Blue Ridge Parkway - Day 4

Day 4 started early for me. I slept great but woke up early and could not get back to sleep. I spent the morning reading in the wonderful lobby and enjoying the fire. It looked like the rain was letting up and we were tired of sitting around the hotel so off we went to Grandfather Mountain. Even though the weather was still poor, we had a great time.

We did enjoy the animal displays and the swing bridge was awesome.

We returned to the hotel via the parkway and the colors were really popping.

Day 3 - Beginning the Blue Ridge Parway

Well day 3 began (and ended) with rain. We left Gatlinburg in a drizzle and soon ran into driving rain on the first peak. The photo above was taken while in the Smokey Mountain National Forest and the rain was in full swing. We were still in good spirits. That good attitude didn't last all day!


We got on the Blue Ridge Parkway just north of Cherokee, determined to do the entire route (with the exception of the closed portions).

The majority of the day found us in low visibility and driving rain. We soon became wet and cold. The temps at the upper elevations were right at 50 degrees. The wind was blowing and the scenery was non existent. We did stop at Mt Pisgah at a campground store. They were not busy (imagine that not everyone was as crazy as us) and they had a washer and dryer. We had a snack while drying our gloves and drinking hot coffee. We rode thru Lineville falls and Grandfather mountain area but could not see a thing. We decided to stop at the Comfort Suites in Boone NC. This is a really nice hotel and the prices are very reasonable. The weather forcast is for more rain on Thursday and we have decided to spend the day in the comfortable lobby in front of the fireplace. We were too cold and wet to take picture of the Hotel tonight. I will post more in the morning as we will have nothing else to do. We did pick up a couple of books that look interesting and we should have a relaxing day ahead.

Fall 2008 trip - Days 1 & 2

Well Barncat and I have headed out for another trip. We are going down to Gatlinburg and then getting on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Day 1 has us going through Glasgow KY eating at the Big Moose BBQ. The shredded pork was good and the sweet potatoe crunch was awesome.

We spent our first night at the Cherohala Motorcycle Resort. Once again Renee and Laurie provided an excellent visit.

We got up the morning of Day 2 with some fantastic weather. The day started out with one of Laurie's mouthwater bacon and cheese biscuit. We started out on the Cherohala Skyway and the leafs are just starting to turn at the upper elevations.

We made a stop at Bald Knob Falls and while the water is down, it is still beautiful.

The scenic overlooks were plentiful and we got many really great photo's to remember our trip.

We met many others out doing the same thing we were, enjoying Mother Nature at her greatest.

We made a stop at Deals Gap for a ride on the Tail of the Dragon. We then jumped on the Foothills Parkway and made our way over to Gatlinburg. It is hard to believe that this is only day 2, we are having a great time.

Father & Son trip

July 2008, my son and I took a trip to TN to ride the "Tail of the Dragon". We stayed at the Cherohala Motorcycle Resort in Tellico Plains. I would recommend this if you like a semi-camping setting. The cabins are small but well kept and clean. The atmosphere is relaxing and the owners are great people. We had a blast sitting around every night visiting with other travelers and they have an excellent cook to prepare great meals. It is just a short ride over to the Cherohala Skyway were the sites are fantastic. This is a must do ride in eastern TN.

We road the dragon and got a couple good photos from one of the many photographers along the side of the road.

We went into Pigeon Forge on day and did some the usual tourist activities. We decided to head over to Maggie Valley to visit the Wheels Through Time museum before they close this location and move west.

We both had a great time and I will remember this trip forever. My son will be graduating high school this year and is considering the military. These times for us to spend together are rapidly disappearing.

My daughters first trip

June 2008, My daughter and I took a trip to Knoxville to attend the Honda Hoot. This was a great trip and we did all the regular tourist stuff while in the area. On the way down, we stopped at the Valley View Ferry in KY.

This old ferry still operates across the Kentucky River south of Lexington. The skipper is very knowledgable about local history and it's worth taking a little extra time to talk.

We decided to stay in Gatlinburg and enjoyed a little shopping while in the area.

The next day was spent cruising the Smokey Mountain National Forest. The weather was perfect and so was the riding.

Many people have commented that this is something she will remember forever.

She's not the only one! They sure grow up fast.

We did make it to the HOOT one day and enjoyed all the activities. This was a special trip for me. I realize that one day my little girl will be out on her own and I want to spend as much time as possible with her now. Here is a little video that I put together about our trip.

Apple-Cade

During our search for the "Ultimate Touring Machine", I came across a great group of people that are forum members of http://www.gl1800riders.com/. Having been on this site for several months, there was a meeting of many of the members scheduled for May 2008. Since our trike had just been finished, we decided to make this our "maiden vouyage". We left for a week of great riding on May 19th. This photo was taken on our way somewhere in southern Ohio. The riding was great and the weather was perfect. If you are in the Hocking Hills area, there is a must stop at "Etta's General Store". They have lunchboxs from the last 100 years. They make a good sandwich and the conversation is well worth the stop. We continued our way through West Virginia and then into Winchester VA. We spent the next several days touring the Shandendoa Valley. We spent one day touring on Skyline Drive and the scenery was fantastic.

This was one of the many scenic overlooks. The travel is slow but the scenery is awesome.

We spent one day at Monticello (homestead of Thomas Jefferson). Thomas Jefferson was a brillant person and if you are ever in the area, this is a must see.

As the week went on, many more bikes arrived and we had a great time, meeting, riding and eating with new and old friends.

In the Beginning!

April 1 2008 - We puchased my lifelong dream motorcycle, a Honda Goldwing (gl1800). I wanted to create the "Ultimate Touring Machine". I had fallen in love with the 2007 Dark Orange but since these were now a year old, we had trouble finding a new bike with the options I wanted (Comfort Package, ABS Brakes and Integrated GPS) My dealer called and said he had found one at another dealership and could arrange to have it delivered. Barncat and I were the owners of a new motorcycle and I was like a kid in the candy store.

I have had lower back problems since high school and we were both very concerned with how this was going to be affected by long hours of riding a 800 lb bike loaded with 2 "full figured" riders and luggage. We had decided to have the bike triked and after riding many different models, we liked the Hannigan conversion. Two weeks after purchasing the goldwing, we took it to Murray Ky to have my new "baby" converted. This has turned out to be an excellent decision. We can both relax and enjoy the ride.