FALL TRIP 2025- BACK TO THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

 “…it’s about the journey, not the destination…”

Fall foliage from our 2021 trip.

        So it’s Saturday…where should we ride today? We decided to get back on the BRP and head south towards Black Balsam Knob where the guys would go hiking and I would find a place to read. Did I say it’s Saturday? 

A picture from a hike Gary and Curtis took on our fall trip 2021.

        Once again we got out to US 64 and rode it to Brevard and then US 276 up to the BRP. On the ride up to the BRP we encountered more traffic than we had on previous days. This continued when we were on the BRP. As we got closer we began to see cars parked along the road, still some distance from the hiking stop. Once we did arrive we turned onto the road that lead to the parking lot. There were cars along the shoulders of the road, often on the road itself making it a one lane road. While Gary and Curtis found a place to park their bikes I fought the inflow of traffic and was able to make my way out to the BRP.

The view from my seat as I read, had a cigar….and maybe had a short nap?

        The over look I chose was about as busy as the parking lot where the boys stated their hike. The difference is that the vast majority of cars stopped for a short time to take pictures and then left. With the Spyder’s “colorful” paint job it usually attracts a lot of attention. The result of this was several conversations with folks walking by. One again some of the most enjoyable moments from of the trip were the people you meet. Lots of fun.

Morning at the cabin as we decide the course of action for the day.

        I sat at that overlook for quite a while and then got “antsy”. I had no cell but I had taken pictures of the BRP map for just this situation. Looking at the map I saw an interesting road out of Sylva NC, 107, which looked like a good ride. When I had left the boys I had ridden north to this over look because they knew where it was and could link up with me easily after their hike. The route I wanted to take was further south on the BRP. So I rode back to the area where they were and was able to find a parking spot. Once again, as people would walk by on their way to their car, they would comment about the Spyder. On such conversation was with a young man and his father. The young man was a dentist in the military. We had a wide ranging conversation over a number of topics for about a 1/2 an hour. Once again the people you meet add a richness to a trip that I’m not sure would happen if I was in my truck.

The cabin wasn’t huge but had three bedrooms, with two downstairs and a single up stairs. 

        As the boys were riding out of the hiking area they saw me and stopped. I explained my  plan, they agreed to it and off we went. Once again riding the BRP is a joy. The speed limit is 45 mph for the vast majority of it, and while younger riders found that too slow, I find that 45-55 allows me to enjoy the ride without endangering myself or worrying about getting a ticket from a park ranger. We rode south for about 20 miles then got off on US 74 south into Sylva where we took a break at a Dairy Queen   :-). NC 107 went right by and so after ice cream we headed south on 107 to the town of Cashiers. This 20 mile ride wound along a river with lots of curves through a scenic valley. Reaching Cashiers we got on US 64 east. This took us right into Brevard. If you look at a map you won’t appreciate what a good motorcycle road this is. Very curvy with altitude changes, it is quite enjoyable. The down side is that it goes through several communities and past vacation spots. This means traffic but it can barely intrude on the fun of the ride. Once back to Brevard it was on to the cabin and dinner. We watched the last half of The Accountant 2 and went to bed early. Tomorrow is another amazing day!

Simply wonderful porch that we didn’t use nearly enough.

FALL TRIP 2025- BACK TO THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

 “…it’s about the journey, not the destination…”

Gary leaving on their hike with his back pack at
Craggy Gardens just north of Asheville on the BRP.

        Gary and Curtis decided to combine hiking and motorcycling by riding up to the BRP and then north, through Asheville on the BRP up to Craggy Gardens. While they were hiking I would find a place to read and have a cigar. It dawned as yet another beautiful day. It promised to be the coldest day of the trip. We’ll see.

The reason people love coming up on the BRP is one amazing view after another .

        We got bundled up and headed north towards Brevard. We stopped at a Marathon gas station and filled our bikes up for the day’s ride. After that north on US 64 to US 276 just outside of Brevard and then up to the BRP. US 276 hits the BRP just about 3 miles south of the Pisgah Inn. From there north riding one of the best motorcycle roads I’ve ever been on. 

When we got to Craggy Gardens it was very busy with people enjoying the terrific view.

        The traffic picked up as we rode through Asheville. While it is a limited road many locals use it to get from one side of town to the other, as well as simply having a pic nic or going for a hike. The advantage of course is there are no traffic lights and dramatically less traffic then there is on the surface streets in Ashville. 

While it was absolutely beautiful at Craggy Gardens, the altitude and a breeze made it chilly

        The ride up to Craggy Gardens was slowed due to the number of people enjoying the day and the destination. On arrival the parking lot was full, with several cars waiting hoping a parking spot would open up. An advantage of motorcycles is that they are much smaller than cars ( well my Spyder is at least SOME WHAT smaller than a car! ). I found a place where the bikes would be out of the way. Gary and Curtis put on their hiking shoes and got their back packs ready for the hike. As soon as they started off I got back on the Spyder and rode back down the BRP a ways to find a good place to set up to read.

A wonderful spot to enjoy the view, sit in the sun, and read.

        I rode back down the BRP about 3 miles and found a terrific over look. I set up my chair, got a cigar and a soda out and settled in to relax for a while. I’m not sure how much later my phone rang with a call from Curtis. He had gotten back to the bikes, while Gary had gone on farther and would be back in a bit. I packed up my chair and rode back to the parking lot to wait for Gary.

Curtis’ photo of a wild turkey who held a woman hostage in her car.

        When Gary got back we packed up and headed back down the BRP retracing our route from earlier in the day to the cabin. It had gotten a little chillier so we decided to stop and put on some more gear. We pulled into an over look and found that a wild turkey had trapped a woman inside her car refusing to let the lady to leave. Courageously Curtis approached defending the young woman from the turkey. Protected as he was in his riding gear and helmet he managed to get the aggressive bird to move so the lady could depart the combat zone. I think Curtis deserves a medal for his brave exploits! After this we continued on to the cabin, stopping at the Walmart near Brevard for supplies. Arriving at our destination we parked the bikes, Curtis prepared a fantastic meal, and then we settled in to watch a movie. Tomorrow back up on the BRP, this time heading south towards its terminus in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. 

Table set we’re ready to sit down to a fantastic feast. Thank you Curtis!

FALL TRIP 2025- BACK TO THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

 ”…it’s about the journey, not the destination …”

US highway 276 south of Brevard down into South Carolina and SC 11 is a fun
 ride on a good surface with lots of turns and changes in elevation.

        Gary and Curtis went going hiking on day 3 and I, of course, went riding. My plan was to get out to US 276 and then ride south into South Carolina to SC 11, then turn left to head east. At some point I would turn back north and get on the BRP for a while. Later I would ride back to the cabin. 

Morning on the Blue Ridge Parkway on a beautiful day.

        It was in the 50s at 9:30 when I rolled down the driveway. Turning right I rode down DuPont road to Cascade Lake Rd. and turned left. That led me to US 276 where I turned left. US 276 is a fun ride with S-turns and 15 mph curves with some straight stretches right across the South Carolina State Line. You pass Caesars Head State Park  and the road gets really curvey. It intersects SC 11 where I turned left again heading “generally” east. I reached the town of Cleveland SC. and stopped to decide which way to go. As I looked at the map I saw SC 11 intersected US 25 which I knew headed back north into North Carolina and the town of Hendersonville. My plan now was to go north and then get on the BRP and ride north to Craggy Gardens. Sounds good to me!

Surprise! I found a wonderful diner in Hendersonville NC called Pops Diner.

        As I rode towards Hendersonville I realized it was about lunch time so I decided to ride into Hendersonville rather than take the bypass around it. I rode right through the center of town which was filled with many neat shops, coffee shops and such. None of the food establishments attracted me so I rode  out the other side of town. Just as I was about to leave the town proper I caught sight of an interesting sign to my right. Pops Diner. I had to turn around to go back to it but it was worth the trouble. A real authentic old American diner with simple but good food. I had Pops Smashburger and I recommend it highly!

My bike in front of Pops, and my lunch. Great! The easiest way to
find it is that it is located right across from Hendersonville High School. 

        From Hendersonville I rode US 25 north into the outskirts of  Asheville where US 25 intersects the BRP. Once on it I rode south, seeing a marker that said Mount Pigah was 20 miles away. The  early part of the ride is right through Ashville which means an increase in traffic until you are leaving the town. Then it is back to typical BRP riding with little  traffic, great views, and many overlooks. I chose one and set up my chair, got out a cigar, and did some reading off of my I-Pad. Sitting there with a wonderful view in front of me, warmed by the afternoon sun, I probably snuck in a little knap. 

If you look real close you can see the top edge of my
chair sticking out in front of my windshield.

        

        I received a text from Gary with a proposal to meet at the Pisgah Inn for a cold beverage. I left, riding about 8 miles to the Inn where Gary and Curtis were waiting. Gary generously bought me a cold one and we sat in chairs overlooking the view to the south. Wonderful.

Yet another great view along the BRP.

        After our beverage we rode south about 3 miles until US 276 intersected the BRP. Then south on 276 along a very curvey road off of the mountains down to the outskirts of Brevard, where we stopped for dinner at a barbecue place. From there south on US 64 to the turn off into the neighborhood where the cabin is located. Another fun, great day on motorcycles. Tomorrow back up on the BRP and north to Craggy Gardens. 

The view from the chairs at the Pisgah Inn from a trip in 2017.

FALL TRIP 2025…BACK TO THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

 “…it’s about the journey, not the destination …”

First day of the trip…the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in the background.

        Day 2 of the tip started with extremely cloudy skies. The vast majority of the rain had fallen over night so it was just a little damp. While we would run into a few “sprinkles” during the day we didn’t run into any serious rain. The objective was to get to the cabin before it got dark. Through out the day there was doubt we would be successful. 

A view of Mount Mitchell which is right off the BRP. We couldn’t get
there due to road closures from Hurricane Helene 2 years ago.

        We decided to ride I 80 south to VA 100 south, then to Hillsville VA where we would get on US 221 south. This we would take south west towards Asheville. There was some question of how we would get around Asheville, and navigate to the cabin, which was out in the country.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a special, almost spiritual place….and a great place to ride motorcycles. 

        When we hit US 221 we turned right heading south. From Hillsville to Galax it is a 4 lane highway and not the kind of road we like to drive. The 4 land road continued just past Baywood where it became a twisty 2 land road, just what we were looking for. We rode west out of Intependence VA on a wonderful 2 lane road. We were passing through the small town of Mouth of Wilson when I noticed that we were riding on US 58, instead of US 221. We stopped and looked at a map and saw that US 221 had gone south in the town of Independence. How to get back on track?

Curtis enjoying the tremendous view at an overlook on the BRP.

        A glance at the map showed VA 16 going south to Jefferson NC where we could pick  up US 221 again. The result of this was that we had discovered a fantastic motorcycle road! Narrow 2 lane road with lots of twists and turn through beautiful countryside. This happens on our trips often, really adds to the fun. It’s like getting a tremendous present you were not expecting. 

As we rode people often slowed down to look at Curtis’ bike…but not mine
…a fella could get a complex !

        We stopped for lunch in Boone NC, and then rode the BRP south from there. The exit for Boone is at mile marker 292. From there the Parkway was only open until mm 317. After that back on our old friend US 221 towards Asheville. We stopped at an overlook along and sat and chatted with a brother and sister who lived relatively close  and were often up at that particular overlook. Wonderful people!

A magical moment…sunset at mm 428 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2016
…we’ve been doing this for a while!

        The last part of the day became somewhat stressful. We were beginning to run out of daylight. We got on US 70 in Marion NC and headed west ( west? It sure felt like south to me! ) where Curtis took the lead. We hit I 40 and rode that into Asheville. By the time there rush hour had started so traffic was a little heavy. Curtis took us west on I 40 to I 26 south. We got off on NC 280 to Brevard and then started to navigate to the cabin based on the directions given us by the cabin owner. There were some wrong twists and turns but Curtis got us there by 6:30. The “road” was gravel and steep! I rode up spinning my rear wheel several times in the soft gravel. Curtis made the wise decision to leave his bike at the bottom of the hill and walk up to the cabin where Gary was waiting for us. The most important thing is that we all arrived safe and sound…AND before dark! Gary had prepared a delicious dinner of spaghetti and a salad. Over dinner we discussed the plan for tomorrow. What adventures awaited us on Day 3?

Gary coming out to greet us as we arrived. He also cooked us dinner!

FALL TRIP 2025…BACK TO THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

“…it’s about the journey, not the destination …”

From a ride a few days ago near home. I am taking the Spyder
on the fall trip with my college roommates

        Once again it is time for the fall trip with “the boys.” We have rented a house for a week near Hendersonville NC, which is south of Asheville. Gary lives in Atlanta so it is a one day ride for him to the rental. Curtis and I will leave Tuesday and ride to Christiansburg VA. Then on Wednesday we ride from Christiansburg to the rental. 

Gary and Curtis waiting for me at the restaurant at Pisgah Inn in 2018.

        Gary and I have known each other since the 1980’s when we both worked in a restaurant called Charlie Brown’s in Lexington KY. We became roommates and then Gary’s brother, Curtis, moved in with us. I had already been riding motorcycles and they became riders as a result of living together. Now, each spring and fall, we rent a house someplace, usually around the Blue Ridge Parkway, and go riding. In addition they come to my house for “Uncle Kenney’s Motorcycle Camp,” where they ride a different motorcycle each day. It is amazing that our friendship has lasted so long, and we still have so much fun.

Curtis doing major work on his bike the day before we left on a trip in 2014.

        Tomorrow we will ride from Chantilly VA to Christiansburg VA, a ride of about 200 miles. We generally stay off of Interstates as much as possible so it could take 6 or 7 hours to cover this distance. The activity is to ride the bikes, so spending the day is generally what we do. We stop for lunch at some local restaurant as often as we can, getting to know local people. 

Gary gazing at the amazing view at the Pisgah Inn in 2019

        On Wednesday we can get into our rental, so Curtis and I will ride from Christiansburg to Hendersonville NC. One of the unknowns of this trip is how much of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed. They had a terrible hurricane come right across the BRP, and much of it was damaged. Our hope that repairs have opened much of it up, but it is a certainty the many areas are still closed. 

Blue Ridge Parkway October 2022.

        Curtis and I have found a hotel to stay in tomorrow night and chosen a route generally on “back roads  (NOT INTERSTATE! ). Curtis is now finishing up packing for the trip and loading his bike. We’ll visit for a bit and have a couple of beers, then off to bed. Up and at ‘em in the morning! 

Day 4 of Interceptor trip 08/25

 “…it’s about the journey, not the destination…”

Yet another fanatastic view from the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

        The trip home was routine. Not what I had anticipated. Originally I had planned to either ride north on the Skyline Drive and then decide when to get off of it and finish the ride home on local roads….OR…take I 64 east from Waynesboro to Charlottesville VA and then north on US 29 to US 15 to Frederick MD. Then I would ride the rest of the way on my route around Baltimore. Probably home by 4 pm or so.

I often stop at an overlook and set up a camping chair and read for a while.

        This morning “…the best laid plans…” went awry. The forecast called for heavy storms in the afternoon at home. It had rained over 3 inches there yesterday and more of the same was expected today. As much as I wanted to have a great ride home I didn’t want to end up riding through heavy rain on the way home. 

One of my favorite things that happened on the trip was lunch at The Barn.

        Not wanting to tempt fate I decided to take the fast way home….or some version of it. Up at 6 am I got dressed and packed my bags, then I loaded the bike and had breakfast. On the road by 7:15 I rode I 64 east to I 81. Then I rode I 81 north keeping an eye on the clouds. As I rode I could see the mountains to my right, often with dark clouds looking like rain here and there over them. Should I interstate it all the way home, or not?

When I was teaching, grading papers, a vision would come to me of a day I had been on the BRP.

        I rode around 85 miles on I 81 to the exit for Stephens City VA where I took VA 277 east to where it intercepted US 340 by Dinosaur Land. US 340 goes all the way to Fredericksburg MD ( about 30 miles ). There I could make the decision to take I 70 east to Baltimore and I 95 north home or around Baltimore on back roads.

Beautiful bike and beautiful scenery.

            I decided to take the long way. This allowed me to stop at the Delta Diner for lunch, and then cruise back home on one of my regular rides. I had a nice turkey sandwich with Swiss cheese and mayonnaise on toasted rye. Then a nice ride home, only stopping to gas up, and home by 2 pm. I never hit rain. My next trip is with my daughters in late September into the middle of Pennsylvania. Until then day rides, each day on a different bike. 

Marker at the southern end of Skyline Drive.

DAY 3 OF THE INTERCEPTOR TRIP 8/25

"...it's about the journey, not the destination..."

Wonderful restaurant in Staunton VA, started in 1952 and still open today.

        As I put together this trip I knew that the weather was going to be questionable. On Monday the forecast was for thunderstorms in the morning and cloudy weather by the afternoon. By Wednesday morning it was calling for thunderstorms after lunch ( as I sit here at 3:22 pm the sun is out and the clouds are scattered! ). I sat in my room until 9:30 and then decided to go out for a short ride with a close watch on the sky.

If you look closely at the picture you can see “tendrils” reaching
down to the mountains. Those tendrils are in fact rain showers. 

        With no specific plan in mind I decide to ride south on US 340 out of Waynesboro and then decide the next step as I went. Riding south on US 340 a sign said that it intersected US 11 in 11 miles. A plan was forming in my head. I decided to turn north on US 11, which paralleled I 81. This meant that if I ran into heavy rain I could shoot over to I 81 and then turn and burn for Waynesboro and the hotel.

Riding through Staunton VA I passed the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and museum.

        With an eye to the sky I rode north, enjoying the morning. US 11 is sometimes a 4 lane highway, sometimes 2 lane highway with a turn lane in the middle, and a simple two lane country road. I continued north, working on deciding when to turn east and begin the return trip to Waynesboro. 

I have often ridden on the BRP in the rain and fog. No fun! As I looked at the mountains today I saw places where the clouds hid the mountain tops…this meant these areas were covered in fog.

        Looking at the clouds around me I decided it was time to head east. I came to VA 256 and turned east. This route passed through Grottoes VA. I reached US 340 and headed south. Most of the road was simply 2 lanes and a very nice ride. I looked at my watch and saw it was 11:30 and that I could look for a restaurant to have lunch. I wanted to be close to the hotel so that if it started raining while I was having lunch I would have a short ride home. 

The interior of the Barn Restaurant in Waynesboro VA.

        After stopping for gas as I entered Waynesboro ( I had ridden 60 miles that morning. ) I saw a restaurant on the left side of the road with several local people going in. When I travel I prefer to eat in restaurants where the locals eat. You can often get an idea about what life is like there. I parked my bike and went in. I had a simple but good lunch, and then rode through Waynesboro back to my hotel. I arrived there totally dry. I had gotten a ride in on a day where there was a chance of rain all day. Tomorrow I ride home. I have to decide what route I want to take. Hmmmm…..let me think about this.

The Interceptor sitting in front of the Barn Restaurant in Waynesboro VA.