Memorial Day Weekend at Tuggle’s Gap

How do you memorialize the fallen?  If you ask 100 different veterans, you’ll get 100 different answers.  Like every other demographic, veterans are not a monolith.  We may have some common stereotypical traits associated with people who’ve served, but our experiences, and interpretation of those experiences, vary greatly- especially with the passage of time.  Some lament the lack of small-town patriotic parades to mark the holiday and that folks just view it as an extended weekend where BBQs and leisure activities are the focus.  Others attend public commemorations and celebrations.  But for some of us, memorializing those we have lost to war and its aftermath is done privately.  For me, this year at least, it was through deliberate conjuring of happy memories with friends who made the ultimate sacrifice, while riding in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a couple of other veterans, Dave and his dad Bob.  When Dave mentioned a hidden gem of a motel right off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd, VA, I immediately looked it up and booked us a few rooms.  What a great find! 

Built in the 1930s as a store and gas station on VA-8 near Blue Ridge Parkway Mile Marker 165, Tuggle’s Gap Parkway Service Center became the Tuggle’s Gap Roadside Inn in the 1940s with the addition of 10 motel rooms and a restaurant.

After taking over the establishment from owners who ran it for nearly 40 years, father and son duo Bjorn and Nick started major renovations on Tuggle’s Gap Roadside Inn in 2021.  Although the current iteration of this historic lodge no longer operates the gas station or restaurant (but may reappear in the future), its location just 5 miles from downtown Floyd, and mere feet from an entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway, makes it a primo location from which to stage exploration of the iconic 469-mile parkway.  The rooms are minimalist yet comfy, very clean, and thoughtfully apportioned.  I loved the raw wood ceilings and accents, walk in shower, multiple USB outlets, historic framed photos, and the most delicious in-room coffee maker java I’ve ever had at a hotel!  From the moment I phoned the motel, Nick’s passion for the place shines through in his old-school Innkeeper style of ensuring each guest has the best experience possible.

After checking in to the motel, we pushed our luck and headed out for a little riding before the incoming storms hit. As you can see by the wet pavement and clouds in the background at Rock Castle Gorge Overlook near Rocky Knob, our luck ran out and we got drenched.
The sky over the Blue Ridge Mountains put on a beautiful show at sunset as the storm clouds moved on.
A hot, fresh cooked breakfast at the motel allowed us to head out and jump on the Blue Ridge Parkway early where we enjoyed this incredible view at The Saddle Overlook. Click HERE to view the 2-minute video Nick took of us with his drone as we departed the hotel and looped around onto the Parkway (I’m the lead bike).
All three of us have ridden the BRP numerous times, but Mabry Mill at Mile Post 176 is always a must-stop, even though the restaurant is non-operational for the 2024 season.
We stopped by the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, VA to visit the Roots of American Music Museum. Too early to take in the free Midday Mountain Music performance at noon, we crossed the border back into North Carolina on winding roads to Sparta for lunch, then back up to Virginia for the show. We made a wonderfully twisty loop back to the motel via US-58 at Meadows of Dan (photo) and VA-8.
This time, we made it back to the motel before the storm rolled in and enjoyed a leisurely evening of visiting with Nick, and fellow lodger Shannon, listening to the rain dance on the patio’s tin roof and chatting about riding, writing, and life in general.

The weekend was a great little get-away for the first ride of the Blue Ridge Parkway this season.  I have a few other riding adventures from the last couple of months to catch y’all up on, so I’ll back up and post those stories soon!

3 thoughts on “Memorial Day Weekend at Tuggle’s Gap”

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  1. It was a pleasure to have you stay with us at Tuggle’s Gap Roadside Inn and we loved reading about this and your other adventures! Thank you for sharing your story and we hope to see you again some time!

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  2. Pingback: Fall Foliage Adventure on the Blue Ridge Parkway – FitHippie Adventures

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