I just LOVE the first long rides of the summer!
Those who truly love riding motorcycles, will ride all year long. Even on cold winter days, as long as the sun is shining. Winter rides are incredibly satisfying but they’re often shorter in duration, with far fewer miles covered. So when the warm weather arrives, the long riding begins, and there is nothing like it!
This past Saturday, during the middle of an early morning hair appointment, I got the call to ride. My two favorite bikers, Dave and Michael (My Guys) are great friends, awesome mentors, and have taught me so much about riding these past 5 years. They told me I had 10 minutes to be ready (I made it in 15) and off we went!
We rode 350 miles, through 8 counties, and on too many country roads to count.
This bridge was built in 1896 and was just closed to traffic this past year.
I’m told that this tower was used to measure river water levels.
It was a glorious day for riding!
Lunch at Devils Backbone Brewery offered much needed fuel for our bodies, and then we turned and headed for home.
We hit the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) and pulled back into Radford around 8pm that evening.
Sunday morning found us back on the bikes, this time joined by our good (and fun!) friends Cherie, Tim, Diana, and Jeff. Dave always leads the way and while I may not always know where we are headed, I am always confident that the ride will be a blast!
Total mileage today was 145 miles.
After a brief stop at Tuggles Gap, a restaurant and motel serving BRP customers for over 70 years, we took off in earnest.
Wide sweeping curves on the BRP and much tighter curves on Rt 8 in Floyd and Patrick Counties, eventually took us to Squirrel Spur.
Our final stop was the Kanawha Valley Arena. The arena “was formed in the interest of Equestrian Enthusiasts” and in addition to the professional arena, barn, and corrals, Kanawha has a Carriage House Museum and a Carriage House Saloon.
And a covered bridge!
This scene just made me chuckle and I had to take a picture!
What a weekend on the bike! I simply can’t wait for the next one!
Life on the Bike and other Fab Things 
I love that first shot. Great composition and coloring.
Thanks Graham! For the visit and the comment. I enjoyed looking at some of your photos this morning. Life is good, eh? 🙂
Great post with wonderful photos and commentary. 500 miles? You are one tough woman.
Ah, but you know the feeling of being on the bike on a gorgeous day. It was invigorating!!
Need a pillion 😀
I had to look up the word pillion 🙂 I wish I knew how to add a photo to comments. One of the women jumped on my bike and sat on the teeny, weeny little pad back there. Made for a funny photo!!
Ha ha, my worst pillion experience was on the back of a hard tailed chopper, my poor kidneys will never be the same again 😀
Yikes! I had a similar painful experience … on the fender of a heritage softail. Yours was much worse though! at least the softail has springs!!
I took a buddy up Leith Hill in the UK on the front fender of my Honda (Before I went Brit Bike). There are lots of very bumpy tree roots on the way for a road bike 😀
I love it and it was a great weekend for a ride! I’m surprised your body doesn’t hurt from sitting for 500 miles…
You know, it’s funny … I wasn’t at all sore. This bike is much more comfortable for me than the last two. I was pretty comfy!
Great post and photos.
Thanks Joe! It truly was a great weekend on the bike!
You my friend are having way too much fun…so jealous☺ The Brewery Restaurant looked very cool. BTW…love your new gravatar image.
Thanks Laurie … it took me awhile to figure out how to change that gravatar image. I have so much to learn about wordpress (even after a year of blogging!). I had a yummy quesadilla at the restaurant but Dave ordered the Fish and Chips and they truly were the best I’ve tasted! Next time, that’s what I’m getting!
How was the rodeo ring? I have read about that place in the Galax Gazette, but haven’t been there.
Tommy Brown has created quite the event space! I’ve heard from rodeo riders that it’s a great space. I guess there are a few people who are not happy about the noise and the crowds on event weekend (you know … those damn bikers), but it seems to be that it’s a good thing for the county. It’s a really pretty setting and he’s put some money into making it nice.
Reblogged this on HardRider and commented:
Beautiful weather, backroads,, good friends on motorcycles, a brew-pub. Does it get much better than this?
Great photos and my kind of riding.. Keep on Keepin’ On
Hey Thanks so much!! I’ve been looking for more biker bloggers and can’t wait to check out yours!
I love your new avitar! You always have so much fun, and it shows in your photographs!
Thanks Lynda … I do like to have a little fun! Work hard / play hard … that’s my philosophy!