The story of how our love of motorcycles began

I wrote this story after we got back from a tent camping trip back in 2001.

The Blue Ridge Parkway....The Beginning Of A Dream

May of 2001 marked the beginning of a dream for me and Allyn, my husband of 20 years. That spring we took our daughters, age 15 and 11, on a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. We had been there many times before, since we live about 6 hours away in southeastern North Carolina, and have always loved it. But this year something was different. We noticed there was so many people on motorcycles there, riding throughout those mountain roads and about 90 percent of them were Harley-Davidsons. We saw how beautiful they were, all the many different styles of the bikes, and especially the absolute joy the riders had on their faces as they rode. We had seen motorcycles there before, but there was just SOMETHING that clicked inside of both of us on that trip. We were captivated. At one point, when we saw this big group of Harley riders parked at a scenic parkway, Allyn said, “Just look at that Rhonda, we could be doing that same thing....right here in these mountains! Wouldn’t that be great?” I agreed, and at that moment, a dream began.

A week after we got home, we went to our local Harley-Davidson dealer, Carolina Coast Harley-Davidson in Wilmington, NC. We looked at all the models on the showroom floor and we were helped by a very friendly salesman named Don. He listened to what our wants and needs were and helped us decide on a model. We got a catalog and within the week we put an order in for a brand new 2002 black Heritage Softail Classic. We were told it would take 6 months until it arrived, so needless to say, our excitement grew with every passing day!

As we waited, we thought back to the time when we first got married. We had rode motorcycles (a friend’s Honda) back then some, and Allyn had even owned a Harley-Davidson for a time before we met, but it had been at least 19 years since we had rode. Our lives got so busy, our children came and there was just hardly any time to ride anymore, so we didn’t. Now, our girls were getting older and more independent. We wanted something to do together that was special, and the thought of the adventures that this motorcycle would bring was special indeed!

On October 12, the long awaited call came (2 months ahead of schedule!) Saying our bike was IN! The next day we were down there to get it! We hauled it home on a trailer since Allyn was not used to riding any longer and he didn’t want to start off riding right in the middle of a large town, so on the trailer she went. As Allyn tied her down onto the trailer, the look on his face said it all. The joy of finally getting this beautiful bike, the thrills that awaited us, they were all evident on his face. There she sat, in all her shiny chromed beauty. All the adventures of the road seemed to await us then and there.

We thoroughly enjoyed the mild NC fall and winter that allowed us to ride frequently. We spent our free time riding and enjoying ourselves. Then we went to the Myrtle Beach Bike Week in South Carolina in the spring. We rode to the local lake, beaches, country sides, and quickly added on the miles to the bike. He became proficient and comfortable with driving, and the joy that we had at the start began to grow even more. But, even during all of our rides, there was one thing that remained foremost in our minds, and THAT was the trip we planned to the Great Smoky Mountains on our bike, where our dream was born in the first place.

Allyn’s work schedule began to get tough, and time off became few and far between. So we opted to take the trip during the time off we finally did have and that was July 4,5,6,7, 2002. We decided to stay in Asheville, NC as it is at the center of where we wanted to go. The ultimate goal? The Blue Ridge Parkway! This parkway is a very scenic drive in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It starts in the Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina and ends in Virginia. It is filled with the most beautiful mountain scenery that one can imagine and is a biker’s dream! There are motorcyclists that come here to ride the Parkway from all over the country. NO commercial vehicles are allowed and there are no advertising billboards littering the view. It has continuous smooth winding roads.

On our first full day, we road the Parkway from Asheville to Cherokee, NC. I just want to say that the trip to these mountains was NOT the dream we had hoped for...It SURPASSED it!! I cannot begin to tell you what joy that riding through those mountains on “our baby” brought to us. We became one with the open winding roads, the hills, the mountans, the valleys, the meadows, and trees. The freshness of the mountain air filled our senses. The purr of the engine, the feel of the bike as you ride of it was unimaginable. If the ride, and the scenery, was not enough, what was even more amazing was the friendliness of each and every person we met along the way. This Parkway is filled with many points f inters and scenic views can stop at. You can stop to see the view, rest, and to talk, etc. Each time we stopped, we talked with many different people, all age ranges, men, women, couples, lone riders, and groups. I have NEVER met nicer people and from all over the country! It’s as if we immediately all had something in common. The comradery was unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before. Not only were our fellow motcyclists friendly, but even the people we met along the way that were not on a bike were friendly and genuinely curious and interested in us, our bike, and our journey. For example, there was the well dressed lady that sate beside us at breakfast at the IHOP in Asheville, just before me and Allyn got onto the Parkway. I noticed she kept looking over at us and smiling. We had our jeans, boots, and Harley0-Davidson T-shirts on. Allyn had his doo rag on and it was obvious what we were doing that day. After awhile, she finally said, “are you both on a special trip?” I told her yes, and told here of our trip. She went on to say that she couldn’t help noticing our shirts and thought we were riding a Harley. She relayed to us that a child in her neighborhood was a spokesperson for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the child thought the Harley-Davidson company and all the people that rode them were wonderful. This lady made it very well know to us just how highly she thought of Harley-Davidson and its’ riders, especially due to the charitable sponsorship it gives to MDA. She made us feel great! I was almost moved to tears of pride. Then there was the elder couple from Florida we met. No,, they didn’t’ have a motorcycle, but they talked to us n one of our rest stops overlooking the mountains. The were so nice and interested in us. There was the guy from Michigan, who stopped beside us during a rest beak wanting to know if we were enjoying ourselves. He said he had a brother with a Harley that had thought of riding the Parkway and wanted to know what we thought of it so he could tell him. Of course, we told him it was heaven! And then there were the waitresses at the restaurant and coffee shops we stopped at...wanting to knowhow our ride was. And there were the many fellow motorcyclists we met. Oh man...the instant friendship, the instant “knowing” that one shares with another motorcyclist. The compliments to their bikes, and the glowing with pride from the compliments made about ours, the stories of where they came from the miles they traveled, what got them started riding....all was included in the special experience of meeting them all. We met on e couple that rode from Detroit , Michigan. She on her Heritage Softail Classic, he on his Ultra Classic. They, like many we met, were a couple very similar to us.....taking an adventure together. This is only a small sample of the many nice people we met.

On the second full day, we left Asheville and took the Parkway north. As we rode, we passed lush, green forests, which soon unfolded to scenes of the open mountains and valleys. The mornings were crisp and cool and then warmed into the 90s. However, the mountains and valleys hold onto cooler air which made the ride very comfortable. The weather was beautiful! There were many areas of mountains that revealed why they are called “The Great Smoky Mountains.” And that is due to the “smoky look.” There were many, many miles where it seemed that it was as wild and untamed, and untouched by man as it was 100s of years ago. The only thing to remind us of anything different was the pavement we were traveling on and the occasional tunnels that ran through a mountain. Then there were the beautiful rolling green pastures, complete with split rail fences and horses grazing. An occasional cozy, rustic Inn or two would also come into view. We rode to Mt. Mitchell (the highest mountain east of the Mississippi) as high as we could, then parked in the parking lot there, then walked to the top. We continued to a sweet little mountain town called Blowing Rock, where US flags were waving all over celebrating the fourth of July weekend. How wonderful it was to roll into town and watch all the folks celebrating the 4th!! Then we headed back to Asheville on the Parkway. Stopping many times to talk with fellow motorcyclist, looking at the glorious land around us and enjoying its gifts. And then, our journey was over and it was time to go home, leaving the rest of the Blue Ridge Parkway further north and into Virginia to be explored on our next trip.

Yes, we have been to these mountains before, and even drove some on the Blue Ridge Parkway by car, but nothing could compare to what we experienced on our Harley-Davidson. It was nothing short of magic. And our marriage, though it has always been strong, was strengthened even more by our experience. Two people, riding this adventure together, never knowing what lies next, one enjoying it as much as the other.....was truly magic. There are many more dreams and adventures yet to explore for me and Allyn on our Harley....but this will always be a treasure in our memories...on the Blue Ridge Parkway....the beginning of a dream.