To Cherokee, Asheville via Blue Ridge Pkwy. and Return

Saturday, March 2, 2016.  Time, 8:40 a.m., temp, upper 30s high about 50.  Time to travel.  Pushed Sweet Thang out of the garage and headed for Cherokee, NC taking the by-pass around Gatlinburg for a quicker run.  Gonna be a long day in the saddle.  Miles to travel before I sleep.  And it is a gorgeous day He hath made.

Blue sky and an open road to make this a very nice day to travel.  Lots of people will be on the road today as it's a weekend and a beautiful day.

Entering the Smoky Mtn. Nat. Park on the Spur, that piece of road between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

 On US441 going through the Park and over the mountain to Cherokee.  This is one of the great photographic pull-offs as you get into the Park.  I have this same scene covered with snow and half covered with ice.  Just keeps looking great.

You can tell at the lower elevations that Spring is coming to the Park.  Leaves are starting to come out on some trees and the hardwoods make the blue haze of the mountains take on a light red color.

 Not as much water as I thought it might have since it did rain a bit a day or so ago.  Still enough to have that rushing water sound.

Closer to the top a good look at the various mountain tops.

One of the tunnels on the way over to Cherokee.  No Elk, no Deer, no Turkeys today, just a few birds.  After a while I pulled into Cherokee at a Hardee's for a cup and a breakfast sandwich.  Topped off the fuel tank and was now going to head to the entrance to the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway running it North to Asheville, NC.

There are only a few spots where you can get fuel or food along the BRP.  I always like to start it with a full tank.  Lots of winding curves and ups and downs before you get to Asheville.  Temps dropped a bit crossing the mountain and is still nippy here at 10:30 a.m.

The BRP has numerous tunnels and each are named along with the various gaps in the mountains.

A great scenic view running the BRP.  Lots of pull-off areas to take in the wonders of these old mountains.

Two more tunnels not too far apart.  There's one section where there 3 tunnels one after the other.

The BRP is definitely not one of those roads that connect two points in the shortest amount of time nor miles.  Plenty of switchbacks and direction changing along this route.

Around each bend is another post card view, just change the angle and you've got a whole new scene.

That slight reddish cast on the gray of the mountains are leaves coming out on hardwood trees.

Smoke signals.  The natives may be restless today.  Have to keep peering at the horizon so I don't get caught by a careless action.

Yep, Spring is coming but at the higher altitudes it moves a bit slower than down in the warm valleys.  And they say it could snow up here again before summer comes.

It appears the road just drops off the side and sometimes it seems to do just that.  Every once in a while you can see multiple curves, just depends on the angle you're located.

At the crest or the highest point on the BRP.  What a sight.












And speaking of sights, here's the "money shot".  Sweet Thang at 6053 feet above sea level.  Why that's more than a mile higher than New Orleans, LA (where I use to live).

Ever changing scenery but always beautiful.

And then another tunnel.  I'm not showing all of them so don't worry.  I've already left off several.  Straight tunnels are rare up here.  Most all of them are curved to fit around the mountain's geological structure.

High lofty clouds just sort of off-set the beauty of the mountains.  And the clouds patterns are just about as curious as the mountains.

Didn't notice any jet aircraft flying here so this must just be a natural row cloud left over from the front that came through a day ago.

As you climb you also descend and then you start climbing again.  

The two lone evergreen trees look rather lonely on this slope but doesn't take away from the beauty of the background.

Just one or two more curves and we'll be able to stop, rest and grab a cup.  Maybe even chat with some strangers heading in the opposite direction.  A lot of bicyclists out today.  Stamina, that's what I call it.

 After a quick stop, a cup of coffee and a chat with another biker I headed on up the BRP.  At this point I was about 25 miles south of Asheville.

This particular turn out had quite a few travelers, some local and some from out of state.  During the summer months this road is full of vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles, RVs and hikers.  For two lanes, it provides a lot of use to a lot of people.  The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited national park in the U.S.

Go to the light, go to the light, so I went to the light and it was more of what I had already been looking at.

I hit NC 191 over to I-26 and westward to I-40 west heading back towards the house.  Wind had started picking up around 10:30 and was gradually increasing until now those flags were standing straight out.  Side gusts made you stay alert and this wind was taking a tole on Sweet Thang's gas mileage.

Turn off to the visitor center after you cross over from NC to TN.

That bare spot is due to landslides.  This stretch of highway has several each winter/Spring from the snow, thaw, freeze, rain, etc., often closing several lanes for weeks.  A few years ago it closed the entire interstate route here for two months.

I-40 is still one of the prettiest interstate highways in the U.S.  However, it also has a lot of truck traffic and some real tough curves for those loaded 18-wheelers, RVs and travel trailers.

 I-40 meanders through the valleys of the mountains and in places runs along a river.  Those barriers are in place to try and keep rocks from the roadway.  But they only stop the smaller ones.

I bucked the wind until I got to the US411 turnoff at Newport, TN.  Now I'm out of the hard winds of the open interstate and back into the small roads and trees.

Coming down the home stretch.  It has been a great day for riding, bicycling, hiking or just walking along some path or street.  A lot of people are out today enjoying the cool temps but beautiful weather. 








For me, I was ending up a 242 mile ride with a lot of winding roadway traveled.  I had a great time and Sweet Thang finished up this week with about 575 miles ridden.  Not bad for this old girl.  Now to gas her up and let her rest for a few days.  I'll reverse the bikes and ride Little Hoss this coming week.




As the season warms up find some time to enjoy what we have in nature and your family members also.  Maybe meet a stranger and give some aide to someone in need.  Life is short and some people miss out on doing things until it's too late.  So until the next Adventure drive/ride safe so that you can enjoy tomorrow.