Quick Trip to the Smokies

    Over Memorial Day weekend, we took a quick trip down to Townsend, TN on the Harley. Gregg and I have been visiting Townsend for years and even honeymooned there back in 2002! Townsend is termed “The Peaceful Side of the Smokies!” This town is close enough to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg to still enjoy activities in those towns, but away from the hustle and bustle to enjoy the mountains, nature, and fantastic roads. Not only did we do things in and around Townsend, but we also found some new adventures in North Carolina that were unexpected, but fantastic surprises. 

     Townsend is a great place to be active or kick back and relax. There are tons of hiking trails and places to tube the river. The town has nice sidewalks that span the entire town on both sides of the highway. There are many restaurants, but be prepared, most things close before 9:00 pm, so don’t roll into town late to grab some grub, your only option will probably be Subway. Our favorite coffee shop is the Dancing Bean. They have baked goods, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and awesome coffee and smoothies. They even have spiked coffee that must be drank in the store. You cannot take them to go. Everything is fantastic. I recommend the iced brown sugar expresso or the hot coconut mocha latte (it tastes like an Almond Joy)! Gregg likes Americano and the Redeye. Smokey Mountain National Park is close, but is very busy. I would suggest getting out early to try and beat the rush and the traffic. Cades Cove is busy as well, but you will most likely get to see some bears. This time we stayed at The Tremont Lodge and Resort. It was clean, but a little dated. The breakfast was minimal. However, it was a great deal for the price we paid on a holiday weekend. The Talley Ho Inn is our favorite place to stay. It is a family owned and operated motel in the third generation. It is cute, clean, and a great place to stay. We highly recommend checking out Townsend for a relaxing stay.  

     This trip was defiantly geared toward riding adventures. We hit The Tail of the Dragon, US 129, almost every day. It wasn’t as congested as normal, but it kept raining here and there, so the road was always a little damp. I think that was deterring a lot of folks from hopping on the road. If you don’t know The Tail of the Dragon is a road with 318 curves in 11 miles. Totally fun, but can be sketchy if people are acting crazy. FYI: to everyone (motorcycles, cars, trucks, etc.), if you are going significantly slower than the vehicle behind you, just get over on the next pull off, so everyone can enjoy the road.  For a more leisurely ride, take the Foothills Parkway. This road also has curves, but they are more swooping instead of sharp. The parkway has great views overlooking the valley. The road from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove (Little River Gorge Road/Highway 73/Fighting Creek Gap Road) is a great ride, but is extremely busy every time we ride it. The river runs right next to the road and there are great spots to pull off for a quick dip in the river or for a picnic. It is very curvy and the closer you get to Gatlinburg, the busier it gets. These are just a few of the roads we like to ride. Get out and explore the area when you get there. You could come across some great stuff by accident. 

     Gregg is constantly searching the map and looking for new roads for us to ride. That is exactly what happened on this trip. We had no plans to adventure into North Carolina this trip, but decided to check out Nantahala National Forest on Highway 82 between Franklin and Highlands, NC. What a marvelous find! The road was great and there were fantastic waterfalls.  We loved it so much; we rode it twice. The area was gorgeous, and the waterfalls were spectacular. Bridal Veil Falls is right by the road and there is an easy pull off very close. We had to skip Dry Falls on the first day because there wasn’t any parking, but found a spot the second day. Dry Falls has a staircase to lead you down to the falls. You can even walk behind Dry Falls. There is a walkway under and around it. It is not totally dry. You will get a bit wet. There is a $3 fee at Dry Falls, but it is worth it. We really enjoyed the road and area. 

We also enjoyed Highway 276 from Waynesville to Penrose, NC. This is in Pisgah National Forest. The road was windy and a great motorcycle ride. It has waterfalls, picnic areas, hiking, camping, and even a 60 foot natural water slide that ends in an 8-10 feet deep pool. We did not get to do the slide, but will definitely be going back to check it out. This was also an unplanned part of our trip that turned out amazingly. 

     On this trip we had such a great time visiting Townsend, a very familiar place, and exploring new ones. Wherever you go, wherever you explore, don’t get trapped in doing the same thing over and over. Even if you visit the same area, branch out and find new experiences to add to the old ones. I love the way we travel. We have a general plan of where we are going and staying. Then we let the experiences happen. We both are definitely wandering spirits waiting for our next adventure. Happy Exploring!

Boots Rating 5/5   Bikini Rating 2/5