This weekend I got my first good ride in Virginia. I have ridden on the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC but I will say that Virginia did its best to compete but sadly I did not have my camera along for the ride . I left Fort Lee and went around Richmond via the I-295 until it linked up with VA 33. I cannot say enough good things about 33, its was a beautiful stretch of road.

I took the 33 up until it intersected with VA 29 and then took 29 up to Madison and hopped on the 522/211 all the way to Front Royal, VA. This route hand-railed Shenandoah National Park, and honestly, I enjoyed this part of the trip as much as riding in the park itself. Once in Front Royal I made my way in to the park and started heading south. My biggest complaint about the whole trip is the cost of going to the park! It was $10 to get in and another $15 to camp! But, despite that, I still had a good time. I "pitched" my sleeping bag at Matthew's Arm campground and made one of the most pathetic fires of my camping career.


Once I woke up I bungied everything to the bike and hit the road. Being from a mountain town about 7000 ft in AZ (go Lumberjacks), I didn’t think these “measly” 3k mountains had anything to offer me in the way of cold. Oooh boy was I wrong haha. The chilly mountain weather was beautiful though and the fog in the mountains is just something that you have to witness for yourself. I rode through the rest of Shenandoah uneventfully and headed down to the Scenic Byway VA 6. VA 6 is a beautiful ride through the countryside that I’m sure will be even better once the leaves start to turn. Once the 6 got close to Richmond it was just the same old same old I-95 back to Fort Lee.

Long story short, if you’re ever in VA you should ride the Skyline Drive and in the surrounding area!

-Blake

 

If you get a chance to ride that direction again, stay on Rt 33 and cross over the mountain into WV. Follow Rt 33 up to Seneca Rocks and then pick up Rt 55 to Front Royal. The roads in that area of WV are really good.

 

It is a nice area. There are some fun roads off the BRP as well. If you are riding out of Richmond you can take 60 out to route 56 around Buckingham. 56 up to the BRP is pretty fun.

 

We rode the Parkway for the first time in August. I had dreamed about how cool it would be and I wasn't disappointed. I'm sure we'll return next year. We loved the town of Staunton (Shenandoah Harley), just south/west of the south end of the Parkway and Charlottesville. I couldn't believe how cool Waugh Harley was in Orange. They are in the middle of nowhere but well worth the stop (we were headed north from Charlottesville heading back to the Eastern Shore of Md.

Skyline Drive was one of the cleanest parks I have ever seen. Watch for the deer though. One poor ride from a group from Michigan was injured when one jumped out in front of him. We had close encounters with two which put me on high alert!

 

Been there, done that, and you're are all right. Good Lord willing, I'll be there again, and do that again. Simply beautiful.

 

I rode Skyline on the 17th. Awesome ride...even though I couldn't see anything off the overlooks. Mist and fog, pretty severe too. Makes the ride almost scary when all you can see off the curves is a grey fog. I did see lots of deer including a half albino and a black bear.

 

Thank you for the story, now I know what I am getting myself into....

 

it seems that lots of you have been there. I'd like to give it a go

 

I saw this thread started to read it and I'm whoa, I rode it a couple of days ago and Matthews Arm was still closed. Then I saw the date. For those interested, right now, only Big Meadows is open.

On the other hand the deer and bear are not very active. I did see at least a thousand suicidal squirrels on the roadway. You do want to try and miss them while leaned over in the turns. I hit it at 7 AM and had nobody around me all the way to the Meadows. That is a very good run.