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Back on the Blue Ridge Parkway

One of the greatest motorcycle trips I ever rode was a trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway about three and a half years ago.  Back then, riding my M600 Ducati Monster, I'd attempt to keep up with two friends riding the first 899 Panigale ever imported to the United States, and a brand new Aprilia Tuono.


Buena Vista to Blacksburg, Virginia
 This time, I'm on my way down to Atlanta, to visit my girlfriend's grandmother, and I threw my motorcycle in the back of my Toyota Tacoma, hoping for a chance to ride along the way, though fearful that we were driving directly towards the remnants of Hurricane Ha.
 We took off of work early, and spent the night in Lexington, Virginia, and had a greasy early breakfast at a place called Kenny's in a little town called Buena Vista.
The weather was cloudy, and I feared rain, but standing outside was an incredibly bizarre statue of a mechanical man with a tentacle for an arm, clutching a motorcycle, with another man sitting inside him.
 And even though this was less than inspiring ambiance, with the weather threatening rain, as soon as we hopped in the truck and started ascending into the Blue Ridge Mountains,
the skies cleared dramatically and I was ready to ride. 
I unloaded the bike, gave the truck keys to my woman,
 and hit the famed Parkway. 
 The views are incredible, and you can see for miles along the ridge, often on either side of the road.

Unfortunately, there were a few stretches of paving going on, so there was freshly laid gravel for 30-40 miles that prohibited too much speed. 
At the same time, this meant the cops weren't out in force, as the road is known for police enforcing a measly 40mph speed limit. 
After passing Blacksburg, Virginia, the cloud cover returned; this time for good. 
 Our delightful morning had turned soggy, and we stopped for lunch.
Tomorrow we're headed for Atlanta, and hopefully I can ride the Tail of the Dragon on my way back! 


© 2017 Tigh Loughhead

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