Cool space stuff +1, working shock +1 So for those that don't know, Huntsville Alabama is about 50km (31 miles) south of the TAT. It is also basically the birthplace of Americas rocket development programme including the Saturn V rockets that got Buzz and Neil to the moon. When we were planning our trip, we plotted the TAT on a map then plotted a 60km (37 mile) boundary either side of it and set about seeing if there was anything worth visiting...
Kind internet stranger +1, Semi nude Dutch Harley rider +1, possum -1, armadillo-1, trash panda -1 We packed up our tent, before eagerly awaited the rival of klaviator who had kindly offered us a place stay and tools to use and on top of all that had decided to ride 2 hours to meet us at our campsite and escort us to his home. This guy loves to ride. We are always a little apprehensive about meeting new people, especially strangers...
We can thoroughly recommend the Ocoee River Inn behind the gas station. Rooms were large and very very quiet. Also the gas station stocks fresh fruit and has a car wash next to it. After arranging with a fellow grom rider to ship a shock to ADVrider klaviator in Huntsville, we spent the rest of the morning sampling the TAT. Mostly fast moving gravel with a bit of rocky stuff. The rocky stuff convinced us that we probably shouldn't be riding...
Whooowee what a day! We squeezed in a quick run up and down the tail of the dragon before buying the obligatory tee shirt. Just as we were about to leave it started pissing it down. We let it ease up a bit then headed off. The rain did not stop. We skipped the bits of dirt road and opted for riding the Cherohala Skyline. It was on our to do list. The views are supposed to be wonderful, unfortunately it...
Oh boy am I in the dog box. More about that later. Good start to the day, unfortunately too early for the motorcycle museum. We pootled up the road taking tourist photos at the indian tiki and the " most photographed view in the world". A brief foray onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, (where we saw a huge elk? And his missus round the corner) then onto a one way dirt road for 60km that spits you out about 10km from...
Bigfoot 0, Back on the road again after a bit of a sleep in and a southern breakfast of eggs and grits. A stop at Walmart for some supplies and we only really got going just before 12. Fun little memory. While we were in the Walmart parking lot a couple pulled up in a car next to us. The husband was joking with his wife about how she was wanting to flirt with the bikers. When she realized it wasn't two...
Critter nest +1, missing screw -1 Well no snakes, bears or spiders last night. It also didn't rain. Unfortunately camp sites in the woods don't seem to have great cell coverage hence the odd timing of these posts on ADVrider. The first section of gravel was very twisty turny, so it took us a while, the rest went pretty quickly. We rocked up at the regional hospital in Spruce Pines to get a doctor to have a look at Sims knee. Turns out...
Deer +6, TAT riders +3 A good nights sleep does wonders. Sims knee still looks swolen, but there is no pain unless he tries to kneel on it. The plan for today was to stick to the tarmac for the rest of the MABDR and get to Damascus to start the TAT. Although Sam keeps updating the TAT, and the start keeps moving, we chose Damascus as our starting point as it conveniently ties up with the MABDR. We met a group...
Deer +2, Bear -1, fender bag -1, off +1 Today was a good test. It started off with us congratulating ourselves on how quickly we were able to have breakfast and broke camp and deteriorated from there. A few km outside of Warm Springs, we saw a bear. Unfortunately it was dead and lying in the middle of the road :( More back roads and then some gravel, where Sim had his first little off somewhere on the trail near Potts jeep track....
Deer +6, big black snake +1, charging cable -1 After being well fed and looked after by Paebr332 and totaly not murdered, we headed out to get some fuel and do some Amish spotting. Sadly no Amish, so it was back onto the MABDR. A mix of forest roads, backcountry roads and some quite busy main roads. About an hour or two in, we came to an intersection where the gps track said go straight, but the only road ahead of us...