One of the Most Beautiful North Carolina Town to Visit!

Indeed, I understand that if you search for Chimney Rock online, you'll discover there are numerous places with that name worldwide, yet only one is located near Bat Cave! That's correct - Bat Cave, North Carolina, and unfortunately it has absolutely no connection to Batman or Robin.

The community would greatly benefit from visitors as they are still recovering from the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in 2022.  

Located southeast of Asheville, NC, along the scenic US 74 Alternate.  Coming from Asheville once you pass the small town of Fairview, NC you will enjoy 10 twisty miles before entering the quaint town of Bat Cave.  Here you will find the entrance to Chimney Rock Park. Bat Cave gets its name from Bat Cave Mountain, which features a cave filled with numerous bats, quite interesting! This charming town boasts several shops and eateries.

The first time I visited Bat Cave we spent the night in Asheville, NC, ate breakfast before making our way towards Bat Cave and Chimney Rock. US 74 Alternate is a pleasant route. Once we were three miles out of Asheville, traffic was quite light. The ten-mile stretch from Fairview to Bat Cave is truly enjoyable, featuring several tight turns and six hairpin curves about four miles from Fairview. Having ridden the Tail of the Dragon twice the previous day, I found this ten-mile route almost equally exhilarating and far less congested, making it much less stressful and highly enjoyable, although shorter.

The second time I visited Bat Cave I led the group out and back from Almond, NC which allowed for a lot more curvy and scenic roads.   

If you look closely, you can spot some of the curves leading towards Bat Cave

 

 

Less than a mile ahead, you will encounter another set of curves with a slope, which, although not as sharp, have some delightful bends. Along the roadside, the beautiful yet invasive Kudzu climbs up the trees and mountainside unchecked.

Main Street, US 74, in Bat Cave

 

Upon our arrival in Bat Cave, we decided to explore a few shops and search for a place to grab an early lunch before heading to Chimney Rock. The quaint shops were full of character and enjoyable to browse. There were plenty of fellow bikers in town, indicating it’s a popular stop.

Chimney Rock viewed from Bat Cave

 Based on a recommendation from one of the shop owners, we chose to have lunch at the Riverwatch Deli and Grill. As the name suggests, you can relax on the back porch or deck while overlooking the Rocky River. We ordered our deli sandwiches and enjoyed them while gazing at the river and Chimney Rock above. The lunch was satisfactory, but nothing particularly memorable comes to mind; nonetheless, I would gladly dine there again.

We rode up to the park entrance, paid the admission fee, and began our ascent up the mountain. The ride was pleasant and shaded, with numerous pull-offs featuring picnic tables. Upon reaching the parking area, we decided to hike to Hickory Nut Falls, which is a remarkable 485-foot waterfall. We descended a series of steps leading to the actual trail.

Some of the steps guiding from the parking lot to Hickory Nut Trail

The trail spans 0.75 miles in one direction and is easy to navigate while providing ample shade. There are several spots to pause, relax, and take in the views of the surrounding mountains or the Bat Cave below. Near the end of the trail, we crossed a wooden bridge that led us to the base of the falls. It was quite beautiful, and I’m glad we took the time to trek the trail.

Hickory Nut Falls

After returning to the main parking area, we took the elevator up to the gift shop and bridge that leads to the top of Chimney Rock. Chimney Rock towers 315 feet above the base at the parking lot, reaching an elevation of 2,280 feet. Once we arrived at the gift shop and snack bar, we crossed the bridge to stand atop Chimney Rock. From there, we could see all of Hickory Nut Gorge, Lake Lure, Bat Cave, and the surrounding areas.

Lake Lure as viewed from Chimney Rock

We also hiked to the Opera Box (a fantastic place to unwind) and up to view Devils Head, a rock formation resembling what we imagine the devil's profile to look like. It’s an intriguing formation.

Devils Head - reminds me of the Duke Blue Devil logo

We thoroughly enjoyed the scenery. The Chimney Rock Park website claims that one can see up to 75 miles from the peak of Chimney Rock. I can't speak to the exact distance, but it was an incredible day, with amazing sights, and definitely worth the visit.

Chimney Rock as seen from the Opera Box

Chimney Rock and Bat Cave, NC is worthy of visit.  You will enjoy the scenery and the roads as they twist, turn, rise and fall through the North Carolina foothills of the Smoky Mountains.

 

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Best Pie in Texas - Koffee Kup Hico Review

 

Texas Hill Country in the spring can be colorful

When heading to the Texas Hill Country one has to decide on a route and more importantly, a lunch stop. With countless scenic back roads to choose from, my sweet tooth often ends up guiding my decision.  Hico is one of my favorite destinations for a lunch stop, specifically the famous Koffee Kup Family Restaurant, well-known across Central Texas for its legendary pies.

The famous Hico Koffee Kup established in the early 1980's

I love exploring as many unfamiliar Farm-to-Market roads as possible, and there are multiple possibilities on the way to Hico. The lightly traveled routes with their twists, elevation changes, and minimal traffic enforcement make for a fun spirited ride. Hico is tucked into the northern edge of the Texas Hill Country and offers some of the best roads for motorcycle enthusiasts.

If you roll into Hico around lunch time the Koffee Kup can bustling. Locals, travelers, and even a lot of bikers often fill the place. However; waiting for a table while eyeing the legendary pie rack is worth the wait. 

The food at the Koffee Kup is consistently good, classic, home-cooked comfort meals.  I usually want to leave room for one of the many varieties of freshly made pies so I keep lunch simple.  Most often I go with a flavorful hamburger, no fries.

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Fresh made pies are the highlight at the Koffee Kup

On one particular visit I found myself in front of the pie rack with least 15 pie options staring back at me, the decision wasn’t easy. Normally, I’d go for my tried-and-true coconut cream pie, but this time, something new caught my eye - the “Doctor’s Office” pie. Built on a graham cracker crust and layered with sweet cream, vanilla custard, roasted coconut, and almond slivers, it was impossible to resist.

The slice was perfectly chilled, generously sized, and every bite blended rich flavor with just the right amount of texture from the crust and toppings. By the time I finished, the Doctor’s Office pie had earned a spot alongside coconut cream as my new favorite.

The Doctor's Office

 

If you’re ever riding within 50–75 miles of Hico, do yourself a favor and detour to the Koffee Kup. The pies are some of the best in Texas, and the ride through Central Texas FM roads makes the trip even sweeter.

Top Five Oz Videos

  

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Half A Million and the Top 5

 

I am fully aware there are many publications and blogs that have had millions of eyes/readers peruse their websites and blogs.  However, for a motorcycle rider that is not a professional writer the thought of having 500,000+ click on a simple blog is startling and humbling.   

An early post about Wheels Through Time museum and the same model my grandfather owned back in 1915.

 When I started the blog I just wanted to be an "ordinary biker" providing useful and straightforward information for other riders.  I did not want to use strange and unnecessary phrases just to be different, "original" or condescending.  Often the similes used in publications are just silly, for example, one author stated "the engine fired up with the sound of 10,000 angry wasps."  That description did not provide me with any useful information. 

Here are some of the bikes I have had over the years, but not all, with links to reviews and/or videos.

2010 Yamaha FJR

2012 Honda VFR1200

2009 Suzuki VStrom 650

I am so glad the blog has been so well received and I want to thank everyone who has visited, read a post or left a comment.  I greatly appreciate past and future feedback, comments and subscribers.   

Here are the five most read blog post.  Some were posted years ago and some only months ago.  If you missed one of these maybe now is a good time to read it.

The Five Most Read Posts

5) An Epic Museum Featuring an American Icon is A Must Visit!

4) Texas Hill Country

3) Honda VFR 1200 Review

2) Yamaha FJR Review

1) V Star 1100 Review

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Will Future Legislation Restrict Motorcycling?

I try to stay aware of legislation that has impact on the motorcycling community, but of course I don't catch it all.  

I believe we the members of the motorcycling community need to communicate with legislators (local, state and federal), agencies and other power brokers when we see rights and/or opportunities potentially being restricted.  Being proactive is much better than being reactive in these matters.

I have been a long time member of the American Motorcyclists Association(AMA).   AMA is were I get a lot of alerts and updates that impact our biker community.  AMA is a good place to start if you are not already involved.  (I get NO compensation from AMA).  AMA also has a good amount of member benefits and discounts. 

I recently read a post on I Just Want 2 Ride by Warren Massey that caught my attention.  With the author's permission I am sharing his complete post below.  Please take time to read the post and consider ways to communicate with your representatives. 

Protecting Motorcyclist Rights: Guest Post by Save London Motorcycling

Posted: September 10, 2025 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle news
Tags: grassroots motorcycle organization, Hackney motorcycle policies, Harley, Harley Davidson, legal challenge for motorcyclists, Motorcycle, motorcycle advocacy, motorcycle blog, motorcycle community, motorcycle commuting, motorcycle freedom, motorcycle parking charges, Motorcycle Ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle rights, motorcycle safety, motorcycle touring, motorcycling in London, Save London Motorcycling, sport bike, Sportbike, UK motorcycle laws, Vision Zero coalition

[IJustWant2Ride – Start] This post is by the organization Save London Motorcycling. Save London Motorcycling is a grassroots organization dedicated to fighting threats to motorcycling in London, UK.  Don’t think it can’t happen in the US.  I have pointed out, in several posts, attempts to “restrain” motorcycling and do not forget that the Vision Zero coalition is all about zero motorcycles.

Please share this to raise awareness this not just for “Save London Motorcycling” but for all of us. [IjustWant2Ride – End]

****

Why We Fight to Ride Our Motorcycles

Across the UK, riders are under attack. Step by step, rule by rule, life on two wheels is being made harder, and London is on the front line.

Riders see what’s happening, but too often they don’t know how to respond. That’s why we created Save London Motorcycling to organize, to show riders they have power, and to fight back. We don’t charge membership fees; we just spread awareness and ask for whatever time, energy, and passion riders can spare.

Motorcycling is something we love, the freedom, the community, the vitality. Most riders aren’t chasing the old stereotype of the anarchist outlaw. We’re just people who ride because we love it and it makes our lives better.

If you are invisible, you are in danger

As passionate as we can be about bikes when talking to other riders, most of us don’t bring it up unprompted in day-to-day conversation with non-bikers. We’re more interested in riding than talking about riding, and that makes us invisible to many people. They don’t know anyone who looks like their idea of a stereotypical biker, and so they don’t think they know anyone who rides. And as every rider knows, if you’re invisible, you’re in danger.

We all know there’s a small minority of people who think motorbikes are nothing but a nuisance: noisy, dirty, and dangerous. They don’t ride, they don’t understand why we do, and if it were up to them, they’d ban us all tomorrow.

Government Officials Have Agendas

In the UK, much like the USA, it’s local government that makes the rules we feel every day. That means one anti-motorbike councilor, elected with only a few hundred votes, can make life hell for riders across their borough.

If they tried to do this to car drivers they’d be reined in by their more moderate colleagues, car drivers are voters after all! But their colleagues don’t think they know any bikers, they don’t see us, they don’t hear us, and they don’t think we vote.

Hackney has become an extreme example of this, after their own anti-motorcycle activist councilor decided to impose parking charges on motorbikes at the same rate as cars and ban all-day parking to prevent motorbike commuting.

With petitions and protests, presenting the evidence and reasoning the case, we achieved some concessions from the Council. But in the end, they simply stopped listening. The original policy was so draconian, that even after their ‘concessions’ the costs are devastating.

Charges for commuters add up to more than £2,000 a year just to park at work. Resident permits up to £596 annually, and business permits reach £1,560, with further rises already planned. For around 10% of residents, those living in so-called ‘car-free developments’, permits are simply unavailable – motorbikes are banned outright.

By Hackney’s own projections, these rules would cause a 70% drop in motorbike use in the borough. Riders who rely on two wheels for work, family, or affordable travel are being told they’re no longer welcome. Hackney’s own target for reducing car use over the same period is only 30%.

Riders are being deliberately disproportionately targeted, not because of evidence, but because we are seen as a politically soft target.

Standing Up for Motorcyclists

Save London Motorcycling is refusing to let this stand. We have launched a legal challenge in the High Court, arguing that Hackney’s policy is unlawful, disproportionate, and discriminatory. If we win this case, it could have important implications for councils across the UK, setting the precedent that motorcyclists cannot be disproportionately targeted in this way without evidence.

Taking a council to court is not cheap, but thanks to the generosity of over a thousand riders and supporters, we have raised more than £20,000 through crowdfunding, with our target of £25,000 now within reach.

This is why we fight. Campaigning isn’t easy. It’s long evenings in council chambers and endless hours in meetings with decision-makers who would rather be anywhere else than listening to riders. But the support we consistently receive from around London and the UK proves something important: we don’t have to be invisible.

When riders know they can make a difference, they step up. They bring their energy, their stories, their belief that motorcycling makes life better – for themselves, and for the city as a whole. That passion is contagious, and it’s powerful.

Call to Action

Change comes from the small things: an email to a councilor, a repost on social media, a donation to a legal fund. Each of these acts alone might seem small, but together, multiplied across thousands of riders, they become impossible to ignore.

We must harness the sense of community that binds us as riders, the solidarity we feel when we see another biker on the road and turn it into collective action. That is our strength. If we use it, we can protect motorcycling not only for ourselves, but for the generations to come.

Make no mistake: this is a fight for the future of Motorcycling. If we stand together, we can win it.

Links to Save London Motorcycling

Save London Motorcycling – Facebook

Save London Motorcycling – X

Save London Motorcycling – Instagram

Save London Motorcycling – Interweb

 

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An Epic Museum Featuring an American Icon is A Must Visit!

On my various motorcycle tours and trips we enjoy the riding times and most of our stops are for a short time, but occasionally a longer stop is well worth the extended time.  One such stop is the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.  Cody is a great place to stop before riding the amazing scenic Chief Joseph Byway and the Top of The World Beartooth Pass or heading to Yellowstone National Park.

Welcome to Cody, Wyoming!

 

Cody was founded by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody in 1896 and is the eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park.  It makes sense that the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is located in a town that bears his name.  The center is a consist of five museums and contains over 50,000 artifacts.

Buffalo Bill welcomes Scotty

 

The five museums, Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indians Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, Draper Natural History Museum and Cody Firearms Museum, display unique artifacts that surprise, excite and educate.

The Buffalo Bill Museum highlights Buffalo Bill and includes personal artifacts such as saddles, posters, the clothing he wore when performing in his show and his famous buckskin jackets.  There is a life-sized hologram of the Buffalo Bill in the museum.

Buffalo Bill artifacts

The Plains Indian Museum displays the histories, cultures and modern lives of the indigenous plains peoples.  Artwork from the 1800s to current times are displayed.   The 19111 log house that belonged to Standing Bear of the Oglala Lokata  people is on display.

Plains Indian display

The Whitney Western Art Museum was added in 1959 and has over 300 works of art from many artist including Remington, Russell, Moran and Bierstandt.  Visitors to the center are welcomed by The Scout, a huge Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney bronze sculpture.

Scout by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney

 

The kid-friendly and interactive Draper Natural History Museum provides experiences about the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.  Displays feature wildlife like wolves, grizzlies, elk and more.  One can also catch a seasonal raptor show (check with the center for times and dates).

That is one big grizzly!

 

 

Western transportation

 

For me the highlight was the Cody Firearms Museum.  With 4,300 American made firearms and 20,000 related artifacts there is plenty to see.  From 16th-century hand cannons, early American rifles and pistols to modern firearms are on display.  The Colt 1911 semi-auto handgun from the series Longmire and two other guns from the show are also there.

Weapons and more from Longmire

There were so many firearms to see.  They were all organized and expertly displayed.  It took Scotty and I quite a while to get through this part of the center.

Admission to the museum provides entry for two consecutive days, which if you take time to really sock in the displays and read all the placards you will need the two days.  The museum may seem pricey but it is well worth it.  If you are heading up that way plan a visit to the center, you will not be disappointed. 

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