It’s dark and raining. Nearly 333 miles into this trip, I’m 12 miles east of Suches, Georgia. As elevation increases, the rainy drizzle intermixes with fog, diminishing the usually excellent head lamp and fog lights to less than what my tired eyes need. Adding to the challenge, earlier rain and wind has stripped most of the already waning fall color from the trees, creating a … [Read more...] about Finding serenity: A ride to boost your mental health
Rider Tours
Going solo: A ride along the Blue Ridge
The road treated me well today, each corner unfolding knowingly into the next. There were some amazingly clean stretches of familiar asphalt that begged for just another few feet before brakes, a half-second sooner on the throttle. I rediscovered that perfect, mid-corner spot for my head a few times, just above the handgrip on either side of the tank — the place where I could … [Read more...] about Going solo: A ride along the Blue Ridge
Exploring the legend of the Moon-Eyed people
The trees have yet to bring forth their curtain of green, allowing riders to glimpse the hidden topography of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A sheer rock outcropping and scattered boulders peek out from the bare forest, tempting you to glance away from the twisting two-lane to see what’s hidden for most of the year. Craggy rock overhangs and towering granite walls tempt my … [Read more...] about Exploring the legend of the Moon-Eyed people
Finding motorcycling zen while crossing Ecuador
Before the advent of modern geography or GPS systems, the native people understood this place to be at the center of the world. It wasn’t until 1736 that the French Geodesic Mission launched an expedition to measure the equatorial line of the earth that the world learned what the native people already knew. My first experience on the back of a motorcycle was in my early 20s. … [Read more...] about Finding motorcycling zen while crossing Ecuador
Brown Mountain Lights a mystery, but the area’s roads certainly aren’t
As mountains go, it doesn’t look very impressive, yet the lore surrounding Brown Mountain keeps visitors to the busy overlook on N.C. 181 staring at the squat, rectangular ridge. The high-pitched shriek and low rumble of passing sport bikes and cruisers fill the air as the overlook’s visitors seem to ignore the more dramatic peak of Table Rock behind them and stare in wonder … [Read more...] about Brown Mountain Lights a mystery, but the area’s roads certainly aren’t