Rock slides, roads closed, and on and on. Well, you can't believe everything you read on the internet so why not go check it out? She says she's going away w/ her sister for a couple of days. What?! How the hell am I gonna eat?! Screw it, a Great Smokey Mountain fix will do wonders for my head and I won't have to cook. What's the weather gonna do in Tenn. / N. Car.? HOT! Perfect. I've got a good friend who is easily persuaded to meet in the mountains and take a little ride - where? - it doesn't matter. Monday morning is chilly in N/E Ohio. Leathers, sweat shirt, heavy gloves and I'm ready to go. All's good heading south. Miss the Columbus rush hour and hit Cincy around lunch time. Holy crap, it's opening day and they're packing them in to watch the reds as I sail though w/o a problem. Not even the police are on the road, it's opening day. Northern Ky. is a breeze and the Road Glide just cruises down I-75 not missing a beat. Damn it's getting hot. I lose the leathers in Lexington and motor south. All's really, really good.
Around Corbin I notice the repaving in the north bound lane. 5 minutes, 10 minutes, longer the other side is stacked up. Dam# those folks aren't moving at all. I watch continue to look across the median and there's kids playing beside their cars, motorcyclists are obviously pisses and suffering in the near record heat. I feel for them and thank God that they're not doing the south bound - note to self - come home another way. Jellico mountain is always a welcome landmark and the 110 doesn't even breathe hard climbing over the top. There's the occasional slow poke in the fast lane but it's nothing a little time and a twist of the wrist doesn't handle. On to Knoxville and it's the beginning of rush hour. A couple of slow downs but nothing serious and soon I'm sitting in Seiverville traffic. And I'm hot. The lowers which were so welcome early in the day are not so much in this stop and go overheated traffic. Good grief will it ever end? Pigeon Forge is only a little better as there is plenty of time to look around and remind myself why I always swear to never go through there. At last Gatlinburg, honeymoon capital of the Smokies and the traffic is somewhat better. Where'd everyone go? I guess many dropped off in Pigeon Forge and other elected to take the bypass. Good. It's getting on in the day so time to find a place to sleep. The first of many hotels is booked. Not a good sign although the lady at the counter says that there's plenty of motels down the road. I get to the Twin Islands Best Western and they've got a perfect room, overlooks a stream, 1st floor and close to vending. And they honor AAA or H.D. discounts. I'm in and after wiping off the road dirt I'm off to the Peddler on River Road for some charred dead cow and a cold cocktail or two. The place has lots of charm and the chef presents various steaks for my to choose from - the rib eye will do nicely and where's that whiskey I ordered. An hour later I'm fully satisfied. A quick little spin into the park and then a little walk downtown to walk off some of dinner and I'm back to the deck to listen to the stream and then quickly fall asleep.
Tuesday promises to be a great day. Going to be hot, nowhere in particular to go and the bike and I are doing great. I mosey into the Great Smokey Mountain National park and immediately notice that traffic is light and that there's no RVs hogging the road and slowing traffic. I turn off the stereo and just dig the magnificence of the park. Quiet meadows, awesome - ancient peaks, rhododendrons everywhere. I so love this place. I pull over frequently and just look and listen. The mountains are coming alive after a tough winter. There's only a hint of the winter damage as only piles of sawdust remain where many, many trees obviously have fallen under winter's onslaught. As expected, as I climb the mountains the temp. drops. At one of the highest overlooks I visit there's still piles of snow melting under the unexpected heat wave. It's cool enough to don my sweatshirt but the leather, such a PITA to pack, remain in the saddle bay and I'm comfortable. Yep, Clingman's Dome road is still closed. No big deal as I just visited it last Sept. But what's a pretty big deal is the couple of miles of USR 441 which are covered w/ fine gravel. It's almost like they are spreading it on the road. I suspect that it's only from the run off that this crap is on the road but it forces me to look for lines to follow and won't allow me to enjoy the scenery. Shortly, on the N.Car. side I encounter two short const. projects but they're simple w/ traffic maintained and nothing to worry about.
Normally in Cherokee I head toward Maggie Valley or cont. south on 441 but today I take 19 to the south west. If follows a stream which, in the summer, is full of rafters and tubers. Not today, The water has to be very cold and schools still in. Still there is virtually no traffic. If I was in a hurry I could make great time but I just lope along taking it all in. My goal is now the closed US 129, the dragon, to see just how closed it is. I get to Rt. 28 and head toward Fontana. I know part of 28 pretty well and it's a 4 lane which is nice but not exceptional. Fontana reservoir is dry in many places. I'm puzzled at this with it being spring and on the heels of a heavy winter and decide that some bright guy somewhere decided it best to empty it. I doubt those w/ houseboats sitting on the hard mud would agree but so it goes. After the dam turn out 28 turns into a snake. I don't remember having to work this hard years ago when I took this stretch. I follow a river for miles and it's one curve after another. In my view the dragon has nothing on this road except this road is flatter than 129 and there's probably a few less ess curves and hairpins.
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Topic: I'm not from Missouri but show me anyhow (Read 3183 times)