Tag Archives: North Carolina Motorcycle Rides

Appalachians Motorcycle Ride: Backroads Bonanza

August 19, 2024 mcnews Leave a comment

Dan and I met nearly 20 years ago while playing on a recreational ice hockey team in our hometown of Ottawa, Ontario. When we weren’t talking about how bad our team was, we discussed our shared love of motorcycles. Our first motorcycle trip together was a long weekend exploring New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Appalachians Motorcycle Ride Backroads Bonanza REVER Map

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For our next trip, we spent a week riding in the Appalachians of western North Carolina. We enjoyed it so much that we returned the following year. Dan and I became regular riding partners, and we’ve done tours throughout the U.S. and Canada. Recently, we returned to the Appalachians to celebrate the 15th anniversary of our first ride there.

After a long day and a half riding south on Interstate 81 from Ottawa, we kicked off our backroads bonanza near Wytheville, Virginia, which is in the heart of a half-dozen excellent loop rides known collectively as Claw of the Dragon. We exited I-81 at Marion and rode north on State Route 16, a road known as Back of the Dragon that winds its way through the mountains to Tazewell, a nice Appalachian town that’s a perfect place to rest and recharge. It has a variety of restaurants, shops, and motorcycle-friendly lodging options, including The Traveler on Main, which offers vacation suites with full kitchens. The Back of the Dragon welcome center is a hub for riders, offering artisan pizza, self-pouring beer taps, local insights, and souvenirs.

SR-16 runs north-south over three mountains – Big Walker, Brushy, and Clinch – which gives the road its rolling humpbacked character, and its 32 miles have more than 400 curves. It weaves through lush, green forest and includes open valleys and scenic views. Changes in elevation are accompanied by changes in temperature that enhance the experience. It was easy to get into the rhythm of the ride and become one with our motorcycles, savoring each curve before moving to the next one.

We enjoyed Back of the Dragon so much that after visiting Tazewell, we turned around and rode it in reverse, doubling our fun. Just north of Marion is Hungry Mother State Park, which surrounds a lake of the same name. At the park’s Royal Oak Campground, we pitched our tents on a wooden platform extended over the side of a hill like a backyard deck, allowing us to relax while nestled among bucolic trees.

The next day we followed backroads south to Damascus and crossed into Johnson County, Tennessee, on State Route 133. We stopped at the Shady Valley Country Store, located at the crossroads of SR-133, SR-91, and U.S. Route 421. It’s a popular waypoint for motorcyclists, and we recreated a photo we’d taken 15 years ago: Dan riding a coin-operated horse made for kids.

After having a few laughs, we rode west on U.S. 421, another famous backroad known as The Snake, which slithers its way for 33 miles through Cherokee National Forest, goes over three mountains, and includes nearly 500 curves. Since Shady Valley is near the middle of The Snake, we rode to the western end in Holsten Valley and then turned around and rode to the eastern end in Mountain City.

As we continued heading south on backroads in western North Carolina, we experienced an unforgettable moment. I was leading as we rode on a straight stretch of road with a river just below us. Through our helmet communicators, Dan told me to look to my right. Flying over the river alongside us, at eye level and the same speed, was a bald eagle scanning the water below. It seemed like we were flying together. The vivid display of nature’s beauty ended all too quickly as the road and river veered in different directions.

After crossing state lines several times, we ended our day in Tennessee, ascending the winding State Route 143 to Roan Mountain State Park. We enjoyed a hearty dinner of sausage and potatoes cooked over the campfire and a quiet night under the stars.

The next morning, we continued our southern trajectory on SR-143 back into North Carolina, and then we rode State Route 261 to Bakersville. We took a convoluted, curvy route to Hot Springs, where we turned south on State Route 209, another serpentine backroad known as The Rattler that claims 290 curves in 24 miles.

After riding through the Pigeon River Gorge on Interstate 40, we crossed into Tennessee again and took another winding backroad (State Route 32) along the northern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and then U.S. Route 321. We passed through Gatlinburg, where a boy named Sue once stopped at an old saloon to have himself a brew and met his long-lost father. We didn’t find an old saloon on the heavily trafficked, tourist-friendly streets, so we made our way to Elkmont Campground in the park and settled in for another quiet night.

Prior to meeting Dan, most of my motorcycle rides were of the solo variety. I was a “dawn to dusk” rider, all business, putting in the miles, with riding great roads my solitary goal. Riding with Dan has taught me to slow down and smell the roses. He enjoys talking to strangers, meeting people, and experiencing things other than riding. We’ve helped each other expand our horizons. I’ve shared the joys of riding long miles, and Dan encourages me to enjoy the parts of a trip that are off the bike.

See all of Rider‘s U.S. South motorcycle rides here.

Over the years, we’ve become great friends. Dan is like a brother to me. Our families have gotten close, and we know we can count on each other for the important things in life. Our friendship seems to be a rarity in today’s highly polarized world. We have different political views, but I don’t hold it against him that he’s usually wrong in every political discussion, nor does he hold it against me. We agree to disagree, yet we still respect each other.

Sunrise brought us another beautiful day, and we headed south into the heart of Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. Route 441). The park gets upwards of 13 million visitors per year, so it’s hard to find a time when U.S. 441 doesn’t have a lot of traffic, but it’s still a beautiful ride. Our favorite part is The Loop, where the road curves around 360 degrees and crosses over itself.

At the Newfound Gap overlook on the Tennessee-North Carolina state line, we admired the views of the road, the lush forest, and the blue-tinged ridges of the Smokies. Rather than continue south to Cherokee, we turned around and headed north to Pigeon Forge, where we picked up U.S. 321 again and then Foothills Parkway, a relaxing ride with spectacular views that got us in the right frame of mind for what would come next.

At Chilhowee Lake, we turned east on U.S. Route 129, which runs along the edge of the lake for a few miles before climbing up to the Calderwood Dam overlook. This is the northern tip of Tail of the Dragon, the most famous backroad on our Appalachian greatest-hits tour. With 318 curves in 11 miles, it’s one of the tightest, twistiest sections of road in a region full of tight, twisty roads.

Dan was especially excited, exclaiming “I think I touched a peg!” in our helmet communicators. He rides a tall Yamaha Super Ténéré adventure bike, and it was a first for him. The beauty of Tail of the Dragon is the endless supply of curves, many of them nicely banked, and the lack of cross traffic. The downside is that motorcycle and car traffic can be heavy, especially on the weekends.

After crossing back into North Carolina near Deals Gap, we headed east on State Route 28, aka Moonshiner 28, and stopped to visit the impressive Fontana Dam. We followed SR-28 for its entire 81-mile length, which includes the Waterfall Byway (Bridal Veil Falls is a must-stop spot) and Indian Lake Scenic Byway, to the Georgia state line, where SR-28 continues south. Northern Georgia roads are fantastic, with wide curves, perfect pavement, and little traffic, which made it easy to get into a good flow.

We made our way west to Two Wheels of Suches, a motorcycle-only lodge and campground located on the Georgia Triangle, an excellent loop that connects U.S. Route 19, State Route 60, and Wolf Pen Gap Road (State Route 180). At the campground, we met a young man on a ’70s-era Harley hardtail chopper that he built himself. Hearing about his cross-country trips on that bike with its 2-gallon gas tank and leather-covered steel seat made Dan and I embarrassed for complaining that our heated grips don’t get quite hot enough.

Having hit our southernmost point, it was time to start heading north. We followed backroads through Georgia and South Carolina before returning to North Carolina, eventually picking up the Blue Ridge Parkway for a relaxing cruise to Maggie Valley, where a hotel room and a barbecue meal awaited us.

The next day, we visited Wheels Through Time. Unlike most museums that are static and filled with signs that read “Do Not Touch,” WTT lets you get close to over 300 motorcycles on display. Staff members circulate and tell stories about various bikes, and they often start bikes to let visitors hear how they run.

During our visit, Matt Walksler, who now runs the museum after his father, Dale Walksler, passed away in 2021, invited a small group of us to join him for a behind-the-scenes tour of the shop where bikes are restored. Seeing the vintage engines, gas tanks, wheels, and parts along with several motorcycles in various states of restoration was incredible.

The next day, we left Maggie Valley and headed for Rider’s Roost, a motorcycle resort and campground in Ferguson, North Carolina. When we arrived, we discovered a lively scene and a band playing on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. We set up our tents and went to join the party. It was different from the quiet campgrounds we were used to, but the “everybody is a friend” atmosphere made for a great evening of country rock music, darts, and beers.

It was a long, two-day interstate slog back to Ottawa, which gave us plenty of time to reflect on our fantastic week exploring the best backroads in the Appalachians. The memories will last forever, another chapter in the book of experiences that Dan and I have written together. Hockey brought us together, but long motorcycle journeys have been the secret to our long-lasting friendship.

See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.

Appalachians Motorcycle Ride Resources

Virginia Tourism
Wytheville, VA
Tazewell County, VA
Back of the Dragon
Hungry Mother State Park
Tennessee Tourism
Johnson County, TN
Roan Mountain State Park
North Carolina Tourism
Heart of Appalachia
North Carolina Smokies
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Georgia Tourism
Two Wheels of Suches (Suches, GA)
Blue Ridge Parkway
Wheels Through Time (Maggie Valley, NC)
Rider’s Roost Motorcycle Resort & Campground (Ferguson, NC)

Trevor Denis has been addicted to motorcycling since he learned to ride and twisted the forks on a Honda XL80 with an accidental jump when he was 11. His thoughts and garage are mostly full of motorcycles. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with his understanding wife, two great kids, a cat, and a lazy dog.

The post Appalachians Motorcycle Ride: Backroads Bonanza appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

Motorcycle News, News

Healing Ride: A Father-and-Son Journey on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Beyond

May 9, 2023 mcnews Leave a comment

Blue Ridge Parkway Tail of the Dragon — Enjoying one of the 318 curves in 11 miles on Tail of the Dragon. (photo by Killboy)

The few months leading up to this ride, which included the famed Blue Ridge Parkway, had been rough. My wife was recovering from some major health issues, I was finally recovering from a relatively minor health issue, and our 16-year-old daughter was in full teenager mode, and we were all still in shock after one of her close friends was murdered.

On many days, I felt like a dark cloud was hanging over me. Happiness eluded me, and the fragility of life occupied my thoughts. Something needed to change, but I didn’t know what. It was time to reset and clear my head.

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Escape Plan

My wife and daughter convinced me that they would survive – and possibly even thrive – without me for a week, so I decided to take time off from work and go for a solo motorcycle ride. But where to go?

When I bought a used Honda Gold Wing a few years ago, it had a couple of Deals Gap stickers on the back fender, and the previous owner asked if I planned to remove them. I said no, as I had ridden the Tail of the Dragon many times and vowed to do so again on the Gold Wing. This trip would be a perfect time to validate the stickers.

When my 11-year-old son, Cameron, heard about my planned ride, he begged me to let him tag along. He had been on a multiday ride with me before, and he’s a stellar passenger. I figured he could probably use a change of scenery too, and I’d benefit from the natural positivity that kids have before they learn how ugly the world can be.

With my wife’s blessing, Cameron joined me. In addition to riding through the Deals Gap area, I also decided to give Cameron his first taste of the Blue Ridge Parkway and to visit the Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

See all of Rider‘s Southeast U.S. touring stories here.

Blue Ridge Parkway Bound

After a long, tiring first day of battling an endless procession of left-lane bandits heading south on Interstate 81 from our home in Ottawa (when did the passing lane become the driving lane?), we joined the Blue Ridge Parkway at its northern terminus outside of Waynesboro, Virginia, on a cloudy Sunday morning. It was like entering a different world. Traffic was almost nonexistent. There were no stop signs, no traffic lights, and no commercialism. And no one was in a hurry.

Construction of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway began in 1935 and was largely completed by 1966, with one exception: the Linn Cove Viaduct around Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, which was completed in 1987. From start to finish, the project took 52 years and cost nearly half a billion dollars. It was worth it.

The clouds were low, so mist and fog were constant companions that morning. It added to the mystique of the ride, but also to my melancholy. The previous day’s long interstate slog had left me tired, which did nothing to clear the dark cloud that had been following me.

Low traffic and low speed limits made for a relaxing morning, but we got some rain on our Blue Ridge parade. A few light showers helped bring out the rainbows – and the deer. We saw nine of them, and there were probably others we didn’t see, which helped justify the 45-mph speed limit. Cruising at a moderate pace also allowed us to enjoy the scenery.

Cameron loved the idea that we were riding through the clouds that people in the valleys were looking up at. I had been on this stretch of the parkway many times, and I used to think I wouldn’t need to do it again, but seeing it through Cameron’s eyes gave me a new appreciation for the beauty. The stunning views from the overlooks constantly amazed him. His enthusiasm was infectious and eventually broke through my sullenness.

After detouring through Roanoke because of road damage on the parkway, we stopped for the night in Christiansburg, Virginia. At a soul food restaurant, Cameron was introduced to Southern accents and Southern food in the form of delicious catfish and grits.

Traveling with a child is different than traveling solo or with another adult. The sense of freedom I usually have on a motorcycle trip was somewhat tempered. I couldn’t simply abandon my parental duties, and safety became a bigger concern. On the other hand, being able to share a passion with my child is an opportunity I relished. I remember motorcycle trips with my father, and I know Cameron will remember this one, so I tried to provide good memories. Luckily, he’s a good traveler and was happy to be there, so most things were easy.

Blue Ridge Parkway Bridal Veil Falls — Cameron cooling off at Bridal Veil Falls, which is on Highway 28 near Highlands, North Carolina.

The next day was another good one, with more superb views and a higher cloud ceiling that allowed us to see farther than the day before.

For people who love tight, curvy tarmac, the roads that lead up to and down from the Blue Ridge Parkway are often more fun than the parkway itself. Climbing up to 4,000 feet requires lots of twists and turns, and smooth pavement and good banking made for a Gold Wing carnival ride. Cameron loves the curves as much as I do, so we occasionally took a side road that looked interesting just to get to the bottom, then turned around and went back up.

We had lunch at The Bluffs restaurant, directly on the parkway. Opened in 1949, it was the first spot to provide meals on the parkway through a contract with the National Park Service. After closing in 2010, it was beautifully renovated and re-opened in 2021. It is a charming building, and the lunch was delicious but expensive. I chalked it up to the price of atmosphere and history.

Blue Ridge Parkway The Bluffs — The Bluffs has great food and a great atmosphere.

After some fantastic overlooks and busting into the clouds on a foggy ride up Mount Mitchell at more than 6,600 feet, we pulled into the Mount Pisgah Campground for our first night of camping. At almost 5,000 feet of elevation, it provided a cool break from the heat and humidity lower down. The views from the Pisgah Inn where we grabbed a few sandwiches were incredible.

We woke up to the clearest day of the trip so far, with hardly a cloud in the sky. The southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, North Carolina, often has more traffic than the northern part, but the views are fabulous. Cameron and I agreed that the best way to ride the parkway is probably north to south, as the views get better as you go south.

North Carolina Highway 28 Tsali Campground — Our spacious campsite at the Tsali Campground off North Carolina Highway 28.

Slaying Dragons…and Mice?

After reaching the southern terminus of the parkway in Cherokee, we rode to the Tsali Campground on North Carolina Highway 28 (aka Moonshiner 28). We set up our tent early to lighten our load for our Deals Gap run. After a stop at Fontana Dam, we rode the Tail of the Dragon’s 318 curves in 11 miles. I’ve ridden the road several times over the past 20 years, but this was the first time on such a big bike and with a passenger. The aftermarket suspension on the Wing helped, and it handled the challenge quite well, validating its stickers for me. The road is fantastic, and we both had a great time on it.

The next day we rode south on Highway 28, another great road, past Franklin and made a stop at Bridal Veil Falls. We met a couple of guys from Minnesota who recognized my Aerostich jacket as being from Duluth, near where they live. One of them was riding a beautiful early ’70s-era BMW that he restored.

Highway 28 allows you to visit multiple states in a short period. From North Carolina, we crossed into Georgia for about 15 minutes, then into South Carolina. At the pretty town of Walhalla, South Carolina, we decided to head north again to our destination for the night, Maggie Valley, North Carolina. I used the “adventurous routing” on my Garmin GPS, telling it to take us on hilly, curvy roads to our destination. The route delivered and included South Carolina highways 11 and 130 and North Carolina Highway 281 to Tuckasegee and eventually to our motel in Maggie Valley.

Blue Ridge Parkway Deal's Gap — Enjoying a break at the Deal’s Gap Motorcycle Resort before tackling the Dragon.

For those of us not blessed to live in a motorcycle nirvana such as this area, it is really astonishing how outstanding the roads are. Curves are everywhere you look. Reviewing my GPS tracks afterwards highlighted how many curves we went through in a short time. This part of the world is truly a motorcyclist’s paradise.

After a nice evening, we settled in for a quiet night. Cameron slept while I looked at maps to plan our next couple days of riding. The rustling of a plastic bag on the TV stand attracted my attention to a mouse trying to get into our few provisions. I have musophobia – fear of mice and rats – so this was an unwelcome development. After trying in vain to catch the mouse without getting too close to it, I ended up going to the office and requesting another room. I had to wake up Cameron, and we moved all our stuff to a different room. Taming the Dragon on a 950-lb motorcycle? No problem. Sharing a room with a furry little mouse? No thank you!

Blue Ridge Parkway Wheels Through Time Museum — The Wheels Through Time Museum was one of the highlights of our trip. It’s a must-see for any motorcycle enthusiast.

After a fitful sleep filled with nightmares of battling giant mice, we started our day with a visit to the Wheels Through Time Museum, home to over 300 rare American motorcycles, memorabilia, and a few cars. It is advertised as the “Museum that Runs,” and does it ever. Staff walk around answering questions and will often start a bike to let visitors hear it. It’s incredible to listen to a 1950 Harley WL or an opposed-cylinder, shaft-drive military-issue 1942 Harley XA running in all their glory. Most museums are static places where you just look at things – at this one you can feel, hear, and smell history. An incredible place. We were both very impressed and will visit again. If you go, be warned: After leaving, you may feel a powerful urge to buy an old Harley or Indian!

From Maggie Valley we rode toward Boone on North Carolina Highway 209, also known as The Rattler. With curves everywhere and little traffic, it was a great ride, even if we hit a few rain showers that cooled us off. Garmin’s “adventurous routing” again took us along several state routes, each one seemingly curvier than the last, toward our mouse-free hotel in Boone.

That Blue Ridge Parkway Peace of Mind

There comes a point in every trip where a metaphysical corner is turned, where the journey is no longer about the journey but about getting home. We had reached that point in the ride. Unwilling to let our fun times slip away easily, we spent the next morning taking the long way home, winding our way on some small roads before getting onto the I-81 left-lane traffic jam for the long slog back home to Ontario.

Flat Ridge Road Virginia — Taking a break on Flat Ridge Road in Virginia, our last bit of fun before the long ride home.

The goal of this trip – and most traveling, really – was to rest, clear the mind, and gain a different perspective. In that, the trip succeeded. A week of waking up every morning with nothing to do but ride some of North America’s greatest motorcycle roads is a wonderful way to come to terms with the hardships and challenges of life. Staying in the present moment by thinking only of the next curve truly does help heal the mind and soul. It’s not the first time a motorcycle ride has done that for me, but this was probably the most significant. Sharing new memories with my son made it even better.

See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.

Resources:

Blue Ridge Parkway

Patrick County, Virginia, motorcycle routes

The Bluffs (Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 241)

Mount Pisgah Campground (Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 408.6)

Pisgah Inn (Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 408.6)

Switzerland Inn (Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 334)

Tsali Recreation Area

Deal’s Gap Motorcycle Resort

Tail of the Dragon Photos

Maggie Valley Area Chamber of Commerce

Wheels Through Time Museum

The Rattler / NC 209

The post Healing Ride: A Father-and-Son Journey on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Beyond first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com

Motorcycle News, News

Muriel’s First Ride

March 26, 2022 mcnews Leave a comment

She’s taking her first ride on a motorcycle. Posthumously, as it turns out, but my Aunt Muriel is along for the ride, her ashes secretly stowed in my top case.

Muriel had not been a fan of motorcycles. She found them too fast and noisy and their riders too careless and selfish. For decades she lived near the coast in south Florida where a grid of congested, multi-lane streets put motorcycles right next to her. The ones she encountered, at least the fast and loud ones that stood out in her mind, didn’t give her much to like.

While she enjoyed hearing stories of my long-distance adventures on motorcycles, she always made one thing quite clear: “You will never get me on a motorcycle!”

Now, as the miles are adding up, a thought keeps bouncing through my brain: Would Muriel have found this ride okay?

Her attitude about motorcycles and their riders evolved after she retired and moved to the mountains of western North Carolina – one of the best motorcycling regions anywhere. When Muriel first took up residence in the town of Franklin, my wife, Sheila, and I drove down for a visit. Muriel drove us to lunch at a barbecue place she liked in the town of Highlands.

As we motored south on State Route 28, the road became tremendous, with baby’s-bottom-smooth tar and continuous tight turns, nicely banked. On one side of the road were jagged outcroppings, and on the other a fast-moving river in a rocky ravine. She pulled her car into a lay-by and drove us behind a waterfall.

Muriel was not what you’d call an expert driver, but to her credit, she stayed in her own lane on this intensely curvy road. Sheila was pregnant at the time and sat nervously in the back seat, clutching her rounded belly and hoping our destination was close. In stark contrast, I was thinking how fantastic this road would be on a motorcycle. I mentioned this to Muriel, and she suggested I come back riding one. “Bring a friend,” she said. “More than one if you like.”

This invitation, I later learned, was despite a homeowner association rule that did not allow motorcycles in Muriel’s neighborhood. “I don’t have a motorcycle,” she explained, “but if visitors come to see me and arrive on their cycles, there’s not much I can do about that, is there?” Muriel believed that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Over the next 15 years, I took every opportunity to visit her with one, two, or three friends on motorcycles. We would arrive on quiet Hondas and BMWs, ride slowly through her neighborhood, and offer a friendly wave to anyone we encountered. Forgiveness was never required.

Muriel’s home was on a hilltop, providing an impressive view of the mountains where those roads we came to ride lay waiting. Her neighborhood emptied onto Route 28 (aka Moonshiner 28), and gems like Wayah Road, the Cherohala Skyway, U.S. Route 129 (Tail of the Dragon), and the Blue Ridge Parkway were there to be enjoyed. On every visit we discovered new roads.

We’d return from a day’s ride excited and full of stories, then take Muriel out for dinner. Over these meals, she got to know an orthopedic surgeon, a military logistician, a powerplant engineer, a metal fabricator, a warehouse manager, and a truck driver – each a gentleman, a gracious guest, and a motorcyclist.

One time Muriel casually asked if we’d help her change out the storm windows for screens. “You’ll keep an old lady off a stepladder,” she explained. We installed those screens, and on every subsequent visit we asked for her honey-do list. Leaky faucets, wobbly towel bars, and uncooperative wi-fi never stood a chance. Muriel came to appreciate that not every motorcycle was too fast and noisy, nor every rider too careless and selfish. When talking with her church lady friends, she referred to us as her gentlemen friends on motorcycles.

Now, on a warm Sunday at summer’s end, I depart my home in western Massachusetts and point my BMW R 1200 RT south and west. Weaving through the Berkshire Hills of Connecticut, I seek out places Muriel would have liked: Saville Dam in Barkhamsted, East River Road overlooking the Farmington River, and historic covered Bull’s Bridge across the Housatonic River. At the New York border, the road becomes Dogtail Corners Road … Muriel would have chuckled at the name. She would have been less amused by the 10-mph hairpin turns on Dutchess County Route 22 east of Pleasant Ridge Road, but I lean in to savor them.

I curve through the Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks into scenic northern New Jersey, where Steve Efthyvoulou joins the ride. Over the years, Steve arrived at Muriel’s on a motorcycle more often than anyone except me, and on this ride, he is helping me to fulfill a request: Muriel had directed that her ashes be “scattered in the North Carolina mountains.” No specific location was indicated, so I asked Steve to join me in seeing this through appropriately. He agreed without hesitation.

The next morning, we are rolling at first light. Steve has plotted a route to keep us off main roads, so we’re riding through small New Jersey towns, past fields of corn ready for harvest. We cross into Pennsylvania, and in Lancaster County the distinct sights of Pennsylvania Dutch country abound. Amish farmers with a team of four mules are harvesting the first row of corn, right next to the road. A bonnet-clad teacher is holding class outside as children dressed in homespun clothes sit attentively. Farther on, an older group of boys enjoys recess on a baseball diamond. I’ve been told Monday is laundry day for Amish families, and countless clotheslines brimming with union suits and long-legged underpants offer anecdotal evidence. At an intersection, a young buggy operator struggles with her charge. Steve points out that teenagers aren’t typically the best drivers – even when driving a horse.

On Pennsylvania Route 372 we cross the expansive Muddy Run hydro power project, which uses excess power from the grid to pump water from the dammed Susquehanna River into a lake. During peak power demand, water flows down from the lake through turbines that generate electricity. The lake, essentially, is a battery. It’s also the center of an area operated as a park.

Midday finds us in Maryland, and what would a lunch stop in the Free State be without crab cakes? Muriel would have given two claws up. After a brief run through the state of West Virginia, we continue through western Virginia to Harrisonburg for the night.

In the morning we hop on Skyline Drive to curve through Shenandoah National Park. On a dreary weekday after Labor Day, the few vehicles we encounter are noticeably disregarding the painfully slow 35-mph speed limit. After we join the Blue Ridge Parkway, the rain begins. Beyond Roanoke we shift to U.S. Route 221, and the rain continues to fall hard and steady, but as Steve reminds me, a great road in the rain is still a great road. In the town of Boone, North Carolina, we call it a day. Torrential rain and flash flood warnings will continue through the next 36 hours, so we opt for a rest day in this happening college town in the mountains.

A day later, morning arrives with brilliant sun and temperatures in the low 40s. With heated gear plugged in, we make an early start. Branches and limbs litter the roads in a testament to the fierce storms that had rolled through. Steve shares warnings of road hazards ahead, a great benefit of bike-to-bike intercom. Especially in this region of Appalachia, the mountains form a creased and crumpled landscape, and the roads built into it twist and turn like a roller-coaster ride that you control. Rock outcroppings are common, and some are fascinating, such as one on U.S. 221, west of Blowing Rock, that looks like a face emerging from the mountain. Beyond North Cove we turn right on State Route 226 and left on State Route 226A to partake in another asphalt masterpiece.

Then, somewhere beyond Little Switzerland, an appropriate spot in the North Carolina mountains reveals itself and Muriel’s final request is fulfilled.

Professionally, Muriel had been a city clerk, certifying elections, officiating weddings, and serving as president of the municipal clerks’ international association. She traveled extensively for work and in retirement. A simple church-going lady, she loved conversation, voiced strongly held opinions, and agreed to disagree (agreeably). One thing Muriel and I disagreed about was motorcycles, though curiously they brought us closer together. She knew how much motorcycles matter to me and that she lived in a special place to enjoy them, so of course I should come visit with friends.

On this trip, I gained the satisfaction of ensuring that Muriel’s wish to find rest in the mountains of North Carolina was met, and in the process Steve and I enjoyed some amazing roads. But there’s no escaping the irony that Muriel’s final ride was also her first ride on a motorcycle.

The post Muriel’s First Ride first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com

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Favorite Ride: Lapping the Appalachians

August 23, 2021 mcnews Leave a comment

A Father and Son Tour the Appalachians — Father and son on the the Tail of the Dragon, Tennessee. (Above photo by 129photos.com; other photos by the author)

Dad’s first sojourn through the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia needed to be grand. Dad is a desert dweller from southern Arizona and has never ridden east of Texas. We agreed on a short list of must-haves: Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Tail of the Dragon. Everything else – the fall foliage, the swollen creeks and runs, the rural country roads, the morning fog – would be an added bonus.

There would also be pancakes. Lots of pancakes.

We picked up Dad’s Triumph Tiger Explorer at a motorcycle dealership in northern Virginia, where he had it shipped from Arizona. We rode south and entered the Blue Ridge Parkway west of Lynchburg. The parkway is aptly named, with smooth, graceful curves, well-manicured roadsides, and plenty of parking areas to admire the view. A word to the wise, as I learned as point man: pay attention to mile markers. I missed the country road that the kind ladies at Explore Park said would lead us to Mount Airy, North Carolina, our first stop for the night and the birthplace of actor Andy Griffith.

Dad’s Explorer has heated grips and a larger fairing than my Triumph Sprint GT, so he was better prepared for the chilly 40-degree temperatures during our ride. For most of the morning, we enjoyed relative seclusion, clear skies, autumn colors, and beautiful farm country. In one short span, the view of the valley below on my left was stolen by a patch of trees and granite outcroppings only to be returned over my right shoulder. It was a literal tennis match of competing landscapes – valleys of farm country on one side and ridgelines stretching to the horizon on the other.

Traffic increased the farther south we traveled, and overflowing pullouts often prevented us from stopping, so, we leaned back and enjoyed the ride. We left the parkway at Asheville, having decided on Maggie Valley for our overnight stay.

A steady downpour and tornado warnings nixed riding the second day, so we covered the bikes and took a taxi to Wheels Through Time. While walking through the museum – home to more than 300 interesting and rare motorcycles – Dad shared stories of his older brother’s 1950 Harley Panhead and their shenanigans on it back on the farm in Iowa. One involved the bike, loaded with three riders, being chased by a dog that gave up the hunt after my uncle retarded the spark for a spectacular backfire. Dad hunted the base of many a cylinder barrel, searching for a stamp that would identify the same year as his brother’s, but to no avail.

Tourist traffic in the lush Great Smoky Mountains National Park slowed our progress. We found a place to park the bikes at Newfound Gap, a 5,049-foot pass on U.S. Route 441, allowing us to stretch our legs. Traffic in the park paled in comparison to the carnival of tourism we saw in Gatlinburg, where we found the Little House of Pancakes.

Dad tucked into a stack of blueberry pancakes, and I gorged on sweet-and-spicy apple pancakes. Between bites – and doing our best not to drip syrup on our map – we sketched out an alternate route back to Maggie Valley. We tested our pioneering skills on Tennessee State Route 32 in search of secluded switchbacks. Any concern about traffic was dispelled by a large red diamond-shaped sign that warned “Do Not Enter, Your GPS is Wrong” a few miles into the alternate route.

Littered with wet leaves and twigs from the previous day’s storms, Route 32’s pucker factor was off the scale, especially when I felt the front wheel push over some wet leaves at the apex of a turn. I rarely engaged 3rd gear after that. Pavement turned to hard gravel at Davenport Gap, where we crossed back into North Carolina on Mount Sterling Road. We found blacktop again at Waterville Road along Big Creek, and after a few miles, under cavernous trees and crags, we came upon Interstate 40 and our path back to Maggie Valley.

Compared to Route 32, the Tail of the Dragon’s 318 curves in 11 miles were not as technical, nor as precarious. The roads in this part of Tennessee, which arc around the southern side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, plunge into valleys, rise to bluffs overlooking man-made lakes and hydroelectric dams, and hug the steep sides of tree-blanketed mountains. After a full day of Appalachian curves, we stopped for the night in Middlesboro, Kentucky, just a stone’s throw west of Cumberland Gap.

With our bellies full of pancakes, we rode east on U.S. Route 58 through southwestern Virginia under crisp, blue autumn skies, with ridgelines on our left marking the border with Kentucky. We continued northeast on U.S. Route 19 for our next overnight in Princeton, West Virginia, and we awoke the next morning to find frost on our bikes. Despite the cold, the scenery from Princeton to Elkins on U.S. Route 219 was a moving feast of fields, pastures, valleys, woodland, creeks, rivers, and quaint towns.

Link to Appalachian tour route on REVER

A section of U.S. 219 we traveled along is known as Seneca Trail. A pleasant surprise around one bend was Indian Creek Covered Bridge, which was completed in 1903 at a cost of $400. The rest of the morning was spent passing farm after farm, including writer Pearl S. Buck’s birthplace in Hillsboro, West Virginia. For pancakes, we recommend Greenbrier Grille and Lodge, overlooking its namesake river in Marlinton.

Our last day involved riding from valley to ridge to valley. We followed curves along various creeks and branches of the Potomac River that snaked their way through the Appalachians. Eventually we had to leave the winding roads behind and hop on Interstate 66 to complete our multi-day loop. For Dad’s first ride east of the Mississippi, he was proud to see his tripmeter roll over 1,504 memorable miles.

The post Favorite Ride: Lapping the Appalachians first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com

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Favorite Ride: Space Coast to the Smokies

December 31, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

You really couldn’t tell that it was the first day of fall in Palm Bay, Florida. The forecast called for lots of sun and 90 degrees. With a beautiful sunrise to my right, I headed north on I-95 toward Daytona Beach on the Harley-Davidson Road King, planning to meet my old friend Bob in Robbinsville, North Carolina the next day. He was riding down from Ohio on his TriGlide. After that it would be Smokey Mountain touring for a few days.

Leaving I-95 I exited on West Granada Boulevard and headed east to Florida State Road A1A. I was looking forward to a beautiful cruise along the ocean and was not disappointed. Between Ormond Beach and Flagler Beach I stopped at an interesting historical site — a coastal watchtower from WWII used by spotters to monitor German U-boat activity and watch for enemy aircraft. More than 15,000 of these towers were erected along the U.S. coastline after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

I continued to cruise north on coastal FSR A1A until I rolled into St. Augustine over the Bridge of Lions. The historic lighthouse in the USA’s oldest town came into view and made for a great place to take five. Still a working lighthouse with a museum on the grounds, many structures like it in St. Augustine are reputed to be haunted, but the only spirit I was interested in was a cold beer at the end of my riding day. So, I crossed back over the Tolomato River as soon as I could to pick up coastal FSR A1A and rode on to Jacksonville.

Heading west on Beach Blvd., I left the ocean behind and grabbed the I-295 Loop to avoid downtown Jacksonville. Exiting on U.S. Route 23 I aimed for Callahan, Florida, a much needed break and a fuel stop, looking forward to passing through small towns and riding through the countryside.

Crossing the Florida/Georgia border, soon I was in Folkston, and more than one sign reminded me that this is the gateway to the Okefenokee Swamp. After a bite I continued north on Route 23 through Waycross, cruising country roads past classic old farms, red dirt side roads, cotton fields, old barns and even Vidalia, home of those famous sweet onions! Holding to Georgia Route 15 brought me to Sandersville, Georgia, and a Quality Inn on the main drag.

Early on Sunday morning I kept rolling on 15 through Georgia. Sparta is a classic old southern town founded in 1795 that is full of historic buildings and sits in the heart of old plantation country. I stopped at Monument Square, where the courthouse dates back to 1882, then pushing on and ever northward I rolled through the Oconee National Forest and skirted around Athens on the U.S. Route 441 Loop.

Finishing off Georgia on Route 23, soon I had the North Carolina Mountains on the horizon. It was an easy decision to drift up to Cherokee before riding west to Robbinsville to meet my friend Bob. Early Sunday evening I pulled into the Phillips Motel, our home base for the next three nights, a clean and comfortable spot with covered parking for our machines.

Up before the sun, we took a warm-up ride south of town before leaving on our much-anticipated ride to Maggie Valley and the Wheels Through Time Museum. I was scouting photo ops and enjoying the cool mountain air when a big bird flying way too low came out of the trees. Just before I ducked, I saw the owl’s two large eyes, a beak and lots of feathers, and heard him bump my windshield. Luckily for both us it wasn’t a solid hit, and we both went on our way….

After breakfast at Southern Gals Restaurant, we were off to Maggie Valley, riding North Carolina Highway 143 and hooking up with U.S. Route 19. The beautiful mountain roads led us to Dale Walksler’s Wheels Through Time Museum. If you dig vintage bikes and automobiles this place is a must see. The friendly staff has a wealth of information that they are more than happy to share. The museum staff steered us to Pop’s Place for lunch. My Road King was gaining miles, I was gaining weight!

Our Tuesday plan was to ride the Cherohala Skyway Loop. Rain suits and wet roads were the theme that morning, with a fine mist lingering. As we climbed the twisty mountain road Mother Nature tossed in some thick fog, and wet leaves on the road made me even more cautious. The Smokies were really living up to their name and I wondered if there would ever be any visibility at the scenic overlooks we kept passing!

After a few miles the fog lifted and we began to see breaks in the clouds, and those overlooks started to live up to their reputation. Sunshine, scenic vistas and dry roads were more than welcome. We ditched the rain gear at an overlook and cruised across the Tennessee line to Tellico Plains. After a home-cooked lunch at the Telicafe, I was thinking about what lay ahead — the infamous Tail of the Dragon, 318 curves in 11 miles that would close out our ride. I was thinking, “I’ve already scraped a floorboard or two on these mountain roads, how much more twisty can this Dragon be?” The answer is “a whole bunch more!” It’s exciting, challenging and even dangerous, with 11 miles of hairpin, switchback, and floorboard-scraping turns. Once it was behind me, I stopped at Deals Gap, the motorcycle oasis at the south end of the Dragon, and waited for Bob and his TriGlide. We topped off our day just a couple miles south of Deals Gap at the Historic Tapoco Lodge, dining at an outdoor riverfront table while reliving the day’s ride.

The next morning, I headed for home just ahead of the rain, bidding my friend good-bye and safe travels the night before. I was treated to one last ride through the Smokies before heading south outside of Ashville, already thinking of my next trip up here and all of the Carolina roads waiting to be explored.

Favorite Ride: Space Coast to the Smokies Photo Gallery:

The post Favorite Ride: Space Coast to the Smokies first appeared on Rider Magazine.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

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Riding ‘Shine Country: The Tail of the Dragon and North Carolina’s Moonshiner 28

February 25, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Zeb and Bob Congdon at The Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort before heading up the Tail of the Dragon. Photos by the author.

As I leaned into the corner, a stopped garbage truck appeared just ahead, hugging the stone wall on the right closely enough that I could just squeak by. Doing so revealed the gorgeous sight of a rock-laced, turbulent waterfall directly in front of me. These exciting moments were in the Cullasaja River Gorge of North Carolina’s State Highway 28, parts of it nicknamed “Moonshiner 28” due to its rich history of use by speeding moonshiners evading the revenuers. Everyone has heard of the Tail of the Dragon section of U.S. Route 129 in Tennessee and North Carolina — Moonshiner 28 begins at its southern end and is an even better ride in many ways.

North Carolina Deals Gap Tail of the Dragon motorcycle ride map — Map of the route taken, by Bill Tipton/compartmaps.com.

I wasn’t expecting anything extraordinary riding this portion of Moonshiner 28 after two days of enjoying nothing but amazing riding from where I started in Cherokee, North Carolina. But what had begun as a raw, misty autumn ride soon developed into an unforgettable fall-color riding spectacle.

In Cherokee, I camped in a KOA cabin along the Raven Fork River for two days of fishing. The cabin was a luxurious tent, tailormade for a motorcycle journey. Besides fishing, Cherokee has amenities and attractions like the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, a casino, lodging, eateries, a gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I left the Cherokee campground on a misty, rainy morning, bypassing the elk refuge at the national park’s Oconaluftee Visitor Center and heading north on U.S. Route 441 into the park. It was cold and raw this November day, and the mist limited my vision. Taking the turnoff up to Clingmans Dome, all I could see were the clouds hanging in the valleys — the “smoke” in the Smokies.

View from the Foothills Parkway between Townsend and Chilhowee, Tennessee.

I left Clingmans Dome Road, got back on U.S. 441 and headed for Townsend, Tennessee, to check out the Little River fishing potential. At Sugarlands Visitor Center I headed west on Fighting Creek Gap Road, becoming Little River Gorge Road. It merges with U.S. Route 321 in Townsend. Normally a great ride, on this day it was overwhelmed with park traffic, and I rode attentively.

Chilled and needing hot food and coffee, I pulled into a roadhouse in Townsend and wolfed down a medium-rare strip with eggs, home fries and coffee. Full and warm I headed off on U.S. 321 to the Foothills Parkway. The sun came out, allowing me to absorb Mother Nature’s continuous visual treats. The colors along the parkway were overwhelmingly beautiful.

The author’s BMW F 650 GS parked at Foothills Parkway Overlook between Townsend and Chilhowee, Tennessee.

Suddenly I was at the beginning of the Tail of the Dragon section of U.S. 129 in Tennessee. I had ridden it from the North Carolina side, but not the other direction. Sports cars and screaming sportbikes ply the road’s endless curves, so you must pay constant attention. Dragon riding is about turns, leaning, weight change, rhythm and smiling through 318 curves in 11 miles. Having conquered the Dragon, now a legend in my own mind, I pulled into Ron and Nancy Johnson’s Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort, a mandatory stop at the southern end.

Moonshiner 28 starts here. As I leaned and twisted down the Moonshiner I imagined Robert Mitchum’s 1950 Ford two-door sedan (actually a modified 1951 model) from “Thunder Road” screeching around the corners and hauling the moonshine to market. Riding along Cheoah Lake to Fontana Dam is quite fun, a simply enjoyable, sparkling and twisting lake road. I reached the dam and rode across it, stopping for pictures and picking up great riding maps at the visitor center.

Bob Congdon rides Moonshiner 28 along the Cheoah River, between Deals Gap and Stecoah, North Carolina. Photo by Killboy.com

Moonshiner 28 from Fontana to Franklin is not a make-time route; it is a rider’s enjoy-the-feeling route. Arriving in Franklin at dusk, I pulled up to the Microtel Inn & Suites, looking forward to a relaxing cocktail and a good night’s sleep. But I had forgotten that I was in the Bible Belt — finding that “moonshine” was a chore.

The next morning it was onto Mountain Waters Scenic Byway. I have come to love this 9-mile section of U.S. Route 64/State Route 28, but that morning was special. With the trees in full fall color and the cascading Cullasaja River Gorge on my right, it grabbed my soul. I enjoyed sunny, prime fall riding conditions on this scenic, twisty, color-laden river road. The Gorge is a part of the Nantahala National Forest in western North Carolina, and on this part of the Moonshiner 28 the Cullasaja River tears down the gorge interrupted by cascading, tumbling waterfalls like Dry Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Bust Your Butt Falls and, of course, Cullasaja Falls. Dry and Bridal Veil Falls have large enough pull-offs for multiple bikes. Dry Falls is particularly unique with a falls walkway and restrooms.

Bust Your Butt Falls is one of several waterfalls on the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway section of Moonshiner 28.

At Highlands, I continued down Moonshiner 28, crossing into Georgia and then South Carolina. No wonder moonshiners liked this road. You could quickly hit multiple state population centers!

Turning around, I headed for my destination, my brother’s house outside Spartanburg, South Carolina. I wasn’t about to pass up a continuing ride through the Smokies for Interstate 85. I got back to Highlands, picked up U.S. 64 east toward Brevard, U.S. Route 276, Pisgah Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway. At U.S. 276 I figured seeing my brother was more important than the Blue Ridge. It would have to wait until spring.

As a senior rider, my bike rides mean freedom, being alone with my thoughts, rugged country and having a big grin on my face. A favorite ride has to have raw beauty, scenic rivers, intriguing history, meandering roads and mountains. It has to be all that to keep me coming back. This ride is a great journey; I appreciate being alive when I am here. I wish you the same in riding Moonshiner 28.

A dragon stands guard at Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

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Tag Archives: North Carolina Motorcycle Rides

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Appalachians Motorcycle Ride Resources

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Resources:

Muriel’s First Ride

Favorite Ride: Lapping the Appalachians

Link to Appalachian tour route on REVER

Favorite Ride: Space Coast to the Smokies

Favorite Ride: Space Coast to the Smokies Photo Gallery:

Riding ‘Shine Country: The Tail of the Dragon and North Carolina’s Moonshiner 28

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