I‘m back from my most recent trip mapping Virginia. It was one heck of an expedition averaging more than 500 miles per day on my motorcycle, mostly on two lane back roads. Areas I thought would be really good turned out to have little appeal. The area I thought would largely be a waste of time turned out to be one of the best. You never know until you ride it, that’s why I do what I do.
I revisited some sections on the last map which overlap into this one which revealed previous roads connected to fabulous new roads. I’ll be making some minor changes to “North Carolina / Virginia Border Rides” to reflect these new discoveries. There are some outstanding rides you really shouldn’t miss which cross the borders of these two maps.
The central point of this second Virginia map is the city of Roanoke. The Blue Ridge Parkway cuts through the heart of the map touching on the very edges of the city. I explored a few roads close in to the city. While most of us don’t get on the bike to ride the urban landscape, should you be staying near, there are a couple rides in close you may want to do to catch a nice view or a sunset from up high. Surprisingly few paved roads connect to the Blue Ridge Parkway on this map, so knowing where they are and which way the closest gas station is will be helpful.
The highest ridges of the mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway run in close to the city. The character of them changes as you move north leaving the rolling hills of southern Virginia behind to enter the more mountainous and scenic peaks north of the city. Roads to the south side quickly entered rolling but relatively flat country and while there are more roads, I found fewer and fewer of them engaging me and making me want to come back and ride them again. I have a lot to eliminate based on this reconnaissance.
I revisited some sections on the last map which overlap into this one which revealed previous roads connected to fabulous new roads. I’ll be making some minor changes to “North Carolina / Virginia Border Rides” to reflect these new discoveries. There are some outstanding rides you really shouldn’t miss which cross the borders of these two maps.
The central point of this second Virginia map is the city of Roanoke. The Blue Ridge Parkway cuts through the heart of the map touching on the very edges of the city. I explored a few roads close in to the city. While most of us don’t get on the bike to ride the urban landscape, should you be staying near, there are a couple rides in close you may want to do to catch a nice view or a sunset from up high. Surprisingly few paved roads connect to the Blue Ridge Parkway on this map, so knowing where they are and which way the closest gas station is will be helpful.
The highest ridges of the mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway run in close to the city. The character of them changes as you move north leaving the rolling hills of southern Virginia behind to enter the more mountainous and scenic peaks north of the city. Roads to the south side quickly entered rolling but relatively flat country and while there are more roads, I found fewer and fewer of them engaging me and making me want to come back and ride them again. I have a lot to eliminate based on this reconnaissance.
On the other hand, north of the city is the place I enjoyed most. Here the various mountain ranges are distinct, separated by long valleys. The roads which run through these long vallies are far more curvy than they appear on a map and some of the views are wonderful. Be warned though, I’m going to try to describe some of these roads as “adventure” roads. Some will like them better than others.
As I ripped along them on a bike built for this kind of terrain, bouncy, 
tight, sometimes technical in demeanor, I thought about what it would be like riding shotgun on a big cruiser, fully loaded, doing more hanging on than enjoying the beautiful scenery. I think your passenger might find the experience a bit demanding if done at a hurried pace. I’ll try to identify these roads for you. On the other hand, at a relaxed pace and with the camera handy, I felt like I was riding through a national park at times. I can’t help but recommend them.
tight, sometimes technical in demeanor, I thought about what it would be like riding shotgun on a big cruiser, fully loaded, doing more hanging on than enjoying the beautiful scenery. I think your passenger might find the experience a bit demanding if done at a hurried pace. I’ll try to identify these roads for you. On the other hand, at a relaxed pace and with the camera handy, I felt like I was riding through a national park at times. I can’t help but recommend them.There’s one more map to go in this series to fully cover the entire range of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the surrounding areas. I’ll do 
my best to crank this one out by the end of the week. For the first time this year I plugged in my heated gear and really needed it as I climbed the high passes from Tennessee into North Carolina on the midnight ride home. It’s going to be regular kit from now on. I have once again paused on the West Virginia border and stared into what looks like the promised land. I’m pretty sure I know where the sequel to these maps will lie.
>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com