My Quick Visit to Paris – A City Full of Motorcycles

Obligatory Eiffel Tower Photo

Obligatory Eiffel Tower Photo

I was gone all last week. To celebrate one of my wife’s milestone birthdays I gave her the gift of a trip to Paris. Her birthday was in August. As she’d recently started new employment, we delayed leaving until she had some time at the job accumulated.

We flew into London, then took the high speed rail Eurostar train beneath the English channel crossing the rolling farmlands of France into the heart of the city of lights.

* This blog is supposed to have at least some relationship to motorcycling, – don’t worry I’m getting there.

We spent 3 days in the heart of the city. We had no set plan or itinerary. Each day we woke up, enjoyed a wonderful european breakfast spread, and walked out the door of our hotel. Afterwards the day just happened.

So what has Paris got to do with motorcycling? Apparently a lot! The city is awash in all sorts of 2 wheeled travel.

Photo - motorcycles in Paris

Paris is abuzz with motorcycle traffic. It may be one of the best ways to get around.

Photo - Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe

When you ride a motorcycle, you’re more aware of them. You have a deeper appreciation and your eye is drawn to anything with two wheels. Walking the streets of Paris you can’t help but be impressed with how many motorcycles tangle with the chaotic flow of city traffic.

At first take it appears the vulnerability of being on a motorcycle would make riding in this turmoil more risk than it’s worth. Streets are narrow, lined with cars, I don’t think they even bother with posting speed limit signs – it would be futile in any case.

Photos - motorcycles at night in Paris

Night, day, it doesn't make much difference. When a light turns red, the motorcycles filter to the front.

Photo-Wayne-in-Paris

French food deserves its reputation.

The more I watched, the more I became convinced a motorcycle was the ideal means to take advantage of the opportunities the traffic held. Rapid acceleration, quick handling, and the capability to squeeze through most any gap make tackling the Paris traffic on a motorcycle look like a video game. It think it might be fun in some strange way.

Mopeds, Vespas, and scooters, you might expect.  They do make up a decent fraction of the two-wheeled traffic, but are not the bulk of it. There are bikes of all makes and sizes. I was surprised so many dual-sport bikes were present. A good number of big bikes, particularly BMWs, were fairly common. Most of the sport bikes I saw were moving. I even saw several Harley-Davidsons.

Photo - Motorcycle Champs Elysees

The Setting - the Champs Elyees. Arc de Triomphe in background. Motorcycle passenger on white Goldwing. White helmet. White fur coat. Motorcycling is not done exclusively for economic reasons.

Image-Mona-Lisa

Mona Lisa at Louvre

What a contrast to what I’m familiar with. It’s a whole different environment. Urban vs. rural. It’s almost a combat environment when it comes to driving.  Still, it wasn’t long before I was wishing I had access to a bike. Heck, I’ll give it a try. I’m confident I’ll survive.

It turns out Paris is a pretty easy place to be when you’re off the motorcycle. We walked a lot. We also took the Metro. We managed to do the whirlwind tour hitting many of the tourist spots without even trying. As expected, you can get by without knowing much french. Another day to explore more would have been nice. I think saying that is a sign of a successful vacation.

photo - motorcycle parked along a Paris Street

An assortment of motorcycles crowds any small open street corner. Parking is a treasured commodity.

Photo - Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower viewed from atop the Arc D Triomphe

One day I’m going to make that motorcycle trip across Europe searching for the best rides. I’m convinced the Appalachian Mountains of the US have more to offer the motorcycle adventure tourer than all the Alps of Europe. This trip gives me more confidence about passing through the city of Paris on that future journey, though I’m not sure it will be needed. I may stay further south. It’s good to know I will enjoy revisiting Paris if needed. I may just make a detour.

The short vacation was a nice break from America Rides Maps. With Christmas coming orders pick up, then really start to grow once the new year comes. I’m playing the weather day by day, choosing the best days to get out. I need three good days out on the road to finish up the Hot Springs map revision. With luck, I’ll have the companion map done by the start of the new year.

The break did us both good. Now it’s back to work.

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Wayne Busch
Wayne Busch – Cartographer
– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com 

Photos From Another Great Smoky Mountain Motorcycle Riding Day

Photo - 15 mph road sign

15 MPH NEXT 6 MILES - You've probably discovered a good ride when you see signs like this.

So I’m wrapping up this new motorcycle ride map which covers best motorcycle rides in the eastern half of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and I’m finally to the “get out and ride” stage. Most of the really tedious work is done, the stuff that keeps me in front of the computer. Today I took the afternoon to go out and ride some of the closer roads and it was superb.

When I do a map revision, I typically re-ride almost all the roads from the existing map to re-familiarize myself with them.  I think it’s the best way to judge newly discovered roads against the others I already know by making a fresh comparison. As some of my maps now have more than 50 featured roads I’ve got a lot of miles to cover. Sometimes a road I once considered top-notch pales a bit when new and better ones are discovered. When I do find a new road, I then seek out the best routes to connect them all together. All-in-all it adds up to a lot of mileage.

With a good frost this morning and temperatures that never creeped out of the 40’s, I saw only a few other motorcycles out on the road.  It was warm enough to leave the heated gear on the coat rack. Mid-week traffic was light and it was a great day to be out on the bike. Recent rains had helped clear the roads of the de-icing coating and gravel that had been laid down during the last cold snap.

Photo - Mountain view from one of the roads

I snapped this photo atop the climb one of the great new roads made over a mountain. Views are sometimes better once the leaves are off the trees.

As is usual only a few of the new roads were really good rides though the two I found were so outstanding either would have made for a successful day. I routed my commute between them to include NC 215 so I could shoot some more video along the way for the upcoming production. Damn, that road is fun now that the south end has been repaved. The fresh asphalt has been exposed long enough that the oily surface has aged and the grip on the baby bottom smooth tarmac is outstanding. It’s a Jeckyl and Hyde experience though – as soon as you pass under the Blue Ridge Parkway the new pavement ends and the road quality becomes dangerous in places. Be on your toes where they started patching and paving the north side. I wonder if it didn’t get compacted enough as the gravel in the asphalt is loose. It’s really hard to see how bad it is until you’re in it and by then you’re slipping and sliding just as you enter the hairpin curves.

Photo - NC 215 winter view

Winter riding has it's own beauty - I enjoy the contrast to summers lush growth. This is NC 215 south of the parkway, one of the better sections.

The first road I added was one surprisingly close to home – Crabtree Mountain Road. The last time I explored it there was a long section that wasn’t paved. That’s not unusual in the mountains. The easy sections along the valley floors get paved. The steep sections that climb up and over the mountain passes don’t as it requires so much effort and expense to prepare and then maintain a decent roadbed in the steep and rocky terrain.

Photo - View from Crabtree Mountain Rd

Outstanding views from atop the pass on Crabtree Mountain Road. The smoke plume from paper mill in Canton is easy to spot

Crabtree Mountain Road connects NC 209 (now known as “The Rattler” video here) to NC 215 at the town of Canton. It not only makes a connection between two already great rides, but is a great motorcycle ride on it’s own merits. The scenery in the valley is picturesque as the road winds along with the course of a stream through a collection of nice curves, then darts south to start the steep climb over a high pass. Two of the photos included were from the high point on the road. It then plunges down the mountainside through a series of hairpin turns and switchbacks before it runs into Thickety Road and connects to NC 215 near I-40. Watch for gravel near the top of the pass, but otherwise the road is in good condition and a nice ride.

Photo - Silversteen Road

High quality pavement on Silversteen Road gives you the confidence to exploit the unending series of curves.

The second road I added was near Lake Toxaway and I suspect it may become one of my new favorites. Silversteen Road connects the fabulous riding on NC 281 to one of the twistiest sections of US 64. This road had me thinking of The Dragon at Deals Gap. Though a third shorter than the Dragon at at 8.1 miles in length, the tight curves are relentless throughout the ride. Also, like the Dragon, while it doesn’t offer much in the way of scenery, you’re too engaged in just maintaining control to let your eyes wander to the horizon. It’s easy to find from NC 281 as it intersects on a hairpin curve, and the southern end at at US 64 is marked by a gas station.

Progress is going to have to wait a week as I’m taking a short vacation. I be back in the saddle after Thanksgiving. I posted some of the video I shot today at my Youtube Channel – http://youtube.com/americaridesmaps. Until then, enjoy the ride.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1HbSTAk7C4

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Wayne Busch
Wayne Busch – Cartographer
– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com 

 

Rain Welcome Following Nice Motorcycle Riding in the Smoky Mountains

You’ve got to appreciate the great weather we had this past week in the Smoky Mountains. It was a good time to be out motorcycle riding and most riders seem to have taken advantage of the opportunity. I’m not complaining now that a couple days of rain have moved in.

Photo - clouds in the Smokies

When the clear blue skies went to cloudy Sunday morning, it was the end to a really nice spell of weather.

It’s was hard to spend time in the office while the sky was so blue, the sun was shining, and the air warm and still. I managed to squeeze in a few days of motorcycle riding including some time up on the Blue Ridge Parkway . With this rain, maybe I’ll get a little more work done now that I’m not so often glancing out the window and stepping outside to insure the motorcycle is still ready and waiting. A few good days of inside work should do it.

Photo - Canada Geese

A still warm morning at Lake Junaluska soon clouded up and now is nothing but wet and gray today.

Here’s a couple photos from this weekend that I’ll be looking at over the next week to remind me of those good times, and inspire me to get the business done so I can get out and enjoy some more. Hope you like.

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Wayne Busch
Wayne Busch – Cartographer
– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com 

 

Motorcycles Flock to Blue Ridge Parkway with Warm Fall Weather

The weather in the Smoky Mountains lately has been stellar. While there may be a nip of frost in the mornings, by the afternoon the temps are in the high 60’s, the wind is still and dry, and the summer haze that gives the Smokies their name has taken a holiday. It’s been hard not to get out and ride your motorcycle.

Photo - November view from the Blue Ridge Parkway

This is what the views from the Blue Ridge Parkway look like in mid-November. While almost all the leaves are down, it's still inspiring. Look close (click the picture for a larger view) and you can see the Parkway.

Jackie is in off the road for the weekend (like me, she travels with her work), and with the afternoon free we hopped on the bikes for a “La La” ride. In other words, no agenda, just cruising along, enjoying the  scenery, going wherever the whim takes you, “La la la”. You shouldn’t be surprised we ended up spending a little time on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s the epitome of “la la” rides.

Photo - November view from the Blue Ridge Parkway

Cool and clear weather makes for great long range views. The feature in the center of the photo is Looking Glass Rock. The mountains on the horizon are in South Carolina and Georgia. Summer haze and green leaves hide so much which winter reveals.

I’m often surprised by the number of motorcycles on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but I didn’t expect to see so many today this late in the season. While I didn’t do an official count, I can confidently say motorcycles outnumbered cars while we were there.  We stopped at a couple overlooks and talked with a few people from Florida and South Carolina who had come north to enjoy the views.

Photo - Looking at a map on the Blue Ridge Parkway

These guys from Florida really needed the help. The map they had was of such a large scale it didn't show many of the local roads. I hope the maps I gave them made the rest of their afternoon enjoyable.

I can’t help myself when I come across motorcyclists looking at a map, it’s the cartographers curse. We ended up spending almost half an hour at one overlook talking with other motorcyclists who pulled in, suggesting alternative rides, and handing out old versions of my maps. I usually carry an assortment in my bag to give away as promotional material and I parted with a bunch this afternoon.

Photo - Devils Courthouse

Jackie pauses to admire the view of Devil's Courthouse on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I shot a little video on the ride home to use later. It looks like our winter video ride project will be NC 215. It’s not only close to home so I can get a good collection of shots to choose from, but amongst locals it’s the most favorite ride and one you should know about.

Just because winter is coming it doesn’t mean an end to riding in the Smoky Mountains and it appears as many as possible are making the best of what warm weather remains.

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Wayne Busch
Wayne Busch – Cartographer
– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com 

Did Blind Kenny See Your Motorcycle on the Diamondback?

Blind Kenny is the official Diamondback and Diamondback Loop photographers. The powersports photography business is owned and operated by Ken and Donna Behm of Marion, NC.

Photo by Blind Kenny

Photo by Blind Kenny - Cruiser on The Diamondback - www.BlindKenny.com

Blind Kenny photographs motorcycle riders and sportscar drivers out enjoying the ride on 226A and NC 80.  Their photography captures a unique moment in time from a perspective most riders and drivers never get to see – themselves and their machines performing as a unit and having fun.

Photo by Blind Kenny

Photo by Blind Kenny - Sport Bike on The Diamondback - www.blindkenny.com

You’ll usually find Blind Kenny‘s yellow and black signs on the road one half mile south of Wildacres Retreat on The Diamondback and a mile south of Buck Creek Gap on NC 80.  On warmer days in late winter/early spring, they’re’ out rain or shine from about 9:00 AM until dark and after.  Even when the forecast is for showers, they’ll be under the black and white checkered canopy taking pictures!

Photo by Blind Kenny

Photo by Blind Kenny - A Sports/Touring Bike on The Diamondback - www.BlindKenny.com

When you get back from your ride, go to www.BlindKenny.com to find and purchase your photos.  It may take up to 5 days before the photos are proofed and available, so send them an email and they’ll alert you when they’re ready.  If you contact them in advance, they’ll look for you out on the road.

Image - Blind Kenny Logo

www.BlindKenny.com

Blind Kenny offers all standard print sizes, gift items including gift cards, and high resolution digital downloads at very reasonable prices. Unique multiple shots posters are coming soon.

Blind Kenny – powersports photography

Diamondback and Diamondback Loop

America Rides Maps – Get the most up to date ride maps of the Diamondback

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Wayne Busch
Wayne Busch – Cartographer
– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com 

1st Snow – Not the End of Motorcycle Season In the Blue Ridge

Here’s a couple photos I snapped this morning on my post office run in Waynesville, NC. We’ve had the first real snowfall of the winter season, though you’d better enjoy these pictures now – it will all be gone tomorrow and temps will be near 70 early in the week. It’s hardly an end to motorcycle riding season in the Smoky Mountains.

Photo - 1st snow in Waynesville

The first snow storm always causes excitement. Most of this white stuff will be gone by this afternoon.

It’s the extremes that get all the publicity and it may give the false impression the winters are harsh and enduring here in the Smokies. Temperatures fluctuate throughout the season with alternating cold and warm spells. By the middle of the week, temps will be near 70 again and this will all be forgotten. Halfway between the balmy south and the frigid north, the blue ridge mountains live in the in-between zone. Sometimes the northern weather drifts south, but it soon gets pushed back by the warm winds from the south.

Photo - 1st Snow in Waynesville, NC

Most of this will be gone by this afternoon and the warm weather will return early in the week.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is closed of course, but that’s no real handicap to finding places to ride. With the leaves off the trees it’s a whole different world and you see the things that are hidden during the summer months. Even during February and March you can find those days warm enough to get out and enjoy a nice spin on the motorcycle. So enjoy these snow photos now. In a few days it will be forgotten.

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Wayne Busch
Wayne Busch – Cartographer
– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com 

Sights From the Motorcycle Road – Penland Post Office

Yesterday’s explorations north of Asheville brought me back to many familiar roads, several good new ones, and far too many unpaved and unsuitable trails that had to be investigated regardless. With leaf season past its peak thanks to some windy storms, I followed the Blue Ridge Parkway north and paused along the way to see what remains. There’s still some good color down low, but it’s mostly yellows, browns, and gold that hold fast to the branches for another week or so.

Photo - view from the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Black Mountains viewed from the Blue Ridge Parkway between Crabtree Falls and Little Switzerland. Still some leaves giving a last show of color.

Northeast of Spruce Pine, NC, an excellent motorcycle ride can be enjoyed on Penland Road. It diagonals between the the too heavily trafficked US 226 and US19E and is a welcome relief from the four lane bustle. Near the midpoint sits the tiny hamlet of Penland and the ancient Penland Post Office.

Photo - Penland Post Office

The flag was the giveaway the Penland Post Office was still in business. I've passed by many times, today I stopped to visit.

I’d passed by it many times, noting it’s location, but never paying it much attention as it appeared to be abandoned. Yesterday, seeking a spot to stop and consult my map, I found it’s very much alive and functional despite its antique appearance.

Photo - Penland Post Office

A place preserved in time, I had wondered if the Penland Post Office was just another abandoned relic of the past. Hardly the case.

The female postmaster seemed to welcome the intrusion of me poking about, snapping a few photos, and inquiring about the location. She tells it’s slated for restoration thanks to the efforts of the nearby Penland School of Crafts.

Photo - Penland Post Office

I suspect many of these boxes are tended only by ghosts, though it's hardly an isolated area. Generations have lived back in these mountains and continue to do so.

Discovering sights like these is one of the best reasons to get off the Blue Ridge Parkway and explore the wealth of back roads that weave throughout the Smoky Mountains. Were I to photograph and visit all of them I’d get little mapping done. Trust me, there are plenty more awaiting your discovery and the roads and motorcycle rides that lead to them are what keep me going.

Photo - Penland Post Office

While I did see a computer in the back room, I suspect this typewriter and brass scale got just as much use.

The Blue Ridge Parkway projects an image of isolated mountain wilderness that doesn’t truly reflect just how many people have lived adjacent to it since times before there were cars and motorcycles. Think about it – something like popular Mabry Mill on the parkway could never have existed were there not a community that needed and supported it. Many of those communities persist and the roads which connect to and lie nearby the Blue Ridge Parkway are the gateways to discovering them. Discover America Rides Maps and find this wealth of hidden treasures.

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Wayne Busch
Wayne Busch – Cartographer
– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com

Fall leaves – Photos from The Snake Motorcycle Ride

With such a beautiful day I was itching for an excuse to get out of the office, onto my motorcycle, and enjoy it when an email came in from David at the Shady Valley Country Store at The Snake Motorcycle Ride in Tennessee. He needed to be restocked on maps, and I was curious about a recommended road in the area – Denton Valley Road. Thats all it took.

Photo - Fall leaves on the Snake - US 421

The were some nice spots of fall color on US 421 a.k.a. "The Snake" yesterday. I was delivering a load of maps to the Shady Valley Country Store.

The big question was “How to get there?” Normally I’d take the Blue Ridge Parkway north to Linville, then jump on the back roads to skirt around the traffic in Boone. Knowing the Blue Ridge Parkway would be heavy with leaf peeping traffic, I considered going east to take the most common routes, but I also knew US 321 would be clogged with traffic and I’d get held up going through Boone. That left a western approach, so I went to Asheville, then up I-26 to US 19E from which I could jump on the back roads once I neared Elk Park. Looking back, I should have just followed the back roads all the way. I got held up in the construction on US 19E and could probably have made the trip in the same amount of time and had a lot more fun. Time was an issue as it was after noon before I left the house.

Photo - Fall leaves on The Snake - US 421

I snapped this photo just before I started down Denton Valley Road from US 421. The sun hit just right, the colors are real, not enhanced. I tried to tone them down, but decided to go with what the camera captured.

It was nearing 4 PM when I concluded my business at the Shady Valley Country Store and continued west on US 421 enjoying the twists and curves of The Snake to reach Denton Valley Road. It was a decent ride, though I hadn’t researched it well enough and ended up spending the next hour and a half exploring it and the roads which connect to it to determine the best and most natural routes. I rolled into Bristol, Virginia, around 6 to refuel and resigned to taking the Interstates back home as it was the most efficient course. It’s not the first time I’ve made that trip in the dark, and unprepared to be out so late I once again suffered the chills of going through the high pass on I-26 at Buckner Gap at night – it ‘s always cold there.

I pulled into the driveway at 8PM, shivering but happy after a decent 350 miles and a collection of new roads to add to America Rides Maps collection.

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Wayne Busch
Wayne Busch – Cartographer
– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com

Photos – Blue Ridge Parkway Leaves and Motorcycles – 10/14/10

Photo - fall colors at Soco Gap

View heading down from the Blue Ridge Parkway at Soco Gap on US 19 towards Maggie Valley. The hills are really lighting up now.

The weatherman paid me back for that prior post by starting this “sunny day” with fog, clouds, and rain. I stand by what I said – never believe what’s forecasted. It’s OK, the day was shot anyway as I waited for a mid-day phone call that never came. I used the office time to get caught up.

Photo - leaves changing at Soco Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway

I snapped this photo at the exit ramp at Soco Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I only spent a few minutes driving around admiring the leaves. Great colors are almost everywhere.

The rain gave way to bright sunshine and cool breezy weather after lunch. I finally grew weary of working on the updates to the Best Rides North and South of Asheville map and had to get out of the office. Joanne at the Mountaineer Restaurant on US 19 just down from the Soco Gap exit on the Blue Ridge Parkway needed a restock of maps, and I knew there was always great color at the Mountaineer Restaurant, so I grabbed the camera and headed over there this afternoon.

Photo from Thunderstruck Ridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway

A view from the Thunderstruck Ridge overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is where the photos of me in the Road Bike Magazine article were taken.

The photos I took at the Mountaineer Restaurant didn’t come out. Ever since I submerged my bike and camera in a river while exploring for the Best Motorcycle Rides in the Mountains of North Georgia, the camera has been temperamental and unreliable. I’m shopping for a new one.

Photo - leaves changing on the Blue Ridge Parkway

I brought the video camera along, but it was a little hazy for the long range shots I wanted. If the force is with me, tomorrow I'll get out with the bike mounted camera and get some of these great views to share. There are tunnels of color.

I don’t know what’s going on with the leaves in other places, I haven’t really been out for a few days. I hope to do some riding tomorrow to give you a more accurate report, at least of the local area. I suspect most of the leaves and color are gone from the highest elevations, above 5500 feet. We should get a cold snap tonight, maybe a little frost in the morning. That will really make the leaves pop – right on schedule.

View of leaves changing at the Plott-Balsam overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

There were a lot of motorcycles on the Blue Ridge Parkway. My quirky camera only gave me this one shot near the Plott-Balsam Mountains overlook. I'm almost desperate enough to go out a buy a new camera in the morning.

I only spent a few minutes out of my day to take these photos. We’ll see what tomorrow brings, I’d like to get out and ride. Virtual Blue Ridge , the best resource for Blue Ridge Parkway info, has a new leaf report posted here.

http://www.virtualblueridge.com/color-reports/ 

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Wayne Busch
Wayne Busch – Cartographer
– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com

 

Jay Leno Recommends Visiting Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum in Maggie Valley, NC

 

Photo - Jay Leno at Event

Jay Leno at Pebble Beach Event

See the interview at Jay Leno’s Garage, here.

In mid-August 2010, Wheels Through Time Museum Curator and Founder, Dale Walksler, was bestowed the honor of displaying two rare American racing motorcycles from the museum collection at the famed Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, California.  Regarded as the world’s premier gathering of automotive history, the sixty year-old invitation-only event annually brings together several hundred of the rarest and most desirable vehicles ever produced for a one-day spectacle that attracts tens of thousands of fans and spectators from around the globe.

2010 marked the second year in which motorcycles were displayed, with a total of twelve two-wheel machines gracing what is often referred to as the best finishing hole in golf — Pebble Beach’s 18th Fairway.   When the judging was complete, Walksler and both museum machines in attendance came away with two out of three of the shows top honors — the rare 1909 Reading Standard placing second, and the one-of-a-kind 1929 Harley-Davidson DAR placing third.

While at the Concours, both Walksler and the two Wheels Through Time motorcycles garnered particular attention from fans and specators alike, including one of the most famed celebrities in show business, Jay Leno.  During the show, the avid car and motorcycle enthusiast, and host of NBC’s Tonight Show, conducted an in-depth, six-minute interview with Walksler highlighting both the prestige and excellence of those machines lucky enough to be invited to the once-a-year gathering.

During the interview, which was recently released on the “Jay Leno’s Garage” website, a subsidiary of NBC’s Tonight Show, Walksler and Leno discuss one of the award winning machines from Wheels Through Time — the 1929 Harley-Davidson DAR board track racer — addressing both its rarity and significance in the history of American motorcycling, and how it holds a special place in the museum’s collection of over 300 of our country’s most historic two-wheelers.  Walksler shares the intimate details of how the machine was found after sitting idle for over 70 years, and the process in which it was brought back to its former, ear-splitting glory.

Photo - Jay Leno and Dale Walksler from Wheel Through Time Motorcycle Museum in Maggie Valley

Jay Leno and Dale Walksler from Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum in Maggie Valley, NC

Jay also offers high praise for the Wheels Through Time Museum itself during the segment, citing it as one of the best museum’s in North America.  During the interview Walksler and Leno share the origins of the museum — a dream of Walkslers since he began collecting over 40 years ago — and the museum’s focus on rare, all-American motorcycles, particularly those with great stories and exceptional pasts.

“Having the opportunity to display two machines at Pebble Beach is an outstanding honor for myself and the entire museum staff,” said Walksler.  “We’re so proud to share these machines with the rest of the automotive and motorcycle world, and Jay has played a big part in sharing them with a wider audiencethan ever before.”  During the segment, Leno even addressed his hopes of coming to shoot another piece at the museum in the future.

The interview can be seen on the Jay Leno’s Garage website, located at www.JayLenosGarage.com, accessed by visiting the videos page and clicking on the “motorcycles” link on the left side of the page.  Titled “Motorcycles of Pebble Beach 2010”, the video also touches on other rare motorcycles featured at the Concours.

For more information about the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Jay Leno’s Garage, or the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, NC, visit www.WheelsThroughTime.com or call (828) 926-6266.

Read the story and see more pictures on the Wheels Through Time website.

Matt Walksler

Wheels Through Time Museum

P.O. 790 / 62 Vintage Lane

Maggie Valley, NC 28751

(828) 926-6266

mattw@wheelsthroughtime.com

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Wayne Busch
Wayne Busch – Cartographer

 

– Wayne Busch lives in Waynesville, NC, where he produces the most detailed and comprehensive and up-to-date motorcycle pocket maps of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains to help you get the most of your vacation experience. See them here – AmericaRidesMaps.com