Day’s distance: 126 miles (approx)
Total trip distance: 7,594 miles
Last night was warmer than the prior night, very comfortable in the tent. Today’s highs were in the mid 70’s, and the skies mostly sunny. Winds were light. It was a perfect day for motorcycling.
I rode to breakfast with Fritz, David, and Hank, a friend of theirs who showed up at the camp this morning.
Everyone was headed to Tuggles Gap to meet up with the Twin Valley Riders club. The club meets for breakfast at Tuggles Gap Restaurant on the fourth Sunday of odd numbered months.
I sat with Cliff and Michael and had a great breakfast. Michael has lived in Seattle (small world). He’s a writer and motorcycle enthusiast.
After breakfast, Michael and I rode together for about an hour before he continued home and I headed back to camp. I didn’t keep track of the roads we took, only that they were twisty and challenging. I rode more slowly than Michael, so he waited at intersections for me to catch up.
It’s important when riding with groups or just a new person to ride your own ride. Put a plan in place to accommodate differences in skill and preferences in riding style.
I took a few short rides by myself, one into Stuart for lunch and a late afternoon ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
I stopped at The Saddle overlook …
and again at Mabry Mill.
That is the Blue Ridge Parkway in the picture above, adjacent to the mill. In the section I rode today, the parkway feels narrow because there is not a useful shoulder, but the pavement is in very good shape.
I’m looking forward to traveling more of the Parkway tomorrow. Having a few days to adjust to the narrow and windy roads here in Virginia was useful. I will have to consider adding extra time onto a trip if switching from primarily interstqte usage to rural roads.