07-31-2025, 12:23 PM
Ride Day 3 
Today's the day the main group will venture far into Virginia for the first time, even reaching as far as to cross the Kentucky Border! This run is going to include some good roads that would have been found on the Day 0 ride, but takes us in a different direction to tackle much more mountainous roads and get some stellar overlook views into Kentucky after lunch. This one was actually the very first route that I tested, because I was most excited to try it, and even though we were forced to do the whole thing in a car due to inclement weather, it did not disappoint.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZDgHr7qfnSuJtQDk7?g_st=ac
![[Image: YDuJ9xg.png]](https://i.imgur.com/YDuJ9xg.png)
We'll start first by riding directly out of town by the fastest means until we cross the VA border headed into Gate City. This is a cute little neighboring town with nothing much to see, but it will take us out into he VA countryside as efficiently as possible. From here we're going to pick up 72, which day 0 riders will already be familiar with. It's good enough to do twice, don't worry. We will, however, split off from 72 briefly to make a short stop at the old Bush Mill. It's a cute little landmark of an old water driven mill and a great photo op with a small museum in the mill that should be open if anybody wants to take a peek inside. Following this, we'll ride up 71 to 774 (another surprisingly awesome little stretch with great engineering) until we rejoin 72. This leg of the journey will carry us all the way up to Norton VA, where we can have a bathroom stop in the event there's no bathroom available at the mill. We're going to veer off into some secluded rural country again after this to take on the narrowest road of the day, a series of 3 digit roads that will get twistier and twistier as we climb up into the higher elevations one couple mile stretch of this road does shed its center line, but it gets it back in no time, and the quality of the pavement is passable and fun. Eventually this road will stop climbing and drop us off at hwy 119, which is a stunning ridge runner type road in Kentucky with some excellent views. This one will lead right to our Lunch stop at the Pine Mountain Grill, a very popular stop for motorcyclists in this area. Check out the menu, this place has anything you could want!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/aW8m4H9LNdg5HC626
After that it's time to get some Fuel and head right back to 119 (also a road that's good enough to ride twice). We'll briefly pull off to the Falcon overlook for some great pictures and look out across the Kentucky Landscape before saddling up and finally riding on to our next destination: The Dragon Slayer!
![[Image: 0puumU9.png]](https://i.imgur.com/0puumU9.png)
While not the longest, This one will likely be the most intense, fun, and exciting stretch of pavement on the entire 5 day agenda. Route 160, crossing back over the VA/KY border over Black Mountain is a relentless cascade of steep banked curves and excellent pavement. Once it starts you're stuck on this roller coaster for a good 9 miles, so save your energy! This is the perfect road for getting into that motorcycle flow state. It will eventually drop us back down in the town of Big Stone Gap VA, and where we will pick up some much higher speed highways and make all haste back into Tennessee to return to the hotel. Being that this is perhaps the longest day of the week, I wanted to make sure we could all rest easy after the Monster that is 160.
Hope to see the whole group on this one!! Stay tuned for upcoming ride previews!
Today's the day the main group will venture far into Virginia for the first time, even reaching as far as to cross the Kentucky Border! This run is going to include some good roads that would have been found on the Day 0 ride, but takes us in a different direction to tackle much more mountainous roads and get some stellar overlook views into Kentucky after lunch. This one was actually the very first route that I tested, because I was most excited to try it, and even though we were forced to do the whole thing in a car due to inclement weather, it did not disappoint.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZDgHr7qfnSuJtQDk7?g_st=ac
We'll start first by riding directly out of town by the fastest means until we cross the VA border headed into Gate City. This is a cute little neighboring town with nothing much to see, but it will take us out into he VA countryside as efficiently as possible. From here we're going to pick up 72, which day 0 riders will already be familiar with. It's good enough to do twice, don't worry. We will, however, split off from 72 briefly to make a short stop at the old Bush Mill. It's a cute little landmark of an old water driven mill and a great photo op with a small museum in the mill that should be open if anybody wants to take a peek inside. Following this, we'll ride up 71 to 774 (another surprisingly awesome little stretch with great engineering) until we rejoin 72. This leg of the journey will carry us all the way up to Norton VA, where we can have a bathroom stop in the event there's no bathroom available at the mill. We're going to veer off into some secluded rural country again after this to take on the narrowest road of the day, a series of 3 digit roads that will get twistier and twistier as we climb up into the higher elevations one couple mile stretch of this road does shed its center line, but it gets it back in no time, and the quality of the pavement is passable and fun. Eventually this road will stop climbing and drop us off at hwy 119, which is a stunning ridge runner type road in Kentucky with some excellent views. This one will lead right to our Lunch stop at the Pine Mountain Grill, a very popular stop for motorcyclists in this area. Check out the menu, this place has anything you could want!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/aW8m4H9LNdg5HC626
After that it's time to get some Fuel and head right back to 119 (also a road that's good enough to ride twice). We'll briefly pull off to the Falcon overlook for some great pictures and look out across the Kentucky Landscape before saddling up and finally riding on to our next destination: The Dragon Slayer!
While not the longest, This one will likely be the most intense, fun, and exciting stretch of pavement on the entire 5 day agenda. Route 160, crossing back over the VA/KY border over Black Mountain is a relentless cascade of steep banked curves and excellent pavement. Once it starts you're stuck on this roller coaster for a good 9 miles, so save your energy! This is the perfect road for getting into that motorcycle flow state. It will eventually drop us back down in the town of Big Stone Gap VA, and where we will pick up some much higher speed highways and make all haste back into Tennessee to return to the hotel. Being that this is perhaps the longest day of the week, I wanted to make sure we could all rest easy after the Monster that is 160.
Hope to see the whole group on this one!! Stay tuned for upcoming ride previews!