As soon as I got back from Costa Rica, the urge to roadtrip on my Harley became overwhelming! Though my preference for multiday trips is usually to ride solo, I do enjoy riding with small groups of friends for long weekend excursions. I especially enjoy introducing folks to some of my favorite rides in the mountains of western North Carolina, so I was thrilled that Mimi and Matt were open to me playing tour guide for them!
I introduced Mimi and Mattto my “go to” lodging choice in the area, Ironhorse Motorcycle Lodge. I’ve been basing out of here for NC-TN mountain riding since 2012.
DAY 1: Hellbender 28, Fontana Dam, Tail of the Dragon, and Cherohala Skyway
The first day was a huge loop with these rides strung together, and included food stops at Iron Works Grille in Tallico Plains, TN and at the Pineapple Whip truck in Robbinsville, NC. Lots of curvy riding in a 150 mile day.
We road out to Fontana Dam on the way to the iconic Tail of the Dragon, an 11-mile stretch of US-129 that connects North Carolina and Tennessee via 318 curves.
The “Tree of Shame” at the NC start of the Tail of the Dragon, adorned with post-crash motorcycle parts left on the road, is a sobering reminder that the route is as infamous as it is famous.
Having ridden the Tail of the Dragon many times in the last dozen years, I’ve learned that it’s best to ride it first thing in the morning before the showboating sports carsand bikes get there. The circus atmosphere at the start of the route is fun to experience,but becomes dangerous later in the day. As the crowds pick up, aggressive sports cars and inexperienced drivers drift across the center line, and impatient sport bike riders dangerously pass across blind curves to chase personal best times.
It was a bit chilly, but our earlier morning timing was perfect; traffic was light, drivers and riders were courteous, and the professional photographers were already staged in the best curves to capture the moment. That’s Matt & Mimi on the bike behind me 🙂(Photo by Killboy.com)
One of the last hairpen curves on the Tail of the Dragon, riding east to west. I stopped to take this photo for perspective on a quiet-ish Monday morning as I was leaving the mountains.
From the Tail of the Dragon, we looped around to ride Cherohala from the Tennessee side, completing the Dragon-Cherohala Loop from west to east. It’s amusing how warning signs about twisty road conditions tend to excite motorcycle riders.
No run of the Dragon-Cherohala Loop is complete without a stop at the Pineapple Whip truck in Robbinsville on the way back to the lodge at the end of the day.The owner (in pic) told us that he’s been in business for 18 years. Just look for the dancing hula girl atop the truck!
DAY 2: Moonshiner 28, Bridal Falls, and Wayah Road
The second day was a leisurely roll down NC-28 to the falls, then Wayah Road for lunch at Lakes End Cafe and Grill in Topton, NC on Nantahala Lake. Though only 120 miles, the riding was great and unrushed.
The next day, we rode a gorgeous portion of the Moonshiner 28 (US-28) down to Bridal Veil Falls for obligatory photos behind the cascading water. From there, I led them to a couple of my area favorite activities- riding Wayah Road and lunch at Lakes End Cafe and Grill.
In the blink of an eye, the long weekend of spectacular riding was over! Mimi & Matt headed east towards home, and I pointed my wheel west for the next adventure.
I stopped at the boat ramp just west of Fontana Dam on my way out of town to take in this quiet, tranquilscene.
Hi, I met you in New Hampshire last month, you were at the Hampton Inn for a night and we chatted in the morning. My name is Bob…did you ever make it to Nova Scotia?
FitHippie Adventures 
Hi, I met you in New Hampshire last month, you were at the Hampton Inn for a night and we chatted in the morning. My name is Bob…did you ever make it to Nova Scotia?
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Hey! Yep, I had some great rides in Canada. I’m behind on the blog, but I’ll be posting again soon!
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