GoldWing World    

Dragon Tales

What does the movie Nell, the “Crossroad on time” motorcycle resort, US 129 (aka the Dragon) The Cherohala Skyway, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina Coast, US 441, Tapoca Lodge, a 50 lb pumpkin, a 60 mile test-ride on a new GL-1800, a topless restaurant and one weeks vacation have in common?  Me and my wife of course!

For a trip which I’d been looking forward to for months we did very little actual planning for this one. In fact except for servicing the bikes and telling our friend outside of Greenville N.C. that we were coming we didn’t do anything prior to getting off Work Friday,  Sept 21st – once off I scuttled home and began throwing clothes, video cameras, maps etc. into the truck and mounted the Gold Wing and my wife’s Ninja 500R onto the trailer.  At 7:40 PM we headed East - determined to get out of Dallas and preferably Texas before stopping for the night.  Since the quickest route was via I-20 then up we went that way, stopping the first night at a hotel in Mobile Louisiana soon after my wife became too tired to keep an eye on my driving.

We woke late (for us) the next morning, took a leisurely shower followed by a meager but restful breakfast and headed out at 10:00 a.m. on our journey Eastward. Seeing a sign for a ‘seafood’ buffet we stopped at a casino along the Mississipi only to discover that Catfish and shrimp on the buffet make it a seafood buffet – disappointing.  We went ahead and gambled away $10 each however, and had fun doing so.  The rest of Saturday was spent traveling to Aiken South Carolina, with some time lost due to a tractor-trailer blocking the I-20 ramp in Atlanta Georgia.

Waking up in our Day’s Inn Sunday at 7:30 EST we were a bit slow to get moving, hey we are on vacation, right?  It was very foggy anyway, to we didn’t get on the road until 8:30.  Along the way North from S.C. we kept seeing signs for a "topless restaurant" and were tempted to stop.  Gail actually was curious too and would have been willing to check it out except we had already called our friend up on the cell phone and arranged to meet him 40 miles west of Greenville so he could show us a “fan farm” some eccentric had been building.  We passed the small building close to the border of SC and NC and wondered again at the kind of women who'd be willing to carry hot coffee and grits around without a shirt on.

After meeting Bert (the 1800 pulled the front wheel up in 1st 2nd and 3rd as he took off) we followed him a few miles down some twisty roads to a private road where I parked the truck. The 'farm' in question was known locally as the “Acid Farm” because of the odd colors and designs the fifty-foot tall structures had been given.  I snapped a few shots but this is one of those things that you should see in person. 

We moved on a short time later, heading another sixty or so miles to Bert’s home where a concrete alien guarded the entrance.  Bert had found it at a local concrete shop, and being the big Sci-Fi fan that he is had not been able to resist.  Since painting it and placing it in his front yard his house has become a bit of a tourist attraction – something that he enjoys tremendously!

Now Bert had recently purchased a GL-1800, inspired by his time living with my wife and I while his wife relocated them to N.C. from the Texas area. It seems he’d always liked my GL-1500 but had never taken me up on my offer to ride it, now he was offering to trade bikes as we rode out to the North Carolina coast, and we both agreed to do so coming back.  After enjoying the coast for a few hours and being grateful that the predicted rain was holding off I suggested we get a bite to eat.  Gail and Bert had some decent fresh seafood which I sprang for (I chose a salad and cheese-fries, not being a fish lover) and we were off, with the rain still holding.  After stopping for gas (and having survived the deepest gravel trap parking-lot I’d ever seen leaving the docks) Bert and I switched bikes, he on my 1500 and me on his 1800.

I had test ridden an 1800 for a few miles, but there is nothing like a 60+ mile run following your own bike.  The new Wing is so smooth it’s almost criminal, the brakes are awe-inspiring, and the power and handling perfect.  I did appreciate the additional lighting of the 1500 as seen from the rear, and the stereo was not much improved (if any) from my older bike which was a disappointment but that sweet turbine-like engine and Acura like smoothness of the 1800 caused me to be quite wistful at the thought of climbing back onboard my 1500.  I still don’t think the 1800 is worth the additional I’d have to pay to trade my older bike in on one and then add all the extra’s back that I currently have on my bike, but I am tempted … and for all of you who own the new GL: good for you!  Great choice and a wonderful bike.

Originally Gail and I were going to wake when Bert and his wife Donna got up to go to work the next morning, but I asked if we could sleep in and lock up when we left as Gail was seemingly getting sicker with the cold she’d caught from a co-worker before we left.  They of course agreed, and directed us to some wonderful muffins Donna had created as potential breakfast.  We got up at 10:00 a.m. (hey, we WERE on vacation here) and tried the muffins.  They were so good I left a note saying they had been stolen and took the whole baggie with us!  For the rest of the week I had one for breakfast every morning and blessed Donna and her chocolate chips every time!

We spent the rest of the day getting to Asheville in rain as heavy as I’ve ever seen. Asheville is home to the Biltmore Estates (ala Richie-rich fame) and tons of great riding. We found a Hotel 8 off hwy 19 and 40 just past the Blue Ridge Parkway crossover and put up for the night.  Gail was definitely sick now and I was not certain she would be doing any riding at all- suddenly it seemed okay to be trailering the bikes, something that up till now had seemed odd if not even sacrilegious!  I was worried about her but she insisted she would be ready to ride the next morning.

Tuesday broke cold but clear, and Gail wasn’t hungry so we delayed breakfast until after a ride which she was assuring me was within her abilities.  Off south on hwy 19 we ran to Robbinsville, the bikes loving the cooler weather if not the altitude.  Taking the exit for the Blue Ridge Parkway we headed back north towards Asheville for a leisurely 2-hour ride among the clouds.  We made a few stops for pictures and I took a few while moving also.  Beautiful scenic roadway, with some long and dark tunnels scattered here and there!  Highly recommended riding.

After a stop for hot coffee at the only place along this section we finished our trek to Asheville and our hotel where we loaded the bikes and had a late breakfast at the Cracker Barrel before heading out with the truck and trailer back down hwy 19 towards Robbinsville North Carolina, where they had filmed much of the movie “Nell” with Jodie Foster.  This area is ripe with riding roads, but our destination was some 18 miles west of Robbinsville near a lodge / town called Tapoca and a motorcycle resort known as the “crossroad on time” previously but now referred to as the Deal’s Gap Motorcycle Resort and Hotel. 

Sparing time in Robbinsville to get gas we pushed on and decided to stay at the Tapoca lodge where some 70 odd BMW motorcyclists were expected to come in the next night.  Unloading the bikes and getting settled only took a few moments so I took advantage of my wife’s illness to hop on my bike and run the Dragon.  Unfortunately the video I shot did not come out (damn aperture setting bit me again) as these were the fastest runs I made during my stay, but since I left at 5:10 and was back (32 miles in all) at 6:05 I think it’s fair to say I did okay on my GL-1500 … and had a blast doing it!  There was ONE scary moment on the stretch back from the crossroad – an 18-wheeler was negotiating the path up the mountain and blocked BOTH lanes as I came speeding around a bend.  I was able to get on the binders enough to make a “hole shot” through the rapidly dwindling space between the mountain and his trailer but the Wing BARELY fit in the space available.  Talk about getting your heart pumping!

So what about Deals Gap itself?  Well what can I say about deal’s gap aka the “dragon” that has not already been said - the traffic during the weekdays is not all that bad and consisted mainly of bikes, with the majority of them running the gap after 10 a.m. and slowing before dusk at about 5 p.m. – the “resort and hotel” (everyone still calls it the crossroads on time) had a great selection of items for bikers, including the necessary T-shirts, decals and videos one would expect as well as the “single carb conversion kits” for the pre-1500 series GL bikes!  I picked up a flyer and will put that info on my web page later.  They also have tent sites and a few small hotel rooms and I’ve heard it gets rowdy and fun at times … next time I’ll have to stay there for a day or so!

Meanwhile, back at the lodge – Tapoca lodge has a nice library full of great books by such favorites as Stephen King etc. so Gail was right at home.  With a swimming pool, cabins (homes really) tennis courts and a beautiful river running right out front the lodge was a comfortable and pleasant if a bit expensive place to say.  I highly recommend it!

If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper just a few miles back in Robbinsville there is a Phillips Hotel and Restaurant.  The food at the restaurant was some of the best I had my entire trip – check it out!  There are also a few rooms at the Deal’s Gap motorcycle resort just 3 miles away from Topoca (Crossroads of Time) and they also have camping facilities.  If you want to be surrounded by other bikers this is THE place to be.  Of course while we were at the lodge a ton of BMW riders started showing up – seems 70 some-odd of them were meeting in the area as a special event. 

Gail and I each had books from the library so we took hot baths and settled in for the night.  The next morning we got up late and headed out to the Gap – Gail was a little nervous after my description of the curves and seeing how tired I had been after my run (hanging WAY off the wing was a necessity at the speeds I was going, and 318 deep-knee bends in a row was a bit much for me I’m afraid) but I assured her that if she just took it easy it was no big deal.  She took me at my word and after a quick look-see in the store to determine what we’d buy IF she survived; then we were off.

I ran a sedate (for me) 25 MPH run but kept losing Gail and having to slow down.  It turned out she was averaging about 20 which wasn’t bad considering most of the curves are 15 to 25 MPH and the top LEGAL speed is 40 MPH through the Gap.  Just FYI if you can average 35 to 40 through the gap you’re doing GOOD!  Most “hot” sport bike runs average about 45 to 50, hitting peaks of 64 or so but getting slowed down to 35 on some corners, so as you can see Gail was doing okay – but I had seen her do MUCH better and when we stopped at the dam I inadvertently mentioned that she was going “slow” for her and asked if she was feeling okay.  Big mistake – she had (rightly) thought she was doing pretty good and my comment hurt her feelings.  I bit my tongue rather than make things worse by trying to explain and after seeing a few other bikers coming in we took off again, back to the crossroads.

Going back Gail thought she was doing much WORSE, but we averaged almost 28 MPH so she was actually doing much better, in addition she had pulled over and let one bike and a car pass her so to maintain such a high average and have one short stop she must have been doing much better on this run.  Back at the crossroads we bought T-shirts and decals, as well as an aerial map of the road, then headed back to the lodge.  Dropping off our purchases we decided to go into Robbinsville for lunch, and found a “papa’s pizza” buffet that included baked potatoes as well as Pizza and was pretty good.  Then she went back to the lodge and I went off to take a ride.

Going back to Waynesville I caught the Blue ridge Parkway south, taking a few pictures and catching up with a BMW rider for some footage at one point.  When I hit 441 I took it West through the park (wonderful ride although a bit busy) into Pigeon Force. I was shocked that a “historical” site like this was so commercialized.  I mentioned to Gail later it was like Vegas without the gambling … nasty!  I then took some roads south back to 129 and ran a fairly hot run back through the dragon chasing a couple on a BMS r1100rs and keeping up pretty well!  In fact since they missed the turn I made it to the lodge before them, even though I slowed down towards the end of the run due to the front tire feeling “heavy” …. as it turned out I had a slow leak and my tire pressure was down to TWENTY-EIGHT pounds when I checked it.  Not optimal for pushing a heavy Gold Wing through twisty roads like the Gap!

I finished my book and Gail and I ate the BBQ sandwiches I’d purchased on the TN side of the Gap for supper.  I wanted to run the Cherhola Skyway but didn’t trust my tire now – Gail, still feeling poorly from the flu she had said I could borrow her Ninja and I gladly agreed. 

Friday dawned cool and foggy, and I decided to get an early start to ensure I was back in time for us to check out of our room with only a two-day stay … both of us were missing our dog Rocky, and we had decided we’d start home today.  I went back into Robbinsville and out to Cherhola Skyway – running at fairly high speeds I investigated a few miles of it then turned around and took some pictures of Gail’s bike at two different points including the start of the Skyway with the signs in the background.  Knowing Gail was waiting I hurried back, noticing the Phillips Restaurant off Main Street on my way back to the hwy and deciding we should go “home” this way and stop there for food.

As I left Robbinsville back the 12 miles or so to the lodge a sport bike fell in behind me so I opened up Gail’s Ninja 500R and left them comfortably behind as I negotiated the 40 and 45 MPH curves in the 55MPH speed limit of this part of the highway at speeds approaching 100 MPH.  Needless to say this was the most exhilarating ride of the trip for me, beating even the hot ride through the Gap on my Wing due to the much-more capable bike I was riding.   Gail happened to be outside by the truck and was smiling knowingly as I pulled up – seems she had heard her bike snarling the last few miles and thought it might be me.  I simply grinned and denied everything!

Loading up the bikes had become 2nd nature by now and took 10 minutes total, then we checked out and I discussed my plan of going to pigeon forge to get north to I-40 via the Cherhola Skyway – Gail thought it was a good idea so off we went.  Stopping at the Phillips Restaurant we ate off the “hot bar” which was a one-trip buffet.  Everything except the Chicken was the best I had EVER had so I recommend this little café whole-heartedly!  Heading out from there we made a leisurely trip up the Cherhola, seeing several of the BMW riders tearing up the road heading back towards Robbinsville.

We made a stop at a few of the scenic overlooks and read about the giant wasp-like monster that the Indian legends said explain the grassy knolls at the top of mountains.  Apparently the had prayed to be allowed to kill this creature which was large enough to carry off small children, and the Gods had opened the den of the monsters so they could go in and slay them, as a reward the tops of the mountains were made fertile for use by the Indians for farming!  Neat legend and it made me wonder if any truth to the giant wasp-creature existed.  Stranger things have happened!

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful although we did find a 50lb pumpkin (and that was a MEDIUM sized one) that I gleefully purchased and brought home for Halloween as we passed through Pigeon Forge (by way of Gatlinburg, yes I got us lost) on the way to I-40. We made it home Saturday about 5:00 p.m. even after a short stop at Gail’s mother’s home in Malvern Arkansas. Gail promptly went to get Rocky out of “doggie jail” while I unpacked the bikes and the truck. 

This was the first vacation with the bikes I’d ever taken where I hadn’t ridden the whole way, and while different and at times LESS comfortable then I’d have been on the bikes it did offer some advantages.  I have to admit I was more refreshed and able to enjoy the riding I did more then I normally would have been had I ridden the whole way there across the hot Texas landscape and the boringly straight Arkansas and TN highways.  I think trailering is in my future, unless I’m going alone. 

So that’s my trip report, I hope you all enjoyed it. The next time I go to the Gap I will have my sport bike with me … the Dragon demands it!

DEAL'S GAP 2: THE FZ's turn!