Saturday, June 29, 2013 – Day
16 – Cherokee, NC – 5,000+ miles behind me
Today was exactly the type of
day that God invented motorcycles for!
High 80’s, bright blue sky loaded with fluffy white clouds, very little
wind …. perfect !!! On top of that, I
got to ride through some of the most beautiful countryside in America AND the
road I was on was loaded with fun parts.
This was an absolutely perfect day.
This is precisely why I bought a motorcycle!
Despite the predictions of
thunderstorms, I awoke to a sunny morning,
The train I told you about yesterday … SIX (6) passes down the track and
to top it off, there was a crossing just down the tracks where he’d hit the
horn! Although frustrating, I really did
have to laugh … I’m destined to be afflicted with little problems like this.
By 8:30, I was gone and as
mentioned, the weather was pristine. The
roads through the Smoky Mountains were really incredible and although I
mentioned previously that they are not as majestic as the Rockies, they are
seriously beautiful. I passed a number
of beautiful lakes surrounded by tree covered mountains – stunning.
As I passed through
Chattanooga, TN, I couldn’t resist stopping as I have always heard this is a
lovely city. In fact, it is and it
combines elements of both the old and new South and it’s nestled in the
mountains. I cruised around just
sightseeing for a while and I stopped to see the real Chattanooga Choo Choo …
hey, in Chattanooga, it’s a big deal. I
wound up this brief sojourn with a cup of coffee at a little sidewalk café
downtown. Even on a Saturday, the place
had a local crowd. Then it was back on
the road.
More beautiful country as I
rode through eastern Tennessee and western North Caroline until I arrived at
the beginning of The Dragon. It’s only
11 miles long, but with all those curves, it is anything but an easy ride. In fact, there was one wipe out … nothing
serious except a smashed up bike and a serious case of road rash. There are a lot of young riders on “crotch rockets”
that frequent this thing and they let youthful exuberance get in the way of
common sense. They’re not at all serious
and highly responsible like we were when we were younger …
Anyway, it was a great ride
and well worth the extra miles I had to put on to get here. Here’s a few pictures:
This shot and the one above are taken from the location where the crotch rocket pilot wiped out |
This picture doesn't do it justice, but there are over 100 bikes at this gathering spot at the end of the run |
The dragon himself |
Tomorrow, I start the trek
home but tonight, it’s casino time baby!
Directly across the street from the Fairfield Inn I’m staying at in
Cherokee is a huge (and I mean seriously big) Harrah’s Casino. As soon as I post this, I’m off for dinner
and a little gambling time so I can win the money to pay for this extravagant
trip I’m on. How’s that for optimism?
There won’t be too much to
write about tomorrow, but I will be posting “The Dickies”. These are awards for the unique things I’ve
seen and done on this trip. Stay tuned.