:: US Fall ride - 3 Sisters, Great Smoky Mountain, Deals Gap, Cherohala skwy, BRP..

[VietHorse]

Back to the second night in Robbinsville. Sy and Ed were super good cooks.




They made awesome foods for us and ready as the time we comeback from Cherohala:


That night was really chilly outside, but I was so happy. It 's really kind of bikers spirit. We had Hot tub available there, but who cared? We have lots of things to talk with each others:
The dinner prolonged until Midnight. We moved outside as a big fire had been lit up:


Just sitting around, drink, chit chat...




The cabin was looking great at night:


I was also so brave and happy that Kevin (ST1300) brought the VFRD Flaf there for me to sign - that's awesome, a Vietnamese member been there and physically sign on the Flaf which only presented in US. I may be the furthest member on VFRD to sign on that.


Slept tight that night....

[VietHorse]

I don't remember exactly if we turned right for this exit?!


However, this was the exit we took:




Morning fuel:


He seemed still sleepy. LoL...


We headed to the Smoky Mountain, to the Blue Ridge Parkway:


Stopped at a small village (Cherokee, I think) for some photos:






Right, that was Cherokee. I was missing some chances to visit and take photos of the Cherokee/Indian museum, which is quite near to the street:


We were passing Cherookee:

...

[VietHorse]

I heard about Blue Ridge Parkway many times, all the nice words, except about the Po Po...


The road to BRP started to be wonderful. It was quite chilly and a bit wet.


I was thinking of taking lots of photos that day, as I went riding with Sy and Ed, who may not too aggressive with speed.
At an overlook:


Awesome fall color:


@4160ft high:
You will never see this signboard in real, as we already threw them away - or may be it has been rebuilt, I don't know:


We kept continue riding up the mountain. The roads seemed weter and weter as long as the higher elevation, it was more and more foggy as well. We could not go fast and have to be very careful with the wet road. We stopped at another overlook area:




We were discussing of wearing raincoat and also heading back with incompleted BRP:


Whatever it is, It was nice experience to me though:

[VietHorse]

Left the Overlook area, we kept continue for some miles then come back. Too bad that the weather did not permit us to enjoy the Blue Ridge Parkway on that day. We took exit to US19 (Soco Road) and back to Cherokee.
Some more nice view on the way back:







Arriving Cherokee:


Stopped for a rest at a gas station:


The big building at the background of the two above photos is a big Casino in Cherokee. People say that Gambling is kind of biggest income for this area.

I was hopping that we could see some sunlight from the sky. If so, we could come back to Blue Ridge Parkway and do the rest of exploration. Especially myself and Ed never been there. However, the cloudy and dark sky made us to come back Robbinsville.


Sy helped to save the riding day by making a round trip. We did other route back to the Cabin.




Another stop, beside the Nantahala Outdoor Center.




I don't really understand the first three lines on the board:

Is that the Export gate #3 of the Commercial Silvermine?



Cold water but it is more enjoyable than the mist on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I was played canoeing for a while :




(to be continued...)

[VietHorse]

Three of us back to the Cabin, that time was till quite early.



Some nice shots around the Cabin:






Then I myself headed to the Dragon. It was almost no traffic on the Dragon. This time, I done the Dragon for two times without any issue.
I put my team's logo (ACE MTSG) here:


And I even have time to stop at some places to take photos and chit chat with Killboy and US129photos cameramen.





Very few motorcycles at Deals gap:


This bike is really sweet, he passed me sometimes on the Dragon:


Back to the Cabin after two rounds of Dragon, I stopped at the bridge which lead to the Deals Gap resort:




Well, that's it for the Day 3 at the Smoky mountain:


(to be continued...)

[VietHorse]

First time passed the Tabcat bridge, heading to Tennessee. I saw this dam pretty close:




The cliff beside the dam was nice too:


Lonely road:


The roads from Dragon to Maryville was narrow, but clear, not so many twisties. I had to ride on the freeway for about 15 mins to reach Maryville:




I think I did quite zig-zag route within the Maryville as I wanted to see things around. However, that was not so easy for me to take fotos as there were lots of traffics on the roads.



Left Maryville, I rode on the 73 for around 10miles before getting into the Smoky Mountain area:




(to be continued...)

[VietHorse]

Yes, it seemed to be the starting point:






The traffic started to be crowded. There were a lot of cars who go for traveling toward the Smoky Mountain. Easily see the cars stopped at a large pull-off area or overlook area.
However, I did not bother much, as I planned to spend my day easily and I can head back to cabin anytime I wanted.

A nice stream along the road:






(to be continued...)

[VietHorse]

It was not easy to park the bike on the soft shoulder, but the place was so nice, so I have tried to find the stone to aid the side stand:


A calm upstream:


But a different look of downstream:






Just took a silent moment, at the middle of the forest, beside the stream and the VFR. I was wishing my family being there with me....


Well, sun was shining, and my family was asleep at home...


Back to the road again:


Fall was all around...


Some milestone:


Nice view from an overlook:


A bit different type of trees:






(to be continued...)

[VietHorse]

A bit different look with a crowded tourist campsite:




Yeah, you can stop anytime when riding alone. I have another stop at another overlook:




RWB VFR between the golden fall:


Awesome day for ride:

[VietHorse]

Continue with the trip. I think I was coming down South on 441:




Then saw this:


Well, save that BRP for the next day.:


Reach Cherokee:


I still feel regret that I did not take time to visit the Indian museum there.
And did not buy any shirt, even with good price:






A busy little town:


We don't have this in Vietnam:


But we have such kind of power lines:

[VietHorse]

Day 5 with VFR.

It was the day I plan to move away from the Cabin in Robbinsville. I was hopping I can head North to reach Virginia, just pass the state line couple of miles then I can claim that I 've been to one more State.
Well, If having a local with me, for sure I can make it. However, I chose the safer option which could let me take an easy day and really enjoy the ride.

Here is my tracklog of the day 5:


Last time see this:


Got off the cabin, started the bike, it was quite chilly:




I headed to Dragon from theere. Done the last round of the Dragon.
Nothing else to see and taking photos others than these - RWB VFR at the state line btw NC and TN:






I left the Dragon with the same route #80. But this time, I have chance to take photos with the very beautiful lake, I think it may just around within 10miles from the Dragon:

[VietHorse]

I headed to Blue Ridge Parkway. Passed Bryson City, I think I went for the wrong way for a while. Then came back to get thru Cherokee one more time. That was the last time I passed those two places.

And after that I again missed the turn from the Hwy 19 to Blue Ridge Parkway. I gotta make another U-turn.
Finally, I got this:





I was so happy when reaching that area. Further more, that day was really beautiful weather.
I don't know it 's allowed or not. But who cares!?


Wow... many and many wow... I was really ecstatic with the beauty of the scenes on Blue Ridge Parkway:




(to be continued...)

[VietHorse]

The Blue Ridge Parkway may be familiar with lots of you guys, but for me, it was really awesome. I would never forget my excitement when seeing all those wonderful color.
Words may not be able to express all the beauty of the trees, roads, and mountains there.









I stopped at quite numbers of overlook area. Some places I just pulled off, still sitting on the bike, enjoy the view for some seconds, then kept riding. Some others made me to off the bike, pulled my camera up and shot:









I reached the highest point of the Blue Ridge Parkway:


I was wishing of Wrestler and RollingAgain being there with me:


(to be continued...)

[VietHorse]

I was riding near to Ashville. I sent messages to Wrestler and Earthshake to ask for some places to stay that night.
Besides, I also looked into my Garmin GPS to find the place. Lucky me, I found the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground. I calle the number on the GPS and the owner answered. Room was available, wifi free, price was ok to me.
Headed to Ashville for some more gas and turned back a bit to the Campground. It was somewhere at the middle of the Blue Rige Parkway.

With my GPS, I can find the place without any difficulties. I saw some bikers just heading out of the campground, some were setting up their tents.
Met the owner, he showed me the cabins:



They looked nice and okay to me.

This was my cabin for that night:


There was nothing inside the cabin except a bed, a small heater and some clothes hangers on the walls.
The area has the free public bathroom and toilet. Had the washing machine, but they need coins to work.

With my gears still on, I headed out about 5-7 miles for dinner. I had dinner in a Mexican restaurant that night. Food was really great.
Come back and had bath.
After that I brought my laptop to the recreation room (a common room of the campground) to connect to stronger wifi and chit chat with the bikers in there.
Other riders were so supprise that I am all over from Vietnam to there and ride.
Slept not so well that night because the small heater and thin blanket did not help.

Tracklog for the Day 5:

[VietHorse]

Day 6 with VFR.

After a cold night in the cabin of Blue Ridge Campground, wake up with sleepy eyes...



This side of the Campground is cabin area:


This is the office and recreation room:


And here is place for those who have their own tents - the house in the middle of the photo is bathrooms and laundry rooms:


Morning smile for a good day, why not?


I will leave the campground, cross the Blue Ridge Parkway, thru Highlands and toward the South. Destination of the day would be Clayton (GA)