joshs1ofakindxj
08-12-2012, 11:04 PM
We did this trip last weekend. The weekend before last weekend I moved into my new house so it was nice to go on a little vacation and think about life and that crap.
My bike is mostly stock but I have a few things done to it:
- 12V outlet (used a good bit on the trip for phone and ipod charger)
- Aerostich heated grips, a must for any bike, and progrip gel grips
- about $1000 worth of Corbin seats
- home made aluminum panniers and racks for all my t-shirts and stickers I buy along the way
- Touratech transmission frame mount reinforcing plates
Thursday morning we left SWPA and headed down through WV and had lunch at Tamarack. Cool stop showcasing everything made in WV and the food was great. There was also a stop at the New River Gorge on the way.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2285.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2281.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2283.jpg
Then we headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) and got on near Fancy Gap and headed south. That is an amazing road with too many breath taking views to stop for, hand carved tunnels, and perfect pavement with no commercial traffic covering quite a length of the Blue Mts.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2287-1.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2291.jpg
A notorious sign on the BRP:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2293.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2298.jpg
Grandfather mountain, and look close to see the viaduct:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2301.jpg
Our destination Thursday was the Little Switzerland Inn in Little Switzerland, NC and boy is it a nice place!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2306.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2375.jpg
The next day we continued down the BRP to Deal's Gap and rode the Dragon which was a blast.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2307.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2310.jpg
Notice the hand carved tunnel curving through the mountain:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2316.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2318.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2321.jpg
The tree of shame, which I did not contribute to:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2326.jpg
We rode back and forth without issue, though you could see where a lot of people goofed up and left their mark on the road.
The view at the end of the gap was nice.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2330.jpg
The Buell had a go pro cam and was following me recording my run so I can't wait to get that vid from him.
That night we had dinner in downtown Ashville NC and went back to Little Switzerland for the night.
Saturday we first rode Rt 226A aka the Diamondback and Rt 80 which are 2 very twisty routes, and then we toured the Biltmore and that was a heck of a place:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2360.jpg
It is the largest private home in the USA and open to the public for tours for a mere $72, yikes! But it is kind of worth it.
After that we stopped at a fellow beemer nerd's house tucked up in the smokey mountains for dinner.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2365.jpg
From there it was back to Little Switzerland for the night. Sunday was more miles north on the BRP and then eventually to home after a good Mexican lunch in Floyd. Sunday night it poured rain on us for the last 250 miles so that sucked but after all that, the bike did need a wash.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2377.jpg
My bike is mostly stock but I have a few things done to it:
- 12V outlet (used a good bit on the trip for phone and ipod charger)
- Aerostich heated grips, a must for any bike, and progrip gel grips
- about $1000 worth of Corbin seats
- home made aluminum panniers and racks for all my t-shirts and stickers I buy along the way
- Touratech transmission frame mount reinforcing plates
Thursday morning we left SWPA and headed down through WV and had lunch at Tamarack. Cool stop showcasing everything made in WV and the food was great. There was also a stop at the New River Gorge on the way.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2285.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2281.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2283.jpg
Then we headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) and got on near Fancy Gap and headed south. That is an amazing road with too many breath taking views to stop for, hand carved tunnels, and perfect pavement with no commercial traffic covering quite a length of the Blue Mts.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2287-1.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2291.jpg
A notorious sign on the BRP:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2293.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2298.jpg
Grandfather mountain, and look close to see the viaduct:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2301.jpg
Our destination Thursday was the Little Switzerland Inn in Little Switzerland, NC and boy is it a nice place!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2306.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2375.jpg
The next day we continued down the BRP to Deal's Gap and rode the Dragon which was a blast.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2307.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2310.jpg
Notice the hand carved tunnel curving through the mountain:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2316.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2318.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2321.jpg
The tree of shame, which I did not contribute to:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2326.jpg
We rode back and forth without issue, though you could see where a lot of people goofed up and left their mark on the road.
The view at the end of the gap was nice.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2330.jpg
The Buell had a go pro cam and was following me recording my run so I can't wait to get that vid from him.
That night we had dinner in downtown Ashville NC and went back to Little Switzerland for the night.
Saturday we first rode Rt 226A aka the Diamondback and Rt 80 which are 2 very twisty routes, and then we toured the Biltmore and that was a heck of a place:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2360.jpg
It is the largest private home in the USA and open to the public for tours for a mere $72, yikes! But it is kind of worth it.
After that we stopped at a fellow beemer nerd's house tucked up in the smokey mountains for dinner.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2365.jpg
From there it was back to Little Switzerland for the night. Sunday was more miles north on the BRP and then eventually to home after a good Mexican lunch in Floyd. Sunday night it poured rain on us for the last 250 miles so that sucked but after all that, the bike did need a wash.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/luvherinmyjeep32/deals%20gap%202012/IMG_2377.jpg