Motorcycle ride from Virginia Beach to Outer Banks

Sunday morning March 19 the weather finally got nice enough to take the bike out for a ride! I decided to head down to Duck, North Carolina. It is about a 100 mile trip down there one way. I have been down there before and the trip is great when it is not peak tourist season. If you go down between Memorial Day and Labor Day you spend most of the time trying to keep your pant legs from burning onto your bikes exhaust pipe. Your bikes engine will get so hot the ride quickly turns into a pain instead of an escape with the traffic heading to the beaches.

This winter has been real bad so I needed to take my bike out now more than ever; I have been watching the weather and trying to balance my work and school. Time is a premium for me. I was waiting for the stars to align and give me the chance I needed. I got lucky on Sunday and was able to make my way onto 264W without too much of a hassle. On 264W you always have to keep your head on a swivel because people aren’t paying attention to driving and motorcycles do not even come onto their radar. I hate having to cruise on the interstate where the potholes sneak up on you. The tempo improves once you merge onto VA-168 South. You will be on this road for about 34 miles. The scenery starts to open up and the blood pressure will begin to drop.

This is where I was able start to relax and begin enjoying the ride. I could feel myself start to let my mind wander and think about where I am in life now and what I am looking to accomplish in the next year. Riding my bike has always been the way I have been able to clear my head and focus. I always wanted one when I was in the Marine Corps. My dad had one when I was in high school and some of the guys I served with bought them after deployments. I got my first Harley back in November of 2005.

I had to pay attention again because the turn for US-158 East was coming up. This will take you all the way to NC 12. Once I merged onto it I had a 30 mile stretch to try and wrap my head around the idea that my wife is 19 weeks pregnant. I tried to assure myself that we were ready and would be fine. I am riding the emotional roller coaster with the news. It adds a new level of pressure to make sure I have my act together when you’re told that you are going to be a father. I had plenty to think about on this ride. Before I knew it I had to take a left onto 12N.

I finally stopped at The Blue Point restaurant in Duck and stretched my legs a bit. Once again I was centered and felt like I could take on what life had to throw at me. This motorcycle trip gave me the balance I was looking for. I look forward to this year’s riding season.