The morning looked warmer from the hotel window. It always does. I stepped out onto the sidewalk in Wise, felt that sharp little edge in the mountain air, and stopped long enough to zip my jacket up another inch. The sky had that early-spring brightness that promises a decent day while refusing to promise a warm one. Across the street, Wise was just beginning to stir. … [Read more...] about Third Gear Therapy Around Wise, Virginia
Rider Tours
Blue Ridge Southern Crescent: Tellico Plains, Helen, Toccoa to Walhalla
I topped off the fuel tank in Tellico Plains, Tennessee, and gazed at the mountains to the east. My usual route would take me across the famed Cherohala Skyway to North Carolina. The bucket-list motorcycling road never disappoints riders, but I had a different adventure in mind for this trip: a crescent-shaped ride along southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Tellico Plains … [Read more...] about Blue Ridge Southern Crescent: Tellico Plains, Helen, Toccoa to Walhalla
The Shawnee, George Washington and the Mothman All Slept Here
I came to Point Pleasant the way you often come into river towns, by riding on a road that follows a river on the left and a railroad on the right or vice-versa. In this case, West Virginia Route 62 had been ordinary for miles from outside of Charleston toward Poca, the home of the poca dots. Route 62 is a narrow gray ribbon through the north-eastern side of a Kanawha River … [Read more...] about The Shawnee, George Washington and the Mothman All Slept Here
Kentucky Cruising: Chrome, Coffee and Route 23
Another winter cold snap just broke, so time to ride my new to me 2023 Triumph Bonneville, which my wife insists looks like a “Margo,” in Meridan Blue and chrome. It was waiting for me patiently, like all motorcycles do, pretending not to care whether you show up, but also judging your choice of boots and style of riding jacket. Thumbing the starter, the parallel twin woke … [Read more...] about Kentucky Cruising: Chrome, Coffee and Route 23
Barber Vintage Festival: You Will Be Entertained
It is Thursday. But it is different from most Thursdays in my life since I am standing as close as I can to a racetrack in northern Alabama to get pictures of riders practicing for upcoming races. In this moment, the old — or should I say “vintage” — bikes are running sidecars of various design. The riders are getting ready to participate in races over the next three … [Read more...] about Barber Vintage Festival: You Will Be Entertained
