blue ridge parkway...

29 September 2008

very late on this post...

after visiting appalachian state, we decided to take the long way home - along the blue ridge parkway... since we were leaving a day earlier than originally planned, we figured we could afford the time. if it got late, we'd just pick some where to stop and pick up the next day.

it was interesting riding along the parkway. it was sunny and warm on one side of the mountain and cool, cloudy and threatening rain on the other. depending on which way we were heading, we'd either be in the nice warm sun or contemplating pulling over to gear up in our rain suits. the conditions would change with each turn we took. thankfully we never hit the rain...

our first stop along the blue ridge. the pictures just don't do it justice...

our second stop at the e.b. jeffress park. again, beautiful and the pictures don't do it justice.

at the park, there were some trails leading down to a waterfall. we decided to spend a little time and check it out...

there were so many overlooks and centers to visit. if we would have stopped at each one, it would have taken us a week to get home.

we did decide to stop at the blue ridge music center. not sure what i was expecting, but this wasn't it. although it was interesting and introduced me to the origins and history of the music in the area.

after getting off the parkway, our final scenic stop was lovers leap in stuart, va. this picture doesn't give you a good feeling for the drop off just over the wall...

a quick stop for some food and fuel...

we ended up making it home that evening - a little late and a lot chilly. but definitely worth going out of our way. this trip has bumped up the priority of riding the whole blue ridge parkway... maybe i can swing it next year...

to wrap things up, a map of our path along the blue ridge parkway...

support our troops...

got a letter in the mail yesterday from the support our troops organization... they're trying to get specialty plates printed in north carolina to support our troops. in order to start printing the plates, the state dmv requires at least three hundred applications for the plates. at this point, they have one hundred fifty applications.

the organization has decided to foot the bill for the other one hundred fifty applications. that's right, free!!! all you need to do is print an application and mail it in. support our troops will pay for the first one hundred fifty they receive on a first-come first-serve basis...

college...

29 September 2008

the main purpose of the trip to boone was to visit appalachian state university... i liked the university - although, to be honest, a lot of the allure for me probably had more to do with the potential for rides in the area. still, a nice university - a campus more along the lines of what i like...

captions as best as i can remember... the main administration building - an important one for students looking for loans... and paychecks in they're working for the university.

a nice little creek through the campus...

apparently they used to have softball fields (or some sort of sports fields) here. but the fields kept flooding... taking a hint from mother nature, they decided to make a little park type area out of it... nice move...

our tour guide, matt... standing next to one of the founders, bb dougherty...

the infirmary...

the library... nice library - i tried to get some pictures inside the rotunda but they didn't turn out. trust me, it's nice...

a library named after the other founder and brother of bb, dd dougherty...

the common area of the university...

the student union...

dead sunflower... kind of odd to see this when everything else was so green and alive...

steam plant that powers the university...

the convocation center...

ride to boone...

28 September 2008

son is in his last year of high school and taking a look at colleges... we decided to make an adventure of it and use the bike as our mode of transportation... at the end of september headed to appalachian state university...

 on the way there, we stopped at crossroads harely... not worth the stop in my opinion - just not much to see in there. about the only reason to stop in there is to get s hd shirt, but their selection of shirts wasn't even that good...

 

after about a five hour ride taking mostly two lane roads, we made it to boone. we checked into the hotel room and decided to get something to eat. the hotel manager suggested canyons. turned out to be a great place to eat - good food, great company, and an awesome view. the building has a rich history that adds to the experience...

in the end, it was a great day... the ride to boone was good, mostly two lane roads, through town and places we'd never see on the highway. the weather was absolutely georgeous. and of coures the mountains in boone made for wonderful riding...

you can check out the 2008 ride map to see the route - this one in light blue...

fall...

this past week, i've really be able to get out and ride. not anywhere in particular, just out and about. and i sure do live in a pretty area. the leaves are changing and are in full color - color like i haven't seen in years. rich reds, gorgeous oranges, shades of yellow and brown.

riding the roads, soaking in the scenery... being on the bike makes me part of all the beauty, not just observing it like i would from a cage...

i was sitting outside the dealership and was struck by the brilliant color of this tree. it's just a portion of all the colors that are appearing now. i tried to capture some of the color... i didn't have my camera, so i was stuck with my crappy cell phone camera. it certainly doesn't do it justice...

  

  

27500 service...

hard to believe i'm at the 27500 mile service... i've been able to squeeze in a lot of good riding this year. would like to be able to hit 30k by the end of the year, but don't know if i'll make that.

when i think back on the miles i've put on so far this year, the thought quickly changes from the number of miles to the journeys i've taken. some planned, more unexpected, all good... it really does come down to the quality and not the quantity. although having the quantity opens more opportunity for quality...


when i picked up my bike, randy, the service manager at ray price, helped me out... what impresses me about him is he seems to know and care about his customers. as soon as he came downstairs, he knew who i was and greeted me by name. he always has a positive attitude and will take the time to talk to customers. it'd be nice if more people were like that...

while my bike was in, i got to ride around on an '09 road king. i was looking forward to testing out the new model because of the changes to the frame. let me say, what a nice bike...

the riding position is a little higher. i didn't know if i would like it or not. after riding for a few minutes, i got used to it and it didn't bother me. the bike certainly feels bigger with the larger tank. i think it's more of a perception thing because the bike wasn't any harder to handle. that may be due to the new frame...

the bike seems more balanced. i don't know if that was my imagination or the new frame. but i like it. i liked the power the bike had. nothing outrageous, but pretty peppy.

i've been liking the changes harley's been making to their bikes over the last few years. it gets me closer and closer to wanting a new one. this road king really put me even closer to that feeling. of course there's that part of me that says wait, see what they come up with next...

then reality kicks in and says there are too many other things before a new bike... but it doesn't hurt to look and dream...

here are a couple pics of the road king...