Casta Rica boy,” my gray-haired grandfather said to me. “That’s where you need to go.” Our group of riders from the Blowing Rock/Boone area flew into San Jose, Costa Rica, in mid-January with plans for some winter riding in the mountains of Central America. From San Jose it was a 20-mile taxi ride to Atenas, a city of about 27,000 Costa Ricans, or Ticos as they call … [Read more...] about Blue Ridge Riders Tackle Three days in Costa Rica
Rider Tours
Tri-City Touring: A dozen reasons to ride East Tennessee
A bolt of lightning strikes the ridgetop as a thunderstorm stalls atop Sam’s Top, which is part of the towering border between North Carolina and Tennessee. The churning clouds and hazy mountains blur together with a faint glimpse of sunshine in the gap between sky and earth. I notch the bike’s windscreen to its highest position and decide to forego stopping to put on rain … [Read more...] about Tri-City Touring: A dozen reasons to ride East Tennessee
Cherohala Skyway: Nostalgia and furtive glances at the past
Nearly 30 years ago, an old friend introduced me to motorcycle camping. During those early years, the two of us came together a couple times a year for epic camping and rides, which usually led to some irresponsible, reckless behavior that young men with a false sense of immortality often undertake. I often returned home with sore abdominal muscles from excessive infantile … [Read more...] about Cherohala Skyway: Nostalgia and furtive glances at the past
Hot Springs: A Strange Attraction Secluded in Western NC
Something about the secluded valley draws them here, as it has for millennia, to the confluence of Spring Creek and the French Broad River, to where a rare hot spring emerges from the earth and ancient man painted symbols on rocky cliffs, to where paws, hoofs and feet formed the great Appalachian Trail. Some locals half-jokingly refer to it as “the vortex,” and today’s … [Read more...] about Hot Springs: A Strange Attraction Secluded in Western NC
Tallulah Treasures: Cascading lakes and a scenic gorge highlight a road trip down to north Georgia
Autumn makes the perfect time to drop down from the highlands to where the Blue Ridge Mountains emerge in north Georgia. Amid these rolling hills, the Tallulah River heads southeast through a beautiful series of manmade lakes before tumbling down the state’s most famous gorge. Each year, as if part of a pilgrimage, I make my down to this hidden corner of the state to roam the … [Read more...] about Tallulah Treasures: Cascading lakes and a scenic gorge highlight a road trip down to north Georgia
