August 2: Not Feeling Blue Here!
What an awesome day! Today’s ride took me from Raleigh, North Carolina to Black Mountain via the Blue Ridge Parkway. It may have started out scorching hot but by the time I hit the Parkway, the higher elevation provided blessed relief from the heat, not to mention spectacular mountain and valley views.
My departure time today was not ideal as it was already in the mid nineties with high humidity by the time I got my tires replaced at the Harley Dealership in Raleigh. Thankfully I had my cooler vest on and put it to good use, making it Marion, North Carolina in record time for my late lunch at the Waffle House there.
For some reason I absolutely love this southern food chain and had been giddy with anticipation about eating there after a year away. The food is not fancy by any means. In fact, the cooks use copious amounts of butter. But the hash browns were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the bacon was cooked exactly to my specifications, and there were just the right number of pecans in the waffle. I relished every bite along with the air conditioning and ice water.
From Marion, I headed north on route 221 and then 226 about 15 miles to one of the southern entry points to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This All-American Road starts in Rockfish Virginia and runs 469 miles through six mountain chains in the Appalachians before ending in Bryson City, North Carolina. Each summer I do a portion of this road so that I can focus on enjoying the scenery rather than trying to get from one place to another.
What a delightful ride! As I entered the gently curving road, I immediately felt relief from the heat as I was cooled by the higher elevation, mountain breezes, and canopy of trees. As I rode past one remarkable outlook after another I was mesmerized by the multi-hued shades of blue and green of the Black Mountains and the valleys below them. On my right water trickled down the craggy cliffs and in front of me dark blue butterflies swirled all about. I passed through at least five tunnels as I made my way down the mountain. After stopping to take a few pictures I put my camera away and just took in the beauty around me.
Dinner tonight in the town of Black Mountain hit the spot. The Trailhead Restaurant and Bar was an unassuming place with a spectacular offering of food. My salmon cakes were full of mouth watering wild caught salmon and served with a homemade chipotle aioli sauce, corn and black bean mango salsa, and grilled asparagus. I just wish I had more room for food as my fellow diners raved about the prime rib and the homemade onion rings looked fantastic. Wow!
