Blue Ridge Motorcycling Magazine

Helen

Blue Ridge Southern Crescent: Tellico Plains, Helen, Toccoa to Walhalla

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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

Flying on the ground: A tour to the Helen Balloon Festival

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I have motorcycles. A bunch. New ones, old ones. And I ride a lot, nearly every day. Short, far, sometimes for months at a time. Riding is its own unique sensation and operation, and I think that’s why I enjoy it so much. Sometimes if I ride long enough, it even feels like I’m flying. I wonder what it’s like to fly — don’t you? Maybe you know, maybe you’re a pilot or fly … [Read more...] about Flying on the ground: A tour to the Helen Balloon Festival

Georgia on my mind: Helen lures riders to region’s attractions

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As the heat of summer started to ease, I packed up the bike one Friday, needing to experience another road trip before the cold winds of November would arrive. A weekend escape to the kitschy fun of the alpine-themed town of Helen, Georgia, seemed very appealing. It only enticed me more that it was Oktoberfest season, and I knew Helen would be a pretty lively place to make my … [Read more...] about Georgia on my mind: Helen lures riders to region’s attractions

To Helen and Back: A novice rider explores the North Georgia mountains

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I knew the perfect road to introduce my new riding companion to a motorcycle tour across the Georgia mountains. The name even suited her perfectly — Warwoman Road. Zoe Kelly, a 39-year-old single mother and new rider, gave me a quizzical look when I suggested this road to begin a three-day Georgia road trip to Clayton, Helen, Hiawassee and the area’s collection of mountain … [Read more...] about To Helen and Back: A novice rider explores the North Georgia mountains

Moto-camping: Dual Sports in NorthEast Georgia

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Just north of Helen, Georgia, Poplar Stump Road runs northwesterly shadowing the west bank of the Chattahoochee River toward its headwaters. On this cool, nearly perfect September day, my Suzuki DR650 and I snake along the river’s edge, mind wandering considering how the narrowing waterway winds and tumbles southward over the fall line to the coastal plain some 430 miles … [Read more...] about Moto-camping: Dual Sports in NorthEast Georgia