A ten days motorcycle itinerary across the MABDR, SEAT, and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Backcountry roads, scenic views into the wilderness. Lush green forests, adventurous river crossing, and genuine atmospheres. An adventure, an experience of authentic people and territories is what our trip from Brooklyn to the South East is about.
The idea for this trip comes from another motorcycle adventure. While riding from Los Angeles to La Pax in Baja California, we met an old guy with his wife. The duo made many memories on their motorcycle, but they resemble the Blue Ridge Parkway as the best road they have ever been on a motorcycle. Since then, we had in the back of our minds to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway.
One year later, we decided to combine two itineraries on our bucket list: the Mid-Atlantic BDR, to experience my very first off-road trip, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The plan was to begin from MADBDR section 3 in Virginia and head South through sections 2 and 1 across North Carolina and Tennessee, and then continue across the first 2 sections of the SET till the Smoky Mountains. We then looped back North on the Blue Ridge Parkway, probably the most enjoyable paved road I ever made on a motorcycle. That guy was right.
The Blue Ridge Parkway project started in the 1930s as part of the New Deal programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Designed to serve as a recreational road that would connect the Shenandoah National Park of Virginia with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of North Carolina, the Parkway was designed by the New York Landscape Architect Stanley Abbott.
A real sequence of well-thought movements, almost 500 miles of windy road, every corner perfectly pitched, never harsh. Riding the Blue Ridge Parkway is like walking in a manicured landscape with colorful flowers, green trees, and dense odors. With no intersection, it's a non-stop experience through a surprising natural diversity, that brings you from 6000ft to 600 ft.
From the Backcountry roads to the Blue Ridge, authenticity was a consistent protagonist. This adventure includes wilderness, remote woods, green lands, friendly people, and delicious, hearty food.
We rode for a total of seven-eight hours a day, stopping for two. The journey has been a truly immersive one, where I've felt connected to myself on my bike, challenged and cheered every day as I traversed it.
Mid-Atlantic Routes - Day 0
The adventure begins at the Stockesville Campground, in Mount Solon (Virginia).
After driving 8 hrs straight from New York, we slept here to hit the MABDR the next day. The location for the tent and motorcycles was excellent, as well as the campground that offers a unique trail for mountain bikes. Before heading to Stockesville, we stopped by The Overlook Farm and purchased delicious strawberries and asparagus, then had two filet mignons from the local grocery store: dinner was simple and delicious.
On a side note, my best tip for your camping food cooked on the bonfire: aluminum foil. Just wrap your veggies with it or use it as a plate for your meat or bread, and you'll have the perfect cooking consistency. Then add olive oil and salt. Voilà!
Mid-Atlantic Routes - Day 1
On Day 1 our MABDR officially begins. We leave Stockesville and head MABDR Section 3.
This section is made of mixed gravel, which is a good warm-up for beginners, with no technical complexity. We halted at a river bed where we had a quick rehydrated rice dish with veggies and the first moka consumed on this expedition. At the conclusion of day one, we still hadn't finished the Third Section: it was a slow start.
Exited the BDR at Alleghany, we stopped at the Budget Inn Motel for the night. The owner was a kind gentleman that told us to go to the local Mexican Restaurant, Casa De Leones, and have their famous Margarita. So we did, and the Margarita was great!
Mid-Atlantic Routes - Day 2
We hit the road early and enjoyed a beautiful morning riding through paved and gravel roads. The plan was to finish Section Three, then switch to Second at a faster pace.
It started raining in the middle of the day: we didn't know that was the beginning of our 48 hours of riding in the rain.
We stopped for lunch and made a shelter from two trees and a tarp. Immersed in the sound of pouring water, we prepared a good mushroom risotto.
The route started to be muddy, so we decided to continue our riding on a paved back road to avoid being late also on the second day. This was a lucky choice since we got the first flat tire of this trip on the KTM. We performed a quick repair with the bacon strips on two holes and kept going til a tire shop, where we put even more bacon strips.
The rain really never stopped all day, and when we went to the last-minute motel, I fell asleep on the bike while awaiting our check-in.
Mid-Atlantic Routes - Day 3
The Third day started with rain. It never stopped. We thought it would be wise to avoid off-road routes since all the roads were flooding. Trying to find our way back to the last part of MABDR, our mission was to head South, but it didn't easily work out that way. All the rivers flooded the streets, and we were not able to ride the route we planned to ride. The only way to go through the routes was by crossing the rivers.
After that, we had a pretty enjoyable ride on paved and gravel roads and a restorative Lasagna meal. Right at the end of our day, the bacon strips on the KTM tire literally got pulled away from the tire itself, and we had to install seven additional emergency strips.
After this long day, we needed some rest, and the Damascus Old Mill Inn was perfect for a proper recovery.
Mid-Atlantic Routes - Day 4
The day after, we woke up in front of the beautiful view from the room balcony and got ready to merge the last part of MABDR Section One into the SEAT.
When we reconnected with the SET, we lived an immersive ride into green and misty forests. Rain was still on and off, but the terrain had a good drainage level, it wasn't too muddy. We had a lot of fun on this section, but I broke my rear rack due to the vibration from the off-road terrains, and the KTM tire was flat again.
At this point, we had two options: go to a tire shop and try to patch the tire from the inside, or install the tube in the KTM tubeless tire. So we had to leave our schedule behind and look for an emergency motel close by a tire shop where we could go the next day.
If you are in this area, we highly recommend stopping at Mars Hills for an amazing Southern dinner at Stack House. We had an Appalachian Brisket Steak Sandwich and Pisgah Burger which are highly recommended.
Mid-Atlantic Routes - Day 5
On the next day, no tire shop helped us, because they were only fixing cars. This is a common problem that you should consider if you travel by motorcycle. After a few attempts, we found a kind man with a small shop that gave us some help by providing space and tools to perform the tire repair ourselves. To avoid any additional risk, we decided to patch the tire from the inside and also install an inner tube. This also implies removing the pressure sensor. It took a total of two hours, then we were back on the road.
From Mars Hills, we merged into the SEAT in Tennessee, then we finally were on our way to the Smoky Mountains. The ride was epic as we experience hot temperatures, then mountains and cloudy gray skies, and lush green again. We also map an alternative route which ended up being wild and heartbreaking. I loved that ride, it was like being in a remote fairy tale.
The magic continued into the Cherokee Reserve, where we spent the night and had the perfect camping spot.
Mid-Atlantic Routes - Day 6
After leaving the Cherokee reserve, we finally reached the Blue Ridge Parkway which leads to the southernmost entrance point of the Smoky Mountains. Even after a few days of riding, seeing the Blue Ridge sign felt like a mirage and a reward at once.
The rider's dream became true. A winding, well-planned path that passes through a lush, continuous garden, bursting with vibrant green hues and blossoms.
Almost every turn had an amazing overlook: we stopped a few times in the beginning, then we realized that we were stopping every 20–30 minutes and that we had at least 250 miles to cover by the first day of Blue Ridge. Twist after twist, we rode for 8 hours without realizing it as we headed to the end of the day! The road was incredible, never disappointing, and always engaging.
While we were trying to figure out where to stop for the night, we spotted some nice cabins on a hill from the road, and we found a beautiful stay for the night at Fancy Gap Cabins and Campground. We enjoyed the sunset and the calm of the Blue Ridge at night, embellished with fireflies: one of my cherished summer symbols.
Mid-Atlantic Routes - Day 7
The seventh day began early: with the goal of completing the Blue Ridge and returning to the Stockesville Campground.
The second section of the Blue Ridge was a surprise: we changed the scenario many times, from mountains to rolling hills at the fancy gap, then more open lands, and a grand finale with a wild and dense landscape.
We made one final stop prior to Stockesville, when we exited the Blue Ridge Parkway North End. Afterward, we visited the Veritas Vineyard and Winery in Atton, to celebrate our mission completion with a special lunch.
After another hour of riding from the vineyard, we were back at the campground where we left the car. We made the last campfire of this trip, with a T-bone and some red wine from the vineyard, and we had a great night's sleep before heading back to New York the next day.
Mid-Atlantic Routes - Trip technical information
Here are some highlights on tools and road trip preparation.
Motorcycle prep:
The Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled was equipped with a 1-gallon of gasoline RotopaX, and a 40L dry bag containing all the food and tools gear. Underneath my rack, there was a 19-tubless tire that could have been utilized for both bikes. The tires I used were the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR. The only issue I encountered, besides my rack breakage, was with the river crossing: the bike joints got dry and I had to treat them with ACF-50 Anticorrosion Block Compound. I use this product 3-4 times a year to protect the bike, this time I only put a little bit on the shock joints and let it sit overnight.
The KTM Super Adventure Rally carried a 1-gallon of water RotopaX, a Kriega Overlander-S OS-32 Drypack for camping gear, and a Kriega US-20 Drypack for our clothes were ensured on two Kriega side racks. On the top rack, an additional 40L dry bag for miscellaneous and half empty, just in case we needed extra room. Underneath the top rack, there was a 21-tubless tire. Another important dry bag was the Giant Loop Possibles Pouch Roll Top ensured on the KTM crash bars: it carried all the tools we might have needed during this trip. To select the tools, we started one month ahead looking for the keys we usually need and trying to figure out what would have been the steps to take in case of common repairs. The mistake in the KTM planning was not changing tires before this trip. Lesson learned! As they say 80% of punctures happen on the last 20% of tire life.
Camping stuff:
One ultra-light tent for backpacking.
Two sleeping bags
One down blanket
One UCO Candle with one candlestick per night (7)
Two microfiber towels
Two memory foam pillows
Food and tools:
Knife
Sporks
Lighter
Collapsible dishes and cups
Moka
Aluminum foil is my to-go for the campfire!
Lavazza crema e gusto grounded coffee
Dehydrated meals (approx 2 per day) by Ready Wise, Good to Go, Adventure Meals, and Alpine Aire. We have been trying several brands and these are our final selections for taste and food quality
Dehydrated keto soups (4) by Wild Zora, the cleanest you can find on the market, ideal for ladies that want to avoid a heavy prep meal
Dehydrated breakfast meals (6) by Wild Zora, clean and healthy with simple ingredients
Trail mix and Keto protein bars, Lara bars
Maps:
HERE is the link to our itinerary on My Maps, you will be able to download it and customize it for your trip.
And that's a wrap!
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