Yarrrgh...what a good weekend. Have you have ever been to Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina/Tennessee? Well, I was suppose to meet up with a friend over Memorial Day, but as usual, I had too many irons in the fire and had made other promises to hang out with friends in Birmingham and couldn't make it. Sorry Denny. Anyway, I made it this weekend, and here are the photos.
270 miles one way to the start of the trail, 11 miles down the trail and you turn around and come back. No Interstate to get me there. I intended to leave Friday since I got out of work early, but it was pouring outside and I wasn't in the mood to ride in the rain, so I waited until Saturday. I didn't get an early start, but left around noon on Saturday. I stopped in Athens Georgia about 95 miles from Augusta for a bite to eat and a beer or two.
This is Pauly's Crepes in Athens...I didn't eat the crepes, but they make a damn good turkey sandwich.
On the way getting into northern Georgia (right before the mountains) I stopped to check out a small car show at this independent BBQ place.
After I left the car show I rode Highway 129 all the way to my destination for the night which was Robbinsville North Carolina, I cut through some great twisties in Northern Georgia in the Nantahala National Forest. This road, as it turns out was as good as the Tail of the Dragon. As I rode through, I barely saw anyone, which I thought was strange. On my way back through today, the road was packed with motorcycles. I arrived in Robbinsville after dark and being completely covered in bugs. I got the last room in the hotel, which was very nice and quaint.
After I got settled in my room for a bit, I wanted to get something to eat and maybe a beer. Well, beer wasn't going to happen, it was a dry county. So I got a burger at Wendy's and a Frosty...uugghh. Got up somewhat early the next morning, used the hotels towels to clean the bugs off my helmet, glasses, and bike...grabbed something to eat in the lobby...checked out of the hotel and told the desk clerk to take a hike and I was on my way. It was about 18 miles from the hotel to the trail. I saw a few things on the way that I remembered to stop and take pictures of on the way back.
So when you hear of something called a "Motorcycle Resort", what comes to mind? Lots of Live to Ride decals? Chromed out Harleys all over the place? Old fat guys riding baggers in sleeveless T-shirts, shorts, and sandels? Yep, they were all there and some seriously outfitted sport bike riders. The sport bike guys were dressed like they were racing the Superbike World Championship...with the bike to match.
After I checked out the gift shops offering of gay tribal "Tail of the Dragon 318 curves in 11 miles" assortment of T-shirts and doo rags with flames and skulls, I walked outside to catch a guy doing a wheelie on a super motard all the way up the hill into the trail. To be honest, I was a little intimidated to do the ride. The guys and girls riding the sport bikes were probably trying to run this thing in record time. Me on my Harley, I didn't want to slow them down. Fuck it, I'm off. I had no problem with people pulling up on my ass, I definitely held my own. I had overheard someone say before I left that the Tennessee State Troopers were already out on the mountain scanning for speeders. I did pass one while I was riding, but he was driving and I wasn't speeding at the time. What was freaking me out a little was the guys with cameras in the turns taking pictures to try to sell you. Kind of like when you go on a roller coaster at Six Flags. I kept thinking they were the fuzz, but nope. As I flew down the trail, my bike handled amazingly well in the twisties. I talked to another guy on the same model bike later as I got gas and he said the same thing that he had no problem keeping up with his son's Honda CBR1000. At the end, you turn around and do the trail in the opposite direction. After I stopped for this photo, I was tailing a guy on a Triumph Speed Triple and he couldn't lose me. This is the most common overlook photo people take on the trail...its a beautiful view of a dam and valley...can't remember the name of the river.
Some cool waterfalls along the trail...
I had seen this cool suspended bridge on the way to the beginning of the trail, but didn't stop to check it out, so I stopped on the way back to Robbinsville...
Back through Robbinsville and down 129. Stopped for gas...typical southern mountains gas station complete with Confederate Flags...
Stopped back in Athens on the way back to eat again. I had a couple beers, some food and rode over to the skateshop, which is appropriately named "Skateshop of Athens". Bought a set of Stage 10 Indy's and a T-shirt to support the shop and headed out. I stopped at the skatepark of Athens on my way out of town and snapped a couple pics.
See the kid suspended out of the bowl in this photo? He landed that shit. He couldn't have been any older than 10, maybe 11 and was doing 4-5 foot backside and frontside airs out of the bowl and had such smooth style. He couldn't have been any taller than 4 feet and just shredded the park. If he isn't sponsered, he damn well should be...
Made it back to boring old Augusta/Fort Gordon and managed not to get rained on the entire way...I'm still in shock.
