This past weekend Hubby and I enjoyed a fabulous three-day ride south and west of our home in Virginia. We covered 850 miles on wonderful motorcycle roads in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and even parts of West Virginia.
I’d been wanting to really put those maps to the test. And guess what? They passed with flying colors. Really. We spent three days riding a series of really awesome motorcycle roads. It was tons of fun. We were having so much fun, in fact, that I didn’t even think about taking a picture until late in the day on Friday, after we’d already been on the road for many hours. You know I’m having fun when I don’t think about pictures, right?
We ended up staying in Hillsville, Virginia Friday night.
Lucky for us, there was a Bojangle’s about 15 minutes from our hotel, so we both enjoyed a nice breakfast on Saturday.
It wasn’t even hard to convince Hubby to pose for a goofy selfie with me.
From there, we rode into downtown Galax, looking for LOVE. (Since it was along the way, I figured we ought to stop.)
Fortunately, the LOVEwork was right where it was supposed to be.
For the record, I saw the LOVEwork in Christiansburg, but it was hot, there was rush hour traffic, and it was on the opposite side of a busy street, so I opted not to stop for a photo. But I saw it. That counts in my book.
After a brief break, we continued south into North Carolina and then west and north to Mountain City, Tennessee.
Why Mountain City? That’s where The Snake begins. 🙂
I missed The Snake on my solo trip earlier this year, so I figured it would be a good destination road that both of us could enjoy.
And enjoy it we did. Seriously, it’s a FUN road. That road alone was worth the trip.
From there, we headed north into Virginia, to Abingdon then East on 58 through the Jefferson National Forest. A repeat road for me that I really, REALLY enjoyed during my solo trip. We then followed 16 into Marion where we stopped for lunch before continuing north on the Back of the Dragon.
We chose Macados for lunch after discovering that the BBQ place we’d really headed for was closed.
After we were seated, I said to Mike, “Did you see the giant dinosaur head on the wall?”
His response? “What dinosaur?” Sigh…
We continued making our way north and east toward Paint Bank, Virginia, where I’d reserved a room at the quaint Depot Lodge. En route, we stopped at the Wolf Creek Indian Village near Bastian for some more LOVE.
Hubby enjoyed the ride just as much as I did. The weather verged on hot at times, but was very pleasant for the most part.
Sunday, we had to hurry home to get the dogs from the kennel and so I could get ready to head off to Rockville, MD for work.
I’d read about the bridge in a pamphlet at the hotel. A pamphlet which did NOT clue me in on a special bonus we’d also find at that location.
That waterfall was easily visible from the overlook along 220 north of Covington, yet another AMAZING stretch of road.
We continued north on 220, all the way to Franklin, West Virginia. It was a beautiful, scenic ride alternating between mountains and valleys. Spectacular, really.
From there, we headed east on US-33 — one of Hubby’s favorite roads — north and east through the Shenandoah Valley, and then, at New Market, east on US-211 to Warrenton.
It may sound repetitive, but that particular series of roads we covered overed three days was probably the best series of roads we’d ever ridden together. Except for maybe in the Italian/Swiss/Austrian Alps. Really. It’s a route we WILL be revisiting.
Here’s a link to my Spotwalla tracker map with a couple little caveats. I forgot to start the app on my phone, so it looks like we started in Elkton, Virginia. Also, my phone battery died just east of Luray, so it appears that we never made it home.
I hope you enjoyed the recap. Now, I have to get to work.
Finding LOVE isn’t as much fun as I thought it would be. There, I’ve said it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed seeing the various sculptures around the state — see Capturing LOVE in Virginia if you’re “lost” — but they’re sometimes hard to find. And some no longer exist or have been moved. So there’s an element of frustration I didn’t anticipate. Maybe it would be less frustrating in cooler temperatures.
At least it gets me out there, right?
This past Sunday, July 12, Hubby’s to-do list was calling, but I decided to completely shirk responsibility for the day and go have fun instead. After noting the location of several LOVEworks and mapping a route, off I went.
I kept seeing signs for that town, which made me smile. What an odd name for a town! I honestly had no idea if my route would lead me through Cuckoo, so when I saw this sign, I yelled “Cuckoo!” and veered quickly to the shoulder for a quick capture…
…or two.
I couldn’t resist a fun selfie upon reaching Cuckoo.
After that quick stop, I continued on to Petersburg to capture LOVEwork number one of the day at Petersburg Pickers, a place to which I must return.
I like when locales get creative with their LOVE.
Now, I love places like that, but I was hot, hungry, and on the bike (minimal storage space), so I decided that it would be best not to even look in the door. It took self-restraint, trust me.
From there, it was off to Hopewell for the second LOVEwork of the day. I honestly think I drove right past it because a different sign caught my attention.
BOJANGLES’!
I really, really like Bojangles’ and, since there are none close to home, I almost always stop when I see one on the road. Especially if I happen to be hungry at the time, which I was.
I’m not sure if I ever explained that I worked at a Bojangles’ as a teenager. There were several locations owned by the same group in and around Baltimore for a relatively short — four years? — span of time. Rumor had it that one of the owners or an upper-level employee embezzled a bunch of money, which caused all of the locations to cease operations. It was sad. They really do have the best biscuits. Hardee’s is a close second.
Anyway, it was a bit late for breakfast. I could have opted for some of their yummy, spicy, fried chicken, but it was getting hot. Who wants a stomach full of greasy fried chicken while sweating their ass off in full gear? Not me! So I opted for my favorite, protein-rich breakfast — a steak biscuit with cheese — and a half-and-half iced tea (half sweet tea, half unsweet tea).
You ever drink sweet tea in the South. It’s shockingly sweet. Really. Especially for someone who usually prefers iced tea with no sugar or artificial sweetener added. On hot days, though, I believe a little sugar helps.
After a few circles around the not-so-nice town, I managed to find the LOVEwork at the Visitor’s Center, which was closed.
The sculpture was surprisingly cute given the depressed-feeling nature of the town.
After that, it was off to Richmond. I’d planned on stopping to see another, unrelated sight, but it was getting really hot by that point, so I nixed that stop and continued on to Maymont, a former Victorian country estate, which seemed like it’d be a nice place to visit, if I had more time. It was actually quite crowded, and there was no place for me to park and zip in and out for the LOVE capture, so I just rested for a bit in the shade, sipping iced tea, before continuing on my way.
I did stop for a quick shot of my bike parked by this flowering shrub/tree.
There was another LOVEwork sort of nearby in Richmond, which I believe was my favorite of the day.
Yep, that’s the Richmond International Raceway, a place I’m guessing NASCAR fans would really enjoy. It’s a HUGE complex.
I couldn’t decide which pic is my favorite, so I just decided to share all of my top selections.
After that, I’d planned two more stops. Bit it was getting late, and I wanted to be home in time for dinner with my Honey. I crossed the Spotsylvania LOVE off of my list and proceeded to Ashland.
Ashland, like Petersburg, is on my “must revisit” list. It’s a cute town. The LOVEwork was located at the old train station, which is actually still in operation. It’s unmanned, but trains do stop there to pick up and discharge passengers. Lots of freight trains pass through, too. At least that’s what the volunteer inside the station, which doubles as the visitor info center, told me.
I was happy to have captured four LOVEworks in one day, but I’m still undecided as to whether or not I’ll plan any more trips specifically to see the remaining sculptures. Of course, I have been known to change my mind.
Next stop, home. That was the plan. Then I got thirsty and decided to stop for a drink.
EV Baker’s store is in Unionville, not too far south of Culpeper. It’s just the sort of quirky gas station/general store that I like. And the water was cold. 🙂
I guess I should mention the ride, which was quite pleasant until I hit the more-populated areas around Petersburg, Hopewell, and Richmond. The bulk of my ride was on US-522 from Culpeper to its end near Powhatan at US-60. There was very little traffic most of the way. The pavement was smooth, mostly straight, but humpy (small up-and-down hills) and alternated between picturesque farmland and forest. There was a little traffic near Lake Anna — big recreational lake — but, for the most part, I had the road practically to myself all morning and afternoon traffic was quite light. All in all, it was a very pleasant ride.
Do y’all think I should give up on my LOVE quest, or keep on keeping on? In other words, do you enjoy seeing the LOVEworks I’ve visited? This inquiring mind wants to know.
There’s a natural way to get high that not enough people experience.
When’s the last time you went to a national park “just because”? Or stopped to smell a flower, sit quietly by a babbling brook, or simply look at the sky?
Heady stuff, really.
Even though my recent Appalachian ramble was mostly about riding, I appreciate natural stuff, too. And, heck, the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) is a national park of sorts. As explained on the BRP’s FAQ page…
Is the Blue Ridge Parkway a national park? The National Park Service administers a variety of kinds of areas. Some of these are “parks”, some are called “seashores”, some are called “monuments” or “historic sites”, and some are called “parkways.” We wear the same uniform and operate under basically the same rules as Yellowstone, Gettysburg, or Cape Hatteras. Our agency web site at http://www.nps.gov will give you the entire list!
I wasn’t exactly dressed for a hike, but the walk from the parking lot was relatively short, and well worth the sweat it induced.
There were actually quite a few people around, I just framed my shots carefully to exclude the strangers.
And, look at this, you can literally and legally get high, too. For free.
This is the place that was inundated with weevils. You actually get to drive most of the way to the summit. From the parking lot a short, but steep, walk gets you to the high point.
The plant pics were all taken between the parking lot and the mountain’s actual summit. It was a great way to stop and catch my breath without looking like a total wuss that couldn’t make that short, steep trek without getting winded.
After enjoying the view and having to ask some stranger to brush all the bugs off of my back, I hopped on the bike and headed back to the BRP. A bit later, I stopped at one of the visitors’ centers/exhibit halls to stretch and use the facilities. That’s where I saw this beautiful, huge rhododendron.
Yes, that’s a lot of pictures of the same flower, but I thought it was pretty.
It really was a pretty day. I’ll close this post with another of my favorite bike shots.
There are times when the BRP, being in the mountains, is completely fogged in, making it impossible to enjoy the stunning views that seem to be around most corners.
The weather Gods were certainly smiling upon me that day.
The reactions I get from people when I tell them I am embarking on a solo road trip, whether it be short or long, on the bike or in a car, never cease to amuse me. The “you’re going alone, what’s wrong with you” and “why would you even want to” themes seem to be common across all modes of transport, but the “you’re brave” sentiment seems to come only from women, and applies only to motorcycle travel.
I love people, I do. And I also enjoy doing things in groups. But I don’t have to be with people to have fun. I know how to entertain myself. I don’t find anything unusual in that, but I guess I’m a bit biased, and I’ve been that way as long as I can remember.
I can understand why some people think solo travel is odd, but I don’t understand the “brave” thing. Maybe it’s because they think, me being a woman, if there were some sort of mechanical failure, I wouldn’t know how to make repairs. They’d be right. I wouldn’t know how to make repairs, but a lot of men wouldn’t either. And, even if I were mechanically inclined, there’s only room to carry the most rudimentary tools on a motorcycle. That’s why we have roadside assistance and towing coverage on our insurance. Like Hubby said when he and I were discussing this, the only difference between encountering a breakdown when traveling with someone or traveling solo is that I wouldn’t have to wait for the tow truck by myself.
And it’s not like I was ever far from civilization. In the mountains, yes, but I stuck to regularly traveled roads. Even I have enough sense to avoid gravel and/or dirt-surfaced Forest Service roads that are NOT regularly used and where self-rescue, i.e., extracting myself and/or the bike out of a muddy ditch or unsuccessfully forded stream, could pose a significant challenge. I was not trekking alone through a vast, unexplored wilderness.
Perhaps the women who think I’m brave are directionally challenged and think I’d get lost? I have a great sense of direction, and I’ve always loved maps. In fact, I still prefer to use maps and plot my own routes as opposed to relying on a GPS. Even when I do use a GPS, I tend to make it follow certain paths rather than rely on the recommended route. Maps are always more reliable for me than quirky GPS software.
I don’t know. I’ve given up trying to understand it. I just chalk it up to people being different, having different preferenes, or different outlooks. And I’ve learned to just sorta nod or brush it off when people say or act like they think I’m brave or odd for traveling alone. Some people will never understand the joys of solo travel, just as I can’t begin to comprehend why anyone would want to board a floating city with several thousand other people and follow someone else’s schedule for days at a time. They’ll also never experience the joy of accidentally discovering very special places like the one I’m about to describe.
I like going different places. I like encountering the unexpected, too. One of the most delightful experiences during my recent Appalachian ramble happened one day along a route I’d only just decided to travel that morning. Why? Because it looked interesting on the map. Granted, I was using one of my America Rides Maps, which ranks roads for their quality and appeal to motorcyclists, so I knew it would probably be a good series of roads, but it was what I encountered along the route that really tickled me.
I’d ended up in Princeton, WV the previous evening. I figured I’d stick to the higher elevations to avoid, or at least minimize, the oppressive heat and humidity. From Princeton, I chose to take US 460 east to just past Ripplemead, VA, to get onto VA-635/Big Stony Creek Road. From there, I’d head roughly north get on WV-17/Waiteville Road, which become VA-600 when it re-enters Virginia, and then head east on VA-311 at Paint Bank, VA. The plan was to go through Clifton Forge, Virginia, an area I’d been wanting to explore. I had no idea what to expect prior to Clifton Forge. But, for many motorcyclists, the destination isn’t usually as important as the road or roads one travels.
My only goal that day, other than covering as much of my route as possible, was to find a post office to mail some postcards I’d addressed before setting off. I thought for sure I’d have hit one before Big Stony Creek Road. When I saw this sign, indicating I was entering the national forest, I remember thinking those cards wouldn’t be getting mailed on that day.
I really enjoy roads through national forests. They’re typically not very heavily traveled and they’re in, um, forests, which means lots of shade as you travel through the trees.
There are usually lots of flowers and such, too.
I believe the flower pictured above is a variety of milkweed.
National forest roads are usually good for shady break spots, too. Like this one…
On my southward BRP trip, I’d kinda-sorta loosely planned to re-visits segments on my way back north, mainly to see the rhododendron forests again. I was a bit sad knowing I’d miss that, but one can’t see everything, right? So, imagine my delight when I started seeing these…
I wasn’t just seeing one or two. There were rhododendron everywhere. On very large bushes, just like I’d seen along the BRP, only more of these were in bloom.
Not only were they along the road, the forest floor was rich with rhododendron. It was cool. I hadn’t missed anything after all. 🙂
As I continued north and east, the forest opened up a bit and soon enough I found myself in one of the most picturesque valleys.
I just love roads like that. It’s a classic example of what I call a putt-putt road. Average speed is usually only about 45 m.p.h. (72 km/h), which means there’s plenty of time to look around. That’s a pretty relaxed pace on a motorcycle.
There were big curves every now and then, but it was relatively straight.
There were lots of pretty little farms interspersed with bigger farms. I saw a bunch of cows, too, but not particularly close to the road.
And then I passed these. I had to turn around and go back to get a closer look.
Those weren’t cows, as in regular run-of-the-mill cattle, it was bison.
Imagine encountering a herd of bison in a very isolated part of West Virginia!
Sadly, my first thought was, “Wow, I could really go for a buffalo burger right about now.” Not very likely considering I was in the middle of nowhere, and had been for some time.
But every road leads somewhere, right? As it turns out, I was back in Virginia. And, soon enough, I reached Paint Bank, Virginia, which is home to the Paint Bank General Store.
I swear, it was like I’d stumbled upon a little country oasis.
I parked out front, thinking I’d just run in and grab a drink, maybe a snack, and make sure the restroom was in working order.
I may have squealed aloud a little when I saw the inside of the store.
It was such a cute little place, really.
And guess what? The restaurant served buffalo burgers! (I later learned the proprietors also own the buffalo farm.)
I ended up lingering far longer than expected. That was by FAR the best meal I’d eaten since leaving home. It was THE BEST buffalo burger I’d ever eaten, too, and I’ve had some good ones across the western US.
Plus, like many general stores, there was also a post office.
I am definitely going back to Paint Bank one day. With Hubby next time, so we can stay at the awesome-sounding Depot Lodge.
What a lovely spot, eh?
And the general store’s lawn is where I captured this fun selfie.
I still don’t know the story behind that unusual sculpture.
Some things are better left to to the imagination.
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If you’re a map person, too, and want to see the location, you can still look at My 2015 Solo Adventure Spotwalla Track.
Finally, the post many of you have been waiting for, or dreading, as the case may be. The unusual stuff that caught my eye during my recent solo road trip.
The stuff falls into two categories. First, attractions I’d noted in advance thanks to RoadsideAmerica.com, “Your Online Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions.” The Muffler Men are some of my favorites, so we’ll start there.
A tribe of fiberglass titans, 14 to 25 feet tall, stands watch along the vibrant roadside landscape. The first statues that we spotted held big car mufflers, so we named them “Muffler Men.”
After two days on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP), absorbing much natural splendor and scenic beauty, reaching Cherokee, North Carolina was a bit of a treat. Cherokee is what I refer to as a gateway city, i.e., a town that’s adjacent or at least closest to a national park entrance. Gateway cities are typically FULL of kitsche as that’s how the myriad establishments (motels, eateries, souvenier shops, etc.) attracted folks back in the day. Sadly, that “day” has sorta passed, so many of these gateway cities are a bit rundown.
Fortunately for people like me, who appreciate this charming bit of Americana, many of the surviving icons are lovingly maintained.
There is also some real artwork on display in Cherokee, like this Whispering Giant.
One has to see one of the Toth giants up close to see the detail and appreciate the artistry of one of these lovingly sculpted works of art. It’s a majestic piece that evokes emotion while viewing. I hope you are lucky enough to see one one day.
Here’s another work of art, the Eagle Man in Cherokee.
Sorry I didn’t get a better picture of this one. I’d planned on returning the next day, but after a sweltering ride, I just didn’t have the energy left for more photo captures.
It really is quite nice in person, despite my lousy pics.
More kitsche I HAD to see…
This guy is billed by RoadsideAmerica.com as the “Indian Death Tiki of Awesomeness.”
You can see that the quality of the carving is nowhere near that of the Whispering Giant shared above, which is what puts this one solidly in the roadside kitsche category.
It may not be “art,” but I still like him. 🙂
Here’s another Muffler Man spotted during my trip. He’s my favorite.
That cool-ass burger dude is mounted atop a Pal’s location in Kingsport, Tennessee. Pal’s Sudden Service is a fast-food chain with locations in southwest Virginia and east Tennessee.
Many Pal’s locations are built using this model. Most that I saw had that architectural style.
Another fun spot in Kingsport is the Purple Cow ice cream shop.
It was hot so, even though there was lots more fun stuff to see in Kingsport, I had to pick and choose what I saw. The herd of purple cows and muffler man were musts for me.
Now for some other fun stuff I just happened to see along the way.
On Sunday, I stopped at Mount Mitchell State Park in NC. It’s located along the BRP. Mount Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi. Unfortunately, it’s also home to a swarm of weevils.
I did not like the gazillion flying bugs, but did find this sign entertaining.
Though harmless, they are EVERYWHERE. They really are about the size of a dog tick. Everyone visiting the summit was covered with weevils. Since I was traveling alone, I had to ask some unknown woman to brush them off of my back.
Here’s a weevil I happened to notice on a rhododendron pic I’d captured.
My radiator caught more than a few weevils during the course of the journey.
If we still had a little cabin in the woods, I would have bought one of those for sure. Getting it home may have presented a challenge, though.
Things like that are the norm in many rural gas stations, which also serve as hunting supply and tackle shops, weigh-in stations, general stores, sandwich shops, etc. Really.
I probably would have had more images of oddities to share had it not been for the unrelenting heat and humidity, which was far worse when stopped. So I didn’t stop nearly as much as I would’ve liked to AND avoided more-populated areas with traffic that would have forced me to travel at a slower pace. When it’s above 80 and you’re wearing safety gear, it’s important to keep moving at a relatively brisk pace.
I hope y’all enjoyed seeing at least some of the fun/unusual stuff I saw along the way.
I have lots more pictures of not-so-unusual stuff to share, too. Stay tuned…
You know, I do have days when things don’t always go swimmingly for me. More often than you’d think. I just don’t share that stuff here. Who wants to read about things that sorta suck?
Like this video clip, which I extracted from a longer video taken while riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It would have been a nice video if this unfortunate event hadn’t occurred. Actually, it made me giggle. Good thing it wasn’t the only video of the day, though.
And today. We’ve got Friday off in observance of the July 4 holiday, so Hubby and I decided to go out for lunch and, on the way, ride the two southern sections of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. I had never been on the southernmost part between US-33 and US-250. Now, I have. 🙂
Yes, we took the long way to get to the restaurant.
It was mostly sunny and in the mid-70s when we left home. But the mountains were shrouded in fog. I could see that as soon as we got a mile or so west of town, but figured it might be interesting in the fog.
It was interesting. And cool. Temps were in the low-60s on Skyline Drive. At least once, the temp dropped below 60. After a while, it actually started feeling downright chilly. The road wasn’t fogged in, so visibility was fine. There were few if any scenic mountain vistas to see, though. And my hands got cold enough that I used my heated grips a couple of times to knock the chill off. It worked, too.
Nevertheless, we made it. Here’s a not-so-great picture as proof.
It even rained a bit. Or, the fog grew so dense in places that it felt like rain.
Here’s a better pic of the two of us.
Then there’s this pic, where it looks like my head has been shrunken.
What’s up with that? Is my head really a size or two too small for my body? Or, wait, perhaps my body has grown too large for my head. Yikes.
We did have a good lunch. Hubby got a pulled pork sandwich with a lukewarm side of fries. It was delicious. (Yes, I got a small taste.)
I had a chopped brisket sandwich, which was okay, with a side of hush puppies (essentially deep-fried cornbread balls). We shared an order of fried pickles, too. I usually prefer fried pickle chips over spears, but the spears we had today were really good.
We had to hightail it home from the restaurant as it looked like we were about to get rained on for real.
All in all, even if it wasn’t perfect, it was a good day. And there are two more days left in the weekend. I wonder what we’ll get up to tomorrow…