The Smokies

I have the day off, it is 27 deg. outside and I thinking about our trip last year to the Smokey mountains.
So I'm finally getting around to posting some pics.
We stayed at a KOA outside of Asheville NC and put 1296 miles on the bikes on a lot of beautiful curvy roads.
If you have never been there I highly commend you going someday.
We went in June and rode during the workdays and had the roads all to our selves except during the evening rush.
Even the Tail of the Dragon was light at 5 pm on a Monday

Love it. I miss the green, everything is brown here. :dry:
Steve

I miss the green, everything's white here - more snow today. I have to break the snowblower out again, right now I'd settle for some brown, you don't have to shovel that

Great pictures, they really make me yearn for spring to come around and put me in the mood to ride somewhere..

I was also interested in seeing your luggage strapped to your sissy bar, I recently bought on of those, not necessarily my favorite accessory appearance wise, but a practical way to carry a back pack etc. as any sort of luggage rack so ruins the lines of the KZ's by hiding the duck bill, IMO

It made me smile seeing you the highest elevation sign of 6,000 feet or so, that's about the elevation of my house and then it goes up to 11.000 feet if you keep heading up hill.

I miss that place, used to live outside of Pigeon Forge. When I lived there, never had a bike though. Going in March to meet the in laws and taking our bike along. Father-in-Law and I will be doing some riding. Thanks for sharing!

Cory

Yeah but I bet it's nice in the summer.
Steve

Thanks for bringing back fond memories. I lived in Bristol Tennessee for a time so those sights aver very familiar. Also 5 years ago I went on the trip below. What an adventure that was. The trip included Skyline Drive, The Blue Ridge Parkway, Smokey Mountains, Tail of the dragon, and the Cherohala Skyway.

Redhawk, now that my wife has her own bike I was concerting taking off the back rest but we go on some long rides and camp a lot so it's staying, plus I've got 3 different size bags that work well with it.
I'm gathering parts to rebuild my 77 1000 and that one will be more sporty :evil:

Jake, That is a awesome trip, been on some of those roads myself Have you done the Natchez Trace? We did that one 2 years ago.

Cory, bring some warm clothes, hopefully the Blue Ridge Parkway is open that early, in late June we found that weaving back and forth from one side of the ridge to the other in spots it was cold and rainy on one side of the ridge and sunny and hot on the other.and you are constantly switching plus some of the tunnels are crazy dark and unnerving when you enter them on a sunny day.
My favorite roads were the ones that went from a river road up to the ridge and then back down the other side and there are a bunch of them.
Check out on line for Motorcycle maps, they have the loops highlighted a lot of bike shops out there carry them too.

North side


South side (I think )

Hi, Blu, thanks for sharing. Real nice. Has to be REAL nice at fall foliage time!

z1kzonly wrote: Hi, Blu, thanks for sharing. Real nice. Has to be REAL nice at fall foliage time!

I gotta say....Blu is spot on!! I live close to the places he mentions, just 10 minutes from Sevierville,maybe 30 minutes to the Dragon etc. Yes, during theFall ( and Summer ) it is AWESOME! Theres the Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, Foot Hills Parkway, etc. if you have lots of time, google the "Pressmans House" in Rogersville,TN. beautiful backroads to get there and there in the middle of nowhere?? Theres an entire complex ( Still standing, empty though) that during the late '30's through 50's I think was a totally self sustained small city devoted to teaching Journalists and Reporters! complete with its own power generation and everything! Highway 92, Lots and Lots to experience.
Regards
Ed

Hey Ed,

Where did you live? I lived out Wearsvalley Rd about 8 miles from its interesting with the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. I went to UT-Knox. Some day hopefully with in the next 2-3 years move back to Tennessee.

Cory

ed spangler wrote:

z1kzonly wrote: Hi, Blu, thanks for sharing. Real nice. Has to be REAL nice at fall foliage time!

I gotta say....Blu is spot on!! I live close to the places he mentions, just 10 minutes from Sevierville,maybe 30 minutes to the Dragon etc. Yes, during theFall ( and Summer ) it is AWESOME! Theres the Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, Foot Hills Parkway, etc. if you have lots of time, google the "Pressmans House" in Rogersville,TN. beautiful backroads to get there and there in the middle of nowhere?? Theres an entire complex ( Still standing, empty though) that during the late '30's through 50's I think was a totally self sustained small city devoted to teaching Journalists and Reporters! complete with its own power generation and everything! Highway 92, Lots and Lots to experience.
Regards
Ed

So Ed I want to retire to that area .
I may want to pick your brain on local real estate and such
Dave