For many motorcyclists this 11-mile stretch of 2 lane road in the Smoky Mountains, with its' 318 corners, this is THE motorcycling road in the continental USA. |
| Kamikaze Ozzie and his KLR 650 |
I first learned of the road a few years ago while taking my first learn-to-ride course. It's hard for me to give non-riders a sense of how large the mythology of this road is in North American motorcycling. Thinks combining Christmas, your birthday and finding $20 in a the pocket of last winter's jacket.
As you probably have guessed, there is no road actually called the Dragon, or Tail of the Dragon. It's a stretch of US129 on the edge of the Smoky Mountains running from Hwy 411 to Hwy 19.
At the southern end of this magnificent stretch is a place called Deal's Gap, which is home to a terrific motorcycle resort. You can buy your souveniers and other memorabilia, get a bite to eat and drinks, or even stay over a few days in the motel. The place is always crawling with motorcyclists, both those who have trailered in, and those who rode the whole way down.Most anything I could add here would certainly be redundant. I do have 2 observations however
At the restaurant at Deal's Gap Resort, almost every inch of the vast ceiling of is covered with commemorative t-shirts left by riders over the years. One of the most touching I read was signed by a group of men who came to ride the Dragon to fulfil a fallen comrades dream. They went so far as to actually ride their late friend's bike, with a small vial of his ashes riding pillion. "This ride's for you, Bob", read the shirt.
My best description of the actual ride on the Tail of the Dragon ... "humbling"
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