Blog Category: Motorcycling
The detail and craftsmanship on this old home in rural Virginia is inspiring
My travels take me up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s the backbone from which I begin my mission to explore the miles and miles of two lane back roads, small towns, and beautiful and historic sights which surround it. As I course through the countryside there are certain sights which I find personally rewarding and tend to appreciate, my sweet spots. One of them is old wooden houses and buildings. Read more »
Wayne Busch looks forward to year-round riding in the Smokies
It may seem an odd time to start blogging about motorcycling the Blue Ridge Parkway. Leaf season has pretty much run it’s course. Parkway concessionaires have their eyes on shutting things down. The first of the winter Blue Ridge Parkway closings has occurred at the rock slide repair site near Mt. Pisgah. Before long the weather will dictate the seasonal barricades to the higher sections of the nation’s most popular motorcycle ride. Not much story left to tell, see you next spring? Hardly. Read more »
If you are planning a trip to the Southern Appalachians for the fall color season and want to stay in hotel or lodge accommodations, have reservations in advance. Many times I have seen travelers on the Blue Ridge Parkway during October thinking that they would just take a leisurely drive and find a motel room at the end of the day. In many cases they would find no room at the inn. I have seen people drive seventy five miles or more away from the park to find a vacant room.
October is the peak visitation season for this region of the country and a pretty weekend can see huge crowds in the parks and surrounding communities. Many small towns and rural areas will be hosting festivals and art events that draw hundreds if not thousands of people.
October is also college football season. Colleges also sponsor their family and alumni weekends durng the beautiful fall weather. Such events can fill hotels for miles. You can check college web sites for their schedules. Some of the key colleges that may affect hotel availability are:
The University of Virginia
Virginia Military Institute
Washington and Lee University
Virginia Tech
Appalachian State University
University of North Carolina At Asheville
Competition for hotel rooms can be almost as exciting as some of the football games.
Traffic in prime viewing areas may also become congested which will result in slow downs and delays. So make sure your plans for the distances to travel are reasonable and attainable. Allow a cushion of time in your planning for heavy traffic. Come the end of the day you do not want to be hundreds of miles away from your planned stop for the night.
When ever possible travel during the week. Weekends are always the peak traffic times. Hotels rooms are also more easily obtainable on weekday nights.
As spring time moves into the Southern Appalachians and the Blue Ridge Parkway starts to open its roadway to the public, there are certainties to life. Trees will begin to bud, wildflowers will start to burst forth to bloom, birds will begin to return from the south, and motorcycles will begin to roar up and down the ridge lines. People who have kept their motorcycles under wraps in garages and sheds will be anxious to get them out and stretch their skills in the warming sunlight and fresh air.
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Dan Propst with his new tag!
We began our trip at Front Royal, VA and ended in Cherokee, NC. The entire trip was outstanding. We camped both nights and had beautiful weather. Our traveling companions were Phil and Diane Gnapt. We were riding our 1994 Honda Goldwing pulling our custom made trailer designed as a 1955 Chevrolet Nomad.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is our favorite road.
We have one of the first BRP license tags on our Goldwing! — #0046BP
