Riding the Blue Ridge Parkway is fun, but very, very long. Longer than I expected. Especially with all the stops I make; I want to see everything! I want to learn about the parkway, the region, its people, its stories and history.
I forgot to mention yesterday that I saw a half a dozen deer here and there just off the road as I was riding. Just this morning, I saw one looking straight at me, not moving. It was somewhat creepy, but beautiful. It did move a little, just enough to dispel the thought that it might be a stuffed one. Still, I better be careful and keep an eye out for others that may cross my path.
As I was cleaning my bike and lubricating its chain early this morning, Aaron, the Canadian biker with whom I’m sharing the campsite, comes back with another young guy who’s having trouble with his bicycle. We help him out with some tools and get him up and running again. He’s cycling across the country all the way to Oregon. Quite an undertaking! We wish him well and return to taking care of our motorbikes. At Aaron’s request, I pass him the can of chain lube I brought with me; I’m glad I can help. Hey, I’m part of the community after all.
After I’m done getting the crud off my bike, it doesn’t take me much time to pack and load it up. We say our usual farewells, “Safe riding!” and I’m back on the road again.
At the next point of interest on the parkway not too far from the campground, I stop and have breakfast at the small restaurant inside, a popular local dish: biscuits and gravy with some grits. Quite yummy! I learn from the server that the nearby town is called Meadows of Dan, pronounced “MEH-da-za-DAN”. It’s fun to say out loud. With still no functioning WiFi, nor cell reception, I don’t take much time in the restaurant. By the way, at this point, I have no idea where my sunglasses are.
At this stop, we find an old mill, restored and well maintained: Mabry Mill. The landscape is beautiful. It’s one of the most photographed spots on the parkway. Time to make my contribution to that statistic. Hey! It’s really photogenic, okay?
Back on the road, up ahead, I ride up to a group of three riders. Riding by oneself, we tend to be a little faster than those riding in groups. After some time, and when appropriate and safe, they all move to the right track and signal for me to pass. How nice! For twenty-some miles, I still see them in my side mirrors, until I pass the occasional car and they get stuck behind it. There are a lot more motorcycles on the parkway today.
The next major point of interest is called Blue Ridge Music Center. I find it curious and out of place so I decide to stop and check it out. Indeed, it is a museum dedicated to the music of the region, apparently the origin of much of today’s music. Fascinating!
As I was getting off the motorcycle, the three riders are pulling in and park. We nod at each other and give out the usual motorcycle greeting: “Nice day for a ride, isn’t it?” “Perfect!” I learn that they are from Montreal and that they drove their bikes down yesterday in trucks and started riding today. It was their first time experiencing the Parkway too. Neat!
The music centre is near the North Carolina border. I ride a little slower than usual so I can stop and take a picture at the welcome sign. Unfortunately, I missed it. I saw a small sign mentioning something about the parkway, and I wondered if that was it. Meh! I didn’t want to turn back, so I kept riding, returning to my usual pace. Well, not exactly my usual one, since the roads are a little rougher in this area. I watch for those bumps and dips as I ride along.
Further down, I get hungry and my butt is getting sore, so I stop at the Northwest Trading Post for a submarine sandwich and to look for some souvenirs. Other motorists stop for a break here too, most of them bikers. I overhear some of them talking about a motorcycle rally in a town further down the parkway; interesting. Unfortunately, I probably won’t have time to check it out.
After forty more miles of riding, I come across an awesome view in the distance of a pretty cool mountain with a rocky top, with a section of the parkway visible on it, wait… not exactly on it, but like a bridge attached to it. The mountain is Grandfather Mountain and that section of parkway is called Linn Cove Viaduct. I’m absolutely fascinated by it!
As I round the mountain, I get to ride on the viaduct: it’s twisty and curvy and feels like it’s floating beside the rocky mountain, above the cliff below. Very cool! I want to learn how they built this amazing feat of engineering, so I stop at the nearby interpretation centre.
They didn’t want to damage the fragile ecosystem on Grandfather Mountain, so they they built it from the top down, placing each unique section, one by one, from atop of the bridge itself. All but one of the sections are curved. This viaduct was the last section of the Blue Ridge Parkway to be built. I’m thoroughly impressed, so I hike down under it to have a closer look.
Thirty miles further down the parkway, I come across Little Switzerland. I turn off the parkway there because there’s a loop I’d like to ride: the infamous Diamondback. NC Hwy 226A is crazy twisty and was a real thrill to ride.
I learned so much about handling my bike just in this one little loop. The scariest part is when coming up on blind curves, to the left for example: because of the rock wall on the left, I can’t see if a car is coming from the other direction and might veer into my lane. I do my best to slow down and keep to the far right of my lane, not too far, or else I’d end up down the cliff, until I can see the other end of the curve.
The whole time I was on this road, I was 110% concentrated: there is absolutely no time to take in the view. Any minute lack of attention would be unforgiving and devastating. I took it at a comfortable pace, never taking any unnecessary risks. I’m glad to have experienced it and to have sharpened my motorcycling skills. I was somewhat relieved at the end of it, and riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway after that felt that much more rewarding.
Later, I take the time to check out Mount Mitchell, the highest point East of the Mississippi River: 6,684ft. On the observatory tower, I had a commanding view of the surrounding mountains and valleys below. I wish I could spend hours there, just taking in the view, but the hour is late and I must find a campsite for the night, before the sun sets.
As I am about to ride off, I notice I only have about 60km of fuel left. Oh oh! There are no service stations on the parkway. I check the directory of the stations and the next one is 30 miles away. Will I make it? In this mountainous region, I tend to use up fuel more quickly than on long flat interstate highways. I nervously ride off, taking care to use the throttle sporadically and smoothly.
As I ride, I realize that since I was on the highest peak, those 30 miles are mostly downhill. I make it to the gas station with plenty of fuel to spare. Whew! And now, to quickly find a campsite for the night. With finally a cell phone signal, I find a KOA campground nearby with a 24-hour laundry room. Yay!
Tomorrow, I finish riding the Parkway, with only 86 more miles left. Then, I start to make my way back home via the regular highways. What a thoroughly enjoyable day!
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3 replies on “Memorable experiences”
Ça peut aussi se faire en AC Cobra comme on peut le voir sur la cinquième photo… Ça tend les bras pour rallumer une vieille flamme…
En effet Sensei, il y en avait de toutes les sortes…
It’s funny you mentioning no cell reception. Not used to hearing that. In Taiwan, and the places I travel in South East Asia, that almost never happens. Population density I guess.