Category Archives: Blue Ridge Parkway

469 Mile Long National Park Motorway

Skiing the Blue Ridge Parkway – Not this time

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While we had high hopes of a decent snowfall, it wasn’t enough to enjoy skiing on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s still a little early in the year for any significant accumulations, and this storm passed north of us dumping most of the white stuff in eastern Tennessee.

Photo - Wayne pauses near the Freein Knob Overlook on skis.

Wayne pauses near the Ferrin Knob overlook on a parkway ski outing.

Here’s a photo from last year, or maybe the year before. Every once and a while things come together just right and the parkway becomes a cross-country ski trail. This time, the snow didn’t stick well enough to build up. We’ll try again with the next snowfall.

Press Release: New Blue Ridge Parkway Series of Maps Released

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

New Blue Ridge Parkway Series of Maps Released

America Rides Maps has just released a new series of motorcycle pocket maps based on the Blue Ridge Parkway which expand the great mountain riding to more than 3000 miles.

Waynesville, North Carolina, USA – October 30, 2009

America Rides Maps now has complete end-to-end coverage of the 469 mile long Blue Ridge Parkway and every great mountain ride in the surroundings! More than 3 years of research and exploration and tens of thousands of miles spent on the motorcycle personally riding, selecting, judging, and cataloging every paved road which connects to and is adjacent to the nations favorite scenic ride are now available in a 7 map package. Designed and created for and by motorcyclists, field tested and proven, these pocket maps are unlike anything else available and are an unparalleled bargain at the $30.00 package price.

Each year millions make the ride down the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway which traces the highest mountain ridges in Virginia and North Carolina from it’s starting point near Shenandoah National Park just outside Waynesboro, Virginia, to it’s southern end at Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina. Along the way are spectacular views from high mountain overlooks, historic sites, and rugged natural beauty that has endeared the Blue Ridge Parkway as a national treasure.

America Rides Maps expands this 469 mile park ride to encompass the surrounding mountains highlighting more than 3000 miles of the most enjoyable paved two lane mountain back roads in the country. Designed to be accessible and easy to read, the maps fold simply, fit in a pocket, and highlight the kinds of information motorcyclists desire which other parkway-specific maps lack. They overlap and connect, are numbered in sequence from north to south, and provide such important features as the locations of reliable gas stations, distances between roads and exits, locations of significant attractions as well as all other connecting roads, cities, parks, and items of note to the traveling motorcyclist.

As nice as the ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway is, it provides only a fraction of the wealth of scenic, historic, and rewarding sights found in the surrounding rural mountains. With at least a dozen additional roads on each of the 7 maps selected for their challenge, beauty, and enjoyment, America Rides Maps reveals one of the best kept secrets – there is no greater concentration of fabulous motorcycle rides anywhere else in the nation.

“I’d been coming here for more than 20 years and thought I knew of the best roads. It was only after I moved here and spent a few years in the area I realized how little I had discovered” says Wayne Busch, owner and creator of America Rides Maps.

Wayne lives only minutes from one of the most scenic sections of the parkway in Waynesville, North Carolina. A lifelong motorcyclist, he was always enamored with the great ride through the linear park and made frequent trips north from Florida to enjoy it and the surrounding mountains. Once he relocated to the mountains of western North Carolina, he discovered the parkway barely scratched the surface of the depth of great two lane mountain back roads found in the Smoky Mountains.

“I met too many people, like me, who thought they knew the area. I’d mention my favorite roads only to find they’d never heard of them or had been driving right past them for years” he reports. In response, heI began making local maps to help people find them.

“I’d take the occasional job leading tours to help make ends meet, and they always went well – I knew the roads so I could tailor the rides as we went to just what my clients were looking for. It confirmed I knew what people liked”. Eventually, he decided to focus all his efforts on producing maps.

“I know what I don’t like about maps, and I am determined to make mine useful” says Busch. “I tried a bunch of sizes before settling on pocket maps. Bigger maps are too hard to fold, tough to use in wind, it seems what you want is always on the other side, and they are never handy. They end up in the saddlebag which means you rarely use them. I designed my maps so you can whip them out at a stop sign, quickly find what you need, slip them back in your pocket, and keep moving. That’s the way I ride.”

It seems America Rides Maps is onto something. With a dozen maps in production and thousands sold through their on line store, business is growing while other map makers struggle in an age of GPS and the Internet. They don’t just show you where the roads are, any map does that. America Rides Maps shows you where the RIGHT roads are and highlights them from all the others. Just because it’s a squiggly line on a map doesn’t mean it’s a great ride. You never know until you actually ride it, and that’s what they do. There’s nothing else like them.

America Rides Maps
http://americaridesmaps.com/
706 Underwood Cove Road
Waynesville, North Carolina 28786
(828) 734-2164
Fax: 828-456-5243

Contact:
Wayne Busch / America Rides Maps
America Rides Maps
http://americaridesmaps.com/

wayne@americaridesmaps.com
706 Underwood Cove Road
Waynesville, North Carolina 28786
(828) 734-2164
Fax: 828-456-5243
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Last Motorcycle Map of Blue Ridge Parkway Ride Done

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711.5 miles. New one day record for a mapping expedition. A good chunk of that was on the Interstate though, so it doesn’t really count. Still, that’s a pretty good haul for the shorter days of the fall season when I typically average less than 500 miles per day evaluating two lane mountain back roads to find the best ones for my maps.

It had been raining since first light though never heavy enough to penetrate my gear and soak me through. Although the weather was fairly warm, my electric heated gear helped dry out any seepage. It was an effective tactic which helped keep me toasty warm even with a little dampness. Must give a plug to Gerbing heated motorcycle gear and Fieldshear outwear. 16 hours in the rain and I remained warm, dry, and comfortable.

As darkness came over me and the last of the two lane roads I wanted to explore passed beneath my wheels, I couldn’t justify another night in a motel at peak season prices. Within reach of Roanoke , I-81 was calling me. The daylight was spent making a huge arc from Staunton, east to the Blue Ridge Parkway, south to the outskirts of Lynchburg, and then west across the West Virginia state line on what were mostly disappointing roads. The least likely prospects are left to wrap up the end of a trip, though some jewels were discovered.

Rolling out onto the dark highway the torrents came in waves and any thought of wet clothing was overshadowed by simply trying to see through the squalls kicked up by semi trucks and a smokey visor better suited to bright sunlight than night cruising. At times the best course was to simply lock on the glowing red pair of taillights ahead and follow them wherever they went as the road disappeared in the glare of headlights reflecting on the rain-fogged helmet shield, playing havoc with any detail of lane lines or signage. The worst of it was crossing the mile high mountain pass from Tennessee into North Carolina when the winds kicked up and the midnight darkness was illuminated only once by the flashing blue lights of a string of troopers gathered to work an accident. Without a car to follow I could have easily driven up one of those runaway truck ramps in the blackness of the storm.

So what did I discover? Fewer great roads than expected. It had been a while since I last came this far north on the Blue Ridge Parkway, all the way to it’s end. I did hit it at pretty much the peak of color, and the days prior had been clear and sunny so I could fully enjoy the fall splendor. The trees were putting on a great show, but I am a harsh judge, spoiled by living near the best section of the 469 mile national roadway.

There are a wealth of rocky outcroppings and the occasional long range view. To the east, you are often treated to views looking out over the vast expanse of the Piedmont stretching to the horizon. To the west, you overlook the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley. The mountains here are distinctly separated by broad valleys which make them stand out in contrast to the flatter portions between them. Elevations are lower than near my home base, and the foliage reflects that. More oak and scrub which tends to turn yellow-orange-gold then quickly brown. Occasional bursts of red, but lacking the evergreens, birch, dogwood, and beech, found at higher altitudes to give a full rainbow of hues. Much or the roadway is through forested patches and the overlooks are less dramatic – they frequently highlight streams which course close to the road instead of the more impressive scenery found south. It’s not that it’s not a worthy ride and full of enjoyment, just not as eye-catching as what I am used to seeing. There’s no place like home.

The really dramatic views are found off the parkway, often to the west as the mountains rise again into West Virginia. The roads through the valleys do have an appeal. Rural, farms and dairy pastures, and lots of historic tiny towns, their relevance lost to time. For those with an historic bent, viewing them is rewarding. I appreciate old homes, and they are found in both pristine preservation and admirable depreciation. In general though, these valley roads offer nothing special, though I did find a few exceptions.

Roads connecting to the Blue Ridge Parkway, typically a good location to find great rides, are disappointingly short due to the lower altitudes. Once the descent is made they either empty into towns or connect to unremarkable valley byways. Again, I noted the best of these.
The most interesting areas are found west where the mountains start to rise again. There are still valleys between them, but roads which cross the ridges can be fantastic. The closer you draw to the West Virginia state border, the more likely you’ll find enjoyable riding. It confirms my desire to expand my travels into West Virginia and explore the border area in more depth.

This trip provides the information to complete the last map in the Blue Ridge Parkway series which means I now offer full coverage of every great ride adjacent to the park from end to end, locations of reliable gas stations, and suggestions to make a trip down that roadway a lot more interesting and enjoyable. It shouldn’t take long to put it together as much of the work was completed before I left. First, a day of rest. Expect the newest America Rides Map this week.

First Snow – Blue Ridge Parkway Closes

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As if to emphasize the clock is ticking on my efforts to complete the last Blue Ridge Parkway series motorcycle map, the first snow of the season has blanketed the Blue Ridge. It’s not all that unusual, we were due for a good cold snap. Here today, gone tomorrow. Temperatures will soon be back in the 70’s. The inch or so that fell around these parts will be gone by this afternoon.

It probably thrilled the throngs of leaf peepers in the area from parts south who stormed the shops for gloves, scarves, and warm coats. For them, this is just what was needed to make the colors pop and by the end of the week the show should be spectacular. In the mean time they can amuse themselves with a quick trip to Cataloochee Ski area which opens this morning (and will probably close again tomorrow) or visit the elk at Cataloochee who are in full amorous frenzy. No shortage of things to do and see this season.

I read this morning a car slid off the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday, possibly due to snow and ice, and find the gates closed when I went up to check the conditions. The white stuff won’t last even at the highest elevations and it will be open again shortly.

In the mean time I’ve been diligently progressing on the new map and am right on schedule for a Wednesday departure. The next couple days will be spent laying out the routes, trying to devise the best strategy to cover more than a thousand miles of two lane mountain back roads that surround the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway in as short a time as possible. I’ll be straying across the border into West Virginia which clips the corner of this map and scoping out what will most likely be the next state I explore. Time is short, but I’m going to get it done.

A Fall Color Motorcycle Tour

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It was a good day to play hooky and who wouldn’t have done the same given the opportunity. When a college buddy called to let me know he was in the area and had brought his motorcycle along with him, I needed little more to tempt me into getting out of the office for a day and enjoying fall as it nears it’s peak of glory. It was a truly great day to be riding though what day isn’t?

George is new to motorcycling and from Florida. Either of those two factors means mountain curves are intimidating. When combined, I was assured this wouldn’t be a day spent testing the edges of the tires and sane riding technique. That’s a good thing really as I’m still riding out the years probation I’m under for abusing my privilege to stay within the DOT’s suggested speed recommendations on our wonderful roads. His choice of rides, a Honda Pacific Coast, also did not lend itself to carving up the corners. It’s one of those giant scooter-looking things, and while it has 800cc’s of grunt, it lacks the attitude to apply it – it’s more of a rolling tupperware party with barely a hint of metal meanness showing anywhere. No problem. With a spanking new tire on the front of my bike, an easy ride to scrub it in would be just the ticket before I put it to proper use another day.

I’d been looking for an excuse to revisit Hot Springs, one of the classic rides in the area. It was fall cool this morning and I threw the heated gear on just in case, though I never needed to plug it in. A quick breakfast at Duval’s in Waynesville, then out NC 209 into the countryside. Blue skies, crystal clear air, and clean roads welcomed us to one of the nicest close-in rides found around here.

We wound through the gentle curves of the pastoral valleys then climbed into the serpentine course through the higher passes. Were it one of my regular rides it could have been a morning of frustration. First a delay due to road work, then mowing, then a farm tractor, then a heavy truck easing down a grade in low gear as we worked our way north. Today these delays simply allowed more time to soak in the surroundings and gave George a chance to get accommodated to the roads without having to maintain a constant push to the edge of his comfort zone.

We paused in Hot Springs and I took a few minutes to explore the town anew. It was once one of my favorite local runs as it is a great ride to get there, and is surrounded by a wealth of fantastic two lane back roads. I’d make the hour trip out, amuse myself with loops through the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, then circle back into town for a beer and buffalo burger at the Paddler’s Pub. The pub was always filled with bikers and the parking lot was a showcase of machines from near and far. It burned down last winter and has yet to be rebuilt, though I was encouraged to see piles of new cinder block stacked where it once stood.

I’ve yet to try any of the other small cafés that inhabit the tiny town, and this morning it was too early to give any a test run. The Iron Horse Station looks promising. I told George some of the history and errata of the place. There really are natural hot mineral springs here you can visit and soak in. It was a refuge in early days for those who came to enjoy them for “health” reasons, but the grand old spa resort had also succumbed to fire years ago. The town had served as an internment camp for German prisoners during WWII. The Appalachian Trail, that 2000 mile long footpath that stretches from Georgia to Maine, passes right through the heart of it to cross on the bridge over the French Broad River. It’s a popular place for whitewater rafters who come to ride the challenges of the rapids found on river. The surrounding national forests are full of hiking trails. That’s an awful lot of attractions for a town so small it doesn’t even have a traffic light.

We continued north along beautiful NC 212 as it traces the river where fly fisherman often outnumber the trout, then I detoured off on one of my secret little back roads to head into Tennessee. Climbing, dipping and carving through the hillsides, George convinced me this road was so good I had to add it to my Hot Springs map. I suppose he’s right, I’ll revisit that map and beef it up with a few more of roads I’d kept to myself up until now.

From Rocky Fork, Tennessee, we turned south to return to North Carolina and lunch called for a stop in Mars Hill. We landed at the El Dorado Latin Grill to satisfy my craving for a Cuban sandwich, though George’s chicken thighs with blueberry chipoltle sauce was the special of the day and he reported it was excellent.

I-26 filled the short gap between Mars Hill and Weaverville where George had stayed with relatives. I wanted to show him a good road right in town then get up on the Blue Ridge Parkway to give him the full monty on our one day tour. You can tell leaf peeping season is upon us as soon as you hit the parkway.

We plodded along through the boring section of the Blue Ridge Parkway that encircles Asheville. The road declines from the higher mountains north to reach a low point south of the city as it fords the French Broad River on an elevated causeway. From there it becomes far more interesting as you climb to it’s highest and most scenic section. As we gained altitude the turning of the leaves played out in colorful splendor.

If you know just where to look, you can get an awesome view of the Biltmore Mansion sitting castle-like amongst the surrounding forests, though I didn’t stop to share the view. We passed through tunnel after tunnel each time bursting out into the bright sunlight and just a little more color on the trees as we climbed higher and higher to reach Mt. Pisgah. I paused at selected overlooks to enjoy the panoramic views which stretched far into the hills of South Carolina and Great Smokey Mountains National Park to the north. The Pisgah Inn, Graveyard Fields, Looking Glass Rock, and The Devil’s Courthouse all had full parking areas as we stopped to enjoy them. Already at the higher elevations the peak of the color may have passed. Graveyard fields was a spectacular red and brown, though looking down on the ridges below showed much of the seasonal rainbow was yet to appear in the forests. Only the tips of the ridges had been touched by the paint brush of autumn and plenty of yet green leaves wait for their final curtain call.

Completing our loop we left the parkway at NC 215 wanting to share my wife’s favorite local road with my good friend and rolled through the never-ending curves of color that led us back to Waynesville and then my home. Jackie was home from work and we enjoyed the premier local past time of sitting on the porch reveling in a good days travels and the tales that go with them.

As he prepared to leave George thanked me for the days tour. “You know, the Blue Ridge Parkway was really nice, I’ve seen it before from a car and it’s a whole new experience on a motorcycle. But those little back roads you took me on were what really made the day, I’ve never done anything like that, it was the best experience I’ve ever had on a motorcycle, I enjoyed them more than anything else.”

Safe travels George. Good to see you again and even better to spend a day riding with you. You know we’ve always got a room ready for you when you get the chance to come back.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com

You Never Know Until You Ride It

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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.
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.

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.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com

New Map – North Carolina / Viginia Border Rides

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It’s finally ready! Thousands of miles of road work, hundreds of hours, the first of the Virginia series of maps, North Carolina / Virginia Border Rides is now completed.

It’s been a long journey to reach this point. I never expected to be including so much of North Carolina in this map, but that’s the way the mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway run. As you approach the border between the states, the mountains make a lateral jog east-west before resuming their regular diagonal parallel to the coastline.

The Appalachians are comprised of more than a dozen different mountain ranges. While the tallest ones to the south start to play out here, those more west begin to grow. What this area lacks in height, it makes up for in breadth. The steepest flanks are along the eastern edge descending from the highest ridges towards North Carolina. The west is characterized more by rolling hills, sometimes quite impressive, but lacking the grandeur of the regions south.

The cities, all of them relatively small, and the towns, lie in the valleys between the mountains. Most of the major roads run though these valleys connecting the towns. Roads perpendicular to these vallies traverse gaps in the ridge lines. It’s a hilly and rolling country regardless, much of it rural and pastoral, and you will be rewarded with views of the extensive ranges of low mountains from almost every high vantage point.

Most notable to me was the large number of roads that are found here. I suspect this is due to the fact the mountains are not as high as to the south, so there are less impediments to travelling through them. Where dramatic rock outcroppings erupt, state parks sequester the areas for all to enjoy and preserve.

The other thing I enjoyed was discovering some of the hidden historic sights on many of the rides. More accessible, this area was probably settled much earlier than the higher areas of North Carolina. I came across old abandoned mills, country stores, barns, farms, and other relics that tell of a historical past worth delving in to and I took more than a few photos for my collection.

I must confess, this central portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway tends to lull me to sleep. Urban encroachment is far more evident, and challenging sections of roadway give way to gently rocking, almost monotonous curves. There are points of historic interest, but I suspect many just motor through seeking the more dramatic views to the north and south. This map reveals there is far more here than meets the eye.

Check out the new map, North Carolina / Virginia Border Rides here.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com

Update on the Blue Ridge Parkway Repairs

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Photo – Waiting to pass a construction zone

Somehow I must have set the GPS to “find the most traffic” and it was working fabulously. I suppose everyone else had done the same as I hit one logjam after another on my way home from Virginia earlier this week. Still, as I left Banner Elk, I though it might be a while before I passed this way again and I was curious to see how the construction on the Blue Ridge Parkway was progressing.

I’d already bypassed the detour near Boone and Blowing Rock. No need to visit that section anyway. They are replacing a section of roadbed and there’s no way to get a close look at what’s going on, nor did I want to take the time to ride up and see how the bridge work was coming to the north. The big project however was more or less on my route home – at least it was now. Anything to get off the clogged roads and unwind.

The section I was interested in lies between Mt. Mitchell State Park and Asheville. This section of the parkway was closed all of last year when a piece slid off the mountainside. That portion has been rebuilt and the project has now shifted to repairing the adjacent areas of road which had deteriorated badly. Layers of pavement had peeled away like old paint and there were some areas where small sinkholes had left huge dips in the roadway. Honestly, it was getting pretty rough and it’s nice to see it receiving the attention it needs.

I was initially under the impression the job was mostly just resurfacing. This visit revealed there are many areas where the entire roadbed is being rebuilt. It’s being done in a piecemeal fashion, probably the worst sections getting attention first. Cruising down the southbound lane, the worst of the two, I was pleased to hit gloriously smooth portions that had already been repaired. These would be followed by others which had yet to see attention and still more which would probably not require much of anything. Sporadically, I came to construction areas, most of which were flanked by idled equipment this late into the evening. A few of the overlooks had been resurfaced along the drive.

It was pretty easy going until I passed Craggy Gardens. The last of the crews was still going full steam on a good sized section of road and I found myself pulling up to a line of stopped traffic waiting for the pilot vehicle to take them through the single open lane. It was just a few minutes until it came by with a long line of cars in tow. I waited my turn then fell into the queue behind our chaperon. As we passed, the opposite lane was being filled with fresh subsoil as the road was rebuilt from the very base. Work this extensive should endure. I doubt this will be anywhere close to finished until next spring season.

I left the Parkway near Asheville only to get caught up in another traffic jam on the south side of the city. Didn’t matter much anymore. I’d been on the bike since 4 AM and I could see the familiar mountains of home on the horizon. I’d get there soon enough.

Found Some New Maps – Why Mine Are Better!

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We celebrated my wife’s birthday last night with dinner at the Pisgah Inn a few miles south of Asheville, NC., up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I know better than to reveal the details of which birthday this was, but I will disclose the meal was excellent, as good as the views from 5000 feet.

As we were leaving, I ducked into the gift shop and spied a series of maps I didn’t have. I use every possible resource when planning my routes, so I shelled out $10 each plus tax for 3 maps which covered the Blue Ridge Parkway and the areas surrounding it. These are nice maps, but I wondered, were they better than mine? Had I been outclassed by the competition? I think not.

These probably wont end up in my saddlebags. The fact that that’s where I’d choose to keep them is the first problem. They are just plain too big to toss in a pocket, too bulky. On looking at them I feel compelled to lay them out on a table. That’s hardly useful on the road. It’s hell if there’s a breeze. You could fit two or three of my maps in your pocket. A map in the saddlebag is a pain in the ass. You’ve got to stop, get off the bike, open the saddle bag, fish around to find it, unfold it, figure out which side of the map you’re supposed to be studying, find where you are, refold it, put it back in the saddlebag, yadda, yadda. I’ll take a manageable pocket map, thank you.

They are pretty maps to look at with all the topographic relief and subtle shading of greens and blues and browns. The major roads and highways are fairly easy to identify, though these are the roads I avoid. There’s little enjoyment in cruising down the Interstate or traversing the great four lane highways. Those little back roads that hold all the hidden secrets and great riding are just thin black lines lost in the shading and relief that adds to the artistic composition of the overall product. Like any great work of art, the devil is in the details and you really need to make the effort to pull it out. That’s not very useful on the road.

Still, if you spend the time studying it, you can pull out the back roads. But which ones are the good ones? Which ones should I link together to get from A to B? There are lots of squiggly lines on the map if you search for them. On my maps, the great rides stand out. Take this one, which leads to that one, and then follow this next one to get to where you’re going enjoying the best of them along the way. My maps tell you it’s 6.5 miles to the next road, it will take 19 minutes or so to do the ride, then 14.3 miles and 26 minutes on the next leg. You’ll know when you’ll be arriving at the restaurant I recommended on the map or pulling into the town where you plan to spend the night or arriving at the park or scenic overlook that’s worth your time to stop and see.

The most important info though, is something I strive to include on all my maps. Where are those out of the way gas stations? Let’s face it, some of you are looking at the big “E” after just a hundred miles or so. You could plan your rides hopping from town to town, any town of size has a gas station. Me, I prefer to just keep on rolling, avoiding the traffic lights, congestion, and speed traps that come with towns. You’d be a lot more adventurous if you didn’t have to worry about the dwindling petrol in your tank and have a lot more fun. I make sure to identify those backwoods oasis’s that keep you motoring along as well as those which flank the Blue Ridge Parkway and free you from that long fuel hose that tethers you to the main roads.

I bought some nice maps, a little better than the free versions you can pick up along the Blue Ridge Parkway or download from the Internet. These however, will go into the reference file with many, many others. I’ll pull them out to confirm locations of various points of interest and such. As a fellow cartographer, I can appreciate the effort. Yet when I head out, it will be my maps which I slip into a pocket, not a saddlebag, and whip out at a stop sign or overlook to go tearing off down some great ride through the mountains. I see things differently from a saddle with two wheels beneath me. I’m looking both for something more and something less. Just give me what I need, save the fluff for the cagers. I’ll be using America Rides Maps.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

>> Go To America Rides Maps.com – http://americaridesmaps.com

Progress On The Virginia Maps

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Image – The work in progress

I’ve got the basic layout done on the first of at least three Virginia maps. At this point I’m only going as far north as the Blue Ridge Parkway. Even so, I’m discovering a wealth of great roads, far more than I expected.

One of the greatest challenges has been to reset my criteria for selecting and choosing which roads will be featured on the map as the best rides. The terrain changes as you move from North Carolina into southern Virginia. You leave the 6000 ft. peaks behind and enter the rolling hill country. There are still some dramatic overlooks and long range views, those always make the grade. Without huge mountain ranges to block passage, there are more roads to choose from.

Traffic load is always a factor. I’ve ruled out several squiggly lines on the map simply because I’ve yet to experience them without getting stuck behind commercial traffic or some doddering old codger creeping around the curves. While these are pretty roads to look at on a map, they are the only connection between towns so they get heavy use. It’s easy to eliminate them.

Others are nice rides once you’re out in the country until you approach the major towns. US 221 has portions I really like, but once you get in and around Galax it goes down the tubes. Routing around Galax has been a challenge. Roads like these will probably end up being labeled in blue instead of red – good connectors if needed, but not outstanding rides.

The other frustration has been the lack of progress north. This map still contains a good portion of North Carolina due to the way the mountains run and thusly the Blue Ridge Parkway. I failed to recognize previously how much of the parkway follows along the border in this region. Still, the discovery of some really great roads makes up for it.

I’ll spend the day working in the details, the road labels, gas stations, direction arrows, place names, and points of interest. Over the next several days I’ll lay out the route for what I hope will be the last visit to complete this map. It’s obvious I have a lot of area to cover both revisiting previous discoveries and exploring the few new roads I’ve identified as likely prospects. The challenge will be to try to do it in one day to keep down costs, though that is looking less and less likely. All it takes is one serendipitous discovery, something unplanned, a road which turns to gravel unexpectedly and slows progress to throw off the whole schedule. Still, those unplanned side trips revealed some fabulous rides on this last trip and are worth the effort.

I have come to realize one thing. All the planning must be done ahead of time. I’m typically on the road before 8 AM and don’t roll into the motel until after 9 PM. I find I’m so exhausted I have no energy to revise or create new plans. It’s all about the planning.

I’m looking forward to completing this map and moving on to the next. It will be centered on Roanoke, VA., and I expect the terrain will change again as I move north from the city. There are hints of some great roads close in, just as I found around Asheville, NC. No way to tell until I ride them. It’s also a section of the parkway I haven’t visited for some time. It will all be fresh and full of exciting new discoveries. If there are half as many good roads as I’ve found to the south, it will take more than one good trip.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

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