The Blue Ridge Parkway amazes me again with the low cloud cover
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The Blue Ridge Parkway amazes me again with the low cloud cover
Ol' Blue and the Blue Ridge
I departed Asheville in the dark, 39˚, rain and lousy conditions. After watching the local forecast, I knew that the farther south I got, the better the conditions.
Hwy 28 beckoned.
After awhile, I got on to my friend (so I thought) and headed south. 28 lures you into a false sense of security then cracks the whip.
Wet tarmac, 20mph switchbacks, 150lbs of gear for 100+ miles. A lot of fun, and a lot of work. Sitting here now in the comfort of a cozy couch, it was great. In real time, a bit of a struggle, and worth all of the effort. This is what makes the the trip "the trip".
As expected the farther south I traveled, the dryer the roads which opened up my confidence and my right hand. Towards the end of 28 I was working the corners aggressively instead of holding on for survival.
Eventually, I made my way to I-85 to Atlanta and reflected on 28. Traveling on the interstate, it seemed like 28 was from another lifetime.
Making my way south I was greeted with warmer and warmer temps, and bluer and bluer skies. It wasn't lost on the fact that I was bundled in long underwear which was barely enough to keep me warm in the cold, wet morning. 39˚ had transformed into 84˚ as approached the Florida border. But it sure felt good. I hadn't seen 60˚ since Colorado Springs!
Riding through Georgia and the cotton fields made me realize that, as lengthily as this trip has been, it seemed as if I was just here a brief moment ago. It felt as if I was on the return of just an ordinary weekend ride. Weird.
Pulling into Tallahassee, sweating in traffic, just as I had a month before, let me know that nothing had changed. I asked myself what it was all for; the whole adventure. Then a funny thing happened. My memory didn't default to all of the wonder that I had experienced, but to all of the difficulty. The cold rain in the U.P., the wind in ND and the fog on the PCH. The most difficult parts of the trip seemed to be the most memorable. And that's saying a lot because I saw some of the most beautiful scenery there I've ever seen.
But maybe, just maybe, the beauty lies in surviving the struggle.
Waterfall on 28. Drove under but the ground wasn't conducive to parking the bike where I wanted for the photo.
You know you're in Georgia when......
I'm outta states, made it back to FLA
Thanks for sharing your ride/adventure. Enjoyed your pictures and account of your experiences.:thumb
Mike Horne
If in the Portland, Oregon or Seattle area let me know. Spare room and home cooking! Be safe on your wonderful journey. :lurk
Also glad your home safely manwohr. Great BRP photos. Not everyone gets to see
it like that! But you earned it... "breathing is easy...living takes effort"
That was truly a life signature trip, thanks for sharing...
"travelin john" 04r1150r
UH... marine by choice; manwohr home now.... but myself & appox 5,555.5 others
are coming through next July.... whats for dinner? :whistle I buy the beer!
Fantastic and very inspiring!
Go South Carolina
After departing Tallahassee for my final leg home, the BMW experienced its one malfunction, a burned out headlight bulb. No worries since it has two low-beam lamps. Weird that it would happen at this particular point.
Allowing it all to settle in for the last few days, for anyone interested, I went over what it was that I had accomplished.
33 days
35 U.S. states plus Canada
12,812 miles
388 miles per day average
209 hours in the saddle
61.4 mph average
47 mpg average
272 gallons of gas
4 quarts of oil
3 sets of tires
2 scheduled services
0 traffic / speeding tickets
0 animals struck
10 hours in total to clean Ol' Blue
I encountered nothing but the most friendly people.
For anybody whose considering heading out on some type of adventure, a slogan painted on the back of a motor home just a few miles from my home described it best.
"Someday is today."