Deal's Gap & Gatlinburg
We had a couple of people joining us this year. Sebastian was over from Germany and Jim would be taking his first ride with us. Very interesting this year as I needed to rent a bike as mine was in the shop fixing the issue from our 2012 Summer trip. My headlight need replacing and the shop got in the wrong part twice so I was faced with nothing to ride and the trip could not be postponed since Sebastian was here on business. Since he was renting a Harley for the ride that seemed to be the best choice for me. Actually I thought it might be kind of fun.
Day One
We picked up the bikes in Lexington KY where Steve and Jim met us. It took us a while to get everything squared but we were on our way before noon and headed to Deal's Gap and the tail of the Dragon. I was a little excited about riding something different, and the Road King I was riding was about as different as one could get. The seating position being that of a cruiser along with the gear shifter being the heel and toe style were probably the biggest differences, but in riding lower to the ground, I felt I could put my knees on the ground. The other major difference were the wide handlebars, and lastly the feeling of riding behind a barn door with the rather large fairing. After a quick breakfast we proceeded to hit I-75 and make sure to catch the Cherohala Skyway and The Tail of the Dragon before the day got away from us. We rode non-stop to Knoxville where we gassed up and stopped for lunch at the Smoky Mountain Brewery. We ate outside and enjoyed the perfect early October weather and a nice IPA. It was the first time on the Skyway for Sebastian and Jim and they enjoyed it quite a bit. We stopped once at a pull over and looked around and talked to some other bikers as it was quite busy. We went the long way around Lake Santeetlah and stopped at the Cheoah Dam on the other side of Topoco. We soon found ourselves at the start of the Dragon and rode it out and back before checking into our rooms at the Deal's Gap Motorcycle Gap. We ate the restaurant and hung around the bar before going out to the fire pit and finishing off a few. I really liked staying here especially since there were four of us, it was actually quite fun.
Day Two
After a big breakfast at the resort we rode out and back again to get a couple more rides in before moving on. We stopped on the far end and looked over the Calderwood Dam before returning one last time. We rode on US74 and stopped along the Nantahalla River to watch some kayakers. We continued on turning onto Wayah Creek Road. We stopped along the road at some cascading falls and soaked in some scenery and walked out onto the rocks. Turning on US64 we were into the Falls area and passed by Cullasaja and Quarry before stopping at Dry Falls. Im not really sure how these falls got their name because the amount of water going over doesn't't seem like dry would ever be the appropriate wording. We stayed on US64 unit Cashiers where we turned north and ran up MC107 to Sylva where we decided to have some lunch. As we were looking for a lunch a spot we happened upon a brewery where we felt compelled to stop for a pint. The Heinzelmannchen was a brewery specializing in German style beers. The owner was on hand and gave us the tour and couldn't have been nicer. After a pint we stopped at seemingly the lone Italian place in town and ate a massive calzone as we dined outside. Next was the Parkway and what better time of the year to ride it then when viewing the fall colors. It wasn't all that crowded and we took advantage. We rode to Cherokee and the end the Parkway and finished the day on US421 riding to our destination in Gatlinburg. I didn't think I would ever stay here but the roads we wanted to ride and where I felt we needed to be on the last night led to this being the best option. I wouldn't want to stay here very often but it wasn't all that bad. There is plenty to look at as we strolled downtown, and the food and beer at the local Smokey Mountain Brewery was pretty good.
Day Three
It ended up getting rather cold overnight and the next day was a rather cold ride. Jim was not yet riding his BMW and was ill prepared for cold weather, so he had the worst of it. Sebastian was over from Germany and could only pack so much but my extra jacket made it bearable for him. We stopped at Cumberland Falls and that was pretty much it.
Summary
It was a really fun time, and many things were learned. Jim would never be the same and I think it was after this trip he decided to make the leap to BMW and the touring community. Sebastian rode a Sportster and really struggled the whole trip not to scrap up his pegs. We took the peg sensors after the first day and it helped but the sportster left much to be desired. My first ride on a Harley was mixed. It was kind of fun, but I really didn't like the seating position nor the floor boards. Lastly I learned Gatlinburg isn't so terrible and I would stay there again if the circumstances required it.