Day-tripping on the Boulevard

May 21, 2013 by judy lawless

The pool is ready for summer, but the water wasn’t quite warm enough for us to stick our toes in, so what better way to spend the first Canadian long-weekend of summer (Victoria Day weekend) than doing some day-tripping on the motorcycle?

The weather was perfect for riding when we started out on Saturday morning to attend a local Pow Wow; but a misunderstanding between Jim and me took us to the Curve Lake First Nations instead of Hiawatha! Nothing special was happening there, but we weren’t far from our other planned destination – the annual Buckhorn Spring Craft Show. We shared a hoagie, fries and Greek salad at the Olde Ice House in “downtown” Buckhorn before heading out to the Community Centre to admire the colourful creations and sample the jams, jellies and fudge on display, in the Community Centre and in and around the several wooden out-buildings.

Buckhorn is a small community along the Trent Severn Waterway at Lock 31, and a bustling tourist destination during the summer months.

We left Buckhorn with no other destination in mind, but while we sat enjoying a Dairy Queen treat back in Peterborough we decided it was too nice a day to go home, so off we went again, this time to Fenelon Falls, another summer attraction along the Trent Severn (Lock 34) and a great place for snapping pictures.

We enjoyed dinner on the balcony over the falls, in …The Fallsview Restaurant, of course!

Fallsview Restaurant balcony

Before falling onto our couch at home, full, sleepy and content, we drove down to the Peterborough waterfront at Del Crary Park for the Victoria Day celebrations there. The place was packed with parents and kids, lined up to enjoy the dozen or so Bouncy Castles that had been set up for their free entertainment. Some of them were pretty darned elaborate! We watched the sun begin to set, but were just too tired to wait around for the fireworks.

One Huge Bouncy Castle

The line up for this one ran half way across the park!

Peterborough Tour Boat

Sunset Over Peterborough

Sunday morning we were out the door before noon once more, this time to catch the Pow Wow at the Hiawatha First Nations Reserve, just a twenty-minute drive east of Peterborough. The breeze from the bike was refreshing, but the sun was hot as we sat on the bleachers watching the ceremonial parade of people dressed in colourful traditional costumes and performing native dance steps. It was beautiful. We ate buffalo burgers for lunch and checked out the many vendor booths around the perimeter of the ceremonial area. We also had a good chat with a fellow biker who we always see at the Bikers Reunion in New Liskeard. That day he was celebrating his native heritage along with the others.

Dancers

Our friend “Bear” on the right,with Standing Buffalo Warrior (a.k.a.Cliff Standingready)

What a glorious two days to kick off summer and the biking season!

Plan Changes

May 8, 2013 by judy lawless

It looks like our RV adventure has to be postponed because of a family responsibility, so my travel writing for a while will be about the interesting things to see and do in our local area, and shorter excursions on the motorcycle.

Last week we went on our first official “Tour Riders” ride, but it was a short ride because storm clouds were threatening. “The Tour Riders” is a group of bikers that originated thirty years ago. It used to be a more formal club with monthly meetings and membership dues and many organized rides, including an annual “Toy Ride” to collect toys for the local Children’s Aid Society. Most of the original members have moved on, and the ones remaining are retired seniors whose only agenda is to get together on the first and third Tuesday evenings of the month throughout the riding season and go for a ride that ends either at an ice cream parlour or a coffee shop. Someone takes the lead and the others willingly follow on a mystery ride. Younger members who like this casualness have joined the ranks. New members are always welcome to join. Just show up at 7:00 pm and introduce yourself!

Last night was a beautiful night for a ride. Nine bikes with eleven riders met at our usual spot, The Peterborough Zoo parking lot, and headed off towards Stoney Lake. Jim and I, on a Suzuki Boulevard, led this time (as we often do as Jim has been riding in this area since he was sixteen and knows the back roads very well).

On the move

The sky was blue, the air was sweet with the fragrance of budding trees and freshly mowed lawns, as we wound our way past soccer and soft-ball players on the Trent University campus; past horses in the fields, log houses and modern estates. Following us were Yamahas, Harleys , Suzukis, and Hondas, as well as one Victory and a Moto Gucci. The sun flickered through the trees as it made its slow descent over Stoney Lake.

Lots of turns

Water is high and fast on Stoney Lake this year

We almost made it around the lake when the joy was interrupted by an unwelcome event. When making a left turn, the Victory slid on the sand that had accumulated at the corner and went down, sliding unceremoniously into the ditch and taking the rider with it. Sand on the road is a dangerous thing for bikers! Fortunately, with the efforts of four men, the bike was retrieved and the rider, although shaken and dirty insisted he was unhurt. In any event, he refused offers to call for paramedics or tow truck, and climbed back onto his bike and headed for home, which wasn’t too far from where we were. The obvious damage to the bike was a broken gear shifter, which meant he rode the remainder of the way in third gear. BIKERS! We followed him to his turn and the couple who knew him best followed him home to make sure he made it. They met up with us at the coffee shop in Lakefield. We were all left a little shaken and lingered perhaps a little longer than usual before climbing back onto our own bikes and heading home.

We’ll meet for another ride in two weeks. We hope Bob will be able to join us.

Just Can’t Wait to Get on the Road Again

April 23, 2013 by judy lawless

Ah, sunshine at last, and a light at the end of the tunnel, have given me renewed optimism that we will be, within a couple of weeks, back on the road in the RV, the Suzuki Boulevard on the trailer behind.

It’s been a very long winter and spring, full of family crisis that have left us exhausted. Up until yesterday, the latest one threatened to put life as we know it on long-term hold. Thank goodness for our mini-vacation in Las Vegas in February that gave us time for a bit of regeneration before the next storm.

Today, a couple of hours puttering in the backyard and soaking up the sun recharged my battery. I’m hopeful that I’ll have some interesting travel stories to share very soon.

They’re waiting for us.

In the meantime, I did manage to complete another memoir, this one for my uncle, and I started a new blog on that theme, Unfolding Our Past. Hope you’ll take a look.

Adventures in Mae Hong Son

December 28, 2012 by judy lawless

What a wonderful place! The noise and crowds and heavy smells of Bangkok were far behind us.

Mae Hong Son (The City of Three Mists) is the Capital City of one of the northern provinces of Thailand, and at the same time the westernmost, nestled in a deep valley hemmed in by the high mountain ranges of the Shan Hills. It is in the most mountainous province in Thailand.

We checked into the Sang Tong Huts on the outskirts of the city (it hardly seemed like a Capitol City to me). I had my own “hut” which was made of bamboo and had a thatched roof. The bed was a mattress on the raised floor and included bedding and pillows. A little table with a cloth, an electric lamp, and fresh flowers sat in one corner. What luxury! There was a porch on the front that looked into the jungle-like setting of trees and colourful, flowering plants, and mountains off in the distance. I strained to catch a view of the melodic birds that sang from high up in the tree-tops, but they were well hidden. I thought I was in Paradise.

My “room” at Sang Tong Huts in Mae Hong Son

my front porch

View from my porch

Because we chose the less expensive huts (250 baht per night, or $9.45 CAD) we had a short walk along a wooden path to the toilets and showers. In the mornings I had to keep a close eye on where I was stepping to avoid the very large snails that were about, but the squat toilets and shower rooms were separate and very clean. The showers were individual stalls that were partly open on one side, away from the path and view of others, and a large water barrel that was filled from a tap. A large dipper was provided for dumping the invigoratingly cold water over one’s self. Although this was more difficult early in the morning, because the weather was hot and humid I found myself taking more than one shower a day, and the afternoon and evening ones were refreshing. This time I had my own towels, which could be hung on the porch railing to dry.

A large open common room welcomed guests with light refreshments and seating for reading books or the magazines that were there, or for just relaxing by the centre campfire. I enjoyed a bowl of granola with lots of fruit and yogourt for breakfast each morning.

The first day we walked into town to poke around the shops and tried out different restaurants for lunch and dinner. Because I have an intolerance for spicy (i.e. chili) foods, it was difficult for me to find things that I could eat, which was disappointing; Thai dishes all look and smell so delicious. It isn’t heartburn or ulcers that are the problem. It’s in my throat; I choke. Rice and stir-fried veggies became my staples.

Motorbikes line the street in Mae Hong Son

Antique Shop

Lunch at Outdoor Cafe

A more upscale restaurant for dinner

The rainy season was just coming to an end, but it was best to not leave the hut for the day without a trusty rain poncho in your backpack. We’d often emerge from a shop into a torrential downpour that might last five minutes or half an hour. During those times, we caught up on emails at a Cyber Café.

Sarah and Kendrick had planned a trek into the mountains for us, so that evening we met with our guide, Chakaphan, with whom they’d trekked before. While we sat with him in the common area, we were soon joined by other guests who had also arrived that day – one couple from Singapore; another also from Singapore, but who had been teaching in the Czech Republic for the past twelve years and had just retired; and a young fellow from Germany. All of them spoke English and it was great chatting with them.

Our three-day trek that was supposed to begin the next day was postponed because of the heavy rains. The sun came out and we spent the day doing more exploring of the city and its many temples.

We came upon this funeral parade as we walked into town

We hoped the Guest House was in better shape than this vehicle parked out front

City view from up a hill

Sarah and Kendrick strike a pose

Beautiful Magnolia Trees

Mae Hong Son temple

Another temple

Looking across the lake in the centre of town

A huge school of fish vied for bread crumbs thrown off the shore

In the evening, though, the rain poured down again, sending us into our huts for a rest. It was still raining hard at 10:00 pm, but our guide was optimistic about the weather for the next day so it was agreed that we would strike out at 8:30 in the morning. He warned us that we’d be wading through thigh-high rivers and streams and I felt a little apprehensive, unsure that the thick soled sandals and runners that I’d packed were the proper foot wear.

Tune in tomorrow to see how that went.

Wooden Signs and Diabetic Children

August 26, 2012 by judy lawless

On Wednesday I took delivery of 56 wooden signs, destined for Camp Huronda near Huntsville, Ontario. Since they had to be there before the camp closed on Saturday, what better way to deliver them on a beautiful summer day than by motorcycle?

Thursday morning we had all of the signs and an over-night bag snugly packed into our little cargo trailer that was hitched to our Suzuki Boulevard, and were heading north out of town. This was the first time that we’d pulled a trailer behind this bike, only an 800 cc, but it was incredibly easy going. We made it to Minden in time for lunch and a much needed stretch. By 2:00 we had found the camp, deep in the forest on Waseosa Lake Road.

I knew before we left that Camp Huronda is a camp for children with Type 1 Diabetes, but we learned a whole lot more from Amanda when she greeted us and helped unload the boxes.

Camp Huronda is a 125 acre camp sponsored entirely by the Canadian Diabetic Association, private donations and geared-to-income fees paid by young campers who spend two weeks during the summer enjoying biking, hiking, swimming, kayaking, crafts and, more importantly, making friends with other children who understand the hardships of living with diabetes.

“We always have a highly qualified endocrinologist at camp and the health and blood sugars of every child is closely monitored. Usually insulin dosages can be cut by 20% while children are at camp because of the increased activities and healthy diet,” Amanda told us.

Amanda and Jim display one of the signs

Children are also taught how to manage their illness and how to administer their own insulin, sometimes for the first time.

I was impressed.Unlike previous generations of children suffering from this cruel disease, who were misunderstood and often taunted by their peers, these kids will have a much better chance of not only survival, but living happy, fulfilling lives.

Providing free delivery of 56 new signs for their camp was the least we could do to help.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the picturesque town of Huntsville and the evening resting up for another enjoyable ride on the twisty roads leading back home.

We stayed at Huntsville Inn, an older but newly renovated motel on Main Street. The rooms are small, but clean and bright and contain all the amenities needed for a short-term stay.

A beautiful church, appearing like a castle overlooking the banks of the river.

Jim resting his feet at one of the many mini-gardens on Main Street

If It’s Friday the 13th, It Has to Be Port Dover

July 18, 2012 by judy lawless

Every other day of the year, Port Dover, Ontario is a quiet little fishing town located on the north shore of Lake Erie, but on any Friday the 13th the population explodes, especially if the 13th falls on a hot summer day! That’s the day that bikers (motorcycle) congregate, arriving from miles away, a tradition that began with a few biker friends in the early 1980s and rapidly caught on. Estimates for visitors that day range from 150,000 to 200,000.

We hadn’t been there for a few years, but after an offer from my uncle to visit him in Kitchener the day before and leave for Dover from there, we decided to make the trip.

The day was already very warm when we left Kitchener at around 9:00 am. Never having approached Port Dover from that direction before, Jim was making use of the GPS, but that’s more difficult on a bike than in the car. At one point, going through Brantford, he pulled into an exit lane at a traffic light before immediately realizing that that wasn’t where he wanted to go. The traffic was stopped, so he eased back into the driving lane, having to share it with the vehicle that had been in front of us, because the gap had already been closed. Is it unreasonable to believe that the driver of the next vehicle would hesitate just a second when the light turned green, and let us back in? We didn’t think so, but apparently the old girl in the SUV thought we had no right to be there. She drove straight ahead past us, ignoring us completely! Five minutes later she pulled into the Casino parking lot. Oh, so that explained her urgency! Those slots will wait for no one!

It wasn’t long before the roads began to fill with other bikers and we knew we were on the right path. We drove through the town of Boston, where the church had signs welcoming bikers for lunch. Although it was still only 10:30 am, many had stopped there for a break.

We were surprised at how quickly we were ushered into Port Dover by the many teams of police officers directing traffic. On previous visits we usually were slowed to a crawl for over an hour before even catching a glimpse of our destination. Perhaps arriving from the west had it’s advantages. Bikes lined every street; homeowners rented spots on their lawns for anywhere from five to ten dollars for the day, although I suspect that not many stayed put for the whole day.

How to make a few bucks on Friday the 13th!

We were fortunate enough to find a just-emptied parking spot on the street in the downtown area, and it was right near the port-a-potties so I could slip in to change out of my heavy jeans and shoes and into shorts and sandals. It was hot! After applying a generous dose of sun screen and donning hats and sunglasses, we began our wade through the mass of bikes and people — handle-bar to handle-bar, shoulder to shoulder.

The crowds

For the next four hours we toured the streets, seeing strange bikes and awesome bikes, and some weird sights as well.

Someone had a lot of time on his hands!

Nice work!

Nicely dressed Harley with trailer

Playboy Bike, first in a grip-to-grip row

Not an event for only macho bikers! Love their spirit.

Tim Horton’s Drive Thru

AIDS Awareness Mascot

Dover Fashions

Bikes, Babes and Tatoos

At lunch time we headed for our favourite restaurant for a feed of Port Dover’s famous Yellow Perch. However, this time the line up was out the door to the street so we thought we’d find something else. Well every restaurant had an hour wait. We finally settled for some very good homemade pulled pork on a kaiser served from a street vendor who offered a few tables in a parking lot. And we drank many bottles of water!

At 2:00 pm we decided we’d seen enough. Much to our dismay, it took a whole lot longer to get out of town than it did to get in. Streets were blocked off, forcing everyone to follow a big loop around town before reaching an exit, and then we weren’t on the highway that we wanted so we had to drive a few more extra kilometers before we got heading towards home.

At Haggersville we experienced the usual delay, the one we’d missed on the way to Dover this time. There are three traffic lights on the highway going through the small town of Haggersville, and they aren’t co-ordinated. On a day like Friday the 13th, when the usual traffic probably quadruples, this causes major back-ups of bikes sitting sometimes through three red lights before finally getting through the intersection. The rest of the trip was pretty much the same — stop and go all through the Greater Toronto area. We stopped in Oshawa for some dinner at 7:00 pm and were really glad to pull into our own driveway at 9:00 pm., exhausted. It was a fun day.

“Vacationing” in home town, Peterborough

July 2, 2012 by judy lawless

(June 30, 2012)

For the last five years we’ve spent the Canada Day long weekend at Bikers Reunion in New Liskeard, Ontario. It’s our favourite bike rally, but this year, with all that has been happening following our recent return from wandering, we decided to stay home.

Home is Peterborough, Ontario – a great place to live and to vacation. This afternoon we enjoyed a swim in the pool and a BBQ with a couple of good friends. After they left, we were relaxing on the patio enjoying the breeze that was beginning to cool down the hot temperature of the day, when we suddenly remembered that tonight was Opening Night at the Little Lake Musicfest and Jimmy Rankin was performing! We quickly changed our clothes, strapped two lawn chairs onto the back of the bike, and headed downtown.

Jimmy Rankin at Little Lake Musicfest, Peterborough, Ontario

Every Wednesday and Saturday night throughout the summer there is good music to be heard at Del Crary Park, situated in the heart of downtown and on the lake — Little Lake, and the best part of it, it’s always free! One of the fund raisers is a 50/50 draw and tonight the large crowd brought in $3,300 for the lucky winner.

The Musicfest is only one of many things to see and do in Peterborough. The number one tourist attraction, of course, is the Peterborough Lift Lock, the highest hydraulic lift n the world. From May to October many houseboats, yachts and even canoes pass through the numerous locks of the Trent Severn Waterway that passes through Peterborough, and get a chance to view the city from 65 feet up while waiting for the slow descent from the top to the bottom. After the lift lock, one more small lock will take them into Little Lake, where, if it’s a Wednesday or Saturday evening, they can moor off Del Crary Park and watch the show. If you don’t have your own boat, you can hop aboard one of the Lift Lock Cruise boats for a trip around the lake and over the lock and even have dinner if you’d like.

Boats lining up to go up through the Peterborough Lift Lock

Also on Little Lake, just below the Lift Lock, there is a great campground nestled among the trees with a creek running through. Beavermead Campground is easily accessible off of Hwy 115 at Ashburnham drive. It has 46 un-serviced sites and 52 serviced sites to accommodate RVs. It is between Peterborough’s Ecology Park, where organic gardening plants and materials are available, and Beavermead Park which boasts a large beach and play area. All of these beautiful spots are joined by the biking/walking trails that wind their way throughout the city.

Other events that happen in Peterborough during the summer are Ribfest, Wake board Festival, soccer tournament and fabulous Farmer’s Markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

During the winter you can skate on the Canal, weather permitting. 🙂

Now that I think of it, there are way too many attractions to cram into a single blog! I think my next blog will be a photo blog of Peterborough.

The Last Sunset

June 13, 2012 by judy lawless

Tonight we are at the Westfield KOA, NY. We took our time today and by the time we got this far it was just too far to go to get home at a decent hour, so we stopped in at this lovely site on Lake Erie. This is the end of this adventure — we should be home tomorrow afternoon.

We left Pigeon Forge after lunch on Monday and got as far as Renfro Valley, Kentucky before stopping at the KOA.The drive was hot and uneventful, as was the next day, when we drove through to Columbus, Ohio. The traffic was heavy when we arrived in the outskirts of the city and there were some very rude drivers on the road. When we were driving in the right-hand lane, passing an exit ramp, a woman in a van to our left suddenly decided she was going to go off at that exit. She pulled in front of us and stopped dead in our lane because the exit ramp was already full. She waved her hands at the driver of the car beside us, motioning him to back off and let her in! What nerve! It’s a good thing that Jim had already slowed down to a crawl because of the already slow moving traffic (turned out that there was an accident up ahead, causing the jam). So many people don’t realize the weight of a 32′ motor home, pulling a bike on a trailer. We can’t stop on a dime!

We enjoyed a great meal at The Cracker Barrel and didn’t feel like going any further, so with the permission of the manager we set up for the night in the parking lot. There was some shade and we were the only ones in the large lot after the restaurant closed at 9:00 pm. At 9:30, just when we were thinking of going to bed, a semi pulled up right beside us, left his engine running and his lights all on, including his signal lights, and crawled into his sleeper cab and went to sleep! If you’ve ever been parked next to one of these for any length of time, you know all about the many loud noises they make. If he had to nap there, could he have not at least had the consideration to go to the other side of the lot? We debated about pulling out and trying the Walmart lot instead, but I was too tired. We were thankful to hear him leave an hour later.

Tonight, after a dinner of left overs, we took a walk to the park across from the campsite to capture some pictures of the sunset over Lake Erie.

Last Sunset of This Adventure

Sunset over Lake Erie, Westfield, NY

Sunday in Dollywood, Yes, we went to Dollywood

June 11, 2012 by judy lawless

I was looking forward to going to Dollywood, just to see what it was all about, but I really doubted that we would need the two-day pass offered for half price at the KOA office. We bought it anyway. Once again I had a preconceived idea of what it would be like, especially after seeing the main drag of Pigeon Forge — glitzy and loud. Again, I was surprised, this time, pleasantly.

Almost at the door of our campground, we boarded the Trolley car that travels around the town, picking up people and delivering them to the various tourist venues. The cost, just 50 cents per person each way! It wasn’t worth putting on gear and taking the bike up the hill for that price. Besides, it was threatening rain, and we did get some during the morning. That meant not such a crowd of people and no long waits to get into things.

Trolley

There are no flashing lights, nor garish billboards at Dollywood, and it’s located well off the local streets so doesn’t create a distraction. Dolly has done it up very tastefully, making use of naturally treed land,and various artifacts from the days of her childhood. The price of tickets is much less than what we’d have to pay at Canada’s Wonderland, or Disney World, and it’s not all about rides and carnival games.

Welcome, to Dollywood

Our first stop, after grabbing a coffee at the Sandwich and Pastry Shop, was The Front Porch, a covered outdoor theatre area extended from the front porch stage of the replica house where Dolly was born. For a half hour we enjoyed listening to the sweet harmonies of Dolly’s Uncle Billy Owens, her cousins and niece, accompanied by Dolly’s Family Reunion Band.

Dolly’s Family Reunion Band

From there we walked to the train station to catch a ride around the park on train, pulled by an original coal-fired steam engine. Jim especially enjoyed listening to the whistle tunes played by the engineer.

Steam Train

When we disembarked, we took a ride on the authentic looking, although synthetic, old style carousel at the Country Fair. It didn’t matter that we were the only adults that had no children to accompany 🙂

There were only two things at the park that cost extra. The first one, of course, was food, and that was expensive — $21.00 for two pulled pork sandwiches with a small bag of potato chips and one ice tea for lunch. The rain had finally stopped by the time we finished eating and we strolled down to the Wilderness Pass, where the roller coasters, zip lines and a few other challenges were located. The Wild Eagle looked like a “must do!” Up we went, and down we went, hanging on for dear life and enjoying every minute of it. I can’t believe I’m saying that, since even as a child and up to the time of my mid-life turnaround, I would never go near anything more “scary” than a Ferris wheel! At Timber Canyon we survived another roller coaster ride called Thunderhead. It was at first easy until we were suddenly plunging head first into a coal mine shaft! Yikes! It was as rough ride and not nearly as much fun as the Wild Eagle. We asked about doing the Zip Line, but since there was an extra charge of $30.00 per person, we passed.

Wild Eagle

Wild Eagle,Flying off the edge

There are lots of little shops and restaurants in the park, but we went into only one shop — Dolly’s Closet, a ladies clothing and accessories shop, where I expected the quality items to be much more pricey than they were.

We toured the Chasing Rainbows Museum, and hoped to get a peak inside Dolly’s touring bus, but it wasn’t open that day. There were a few things that we could have gone back to see and it would have been nice to listen to some more music, but by five o’clock we’d had enough and caught the trolley back to camp, sticking to our original plan to leave on Monday. It was another great day.

Village Square, Dollywood

One of Many Ponds

Tonight, Monday, we are at another KOA at Renfro Valley, Kentucky, on our way home.

Pigeon Forge and Deals Gap

June 9, 2012 by judy lawless

Although I promised to tell you about Tarpon Springs in my next post, I’ve decided to leave that and Atlanta for future posts, and bring you up to where we are this weekend, since it may well be our last interesting stop. The days are counting down to the date that we need to be home, so there won’t be much more time for being tourists.

Yesterday, Friday June 8th, we arrived at the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee KOA campgrounds late in the afternoon. The day had been much cooler than the few days before and the drive was pleasant. But when we arrived here we were hit with more heat and humidity and high air pollution. There is lots of traffic in Pigeon Forge these days. After a quick dinner in the RV we hopped on the bike and did a tour of the downtown area. This is my first time here. It’s not at all what I expected! There is an Historic Area where there is a beautiful old flour mill and an old fashioned General Store. We enjoyed an ice cream cone at the Creamery, and took some beautiful evening photos in this area before returning to the main street.

Flour Mill, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Mill Power Dam

Main Street, Pigeon Forge is a completely different world. If Las Vegas is Tinsel Town, then this has to be Tacky Town. There are no gambling casinos, but there are just as many lights and signs flashing everywhere. It could be a fun place to spend the weekend with kids, or be a kid yourself if you have money to spare. There is no shortage of go-cart tracks or entertainment halls, or flashy hotels. There is an area of carnival rides, and a House of Magic. Even King Kong can be seen watching over the strip.

Go-Kart Racing, Pigeon Forge

King Kong Takes Pigeon Forge

It was an interesting evening, but today, Saturday was much more our kind of day. We were up early and on the bike by nine o’clock, on our way to Deals Gap. The bikers reading this will know what this is all about. For those who aren’t familiar, Deals Gap is a stretch of road that claims 318 turns in its eleven mile length, a biker’s dream run. People come from all over the USA and Canada, just to do the “Tail of the Dragon”, as it is also dubbed.

The air was clear and fresh, as we journeyed along Hwy 441 towards Cherokee. Once out of town the road began to gently twist and turn beneath the tree canopy through Smokey Mountain National Park. It was exhilarating. You can’t really experience such a ride from a car or certainly a motor home, the way you can on a motor cycle, the smell of fresh air, the colours, the wind on your face. We made several stops to take pictures of the smokey mountain range and it was nearly lunch time before we reached Cherokee. There we took time to stroll through the Cherokee Voices Festival, chatting with various native crafts people who were demonstrating their crafts, before filling up both the bike and our stomachs in preparation for the rest of the journey. It was still another hour ride before we reached the beginning of our destination — Deals Gap.

Smokey Mountain National Park, Tennessee

On our Way to Deals Gap

Native Potter, Cherokee Voices Festival

Basket Weaver, Cherokee Voices Festival

Elder Potter, Cherokee Voices Festival

When we finally reached Deals Gap and the beginning of the Tail of the Dragon run, we found ourselves among many, many bikers. Thankfully today, there were no fools riding, at least not that we know about. Sadly, there have been many lives lost on this route because of careless riders who want to see how fast they can do it. The curves and road grades require respect. We took our time and enjoyed the ride.

Deals Gap

Tree of Shame. Foolishness is not encouraged. These bikes didn’t make it.

Caution at Deals Gap

Enjoying the ride on The Tail of the Dragon

We were exhausted by the time we arrived back at camp at five in the afternoon, but it was an amazing trip.

Mind Traveler

Sharing Life's Journey

Category Archives: Motorcycling

Day-tripping on the Boulevard

Plan Changes

Just Can’t Wait to Get on the Road Again

Adventures in Mae Hong Son

Wooden Signs and Diabetic Children

If It’s Friday the 13th, It Has to Be Port Dover

“Vacationing” in home town, Peterborough

The Last Sunset

Sunday in Dollywood, Yes, we went to Dollywood

Pigeon Forge and Deals Gap

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)

Did you enjoy what you read? Did you learn something? Nudge your friends to read it too! :)