Day 5 - It's Christmas!

Tree Farms Galore, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We were back on the Blue Ridge Parkway where we saw many Christmas Tree farms. It seems that evergreen trees must flourish in this mountainous area of North Carolina and Virginia. Who knew? Aside from that we saw wild turkeys along the way, including one in full feather! Unfortunately, the loud motorcycle deters the turkeys and I couldn't get a decent photo of one. Take my word for it, with trees and turkeys it felt like Christmas.

Yes, it was cold and we were in all of our layers, but it was much better than yesterday. In fact, we had a chance to really enjoy the Blue Ridge Parkway and appreciate the marvel of this fantastic roadway. I took a few photos of the construction display at Doughton Park in the cafe. Take a look.

Incredibly Hard Work, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Every bit of this roadway took lots of persistence and hard work. Imagine creating this for 469 miles.
History of the Parkway

Craftsmen at Work, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Creating this marvelous roadway took 52 years. Everything on it was created with an eye to artistic detail. The stone work is a signature for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Tunnel Construction, originally uploaded by Gail S.

New techniques were created for building the parkway tunnels.

Stonemasonry at the parkway, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Different Modes of Transportation, originally uploaded by Gail S.

I thought this scene juxtaposed three modes of travel: camper behind a sports utility vehicle, bicycle, and us on a motorcycle!
Traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway

Sister Judy - Biker Chick, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We arrived in Roanoke, Virginia, and found my sister's house just off the Parkway. We were in luck, there was a surprise party for family friend, Brian, who was celebrating his birthday. Fifteen of us gathered at a fantastic Mexican restaurant, Alejandro's, in downtown Roanoke. Eleven of us are family, and I was so busy catching up with Judy, niece, Stacey, and her hubby, Dave, and children, Forrest and Dakota, that I totally forgot to get any photos. Sid spent most of his time talking with nephew, Pete. His wife, Dawn, and daughters, Isabella and Jasmine, were partying with us, too. It was fun.

Judy and Sid and I decided to have a quick photo shoot back at Judy's place -- just before midnight. Yes, we are wearing our do-rags and biker garb. We are all pretty tired after a long and enjoyable day. Tomorrow, we strike out for the coast of Virginia/North Carolina. I should be checking mapquest.com, but I'm doing this instead...

Check back to see if we made it to the coast in one day!

Day 4 - Prepping for the Parkway

Day 4 - My Layers of Clothing, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Here are all my layers of clothing needed for traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway on this unseasonably cold day. It was 36 degrees Fahrenheit when we left Cherokee, NC. From left to right: leathers, jogging suit with high neck, gloves, neck gator (from the hunting dept at Wal-Mart), shoes/socks, long underwear. Not pictured: helmet!

Day 4 - Me on The Blue Ridge Parkway, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Here I am wearing all the layers of clothing at elevation 5510 feet. I had removed the gloves for taking photos. Take a look at the next photo to see what was just across the road from where I was standing.

Day 4 - Noon on The Blue Ridge Parkway, originally uploaded by Gail S.

It's noon on a sunny section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Yes, that's ice! Although the calendar says it's Spring, the weather keeps giving signs of Winter. We drove through a section with snow on the ground, but I didn't get a photo because I didn't want to take off my glove to operate the camera.

We were amazed to encounter other bikers who did not have face shields on their helmets. Their neck and ears were exposed to the wind, and they weren't wearing long underwear because their leathers were too snug to allow for another layer of clothing. Rule of thumb for your motorcycle travel notes: always buy your leathers a bit large to allow for extra layers underneath. The same goes for your rain suit.

The bikers were also fascinated by our neck gators - a fleece tube that tucks under the collar of your shirt and up over your ears and nose. There's a drawstring to tighten the top so it doesn't slip down. I bought mine in West Virginia in the hunting department at a Wal-Mart. Sid and I were looking at a ski mask for me, but he didn't think it would work under my helmet. A fellow shopper showed me the gator, and my neck/ears/chin have been toasty warm ever since!

Day 4 - Silver Threads, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Here's the Blue Ridge Parkway threading its way through the mountains...for 469 miles! We only traveled 170 miles today. We kept stopping to warm up - even if that only meant thawing our fingers near the hot pipes of the motorcycle. We must devise another plan for tomorrow when record low temperatures are predicted for Wednesday morning. We have another 170 miles to travel before reaching Roanoke, Virginia, where we will visit with my family.

Day 4 - The Linn Cove Viaduct, originally uploaded by Gail S.

I shot this back over my shoulder without looking. I can't believe it came out okay! This is the Linn Cove Viaduct, the last section to be completed and an engineering marvel!

Day 3 - Shivering on the Skyway

My Self-Portrait on the Cherohala Skyway, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We left Fall Creek Falls bound for the Cherohala Skyway. This is my self-portrait on the Skyway. If you look really close, you can see my eyes peeking over the neck gator that I couldn't do without. Yes, it was cold, but we were bundled up like two Pillsbury Doughboys. It feels like I am wearing a space suit when I try to bend my multi-layered legs to get on the back of the bike.

We enjoyed the trip from Pikeville, Tennessee, through Dayton, Athens (are we in the USA?), Etowah and Tellico Plains where we ate at the Town Square Cafe before starting the 52 mile journey on the Skyway.

We had some concerns about the rear tire of the bike about midway along on the Skyway, but things turned out to be fine.

Sid on His Knees in Prayer?, originally uploaded by Gail S.

52 Miles of Heavenly Skyway, originally uploaded by Gail S.

It was a cloudy day with only glimpses of the sun, but that didn't diminish these heavenly views along the National Scenic Bypass that stretches from Tellico Plains, Tennessee, to Robbinsville, North Carolina.

It takes a masterful bike driver to negotiate these 52 miles safely...of course, God is there with us along the way.

The Bear Project, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Finally, we arrived in Cherokee, NC where we encountered The Bear Project in front of our hotel. Tomorrow, we will get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and make our way to Blowing Rock, NC to spend the night. It's supposed to be just above freezing in the morning. Guess we'll don our Pillsbury Doughboy layers to protect us from the cold!

Day 2 - On Foot!

Cold and Rainy, originally uploaded by Gail S.

I woke early, just before the rain started. While searching for the exercise room, I found myself in the hospitality suite of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association spring conference drinking coffee and learning about the "nipple line" rule. I'll save that story for another time.

We decided to wait out the rain at Fall Creek Falls. We will continue the road trip tomorrow. In the meantime, we would enjoy the park as much as possible in the rain.

On Foot, originally uploaded by Gail S.

It's a good thing we decided to stay the day because we soon found that the motorcycle's battery was dead. This meant we had to hike the 4.25 mile round trip to the falls in the rain while the battery was charging.

Fall Creek Falls from Above, originally uploaded by Gail S.

The highest US waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains at 256 feet.

At the Base, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We decide to make the nearly vertical descent to the base of the falls. Sid looks happy now, but wait until he has to climb back up and then hike 2 miles back to the inn.

Steep Climbin', originally uploaded by Gail S.

Just one section of the steep trail back to the top!

Our View from the Inn, originally uploaded by Gail S.

After checking out the bike, we sat on our balcony at the inn watching the rain sprinkle on Fall Creek Falls Lake at dusk. Peaceful, but I kept thinking, "Where are those massage therapists now?" Our aching legs and feet!!!

Tomorrow, we're off to the Cherohala Skyway on the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It looks like we should be in Roanoke, Virginia around Wednesday.

Day 1 - Back in The Saddle Again

Dogwood Delirium at Fall Creek Falls State Park and Resort, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Sid and I left our River House in Lobelville, Tennessee, and struck out for somewhere east...hopefully getting as far as Fall Creek Falls State Park and Resort just outside of Pikeville, Tennessee. It was my first motorcycle ride in six months.

We had forgotten how cold it gets on the bike, especially when there is no sign of the sun. We kept stopping to don more clothes...neck gator first; then, gloves; finally the full leather set - jacket and chaps. We discussed the long underwear, but decided we could tough it out.

Overall impressions from the day (besides the cold, dreary weather): 1) Tennessee is in the midst of "dogwood delirium" with these pretty trees dotting the horizon and decorating every lawn. 2) Horses, goats and pastures - "Oh my!" 3) What's with all these tree farms and nurseries on Hwy 55 near McMinnville?

Tennessee towns of note: Hohenwald (home of the elephant sanctuary); Belfast (are we in the USA?); Hampshire (quaint and quick); Lewisburg (missed two turns there); Columbia (the court square is a "must see"); Shelbyville (home of The Celebration - the premier Tennessee Walking Horse competition and home of Sid's beloved late grandparents - Granny and Pa); McMinnville (historic downtown was an oasis on a gray day).

Tiny Trees are Taking Over, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Finally, at 5:15 pm we reached the Inn at Fall Creek Falls. Hopefully, we will have a few photos of the falls tomorrow in spite of the 80% chance of rain tomorrow. Hmmm...I wonder if our rain gear will fit OVER the leathers...

Road Trip!!!

Road Trip!!!, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We are embarking on our two week motorcycle trip today! Fall Creek Falls, Blue Ridge Parkway, Mill Mountain in Roanoke, Virginia coast, Outer Banks, Charleston, Georgia hills, Alabama, and home. I'll post whenever we have internet connection. More later...