I’m piloting my Yamaha Tenere 700 briskly in a westerly direction on Alabama 281, also known as Cheaha Road. I can’t shake a disorienting feeling of déjà vu that I have been here before. Maybe it just feels too familiar to many rides in Georgia or North Carolina, but at roughly 33.47 degrees of latitude north of the equator, my T7 and I are resolutely south of both Atlanta and … [Read more...] about Alabama adventure: Letting the music fuel the ride
Rider Tours
Smoky Mountain 500: Carrying my icon on iconic roads
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
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 Smokies: Over, under and around
A morning breeze off the Oconaluftee River in Cherokee, North Carolina, eases the rising summer heat as I head north on U.S. 441. Like many fellow motorcyclists, I can’t resist the lure of riding across the Great Smoky Mountains on such a glorious day. Taking 441 past the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway, I often encounter the herd of elk reintroduced to the park … [Read more...] about The Smokies: Over, under and around
Ride to remember: A Tennessee couple’s philanthropic adventure to Alaska
Stretching through the breathtaking landscapes of the Canadian wilderness, the Alaska Highway unfolds like a rugged canvas, inviting motorcyclists to traverse its winding path along pristine landscapes, where snow-capped peaks meet the endless sky and rivers wind along the 1,390 miles. An East Tennessee couple and their friends were up for the challenge, and in the process, … [Read more...] about Ride to remember: A Tennessee couple’s philanthropic adventure to Alaska
