain. Once in Harrisonburg I came across another Chili's and had lunch there.

Curtis standing with his "new" bike in the parking lot at another Chili's in Harrisonburg VA.

     Curtis got done his commitment and met me at Chili's around 1PM. Then it was back up US 33 to the Skyline Drive, and then south. Reaching the end of the Drive we continued straight on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We had about 120 miles to go to get off in Roanoke VA. Now the speed limit was 45 mph. With few Park Rangers I have found I can run at 55-60 mph with no problem, dramatically adding to the enjoyment of the ride. We stopped once on the way down for a break, arriving at another Super 8 in Roanoke just before dark. There was a Mexican restaurant right across the street, and we walked over and had a great meal, along with a couple of cervasas'. Tomorrow night we would meet up with Gary down in Brevard NC.

Curtis checking his phone, AS USUAL!