Laundry drying at my campsite.
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Last night at the campground near Hellbender I was sipping whiskey and playing my ukulele at my picnic table. A woman in a pickup truck with a kid next to her stopped and asked if they could listen. I said sure and played Melissa by the Allman Brothers for her and she was delighted. She then invited me to her church luncheon the next day at noon. I said maybe I'd make it but that I've got places to go. She said "They'll be good food!". I said I'm sure there will be.
Did laundry last night at the campsite hose bib. Fun riding these roads with wet socks and shirts bunjied to the back of my bike flapping in the wind.
Laundry drying at my campsite.
Drizzling this morning, so I hastily broke camp and put my rain gear on expecting it to worsen. Finished Hellbender with partly wet pavement, then the rain stopped, everything dried out and the sun started coming out. Time for the famed Tail of the Dragon. In a few words, what a zoo! 11 miles of mostly 10 to 20 mph curves on deteriorating pavement. Mostly groups of Harley riders, lone sportbike riders, some packs of sportbike riders (many on hypermotards), and then the packs of sports cars. I've never seen so many Honda S2000s. There would be 4 in a row zooming around corners. Photographers are at many different corners taking pictures of you. I guess you can buy the images. The Deals Gap resort place had many motorcyclists there of all types. Lots of beer can sized mufflers on sportbikes. Anyway I rode it out and back. Those super tight turns just aren't the Norge's forte. People say there are better roads than the dragon, and I rode at least 3 later that day.
On the way to Tail of the Dragon from Hellbender.
Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort. All types of riders here.
Chicken strips getting thinner.
So today I road Hellbender, Tail of the Dragon, part of the Mountain Meander (too many tar snakes for me) and the Copperhead Loop. This part of North Carolina is a jungle. Thick, bright green deciduous forests with lush green hay fields. So beautiful. Starting to see more Kudzu, plus random patches of wild bamboo. You really have to watch for poison ivy here. Seemingly endless curves on so many roads. Still, I think I prefer the Ozarks due to the greater number of 25 to 35 mph curves, less traffic, better pavement, and better sight lines due to the wide, mowed grassy shoulders. Will do the Devil's Whip tomorrow and some spur roads off the Blue Ridge Parkway as I head north to visit a friend in Reston, VA. Nice to be on the second leg of the trip where I'm heading north instead of east.
More beautiful, curvy NC back roads.
My North Carolina map showing good roads in pink and where I rode in yellow.