Back of the Dragon - New York Times Article

[rlucas]

Some of the attendees at the Fall Rally in Wytheville, VA (that's "WITH-vll" for the uninitiated) may recall that I mentioned talking to a NY Times photographer at the Back of the Dragon Welcome Center. Here's a link to the article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/05/business/virginia-coal-town-serpentine-roads-motorcycling.html

Jack, Henry, and the back of Carey's head can be seen in one of the shots. Apparently, I didn't make the cut...

[Millietant]

Some of the attendees at the Fall Rally in Wytheville, VA (that's "WITH-vll" for the uninitiated) may recall that I mentioned talking to a NY Times photographer at the Back of the Dragon Welcome Center. Here's a link to the article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/05/business/virginia-coal-town-serpentine-roads-motorcycling.html

Jack, Henry, and the back of Carey's head can be seen in one of the shots. Apparently, I didn't make the cut...

Nice story in the link and it looks like a nice place to visit/ride.

Hey, there are also a couple of FJ tee-shirts visible in the photo's and both a FJ sidepanel, with ABS logo and a FJR. You guys at least got the FJ recognised in there   - those in the know, will know !

[rvnmaniac]

 I knew i would make the NY Times one day....

[FJ Flyer]

Must have been the day I arrived and when I was napping at the campground.

[Motofun]

I knew i would make the NY Times one day....

Just not the way we all expected!   

[rlucas]

I knew i would make the NY Times one day....

I don't think the NYT has a "Today's Mugshots" section, like the local papers around here do, so we did the best we could.

[rlucas]

Nice story in the link and it looks like a nice place to visit/ride.

Hey, there are also a couple of FJ tee-shirts visible in the photo's and both a FJ sidepanel, with ABS logo and a FJR. You guys at least got the FJ recognised in there   - those in the know, will know !

The picture makes it look like a really active place. In reality, our group (10 or so) and a couple of other riders were the only ones there. The "Welcome Center" is a semi-temporary building with a small porch area. An assortment of T-shirts and patches\stickers. tRoy, Sheila, and I came through on the way down from Huntington on Tuesday and we were the only ones there besides the proprietors.

The road is...amazing. Maybe my new favorite. I have always loved 421 between Mountain City and Shady Valley - this is better. 421 is a bit more technical (pavement surface, camber changes, etc.) but this has everything. Parts of it are extremely tight, parts are nice sweepers, the surface is clean and unbroken. Very little traffic.

I think we rode the Back of the Dragon 4 or 5 times during the Rally, it's that good.

And there's a Macado's in Marion, so that's a bonus. 

[Millietant]

A nice place, to me, doesn't need to busy, just friendly and with the great roads (actually, the less. Busy, the better) I'm still looking forward to riding there in the near future.