Mowed the grass Thursday evening, had a cookout with the family on Friday so Saturday was mine-all-mine! I lefter before 9am under cloudy skies and cool morning air. On the way to get gas I passed a couple of guys in a hotel parking lot getting on their bikes. One was a Silver RT. As I was walking out of the gas station they were pulling in. Chatted with the guy on the RT for a bit. Chris from Knoxville, TN with 120,000 miles on the clock and new R1200RT waiting for him when he got back. They were heading over into Burkes Garden and then follwing my route for a bit before getting on the Blue Ridge Parkway South. I was heading further South and planned to take the Parkway North. We parted ways and I headed for my favorite twisty road.
All year I've been commuting to work and even though I went to the bash I haven't the chance to really work my new Z6's. I finally got that chance on Route 16. Left side chicken stripe completely gone, right side very small. It's a personal thing for me, just a hangup.
I met some more bikers in Volney, VA on his and hers FJR1300's. They were from the Norfolk, VA area. Asked about their route and was able to warn them about the gravel section of Route 91. He was thankful and planned an alternate route. Off again for some more twisties on 58. It started to get hot so I stopped to put my mesh jacket on and snapped a couple of shots of one of the curves.
Before I got to Damascus I turned left to go South on 91 instead of heading on into Shady Valley, TN. I'd been riding hard and had nothing to prove to the 421 locals. This stretch of 91 down into Mountain City, TN turned out to be quite nice. It follows a creek and has some great sweepers before coming into the back side of town. Through Mtn. City, TN down into Boone, NC for a gas stop. The nice attendant lady scolded me for moving my bike from the pump before I paid, she thought I was going to be drive off. "Don't do that to me again!" she said.
The text message my wife sent said that she and the kids were heading to Christiansburg and maybe on to Roanoke shopping. I called and asked if she wanted to meet for supper...jokingly. She seriously did, cool by me.
Once on the Parkway I was as happy as could be. The temperature was chilly, the sky was cloudy, and everything was green, green, green. Stopped to pee and switch out of the mesh jacket. Tooks some pictures of the nursery and the guy riding his ATV in the field before heading across the road into the woods to take a leak among the pine needles, toilet paper, and used travel buddies.
There's one section of the Parkway that I always see a wild turkey and this day was no different. I'd seen deer earlier riding the twisties and met another one later that passed easily between me and oncoming car. The feeling I get cruising along out in the world is beyond words. You guys know what I'm talking about, no worries, no cares, all is well, and life is good.
At another stop I chat with some more bikers and give an RV'er some road info. It's raining a bit at this point, but nobody really cares. On up the road I pass the guy on the Silver RT and his buddy from the first gas stop heading South. Wonder if he realized who he was waving at. At one overlook I waved at some bikers and spied one of them on a black Roadster. The urge to go back and chat was overwhelmed by the fun I was having.
Still on track to meet the wife and kids for dinner I stopped at Mabry Mill to pee and rest. There I found the coolest set of AC Cobras with matching trailers sporting Ontario tags. By now I've gone about 300 miles and I'm getting tired and hungry. I exit the Parkway and take Route 8 North to Christiansburg to meet the family at Barnes & Noble. Steak and Ribs at Texas Roadhouse never tasted so good!! I tagged along with Suzanne and the kids to a couple of stores then followed them home to Bluefield in the dark. The GPS said 376 miles, the odomoter reported 393. We know the bike is optimistic and I think the GPS is a little shy when the roads get curvy. Either way, 400 miles in one day is not problem as long as I force myself to stop every hour and fifteen minutes or so.
Oh, you wanna see the pictures?
http://community.webshots.com/album/373502231LwWZVY
DSKYZD
Not quite 400 miles.
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DJ Downunder
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