The Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs for 469 miles, along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Its southern terminus is on the boundary between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina, from which I rode north to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

The views are epic, the road is constantly arching, banking and dipping, while not as challenging as some of the other "motorcycle" roads in the area, the BRP certainly makes up for it in charm and beauty.

Looking to connect with people, I contacted a man named Hank on the ADVrider.com site. ADVrider has special section for people willing to host motorcycle riders as they pass through. I asked Hank if he was accepting visitors and as my luck would have it, he was!

He explained that his place was difficult to find using GPS and that I should just call him when I got to mile marker X. So that's what I did. When I got there and made the call, he said to wait a few minutes and he'd be right there. True to his word, Hank comes riding up on GS1200. The dirt road he came down looked a little sketchy, but he assured me that it would be no problem for me and my RS. With that, I followed him down this muddy, dirt path! We got to a cattle gate and Hank paused saying "I usually just ride around it" - I shrugged, "Ok!" so we both maneuvered our bikes between a boulder and the gate, I was really surprised I made it! Another quarter mile or so down a gravel road (in which I almost lost the back-end twice!) we finally made it to his house!

He introduced to me to his lovely wife Patty, who had dinner on the table and we sat down to talk about bikes and our travels. Hank is quite the adventure traveller having ridden to Alaska from his home in Virginia, and back! After seeing Hank's photos, I really want to do this trip!

Dinner was followed by a soak in the hot tub and then straight to bed! The next morning Hank (a retired fire-fighter) was making breakfast! He sent me off with a stern warning to get my rear tire replaced, and suggested a shop in Richmond, (which is where I am right at this moment!)

Huge debt of gratitude to Hank & Patty for hosting me and being so warm and welcoming to a complete stranger. Thank you again!