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Ride to Cherokee, NC area

julimike54

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Location
Euless
First Name
Mike
Last Name
Hayden
Our trip started in the metromess (also known as home), the first day was a get out of town dash to Clinton, MS. There we got on the Natchez Trace Parkway for a sight seeing and leisurely pace northward for a day and a half.

First stop was to view the lake
Ross_Barnett_Resv_b.jpg


Should definitely take your time along this and stop for the sights and exploration. Was riding along this swamp and didn't realize it till a stop and walk, afterward as I was riding along I would catch glimpses of it miles later.
Cypress_Swamp_NTP_7_21.jpg


The history of the trace goes a long way back, like about 100BC. We stopped at Pharr Mounds, dated 1 AD to 200 AD.
Pharr_Mounds_and_BB.jpg


After the Trace we headed to Athens, TN for the night (Saturday). Next morning headed out for the Cherohala Skyway. This also marked the end of straight roads, it seemed. On the Skyway we stopped at an observation point
Cherohala_Skyway_Juli_and_BB.jpg

I guess you can see why they are called the Smokey Mountains. Not long after this stop we rode into some very thick fog for about 5 minutes, a little tense but not.

We arrived in Cherokee and checked in for the 2017 Shark Week gathering. There was 265 attendees this year (the 7th annual) and lots of planned routes, raffle give aways, more riding, BBQ dinner and general comradery.
One trip was to here
BB_at_HD_Marysville.jpg

along with a few friends
Some_of_her_friends.jpg


More_of_her_friends.jpg


But to get there we had to ride NC28 that actually had a pit stop
NC28_Pit_Stop.jpg

(I'm always using that expression)
The people that did the routes warned everyone that the roads are twisty and to ride with caution, they weren't kidding. NC28 has some very tight curves and a very scenic river/lake along side. The views could be distracting. This road leads to a famous road we probably all know of
Deals_Gap_sign.jpg


and the Tree of Shame
Deals_Gap_tree_of_shame.jpg


According to one of the locals, this tree is annually stripped and it just fills right back up. Needless to say I rode the Tail of the Dragon and took it easy, so as to not populate the tree :)

There is a observation point at the top
Dragon_overlook_and_BB.jpg

and looking the other way
Dragon_overlook_SE.jpg


Needless to say the roads in NC made me start thinking about moving, I kept finding myself with this stupid grin inside the helmet. I did actually find some straight roads, near the bigger cities.

Another trip was a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway over to Ashville (more food to eat). I rode this section of the BRP 20 years ago, I'd forgotten how beautiful it is
BRP_overlook_the_other_way.jpg


The last day we rode over to Maggie Valley and went to the Wheels Through Time museum, there are lots to see there, a sampling
WTT_b.jpg


WTT_r.jpg


Well the time of fun and games came to an end, unfortunately it was time to return home (102 the predicted high the day we left, I hoped it wouldn't hold). The whole trip had only seen us riding in good weather, well for us that just can't be! We spent the next days riding through rain, some very heavy, till we arrived at the TX border. There it was sunshine and the heat was returning also, 95 when we arrived home, 2559 miles later. What a wonderful trip!

I have more pictures if you want to view at
https://ibb.co/album/geV1gF?sort=da...den[from]=album&params_hidden[albumid]=geV1gF
 
Looks like it was a great trip. Love that part of our country - TN/NC/SC/GA/VA - amazing roads. What year is your Harley?
 
You two definitely know how to enjoy yourselves on a long trip. Love your reports.
 
The Smoky Mountains have to be one of my all time favorite areas to ride when it just comes to twisty curvy roads. I'm due for a visit. It's been five years since my last trip out there :doh: There are just so many roads that I always struggle with which ones NOT to ride when trying to put together routes for a trip! Deal's Gap is fun, but I usually do it on a weekday morning when there is hardly anyone there. It is more fun and definitely safer! The rest of the time, there are MANY other roads out there that are just as good, if not better, that most folks never seem to ride :shrug: If I do hit the Gap on a weekend, it is usually just to hang out at the resort (which used to be called Crossroads of Time) to check out bikes and visit with people.
 
Looks like it was a great trip. Love that part of our country - TN/NC/SC/GA/VA - amazing roads. What year is your Harley?

It's a 2016, not quite a year old (mid August anniversary)

The Smoky Mountains have to be one of my all time favorite areas to ride when it just comes to twisty curvy roads. I'm due for a visit. It's been five years since my last trip out there :doh: There are just so many roads that I always struggle with which ones NOT to ride when trying to put together routes for a trip! Deal's Gap is fun, but I usually do it on a weekday morning when there is hardly anyone there. It is more fun and definitely safer! The rest of the time, there are MANY other roads out there that are just as good, if not better, that most folks never seem to ride :shrug: If I do hit the Gap on a weekend, it is usually just to hang out at the resort (which used to be called Crossroads of Time) to check out bikes and visit with people.

Yea we visited the Dragon on a Tuesday AM, I've heard the weekends are crazier. There was still a crazy or 2 on it, one of our group got passed by a Honda sport bike on a blind right hand curve, I saw a BMW car pass a bike coming the other way on a semi-blind left hand curve and some kind of naked bike was in my lane on a right hander. I can easily see why there are so many accidents on this road. I know if I lived there I'd get rid of the 4 wheel ride, too many roads to ride and I could ride the same ones more than once for sure

That photo sure looked familar. I was riding south on NT when I stopped at that same spot. Got ate up by skeeters so didn't stay long._

You mention skeeters, I kept waiting for the attacks, but in the day and half I never got bit, I'm not that lucky normally, they love to feast on me :lol2:
 
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What did you think of the Wheels through Time museum? I had a lot of fun taking pictures there. Oh, and the roads were fun too. :-)
 
Nice photos... doing The Tail of the Dragon on a super moto is on my list.
 
One of the times I was at the Gap, there were a bunch of guys there on little YSR50s and they were BLASTING through there like rockets! It was hilarious to see them ripping around big bikes like they were standing still. They were being a bit on the reckless side though, surprising people in places where they weren't expecting little bikes to be showing up!

And then there are clowns like these :lol2:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWrCkC-klaE"]Pocket bikes At Deals Gap - YouTube[/ame]
 
What did you think of the Wheels through Time museum? I had a lot of fun taking pictures there. Oh, and the roads were fun too. :-)

I have way more photos of there :thumb: If you want they are at the link in the first post

Nice photos... doing The Tail of the Dragon on a super moto is on my list.

Thanks, yea that would be good

One of the times I was at the Gap, there were a bunch of guys there on little YSR50s and they were BLASTING through there like rockets! It was hilarious to see them ripping around big bikes like they were standing still. They were being a bit on the reckless side though, surprising people in places where they weren't expecting little bikes to be showing up!

And then there are clowns like these :lol2:

Pocket bikes At Deals Gap - YouTube

Just WOW I'd hate to think of me tangled up in that!
 
I have way more photos of there :thumb: If you want they are at the link in the first post

I took a few hundred when I was there. :eek2: I loved it. I also did the Barber Motorsports museum on that trip. Totally different ways of showing the bikes.
 
Julimike, looks like a great trip, super fun roads and beautiful scenery.
Thanks for sharing.
 
Nice photos... doing The Tail of the Dragon on a super moto is on my list.

planing on a dirty dragon for the bonus pie run next year (there be forest trails in them there hills!:rider: )

the best time to ride the dragon is at midnight, nobody out there, you can go as fast as you want and don't have to worry about coming around a corner and having 900+ pounds of ground bound touring whale coming at you in your lane.

stop at the Calderwood lake dam overlook and it is dead silent and you can see billions of stars.
 
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