Lost highway: The last ride of Hank Williams
On the evening of Dec. 31, 1952, legendary country singer Hank Williams checked into the Andrew Johnson Hotel in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. By the following day, the iconic performer would be pronounced dead at a hospital in the depths of rural West Virginia.
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The eternal Tennessee River: Riding from Chattanooga to Rocket City
My aversion to riding main highways resulted, quite by accident, with the road bending through a stately Chattanooga neighborhood. As my three-cylinder Yamaha purred through the narrow streets,…
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Rally ’round a train trip: Amtrak eases cross-country to the BMW MOA Rally
It’s day six near Lorton, Virginia, and I find myself sitting in plush travel comfort. I am barely aware of the ear worm rattling in my brain. It…
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Monster quest: Exploring the mountains and mysteries of West Virginia
The wall of mountains loomed before me as I headed west on U.S. 33 across the wide Shenandoah Valley. Soon I’d twist my way over them into West…
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“Head of the Dragon” motorcycle ride in McDowell County, West Virginia
The “Head of the Dragon” joins Back of the Dragon, Claw of the Dragon, and Tail of the Dragon to complete the Body of the Dragon motorcycle rides…
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Thunderbolts and Lightning: Venerable Airhead still conjures pure magic
As I swung through an area of particularly nice farm country on my 1982 BMW R100 RS, I found myself sitting by the side of the road, simply…
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Following dreams in Virginia’s Craig and Giles counties
We weren’t 30 minutes into our ride before the first deer tried to kill me. She jumped over the fence on the left side of Virginia Route 42,…
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Three cylinders, three states
I eased my new Yamaha to a halt on the quiet bridge over the Tugaloo River, stopping on the state line between…
Mud-splattered dream of adventure
I’ve always wanted a 1960s Honda Dream 305. I love vintage Hondas. There are about 15 in my garage right now: Trail…
Going back in Floyd time
Floyd is just different. You wouldn’t be able to tell from a Virginia map. Floyd looks much like any other small-town county…
Finding serenity: A ride to boost your mental health
It’s dark and raining. Nearly 333 miles into this trip, I’m 12 miles east of Suches, Georgia. As elevation increases, the rainy…
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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…
