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Hi gang!
Hope everyone's been well while I've been off on a bit of vacation.
The girlfriend and I went off last Friday and drove down from NE Pa. to the Smokies and got ourselves married last Monday.
Unfortunately, due to lack of bike and all she packed for the big occasion we had to take the car, but...
2450 miles in 9 days. (650 in one shot Fri night/Sat. morning getting there, 540 in one shot getting back, the rest over the week.)
Drove straight down, then did Cade's cove, all the park paved roads, Cherokee, Deal's Gap, Cherohala Skyway, and finished up by doing the Blue Ridge Pky. up thru mile 180, where we ran out of time and had to jet back home.
Notes: Tourism in the Smokies is WAY down this year. (I've been over 100 times myself, last going in 2004.) To that end, if you want to go on the cheap, this is the time to do it. Hotel rooms are plentiful, this time of year would normally be "No Vacancy" signs for miles. Now they are fighting to get those w/o reservations to stop. Rooms as cheap as $22.95 a night, and $30 or so will get something nice with a Jacuzzi and other amenities you don't find for less than $60-90 a night in that area. My advice is to NOT book in advance, because they're gonna try to nab you for the full rate if you don't know the situation there for vacancies. (We'd booked a cabin months ago, so I was shocked to find we could have saved a ton upon arrival.)
Bikes touring the Smokies are WAY up from any other time I've been there...and this includes being there when the annual "Honda Hoot" was happening in Asheville. This year, we arrived 3 days before the start of Honda Hoot, which was based in Knoxville this year. Tons of "Chicken Wings" and ST1300's on the roads. This was also same starting time as the Yamaha R1/R6 rally at Fontana Village for the sport bikers, but even though the Hoot and the rally were on, Harleys still outnumbered the Hooters and the sport bikers by probably 3 to 1. Stopped in at HD of Pigeon Forge, after declaring to the Mrs. that next year we'd be on a bike, and (to my suprise) she agreed. :) Looks like I didn't give up my love of bikes by getting married. (sigh of relief)
On scooters: Was suprised to see a pack of scooters riding through Newfound Gap. Didn't know they had the balls to pull the mountain, but that they did. Couldn't have been anything smaller than a 400cc I'd guess, however. (See below.)
Small scooters: Ran past a poor kid on (what sounded and looked like) a 200-250cc scooter on I-40 while taking a detour on the Blue Ridge Pky. My advice to those wanting something small...don't go that small if you ever drive the interstate. He was screaming that little thing to death trying to do 70mph on flat road and traffic was doing 75-80.
Probably my 500th trip through Deal's Gap...even in "the family sedan", that's still a thrill ride. Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort, or Tail of the Dragon (aka The Crossroads Of Time for us older farts) as always, rocks. Found out after we left for the Blue Ridge that this past weekend was the "Cherohala Challenge"...bicyclists riding the length of the Foothills Pky, then the Gap, then the Cherohala...and back!
The skyway is not to be missed...awesome road, even if the roads getting to it suck in places.
The Blue Ridge...awesome! Bikes outnumbered cars by probably 2 to 1, and still more Harleys than anything else.
One last thing...stayed the last night at Fancy Gap, Va. on the parkway. Gotta try Lonesome Pine Cabins there if you're in the area...don't look like much outside, but wonderfully rustic cabins with all the modern amenities...except cable TV. (We didn't miss it!)
I'll try to get some pics posted over in the photography forum or here later this week as I have time to sort thru all the stuff I shot.
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