Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/787665
28 nMarch 2017n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS by Robert Filla EAST TENN.—While many sing the praises of European motorcycling destinations (Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps, Transfagarasan Highway in Romania, etc.), the good ol' US of A has its own share of notable tarmac. The Black Hills, the Three Sisters in the Texas Hill Country and Beartooth Pass in Wyoming come immediately to mind. Another American riding destination that may be, mile for mile, the most famous curvy road in the world is the Tail of the Dragon in East Tennessee. It, along with the neigh- boring Cherohala Skyway, had been in my sights for a long time so last fall when an invite from the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development fell upon my desk, I instantly fell into dragon mode—draggin' some fl oor- boards, that is. Knoxville is the perfect base camp to uncover the joys of bike riding in Eastern Tennessee. It has a vibrant nightlife for those so inclined, adjacent to the World's Fair Park (Knoxville hosted the World's Fair in 1982). But even more important, Knoxville Harley-Davidson West keeps a sharp fl eet of rentals for those wishing to twist the Dragon's tail. And that's where two freelance moto-journal- ists (working for other publications) and I picked up our bikes that we had pre-selected with the help of the Tennessee tourism department. While checking out the bikes and talking with Sales Representative Jon Minnick, we began to get an inkling of just how popular this area was for motorcy- clists. That's when Minnick told us that a contingent of half a dozen riders along with their passengers had just left a few days earlier after renting bikes from the dealership for a full week of riding the area roads. They were all from Japan. (Kinda brings home that "notable tarmac" comment I made earlier.) So after we confi rmed his suspi- cion when he asked if we were going to ride the Dragon and Cherohala, he off-handedly stated, "Then you shouldn't miss the Devil's Triangle. I actually like it best." What? None of the moto-journalist crew had ever even heard of the Devil's Triangle, well, at least not one on land and in Tennessee. But that little lack of knowledge would be rectifi ed in just a few days. The Cherohala Skyway begins in Tellico Plains, Tennessee, only about an hour's ride south of Knoxville. From the Harley dealer, we took I-40 West and then I-75 South to the Sweetwater exit, Highway 68 East. Twenty-fi ve miles later we were fuel- ing up the bikes in Tellico Plains and fueling up our bodies at an interesting joint called the Town Square Café and Bakery. Located on the town square next to the hardware store, the owners are friendly, the décor homespun, the menu extensive (breakfast served all day) and the food reasonably priced and quite good with decent-sized por- tions (I recommend the country-fried steak, sweet potato fries, fried okra and a big ol' glass of sweet tea). The Cherohala Skyway was completed in 1996 after 34 years of planning and con- struction at a cost of $100 million. It is 41 miles long and straddles the Tennessee and North Carolina state line crossing the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forest (hence the name "Chero… hala"). Please note that there are no facilities between Tellico Plains and Robbinsville, North Carolina, so be sure to check your fuel supply. We left heading east on TN-165 riding out of the Tellico River Basin (famous for its trout fi shing) and imme- diately encountered long, easy sweepers with gentle rises and exaggerated downhill runs. Within a few miles we inter- sected River Road, a narrow, six-mile long two-lane that follows the river. While extremely fun to ride, it's not overly challenging except when encountering oncoming traffi c in some of the tighter corners. The road will take you to Bald River Falls with its stunning 100-foot water cascades. Back on the Skyway, on occasion the road would straighten out into a lazy slalom and allow you to kick it into 5th gear and maybe hit 60 mph. But with the beauty of this deep forest surrounding you on both sides, I don't know why you would want to ride that fast. It was a week before Halloween but most of the countryside remained a vibrant green with sudden splashes of yellow, red and auburn signaling that winter was on its way. The Tennessee side of the Cherohala runs for 23 miles before hitting North Carolina, presenting several scenic overlooks and roadside turnouts along the way. But with some blind corners and numerous vanishing horizons, your caution meter should be turned up for distracted automobile sightseers. We came upon one crackup that had occurred just minutes before between a gal on a dual sport and an SUV full of scared tourists. Once you hit the state line, the road begins to climb and in seven miles ascends to Santeelah, the highest overlook on the Skyway at 5,390 feet. As drastically as the road changes, once you cross into North Carolina so does the signage with an overkill by by b Rob ober er er ert Fi Fi Fi Fill ll ll lla an an and I pi pi pick ck ck d ed ed ed up our bikes that we EAST TENNESSEE TOUR TRIPLE THREAT Riding high in the Appalachians Off the Cherohala Skyway, down River Road, water tumbles more than 100 feet at the scenic Bald River Falls The Blue & White Service Station once housed a family of six along with the business and a basement beauty parlor See "Tennessee," page 30, column 1