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Trip back from VMI, found a great road only if...

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PATR8

PATR8

Jedi Knight
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We had been taking the PA turnpike to take my son to VMI. On the way back from our week end visit we decided to come back on 64. Nice ride then the Garmin (her name is Greta) told us to get off on rte 60 toward Rupert. It was a typical county ride until we hit the mountians. The road turned into a fantastic switch back up and down the mountians. Only if I was in my TR8 it would have been a great fun ride, in my Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab, it was a chore.

I64 has some great scenery as you climb the mountians. I may take a week leave late this summer and take my 8 down to VMI and try to get Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge parkway driven.

In Lexington, there are always tons of cycles who rest there touring the Skyline drives
 
I suggest this one: from Lexington, take Exit 205 on I-81 N. (at the big White's truck stop) at 606-Raphine Rd., same exit as the Cyrus McCormick museum (remember him, the guy who changed agriculture, and the world?). Go about 1 mile east (right turn) on 606 over to Rt. 11, turn left then an immediate right to Rt. 56, Tye River Tpke. at Vesuvius, VA (no kidding). This takes you up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Rt. 56 intersects with the Parkway at the top of the mountain.

From there you can take the BRP north all the way to the end of the Skyline Drive, maybe two hours or so to the end, not far from I-66. You wanna talk about twisty roads? Tye River Rd. from Vesuvius to the BRP is is very twisty, but not a great one to take fast because of blind curves, lots of them.

Easy from I-64 and very, very pretty drive. Great way to go if you're taking _I64 from I-81. The BRP intersects I-64 at Rockfish Gap, where you can jump back onto I-64 easily. I sometimes take it as a "short cut" off of I-81 to get to Charlottesville. It's not faster than continuing up I-81 to I-64 east (at milepost 221 to Charlottesville/Richmond), but it is stunningly beautiful and never fails to impress. Many, many times I've taken this route to see the change of seasons, or simply just to unwind. It works. :yesnod:

And whenever I get a new car or bike, this drive is first on my list.:yesnod:
 
Used to run the MGB between Hampton, VA and Pittsburgh, PA a couple times a month back-when. Some runs were secondary roads, other times the Interstate system. GREAT drive in the summer and fall. Not so much in the winter, tho.
 
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