Riding the Blue Ridge Parkway

Read about my motorcycle trip to and along the Blue Ridge Parkway by clicking here: Blue Ridge Motorcycle Trip. 

Day 5: Arriving in North Carolina

We awoke early this morning to begin our day. Next to our hotel was a Waffle House. I so remember Waffle House restaurants when I was a kid traveling to Florida to visit my aunt. We'd live Michigan at some early hour in the morning, ride all night and stop for breakfast in Macon, GA at a Waffle House. We headed over and each loaded up on a great breakfast. The waitress was so friendly. The whole experience was wonderful. The morning dawned cloudy. The rain of the past evening had moved east. The weather channel seemed to show that we would ride out of any threat of rain if we continued south to NC as planned. After gassing up we headed for the Blue Ridge for another day. Upon mounting the Blue Ridge we saw numerous deer and wild turkey. They seemed to see us to and dart back into the woods. This portion of the trail was far more woody with fewer overlooks. The view was no less beautiful. The overcast made the ride enjoyable as the storm seemed to have pulled the heat from the air. After a little more than an hour ride we came to a stop - the music house. Here we stretched our legs and was treated to wonderful Blue Mountain music from two wonderful local musicians. One of our riders plays in a band, so he clearly enjoyed this stop. We took our time, enjoying music and the beauty of the Blue Ridge. After about an hour break we headed south down the Blue Ridge. As we got closer to the NC state line we found another stop. Here we stopped at the Old Mill. This mill was once a working mill in the area. As one of our riders made arrangements for our stay in the evening, I explored the wonderfully restored old mill and learned a bit about the history of the area. Clearly the Blue Ridge was full of wonderful discoveries. Upon arriving back to the rest area we discovered we were able to find a set of cabins south into NC about 30 miles. The cabins were rustic, devoid of TV, and set in a meadow with wonderful mountain views. One thing about this trip, the days ended with as wonderful of a view as during the entire ride. After another couple of hours we arrived at our cabins. After unpacking we quickly mounted back on our bikes to head a short distance back up the road to this wonderful restaurant we learned about. Upon entering the restaurant, we quickly discovered home cooked meals. From home made corn bread, the pull pork, the bean soup and hot biscuits; we were in heaven. After loading up on the best home cooked meal in years, we headed back to the cabin to watch the sun set over the meadow and mountains. The peace and tranquillity of the evening was unmatched by any other setting we experienced to date on the trip. As the dusk descended, the deer came out. They peppered the hill north of the meadow grazing in the lush golden grass. Totally beautiful. As the sun set lower in the sky, the hues of orange, pink, purple and blue were beyond description. They mountains began to take on another personality. After sunset the valley came to life with dots of twinkling lights. The view was outdone by the wonderful sky show. The dark of the sky was contrasted by the bright, clear stars. Without light pollution from a city, the stars and sky were even more prominent. We all hung out on the huge deck, taking in the warmth of flickering light of an evening fire in the fire place, gazing at the sky, sharing more stories and enjoying each others company. Soon sleep began to creep in and one by one we headed back to our cabins, knowing that tomorrow some of us were heading home while another was continuing south to finish the Blue Ridge. 

Day 4: South down the Parkway

Morning dawned bright and hazy. It was still hot. One by one we slowly emerged from bed and began to gather on the back deck. Coffee in hand we started contemplating our day. After a brief conversation around a map we quickly agreed upon Roanoke, VA.  We packed up and headed out onto the Blue Ridge Highway. Today we truly experienced the Blue Ridge. The road is often covered with a canopy of trees that touch above and shadow the road. No commercial vehicles are allowed on the road, so truly it is all about the journey. So many motorcycles passed up along the way. I am still amazing, as I was from the first day I learned to ridge in April of 2005, at the camaraderie of motorcyclists. We all signal "hello" as we pass each other by. After about 60 miles down the road we headed down an "off-road" leading into a small town. That road was crazy, cool. The windy, twist road made me feel like my head was pointing down and my back tire was pointing upward. The slope was like no other I experiences. You rolled out of one curve and linked into the next. It reminded me of a moguls run down a ski slope. The small town was just that, small. No restaurants so to speak. Because of its proximity to the interstate we were able to find a McDonalds. After a leisurely breakfast it was back to the Blue Ridge. We road along the country side looking for an "on-road". Once found, we were back on the beautiful Blue Ridge. One stop along the way took us near a creek and dam. We pulled off just to stretch, but so many opportunities for pictures. The area look "untouched" by civilization. The beauty of nature brought me awe and pleasure. If I had not already done so, today I forgot about all of my professional life and was just living in the moment. So this is what it means to "live in the moment"! I want so many more of these moments in life. During our stop we made hotel arrangements in Roanoke. Another 80 plus miles later we pulled into a Harley Dealer in Roanoke, Va. It was there, for the first time that day, I noticed just how hot it was. It felt like 140 degrees; and perhaps with my oil pan just under my seat, it might have been. One goal at the Harley Dealer was for Wayne to check his brakes. Apparently on the down hill earlier in the day he felt his back brake catch and hold from time to time. Having the dealer check it would just bring a peace of mind. It also allowed up about an hour to kill in the store. When I first learned to ride I couldn't understand why Harley riders always stopped at Harley stores. While, I'm slowing learning. Besides buying the area specific T-shirt, there is a camaraderie among Harley riders and workers that is like no other customer-business relationship I know. We enjoyed the rest bit, talked about the current bikes and new bikes, until Wayne's bike was finally "fixed". Thankfully it was just a good grease job that freed the back brake to catch and release more easily. We were finally off to our hotel. Our hotel was across from a Red Lobster. After a great meal at Red Lobster, we checked in and unpacked. Unpacking is a combination of efficiency and effort. As a rider you can only take a small amount of clothing. It needs to efficiently fit into a small space. So unloading my bike was easy. However, rearranging the saddle bags that I don't unpack each day is a bit more work. Now I needed to pack my coat back into the saddle bag. That required me to pull out the chaps I wore the night before and roll them tighter so they could go back in first so I could put my coat on top so that it was most readily available if I needed it in the morning. Of course, once you pull one item out you disturb all the items so they need to be pulled out, re-rolled, and repacked. It truly is an art. After unloading the bike, it was a race to the shower. A cool shower felt so good. From there we all congregated by the pool so what we hoped would be a relaxing evening of story telling. Shortly upon arriving we heard it thunder and saw the lightening. We moved out "party" to the sidewalk outside our rooms. There we congregated for a few hours, listening to the distant thunder, enjoying the music of the wind, appreciated the lightening show and told our stories. Finally, as we each reached the point where we wilted in our chairs, we headed off to bed, knowing tomorrow our destination was some place in North Carolina. 

Day 3: Skyline Highway

After a wonderfully restful night at our chalet, morning dawned bright. We all seemed a bit sluggish after two straight days of 300 plus mile rides to finally arrive at our destination. Couple that with an eventful arrival and we didn't get on the road until about 10:00 a.m. The eventful arrival you ask? The owner of the chalet had contracted for a wedding a week ago. As part of the payment he had the family spread rocks in his drive way. Rocks and motorcycles do not mix well. Lets just say that a couple of us needed help getting our bikes up the hill.  One rider started up the hill and when the back tire fishtailed, they cut power, only to find the bike rolling backward. Gently laying the bike down prevent an event worse situation. I got to watch the whole thing and decided to ask one of they guys to ride the bike up the hill. All things considered it ended well. The owner was horrified and found us all another way out through a neighboring church yard and drive way. Relieved we decided to stay another night. As a result we decided to ride the 109 mile Skyline Highway north. Prior to embarking on that adventure we headed to Waynesboro for breakfast at Shoney's. Along the way we saw a billboard for "Wayne's Cycle World". With Wayne accompanying us on our ride, it was too good of a store to pass up. After breakfast we set out searching Waynesboro for Wayne's Cycle Shop. After asking directions we found it. Not a Harley Dealer, but very accommodating. We explained that our friend Wayne wanted to buy a T-shirt with Wayne's Cycle Shop on it. They didn't have any. So they gave him one of their store baseball caps instead. We were all pleased. Back on our bikes were headed to the Skyline Highway. The Skyline is a national park. I was surprised at the need to pay a park fee. After riding down the road a while I could see the benefits of a national park. The Skyline runs through the Shenandoah Valley - just beautiful! As we made our way along the highway we

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? 

Leaving for the Mountains

Today our great adventure begins. Judy and I are taking our first, long, cross-country motorcycle trip. After months of contemplation and planning, the day to leave has finally arrived. We began packing the night before so that we could be ready to leave by 7:30 a.m. this morning. By 1:00 a.m. this morning the final leather garment was "stuffed" into saddle bags and we declared "victory" over packing. You can't image how much you can fit into such a little space. Nor can you image how little you can take on your motorcycle. This was going to be a "test" in living with less. For six days we both managed taking three pairs of jean (wear one pack two); five t-shirts (wear one pack four, plan on buying one souvenir); 6 days worth of underwear and socks; a pair of shorts; sandals, pj's, minimum toiletries and every possible leather wear for every type of weather you can plan for. After a brief "nap" we awoke and began to "saddle up" on the bikes when....the rain hit. For the next two hours we waited out a passing rain shower and hoped that this was not a foreshadowing of things to come. Had we known we could have slept in. While Judy napping I kept an eye on the weather channel and waiting for what was an obvious break in the front. By 9:00 a.m. the rain had subsided and we decided to start down the road toward picking up Ray and his wife, Cathy after meeting Wayne at his house. It was to be the five of us on four motorcycles at the start. One of Wayne's friends, John (Doc) would join us on Monday.  After meeting up we starting on down Highway 20 in Ohio toward Fremont, Ohio. Our first stop was to be Billy's Restaurant in Fremont, where Wayne promised us we would have an awesome breakfast with the best hash browns in Northwest, Ohio. He was not wrong! After fueling up, we enjoyed a bright sunny mornings ride along highway 20 until it merged into US 250. As the morning progressed the heat increased. I can't say I was "surprised" at how hot my oil tank, located just under my seat on my Softail, gets, but I was surprised that the heat of the day felt worse than the heat of my oil tank!  An ice cream stop was just the fresher needed to liven up our group. Our goal for the day was Wheeling, WV. A reasonable goal of about 320 miles. For Judy and I that would be a new personal "best" for mileage in a day. My best ride prior to this day was a 227 mile trek from Toledo to Mt. Pleasant the first fall I had my bike.  As we snaked south along US 250 through Ohio we began enjoying a more hilly ride. It was evident we were entering the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain range. A destination we were all looking forward to. Along the journey we began to encounter more and more hills with twists and turns. I have not yet come to appreciate riding the curves like Judy. She was so looking forward to the winding, twisting, climbing and descending. I'm still a novice and find curves challenging. At this point I was just worried about keeping up and keeping safe. Passing a billboard along the way I was reminded of the verse in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". For this ride, I needed mental strength: concentration and confidence. The billboard afforded me a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon that verse and its applications to this trip and my personal and professional station in life. Amazing how "little nuggets" of grace find their way into ones life. As the sun slowly fell in the sky we crossed the Ohio River into Wheeling, WV. Clearly my first impressions of Wheeling were sad. It was clear this was once a vibrant town in a wonderful location that provided transportation and economic opportunity. Now the town was clearly struggling for a future. The area was depressed and run down. We scoured down for a hotel. None available as all rooms were occupied by concert goers. Reba was in the area and people were flocking to the concert that evening. We fueled up the bikes and moved on down the road optimistic of finding a hotel in the near future. The near future was two hours later in Morganstown, WV. Home of the West Virginia Mountaineers. We found a Best Western and eased off our bikes. Motorcycle seats are more comfortable than bicycle seats, but not by much. Some unpacking and "freshening up" was a delight. We then made our way to the local Texas Roadhouse restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Somehow getting back on the motorcycle didn't seem desirable. A wonderful meal, great stories and many laughs later we returned to our hotel for a good nights sleep. Day one in the books. Looking forward to the wonderful adventure (and curves) ahead. 

The Blue Ridge Highway

Shortly I will be leaving for a week long motorcycle road trip. My first. My destination: The Blue Ridge Parkway.  The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469 mile long route that begins in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park and continues along through the Great Smoky Mountains until it end in the state of North Carolina. The highway includes a number of mountain ranges of the great Appalachian chair. It extended through four national forests and crosses six major rivers. I am so looking forward to getting away. I am looking forward to experiencing a motorcycle road trip. Our initial plans call for approximately 1500 miles round trip. Our tentative plans calls for us to arrive in Waynesboro, Va the first night; then traveling along the Blue Ridge Highway beginning the second day. We will follow the Blue Ridge all the way through taking any side adventures we find. Once arriving in NC, we will decide where we go from there. Our only commitment is our leaving time and arriving time. The rest is up to us and the weather.   So, soon, I'm off for a road trip. 

Bird Watching: Red-bellied Woodpecker

Today was another fascinating day watching birds. I would have never thought that "common" bird feeders in my back yard would attract so many species of birds. Today I saw another wood pecker. At first, I thought he was just the male version of the Downey woodpecker that I blogged about earlier. But upon careful observation it became clear to me this bird had some different features. Using my "handy" digital EOS Rebel camera, I was able to capture him while feeding.  After downloading the picture to my computer, I turned to my field guide. After some searching I found that he was indeed a different wood pecker - the Red-bellied woodpecker.  I am slowing beginning to understand how the "name the hockey team" contest yielded "woodpeckers" as a nick name. Thankfully, the public vote between Walleye and Woodpeckers, demonstrated more public support for the Walleye. I can only image hockey players being hooted on the road with a nick name of "wood peckers".  To learn more about the Red-bellied woodpecker, click here.

Twist of Fate

Back in March when I sat at my computer and picked four dates representing when I wanted to go to Cleveland to watch the Indians, I contemplated more carefully one date: July 11, 2008. Back in March, this game looked to be a game between a first place and a last place team. I wondered what kind of game it would really be. The Indians were picked to contend again in the A.L. Central (go Tigers). The Ray (newly renamed from the Devil Rays) were picked dead last. But, baseball b
eing baseball, I decided that on any given night anything can happen.  "Click" Purchased. And, well.......here it is July 11, 2008 and this was a game between a first place team and a last place team.  However, the first place Rays were taking on the last place Indians who had just traded their ace, C.C. Sabbatha to the Brewers for a "future". It appears that the owner have given up on this season.  So all day I wondered, "what kind of game am I going to see tonight?" But tonight was my now. The good news was that the "new ace" was on the mound this evening. Cliff Lee, demoted last year to the minors, was now the ace of the Indians staff. I had seen him pitch back and June (see earlier blog). Tonight he was our hope for an Indians victory. And besides, if the game didn't yield fireworks, the Indians were putting on fireworks after the game - so either way - I would be entertained. The game proceeded better than hoped. Cliff Lee pitched six shutout innings to claim his 12th win of the season. He is leading the majors in wins and has been announced as a member of the American League All Star Team.  Jhonny Peralta homered and drove in three runs as the Indians won their second straight again the Rays.  Others who hadn't performed well earlier this season, contributed to the victory. For example, Ben Francisco doubled in the 5th and Jamey Carroll had an RBI single in the 7th to contribute to the shut out. If these two young players get hot, the Indians may not be the last place team they have become since my first visit to Progressive Field in June. Go Tribe! 

Bird Watching: The Downy Woodpecker

One of the consistent visitors to the feeder this summer has been this female downy woodpecker. She consistently visits twice a day. Generally early in the morning and the again in the early evening. Periodically the male Downy also visits.  His visits are brief and sporadic.  The female spend quite a bit of time at the feeder. She seems to be "friendly" to other birds that visit. Her flight is elegant.  She has truly been a wonderful For more information about the Downy Woodpecker click here. 

Redpoll Update

The Redpoll eggs hatched sometime in the last couple of days. The mother Redpoll had become a bit more "talkative" today and that caused me to pause. While sitting outside she vacated her nest. I peered inside to see four heads pop up. I think they were expecting me to feed them. Image that; naturally they opened their mouths and were ready for food.  Moments later mom returned. as soon as she provided them her food she left. Immediately the father Redpoll appeared and landed on the nest too. Clearly this was a mother and father effort to feed the newborns. I was just fascinated by the team work and timeliness of the mother and father during feeding time. Nature is amazing! The babies are two or three days old. Their eyes aren't quite open. 

Bird Watching: The White-breasted Nuthatch

I have discovered that when bird watching, some birds are more easily identified than others. This white-breasted nuthatch was more of my more difficult birds to identify to date. This bird is also more difficult to identify as a male or female for me. This bird has become a "newer" visitor the my feeder. My most recent "bird brick" consists of nuts and berries. This bird seems to really be enjoying coming. I typically see this bird in the evenings. For more information about the White-breasted Nuthatch, click here. 

Bird Watching: The Hummingbird

I have picked up a new hobby this year:  bird watching.  I have always worked on attracting hummingbirds when I lived in northern Michigan. It seemed that the hummingbirds at my house in Michigan were always coming around. It was almost as if they were dependent upon the feeders. Since moving to northwest Ohio, I find attracting hummingbirds a bit more challenging. It appears they have so many more options to choose from. Last year, when landscaping the backyard, I added a trumpet tree. I thought a trumpet tree, coupled with a feeder would help. I was not disappointed. This summer I have been graced by the presence of a hummingbird. However, it wasn't until the 4th of July weekend when I could catch him on film - or in "digital" if you will. This visitor appears to be a ruby-throated humming bird. Here I've captured him both in flight and eating from the trumpet tree.  I find these little guests just amazing. Howe they can expend so much energy and be so graceful is captivating. I look forward to many more visits before he begins his migration south. For more information about the ruby-throated hummingbird, click here.

Celebrating the 4th of July

John Adams wrote to Abigail Adams: "...But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America - I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generation, as the great anniversary Festival, It out to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." I think John Adams was a prophet. He recognized the importance of the writing, reading and declaring of the Colonies independence. The fourth of July has always been an important holiday for me. I don't think being a history teacher is the only reason.  I admire the strength, courage and dedication our forefathers and women had to make such an amazing proclamation. They risked all. They put it all on the line. They were willing to give up everything for what they believed in; what they believed was right.  To John Adams and our forefathers and mothers - I salute you with these pictures that show John Adams was prophetic! 

Rain, Rain Go Away

Another rainy day. However, this was not just a rainy day, but a stormy one also. A storm front came through about 7:45 p.m. tonight. The leading edge of the storm was "beautiful". Yes, beautiful. As I say outside I could watch the storm move in from the west. One of the more "interesting" parts of the front reminded me of a possible tornado.  While I was out taking pictures of the impending front, the local weather station was watching an area that seemed to be producing "rotation". While no Tornado warning was issued, the weather forecaster was watching the area closely. And I can see why.  It was calm out when this picture was taken. The wind was slowly picking up as the front passed. Shortly after this cloud formation moved on the windy and the rain picked up and a wonderful lighting show followed. While my little dog "freaked" by yet another storm, it was beautiful to watch from my safe living room. When it got to much for the dog we headed down stairs and waiting out the night. While it calmed down around midnight it continued to rain off and on all night. I was very aware of the storm as I would periodically be awakened by my Yorkie who was either prancing on my chest or shaking near my head. Clearly, this storm had her in a panic. When I awoke in the morning the air was crisp and clean. I always live the moments after a storm when everything seems "new". The humidity had even lessened. While taking out the dogs, I checked the rain gauge. Wow, I couldn't believe my eyes. It registered 5.5 inches. There is no way that could be right. I was soon to find out that it was right. While riding into work I noticed many "flooded" areas, closed roads and a ton of branches that had fallen from the trees. The local radio station confirmed that rainfall ranged from 5 to 6 inches in the area. Truly, the summer of rain continues.