BEST EAST COAST MOTORCYCLING ROADS
If you follow me here on Roadcraft USA you know I’m not big on making plans for road trips. I generally just pick a direction or destination and head out into the wind. No hotel reservations. No daily mileage goals. No plans set in stone. It’s the way I roll these days.
I’m changing that approach for a couple of weeks in June of 2023. I’m heading out to some of the best east coast motorcycling roads and events; and have locked myself in to some dates where I need to be in certain venues. What better opportunity than this to get to meet some of you folks that I know only as online friends and acquaintances.
That being said, here’s a fairly accurate agenda of where I’ll be and when. I welcome any and all suggestions you might have on “must ride” roads and “must visit” locations and attractions that fall within the confines of my travel plans. Use the comments section at the end of this post, or reach out to me directly, with your recommendations. More importantly, let me know if our schedules coincide and you would like to meet up at some point along my proposed route(s). I would love to meet as many of you as possible on this trip.
Tuesday • June 6, 2023
This is my tentative date to leave New York. It will be a relatively short day in the saddle, landing just 200 or so miles from home. After escaping the concrete jungle of metropolitan New York it will be all secondary roads. My tentative destination is the Pennsylvania Dutch/Amish region near Lancaster, PA; a favorite destination of mine that has been featured on this blog before.
Wednesday • June 7, 2023
A backroads blast across the Mason-Dixon Line along the border of Pennsylvania and Maryland. I may just explore some of the wonderful rural roads of north-central Maryland, some of the best east coast motorcycling roads that receive little or no recognition. I’m also considering visits to the Civil War historical sites at Gettysburg and/or Antietam. A little history and culture never hurt anyone.
Thursday & Friday • June 8 & 9, 2023
I will be in attendance at the BMW MOA (Motorcycle Owners of America) national rally in Doswell, VA. This year marks the 50th anniversary of said organization as well as the 100 year anniversary of BMW Motorrad. Those two milestones combined insures that this will be an event for the record books. The list of people I want to meet in person at this event is extensive. I hope I get to shake hands with all of you.
Saturday • June 10, 2023
I’ll be bailing out of the BMW MOA Rally on Saturday morning and will be riding The Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the best east coast motorcycling roads anywhere. I’ll ride the BRP from its northern terminus at Rockfish Gap, VA, south to Floyd, VA; approximately 40 miles north of the North Carolina border. I’ll be staying that evening at Oak Haven Lodge, a favorite stop of my local group; the Long Island BMW Riders Club.
Sunday • June 11, 2023
On this day I’ll be riding the remainder of the Blue Ridge Parkway to its southern terminus at Cherokee, North Carolina. From there I’ll head west to Knoxville, Tennessee to join the MSTA (Motorcycle Sport Touring Association) Star Rally; their annual national rally. I’ll be staying at the event venue, The Holiday Inn Knoxville-West for the next few nights.
Monday-Wednesday • June 12-14, 2023
I’ll be a part of the MSTA event and will be enjoying some great riding in The Great Smoky Mountains region. This area boasts some of the best east coast motorcycling, including rides on The Foothills Parkway, The Tail of the Dragon, The Cherohala Skyway, Moonshiner 28 and countless others.
I’ll also be speaking at the rally on two occasions, with my programs scheduled for Tuesday evening as well as at the closing banquet on Wednesday evening. If we haven’t put in some saddle time together by this point, please make it a point to stop by and say “Hello”.
Thursday June 15, 2023 - ???
This is where my itinerary starts to get a little fuzzy. I’ll fall back into my normal routine of not having any lodging reservations or places I need to be. I’ll be heading north out of Knoxville, TN through Kentucky and up to the Athens, Ohio area. On assignment for Blue Ridge Motorcycling Magazine I’ll be spending some time on Ohio’s “Windy 9” and Ohio Route 555, “The Triple Nickel”; roads that hold the promise of being added to our list of best east coast motorcycling experiences.
I’m still not sure, at this point, how long I’ll be spending in the Athens, Ohio region. At least two days, I would think. Perhaps three. That depends upon how good the riding experience is. In four decades of riding I’ve never visited this iconic destination. I hear it’s wonderful for motorcyclists.
The Ride Back Home
Again…no plans set in stone. Sometime during the week of the 19th I expect to wheel back into my driveway. Still not sure what route(s) I’ll take to get there, or when I’ll get home. I’m thinking of a visit to Punxsutawney, PA to meet the famous meteorological groundhog or maybe a burn through the Pocono Mountains to visit some dear friends that live there.
When all is said and done I’ll probably have racked up in excess of 4,000 miles on this adventure. If history has taught me anything at all, it’s that I’ll already be thinking about my next journey the minute I get home.
Now, more than ever, we welcome your comments below. What are some of the “must ride” routes I should add to this list of best east coast motorcycling roads? What are some “must see” attractions I should stop at? Be sure to subscribe to Roadcraft USA for a once-monthly newsletter announcing new posts that hit the blog. There are certainly going to be quite a few more travel features added after this trip draws to a close.
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Checkout the Backroads of Appalachia website for route information for southern/eastern Ky and SW Virginia. LOTS of great riding and places to see in that area.
Sounds like an epic trip, if you come out the weekend earlier you can join our club at our annual rally, been doing it for 43 years now. We also plan on taking a ride through the Blue ridge mountains on our way down to the MOA rally. Drop the link below in case you’re interested.
https://bmw2.org/meetings-events/srr-23/
What an awesome trip! Many back roads off the Blue Ridge Parkway are remarkable, and almost no cars Worth exploring. If I wasn’t riding to Milwaukee WS that week, I would have loved to join you! Stay safe!