Willville's and Waterfalls

Thursday evening @ Willville Motorcycle Campground, Meadows of Dan, VA.

Going to drop into the low 50's tonight with early onset hurricane rains.

Fortunately, there are many good places to pull off and camp on the parkway. Planning ahead is worthwhile to a degree, but spontaneity and a seat of the pants attitude is required of any dedicated boondocker.

A good boondock camp should camouflage well...

...And have a waterfall

What a day. After breaking camp, I climbed aboard the red rocketship and began the ascent out of the valley and into the clouds and rain.

My view of the world

A major portion of the parkway is closed due to mudslides from the biblical rains being experienced in this area, so I am detoured around the affected roadway and skirt the suburbs of Roanoke in the process. The roads beyond the urban area's stop lights are actually quite enjoyable, and, being in the valleys, I'm temporarily in reprieve from the pregnant clouds above.

South Western VA valleys remind me of home.

It was during a quick stop to capture a photographic memory of these unplanned but pleasant rolling valley twisties that I chanced a glance at my rear tire's condition. Hold the phone- what are those silver bits?! Rubber had apparently been shredding from the center strip and leaving the exposed steel belts to serve on traction duty. Damn! A quick search, call and nervous 45 min ride back into Roanoke landed me at Frontline Eurosports, where the BMW guys were accommodating with new tires (front was deemed unfit for the long haul as well), a safety check, and a good traveler tip that would help my head find a home for the evening.

Tasty new treads

The tires fiasco would dash my hopes of reaching Ashville for the night, but as i was informed, heading south from the shop, at about the time I would be looking for a pull off for the evening, was a motorcycle-exclusive campground called Willville. It's run by a fellow, Will, and is but a minute off of the parkway.

A call was made to Will, and I was on my way.

Entire bunkhouse to myself - check

Hot dinner at a nearby cozy restaurant - check.

A tankful of ethanol-free high test- check.

A shower and a shave to call it an evening- checkmate.

See you down the road.

Shane