Category: travel

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.”

To learn more, go to RoadsideAmerica.com’s Muffler Man Home Page.

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…

On my recent adventure down the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) to the Great Smoky Mountains region, I rode the infamous Tail of the Dragon. How could I not? It’s become a spectacle that no self-respecting motorcyclist would miss while in the area. And I got a fun picture in the bargain.

Killboy.com is one of at least three companies that shoot photos along The Dragon. A lot of people come here for the sole purpose of having a ride photo captured. It’s a nice perk, if you’re a photo geek like me. And it only cost me $6.

I would never plan a trip to North Carolina/Tennessee specifically to ride The Tail of the Dragon (aka The Dragon), but a lot of people do. It’s just one of those roads that’s become a must-ride for anyone on two wheels. Lately, it’s also been growing in popularity with car enthusiasts. Unfortunately, its popularity has become one of its downfalls.

Here’s a great documentary video about The Dragon done by the Eastern Tennessee PBS station.

It can be a bit of a spectacle at times. And loud, as you’ll see in this next video.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cool road. For those who don’t know, The Dragon is an 11-mile stretch of road at the NC/TN line, which borders Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are 318 curves packed into those 11 miles. Take a look at the Google map embedded below.

Mike and I first visited in 2007. I had my V-Star 1300 Tourer at the time. The Dragon does have lots of curves and quite a few challenging spots. It was much more fun on my current bike, even if the speed limit has now been dropped to 30 mph.

I did capture a video during the first 8.75 miles of Run #1. It would be a tedious 18 minutes at normal speed, so I kicked up the video playback to 2x speed. (Don’t worry folks, I was not going as fast as 2x speed makes it seem.) There is no sound.

Here’s a map with many if not all of The Dragon’s curves marked and/or named.

There are many better roads to ride in the area. Like the nearby Hellbender, which is now called the Moonshiner 28. I rode the 30 or so mile portion of NC-28 between US-74 west of Bryson City and US-129 at Deal’s Gap. It’s got lots of long sweeping turns as well as a higher speed limit (maybe 50 mph?).

Here’s a panoramic shot I captured from a pull-off. The pavement you mostly see is in the pull-off, it is NOT my bike parked in the middle of the road.

When doing research on the different road names, I came across a July 2010 post in the ADV Rider forum by klaviator, Beastly Adventurer that hit the nail on the head where The Dragon is concerned…

I have noticed that most people who have been riding it for a long time still call it Deals Gap while newer riders, tourists and the media call it the “Dragon”

Personally I still call it Deals Gap. To me Deals Gap is (was) a fun road with lots of curves and no cops. (Yeah, I know I’m dreaming.) The Dragon is an overcrowded tourist destination where flatlanders go to buy a t-shirt, wobble through the curves and go back home to brag that they “Slew the Dragon”… Just my opinion.

As I mentioned earlier, The Dragon’s popularity is one of its downfalls. People of all skill levels come from far and wide to ride The Dragon. It’s not for everyone. Not only does it require skill to maneuver in the turns, you need to know how to ride defensively (AWAY from the center line in blind curves) and be prepared to stop on a dime since you never know what’s around the next turn.

For the most part, although it looked crowded at the resort, I encountered little traffic. And this is one of the rare places in America where cars will actually pull over to let motorcyclists pass. 🙂

I did come up behind one guy who was moving along okay in the straights, but struggling a bit in the turns, so I hung back a bit. I even captured some of his struggles on video. If you missed it during my ride video, check out the brief clip below. (No, he didn’t crash. But he was close.)

Here’s another video clip I HAD to share. I laughed when it happened, and I giggle every time I watch the clip.

The guy was looking at my favorite sticker, which says, “You Just Got Passed by a Girl.” Sorry about the cloudy lens. That was at the end of Run #2, so there’s either bug guts, general humidity, or both on the lens.

I had to have a silly pic, right?

Finally, here are some other pics I captured while at The Dragon.

 

So that was my Dragon experience. Have you been there before? If you could only ride one road in the area, would that be the one?

Personally, I’d choose a different road. If it was the only one I could experience for some strange reason. But, since I was there without an agenda, I figured I’d go ahead and enjoy a run or three.