Riding To And Through Tennessee's Sequatchie Valley

While working at my son's house I have made a new friend, Doug, who is the contracted painter repainting the abode.  Originally from PA, he has lived in TN for many years and has been painting for 25 years.  Does a good job I must say but that's enough advertising.  Doug rides a 1983 Yamaha 650 which looks like a new bike.  It is in excellent condition and at the same time he is restoring another bike about as old as the one he rides.

Saturday, August 1, 2015, cool in the morning, hotter during the day and another good day to ride.  Doug and I met up at Weigle's at the corner of Boyds Creek Highway and Chapman Highway.  Our ride would take us south for about an hour or so and then start our trek eastward.  We would leave Seymour, TN, go down through Maryville, Madisonville, to Benton and then over to Dayton, cross the mountain to Pikesville where we would hit the valley.  From there we would be riding north to Crossville, TN on U.S. 127.

Sequatchie Valley actually starts down in Alabama.  It is approx. 150 long and 3 to 5 miles wide.  It is part of the Cumberland Plateau, a ridge that is between Nashville and Knoxville.  This plateau protects lands east of it from a lot of the harsh weather as the weather hits the plateau and run northeast into KY and VA.

Doug and I pulled out at 7:30 a.m. planning to take a break around Pikeville which would be about half way, give or take a few miles.  It was one of those clear crisp mornings which made my mesh riding jacket feel good, in fact I even threatened to stop and put my rain liner on beneath it.  But I eventually got use to the coolness and later was glad that I had not put the liner on.

I really like this old red barn and the single silo (or is it a military site in disguise) along U.S. 411 between Seymour and Maryville.  Good rolling hill farm land through this area.

Below Maryville on U.S. 411 is this speckled church.  It is most unusual, all stone, but never another one like it in the whole area of East TN.  Dalmatians gather here, maybe.

After Benton turn off we now head West toward the Plateau.  I wish that I had taken time to take some additional pictures later on as there is a whole bunch of switchback curves going over the Plateau that are interesting.  You just sort of flip-flop your bike around them they are so tight.

This was a nice stretch of highway where you can sort of hang out there and throttle it up a bit, just to clean the carbs you know.

Then you get back to just two lanes of good riding.  That sky just seems to never stop and so blue too.

Peaceful farm house along the route.  There are some beautiful farms in this area as it is less mountainous, flatter and has less rocky soil.

The road surfaces were great, no large chuck holes, no bed of tar snakes, just right for cruising along at a decent speed, 55 mph, posted.

A lot of corn and hay grown in this area.  Fields are so much larger than those around where I live.  But compared to those of the Delta of MS, AR, LA, these fields look like garden plots.

Another military installation, almost concealed by the trees unless you're coming from the South as we were.

Today was yard sale day.  They were everywhere.  Some even out in an open field.  I guess they get there early to get the better spots.  And they're on both sides of the road so you have to really watch the traffic moving and stopped along the road way.  Who knows, Ma may have spotted an old wash tub on the other side of the road and she just makes the turn, to heck with the traffic.

Running the valley is very soothing since the road is rather straight instead of all of the curves we're use to.  Those mountains on the horizon are on the West side of the valley.

The mountains on are about 4 miles away at this point.  And in between is a large field of corn.

And of course, there's plenty more of the yard sale bunch along the way.  It is a good way to clean out the closet, the shed, the barn and the house.  You can find almost anything at these sales.  A little haggling is good as well as a swap or two.

The clouds in the sky along this way are just like large pieces of cotton fluff floating in the air.

The mountains in this picture are on the East side of the valley.  The highway runs almost in the middle for most of the way.  Then it veers when coming close to Crossville.

We began to notice that some of the clouds were getting a little dark which is a good indicator that we might get damp before the day was over.

Rich green meadows surrounded by thick evergreen and hardwood trees were common sights along the way.

Old farm building, smoke signals in the sky, and two happy riders zipping along the highway, smiles from ear to ear.

Of course you kept glancing at the sky from time to time just to make sure it wasn't going to sneak up on you when you least expected it.  Riding like today can make you forget almost everything.  Clears the mind of useless clutter, maybe even some useful clutter.

One of these trips through here I am going to have to stop by the Apple House and check it out.  Maybe a good cold glass of apple juice and a slice of apple pie.

We stopped just south of Crossville to gas up our bikes.  Saw a sign indicating gas was $2.14 per gallon and couldn't resist it.  After the fill up we rode on into Crossville and had lunch at the local Dairy Queen.

We ran U.S. 70 most of the way from Crossville over to catch U.S. 321 into Lenoir City and on to Maryville.  This route passes a large cement plant.

Winding through the mountains we came upon this very big wheeled 4 x 4 being hauled by another 4 x 4 but it had smaller wheels.  I think the blue one was used for off-roading.

Mother Nature is starting to worry me just a tad more as the clouds start getting a little darker and in the same direction as we are heading.

We run U.S. 321 through Lenoir City on to Maryville where he again hit U.S. 411 northward to Seymour.

The military installations here are pretty well camouflaged with the rolls of hay in the field and the trees surrounding the area.

No, this is not a yard sale, but it is a yard full of old farm equipment for sale.  Just bring a large check book as it is not cheap just because it is old and rusty.

Nearing Seymour we find more fields with freshly mowed grass to become rolls of hay to feed the livestock.

Doug and I finally get to Seymour, pull over at the Burger King, chatted a bit and then bid each other farewell to head for our own houses.  A good ride with a good friend and that old 1983 just purrs along, hanging right with Sweet Thang.

The end of the ride.  Two nice bikes, two nice guys, one nice day.  Lots of laughts at stops, good miles to travel which totalled for me, 235 door to door.  So until the next Valkyrie Adventure, have an adventure of your own.