Motorcycle Tourism In North Carolina Is Ripe Fruit Ready To Be Picked
Mike and Kim Morrill of Smokey Mountain Motorcycle Rides share the journey!
On any given day on the Blue Ridge Parkway, especially during nice weather, there are often more motorcycles than there are automobiles. My wife and I are frequently talking to these folks in overlooks and after we tell them who we are and ask them if we can share any information with them, they are full of non-stop questions. This simply means they do not have the answers nor do not know where to go to find them.
One entrepreneur who I met this past weekend is making the most of this opportunity as he and his wife, Kim, have all the answers and are having fun sharing them – Mike and Kim tours between Blowing Rock and Gatlinburg. Mike is 60 or thereabout, was successful in the construction industry in Florida, sold out because he was “tired of making money” and traded it in for “a new quality of life.” He told me this weekend at the Quotations Coffee House in Brevard. “People love the opportunity to have a diverse experience which includes the ride, a tour, great food and even a raft trip down the Nantahala if you want and Mike will go with you!
No one else in western North Carolina is offering this service. Our Virginia neighbors have devoted a whole division of their tourism department to motorcycling, but North Carolina still remains asleep. The fruit is ripe!
If you are a do-it-your-selfer, there are excellent motorcycle guidebooks available. But if you enjoy the camaraderie of others, great food, stellar rides, and a personable and enthusiastic tour leader, Mike and Kim are highly recommended.
Share the Journey!
