Wanting to ride the Smoky Mountain 500 across Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina for about four years now, I finally made plans with a riding buddy. Then that plan fell apart. Someone once told me that I was good with small children and dogs, but adults — not so much. I need a new riding partner. While I am chronologically an adult, mentally I remain adolescent. So, like … [Read more...] about Smoky Mountain 500: Carrying my icon on iconic roads
Blue Ridge Parkway: Touring the region’s most famous scenic byline
I wasn’t always a motorcycle enthusiast, but I’ve always been intrigued. Maybe I can blame Marlon Brando in “The Wild One” or Steve McQueen in “The Great Escape” for starting the itch that needed scratching. My first foray was in Kauai, Hawaii, as a marine on a Kawasaki Ninja 1990 ZX-11. That bike was stupid fast, and I was just stupid. I had some gateway bikes afterward, … [Read more...] about Blue Ridge Parkway: Touring the region’s most famous scenic byline
Going MADBR: Wildlife, water crossings and adventure
"Seven, not three.” I was saying in my helmet as we paddled knee deep across what turned out to be the last water crossing. The preview clip taken in a different season had shown only three water crossings, with riders happily splashing across what was no more than a wet spot in the trail, only a tiny spray from the tires visible for the camera. After seven of them, my … [Read more...] about Going MADBR: Wildlife, water crossings and adventure
The Royal Enfield 350: Building a scrambler and a few adventures
When I decided to explore more of Western North Carolina, I knew I needed a motorcycle that could handle diverse terrain and let me venture off the beaten path. After careful consideration, I chose the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 and began converting it into a scrambler. This decision was driven by several key factors, all aimed at maximizing my ability to explore both paved … [Read more...] about The Royal Enfield 350: Building a scrambler and a few adventures
Poem: “The Road is a Woman”
The road is A woman Almost naked Draped In scanty strands Of yellow and white A maiden Stained Here and there With skids of Burnt rubber From runaway semis, And the blood Of a fawn Half eaten by Vultures I can't fool this one She's seen too much And knows that I'm just like all Of the … [Read more...] about Poem: “The Road is a Woman”
