Will be leaving in a couple of weeks to run the Blue Ridge area, we are not going to do the Dragon in fear of shooting a rice rocket rider. Posted some time ago but looking for some info on great roads, biker bars, places of interest, will be staying in Maggie Valley that just happens to have a bike/car show with concerts that weekend.

 

I would imagine they're done by now, but two years ago, they were rebuilding sections of the Blue Ridge north of Asheville. Got down to one gravel lane in some places and was altogether closed in some others. Like I said, I'm sure they are completed with the road work, but it would not hurt to find out. We were constantly finding ways to ride-around sections and follow the detours.

To each his on, but I try and avoid that area when a car/bike show is going on. Traffic is horrible in-and-around Cherokee, but they may have added some by-passes since then.

 

Try little Switzerland. Nice place to stay, however I would recommend a cottage to the bikers lodge as they are much more comfortable for a stay of a few days. There are a number of roads that exit the parkway that are super fun on a bike. Just bee careful as there are a lot of hairpins. !!!!!!
John

 

Wheels Through Time museum. That it's in the Maggie Valley. Velocity channel on Tuesday nights at 8 pm, I think. The show is called What's in the Barn?

 

Good to hear from you John, the retired guys have already handled lodging at Tanglewood because they don't care if we drink beer.

Ya, Wheels of Time is on the list.

The bike/car show is a 2nd annual and not the Street Rod Nationals so we will be ok

 

just did 9 days on and around blue ridge. Your right, the idiots on the dragon are dangerous but was worth the ride. The best watering hole we found was right across the street from HD in pigeon forge. Great outside seating, good music and ice cold beer!

 

Thanks, sounds good, will get there before the weekend traffic

 

Spent some time on the Blue Ridge Pkwy an number of years back. Beautiful views and great m/c road. The speed limit is low, and they keep an eye on it.

Have fun.

 

While you're in Maggie Valley ride over Soco gap into Cherokee. From there ease on over to Fontana Lake and around to the TVA Fontana Dam. It's a beautiful ride. Then (the next day) go back to Cherokee via the parkway and then take 441 over Clingman's Dome down to Gatlinburg Tn. Once there fill up your tank and ride into Cade's Cove. You're welcome. Cade's Cove is one of the prettiest rides in E. Tennessee.

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cadescove.htm

Are you staying at Smoky Falls? That is probably the most motorcycle friendly hotel in Maggie Valley and has covered parking for bikes.

http://www.smokyfallslodge.com/

If you get into Cherokee after breakfast time there won't be any great food there. Granny's is as close as you will come to decent lunch or dinner (on Paint Town Rd/the road that comes down from Soco Gap from Maggie). The best breakfast in Maggie is at Joey's Pancake House. It's on the West end of Maggie Valley. We have stayed at, what's now called "The Five Star" hotel in Maggie once a year for about twenty years. We also have stayed in Cherokee many times. Other than the Harrah's Casino, there aren't any great hotels in Cherokee anymore (or restaurants other than Peter's Pancake House for breakfast). They just seem to not care anymore.

If you get up there and need any repairs there is an indie shop out on the main highway that runs by Waynesville. It's called Smokey Mountain Steel Horses, 828-452-7276.

http://www.smokymountainsteelhorses.com/

There used to be a dealer called Ghost Town HD but, they went out of business. The nearest dealer is in Asheville. There is an HD shop in Cherokee but, it seems to just be motorclothes, tee shirts, etc.. You will find it as you come in on the main road from Soco Gap, past Granny's, past Harrah's, through the mountain, into Cherokee and on the right before you get to the Oconolufte river.

If you are looking for some entertainment the show in Cherokee is pretty good. It's called "Unto These Hills".

http://www.cherokeesmokies.com/unto_these_hills.html

It's basically about the trail of tears. I enjoyed it a lot. But, it's after dark so, if your staying in Maggie Valley you'll be riding home in the dark. My suggestion to you is not to go back over Soco Gap on a bike in the dark. I would go South on 441 to 23/74 and back towards Waynesville and back to Maggie that way. It's 4 lane highway and safer after dark. Plus, it takes the same amount of time as going via Soco gap or the blue ridge parkway.

If you get there and need a Walmart there's a big one in Waynesville on the West side of town just of of 23/74. From Maggie you'll go East down the mountain, turn right on the road that takes you into Waynesville and you'll come to 23/74 just past the Kmart. There's an Auto Zone right there too. For some good food go into Waynesville on that main road, Russ Ave. Take it till it ends and turn right. You'll be on the main drag through downtown Waynesville and there are some neat restaurants there. There's a couple in Maggie too. Butt's on the Creek used to be great. Not so much anymore. Rather, try Frankie's for Italian. J. Arthurs has a good steak. I know by now that it's obvious that my bike like's restaurants.

As for the parkway, it starts in Cherokee right at the entrance to the Great Smokys national park. From there it heads back toward Maggie and around the top of Waynesville. Then it goes around Asheville NC. From there it enters the Pisgah National Forest, which is beautiful. It travels through there and comes out in the Blowing Rock/Boone area. If you make it that far try the Daniel Boone Inn for food.

http://www.danlbooneinn.com/

It's a family style place where you pay one price and they bring you what ever's on the menu that day. You will eat till you can't hold one more bite. It is a bit pricy. The last time I was there it was like, $23 bucks a head. Hey, you only live once, unless the Buddhist got it right. When you get into the Asheville area gas up. It's a long way to Blowing Rock and not much for gas in the in-between.

If you're going farther than that then there is a motorcycle friendly restaurant right off of the parkway in Laurel Springs NC. It's called Freeborn's North.

http://freebornes.com/

Freeborn's North is a long way from Maggie Valley and I wouldn't do it as a day trip myself. You could but, it would be a lot of riding for a day and there ain't any good way to get from Wilkesboro NC back to Maggie Valley. I mean, you can scoot over to 16 and back to I-40, then ride four hours on the interstate and be back in the Maggie area but, yuc.. Rather, if you wanna ride up that far do it as an overnight. From Laurel Springs you're not that far from Fancy Gap Va, Mabry's Mill, etc..

http://www.mabrymillrestaurant.com/

There's plenty of riding to get done right around Maggie Valley. There's other fun stuff to do also. One thing we do every year is go to Cherokee and go tubing in the river. It's slow and lazy. The last couple of years we went with the tubing folks that are located in the parking lot of the native crafts store right up the street from Peters Pancake House as you're heading towards the National Park.

You're in for a good time. I totally agree with you about Deals Gap. It's much to do about nothing. The ride ain't scenic and not much fun unless you like looking at pavement. We did it in 1998 and thought it was the most useless ride of the entire week. The ride around Fontana Lake was way better than Deal's Gap. If you cross over the Smokey's into the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area there will be more restaurants, hotels and gas stations than you can hope for. But, I can't really recommend either one for spending any time. The traffic is bumper to bumper. Smoky Mountain Knife Works is cool but, if you really wanna do that then you're better off get there via 276 to I-40 to Knoxville and in on 66. It's not worth the trip though unless you wanna spend the day in Pigeon Forge and, I-40 over the French Broad River is down to one lane on each side(PITA). The ride over I-40 through the gorge (Cherokee National Forest) is beautiful though.

I'll say it again, you're in for a good time. I love it up there and have never had a bad week. Yea, I get rained on every time but, it passes and the riding is great. If you need bologna and beer the Ingles is in Waynesville, up Russ Ave, under the 23/74 bridge, and 500 feet on the left. There's a steak house on the right that's pretty good. Heck, I wish I was heading up there for a few days. We were there in June and it was a great trip. We live about 4 - 4.5 hours away.

 

Dam Falconbrother, thanks for your time and others that have posted

Staying at Tanglewood, they have cabins, some of the guys are going in together and the cabins offer some more room. My wife and I are staying in a room plus heading to Siesta Keys Florida for 5 days from Tenn so a well needed vacation coming.

Only going to be there for 4 days and no way you can hit the rides in that area, will put this info together with the other guys. We plan on hitting it hard the first 2 with all dayers and settle back in on the weekend because traffic will pick up.

Thanks for all of the eating places and the breakfast in Maggie Valley may be hit one day, we are simple people that cook breakfast and dinners on a grill at motels, I have deer backstraps marinading right now. Kinda funny several people going with us are fortunate where money isn't a problem but enjoy the simple things that riding brings them on these trips and man can the retired guys party