(Click on photos to see them full size)
My plan was to hit the road about 9:00. When my alarm went off it was raining hard again, so I just rolled over and went back to sleep. Finally rolled out of bed and had a leisurely breakfast and did some laundry as it was still raining. The sun finally came out and I packed up. Said so long to John and was on the road by about 12:30. Now a half a day behind schedule.
I rode northwest to join Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Some say this is the most beautiful road in the country. There is so much beauty all over this huge country that "the most beautiful" is a tough call, but this road, and the Blue Ridge Parkway connected to it, are certainly in strong contention.
Scenes from and on Skyline Drive
Blue Ridge Parkway at its northern end.
Several years ago the Hawaii Weather Wimps and I came back from San Francisco on Skyline Boulevard, going south toward Santa Cruz. This was a lucky find, not a planned route, but we were amazed at the views, with San Francisco Bay on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. There may be other such ridge roads, but they are rare. Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway are hundreds of miles of this kind of road. Vista after vista after vista, on both sides of the road.
As a pilot I fly high above hills, mountains and valleys for hundreds of hours every year, so I've seen more than my share of beautiful vistas. That probably spoils the novelty of such a beautiful road somewhat, but probably only a little. Curve after curve, climb and descent, a road like this can never be too long.
I made it to Mt. Roanoke State Park before sunset and checked in. Though the park was nearly empty, Rudy, the volunteer "host" assigned me to a spot next to a couple guys on Harleys. I eventually found a spot flat enough to park my 3 axles and set up camp for the first time. I hadn't set up this tent for several years, so it took me a bit too long.
Rudy was a friendly old guy of 84. He came by to chat for awhile and tell me about his 2 girlfriends, one 90 and one 85. I've often thought that volunteering at a state or national park for a few months each year might be a great way to retire. If I do that, I hope I don't share lots of stories about my 90-year-old girlfriend with passing guests.
After finishing setup, the Harley riders and I went for a walk to stretch our legs. One was from Georgia on his way home and the other was from Maine on his way to Deal's Gap and the Dragon's Tail. The one from GA suggested stopping the next night at a motorcycle-only campground in Waynesville, NC. My original plan was to make it all the way to Tennessee on my second day on the Parkway, but I lost half of this day to rain, so it seemed like a good backup plan.
My first night of camping since a cold night in the Sierra Nevadas provided me with a good night's sleep. I could get used to these mountains.
Today I rode 232 beautiful miles. 1020 miles in 3 riding days.
No comments:
Post a Comment