Day Two: Arriving at the Blue Ridge Parkway

Morning dawned sunny and most importantly, dry, in Morgantown, WV.  After some sprucing up of the bikes and cleaning of the windshields we headed back down the road on US 250. Destination Waynesboro, VA and the head of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Judy took no end of teasing. She keeps a meticulous bike. I doubt there was a bug left on it from day one. I'm not so inclined to keep a perfect bike, but an almost perfect bike. The guys were happy to save the cleaning until we returned home. It made for some wonderful "ribbing" throughout the day. Judy didn't miss any opportunity to pull out her rag and wipe the bike and the guys missed no opportunity to point out missed spots and bug guts. We began out day with a stop in Philippi, WV. We needed fuel and this seemed like a fine enough stop. "Good enough" was a gem. To enter town we had to cross a two lane covered bridge. It was a beautifully, built structure that was well kept and still functional. This would be my first of many "glimpses into the past". We were in the heart of the American Civil War territory. The ride alone allowed my opportunities to review Civil War history in my mind. I was just glad I had been teaching an American History class this summer that gave me an excuse earlier to review the chronology of the war. I had also completed reading Goodwin-Kearns book, Team of Rivals, about Abe Lincoln and his Cabinet.  The ride today would give me a good sense of the terrain that the Union and Confederate armies marched through and fought on. I was also acutely aware of the heat of the day - another scorcher. The soldiers, in wool uniforms, marched and fought in this same heat. Amazing! At Blue-Grey park in Philippi we shot some pictures, chatted with fellow bikers, and plotted out the next phase of the day.  The road from here was amazing. The assents, descents and curves took on a whole new look. The gentle curves from yesterday became more severe and challenging. At times I was sure I was horizontal to the road entering one curve and would slingshot out of it and into the next one. It reminded me of downhill skiing on the moguls runs. I am sure it was a thing of beauty to watch four bikes moving along, well spaced, in harmony through the curves. If motorcycling has its pellaton, we were one today. After the first stretch I was thinking I was done for the day. But the next set of curves became even more intense. Just as I was beginning to think that this was the most awesome ride I had done, it got even more challenging. Now the curves were banked. Through a one mile stretch I counted six curves! Just when I wondered if they would end we pulled off into the Confederate Breastworks. We joined a dozen other motorcycles for a break. The Confederate Breastworks was a former fort and overlook for Confederate troops during the Civil War. The view was breath taking. What I didn't know was this was only the beginning of many amazing sites. After our brief but needed rest, we jumped back on US 250 and continued on to Waynesboro. During our stop we had arranged to stay at a cabin just 16 miles south on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The cabin had three rooms and wonderful mountain views. We were warned that the driveway leading to the cabin might be challenging as the owner had just put down rocks. When we finally arrived in Waynesboro we found the trail head to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This was our destination! We stopped at the first overlook for pictures. We then continued down another 12 miles to our cabin turn off.  The drive way was more challenging then we imaged. Ray and Wayne were the first riders up. It was clear their back wheels were working to find traction through the rocks. I sat on the road waiting for my turn trying to figure out in my mind the best way to cross the rocks and get to the grass along the side of the drive way so I could make it. Judy began to ascent. Quickly it was clear that her bake tire wasn't able to find the traction Wayne and Ray had. Judy and her bike didn't have the weight needed to push through the rocks. To Judy's credit she battled and battled and then finally, "set her bike down". Laying down a bike is not a positive thing for a biker; but in this case it was best. Wayne and Ray came down to help us get Judy's bike and my bike up. Once at the top of the drive way the owner was waiting for us. He was clearly concerned. I'm sure he knew the newly laid rocks were not bike friendly. After checking in he showed us another way in and out of his property through a neighboring church. That was a much better route through grass and on finely ground, hard packed rock.  Once parked for the night we unloaded. The cabin came with a grill. The camp store gave us an opportunity to pick up hamburger and all the fixings for a great picnic meal. We all pitched in and contributed to dinner. Our evening was a delight as we watch the moon rise over the mountains that appeared before us. We decided to stay here another night and spend tomorrow riding the Skyline Road through Shenandoah National Park. While I laid on my bed reviewing my day and feeling good about riding the curves, I couldn't help but anticipate another wonderful ride tomorrow. With so many wonderful experiences behind and ahead, how does one live in the moment?