Tallulah Gorge, The Ride After The Last New Tire

April Fools.  You thought this was going to be a new story.  Well, you're right, it is.  Yesterday, April 1, friend biker Paul and I left at 7:15 a.m. for Sevierville, TN to have breakfast at the Krystal Burger, a $1.99 plus drink and tax coupon deal.  Not bad, lots of scrambled eggs, sausage and toast.  May use up the other coupon before it lapses.  Anyway, the temperature was 49 degrees with a high to be around 75.  So I opted to wear T-shirt, long sleeve shirt, rain liner for my summer jacket and the jacket which is made of mesh.  Didn't use my heated gloves since it was going to get warmer so I used insulated winter gloves with glove liners.  Finger tips got just a little colder than I like but did okay.

We pulled out of Krystal at 8:15 heading for Tallulah Gorge which is in Northern GA.  Being early the traffic was rather light and this is not tourist season yet which made for a quick trip through Sevierville and onward to Pigeon Forge.

 Coming into Pigeon Forge

I left this pic rather large for the benefit of Son Shane.  No one else may recognize this place but he spent many fun times visiting it over the years.  One of his favorite places to go.









We zipped through Pigeon Forge and shortly thereafter hit the run through the Smoky Mtn. Nat. Park.  It was nice and crisp this morning as the sun was rising in the sky.  Another glorious day to ride a bike (motorcycle type).
                                                                                                                                        

Just below the trail head for the Chimney Tops we hit snow.  Roads were clear and clean but the temp dropped some.  It snowed up here Saturday night, between 6 and 8 inches so they say.  There was practically no traffic this morning for a while and then we caught up with a FL flatland tourist driving 20 mph in a 35 mph zone.  Oh, My, Goodness.  And besides being a slowpoke, he didn't have sense enough to pull off the road in the turn-outs made specifically for that purpose.  Oops, we did have to do a no no, we passed him, safely but speedily.
                                                                                                  

 That white stuff on the sides of the roadway is NOT sand for all of you Deep Southerners.  It's snow, fluffy soft cold wet stuff.  As to the picture on the right, can you tell me why anyone would not like this view.  Doesn't look exactly like downtown New Orleans, or the Casinos of Las Vegas does it.  But it's my view every chance I get to look at it.  Which is about weekly.  Less than that I start to get the shakes.

We crested the top of the mountain at New Found Gap where TN meets NC and proceeded down the mountain to Cherokee, NC, Indian land, home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokees.  At the top the temp was about 40 degrees.  By the time we got down to the valley and Cherokee it was in the 50s.

                                  

Cherokee is a typical tourist town.  They do have a Harrah's Casino in town which is on the reservation but without tourists the town would be dead.  The casino has only been here for a few years.  We just rode through it and stayed on U.S. 441 heading South.  Next stop would be Clayton, GA.  A nice little town with very friendly people.

 

All along the way the Pear, Redbud, and Cherry trees were blooming.  First signs of Spring.  But don't put your coat away just yet, for another cold front is on the way and the end of this week and part of next week is that nasty word to bikers, RAIN.

We stopped in Clayton to make a pit stop and stretch our legs.  While there, a McD's, we might as well have a cup of coffee.  Could not believe it, the lady behind the counter said the coffee was free for Senior Citizens.  Now Paul is older than I so I figured him as a Senior but then she handed me a cup also.  Made me want to reach over the counter and slap her, but then she'd probably take the coffee back.

After our coffee break we rode another 13 miles to get to the Tallulah Gorge.  I told friend Paul that LA has a town names Tallulah but there wasn't a gorge there.  About 18 miles away there is a big ditch called the Miss. River.  The Devil made me do it.

 Tallulah Gorge Dam.

 Across the road is the entrance to the Tallulah Gorge State Park, really nice if you like to camp.  Senior Citizen in bright "can you see me now" shirt is biker friend Paul.

 Gorge is over 400' deep and has several water falls.

This picture is looking down at the gorge from atop the bridge.  It is a rather unique place.  Reminds me of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado.  Just on a small scale.  The wife of General Longstreet (he married her at the age of 76 and she was 34) was very much a part of saving this area as a natural scenic site.

There's steps that go down from the bridge to trails and there are trails in the State Park that go down near the river.  However, for an old fat man, I just went down the first set of steps for a better view.  Good thing too, as a few miles further I went down to the pits of the earth and behind a water fall.  Didn't think I would ever get back to the top.

 Scenes like this are very common on the route that we rode in Northern Georgia and in North Carolina.

The picture on the right is unique.  The road passes in front of the waterfalls but they have paved a one lane road that runs beneath the overhang so that you're behind the falls.  Makes it look like you're a tough biker, riding in the down pour of a rain.

Here's another view from a further distance.  I was standing at the edge of the main highway looking at the bikes behind the waterfall.

Down the road a few miles
are several other waterfalls.
This is the one we walked
down the steps to and
walked behind the falls.

This was taken while I was still fresh.  It was a different look when I got back up to the top.  Area reminds me of a little Niagara Falls.

This is the view from behind the falls.  Very moist as you can see from the moss and algae.  A trail will take you from the end of the fenced walkway down to the water's edge.  But not for me today.  And probably not tomorrow either.






We went by another fall that day, three in total, most were smaller in size and water capacity.  Then we headed back to Cherokee for a quick stop at the Visitor Center of the Smoky Mtn. Nat. Park, NC side of the mountain.

 Winding NC roads and
trout fishermen wading
in the river casting for
their dinner.  I hope Cap'n
"Ds" can hold a plate for them.


                           
This was one of the last waterfalls.  From an aerial view it has numerous falls above this one.  The last picture is the old farm at the NC visitor's center entering the Smoky Mountain National Park from the NC side.
                           

All total, parts of three states, a lot of mountains and back roads, some beautiful waterfalls and other scenery, a small tourist town in NC, Highlands,   and some wonderful weather.  Mileage, 287.  Not bad for a couple of old dudes.

Good travelling to all.  Remember, Biking is Better.