I took my Honda NC750X on one of my favorite routes from my home in Blacksburg, Virginia, sampling the roads, valleys and mountains that make my area such a motorcycling mecca. Westward from the dramatic Narrows of the New River, I rode the sweeping turns of scenic Route 61 to Rocky Gap and then Tazewell, northern terminus of the section of Route 16 now known as the Back of the … [Read more...] about Rediscovering bloody Matewan: The Back of the Dragon leads back into history
West Virginia
Monroe County, West Virginia is wanderful!
The promise of a mild, sunny Friday was too good for Margie Lee and me to pass up. So our psychic compasses pointed northward and off we went toward Monroe County, West Virginia, just over the border from our Virginia home. Just as advertised, the day dawned bright and crisp, and being only a dozen days before the winter solstice, the early morning sun skimmed the southeastern … [Read more...] about Monroe County, West Virginia is wanderful!
Remembering Marlinton, a great motorcycle destination in West Virginia
If there’s any lesson in this damn pandemic it’s this: never postpone joy. So while we can’t travel overseas and we can’t spend much time with friends and family, and when we do we have to be really careful not to get sick, we can go motorcycling. Years ago, the International CBX Owner’s Association organized a series of rallies in Marlinton, West Virginia, and I attended … [Read more...] about Remembering Marlinton, a great motorcycle destination in West Virginia
The cultural maelstrom of McDowell County, West Virginia
Prepare to have your sensibilities slashed, pummeled, and eviscerated by the reality of contemporary McDowell County, West Virginia. Your Appalachian Mountains have quaint villages, picturesque farms, forests, country inns, wineries, orchards, and breweries. Your upscale towns and cities have bistros, brewpubs, delicatessens, vegan cafes, and chocolatiers. You’ll leave all … [Read more...] about The cultural maelstrom of McDowell County, West Virginia
Chasing the Powhatan Arrow: Riding in the wake of a long-retired train
It’s a fair question to ask why a rider like me from the epicenter of the magnificent roads and sublime scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains would be tooling along on my 2007 Honda ST1300 on one of Virginia’s flattest, straightest roads, U.S. 460 between Suffolk and Petersburg. It was a spiritual quest of sorts, following as closely as possible the original main line of the … [Read more...] about Chasing the Powhatan Arrow: Riding in the wake of a long-retired train
