Smoky Mountains National Parkway / Tennessee, North Carolina

by Lisa Grantham
(Jackson, Mississippi)

Conquering the Dragon!

We went on a motorcycle vacation last fall to the Smoky Mountains and had a blast! We rode little over 1700 miles in 10 days. First night we stayed at Raccoon Mountain in Chattanooga. Rode the Dragon three times - twice in one day! What a RUSH! We hung out at Deal's Gap for a while and then rode on over to Fontana Dam. The Foothills Parkway scenery was mesmerizing. We rode into North Carolina several times on the Cherahola Skyway. We drove through Cade's Cove and saw lots of wild deer - some less than 20 feet away, black bears, foxes, turkeys and wild hogs! The bikes ran great and although we had to dodge a few rain showers, this by far, was one of the best bike trips I've ever been on.