As you have read, the Tail of the Dragon is not in Georgia, it is in Tennessee! So today, I left at 7:45 am and rode 100 miles to the Northeast to Deals Gap, with breakfast at the Huddle House in Robbinsville. The owner is a biker and provides covered parking for motorcycles!
It is 18 miles from Robbinsville to The Dragon, or Deals Gap, whichever you prefer. But before the start of the Dragon, you come upon the dam that Harrison Ford jumped off in the movie "The Fugitive." Built in the 30's by the Tennessee Valley Authority, it still produces power and provides flood control.Arriving at Deals Gap, I rode the 11 miles one way (with 318 curves). However, Hwy. 129 is blocked by a landslide West of the Dragon, meaning there is no way out except back over the Dragon!
So now it is 11 miles in and 11 miles out. And what a great ride it is. Rarely was I out of 2nd gear, and the pegs were close to the ground most of the way. A great ride!
Back at the Dragon's Den, I stopped for the mandatory T-shirts and other memorabilia. Then I returned home (Creekwood RV Park), arriving around 3:00 pm. I wouldn't have missed the ride for anything. Overall, I had ridden 222 miles - 100 miles each way and 22 miles of The Dragon.After a shower, Suz and I headed back to Helen to watch the tubers (and have a drink or two). Tomorrow is our time to tube the Chattahoochee! We opted for the 2 hour drift and will finish about the time for "Happy Hour!" Why are you not surprised? Then we have to get the coach ready to depart on Friday to get the wiper arm replaced (in Buford, Georgia), then it is off to North Carolina and Lake Toxaway for a couple of days.
I can honestly tell you that this part of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee is some of the most beautiful territory in the country, and the people couldn't be nicer. Try it if you can, biker or not!
(The photo to the right is the lake formed by the dam in the picture above - taken from the top of the Dragon.)
Talk to you tomorrow.
Cheers
John, Suz and Dixie the Wonderdog!
Make sure you have someone onshore take the rafting pics as you need proof to convince us. Look forward daily to your posts.
ReplyDeleteRick and Lynne