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Author Topic: 2017 FILR Mancation  (Read 1530 times)

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RoadTrip

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2017 FILR Mancation
« on: August 23, 2017, 03:57:03 PM »

A buddy of mine and I are going through career changes and decided it was a good time to hit the road. We named the ride the 2017 FILR (F*&k It, Let's Ride) Mancation and thought we'd head for the mountains of West Virginia in hopes of escaping the heat that is pounding the South. The dates of the ride were August 14-22, 2017. With Scott in Charlotte and I in East Texas, we chose Chattanooga, TN as the start/end of the tour.

Here is a quick recap of the plan:

 - Day 1 - travel to Chattanooga
 - Day 2 - ride through Danial Boone National Forest and into Eastern KY
 - Day 3 - enter WV, ending up in Charleston, WV
 - Day 4 - head south, taking in the Back of the Dragon
 - Day 5 - head northeast back into WV, taking in the Bunker Tour at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV
 - Day 6 - continue northeast, catching the western edge of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest and the southwest section of the Monongahela National
               Forest. then head west to overnight in Charleston, WV (recover from table losses on Day 3!)
 - Day 7 - south to the quaint town of Bristol, VA (or Bristol, TN, depending on whether you live on the north or south side of town!)
 - Day 8 - southwest back to Chattanooga, stopping just outside of Madisonville, TN to be dead center on the path of totality for the 2017 Solar Eclipse
 - Day 9 - travel home

Altogether, I spent 1,696 miles in the saddle and 1,450 miles in the seat. I trailered to/from Chattanooga to avoid heavy thunderstorms on the outbound leg and extreme heat on the return (+100 degree with heat index). The attached file is the ride portion of the planned route. WARNING: the route must be broken down to <60 waypoints to load into the Boom! Infotainment system.

Pics and discussion to follow...
« Last Edit: August 23, 2017, 05:25:16 PM by RoadTrip »
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RoadTrip

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Re: 2017 FILR Mancation
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2017, 04:15:31 PM »

Day 2

With 271 miles planned for the day, Scott and I were both eager to hit the road. Living in different parts of the country, it's been a while since we toured together on a long-distance ride. I had never been through eastern KY or WV, but had heard of - and read about - many of the sights we were going to see. Our first scenic stop was Cumberland Falls. It's not as tall as some I have visited, but it is wide and powerful..and muddy. We tried to rent barrels so that we could ride the falls, but the nice park ranger advised against the idea. The heat was rising after the falls, so we stopped by The Root Beer Stand in Corbin, KY for a root beer float. I highly recommend!
« Last Edit: August 23, 2017, 04:55:48 PM by RoadTrip »
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Re: 2017 FILR Mancation
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2017, 04:41:43 PM »

Day 3

Having stayed at the Cliffview Resort in Zoe, KY, our Day 2 ride began with a beautiful ride through the Natural Bridge State Park along KY-11, then along KY-77, also known as the Nada Tunnel Road. When I shared how beautiful the Nada Tunnel Road was with a friend from KY, she informed me that her husband's great grandfather helped cut the tunnel so that he could haul timber from his land on the east side of the mountain range. Small world. Our first fuel stop of the day included an interesting encounter with the locals. There were four ladies in two cars (driver/passenger in each) that were at the station when we arrived. Appears they were on a journey and had stopped for a drink and smoke break. As they prepared to leave, all four were wearing those u-shaped travel pillows around their necks. It was definitely a WTFWT? moment and we were laughing too hard to get a pic. Guess these are referred to locally as Kentucky Airbags.

There were storms forming on the horizon, but we placed a bet that we thought we could skirt them. Unfortunately, the mountains and twisty roads proved us wrong and we got drenched in the early afternoon...before we had a chance to don the rain gear. It was a welcomed relief from the rising temps, but made the twisties that much more treacherous. We survived and were mostly dry by the time we pulled into the Mardi Gras Resort and Casino in Nitro, WV, just north of Charleston. We enjoyed dinner while watching the greyhound races, then made a few donations in the casino before retiring for the night.

Pic is from the Internet, but is the view is exactly as seen from over the handlebars.
« Last Edit: August 23, 2017, 04:56:02 PM by RoadTrip »
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RoadTrip

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Re: 2017 FILR Mancation
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2017, 04:42:21 PM »

The Mardi Gras is very biker friendly and has a pole shed to park the bikes under cover. The shed is well lit and has security cameras. Nice touch! Beer not included.
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RoadTrip

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Re: 2017 FILR Mancation
« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2017, 04:55:18 PM »

Day 4

With the storms off to the east, we headed south on WV-85, then on WV-10, both cut through coal country and followed a river or two along the way. While stopped at a McDonalds in Matoaka for a break, we struck-up a conversation with an 80 year-old man who had lived there all his life. Although he had very little formal education, he was a self taught and successful Ford mechanic, electrician, home builder, and coal miner. I suspect there is very little this man can't or hasn't fixed at some point in his life. A former Harley rider (as well as many other brands), he still mows his lawn (and those of his rent houses) with a push mower and is pretty handy with his smartphone too! I walked away thinking he was one of the happiest and most accomplished men I have ever met. I love the conversations with the locals, they always makes a motorcycle trip special.

We closed the day with WV-16, also known as the Back of the Dragon. IMO, the many twisties coupled with major elevation changes makes this a more technically challenging ride than The Tail of the Dragon...and it was a LOT less crowded! We ended the day at the General Francis Marion Hotel in Marion, WV. Marion has a cool little downtown with a half-dozen restaurants within walking distance.

No pics today...too busy riding!
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RoadTrip

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Re: 2017 FILR Mancation
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2017, 05:21:30 PM »

Day 5

Leaving Marion, we followed Black Lick Road through the farms and forests. The views reminded me of what it must be like to ride through the rolling hills of Ireland - bright green fields, gentle rolling hills, and undulating twisties. Add to it the smells of the many farms along the way and it really set the mood for riding that morning. Once we turned north on US-52, we immediately entered one of the fingers of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. This area played a key role in the Civil War. We stopped at the Big Walker Lookout to catch a view of the valley below and to read-up on the path the Union troops took to capture the railroads and cities along the way.

Just outside of Hilldale, WV, we stopped at the John Henry Historical Park to see Mr. Henry's legacy. From the museum's website (http://johnhenryhistoricalpark.com/):

The legend of John Henry depicts an American folk hero known for his amazing strength and symbolism as an advocate for the working class American during the industrialization of not only Appalachia but the entire United States. During the late 1800s the railroad embarked on its expansion plans to head West over the Appalachian Mountains. John Henry, along with crews of men made up of over 1,000 former slaves and Irish immigrants, was hired to tunnel through the mountain, using hammer and steel rods to cut through the rock. Eventually the railroad management, in its quest for efficiency and speed, brought in the Burleigh's top of the line steam powered drill to replace the crews of men. As the legend goes, John Henry challenged the railroad to a contest pitting his skill and strength using hammer and steel rods against the machine to prove the superiority of manual labor to mechanization and to hopefully, preserve their jobs. John Henry made more progress in a shorter period of time than the machine, however, as the legend goes, he later died as a result of the contest.

The battle did not end with John Henry's death. As a result of his heroic victory over the machine, the crew of over 1,000 men kept their jobs and finished the tunnel. John Henry's legend served as an inspiration to those men finishing the tunnel as they kept the story alive through song. Although the "legend" has been embellished over the years, the reality is John Henry was a real man, hero and symbol of hope. His legend lives on.


But our pinnacle destination of the day was the Bunker Tour at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV. From 1962-1992, this top secret bunker served as an emergency back-up site for members of Congress in the event of a nuclear attack. Built at the peak of the Cold War, the bare basics bunker was "hidden in plain sight" from the many guests who frequented the luxurious Greenbrier Resort. It included state-of-the-art communications and enough food, water, and fuel storage to be self-sufficient for up to 45-days. This is must-see if you are ever in the area.
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RoadTrip

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Re: 2017 FILR Mancation
« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2017, 05:23:05 PM »

Day 6

We were met with a wonderful surprise leaving Lewisburg, WV...US-219. On the map, it appeared to be a rather straight run through the valley, but we were pleasantly surprised to find beautiful scenery, a decent amount of elevation changes, and a number of welcomed twisties. North of Marlinton, we maneuvered more technical twisties as we climbed to the highlands, then turned on WV-150 (also known as Highland Scenic Hwy) for a long gentle run along the ridge of the mountains. WV-150 connects to WV-39 around the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area and we followed WV-39 west through the mountains and into Summerville, WV. We explored the Summerville Lake which feeds the Gauley and New River recreational areas (camping, hiking, rafting, etc.) before continuing on to Charleston and the Mardi Gras Resort and Casino for a nice meal and an attempt to recover from our previous losses. Good thing we ate before gambling.
« Last Edit: August 23, 2017, 05:37:31 PM by RoadTrip »
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Re: 2017 FILR Mancation
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2017, 05:23:28 PM »

Day 7

Feeling a little road fatigue, we opted for a more direct route down to Bristol, VA than we originally planned so that we would have time to explore downtown before they rolled the sidewalks up on Sunday. We stopped by the Indian Motorcycle dealer for a quick look see and stumbled across this beauty, a 2017 Jack Daniel's Limited Edition Chieftan. It was already sold and under-cover, but we were able to get a sneak peek.

This was our last day of touring together, as Scott was peeling-off towards Charlotte in the morning. We decided to celebrate the tour by pigging-out at Cootie Brown's in Bristol. Their Memphis-style baby back ribs are to die for!
« Last Edit: August 23, 2017, 05:47:30 PM by RoadTrip »
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Re: 2017 FILR Mancation
« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2017, 05:24:44 PM »

Day 8

The day of the 2017 North American Eclipse!!

I originally planned to witness the eclipse on Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, but news reports of large crowds and traffic problems steered me to Plan B, a spot along US-411 a little southwest of Madisonville, TN, which just happened to be the dead center of the path of totality. Traffic was relatively heavy along the way, but most people were stopping in Maryville or Vonore to set-up their viewing spots. The opportunistic entrepreneurs were out in full force, charging between $10-$20 for a parking spot along the road and there were license plates for all over the south and Mid Atlantic, even a few from Canada. Kudos to the City of Madisonville - where they opened the city park for free parking, as did many churches.

I found my perfect spot, donned my ISO 12312-2 approved glasses, and set-up my smartphone to capture the historic event. My location was very remote, only 2-3 other people within sight in any direction. As the eclipse reached its totality, all highway traffic was stopped, it became eerily quiet, and everything went totally dark. At the farm across the highway, the roosters began crowing and a flock of blackbirds were swarming out of confusion.  Two minutes later, the light began to return and life returned to normal. Sadly, the iPhone pic doesn't do the experience justice.

I spent the rest of the afternoon fighting traffic back to Chattanooga.
« Last Edit: August 24, 2017, 08:26:28 AM by RoadTrip »
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Re: 2017 FILR Mancation
« Reply #9 on: August 23, 2017, 06:05:22 PM »

Epilogue

One of the most intriguing things I noticed on the ride were the geometric or hex designs mounted on the barns in the area. Today, I was able to research this phenomena and found that the designs began with the Pennsylvania Dutch. They are usually 8' x 8' and are placed on the barns for good luck in crop production or fertility of the livestock. I hope they produce the intended results, but nonetheless, they are beautiful and definately added to the rural scene.

While I really enjoyed this tour, I continue to learn the art of touring. I felt as though I had a little beginner's relapse reflected in my planning. Simply stated, I made the daily rides too long, ranging from 190-270 miles, which translates to 6-7 hours in the saddle. This limits the amount of time one can spend on really seeing the sights and meeting people along the way - the very things that make such a ride so special. It also cramped our ability to find those mom and pop cafes where you literally get the flavor of the area. And pics, NOT ENOUGH PICS!! But I have the memories.

Now, where did I put my reading glasses???
« Last Edit: August 23, 2017, 09:27:21 PM by RoadTrip »
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SHRADER

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Re: 2017 FILR Mancation
« Reply #10 on: August 23, 2017, 06:33:23 PM »

Dude

You were all over my stomping grounds here in southern WV . Some of the pictures in the Bristol indian dealer are of my father in law and his brother who both had Chiefs.
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RoadTrip

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Re: 2017 FILR Mancation
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2017, 09:29:01 PM »

Dude

You were all over my stomping grounds here in southern WV . Some of the pictures in the Bristol indian dealer are of my father in law and his brother who both had Chiefs.

Well, had I known, I would have looked you up! The Bristol dealership is very well done. I would have loved to learn more about your FIL and uncle.
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