Lost rider.: Day Trip to Roanoke VA, Smith Mountain Lake 1-7-12

Its been awhile since I've been able to go on a good road trip. First ride of the year and all went well. I was just able to go with no real plans and just turn and go with the flow. So Friday I through together a few supplies and took off on the bike bright and early Saturday morning. With the sleeping bag, tent and a few other supplies I hit the road north toward VA. With a bit of ice on the bike in the morning and it being bitter cold when I left town. By 9am it turned out to be a very warm and sunny day. Reaching in the high 60 and low 70's later. I couldn't have asked for a better winter day. Few hrs later and through a few small towns. I reached the Blue Ridge Parkway in VA. where I followed it to downtown Roanoke VA. To my surprise I actually came across a little zoo. Kinda reminded me of the movie "I bought a zoo" that came out end of 2011. Small place, not a ton of animals but those who work there you could tell do it because its a passion. I came across a few camp grounds but all were closed for the winter so the plan on camping went south. I guess I'm the only idiot who camps in the winter. Keeping on rolling I headed east over to Smith Mountain lake. After taking a few wrong turns ( or where they correct turns since I had no real plans??) and finding my way again. I rolled up Smith Mountain Lake State Park. Stopping for a snack and a drink I relaxed over looking the water and just thinking today couldn't get any better. But I wrong. Getting back to riding. I made a few turns again and came across a long gravel road. Typing in my home address in the GPS. It said to take that road so it had to have gone somewhere. Riding down with nothing in site and no one around. You could see everything. The road went on for ever. Logging trials and hunting trails everywhere. Fields of nothing and rolling hills were all the eye could see. 10 miles later I'm still going on the same road but I'm seeing houses. Old farm houses and a few trailers later I still haven't seen much of anything else. It was a road come true. 20 miles of single lane roads. no signs, road lines or anything. from gravel to concrete back to gravel. through the hills winding back and forth it was great. Best part was Pandora still worked on my phone so even got some tunes to go along with it. Before I knew it I was back in NC and didn't even know it. Riding back to town I took more back roads and just enjoyed myself. For day ride I couldn't have asked for better weather.

Total mileage on bike.. a little over 15,000 miles
Total trip mileage 357 miles.
For fun average of 50mpg with bike loaded up.