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Here’s a quick note to let you know that I made it home alright. The last three days were a lot of fun. I’ll post more and add some photos after I’ve gotten some sleep.

I met my father and brother Ryan in Cass, West Virginia. Dad is a bit of a train nut, and has a small railroad inspection vehicle that is able to ride the rails. There’s a group of people who have these and rent time on various railroads to go for rides. The park service operates a scenic railroad in Cass with steam locomotives, and we were able to go for a ride on one of them as well. It’s a beautiful part of the country, and it was great to hang out with Dad and Ryan for a couple of days having fun. We stayed in a nice house that the park service rents out, though we tried to rough it a bit by turning the comfort level down.

The last message took a day to post. The email must have been sent via Pony Express. Last night I stayed at a motorcycle camp run by a guy named Will. It sounds like he’s done a lot of motorcycle touring and decided to build the place he was always looking to stay at.

A couple of differences from the usual campground are that there are no cars allowed and there’s only one campfire. Most campgrounds create cubicles for each group to keep to themselves. At this place, it wasn’t even clear where one site ended and the next one started.

Come to think of it, there weren’t any sites, just picnic tables sprinkled between the trees. It made for a very social place like the best hostels I’ve stayed at. Of course, that’s just speculation because when I rolled in at a quarter past dark I was the only guest. I’ll have to go back on a weekend. It’s at mile 177.7 of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Meadows of Dan, VA.

I’m in Roanoke now. I’ll get near the north end of the parkway today. I’m taking it easy, and finally learning how to use my camera. The sunset didn’t turn out to be spectacular, but the cows seemed to enjoy watching us take their pictures. I wish I would had this camera for the last trip, but I have a pattern of upgrading cameras after trips instead of before. I also wish I’d have brought my long underwear on this trip. I’ve wished that on past trips as well—you’d think I’d learn. In case you’re interested, it’s cold and wet in the Smoky Mountains in June, and it’s cold and wet in Hanoi in January.

Part of what I like about traveling is just being in motion. With my own wheels it’s even better. I’m feeling great, and having a good time. I wish you all were here.

Just a quick update. I’m in Ashville, NC. Last night I camped at Hot Springs. It’s a small town and a major R and R stop for hikers on the Appalachian Trail. I’ve been running into AT crossings throughout this trip. As a kid I thought I’d want to hike it some day, but now I don’t think so. If I had six months to kill, there are other trips I’d rather take.

It’s beautiful down here. There are mountains and streams everywhere, and the roads are great. On my way out of Robbinsville I rode through a section of road called The Tail of the Dragon at Deal’s Gap. It’s eleven miles long and has 318 turns. Here’s a ‘Before’ photo that didn’t end up being a ‘Last Known’ photo. A word to the wise—when you see skid marks on the road before a turn, this is useful information. Don’t just think “That’s interesting; people must have taken that one too fast.” Slow down! Sometimes 25 mph is way too fast.

The bike is doing great. Adam welded my shift lever back together on Saturday. It’s nice to have a brother with skills. I hope things are going well back home.

I just wanted to let you know that I made it to NC. I got in a few minutes before dark last night. I had to stop more often than I expected to. I’d like to blame it on the small tank of my motorcycle, but I can’t. The bike will do 280 miles between stops, but my rear end won’t. There were some detours from the Blue Ridge Parkway that added some time. There were twists and turns that I did in first gear. There are fifty of us sharing a computer, so I’ll write more later.

I’ve made almost Roanoke. Last night I camped out at the north end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Now I’m at a Shell Station and I’m going to hop on I-81 for a while to make up some time. The Blue Ridge Parkway is fantastic. It must have been built by a rider. I’ll try to catch up with it down the road a ways, and I’ll be taking all the way back. The bike has been great.

This morning I’m starting on my way to the Horizons Unlimited meeting near Ashville North Carolina. After a pit stop at the bike shop I should be on my way. I’ll head out to Harpers Ferry and then down to Shenandoah National Park, where I’ll take Skyline Drive and then the full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It will be a lot of time in the saddle, but it should be fun. I should be able to post some text from my phone during the trip, and I’ll add some photos afterward.