Ruby Falls, Rock City, Tail of the Dragon, Wheels Through Time

Ruby Falls on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, is one of those tourist attractions from the 1930's that hasn't changed much over the years. I left Ft. Payne, AL on I-59 and took I-24 towards Chattanooga, TN and followed the signs. Inside the gift shop you purchase a ticket for the tour that begins with an elevator ride that takes you deep underground. It is about a half hour walk to the falls: "The highest underground waterfalls in the world!" Once at the falls you can admire it and take pictures, and then the lighting is shut off to be replaced by music and a colored light show on the waterfalls. Tacky, yes, but it is an impressive falls.

From the gift shop there's a nice view of the surrounding area.

Rock City, GA is just a short ride from Ruby Falls and it is also part of Lookout Mountain. It's another one of those tourist attractions from the 1930's that looks like it was updated in the '50's and then left. All around the south you see signs proclaiming "See Rock City." I'm there mainly because the place is mentioned in Neil Gaiman's novel, American Gods. There are great views of the surrounding countryside, interesting rock formations, a tacky underground ultraviolet-lit  "fairyland" and there is also a gnome garden.

After a couple of hours walking around the paths in Rock City, and a short time in the gift shop, where I purchased a gnome for my daughter, I left and got on I-24 and then I-75 north. I exited in Cleveland, TN at US 64, which I followed to Ducktown, where I went north on TN 68 to Tellico Plains. It was a cool and gray day with a few sprinkles, but the road was smooth without much traffic, and the scenery was beautiful. I went east on TN 165 (the Cherohala Skyway), which becomes Highway 143 in North Carolina, which I followed to Robbinsville. Outside of town I checked in at the Two Wheel Inn, which as you might suspect caters to motorcyclists who are touring the area. Each unit has a small, motorcycle-size garage next to it.

The next morning I was up early and had a quick breakfast of granola bars and coffee in the room. I wanted to be on Highway 129 before the traffic and the cops were out. It was a Monday and after Labor Day, but I figured there would still be a certain amount of traffic. I rode past the Cheoah Dam, which figured prominently in The Fugitive, a movie from 1993 that starred Harrison Ford.

Soon thereafter I was on The Tail of the Dragon, and it lived up all the hype. I was respectful of the chilly day and damp pavement, but the smooth road and good sight lines were an invitation to go fast. I came up behind a couple of cars and pickup trucks in the 13 miles, and they moved over to a pullout or onto the shoulder as soon as they could - thanks guys!. The twisties end a few miles over the border in Tennessee, and I had just slowed down to turn around when I saw a state patrol car with a radar gun waiting up ahead - not today! I stopped to take pictures at a couple of overlooks on my way back on the road, so I was taking it easy looking for photo ops when another patrol car came by in the opposite direction. I suspect that on a sunny weekend day in the summer there is a state trooper for every mile of the road in each direction.

I turned off onto Moonshiner 28, which is just as much fun as TN 129, and stopped at the Fontana Dam before heading over some ridges and picking up TN 19 towards Bryson City.

Old railroad tracks and a deserted building always makes for a lonely picture.

By this time the sprinkles had turned into light rain. I continued on TN 19 through the town of Cherokee, where, inexplicably, there is Santa's Land Theme Park, and into Maggie Valley, a few miles beyond the entrance for the Blue Ridge Parkway. I had an excellent late lunch at the Maggie Valley Restaurant. Since I was in the south, I suppose I should call it dinner - fried chicken, mashed potatoes, greens, and fried okra. Fortunately, they were out of the rhubarb pie.

Waddling back to the bike, I rode a few blocks to Wheels Through Time Museum, founded by Dale Walksler, a former Chicago area Harley dealer and motorcycle collector.

Although the museum has bikes from all over the world, and quite a few restored motorcycles, it specializes in unrestored American models.

There are also a few automobiles in the museum, including this 1949 Cadillac from Steve McQueen's estate.

One of the most interesting motorcycles in the museum is the Traub, which was discovered behind a wall in Chicago in 1967. The motorcycle is from 1916, and was built by hand. It is the only one in existence.

The Traub, made by hand in 1916, is one of a kind.

There was enough to see that I could have spent the rest of the day at Wheels Through Time, but, perhaps because of my visit to the Barber museum just two days previously, I left after an hour and a half and headed back through town to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Also, I wanted to get a new rear tire installed and a minor service on the bike in Maryland or Virginia.
My original plan was to ride the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway before heading east into Washington DC. However, the rain increased as I headed up into the mountains and the fog, and I was keeping my speed at 45 mph not because I was worried about the park police, but because I couldn't see well enough to ride any faster.

I'm sure that is a very scenic overlook when there is no fog.

After about 50 miles I decided that it was pointless to stay on a road that was known for its exceptional scenic views if I couldn't see anything. I turned off near Asheville, NC and headed east on I-40 to Morgantown, where I turned off on NC 18 and spent the night in Lenoir.