Folks, I apologize that I haven't had an opportunity to write much this year about riding and traveling and all that jazz. ol' John has been on the road about as much as any previous year, but it's been a case of rushing here and rushing there and much of it has been for future book production purposes, which I can assure you ain't that exciting when you are in the trenches. The book on Northern Florida has been well received and I'm finishing up another book on Southern Florida and the Florida Keys. An introductory book on riding in Mexico is starting up and a friend of mine is going to co-author a book on riding in the Smoky Mountains. Photos of our recent Smoky Mountains adventure are at http://www.fototime.com/inv/822D8F9497E5640
A few weeks ago Ms. Jackie Flood and I did a trek into the Smoky Mountains for a few days. On the way to Atlanta ol' John's faithful motorcycle developed a slight glitch and so we had to detour by the BMW bike dealer in northern Atlanta. From there Jackie and I rode up the secondary roads to the little town of Tellico Plains, Tennessee. We crossed the fabulous Cherohala Skyway and spent the night in the little town of Robbinsville, NC. A warning to anyone following our trail -- Robbinsville is a dry town, which is a quaint way of saying that the only alcohol that you can buy there is sold under the table and packaged in Mason jars. My advice is to pack your rum with you if you are heading into the mountains.
One thing that I was learning quickly was that Jackie is a celebrity in these here parts. Jackie has been active for years in several clubs that ride in and out of the mountains, and she was interviewed on The Speed Channel the week before our ride. Never mind all of the riders who knew her, several non-riding folks, especially kids, recognized her immediately as The Chicken Lady. Chickens. Chicks. Chicks rule. Get it? Jackie is an experienced rider in this environment and is a tough act to follow.
Motorcycling in this area has become a major industry, largely because of the promotion of the Tail of the Dragon. The Dragon is a 11 mile stretch of US 129 at Deals Gap, North Carolina. It's beautiful, but with 318 curves in 11 miles there is no time for admiringthe mountainside because you are trying not to ride off the shoulderless roadway and down into the valley below . The day that we were there two accidents had occurred by 10:30AM and we were waiting for the ambulances to show up. The smell of testosterone and Castrol racing oils was especially heavy that day, and I suggested to Jackie that perhaps we should hit the Dragon on another trip. Jackie, who was showing the guys on go-fast bikes how to ride 'em, still hasn't forgiven me for passing up an opportunity to take on the Dragon.
We rode from Deals Gap through Fontana, Bryson City, Cherokee, and wound up in Maggie Valley, NC. Maggie Valley is the home of the amazing Wheels Through Time museum that specializes in American motorcycles, and we were pleasantly surprised when the owner gave us an after hours guided tour. I have known Dale Walksler for a few years, largely because of the Riding Into History vintage charity that we do here in Jacksonville (www.RidingIntoHistory.com) , and I must say that he has a reputation for being a fine gentleman and for being just absolutely the salt of the Earth. A great guy, and I highly recommend his museum for anyone passing through Maggie Valley, NC.
The next day dawned wet and nasty, as often happens in the Fall in the Smoky Mountains. Jackie and I rode almost to Asheville, and then split up to check out separate sights. She rode over one set of mountains back towards Atlanta and I hit another set and rode through Asheville and back home to Florida. All in all a great time, and I hope that you will enjoy our photos. As Rod Stewart would say, "every picture tells a story ..." Check those pictures out at http://www.fototime.com/inv/822D8F9497E5640
