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
Rider Tours
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
Old school camera captures: Craftsmanship and the Copperhead
In the quiet of the thawing winter on a sun-filled Sunday morning, I brushed the dust from the Bonneville and wheeled the machine into the light. My buddy Felix (the dog) sprawled out in the sun as I popped the center stand to free the rear wheel in the driveway and began the annual maintenance on the Triumph beginning with the chain, which included both a fresh cleaning and … [Read more...] about Old school camera captures: Craftsmanship and the Copperhead
