My teenager is gone. The 19 years of caring for her — of bonding together, exploring, laughing (and crying), of making memories that made even better stories — are now done. Through two decades of togetherness, I pampered my well-behaved, happy child with constant love and care. Feeding her, washing her and waxing her. Fixing flat tires, lubricating chains, changing … [Read more...] about Parting Ways: A Bittersweet Goodbye to My Honda
adventure
The Art of Adventure: Outdoor 76 celebrates 15 years
Fifteen years ago, Main Street in Franklin, North Carolina, was a pretty quiet place. It wasn’t hard to find a parking space and most of the things we enjoy downtown today didn’t exist, at least not yet. Then 15 years ago, an anchor business appeared on a hope and a dream — Outdoor 76. “There were a lot of empty storefronts and not much energy or activity. Still, we knew we … [Read more...] about The Art of Adventure: Outdoor 76 celebrates 15 years
Sunflowers & sunsets: The road to West Virginia
When I started riding motorcycles more than 15 years ago, I planned to go from a small town in Massachusetts to the furthest parts of the opposite coastline in Oregon and California. That was always the goal: to go as far and to see as much as was possible without a map, without a deadline, without a job or obligation to anchor or call me back home. I wanted to be overrun with … [Read more...] about Sunflowers & sunsets: The road to West Virginia
A ride to remember: Nicki & Aaron’s Blue Ridge elopement
There are moments on the Blue Ridge Parkway when time feels suspended — when the light hits just right, the fog rolls in low and soft, and the ridges seem to lean in and listen. It was in one of those moments, at Thunderstruck Overlook, that I crossed paths with two riders who looked like they had just stepped out of a country song. Dressed in wedding attire, leaning against … [Read more...] about A ride to remember: Nicki & Aaron’s Blue Ridge elopement
Regrowing roots: The return of riders to their dirty beginnings
Once upon a time, many a young motorcyclist cut his or her riding teeth off-tarmac. Tykes on smaller bikes burbled over bumpy, leaf-strewn, or gravely terrain, honing riding skills while smoky, two- or four-stroke engines propelled them toward adventure. These rides often marked the beginning of that invisible draw, the magnetic “what’s around the next corner” pull of … [Read more...] about Regrowing roots: The return of riders to their dirty beginnings
