Tribute to My Hillbilly Grandparents: Appalachia Proud
Posted on January 19, 2017
I've been traveling the Appalachian Mountains all of my life, first in the family station wagon, then on my motorcycle. It's gorgeous country, and the people who call it home are often misunderstood. I know this because they are my people.
My travels have blessed me with countless—countless—chance encounters. From a fry cook walking across America before he goes blind, to a homeless Vietnam veteran, and the people who shared their journeys with cancer with me, I have been blessed, and my character molded by each one of them.
Six years ago this month I decided to learn to ride a motorcycle. Since then I've traveled 47 states and 5 provinces on my trusty BMW G 650 GS—often solo.
After sunset, we took a gravel road that was designed to cross the park. However, we found that it was completely unmarked, which left us to our own devices.