Spring arrives earlier here in the South then in most places. The trees are starting to bud out, the wild flowers are coming up, and most importantly the weather is much more favorable for riding. Even though the arrival of spring is early here there is still the rider’s funk we all get into over the winter. It seems as though our rider brains go into hibernation and the adventurous side takes a back seat. More of our rides become about the preferable warm destination and not so much about what most certainly is the trek into hell which is the journey to get to that destination. There could be a multitude of reasons why but, for me it just seems to suck the fun right out of it when preparation for a ride includes taking frostbite precautions.

Even with the warming of the weather this funk prevails and we plan most of our rides with only the destination being the major point of consideration and take the shortest, easiest route to get there. This tendency doesn’t seem to fade until about two months into the heavy riding season at which point we have already missed two great months of riding. Here are some ideas of places to ride in the South where at this time of year you are sure to have a memorable trip. If you live in the South and never have done these rides, or if you live further away, these are simply some of the most wonder places to take the ones we love. Your wife (or husband) can come too.

The Blue Ridge Parkway

There are fewer places on the planet where you can still feel like you riding in true wilderness, but for some that is exactly the feeling while riding the Blue Ridge Parkway although you are never very far away from populated areas. The Parkway is a National Parkway and one of the ultimate riding trips that should be on everyone’s list of things to see. It runs from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee, North Carolina. If you ride the entire length from north to south is it about 470 miles and can be done all at once or you can pick the stretch that fits best logistically. The ride is not difficult as the roadway is well maintained and the scenery invites you to ride slow and make many stops. Check the link below if you are interested in more information.

Blue Ridge Parkway Site

There are one or two words of caution though. The first is that if you ride the parkway early in the spring, you may find that some sections are closed due to snow. A list of section closings can be found by going to the Blue Ridge Parkway website as they post the status of road closures there. Second is that if you are riding on a Sunday, the name of the road changes from the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Blue Hair Parkway. If your idea of a good time doesn’t include staring at the backs of multiple Cadillac’s and Lincoln’s with nothing visible of the driver except hair and knuckles on the steering wheel you would be best to do this ride during the week.

Highway 129, A.K.A.. Deals Gap or The Dragon’s Tail

If you are looking to kick off the riding season with a bang, take a trip down Highway 129 just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. This section of road is know as the Dragon’s Tail and is Mecca for sport bike and cruiser riders alike due to the absolutely beautiful area in which it is located as well as the 318 turns over its 11 mile distance. On any given day you can find as many various styles, makes, and models of motorcycles as have ever been made. This ride is not for the novice. You truly need to have a good handle on your machine as well as good situational awareness. The riding community is very protective of this stretch of road and is highly critical of those that don’t have there stuff in one sock. Make sure to check out several of the web sites as they will tell you the etiquette required to have best and safest ride. This doesn’t mean that you have to be an expert rider to go there; it just means that you need to know what you’re doing or at least be willing to learn. Due to the know numbers of folks that slightly exceed the posted speed limit on the Tail, law enforcement presence is high. Fortunately, the riding community alerts the presence of the cops like a pack of Meerkats spotting a lion on the African planes and unless you don’t have ears, usually those that get busted are the ones that truly deserve it. Don’t let any of this scare you off; this is a ride that you can’t miss.

There are many web sites for the Tail of the Dragon, but this one is my favorite. Make sure to spend some time on the site and check out the awesome pictures these guys take. By the way, if you ride the Tail at certain times, you can buy your very own Cycle World style picture from them at a very reasonable price.  

Killboy.com

Wilmington, North Carolina to Savannah, Georgia via Hwy 17

While curvy roads, shear roadside drops, and gorgeous vistas tend to be frequent features found on everyone’s lists of where to ride, the South offers another option; the coast. Riding down 310 miles of the Atlantic Coast from Wilmington, North Carolina to Savannah, Georgia is like stepping outside of what is normally thought of as modern America and back to days gone by. Much of the southern coast still harkens of the “Old South” with plantation homes, fishing / shrimping villages, and all of the history that revolves around the birth of our country not to mention the Civil War. This easily is a ride that can be turned into a true vacation. Taking Hwy 17 south towards Myrtle Beach and onward through Charleston, Beaufort, and Hilton Head, South Carolina ending up in Savannah, Georgia you give you ample opportunity to experience southern culture at its finest. If you can plan your ride around March 14^th, St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah is an event that you certainly don’t want to miss. Many have said that St. Patties Day in Savannah can only be outdone by the festival held in Chicago. Although it is a little later, the Myrtle Beach Bike Week is held May 9-18^th.  All of the cities on this ride have something to offer up to the interests of everyone and you would be sure to have a wonderful experience. Here are the links to information sites for the major cities along the route so that you can check out all that they have to offer.

Wilmington, NC

Myrtle Beach, SC

Charleston, SC

Beaufort, SC

Hilton Head, SC

Savannah, GA

With nature turning new, now is the best time to have a new start to the way we enter the riding season while most are still just trying to think of somewhere to go. Have fun and enjoy the ride. Until next time…

By: T.C. "Sir Yvain" Gore