MAGGIE VALLEY DAY 8

LAST DAY

 

Breakfast at 6, on the road at 630.

 

 

Crossed Mississippi River into Missouri at 730.

Dealt with a thunderstorm near Poplar Bluff at 830.

Made more frequent stops as I battling fatigue and fighting sleep.

 

Stopped for a cold treat at 11am as it was really getting hot!

Arrived home shortly after 2pm.  What a great feeling!

 

Rode 397 miles today, 2436 miles in the 8 days.

Time to rest.



MAGGIE VALLEY DAY 7

HEADING HOME!

 

It was a very cool 52 degrees when I left this morning just before 7am mountain time.  Wore full leathers and a stocking hat with insulated gloves and they felt good as I headed up the valley.  Got onto I-40 and headed over the mountains, enjoying the big, sweeping curves, the tunnel, and the mountains around me.  This is just as pretty as I-70 over the Rocky Mountians and I-64 in West Virginia.  Crossed the Tennessee line at 7:30, making good time.  Got to Knoxville and remembered it was Sunday, and therefore the traffic was thankfully light.  Next was I-75 North.

 

 

Soon I got off the Interstate and started enjoying the Tennessee countryside as I headed North into Kentucky.  Stopped for breakfast in a town called Oneida, and shed my chaps and hat before continuing my ride.  In Kentucky, I got onto the Cumberland Parkway and headed west through the southern part of the state.  The parkways is like an interstate but without the billboards. Nice.  I got that hour back that I lost on the way east last week.

 

Stopped for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants!  Put the jacket away as it was getting really hot!  Was reminding me of Missouri weather.

 

Now, I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on my GPS, because I'm pretty sure it's been smoking crack.  Second day in a row its gotten me lost.  Today it lead me into the Kentucky country roads, right, left, right, left, and eventually the roads didn't have names, but they did have tall fields of corn all around.  Luckily I had plenty of time to enjoy my circumstance.  I turned around twice and tried other roads until I came to Adairville.  Asked an elderly fellow in the store if he could help me.  He looked at my map and said his eyes weren't very good, but he could tell me good directions if I told him where I wanted to go.  I told him and he told me, and soon I was lost again, and now I was lost in TN instead of KY!  The next old guy in Adams, exclaimed "he sent you this way!"  He had his daughter give me directions, and I eventually I got to I-24, but  was now 25 miles south of the KY border, and pretty hot!

 

Well, I made it to the motel in Gilbertsville 90 miles later.  The ride was supposed to be 433 miles, but ended up being 500 miles.  It was an interesting day, though, and the trip is supposed to be interesting after all, and it was.  I wonder if I can make 8 days in a row without rain?  Will find out tomorrow as I start the last day of my ride, heading home to Joplin.  I miss my wife, family, and dog.

 



MAGGIE VALLEY DAY 6

 

Third day in a row for breakfast at Country Vittles Restaurant.  Because I was up late last night, I slept later this morning and the restaurant was crowded, so I was asked to share a table with two others.  That's how I met Joel and Ralph--Joel is Ralph's nephew and Ralph is Joel's uncle they say.  Two more new friends--they're starting to pile up!

 

 

Decided to ride some local roads today (input from motel owner).  Rode up the valley a ways, then onto Rabbit Skin Road, where I took this picture, met 3 tractors, and met zero cars.

 

Made more than a few wrong turns because the roads had names instead of numbers and weren't marked well.  Fun, none-the-less.  Just nice to be in the country.  Saw several tobacco fields and barns for drying tobacco.

 

This is Panther Creek which runs next to Riverside Drive.  Lots of the roads were named cove or holler, and they are all curvy and narrow.

 

This is the view from atop Crabtree Mountain Road.  I was warned that it was steep, curvy, narrow, and might have gravel in the curves (all true).

 

Spent a lot of time in first gear, which is a little unusual.  So, one day later, I'm saying this is the most challenging road I've been on to date.

 

Still continued to take wrong turns, and eventually I was very lost.  Turned on the GPS and it had trouble, too.  GPS sent me up another mountain road that eventually seemed like someone's driveway.  I stopped at a curve and heard someone hollering at me from their front porch "Hey!  Where are you going?"  I told them Maggie Valley, and they informed me I was going the wrong way.  I almost laughed, but they seemed serious, but did give me good directions, which helped a lot after I managed to turn around on the narrow, steep road.

 

This is Lake Junaluska (name of a lake and the town next to it) which is up the road from Maggie.

Got back mid-afternoon after a whopping 70 miles, but don't let the numbers fools you, I worked hard again.  Spent a little last time at the pool, resting up for tomorrows journey towards home.  I came over through Tennessee, so I'm going back through Kentucky.



MAGGIE VALLEY DAY 5

HAPPY INDEPENCE DAY TO EVERYONE!

 

America, Home of the Free because of the Brave!

Started the day with another country breakfast, where a man and wife sat in the booth next to me.  I noticed the man had a hat that said  WWII Veteran, so I stopped on my way out to thank him for his service.  I asked where he served and he said Navy in the Pacific.  I told him my father-in-law was a Marine and fought at Peleliu.  He said he was there, too. What an honor it was to meet him.  I paid for his breakfast on my way out, a privilege.

 

Got on the road a little after 9 and headed southwest to the Natahala Gorge.  Stopped at this country store for coffee, where another customer was getting some "men-ahs" to fish with.

 

The gorge was beautiful, the weather cool, and the ride relaxing. That changed as I took the next road to a mountain called Waya Bald.  I call this road the most challenging road I've ridden to-date.  I had intended to take it easier today after yesterday's challenging and long route.  So this was only 204 miles, but still wore me out.

 

Still, I enjoyed my day and the many beautiful sights along the way.  Not any sweating today, never got above 80 degrees.  Lost my NC map and notes on the ride back, glad that is my biggest problem.

 

Back at the motel by 2:30.  The motel and the town were filling with people in advance of the fireworks display planned for the night.  The display was right across the street from the motel, so I was able to sit in my red rocking chair with my new friends Adam and Dawn.  Lots of people, families, barbecuing, horseshoes, swimming, etc.  Felt like I was in America!  The display was the best, most-enjoyable I had ever seen.  Some of you might accuse me of not getting out much, though.  I'll say the echo was not as good as at the Rocky Mountains.

 

 



MAGGIE VALLEY DAY 4

Day 4

 

Had a delicious country breakfast and got underway between 730 and 8. I had a plan, but honestly had no idea how many miles lay ahead. It was cool again and I wore my leather jacket.  I need to add a disclaimer here: I take notes during the day to help me write the blog later, but my notebook and some maps blew away from an unsecured map pocket while I was riding on day 5, so this is from memory.

 

Left Maggie Valley, road to Cherokee, then highway 74 to highway 28, known as the Moonshiner 28, because it used to be a major route over the mountains for the moonshine runners.  Rode past a multitude of mountain lakes, lots of hill, and lots of curves.

There was lingering fog for most of the morning on most of the lakes.

 

 

 

  Stopped in Deal's Gap for a while (picked-up another much needed black T-shirt), then took 129 south to link-up with the Cherahola Skyway.

 

Was still plenty cool considering the elevation on the skyway.



 Ate lunch (crab patty sandwich) in Tellico Plains, then headed south with the goal of riding into Georgia.  But when I got to Copper Hill, TN the town was packed and getting ready to start some kind of parade, and it was HOT!  So I turned back and headed back towards Maggie.

I was pretty tired, sore, and generally exhausted from all the turning, breaking, and clutching.  I traveled 290 hard mountain miles today and felt so good to get off the bike at the motel.



MAGGIE VALLEY DAY 3

MAGGIE VALLEY DAY 3

 

Had an amazing breakfast of country ham and grits at Joey's.  The waitress said she saw an elk on the road outside shortly before I arrived.  There are no fast food or chain restaurants in this town, nice!

 

Got underway at 6 or 7 am, depending on which time zone you consider yours.  Temp was in the mid 60's, so I wore a leather jacket, but didn't need chaps or stocking hat.

 

 

Started off on the Blue Ridge Parkway for just 14 miles as I headed for the entrance to the Great Smokey Mountian National Park.  I went through 4 tunnels in that 14 miles.

 

So enjoyable riding in the park, everything was so green, temp was cool and fresh, there were numerous stream and lookouts, the curves were mostly gentle and enjoyable.  I could smell the magnolia's blooming, I saw no billboards, and I did see wilk turkeys.

 

 

This is Clingman's Dome, the higest point in the park.  You can see fog in the valleys.

 

I started heading lower again on my way to Gatlinburg on the west side of the park.  I met many vehicles and I hoped there would be few left in town when I got there, but I was wrong.

 

 

It was hot and crowed in Gatlinburg, so I didn't linger long.  Ol Smokey Distillery was close to the Harley store(where I got that black T-shirt I had been needing), so I went in and listened to this young man play some mountain music.

Apparently Ol' Smokey makes many flavors and varieties of product and have staff to assist with sampling if you were so inclined.  Looked like tiny communion cups, but wasn't grape juice.

I was so anxious to leave the heat and traffic that I took the path of least resistance and went back through the park.  Stopped for a picnic lunch (above pic).  Always carry a cooler and some snacks.  If you ever go through the park, they have an interesting corkscrew road where you go under a bridge, make a big circle turn, and go over the bridge you went under (similar to the Black Hills in SD).

 

Stopped in the town of Cherokee on my way back, which is commercialized, hot and crowded, then road the 14 miles on highway 19 to Maggie Valley, which is a challenging collection of hills and curves.  Then I just hung out in the pool with my friends (two couples) from Michigan and succeeded in sunburning the tops of my feet.

 

Only road 122 miles today, so not hard at all.



 

 



 





MAGGIE VALLEY DAY 2

MAGGIE VALLEY DAY 2

Not having as many miles to cover today, I lingered at the motel for breakfast, and got underway at 640am and would ride 294 miles before the day was complete.

It was a cool and refreshing ride east across Tennessee.  The countryside was so green, I-40 had sweeping curves and rolling hills.  Traffic through Knoxville was not fun, I never like cities.

Soon I left the interstate for roads less traveled, above picture is an example. 

Stopped at the Bobarosa for a break before heading over the mountains on highway 209, also know as "The Rattler"

Stopped for a picnic lunch at this site in the Pisgah National Forest.

The road I was riding was so very scenic, and the were very few other vehicles, enabling me to take my time and enjoy all the views.

This is one of the valleys I road through.

Staying in Maggie Valley with motorcycle couple on each side of my room who are from Michigan.  Ate a BBQ dinner at Butz on the Creek, and will now plan where I will day trip tomorrow.