Print Article
Shamrock Tour®: Williamsburg, Kentucky
Riding The Green Tunnels In Daniel Boone Country
Two-lane asphalt snakes its way through steep mountain gorges sculpted over millions of years by rushing streams. Lush vegetation presses in from all sides, often overarching the road and blotting out the sun. On this, the fourth day of our tour, my feet and hands move with practiced precision, downshifting, tapping the brakes, leaning deeply into the curves, rolling on the throttle and up-shifting through the gears as the motorcycle gathers speed. My complete attention is focused on the constantly curving yellow line, threading its way through a tunnel of green.
After enduring several days of rain at the Honda Hoot in Knoxville, Tennessee, my wife Karen and I are elated by the prospect of sunshine favoring our four-day Shamrock tour in eastern Kentucky. We rendezvous with Christian and Christa at the Cumberland Inn in Williamsburg, Kentucky, a small college town of 5,000. Gleefully, over a late dinner there, Christian lays out his preview of the maniacal combination of curvy routes he's stitched together for our eastern Kentucky adventure.
Day 1: Big South Fork Loop: 180 miles
Before departing the following morning, I double-check the tread depth on my new 2004 Honda ST1300 and find that it should be ready for anything that Christian, the "Route Meister," is likely to throw at us. Pulling out of the parking lot, his Aprilia Falco leads us south on US 25W. Christa follows next on the Kawasaki Concours and my wife and I bring up the rear, riding two-up on the Honda.
In the cool morning air, I recall that the cloud-shrouded mountains in this southeast corner of Kentucky, with their steep slopes and dense forests, kept early colonists from settling here for nearly 150 years. Although Indians had used a natural passage through the mountain barrier for centuries, the Cumberland Gap's location was not documented until 1750. Daniel Boone led a work party of 30 axmen in 1775 to mark what became known as the Wilderness Road, which lead settlers to the fabled Bluegrass Region in central Kentucky....
For the complete touring article, including facts & information and the map(s), click on the "Buy Article" button below.
