Wanting to ride the Smoky Mountain 500 across Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina for about four years now, I finally made plans with a riding buddy. Then that plan fell apart. Someone once told me that I was good with small children and dogs, but adults — not so much. I need a new riding partner. While I am chronologically an adult, mentally I remain adolescent. So, like … [Read more...] about Smoky Mountain 500: Carrying my icon on iconic roads
North Carolina
Blue Ridge Parkway: Touring the region’s most famous scenic byline
I wasn’t always a motorcycle enthusiast, but I’ve always been intrigued. Maybe I can blame Marlon Brando in “The Wild One” or Steve McQueen in “The Great Escape” for starting the itch that needed scratching. My first foray was in Kauai, Hawaii, as a marine on a Kawasaki Ninja 1990 ZX-11. That bike was stupid fast, and I was just stupid. I had some gateway bikes afterward, … [Read more...] about Blue Ridge Parkway: Touring the region’s most famous scenic byline
The Royal Enfield 350: Building a scrambler and a few adventures
When I decided to explore more of Western North Carolina, I knew I needed a motorcycle that could handle diverse terrain and let me venture off the beaten path. After careful consideration, I chose the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 and began converting it into a scrambler. This decision was driven by several key factors, all aimed at maximizing my ability to explore both paved … [Read more...] about The Royal Enfield 350: Building a scrambler and a few adventures
Looking for Andy: Exploring Mount Airy, the real and fictional Mayberry
For those of us in the bifocal set, a breezy ditty whistled as a tall man with an enviable shock of dark hair walks along with his young son toward their favorite fishing hole, rods in the hands of both, is forever and indelibly etched in our minds ear. “The Andy Griffith Show! Starring Andy Griffith. With Ronnie Howard. Also starring Don Knotts.” It was one of the … [Read more...] about Looking for Andy: Exploring Mount Airy, the real and fictional Mayberry
The perfect bike for a mountain road trip? How about a 40-year-old thumper
What is the best motorcycle ever made? Easy. The one you have the most fun on. Now defining fun, that’s all in the eye of the beholder — or in this case, the rider. So what’s my definition of fun? Thrilling terrain, good views, and someone to share it with. A bike that can “do it all.” Take some twisty asphalt with sweeping corners, add a side of dirt roads up a mountain … [Read more...] about The perfect bike for a mountain road trip? How about a 40-year-old thumper
