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“Nirvana” is defined as a place or state characterized by freedom from pain, worry, and the external world.  

Motorcycle nirvana. That’s what we have in Highland County. 

Not only is Highland County full of great motorcycling roads, but so are the surrounding Virginia and West Virginia counties. 

Motorcycling is about a lot of different things to different people. For me, it’s about Flow.  Flow is when the rider and the machine merge to become a single kinesthetic experience.

Proprioception is the sense of where our body is in time and space. When we operate a machine our proprioception expands to include the machine and, with practice over time, man and machine can blend to increase Flow.

Winding roads in the Blue Grass Valley. Perfect for “Motorcycle Nirvana.” (Photo Credit: Annette Naber.)

The blend of the roads and landscapes in Highland County are very conducive to Flow and create an optimal environment for a peaceful motorcycling experience. 

Most obviously, it is beautiful here.  More specifically, there is hardly any traffic. Sometimes I may ride for an entire day only noticing a few cars and, for broad stretches of time and distance, there are no cars.

There are mountains here establishing a kind of riding some call “mountain riding,” which refers to roads that are smaller – one or two-lane country roads that wind rhythmically through what I call a “roadscape.” 

Each road has its own unique rhythm composed of the road’s surface, rise and falls, twists and turns, time of year, the weather, and all of the endless nuances of the roadscape environment.  

Dropping into tune with all of this is where Flow begins – the effortless effort to glide through time and space. Motorcycle Nirvana.

Motorcycle-friendly roads blend with mountains and fields throughout Highland County, Virginia. (Photo Credit: Annette Naber.)

While “mountain riding,” there is the opportunity to ride with no urgency, no pressure to go from here to there, or anywhere in particular, on a schedule.

What I mean is this: You find a place to stay somewhere around Monterey, leave your stuff, and head out for the day or a few hours. Your schedule doesn’t matter because you’re all settled in with no deadline to find lodging.  Necessities are already secured.  

You can choose between a variety of routes and discover the ways they connect. Ride out one way and come back another while discovering the beauty and rhythm each roadscape possesses.

At the end of your ride, you’re back where you began early enough in the day to relax for the evening.

There are two ways to facilitate a smooth, relaxing, and enjoyable riding experience:  

1. You can hire Allegheny Motorcycle Tours to introduce you to our roads, especially the hidden ones.  Instead of stopping at every intersection to consult your map or GPS, you simply follow your guide and enjoy the ride – experiencing the scenery and finding Flow.
2.  You can set up camp at Moto Camp, a motorcycle-only, off-grid, solar campground located five miles south of Monterey.  Moto Camp is situated in a beautiful location.  You can set up your tent or rent a bunk in the main lodge.  (Simple shelters are planned for the near future.) There’s also a clean and spacious bathhouse with toilets and hot showers.

So, come spend a day, several days, or longer, exploring the soothingly-beautiful roadscape in Highland County and beyond.  Happy Trails.

Dan Kauffman, Owner of Allegheny Motorcycle Tours

Dan Kauffman is the owner of Allegheny Motorcycle Tours and Moto Camp.  You can reach him at 540-280-4782 or www.alleghenymotorcycletours.com.