Nothing much remains of the main street in Chimney Rock, North Carolina. Workers continue to move earth and replace utilities scoured away by Hurricane Helene nearly one year earlier. Demolition of damaged buildings continue. Access remains limited. For decades, this scenic section of the Hickory Nut Gorge attracted riders to the twisting roads through the Hickory Nut Gorge … [Read more...] about Helene, a Year After: Chimney Rock Remains in Riders’ Hopes and Memories
scenery
A Dragon’s Back: and a Quest to Find Seven Covered Bridges
Motorcycles can often feel like time machines. They encourage you to explore roads that once were main thoroughfares but are now sleepy backroads. They take you along winding paths filled with old barns, small towns and sometimes century-old covered bridges. Feeling a call to revisit Virginia’s Back of the Dragon this summer, I vowed to explore some side roads I’d ignored on … [Read more...] about A Dragon’s Back: and a Quest to Find Seven Covered Bridges
Looking for shamrocks in Southwest Virginia’s ‘Burgs
I am fortunate enough to live in Southwest Virginia, where great motorcycling roads surround me, so I thought it would be fun to explore my backyard with a St. Paddy’s Day cloverleaf of four loops to the southeast, southwest, northeast and northwest of sister towns Blacksburg and Christiansburg in Montgomery County, just west of Roanoke. Blacksburg has 45,000 residents but … [Read more...] about Looking for shamrocks in Southwest Virginia’s ‘Burgs
Historic Switzerland Inn Reopens
Beloved Swiss-Inspired Western North Carolina Hotel Welcomes Guests Back for an Extended Season “Each new season at Switzerland Inn is special, but this one carries even more meaning,” commented Switzerland Inn General Manager Whitney Ledford. “Our team has worked hard to prepare this year, knowing that we’re not just reopening our doors—we’re helping revive the tourism … [Read more...] about Historic Switzerland Inn Reopens
Star City of the South: Roanoke, Virginia
Surrounded by the ancient peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains and buffering the hustle of Interstate 81, Roanoke, Virginia (pop: 100,011) is a cultural and outdoor gem in Southern Appalachia. Once a large-scale railroad hub, the city itself remains an economic beacon for much of the bucolic, rural landscape in Southwestern Virginia. Nowadays, the metro-area has transformed into … [Read more...] about Star City of the South: Roanoke, Virginia
