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One of
our favorite motorcycle playgrounds is a weekend riding
the roads around Gatlinburg, TN. Okay, maybe you’re
thinking that Gatlinburg means teeming crowds on the sidewalks
and souvenir shops, and it can mean just that. However, when
we go, here’s our schedule, which avoids some of the
teeming and souvenirs. First of all, getting into Gatlinburg
can be a real bummer, but there are a few things to note.
Get into Gatlinburg as early in the day as is possible. We’ve
noticed that most of the tourists in Gatlinburg aren’t
early risers. If you can’t get there early, take an
alternate route into town besides the Pigeon Forge/Sevierville
route. Get off I-40 at Newport and go through Cosby to get
there. You’ll still have to deal with some traffic,
but it won’t be nearly as bad. Another way to skin this
cat is through Maryville/Townsend on US 321 and into the Smoky
Mtn. Nat’l Forest from the quiet side. Once you get
to the Sugarlands Visitor’s Center, you’ll probably
start running into increased traffic, but you’ll only
have a few miles to go. Here's some more
info on the roads less traveled into Gatlinburg. If you
absolutely have to go through Pigeon Forge, there is a by-pass
shortly after you get through Pigeon Forge which loops around
on a beautiful scenic road to the far end of Gatlinburg, which
is where we like to stay anyway.
Why
do we want to stay on the park end of Gatlinburg? From
a motorcycling standpoint, the park is where all the great
roads are anyway, and you won’t have to fight nearly
as much traffic each day that you stay there. From a purely
hedonistic, I-want-to-drink-with-my-dinner-at-my-favorite-restaurant,
the park end is where The Park Grill is, which is our absolute
favorite place to eat dinner. John and I never drink and ride,
but we do like a few drinks after a long, satisfying day on
the bikes, so we stay as close to The Park Grill as possible.
This restaurant is beautiful, and ohmygosh the food is good.
We always finish up dinner with Yordy’s white chocolate
cheesecake. Calhoun’s is nearby, which has a very lively
bar, usually, as are Maxine’s and many other fine restaurants.
Nothing
is worse than riding with a hangover except missing
out on a gorgeous day because of said hangover, so we limit
ourselves on the drinks so that we can get up early the next
morning to miss the morning breakfast crowds. If we’re
up and at one of our favorite breakfast restaurants, i.e.
The Burning Bush, which is steps away from the park entrance,
or the Log Cabin pancake house, before 9:00 a.m., usually
we can get right in. After 9:00 all bets are off.
I
like to bike and hike on the first day of our weekend getaway.
John does it as a compromise, knowing that we’ll bike
all day long the next day. We head out early on the bikes
into the park. Some really great hiking trails are the Chimneys
and the Alum Cave trails. These are moderately difficult to
difficult trails, but the scenery is great. A nice short hike
is further up the road to Clingman’s Dome.
The
second day of our getaway is spent exclusively on the
bikes. From Gatlinburg, we go through the park to Townsend.
To get to Townsend, you’ll have to turn right onto the
road that passes the Sugarlands Visitor’s Center. Once
you’re in Townsend, you’ll be on US 321. Stay
on US 321 until you come to the Foothill’s Parkway exit.
Take the Foothill’s Parkway, reminiscent of the Blue
Ridge Parkway (sans traffic!) in a mini-version, to the end.
Turn left onto US 129. Yes, the famous U.S. 129-Deal’s
Gap-Dragon-motorcycling Mecca, where the motorcycling faithful
make pilgrimages to that holy shrine of motorcycling. At the
Crossroads of Time which reminds me of a ski lodge where instead
of ski runs people are making motorcycle runs, we meet all
kinds of nice people. Also, make sure that you stop by to
see Ron and Nancy, of www.tailofthedragon.com fame, at the
dam overlook on Saturdays and Sundays during riding season.
For more in-depth info on Deal’s Gap, visit www.dealsgap.com
and www.tailofthedragon.com.
We
would encourage anybody riding on US 129, or any of
these roads for that matter, to remember that this is a public
road and not a track. Always be aware that the nature of the
beast is unpredictability, whether it be in the form of gravel
in a turn, a deer trying to tackle a motorcyclist, or an SUV
filled with a family of four with children screaming and throwing
up because somebody didn’t get any Dramamine.
Now,
if you don’t want any repeat routes, you can
take State Rd. 28 past Fontana Village all the way to US 19/74
through Bryson City to the Cherokee Indian Reservation, where
Harrah’s Cherokee Smoky Mts. Casino is located. From
Cherokee, take US 441 over Newfound Gap and back into Gatlinburg.
Again, you’ll be coming in on the park end. However,
we like the Foothills Parkway so much that we just go back
that way. By the time we get back, we’re ready to head
to Calhoun’s for a nice cocktail at the bar.
Part
of the fun of Gatlinburg for us is just seeing all
the bikes cruising by. If you enjoy being seen cruising around
town, Gatlinburg is the ideal place for you. Stop and go traffic
out the wazoo with sidewalks full of people whose soul purpose
seems to be gawking at the people cruising by. We’d
rather just watch from our perch at Calhoun’s, taking
in all the varieties of bikes and the varieties of riders.
Next
morning, after eating breakfast, packing the bikes,
and topping off the gas tanks, we head out for the Blue Ridge
Parkway. The easiest way to get there is to enter the park
on US 441 and head over the mountain past Newfound Gap. The
BRP entrance is a little past the Pioneer Farmstead rest area.
This is the absolute bottom of the Blue Ridge Parkway, so
head north (the only way to go!) towards Asheville where you
can hook up with I-26 for the journey home. Places we especially
enjoy stopping on the Parkway are Graveyard Fields, which
is an awesome area for cool scenery and a nice leg stretching,
and the restaurant at Mt. Pisgah for a late lunch. We always
see tons of bikes at the gas pumps there, and it’s a
nice time to stop and compare notes with other bikers doing
the same thing we are.
By
the time we hit I-26, I’m jonesing for my furry-faced
babies, so I “talk” John into going home the quick
way. If you don’t have anything that’s calling
to you from home, we suggest you take the time to spend a
night or two in Asheville, but we’ll save that for another
great weekend getaway motorcycle playdate!
ACCOMODATIONS
IN GATLINBURG
The
following are a few of the many places to stay in Gatlinburg.
Most of these have a 2-3 night minimum in the summer and during
the month of October. Reservations can be hard to come by,
especially during October, so call several months ahead of
time.
Hampton
Inn
967
Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
1-800-HAMPTON
(central)
1-888-476-6597
(hotel direct)
Typical
Hampton Inn, but it does have a parking garage to keep your
bike from getting wet!
Bearskin
Lodge
840
River Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
1-877-795-7546
(reservations)
www.bearskinlodgeontheriver.com/index.html
This
is a really nice new lodge with a parking garage. We love
those parking garages!
Clarion
Inn and Suites
1100
Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
1-800-933-0777
1-865-536-5656
www.clariongatlinburg.com
The
Clarion is situated right next to our favorite restaurant,
The Park Grill, and although it does not have a parking garage,
it is one of the nicest places to stay. Try to get a room
with a balcony facing the street so that you can people watch.
Fairfield
Inn
680
River Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
1-888-430-7200
(reservations)
1-865-430-7200
(local)
www.gatlinburgvacations.com/fairfield/index.html
The
Fairfield does have some sheltered parking underneath the
main building. It is on a quieter side street, but the main
drag is only a few steps away. The desk clerk said that they
didn't reserve Saturday nights only, but I'm not sure if that's
a year-round policy or a summer and October policy.
The
Edgewater Hotel
402
River Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
1-800-423-9582
(reservations)
1-865-436-4151
(local)
1-865-436-6947
(fax)
www.edgewater-hotel.com/index.shtml
info@edgewater-hotel.com
The
Edgewater is closer to Ripley's new aquarium, and it does
have a parking garage; however, if you plan to trailer your
bike, you should be aware that the hotel only allows you to
use one (count 'em one) parking space. This is probably a
seasonal rule-summer and fall-but you might want to check
first. The parking for additional vehicles in your party is
at Christus Gardens.
Days
Inn & Suites
1109
Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN
1-800-294-2113
(reservations)
1-865-436-5811
(local)
This
used to be the Parkway Inn and Suites before changing hands,
and it was our economy-Gatlinburg-place-to-stay. They do have
a very small parking garage, but the majority of the parking
is outdoors.
There
are tons more places to stay in Gatlinburg, but these, with
the exception of The Edgewater, are on the park end of the
town.
For
more information on things to do, places to see, etc., check
out www.gatlinburg.com, which is the official Gatlinburg Chamber
of Commerce website.
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