To me, motorcycling is the ultimate form of travel. I become a part of the adventure instead of being encapsulated and missing the sensations of four of the five senses. The journey becomes the goal as opposed to the destination.
Today I am heading to Rugby to enjoy the back roads and a bit of history. I punch the gear shift into first and pull out from the Bean Pot Restaurant parking lot onto Peavine Road. The sky is overcast so I’ve packed the rain suit.
The interesting thing about a motorcycle adventure is all the sights, sounds, and smells that I encounter along the way. Traveling the back roads is almost like stepping back in time fifty years or so. Everything is still there as it was except it has all gotten old from lack of use and maintenance. There are old store fronts with their stepped false fronts, now used for junk storage instead of baskets of fresh produce and jars of candy for the kids. The unused fields are covered over with a white blanket of Queen Ann’s Lace. That equipment shed has only remnants of its tin roof left, doing little to shelter the rusting farm implements inside. The Jordan Hotel is reminiscent of lodging from the 1950’s. I can imagine a 1957 Ford Fairlane sitting out front.
Since I am out in the open air, I get to take in all the aromas of the countryside. At one point the odor of a skunk is so strong I can almost taste it, but at other times I catch a fleeting whiff of the sweet fragrance of roses. Farther along the smell of wood smoke reminds me of camping out at the cabin. Then comes the smell I did not want to run into today…rain. I stop under the awning of a gas station and put on my rain gear, then continue on.
The rain stops just before getting to Rugby, so I can take my tour without getting too wet. It’s hot and humid with mosquitos out in full force, zeroing in on me like miniature dive bombers. I am glad I remembered to bring my insect repellent.
Rugby is a restored Victorian village and a rare example of a rural, living community that continues to survive with its original town plan intact. Thomas Hughes, British author and social reformer, founded it in 1880. It was to be a cooperative, class-free agricultural community for younger sons of English gentry and others wishing to start a new life in America. Twenty original buildings still stand. The Thomas Hughes Library is believed to be the oldest completely preserved public lending library in America. Rugby is nationally recognized as one of the most authentically restored and preserved communities in America.
Historic Rugby hosts several special events each year including the May Festival of British and Appalachian Culture, Holloween Ghostly Gathering, and Christmas at Rugby. Overnight Lodging is available at the restored Newbury House B&B, Pioneer Cottage, and Percy Cottage, all built in 1880. An enjoyable meal can be had at the Harrow Road Café, named after Rugby’s first eating establishment. The historically reconstructed Commissary features Rugby history wares, regional handcrafts, British Isle products, and much more. For more information about Rugby, go to www.historicrugby.org.
Leaving Rugby I continue East on Highway 52 to Highway 27 South. This road would have been a dream ride on the motorcycle if it had not been for the earlier rain that left it wet and potentially hazardous. This serpentine road follows the lay of the land, snaking around the hills, taking the route of least resistance. I want to ride this road one day when it’s dry.
I take a right onto Highway 62/298 which takes me through the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area. This section of road is fairly straight running through nothing but forest. I finally return to civilization when I reach I-40 at the Genesis Road exit. A short ride back to the Bean Pot Restaurant on Peavine Road completes another memorable riding adventure.
If you go – From the Bean Pot Restaurant on Peavine Road, Take I-40 West to the Jamestown exit #317 and go North on Highway 127 for 32 miles to Highway 296. Turn Right onto Highway 296 toward Allardt for 3 miles. At Allardt, take Highway 52 for 12.5 miles into Rugby. After your tour, continue East on Highway 52 for 6.8 miles to Highway 27 and turn right for 17.5 miles to Highway 62/298 where you will turn right again. After about 30 miles this will bring you to I-40, Genesis Road Exit. Take I-40 East 2 miles to the Peavine Road/Fairfield Glade exit #322. Turn left to get back to your starting point at the Bean Pot.
