This story begins with my unfortunate incident in the fall of 2022. I was pulling into our driveway, which is quite steep, and stopped on wet leaves. Being short like I am and this bike being quite heavy, my footing slipped on the leaves and the bike slowly laid over on its side. Well, not the first time this has happened due to the aforementioned challenge I have in the height department. No biggie, just a few scratches since I was not moving. So since it was already late fall I decided to take the body parts with the scratches to the local dealer to repaint. I even took some factory paint with me to ensure a match. Long story short they had the parts for months and after 3 attempts still could not correctly match the paint. At this point I was starting to lose riding time as it was already June of 2023. I decided to retrieve my parts, reassemble the bike, and ride with paint that is a bit off on some of the parts. Not too bad actually but not a factory match, either. Will try again this winter with a custom paint shop.
Painted parts that don't match...
Anyway, after all that I was really itching to ride. I usually go on at least one long bike trip each spring or early summer and I felt I was overdue a good solo trip. I had been thinking about riding up through Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. I really enjoy the back road scenery and coal country history.
Now before I start documenting this trip I have to acknowledge that I am not a photographer. Lynn is our photo documentarian on all of our adventures. Since this is a solo trip I am lacking in photos to back up the experience. I must do better next time. Anyway, here it goes...
Loaded up and ready to roll... A keen eye will notice a few parts a couple of shades off. Mainly the fairing. That ring around the headlight is the actual original color. Fairing and fender came out a bit darker. Like I said, no biggie. I was just ready to go!
My goal for day one included several stops and a specific destination. I have been going to Deals Gap on Hwy 129 (aka Tale Of The Dragon) in western NC since the mid 1980s. Back then it was just a cinderblock motel with a dirt parking lot at the start of the NC side. My buddies and I would pull our sport bikes into the motel rooms to tweak the carbs, suspension settings, etc. Much different world back then and my sport bike days are long gone. The place is a tourist attraction now complete with bar and restaurant. I definitely am including that stop in this trip and there will be more on that later, but for Day One I had a different plan. I had been reading about a route up Hwy 16 through Virginia that has become known as Backbone Of The Dragon, an obvious reference to the much more publicized Tale Of The Dragon. How could I resist? There was also a brewery at the end of the run in Tazewell VA called Back Of The Dragon Brewery. Perfect!
Heading north there is a biker dive bar called Freeborne's between Wilkesboro and the VA border. It is located in Laurel Springs, NC near the intersection of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Hwy 18. As this was a Monday they were not open but I stopped there anyway to stretch my legs, check my maps, and make sure I had a good route from there. Freeborne's is open summers Thursday through Sunday and have a full bar and restaurant, with live music on Sundays. Great stop if you are in the area that I highly recommend.
Here are photos of a previous stop at Freeborne's during business hours.
Notice the Jail/Wedding Chapel across the street...
From there I continued up Hwy 18 to 113, which led to Hwy 58 near Mouth of Wilson. I took 58 to Volney where I picked up Hwy 16 North. This took me to Marion where The Back Of The Dragon route begins, runs 32 miles and ends in Tazewell, VA. I filled the tank in Marion and started north on the route to Tazewell.
Backbone Of The Dragon:
Most of the route is very scenic and very curvy. Much tighter turns than Tale Of The Dragon, which is why this route is probably not as popular with the sport bike crowd. You can't develop much speed as there are few sweeping turns. It is mostly switchbacks. I was in 2nd gear most of the time and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. The scenery was beautiful and the weather was perfect. Blue skies and moderate temperatures. As I mentioned, the route ends at The Backbone Of The Dragon Brewery. This place has all manner of memorabilia, T-shirts, etc. as well as excellent brews.
After a couple of more hours on rural backroads I arrived in Pikeville, KY around 5:30pm. The scenery along the way did not disappoint. This part of the country is a fantastic area to experience on a motorcycle. I checked into the Hampton right on Main St. in the middle of town and within walking distance to breweries and restaurants. Beautiful town with rich history.
I walked over to a bar and restaurant called Bank 253 for dinner and libations. The bartender was a long time KY resident and had worked at a couple of bourbon distilleries. He knew a thing or two about bourbon to say the least. I ordered up an Old Fashioned with bartenders choice of bourbon. True to my own taste he chose a Woodford Reserve, which I find to be one of the finest bourbons for the money and is always on my personal bar shelf. He served me what I can only describe as a world class Old Fashioned and took great pride in the fact that I appreciated it properly.
At this point my first day on the solo trip was coming to a close. I had covered about 265 miles in 9 hours through some beautiful scenery on a day that can only be described as perfect weather. Blue skies and sunshine the whole way. I was ready to get some rest and plan the next day's adventure.
Here is a snapshot of the Day One travel route:
It was about 2:00pm when I left Virgie and I set my sites on Kingsport, TN thinking I would spend the night there. I took rural road 610 to 23 and followed that all the way into Kingsport. I stopped in at a dive bar I found online called The Hen's Pub. As far as local dive bars go, this place did not disappoint. I would not recommend it for everyone, but if you are a dive bar enthusiast as I am, then this is right up your alley.
The Wedge salad with steak...
Day One: 06/26/2023
On Day Two I really had only one objective. I wanted to visit the Hatfield and McCoy memorial site and see what Hatfield and McCoy country was all about.
I grabbed breakfast at the hotel, filled the tank, and headed off toward Hatfield and McCoy country. I took Hwy 119 North out of Pikeville, then turned south on 319, which ended at SR 1056 where I headed north again. This looked to be a rural route through sparsely populated areas so I was looking forward to the ride. This route did not disappoint. Beautiful scenery all the way. Winding roads through coal country that can only be thoroughly appreciated by motorcycle. The Hatfield and McCoy Historical site is in Matewan, KY. I was expecting some sort of small memorial museum or something dedicated to the history. It is literally a historical marker on the side of the road. One of those bronze engraved signs on a post. I did not get a photo as there was no safe place to pull the bike over. I went on passed that and stopped at RC's Country Store and Fillin' Station just around the bend from the marker. Very nice folks. I met some people from an ATV tour that make the store a regular stop. I saw all kinds of side by sides and 4Wheelers around here as that is the main mode of transportation on and off the local roads in this area. It is difficult to describe how rural and isolated this area is. You really have to visit to get the full experience.
I then took 49 back to 119 which made a loop putting me back towards Pikeville. I was thinking I would head north on 23 from Pikeville toward Prestonsburg. Once I stopped in Prestonsburg and studied some maps I realized I was close to Virgie, KY if I would head back south. I am a Tyler Childers fan and "Follow You To Virgie" is one of his biggest hits. I thought this would be fun as you really can't get anymore authentic than a coal town with a famous country song written about it.
Now this is where I learned a bit about KY terrain, Google Maps, and reality of KY country road conditions. Connections are spotty and GPS does not take into account the actual condition of roads. This turned out to be quite an experience just finding a route to Virgie. I put the town in my navigation app and headed south again. I knew I wanted a rural route so I put a couple of waypoints in the route to get me off of the main highway. This formed a route that looked to be interesting so off I went. I was guided down several roads that I had to turn around on due to the road conditions. One road I was guided down was one lane with switchbacks so sharp and steep that I had serious difficulty maneuvering the bike around them. I eventually decided to map out what looked like a route on more well travelled roads and started out from there. I really have no idea where I was at this point but could see on the map the most likely route and what direction to go to get to the "main" road. There is only one road in and one road out of Virgie. The scenery is beautiful, and once you learn to ignore the navigation if the road looks sketchy you eventually get there anyway. The route I ended up with after all of the turn arounds and sketchy cut through roads was 979 from Harold to 122, then 122 to 610 which takes you right through Virgie. Took a lot longer than it should have but the ride and experience was worth it. This town has a small church and a Magistrate's office and pretty much nothing else as far as I could see. Very isolated as most old coal towns are.
I spent my time at The Hen's Pub looking for accommodations for the night. I had never stayed in Kingsport before and had no idea what to expect. Turns out it was not my cup of tea. Hotel choices were limited and I was not able to find anything that looked like a walkable distance to night life activity. My go to is to park at the end of the day and walk to dinner and bars for the evening where possible. One of the advantages of solo travel is the ability to pivot and change plans easily. Riding with a group of friends is one of my favorite things to do but when the need or desire to change plans arises you need a consensus before moving on. Solo means go where and when you want.
At this point it was approaching 5:00pm but it being late June I still had a few hours of daylight left. I decided to book a room at the Hilton Downtown Knoxville and head that way. I enjoy Knoxville with the downtown Market Square area and all of the restaurants, shops, and pubs walkable from several hotels in the area. I hit the highway and arrived at the Hilton about 6:30pm. This was much better!
I headed over to Market Square where I found a restaurant with outdoor seating and a view of the live music venue.
Live music on the Square...
At this point Day Two was coming to an end. I headed back to the hotel and started planning for the next day's ride. Here is a snapshot of the the Day Two ride:
Day Two: 06/27/2023
Day Three was shaping up to be an epic ride in more familiar territory along the TN/NC border and through some of the best roads in western NC. My first goal was to go south on Hwy 129 toward Deals Gap (Tail Of The Dragon) and run that route north to south, then go west on Hwy 143 (Cherohala Skyway). Not only are these routes some of the most beautiful rides in the Great Smoky Mountains, but also some of the best in the country. People travel from all over the country to ride these roads and we are quite lucky to live so close.
After a relaxed breakfast at the Hilton I headed south on Hwy 129 right from Knoxville. The first leg of this route is 4 lane highway down passed Maryville. 129 turns south off of Hwy 411 south of Maryville and that takes you right into the Deals Gap run.
The official Deals Gap run is 11 miles long and consists of 318 curves. This road is famous and as I mentioned earlier has become quite the tourist destination for motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts alike. There is plenty of information online (tailofthedragon.com) for this place and I highly recommend it if you have not experienced it.
This is the 11 mile run with 318 curves:
Approaching Deals Gap from the north puts you at the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort when you reach the other end. This is what used to be the old cinderblock motel that I mentioned earlier. The base motel is still there but tourism has turned this into a real destination.
I have been to this place so many times I don't even take photos half of the time. I just stop to look at all the different bikes and cars that are there and a quick browse through the gift shop. Had Lynn been with me on this trip I'm sure I would have ample amounts of photos on this stop. So, again, apologies for my lack of photo documentation. In lieu of that I will share a few photos from some of my previous runs through Deals Gap. This will give you a good indication of the vibe and atmosphere there.
As I mentioned before, I have a long history with Deals Gap. I have been fortunate enough to run many vehicles there many times over the years since I live relatively close. Even though it is quite the tourist trap these days I still highly recommend it for any sports car or motorcycle enthusiast.
From there I took Hwy 143 (Cherohala Skyway) over to Tellico Plains, TN. This is one of the most beautiful rides in the country. Less of a tourist trap than Deals Gap and every bit as good. You pick this route up just south of Deals Gap and head west toward TN through the Cherokee National Forest. This route is famous in motorcycle touring circles, with many articles praising its pristine landscapes and winding turns. I stopped for lunch just east of Tellico Plains at the Iron Works Grill. This gem is located on the Tellico River bank and offers exceptional scenery, food, and the staff are very friendly. I recommend a stop here during the summer. They close for the season fall to early spring.
My table view at Iron Works...
Leaving there, I went through Tellico Plains and headed south on scenic route 68 which turned out to be quite scenic but more of a well travelled highway than I like to spend time on when on a trip like this. The first rural route I intersected that looked promising was TN Route 123. I turned left (East) and headed out. Only a couple of miles in I saw this:
Whoa! Hit the brakes. Dive Bar! Middle of nowhere! I stopped in and met the locals at The Thirsty Turtle. The name is a reference to Turtletown which is just a few miles west in TN. This is a true gem of a place if you like local dive bars. Friendly people. We swapped stories and told tall tales. The people here were truly interested in how I came to be there, just as I was interested in how this place came to be such a gathering place of locals in the area.
The Thirsty Turtle:
If you ever find yourself on the TN/NC border on Hwy 123 (TN side) or Hwy 294 (NC side) I highly recommend stopping in for a game of pool and a cold beverage. The folks will welcome you and make you feel like family by the time you saddle up and say goodbye.
So I started to put a plan together for the evening at this point. It was about 3:30pm when I left the Thirsty Turtle and I had many hours of daylight left. I felt like a couple of hours ride and a relaxed dinner might be what I need to finish out the day. I set my sights on Murphy, NC. Heading down NC 294 from the Thirsty Turtle would bring me to NC 74 East straight into Murphy. I had not spent much time in Murphy prior to this but was looking forward to exploring the area as it is a big tourist destination in western NC.
So I rolled into Murphy about 4:30pm with no expectation of where to stay or what the evening might have in store. I found a local motel that was off the hook funky and fantastic. It's called the Sunset Motel and is run by a mother/daughter duo that have a keen sense of style and a flair for hippie nostalgia. Everything about it had a flower power 60's vibe right down to the lime green telephone and VW Van models in the front lobby. They offer rental bicycles for exploring the town and even had covered parking for the motorcycle.
So at this point it is about 6:00pm and I have had a badly needed shower and change of clothes and am looking for a place to have dinner. On trips like this I settle for whatever is close by and don't make much of a fuss about it but at this point I am 3 days in and looking for some cuisine. A steak. Something. I hit the jackpot here. Across the street and one block down from the motel is the Murphy Chophouse. And they have a patio bar!
I had a fantastic steak and salad and then set my sights on the rest of the town. Where could I walk to from here and what is Murphy all about. It did not disappoint. I found a place called Duck Bald Brewing about 2 blocks from the Chophouse. A lot of local flair and great brews.
I recommend the Shesquatch:
So at this point Day Three is coming to a close and I am looking forward to planning for Day 4 and what might be on the horizon.
Here is a snapshot of the Day Three route, which turned out to be an epic experience.
The next morning I headed out from Murphy on Hwy 64 East. Although this is a main road it is a fantastic motorcycle ride through mountain scenery. I stopped for lunch in Highlands, which is a great little town. I haven't spent much time there either but Lynn and I have put this on the list for a long weekend getaway sometime. This is home of the Old Edwards Inn, which is a highly rated hotel destination. Looking forward to a stay there in the future. From there I continued on Hwy 64 and then turned north on SR 107 in Cashiers. This turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable ride with great scenery. Hard to go wrong in this part of the state. Every road is a good motorcycle experience. SR 107 took me to Tuckasegee, where I turned south on SR 281, also a good scenic ride. This eventually brought me back to Hwy 64 near Lake Toxaway.
At this point I set my sights on Hwy 215 that runs north from Hwy 64 to Waynesville. If you have never ridden this route before you should definitely put this on your to do list. This has been one of my favorite roads for years going back to my sport bike days. It is pristine, lightly travelled, and in my opinion every bit as good as Deals Gap without all of the tourist side show. Also, it is a 30 mile run verses 11 miles at Deals Gap.
I arrived in Waynesville about 4:30pm and decided to stay the night there. I checked into the Oak Park Inn on S Main Street, right in the middle of old downtown Waynesville. This a family owned Inn that offers friendly service and an old school travelling experience. I highly recommend it. I met a couple of guys on adventure bikes that were staying there and we swapped stories for a while. One was on a BMW GS and the other rode a Moto Guzzi Stelvio. Both excellent bikes for any type of travel.
I also met the couple that were in the room next to mine who had an interesting travel dynamic. He rode the motorcycle and she would drive the truck. Great support vehicle to have as you can bring everything and not have to pack light for motorcycle travel. Also, if the weather turned ugly he would load bike into the back of the truck they would keep on going. She would linger in town and shop or whatever she wanted to do while he rode the scenic routes and they would meet up again in the next town. Interesting.
My room at the Inn:
Just a few blocks down from the Inn is the Scotsman. Now this is a proper Scots bar! I stopped in for what they call victuals and libations. I was not disappointed. The Scotsman Original burger was delicious. I recommend this place to anyone staying in Waynesville for a night.
At this point Day Four was at a close and I headed back to the Inn for a good night's sleep. Snapshot of the Day Four route:
Day Four: 06/29/2023
As I needed to make my way eastward toward home I had to put random scenic routes out of my head and actually plan the final route. Brevard is only about 30 minutes from Hendersonville, which is where my mother lives so I decided to head east on Hwy 64 and stop in for a surprise visit. What a surprise it turned out to be! She did not recognize me at first as I had a ball cap pulled down, sunglasses, and I had shaved my beard since she saw me last. Once she realized it was me her face lit up and we had a great visit.
After a good night sleep I awoke to rain. Heavy rain. I hate riding in the rain. I have done it many times over the years but never by choice, only out of necessity. Fortunately the Inn offers fresh croissants, pastries, and excellent coffee. I was in no hurry so I grabbed a pastry and coffee and settled into the rocking chair on the covered porch in front of my room. Looking at the weather forecast it seemed that waiting this out would be my best option. Not a bad way to spend a Friday morning.
The rain let up about 11:00am so I loaded up and got ready to hit the road. Today's final destination was home and while I was really looking forward to being home again and seeing Lynn, I also was a little melancholy about the trip ending.
I left the Inn and headed south on Hwy 276 toward Brevard. This is also one of my favorite roads that goes back to my sport bike days. This road is highly travelled however since it runs right through Pisgah Forest and leads to a lot of tourist destinations along the way such as Sliding Rock and Looking Glass Falls. Tourist traffic aside this is a beautiful route to experience by motorcycle.
After just a few minutes on the bike the sun came out and it shaped up to be great weather for riding. Partly cloudy skies with the moderate temperatures you appreciate in the mountains. In Brevard I stopped by The Ecusta Brewing Company for a cold beverage and to stretch my legs a bit.
From there I continued east on Hwy 64 to Lake Lure. I stopped in at La Strada for what I would consider either a really late lunch or a really early dinner. Either way the restaurant over looks the lake and is one of my favorite stops when in the area.
Once I left Lake Lure I set my sights on home and put the bike in the wind, so to speak. I took Hwy 64 East to Rutherfordton where I picked up Hwy 74. I arrived home to a warm welcome around 7:00pm on Day Five, having had a tremendous trip and new experiences to share. Close to 1100 miles over 5 days through 4 states, VA, KY, TN, and NC
Snapshot of Day Five, final leg:
Day Five: 06/30/2023
As I mentioned at the beginning of this writing, I usually take a motorcycle trip every Spring. I also quite often have a long fall trip also. This trip was long overdue and a solo ride was what I needed. It recharged my batteries on every level. Some years I take several trips and usually with buddies that I have been riding with for years. Going forward I think that I will make an effort to ensure that at least one solo trip is on the agenda.
I did not get in a fall trip this year as we have been busy with multiple projects and other travel plans. At this point I am setting my sights on next spring.
"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. I would love to hear from fellow motorcycle enthusiasts.
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