the really good kind of 151

When I left Asheville this morning I took two bits of advice from Lani and Jay. First, I stopped to eat at the Country Kitchen for breakfast, and I was glad I did. For one thing, I got to have fried bologna and eggs for breakfast…Awesome! And second, the waitress called me honey the whole time. Sure, she called everyone else that, too, but it made me feel like I was a regular, and that was refreshing given the day I had yesterday.

The second thing Lani and Jay said I should do is ride highway 151 up to the Parkway. When I rounded a corner in a 55mph zone and saw this:

I knew I was in for a treat. The locals call it their version of Deal's Gap, and with good reason. It's a short run but tremendously fun, and I was busy the whole way up the hill. Awesome! Thanks again, Jay and Lani!

When I got to the Parkway I was ready for a little stretch and stopped at Mount Pisgah. When I pulled in I got to talking with a guy on a Harley from Virginia. I never did get his name, but we had a really nice little chat about nothing in particular, and I was again reassured that there are talkative people out there.

So we stood there and talked while we watched the thunderstorm brewing to the south, the way we were both headed We concluded that it was not so much a question of whether we would get wet, but more how wet would we get. We talked a bit more, and then decided that we should just go for it.

He took off, and I was still hot from the last few weeks in the heat, so I opted for no rain gear, and I was glad I did. I rode south into the storm and it started to sprinkle, then actually rain. I could see the other side of the storm, so I just kept going because I felt really close to cold for the first time in a long time. When I came out the other side I was a little wet, but felt cool, and relished it!

I stopped at an overlook to see if I could get a photo of the storm, but it had already mostly moved on so here are the remnants:

At the overlook I talked again with the nameless guy from before. We had a smoke together, and then off he went. I took off shortly after and enjoyed the twisty fun of the Parkway until I came around a corner and saw all black sky ahead. I stopped and listened to the storm grumble, and I knew that I'd get really wet without the rain gear, so I geared up. I was right, the storm was wet, and kept going for the last 20 miles or so of the Parkway. I had mixed feelings about the rain, because it made the road less fun, but also kept me from bursting into flames in the 100+ degree heat. In the end I was grateful to have not been sweaty all day long.

I spent the last part of the day's ride in Great Smoky Mountains State Park. It was really wonderful in spite of the drizzle and the traffic. For most of the ride I was meandering along the side of a little river:

The road through the park spit me out onto the main drag of Gatlinburg, TN, where I decided to stay the night. Granted I have only seen a few blocks of the town at this point, but I think this town is what the offspring of Disneyland and Aspen, CO would look like. The main drag is filled with bright family attractions to take your money, but it's tucked in the mountains with a National Park and other mountain activites, too. Strange.

So I got a hotel because I have been craving a bed, and while looking up a meeting another storm came in. The thunder was deafening, and the rain was driving. I was grateful I had arrived when I did, and even more grateful to find that the meeting was only a half block away!

The meeting was the North Gatlinburg Group and it was a book study. I would love to tell you that I read the book regularly while I'm on the road, but I'd be lying, so it was nice to be reading the book again. And the group was great. Being a resort town the meeting was about equal parts visitors and locals and the discussion was great. I remember feeling wonderful in that room, and I am happy I chose to stop here. Thanks, North Gatlinburg!

Too much time to think

I decided that I was going to stay in Asheville for an extra day and see Bele Chere, a local street fair, and see what all the hubbub about Asheville was really about.

So around the middle of the day I made my way into town for breakfast and people watching at the fair. During my breakfast (blackberry and cream french toast!) I had the pleasure of observing to frat boy types at the table next to me. Normally I would not have thought much of it, but they were so trashed they could barely sit, and one of them made several swaying trips to the bathroom. Neither of them really ate any of their food, and I was grateful that I wasn't one of the guys trashed at noon!

The fair was pretty much like and other street fair I've been to, a bunch of vendors selling things that people don't need for too much money, and it was also atrociously hot and humid so after seeing about half the fair I sought refuge in an air conditioned spot to log on and work on the blog.

Luckily, I missed the big thunderstorm while I was inside, and it was much cooler when I went back out again. I found a laundromat so I could have clean clothes, and I am still amazed I have been on the road for 37 days and not been to a laundromat! So I did my laundry and made some calls back home and then started to feel a little strange. For a little while I couldn't really pinpoint it, but then I realized that I was getting sort of a weird vibe from all the people around me. Then I thought back on the encounters I had with people here in Asheville, and aside from Lani and Jay, and the program folks it's felt a little like I am bothering people, even if just to buy a pack of cigarettes. Perhaps it has a lot to do with Bele Chere, but it seems that the people of Asheville are not so friendly with outsiders. It is also very possible, even likely, that it is because I have had more time to be in my head today because I am not out on the road. (Thanks, Mandy!) Either way, I have decided to move on tomorrow.

The meeting for the day was the Cumberland Group and we had a wonderful discussion about prayer and meditation and the grace of the Dude upstairs. I always enjoy a meeting about how we all come to realize that we are not that Dude. Thanks, Cumberland Group!

Where do twisty roads go when they die?

Last night while I was setting up my camp my neighbor came over to ask if I had everything that I needed. I told him that I did, and that I appreciated it, but I was also on the phone and couldn't give him my full attention. When I got up this morning I felt a little bad for not having talked to him the night before so I went over to say thanks. He said it was no problem and then asked if I wanted pancakes. I figured that I was either drooling while he was cooking, or he was just very friendly and wanted to share with a fellow traveler.

I was hungry, and a little tired of eating instant oatmeal for breakfast so I said "yes, of course I would like some pancakes." So as it went I had a wonderful breakfast with Richard and Melody, and they were both quite wonderful people. We got talking about all kinds of things, and one of them was a marriage workshop their church sponsors. A lot of the focus of the workshop is that the time we spend with our partner is all valuable, and therefore should be cherished. I took the chance to brag a little about Mandy again and tell them that the time I spent with her in New York was definitely some of the most cherished of the entire trip, and for that I am grateful.

Richard grew up in Kentucky and told me a story about their mailman when he was a kid. (Keep in mind here that Richard is far from elderly.) So, the mailman in his area was named Moses, and still delivered mail on horseback. Yes, Horseback! Evidently, Moses was one of the last two mail carriers in the country to do his job on a horse. The best part is that the horse knew the route so well that sometimes Moses would fall asleep on the horse and and the horse would stop at a fencepost and wait until Moses woke up and got the mail from the sack and then would start walking again. Richard even said that he had ridden the horse once for pleasure, and it had stopped at every fencepost on the route, just because that is what it knew to do. That would have been a sight to see.

After breakfast I took my time getting my things together and then wandered over to say goodbye and thank you again to Melody and Richard, and he turned to me and said, "If you've got a few minutes we're gonna have hot dogs if you want to join us."

"Well, a man's gotta eat," I replied and we had another meal together with more great conversation. What a wonderful surprise to have such a nice couple share their time and their food with me. Thanks, Melody and Richard!

So I was fed and on my way. The Blue Ridge was again beautiful and peaceful. I rode for about an hour and then stopped at Crabtree Falls for coffee and a snack, and that's where I met Fred:

Fred is what his owners like to call a "Highpoint Dog". Derek and Renee explained that in their off time they go "highpointing" where they hike the highest points in states and regions, and Fred goes with them. Even if his ears are longer than his legs, he's still managed to summit 13 of the highest points in the country. Way to go, Fred!

From Crabtree Falls down to Asheville, NC, I kept having this little daydream about of an interview with James Lipton where he asks me, "Nick, if heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?"

For today my answer is this, "Here are the keys to all the bikes in this garage, and welcome to North Carolina." This place is amazing!

And it keeps going like that in both directions for miles and miles. My bike hasn't been this happy with me since California. And on top of that I get to look at views like this:

For a place to stay I decided that I would go to Tipi Camp in Asheville, partially because they cater specifically to motorcycles, and partially because they converted an Airstream trailer to a bathhouse! I arrived and was greeted with a very warm reception by Jay and Lani, the owners. These two have a wonderful little spot to pitch a tent or stay in one of their tipis. It's just far enough out of town to be peaceful and not so far as to be inconvenient. Jay has even offered to take me out on some of the great roads nearby! What a great find. Thanks, Lani and Jay!

The meeting was the West Asheville Group and was just down the street. The topic was a little bit about going places we think maybe we shouldn't, and partially about our thinking getting us in trouble. It was a great meeting, and a wonderful group of folks. Thanks, West Asheville Group!

The night ended with some time around the campfire with Lani, Jay, and their neighbor, Sam. There is something very peaceful about staring into a campfire, and swapping stories with people. It was a terrific way to end the day.

Goin' to Carolina, and not just in my mind

This morning I woke up cooking in my tent and the sun wasn't even up yet. Last night I had chosen to stay at Roanoke Mountain Campground because it was close by, and the result was that it was hot and reminded me of Texas, minus the alligators and centipedes.
Luckily, once I was outside the tent it was slightly cooler and I was able to have some coffee and breakfast while I packed up before the heat really kicked in. After I was packed up I decided to go back into Roanoke for some real coffee and internet access. The day started to heat up shortly after and I knew that I had to get moving before I melted, so I headed back up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and went south.

Within twenty miles I was back up above 2000 feet and the temperatures were manageable again. The road and the scenery were much like the Skyline:

But there was one major difference. Because the Parkway isn't a National Park there is private land that butts up to the road and it makes it feel a little bit like New York State without the little towns. But the cemeteries are there without the towns:

This particular one is mostly Shavers, and I presume all are family. It contained two of the saddest headstones I have ever seen:

The thing that really got me choked up about it is that they were both born to the same parents. Part of me wants to research what exactly happened, but most of me is just tremendously sad for them,

Along the Parkway there are also fantastic views of old barns and cabins that make me want to go out in the middle of nowhere and live off the land, but then I remember that I like people today as a result of this program and there is no way I really want to give that up.

At about two in the afternoon I stopped for a break in Meadows of Dan, VA, a very small town just off the Parkway. I found a wonderful little store and wandered through the fresh local produce, all manner of wooden furniture, and little locally made treats like dried cantaloupe. I stocked up on snack items and sat outside for a break.

While I was nibbling on the locally dried beef jerky a guy pulled up on a Goldwing and I asked him where he was headed. This was a mistake. The dissertation that followed was not at all interesting to me, and especially the part about how many awards he has won with the Goldwing (which is ugly if you ask me), and how many riding skills contests he's won. Maybe it's just me, but I find people who brag about things to strangers to be a little irritating, or maybe a lot irritating. As he was leaving he said to me, "Of course, this thing's got music and everything, too." I wanted to tell him, "You're not that special." But instead I just nodded my head and waited for him to leave first because he had been sure to tell me that he had been going 75mph the whole way from Waynesboro, and part of me wanted to see him pulled over down the road. Some people puzzle me.

About thirty miles down the road is the Blue Ridge Music Center, and although I was too late for the mid-day show I wanted to stop in and see if they had a shirt for my dad. I figured that the extra-small and the medium shirt wouldn't fit, but the musicians were still playing so I stayed for a bit to listen.

The group was probably about twelve people, but the best to watch were the two elders with a banjo and a fiddle. These two guys were well into their seventies and still played with incredible passion. There is something wonderful about watching a seasoned player play an instrument so effortlessly. Incredible.

When I was leaving I started talking to Stacy and Lloyd, a couple from Connecticut. The two of them had been down in Atlanta and now were headed back home. Somewhere along the way they had encountered a Black and Tan Coonhound running down the highway, and had stopped to pick it up. The puppy was terribly skinny from being on it's own, but was very sweet and likable. They hadn't decided on a name yet, and tasked me with coming up with one. I thought about it all day and the name that kept coming up was Isabella. Whatdaya think guys?

Stacy told me that the folks at the vet where they had taken Isabella had said that she was bred to hunt bears in the Smokies, but that if the young dogs don't work out for some reason that they just let them go in the woods. Thank Dude that Stacy and Lloyd were in the right place at the right time! Thanks to them Isabella will have a happy home in Connecticut.

Along the Skyline and the Parkway there are a bunch of animals; Deer and fawns, bears, butterflies, birds, etc. and they all have the same reaction when they see a bike or a car, "Oh shit! Person!!" and they turn and run back into the woods. They are all pretty good at avoiding us. Today, however, I encountered a turtle on the road. I am sure that his reaction was the same as all the other animals, but…well…less running. So I turned around and went back. I told him matter-of-factly that he couldn't be there in the road, and that's when he ran…into his shell. I picked him up and put him well off the side of the road he was facing, I just hope it was the side he wanted to be on. Poor little guy must have been terrified.

For a meeting I decided on Boone, NC and pulled into town with plenty of time to get food and make it to a meeting, The meeting was in a church and I pulled into the parking lot and saw some folks standing outside smoking. Thinking that they were my people I asked them if there was a meeting nearby. Turns out that all three of them were drunk and attending a wedding reception, so they had no idea but they did point me in the right direction.

The meting was the Boone Group, and was a great bunch of folks. There was a brand new person there and it made for a wonderful meeting discussing in the basics and the benefits. It was a great reminder of why we are all here. Thanks, Boone Group!

After the meeting I found a wonderful little campground outside of town and got to take a shower, good thing too, because I was starting to smell myself…not good. It's much cooler here, and I am looking forward to a good night's sleep.

bowl with!?

Day 35 (It's already been 35 days!!) started by waking up in the cool morning at 3000 feet! What a terrific relief after waking up in the heat since…well…California.

I took my sweet time having breakfast and getting ready to go because I didn't have anywhere to be for the first time in a while, and the scenery was great:

At about noon I started the ride south down the Skyline toward Waynesboro. The ride was still stunning but it was a little hazy in the valleys so the overlooks weren't as beautiful as they could have been.

The daredevil butterflies were still around, and try as I might I couldn't get one to sit still for a photo. So we have to settle for a moth:

After a couple of hours on the road I dropped down into Waynesboro for some food and to sort out what meeting I would get to tonight. (No phone service on the Skyline.) My options for a meeting were sort of limited because I wanted to stay close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, so I decided on a 5:45 meeting in Roanoke, VA. I had to ride freeway to get there, but the early meeting would allow enough time to get back up into the hills to camp.

I arrived at the meeting right before 5:45 and saw a license plate that said: GRAT1TDE and I knew I was in the right place. I talked with a couple of guys out front for a minute and told them about the trip. One of them told me that about a year ago he had picked up a guy at the train station who was hiking the Appalachian Trail. He told me he had been walking for four months, and mostly alone the whole time. It made me grateful that I don't have to spend that much time in my head on this trip…I might very well go insane.

The meeting was called the New Hope Group and the topic was willingness. The room was packed and it was a fantastic meeting. I had a very warm reception as the visitor, and had a wonderful time, even if people did talk a lot about the treats that the birthday girl (Kirsten?) used to bring. Evidently this woman used to bring not only brownies and cookies, but homemade French pastries and such! After the meeting I was assured that if I called ahead they could guarantee treats. Thanks, New Hope Group!

I asked around a bit after the meeting for a good place to eat and although I probably should have gone for something healthier, the idea of the Texas Tavern was too good to pass up. John told me that it was a Roanoke tradition, and that it was the place that was always packed after midnight. My type of place.

So I found my way to the Texas Tavern and ordered a Cheesy Western and a Hot Dog. Like most similar joints the Tavern has it's own lingo. Chuck, who sat next to me and said he had been eating there since he was "knee-high to a grasshopper", ordered and "bowl with" and a "dog with." When his food was delivered I pieced things together and established that it was a bowl of chili with onions (and he mixed in mustard!) and a hot dog with chili (at least I think that's what that with was for…).

I won't lie and tell you that it was a gourmet meal, but it was pretty awesome. The coolest part, though, was talking to Chuck about the place. The Tavern has been around since 1930 and had the same decor and same menu. Even the steel pipe foot rails under the bar are worn down from people's feet. They're open all day, every day, except Christmas, and they always have a steady crowd. There's only 8 stools to sit on and not much more space than that, and the cook can keep up with a full house on a 3' by 4' grill and two gas burners. I don't know how they do it, but it's amazing. If you ever get to Roanoke go find the Texas Tavern! Thanks for the recommendation, John!

Meandering the skyline

Well, we've rounded out the 7000 mile point on the trip, and that meant that we were a little overdue for an oil change so I hooked up with George in Manassas, VA today to get that done. It was hot as hell getting out of DC and the drivers there are easily the worst I have ever encountered. I was tense and exhausted from riding just 30 miles to get out of the city to George's shop. When I arrived at his place I was immediately grateful that he had air conditioning. It gave me a nice opportunity to sit back and relax my body a bit.

It turns out that George worked for BMW dealerships for quite some time and has only very recently opened his own shop. (His benches aren't even 100% set up yet.) We got to chatting a bit while he worked and talked about why each of us had left our respective corporate jobs. It turns out that we share a lot of the same angst toward the politics of big business.

We talked a lot about bikes, obviously, and about what breaks on them, and the camp of riders who believe that because it's a BMW it should never break. Now, don't get me wrong, I bought my bike because it is incredibly reliable, but they are all machines, and therefore, break. To quote George, "If it's made by man it will break. If it's made by God it will die." Well said my fellow angsty friend.

After the oil change I headed to Front Royal where I took a left onto the Skyline Drive. Pardon my french, but Holy Shit, what a beautiful road!!

Even with a (mostly) obeyed 35mph speed limit it is damn fun, and because I got on it at 4pm there was very little traffic to contend with. I rode the first 30 miles or so and then dropped down to the west and into Luray, VA for dinner and a meeting.

I tracked down the church where the meeting was and found a little spot across the street for dinner. As I walked into the Artisan's Grill I noticed a sign on the door saying that they had live music on Wednesday nights from 7 - 9. Unfortunately, the meeting was at 7 so I would miss it.

I did, however, get to chat with Hector, one of the musicians, while I ate. Hector is a local guy, but wasn't always. He had a Latin accent of some kind, and mentioned playing in a Mexican band in L.A., but I never did find out where he was from. He did tell me that he had lived in Cincinnati for a long time and that after being in Luray for a while had decided that small town life suits him much better.

Hector and I also talked a bit about the lost art of the postcard, what with email and cell phones and all of that. I guess I am not one to talk given that I have not sent a single postcard on the trip, but I sort of wish that I did. As I was leaving he yelled to me across the place to send him a postcard later in the trip, and if I think of it I most certainly will.

So I was fed and had mingled a bit with the locals so it was time for a meeting. I walked into the church and asked if there was a meeting. The church folks informed me that there hadn't been a meeting there for some time, and they were unsure about where it might be. They told me about another church to try, so I did, and nothing. I made some phone calls and came up empty and at 7:40 decided that today was another missed meeting (not for lack of trying) and it was time to go set up camp. I was bummed, but it is bound to happen now and again, and I am grateful that it is a rare thing to not find a meeting where I go.

So I rode back up to the Skyline (and 15 degree cooler temperatures) and rode a little farther south to Big Meadows campground. Along the way it was getting toward sunset so I stopped to look.

As the sun sank lower the deer started to come out and line the road for miles. I slowed to about 25mph and avoided any close calls.

After setting up camp, in the daylight for a change,:

I wandered over to talk to Ted, a fellow biker from Wisconsin. He let me know about the parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway to avoid because of traffic or boring scenery. He also asked if I had any booze with me and I choked back the laughter because he wouldn't understand, and politely told him that I didn't. We had a nice little talk and it made me grateful that I am not drinking myself to sleep tonight.

After I took a shower I was leaving the shower area and noticed two siblings, a big sister and a little brother. The big sister was trying very hard to get her brother to play a game of some kind and the little brother kept yelling, "I don't wanna!" It made me smile and remember how nice it is that Alison and I have grown out of that…mostly.

Tourist free DC

Tim and I slept in late and had a nice mellow morning with coffee on the front porch.

After we felt sufficiently caffeinated we met up with Tim's brother, Dan, to go to lunch at Wagshel's deli. It turns out that Wagshel's has the best reuben I have ever eaten. It was incredible!

Dan also decided that he needed to try a hot and sour tomato from the bin in front of the counter. It was a green tomato that had been pickled in something. We all tried it and collectively decided that it wasn't terrible, but it was certainly strange. I don't have any idea what possess someone to eat them.

We took our lunch to Battery Kemble Park in DC and I had a hard time believing that we were still in the city. We walked down a dirt trail off a side street and into the woods and the next thing I knew we were in what looked like a mountain meadow with no indication of the city at all. I find it impressive that the city planners could accomplish this so many years ago!

We wandered the park a bit and I was struck by the number of butterflies in DC, and big one's too.

After lunch in the park we had a mellow afternoon around the house and at about 6pm I called Keith, a guy I'd met at the meeting the night before, and asked him for a ride to a meeting. He was running late, but was more than happy to swing by and get me.

I didn't catch the name of the meeting, but it was a men's meeting in a church basement, classic. It was the first men's meeting I had been to since leaving Seattle, and it felt good to be in a room with a bunch of guys who are OK with having feelings. Thanks, guys!

On the ride home from the meeting Keith and I had a nice talk about how we make this program work in our daily lives. I always like talking with someone about how it's made our day-to-day easier and more serene. It reminds me that it really works. Thanks, Keith!

When I got back to the house TIm and I got some dinner and had a good chance to talk about how life is for us these days. It was great to find out about where Tim is and hear that he is settling into life here in DC. I also got to brag a bit about my relationship with Mandy again, something that I love to do, especially after our little visit in New York. Our time together there showed me that what we have really is precious and I am a very lucky man! Thanks for everything, Tim!