Road Trip 2010 - 10,000 km of great roads and memories
We couldn't wait to get on the road for our trip down to Nashville. Like the trip to Cleveland the year before, we had planned out all of stops along the way. Pretty excited about this trip. We knew there were going to be great roads and lot of new country. Throw in a Neil Young concert, a HOG rally, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Tail of the Dragon, Washington, DC and more along the way and you can begin to imagine our excitement. Most days were going to be 500 km or less and the trip included three days in both Nashville and Chattanooga for a bit more time to enjoy Tennessee (and the Honky Tonks)
are you ready?
first stop. Rest area along rte 9 just west of Calais, ME
a brief ride through Maryland between Pennsylvannia and Virginia
briefly in West Virginia and then in to Virginia. The travel bureau staff told us we definitely had to take a ride on the Skyline Drive. You have to see the Skyline Drive to believe it. Absolutely fantastic, but we only has time to ride on it from from Front Royal as far as Rte 211 where we headed west thru the Laury Caverns on our way to Harrisonburg for the night.
getting excited about the Skyline Drive
oh yeah........
these roads are awesome!
up on top looking westward. We had hoped to get to Harrisonburg before dark and get there dry as well. Fate would have it that our winding road down into the valley took us right under the thunderheads. We got wet, but we had the rain gear on this time. A well located Country Inn seemed like the right place and the right time for dinner. Needless to say, we got to Harrisonburg well after dark, but we were dry.
The same folks at the travel bureau told us that we absolutely had to ride on the Highland Scenic Highway on our way to Kentucky. John Denver was not kidding when he penned Country Roads, "almost heaven, West Virginia". The Highland Senic Parkway is definitely one of the best rides we have ever been on. This is a scenic highway through the Monongahela National Forest. The mountains, the valleys, the sounds, the smells all combine to make this truely enjoyable.
blue sky, no traffic, turns, hills, puffy clouds
more
more
and more
Get realy Paulette, we're almost in Kentucky...don't miss the sign
ready for Frankfort
no stopping in Kentucky on this trip
mid-Kentucky
crossing into Tennessee, going down interstate 65
first stop after checking in to the hotel. the famous Ryman Auditorium. It's located just around the corner from Tootsy's, a famous Honky Tonk and just up the street from the Bridgestone Arean, home of the Nashville Predators
Front entrance to the Ryman
Birth of Bluegrass
"Ryman Auditorium, a National Historic Landmark and former home of the Grand Ole Opry (1943-1974), continues its more-than-100-year music tradition by offering the best in entertainment. Ryman Auditorium first opened its doors in 1892 as a vision of Captain Thomas G. Ryman. With the coming of the Grand Ole Opry show in 1943, the Ryman found its identity as the Mother Church of Country Music. In 1974, the Opry moved to its current home by the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center and left the Ryman vacant. It was not until twenty years later in 1994 that the Ryman was restored to be the national showplace that it is today. Musicians ranging from Roy Acuff to James Brown and Patsy Cline to Sheryl Crow have performed on the Ryman stage, making it a historical as well as a current-day icon for people everywhere."
Bridgestone Arena
looking up Broadway
looking across the Cumberland River towards LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans. LP field was still covered with water from the severe flooding that occured about amonth before our visit
Country Hall of Fame. Just as nice and as interesting as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This time we lucked in with a special exhibit of Hank Williams and his family
inside Gruhn's Guitars on the corner of 4th Ave N and Broadway. hundreds of guitars. the black Les Paul in the middle is listed at $35,000. Nice 1955 model
looking at the Ryman form the entrance to the Bridgestone Arena
The stained glass windows on the back wall of the Ryman
the back end of Neil's Silver Eagle tour bus parked beside the Ryman back entrance
awesome. got to see the bus in Halifax the year before
we took a tour of the Ryman the afternoon before the show
June and Johhny Cash outfits in a display case in the Ryman
view form the balcony. Neil's gear set up for his solo show
another shot of the Silver Eagle
looking up Broadway again
another must stop, the Loveless Cafe. the best biscuits in the south, and they were. The love their biscuits and sausage gravy here
"Located on Highway 100 in Nashville Tennessee at the Northern Terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway, the Loveless Cafe remains unchanged in the quaint country charm and good cooking that has made it a landmark in the South since its doors opened over half a century ago.
Nationally acclaimed and frequented by celebrities, world travelers and local appetites alike, the Loveless Cafe serves up award-winning country ham and red eye gravy, real Southern-fried chicken, and Nashville's favorite scratch biscuits with homemade preserves cooked right in the kitchen. The Loveless story has been told the world over, from Gourmet Magazine and Bon Appetit to U.S. News and World Report, CBS Television, and People Magazine. Come discover Loveless for yourself, and experience Southern dining and hospitality at their best."
Nashville is known as the Athens of the South. Lots of beautiful buildings and parks all over the city, including the Parthenon in Centennial Park. This is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon, which is an art museum. It was originally built in 1897 and upgraded in 1925-1931. Simply awesome.
We're now in Chattanooga for the opening cerimonies for the state HOG rally. Great opening complete with Miss Tennessee who sang God Bles America and the Stars and Stripes. Beofrehand, the mayor invited all serving and retired military members to come front and centre where they were all honoured by a round of applause
We didn't hang around Chattanooga long, We were up early the next day looking for the Tail of the Dragon. The roads getting there were spectacular, however, we had to find this spot to see what all the fuss was about, 318 curves in 11 miles.
"The Tail of the Dragon, also known as Deals Gap or just the Dragon, is considered by many as one of the world's best motorcycling and sports car roads. Anyone looking for an exciting piece of asphalt will enjoy this stretch of US 129 at the Tennessee/North Carolina state line. Route 66, which gained notoriety because of the popular 1960’s television show, is perhaps the most well known road in America. It stretched thousands of miles from Los Angeles to Chicago, but today only short segments remain. But the Dragon is only 11 miles long and someday might surpass the mystical legends of that famed route."
We'll check out the Resort after we've riding the Tail....
entering the Tail
actually starts in North Carolina and goes into Tennessee
whoa... lots of turns and lots of lean
nothing but curves to the left, curves to the right, up hill, down hill and then do it all over again...
the infamous tree of shame. I'm sure there are lots of HD parts there along with the crotch rocket parts and pieces. traffic was pretty light when we went thru, whihc was about 11:00 on a friday morning. there were lots of bikes however all over the countryside. as mentioned, the Tail is only 11 miles of hundreds of miles of awesome riding. There were 31 Viper's parking in Deals Gap when we arrived. Fortunately, they were parked when we went thru. We heard lots of horror stories on this day, from wrecks that occurred in the past and wrecks that occured that day. Be careful and you'll love this place...
what are you waiting for Paulette, you're buring daylight here...
the freash air makes me sleepy
back in Chattanooga at the rally. I could not believe the bling on this guys bike. It certainly drew a crowd. He's from Kentucky (owner in black leather cap)
I forget how many hundreds of lights he put on it
what can you say?
gotta love his passion
after leaving Chattanooga, we headed south and rode for a bit through the Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia and then crossed back in to North Carolina heading for Asheville, NC
heading for the Blue Ridge Parkway
travel stop along the way
we met these two elderly cuban ladies from Florida who were on a road trip in their Cadillac. Bumped into them a few times at some of the scenic pull overs along the Parkway
a Parkway, not a highway, just awesome
smell the lilacs
a ride in the park
this is mountainous country
a break for lunch atthe Switzerland Cafe and General Store in Little Switzerland, NC.
"located in the heart of downtown Little Switzerland North Carolina at milepost 334 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, across from the post office. Our Cafe offers a casual mountain atmosphere combined with an innovative taste!
Our Little Switzerland North Carolina cafe offers homemade soups, salads, delectable sandwiches, house smoked meats and trout, and of course, our famous desserts."
Our Little Switzerland North Carolina cafe offers homemade soups, salads, delectable sandwiches, house smoked meats and trout, and of course, our famous desserts."
More riding
Linn Cove Viaduct coming up
Linn Cove Viaduct
what a view
back in Virginia with an overnigt stop in Roanoke, VA
on to Washington, DC the next day
a brief stop at Andrews, AFB
heading downtown right beside the Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals (err, Montreal Expos)
traffic is heavy and the temperature is hot. Capitol straight ahead
too much traffic. we're gonna make one pass thru the Mall and head out of town as fast as we can...
that's the White House in the distance. right across from the Washington Moument
crazy place to ride. we got caught up in freeway traffic at rush hour and didn't stop till we got to Dulles. After our plan to stay at Andrews, AFB fell through, we needed to find another spot for the night. We ended up going all the way to Leesburg, VA for the night. The next day brought rain our way, so we only got as far as Harrisburg, PA and got off the road early for some rest and relaxation
the next day included a stop at the Martin guitar factory in Nazareth, PA. We didn't take the factory tour, but did go through the museum. Aweome display of guitars and guitar history.
"For well over a century and a half, The Martin Guitar Company has been continuously producing acoustic instruments that are acknowledged to be the finest in the world.
The Martin Guitar Company has, through the years, managed to survive with each succeeding generation from C. F. Martin, Sr.’s Stauffer influenced creations of the 1830s to recent developments introduced by C. F. Martin IV. Continuous operation under family management is a feat bordering on the remarkable, reflecting six generations of dedication to the guitarmaker’s craft. In or out of the music industry, C. F. Martin has few rivals for sheer staying power.
Throughout its colorful history, the company has adapted successfully to continual changes in product design, distribution systems, and manufacturing methods. In spite of the many changes, C. F. Martin has never veered away from its initial commitment to quality. The concern for producing the finest instruments possible in 1833 is especially evident today at Martin’s expanded facility in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
The story behind one of America’s most famous guitars began on January 31, 1796, in Markneukirchen, Germany, with the birth of Christian Frederick Martin, Sr. Born into a long line of cabinet makers, Christian Frederick took up the family craft at the early age of 15, when he left his hometown and traveled to Vienna to apprentice with Johann Stauffer, a renowned guitar maker."
which one would Brian like??
maybe this one: the one millionth Martin guitar
so many places to see.......
heading into New York
Interstate 95 Thruway and homeward bound...........17 days and 10,000 km later
