Lynn had reconnected with some old friends, Rick and Robin, and had been discussing a possible motorcycle ride. Rick and Lynn had gone to high school together in Ohio, and he and his wife now live in SC not too far from us so getting together for a ride would be a good way to rekindle old friendships. We decided we would meet in Lake Lure for a weekend motorcycle getaway. This is my kind of weekend, but Lynn had never been on an overnight motorcycle trip before. You should have seen her face when I handed her one saddle bag and asked her to fit all of her stuff in there!
We decided on late April, which is warm in NC and the days getting longer so it would be a good time for riding. We would leave on Saturday, April 27, and return the next day. Lake Lure is only about an hour and half ride away from home for all of us so it would make good place to meet. This trip would be about riding and new (old) friends.
We left early in the morning and got to Lake Lure about 9:30am. We would be staying at The Esmeralda Inn, which is a rustic inn in the town of Chimney Rock, right up the road from Lake Lure. Rick and Robin met us at the inn and we headed out for a ride from there. The plan was to ride Hwy 9 (one of my favorite roads from sport bike days) up to Black Mountain, then get on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville. It was fantastic weather for riding!
We made a stop at Mount Mitchell, which is the highest peak east of the Mississippi at 6,684'. It's a short hike from the parking lot to the peak. Views are awesome! There are markers in each direction that show the names of all of the peaks that are visible.
From there we continued on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Little Switzerland. There we had dinner at The Chalet, the restaurant at Switzerland Inn. The outdoor seating offers unparalleled views of the mountains. Oh, and the food is fantastic!
From there we took Hwy 226 to Hwy 70 into Black Mountain, then Hwy 9 into Chimney Rock. It was dark just before we arrived, which is good because I like to limit night time riding. A really fantastic day riding and getting to know Rick and Robin better. It is good to have friends with similar interests.
The Esmeralda had an outdoor fireplace on the patio. Very nice on an April night...
Here is a snapshot of our Saturday ride:
The next morning we had breakfast at the inn, then geared up. Rick wanted to ride up to Eagle Rock which is a rock face with panoramic views toward Chimney Rock. Unfortunately when we got there the parking areas and park were closed so we were not able to hike to the rock.
After that we went back down to the inn where we said our goodbyes readied ourselves for the ride home. Another fantastic day for riding and even though we were parting ways we still had a full day ahead of us.
From there Lynn and I took Hwy 64 toward home. The scenery around Lake Lure is beautiful and 64 is great road for a motorcycle.
What a great short weekend getaway! We are fortunate to live so close to such beautiful riding areas and to have good friends to share it with. We recommend the Lake Lure / Asheville area for many reasons and motorcycling is definitely high on that list.
"TRAVELING - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." lbn Batutta
Please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below. Also, I can be reached at Rocky@Rocklyns.com should you feel the need to reach out.
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