OUR RIDES AND GATHERINGS
UPDATED 09/01/08
LABOR DAY AT FRANK & JANET'S
DEALS GAP AND TRAIL OF TEARS
GEORGIA, TENNESSEE, NORTH CAROLINA, ALABAMA, 955
MILES AT 35 (+/-) MILES AN HOUR, ALL IN 5 DAYS
WE SET UP BASE CAMP IN GEORGIA AT KOA AND SPENT
THE FIRST DAY VISITING ROCK CITY AND A FEW OTHER
LOCAL SPOTS.
THE FIRST NIGHT
WE STAYED IN
SWEETWATER
TENNESSEE.
THEN IT WAS THE
LONG WAY TO
CHEROKEE NORTH
CAROLINA VIA DEALS
GAP AND THE
CHERHOLA SKYWAY
DEALS GAP (OR TAIL OF THE DRAGON) IS AN 11
MILE STRETCH OF ROAD WITH 318 SHARP
CURVES! BETTER HOPE THERE ARE NO BIG RIGS
COMING THE OTHER WAY! THE PHOTO TO THE
RIGHT IS THE TREE OF SHAME ... REMNANTS OF
THOSE WHO HAD TO CHANGE THEIR PANTS.
THE CHERHOLA
SKYWAY TAKES
YOU UP ONE SIDE
AND DOWN THE
OTHER OF THE
SMOKEY
MOUNTAINS.
WHAT A
BEAUTIFUL
SUNSET AT 6000
FEET!
HAD TO STOP AT HARRAH'S CASINO FOR THE
BIGGEST BUFFET DINNER I HAVE EVER SEEN.
THEN IT WAS BED TIME AT OUR CUTE LITTLE
CABIN AT THE GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAIN
KOA.
THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS A COOL 55
DEGREES AND WE OFF TO JOIN THE TRAIL OF
TEAR PRE RIDE. STARTS IN CHEROKEE AND
ENDS AT THUNDER CREEK NORTH CAROLINA
HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER, ABOUT 250
BIKES TRAVELING ABOUT 200 MILES.
I HAVE NO IDEA
WHAT I WAS
POINTING AT BUT
IT MUST HAVE
BEEN FAST.
AFTER SPENDING THE NIGHT BACK AT OUR
HOME CAMP, WE TRAVELED TO
CHATTANOGA TENNESSEE AND JOINED
ABOUT 150,000 OF OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS
FOR THE TRAIL OF TEARS RIDE
ENTIRE TOWNS CAME OUT
TO WAVE AND SHOW
THEIR SUPPORT. THEY
PARKED ON HIGHWAYS,
BRIDGES AND STREET
CORNERS
THE LUNCH STOP WAS
HUGE WITH
CEREMONIAL INDIAN
DANCES AND NATIVE
FOODS AND VENDORS.
GOT HER AGAIN. YOU
KNEW IT WAS
COMING!
HE WORE THIS THE
ENTIRE RIDE. WHY? WE
DIDN'T EVEN ASK.
JONI GIVES A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO THE TERM
'ROCK HEAD'. BY THE END OF THE TRIP, OUR
SADDLE BAGS WEIGHED AN EXTRA 20 POUNDS
FROM THE ROCKS SHE COLLECTED. PERSONALLY I
THINK SHE JUST REPLACES THE ONES IN HER HEAD
WITH THEM.
WE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE END OF THE
RIDE. WHAT A SIGHT TO SEE, 100,000
MOTORCYCLES PARKED IN FIELDS AND
UNDER TREES. WE WERE TOLD THE
MOTORCYCLES STRECTHED OUT AS MUCH
AS 40 MILES ON THE HIGHWAY.
CALVIN MADE SOME NEW
FRIENDS. ONE CLEANED
HIS EAR AND THE OTHER I
NAMED 'WHITE MAN
DRINKS BEER'. NO
OFFENSE TO MY NEW
CHEROKEE FRIENDS.
WE ARE STARTING TO PLAN NEXT YEARS BIG RIDE.

STURGIS, SOUTH DAKOTA!

WE ARE THINKING IT WILL BE A 2 WEEK TRIP. OUR THOUGHTS ARE TO SHIP THE
BIKES AND FLY THE PEOPLE TO STURGIS. THEN RIDE THE BIKES BACK HOME!
THIS WILL SAVE ABOUT 5 DAYS TRAVEL TIME TO STURGIS, THAT WAY WE CAN
TAKE 7 OR 8 DAYS ON THE RIDE HOME AND REALLY ENJOY IT. OUR BUDDIES
SCOTT AND CALVIN ARE TRUCKERS AND HAVE A CONTACT THAT CAN SHIP OUR
BIKES AT ABOUT $500 EACH. SO, START SAVING YOUR NICKLES AND VACATION
DAYS AND JOIN US ON WHAT IS SURE TO BE A TRIP TO REMEMBER.