Day 8: Suches, GA to Sevierville, TN
249 Miles |
6:48 Riding Time
Today is Thursday, April 18, 2024. It’s day 8 of my cross country motorcycle trip.
I think I’ve been procrastinating a little about blogging, because I’ve been trying to figure out what I want to write about today.
The guy holding the dog over there is my good friend Chuck Franklin, and the dog is Bassano. Chuck and Hon (with Bassano and Winnie the Macaw), Allyson and Daniel (with Ubaldo the Dachshund), and Donette and I (with Briscoe and now Finley—both Westies) all lived in the same building in NYC for a time.
We met through walking our dogs, and became close friends—it took a little while for Finely and Bassano to become friends, but that’s a different story.
Chuck and I got interested in guitars, through Daniel. I like to say that my friend Daniel plays guitar, and Chuck and I have guitars, too.
Chuck and I also bonded over motorcycles. He had many over the years, but none since he moved to NYC. I had my Harley, and Donette had hers as well. Several years ago, the four of us took the bikes, the dogs, and the car for a weekend trip to Kingston, NY.
So it was no surprise that in March, 2023, Chuck bought himself a motorcycle. He opted for that BMW R nineT, and couldn’t be happier.
When I went with him to pick up his bike, I got my first glimpse of the BMW K1600B Grand America, which is what I ended up buying in May 2023.
We only got one chance to ride our new bikes together. In August, I set out for a week in upstate NY, VT, and NH. Chuck rode with me for the first leg of my journey out of the City and up to the State Line Lookout on the Palisades Interstate Parkway. I know he wasn’t feeling great that day, and it meant a lot to me that he wanted to ride together.
A few months later, in October, Chuck passed away. Far too young, and far too soon. Chuck was born and is buried in Blairsville, GA. I wasn’t able to attend his funeral, but today I was able to visit his gravesite. I miss you, buddy.
Wolf Pen Gap Road (GA 180)
It was a foggy morning when I set out, and the twisties were abundant. Wolf Pen Gap is a favorite of so many riders, and I can see why—trees, turns, and not a lot of cars.
I love long days of riding and I don’t need to go fast. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I like to go fast, but when you can’t see around the turn, and it’s early morning with the sun in your face, I opt for enjoying the ride vs the adrenaline rush.
Blairsville, GA
Blairsville is a pretty town. Stopped at the Hole in the Wall diner for lunch. The food and coffee were good, and there were quite a few people with motorcycle-branded t-shirts eating there.
So, when my waitperson asked if there was anything else I needed, I said, “Well, you don’t happen to know any great places to ride north of here. Do you?”
She said, “No, sorry.” Then, “Hey, Bill? This guy is looking for some places to ride heading north. Can you help him out?”
Bill came over to my table, and told me how close I was to the Cherohala Skyway, and his favorite roads between Blairsville and Tellico Plains, TN. Thanks, Bill
Cherohala Skyway
I started in Tellico Plains, TN and rode to Robbinsville, NC. The skyway is about 43 miles long, and absolutely gorgeous. If you’re nearby, ride it.
The views are stunning. The curves are (mostly) gentle. And, the traffic was non-existent (although it was a Thursday afternoon).
Arriving in Robbinsville, I gassed up and got some water. A guy getting gas warned me that the route I had planned had some construction on it. I’d be better off going along the Nantahalla river, through Bryson City and Cherokee, where I could cross the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
I do love our national parks. There’s a feeling of relaxation that I notice whenever I enter one. Everything will be well marked. The roads will be well maintained. The other visitors will be…well…visiting. No one seems to be in a big rush to get anywhere.
RT 441 goes though the center of the park, and it’s a beautiful ride. I had done it heading east about 20 years ago, and I was looking forward to riding it again. You climb until you cross the NC-TN border.
Then it’s downhill and twisty as you get into Gatlinburg, TN.
This is my favorite street sign, and it’s a good example of how twisty the road can get.
After the park, I went straight to my hotel in Sevierville, TN. Had dinner and called it a night.
It was a good day.