Weekday Trip to Deals Gap

[LeeDavis]

Our ride instigator, Bob, called in sick but the remainder of us took up the flag and carried on. The plan was to stay in Robbinsville through tonight and return home tomorrow morning but rain is forecast starting tonight. We decided to cut the vacation a little short and ride the area until around noon today then bug out. We rode up and down The Dragon a few times, out and back on Cherohala plus many other fantastic roads. Lots of fun!

Here we are chillin on Cherohala.

[Bob]

Oh, I'm not jealous, not in the least.

Where was that pic taken--neat looking! Never mind, I see Cherohala.

I am almost over this shit and ready to re-trace the route--who else wants to go?

[Brick]

WhaHoo! What a Hoot!
"Danger" Lee, "I got a new horn" Broz and I had a big time... Inspire of missing Bob!
Broz has "mated" very fast with his new blue GSA! [THUMBS UP SIGN]
We met a guy in the MicroTel parking lot on a 1958 Zundapp 250cc 2 stroke bike. We talked with him and admired the bike. Later while Broz was down "admiring" his new GSA the guy gave us all a Zundapp t-shirt.
It's fun riding with someone who has never ridden on one of the great riding roads. [THUMBS UP SIGN] These last two days we rode some of the best EVER!
Sorry y'all missed it!


Let's Ride!
Brick

[Broz]

For all you sorry sacks that haven't been out there, GET OFF YOUR ASSES. YOU WILL THANK ME LATER. I know the Tail of the Dragon is overrated. Or that's what you've heard. But if you catch it on a non holiday non weekend it's fantastic. And that is just one of the great roads. Bob gave us a great route out thru BRP and The Great Smoky Mountain National Forrest and let me tell you that is a beautiful ride. I was asking myself why don't we do this monthly? In addition to the Cherahala Skyway ( Thanks NC DOT & Highway Patrol and TN too for closing the road for our own personal riding pleasure). Let's see don't forget NC 28, Moonshiners Highway and Walnut Creek and 281( Lee and Brick feel free to add the other good stuff or correct me if I got something wrong). Just one great road after another. Thanks Bob and Lee and Brick for all the great road selections. Most people have to pay for a rally to get it this good and all we have to do is take a couple days off work.

I don't think I mentioned all the beautiful lakes Western NC has to offer. Best kept secret.....until now.

If any of you hear that I was acting like 12 year with my new air horn I plead the 5th. Don't ask, you missed all the fun.

But I do have say our leadership and veteran old farts let us down......no one told us you better BYOB to Robbinsville. Yes no joke it is one of the last dry counties in NC. My theory is the Moonshiners have a lock on any liquor to be sold out yonder.

[PirateRiderBen]

I'll be back the Morganton way next week, let's go again! I can go this time!

Haha!

Glad y'all enjoyed yourselves


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Marc K]

Great that y'all got a chance to do the area. We've been riding the area for years now. My fathers family is from East Tennessee and a few relatives are still in the "Mareville" Maryville area. Great roads including several side roads at the end of the Skyway in Tellico Plains back to Hwy 129. Great moonshine in Knox County ! haha

[Bob]

But I do have say our leadership and veteran old farts let us down......no one told us you better BYOB to Robbinsville. Yes no joke it is one of the last dry counties in NC. My theory is the Moonshiners have a lock on any liquor to be sold out yonder.

FYI: Alcohol in Graham County (Robbinsville). Graham County is a dry county, with the exception of 4 locations - SNOWBIRD LODGE located on NC143 at the beginning of the Cherohala Skyway. Fireside Bar and exclusive restaurant reservations required. BLUEWATERS MOUNTAIN LODGE, located just off US129 north of Robbinsville. Beer & Wine served to guests only. Throughout FONTANA VILLAGE, beer & wine to go, restaurant by the glass, Bear's Den Lounge. TAPOCO LODGE, near the Dragon and Moonshiner 28; exclusive Jaspers Restaurant reservations required, beer, wine and mixed drinks to guests only.

Phillips Smoky Mtn Cafe in Robbinsville has a brown-bagging license and pretty good food too! How many iced-down 6-packs will those Bumot's hold Broz?

[Broz]

We were told Phillips was closed. And lots of beer had I only known. And no we didn't stop in Fontana. A reason to go back.

[Bob]

Pics from Broz. I think he knows how to do this....

[Broz]

We were told Phillips was closed. And lots of beer had I only known. And no we didn't stop in Fontana. A reason to go back.

When we asked around about where to get beer none of the locals mentioned any of those establishments. We were told a 20 minute drive and we were done for the day.

[Bob]

But I do have say our leadership and veteran old farts let us down......no one told us you better BYOB to Robbinsville. Yes no joke it is one of the last dry counties in NC. My theory is the Moonshiners have a lock on any liquor to be sold out yonder.

Waaaaait a minute--I ain't taking the fall for this. Didn't one of our most esteemed and most SENIOR olde phartz who shall go unnamned (coughbrick) recently make ELEVEN (11) trips to the Deals Gap area? Shouldn't HE have been well aware of and informed the younger and more vulnerable (read gullible) FNG's about the lack of suitable adult beverages in said area??

[Bob]

WhaHoo! What a Hoot!
"Danger" Lee, "I got a new horn" Broz, and "Forgot to warn everyone Graham Co. was dry" Brick had a big time...

Fixed it for ya Brick ^^^

[Marc K]

And you didn't meet Leighann across the street - 4'11" of East Tenn https://www.facebook.com/leighannwordpage/?pnref=lhc

[007]

The VFR guys originally ran the TMAC rally out of Robbinsville due to dry county issues. It is well known. Tapoco is highly recommended for meals and lodging - well worth it to avoid the circus where you guys took pictures looking like a bunch of tourists. Wait, nevermind, carry on....

[Broz]

Haha. Speaking of tourists taking pictures, while we were at the top of the TOD overlook there were a about 10 people looking over the stone wall taking pictures. Brick said, "Hey y'all taking pictures of poison ivy?" This lady said, "if poison ivy is bears." So we got to see momma bear and 2 cubs chewing on trash about 12-15 feet below us. Pictures are kinda crappy sorry.

[Brick]

WhaHoo! What a Hoot!
"Danger" Lee, "I got a new horn" Broz, and "Forgot to warn everyone Graham Co. was dry" Brick had a big time...

Fixed it for ya Brick ^^^

Yea... yea... yea... I earned that tag! It seems the last few years we stopped at a microbrewery on the way and picked up beer. Or I went with someone who brought plenty.

Riding there is great! Guess I've become jaded. Also the last few times over there it has rained too.

[Bob]

... Tapoco is highly recommended for meals and lodging - well worth it to avoid the circus where you guys took pictures looking like a bunch of tourists. Wait, nevermind, carry on....

I stayed in one of their cabins once--very nice. Only problem was there was a wedding going on and difficult in not impossible to get in the restaurant. But I really like the spot.

http://tapocolodge.com/about/#!

[LeeDavis]

well worth it to avoid the circus where you guys took pictures looking like a bunch of tourists. Wait, nevermind, carry on....

Checking out the characters at the "circus" is about equal fun to riding The Dragon. For anyone even remotely into "people watching", it doesn't get much better.

[Bob]

Checking out the characters at the "circus" is about equal fun to riding The Dragon. For anyone even remotely into "people watching", it doesn't get much better.

I agree and since you didn't take any pics there. I'll just post a couple I took from a previous ride for your motorcycling pleasure.

Thats Mrs. Beemerbob in the first pic on the left with the dam in background, the redhead sitting on the wall next to "Bones" Badass McGillicuddy from Sturgis. We were riding our RT's and felt kinda out of place at the "overlook" that day.

[Brick]

Killboy.com got some good shots of us going over on Monday the 9th around 5:20PM. It's without the luggage so we have already checked in to the Microtel and I'm in the lead so it was on the way up so there should be another group of us going back down shortly after these.




Found them at 2:38PM...

Didn't look up US129.com or 129photos.com....

[LeeDavis]

I'm bummed out there were no photographers in the curve, to capture for posterity, my daring and DANGEROUS scrape of the left engine guard!

[Bob]

I'm bummed out there were no photographers in the curve, to capture for posterity, my daring and DANGEROUS scrape of the left engine guard!

No problem, just run out to the garage, snap a photo of the grounded guard, and post it!

[LeeDavis]

Killboy.com got some good shots of us going over on Monday the 9th around 5:20PM. It's without the luggage so we have already checked in to the Microtel and I'm in the lead so it was on the way up so there should be another group of us going back down shortly after these.

The return leg photos start at 5:45 here:
http://killboy.photoreflect.com/store/T ... 04RK02OU08

[Broz]

Here is a link to some of the pics on the TOD
http://xtremesportsphotography.photoref ... 717&pc=938

These are better than Killboy.

[007]

I'm game for a trip, but the last few days I was at Superbike School, I work this upcoming week, and the following week I will be riding WNC mountains at TMAC with the VFRD guys. Because of all these things taking time away from her, the imaginary girlfriend would have killed me if I tried to leave her alone for 2 more days. By the way, was there some sort of secret communication used to coordinate this ride? I didn't see a ride planning post...

[Bob]

....By the way, was there some sort of secret communication used to coordinate this ride? I didn't see a ride planning post...

You should be checking the UPCOMING EVENTS sub-forum too. Same place Ben just posted his WV ride.

Edit: Don't depend on getting email notifications of new threads all the time. Sorry to say the notification system is not real consistent. Just log in daily and look at the home page--if there's anything new since your previous login, the blue arrow to the left of the forum will be flashing.

Or maybe you just need to "Watch" (Subscribe) to that forum also thru your settings.