Courtesy of Laurie Buchwald

Laurie Buchwald celebrated her 50th birthday by a taking a 925-mile solo adventure along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Courtesy of Laurie Buchwald

Laurie Buchwald rode through the entire North Carolina portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway, including the portion called the Tail of the Dragon, which is an 11-mile stretch of road with 318 curves.

| Mary Hardbarger

mary.hardbarger@roanoke.com, 381-1679

When Laurie Buchwald turned 50, she didn't sulk -- she celebrated.

The OB-GYN nurse practitioner and former Radford city councilwoman hopped on her motorcycle and took off along the Blue Ridge Parkway for a five day, 925-mile solo adventure.

The trip was a merge, Buchwald said, of her passion for motorcycles and her belief that "50's just a number."

"It was a way to celebrate my vision of 50 as no big deal," she said.

Buchwald fell in love with the thrill of riding a motorcycle two years ago. She rode on the back of her friend's bike for a year and later decided it was time to buy one of her own.

At 49, she bought a used Honda Rebel and then moved on to "bigger and better things" with a Harley-Davidson 2008 Sportster 883L -- the bike that would soon take her across three states and on what she called a "trip of a lifetime."

After riding with friends and her local Harley Owners Group, Buchwald said her confidence grew enough to where she began to plan her solo ride.

While many Harley owners ride in teams, Buchwald said a solo trip was just what she desired.

"She's an adventurer," said longtime friend Amy Harris. "She isn't afraid to go for what she wants."

Although she turned 50 on May 12, Buchwald didn't start her journey until July 26 because she's been celebrating her birthday all summer, she said.

She started her trip in Radford and got on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Hillsville.

Harris said she supported Buchwald's trip with just one caveat -- for her to keep in touch on a regular basis. Besides sending text messages to friends and family throughout the journey, Buchwald wrote a blog journal each day.

In it she recounted the "Harley Dog" -- a hot dog topped with bacon and cheese -- she ate, her first encounter with a rainstorm, and the beautiful scenery and kind people she met along the way.

She traveled through the entire North Carolina portion of the parkway, where she took a ride through the Tail of the Dragon, an 11-mile stretch of road boasting 318 curves.

The brave souls who take on the feat -- traveling the route both ways -- and succeed, put an honorary sticker on their bike and helmet. Those who aren't so lucky must put their broken bike parts on the "Tree of Shame."

"Well, I am proud to say I have a sticker on both the bike and the helmet ... so proud," Buchwald wrote in her journal.

Buchwald said there were days she'd catch herself laughing out loud as she zoomed down the parkway. She stopped when she wanted to, ate what she wanted and ultimately "did what I wanted to do," she said.

"This feeling of independence came over me," she said. "I was outdoors for five days passing some of the most amazing mountains and streams. I felt confident and joy-filled ... it was amazing."

After returning from the trip July 30, Harris said she noticed a newfound confidence in her friend.

"Completing this trip was like a checking off something from a 'Bucket List,' " Harris said.

"There's not many people who can say they've accomplished something like this."