When we pulled out of Helen, Ga. this morning I would have laid money on the fact that we were going to get wet, but we didn't hit a drop. As a matter of fact as the day progressed, the warmer and prettier it got. You can see in the pictures that we took in Helen and just outside of Helen, there was a heavy overcast and in some places the roads were wet.
It didn't take long this morning to find that first good zipper of a road and it was a wakeup call for the extra weight I was hauling. You can really feel the difference with the Trailer packed to the hilt or an empty shell on wheels, trying to decelerate downhill or just entering a corner. Add one more ingredient, wet roads, and it will force you to focus on the bike and the speed you're carrying. Temperature drop from Helen to the top of this first thrill ride was about 15 degrees or more, so I pulled over to let the wife put on some more layers to block the chill.
The roads, after route 348 swing fest, were mostly just mild curves with beautiful views and lot's of homes to see. There was also a fair amount of shopping that we just zipped right by, hehe, maybe next time Lori. We stopped for lunch in Franklin, NC and decided that we hadn't had pizza in awhile, so Pizza Hut was the winner. Well, it filled us up and that was about it and we were back on the road.
I found another little gem of a road that I never knew was there that I will have to save for a later date to visit. Route 28 leaving north out of Franklin and ending on 19W, was a dandy little adventure. Deals gap is known for its very short straights and tight turns and Route 28 had all of this mixed with scenery to boot. All I can say is Wow.
Once on 19W, I ran this to 74 to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This put me about 25 miles away from Cherokee and it was a nice way to finish the ride at elevations near 5 or 6000 feet. The fun part of the ride was a Kawasaki Concours trying to out run me in the corners. The boy needs to go to a track and practice a bit, because anybody with any skills would had left me without a second thought. I was hauling an extra 250 pounds out back in a trailer and had a passenger and there is no way I can lean in the corners like that Kawasaki can do. The old boy even passed cars on the double yellow only to have me reel him back in through the corners a few miles later. He gave me a friendly wave as we parted ways, exiting the Parkway, but I bet he was wondering what the hell?
After dinner we did a little walk around a small portion a Cherokee and took a few pictures. Things are changing here and it was surprising to me. Last time I was here, maybe 4 or 5 years ago, it was really starting to look very bad and very run down. They are doing a lot of building and road work to make some needed improvements. I'm only guessing that they are using some of the casino profits and putting it back into the town. I was also surprised to see that tonight; George Jones was performing at Harrah's and Sunday night Miranda Lambert would also be performing. Whether you know who they are or not, what is surprising to me is that they are actually coming here to perform. Good for Cherokee, I for one would hate to see this place just fall apart completely. I spent a lot of vacations in this area as a kid growing up and I actually took my Honeymoon just outside of town here. This whole entire area is just beautiful and is a must see for anyone that has never visited. There is something here for everyone from Cherokee, to the Smokey's, to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
Tomorrows run will be southeast out of Cherokee almost back to Georgia and then reverse course at Tellico Plains and ride the Cherohala Highway back to Cherokee. I will give you a link to read from the RoadRunner Magazine if you want to get a better idea of the ride.
Cherokee, NC ride 1
Today’s mileage = 206
Total for the trip = 5150
Day 23 at EveryTrail
Map created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging
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