Think I might ride to Rockingham tomorrow

Well, Spring Break is upon us here at Virginia Tech. Unfortunately, I have a meeting on Monday, so I can't just take the whole week off, but I got to thinking about visiting my mom in Rockingham, and cooked up a route that includes checking out that Smoky Mt BBQ place in West Jefferson NC.

Blacksburg to West Jefferson to Rockingham: 304 miles

If anyone has any suggestions for modifying the route, please fire away. (BTW, I'll be riding the wee-strom, so any interesting unpaved roads will be welcome!)

Thanks,

Awww come on ride with me to Chattanooga to trade the Strada for a KTM 950 and then head over to Franklin, TN to welcome GT to the area.

Well, that sounds like fun too, but I better get some "Mom" points. BTW, didnt you have a KTM950 before the Strada?

yeah I had 2, the first got oil in the radiator so I sent it back to the deal and the 2nd had a head on with a truck on Waiteville Rd in WV and got totalled. RIP

Third time is the charm I hope.

pm sent, lets ride!

And I did. Having some time on my hands, I ventured southwest and southeast over the weekend, and studied up on the Smoky Mt Barbecue establishment.

My wee ride began at about 8 AM with sub-freezing temps in Blacksburg, but I plugged in the Gerbing, heated up the grips, and headed out through Fairlawn to one of my favoritest roads: Little Creek Road, which runs along the south face of Big Walker Mountain. I explored a new dirt road near Blacklick, then continued south and west through Rural Retreat, Cedar Springs, Sugar Grove, and Volney, all scattered on good crooked roads. In Volney I stopped for some petrol, then continued west a bit on another fantabulous road: US 58. Instead of doing the entire run to Damascus, I turned left on VA 743, which was new to me. It's a fairly rough and narrow paved road all the way to the NC state line, at which point it transmogrifies into a very nice well-maintained smooth black asphalt raceway, NC 194, pretty much twisty all the way to West Jefferson.

In West Jefferson, I located the target establishment, parked the motorcycle, and ventured inside.

It's a clean well-lighted place for pig, and you choose your vittles by lining up at the counter, where you pay and pick up all at the same time. I had the small pork plate, which came with three pups and two sides. I selected the red slaw and the brunswick stew, and sweet tea to wash it all down. Here's what it looked like before I started in on it.


After lunch, I did a lot of nice riding, all generally in the direction of Rockingham, where I arrived around 5 PM, enjoyed dinner with my mother, her husband and my brother, then rode in the dark to Ft Mill SC to visit my sister and her family. Drank some brewskis, spent the night and rode back on more twisty little roads all different, including another "new to me" backway: Old NC 16. Lots to see along Old NC 16, including this cabin:

For more info, see CheapNCCabins.com :^}

A local advertisement:


One of many switchbacks along the >1500' elevation change from Millers Creek to Glendale Springs:


An old pile of rocks beside the road:


All in all, a great time, exploring some of the best that NC and VA have to offer.

later,
Chrish

Theres a really good BBq place near Jefferson at the intersection of 221 and 113. Best I've had by a long shot.

Sounds like you hit the one I would suggest - 58. My parents live in Abingdon and I have taken it all the way to Mouth of Wilson and Elk Creek to 21 I think??? Great ride up to white top or Mt. Rodgers. I plan on heading south of Damascus on 19 to Mt. City in a few weeks - I also want to explore some just east of Damascus on the 91 road that heads north may be the Irom Mt trail or white top all south of interstate 81. With the P's in Abingdon it gives me some gool day trips on the LC4! Ever been to Hidden Valley Lake WMA or Clinch Mt?

58 is excellent, with the best part being the 35 miles or so between Volney (VA 16) and Damascus (VA 91). If you can handle 5 miles of reasonably good gravel, the loop from Damascus to Volney (on US 58), Volney to Tazewell (on VA 16) and Tazewell to Damascus (on VA 91) is mahvelous. The 5 miles of gravel is on VA 91 going over Clinch Mountain between 604 and 607. VA 91 is better once you get north of I81.

While you're in the area, don't miss VA 80 over Hayter's Gap. Excellent switchbacks up one side and down the other.