Journey to Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Sunday, September 18
Because the drive was such a distance to Raleigh, we took some extra vacation time to layover in Gatlinburg to enjoy the Smokey Mountains. We left home Sunday morning at 2:30 a.m. for an overnight stay at Drury Inn & Suites in Indianapolis, IN reaching the hotel after 8.5 hours on the road. We have now moved into the Eastern Time Zone where we would remain for the next 9 days. We were very pleased with this Drury property and after checking in, walked to Applebee’s for lunch and then enjoyed the hotel’s evening reception for our supper meal.
Monday, September 19
We were up for Drury’s breakfast by 6:00 a.m. and on the road towards Gatlinburg by 6:45 a.m. It was a rainy morning and navigating out of Indy in the dark was a challenge. We began today’s travels alongside an ambulance which haunted us until we were out of Indianapolis and very relieved that we could reject any offer to join them for a ride.
We drove through Lexington, TN and enjoyed the views of the Daniel Boone National Forest. We continued to drive on by way of the Tuskeegee Airmen Memorial Trail (I 75) stopping only long enough for an Arby’s lunch outside Knoxville, TN—it won’t be long now before we start seeing the Smokies—a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains and our destination for the next 3 days. As we drove through the town of Sevierville (home town of Dolly Parton), we began to see the mountains looming in the distance and excitement set in. We first had to pass through the circus town of Pigeon Forge before exiting onto the Gatlinburg Byway which would take us around the city of Gatlinburg and also provide our first feel of driving through the mountains.
Wow, wow, wow! Our first up close sight of the Smokies was fascinating and we pulled over first chance we got to capture this moment on film.
The view was well worth the drive across the country. We drove a total of 914 miles to get to this spot and now had 3 days to explore the area.
I had many reservations about our choice of hotel in Gatlinburg and actually had a different property booked and then cancelled to make a final reservation after reading Trip Advisor reviews of the newly renovated Old Creek Lodge. The room exceeded our expectations and the Lodge staff were very friendly.
We checked into the Lodge at 2:00 p.m. and set off on a 4-mile hike of the quaint mountain village of Gatlinburg.
The first attraction we stopped at in Gatlinburg was the Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine. We were offered a free taste of the locally-made moonshine—not to my liking but Dennis enjoyed it enough to purchase a jar for $35. A banjo-picking mountain band was playing as we toured the distillery and added to the enjoyment as we learned the history surrounding the moonshine industry.
Next on our list was some Hillbilly Golf. For $11 per person, we were carried 300’ up the mountain side via an incline railway. The game was a close one. I had a head start on Dennis with par on most holes but he finally came alive during the last 9 holes and we finished with a tie.
Our next task was to find a place to grab some grub. We settled on Blaine’s Bar & Grill in downtown Gatlinburg. I ordered fish and it was excellent.
Back at the hotel, we enjoyed the evening resting on our private deck overlooking the city. The sound of the bubbling water beneath us was very relaxing. We made plans to take our first tour of the Smoky Mountains and prepared our materials for the drive in the morning.
Tuesday, September 20
Fog and slight rain greet us this morning but we decide to continue with our plan to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Our first stop was the visitor’s center in the park to gather information. After collecting some guides, we were on our way up into the mountains—wow, what beautiful views! We travelled along the Newfound Gap Road which is the only route over the Smokies and stretches for 31 miles between the towns of Gatlinburg and Cherokee with climbs in elevation from 1,300' to 5,046’ at Newfound Gap.
An unexpected surprise awaits us at Newfound Gap high up in the Smoky Mountains. The weather has cleared enough for us to hike 3 miles on the Appalachian Trail. We were excited to have this unexpected opportunity to travel a small portion of this famous 2,200-mile footpath running from Georgia to the state of Maine.
Dennis and I hiking along the Appalachian Trail bordering North Carolina and Tennessee.
At this point I’m sure we could not experience anything more scenic than the Appalachian Trail but the beauty of Clingmans Dome—Top of Old Smoky, the highest point (6,643’) in the Smokies, in Tennessee and of the entire Appalachian Trail was just moments away. Fog and clouds surrounded us as we hiked the 0.5 mile vertical stretch up to the dome but as we neared the top, the fog dissipated and the clouds moved apart so that we could view Gatlinburg and the mountains surrounding it.
Clingmans Dome—On Top of ol’ Smoky
At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's highest point. It is the highest point in Tennessee, and the second highest point east of the Mississippi. Only North Carolina's Mt. Mitchell (6,684 feet) rises higher.
Clingmans Dome is a popular Park destination. Located along the state-line ridge, it is half in North Carolina and half in Tennessee. The peak is accessible after driving Clingmans Dome Road from Newfound Gap, and then walking a steep half-mile trail. A paved trail leads to a 54-foot observation tower. The Appalachian Trail crosses Clingmans Dome, marking the highest point along its 2,200 mile journey.
Vistas from Clingmans Dome are spectacular. On clear days, views expand over 100 miles and into seven states. However, air pollution limits average viewing distances to 22 miles. Despite this handicap, breathtaking scenes delight those ascending the tower.
Cloudy days, precipitation, and cold temperatures reveal the hostile environment atop Clingmans Dome. Proper preparation is essential for a good visit. Weather conditions atop Clingmans Dome change quickly. Snow can fall from anytime between September and May.
The cool, wet conditions on Clingmans Dome's summit make it a coniferous rainforest. Unfortunately, pests, disease, and environmental degradation threaten the unique and fragile spruce-fir forest. Dead trunks litter the area, and dying trees struggle to survive another year. Berries thrive in the open areas, and a young forest will replace the dying trees.
The beautiful views as we walk the paved path up to the observation tower to view Clingmans Dome.
As we walk down from Clingmans Dome, we continue to enjoy the beautiful views surrounding us. We drive to Cherokee for lunch and then travel back to our hotel in Gatlinburg to rest. Our day ends with another walk into Gatlinburg for supper at the Smoky Mountain Brewery and another round of mini-golf. We also had some time to visit some of the unique shops before walking back to the Lodge to make plans for the following day’s journey.
Wednesday, September 21
We planned to do some biking today no matter what the weather chose to deliver. I had been begging Dennis to do at least a few miles of tandem riding in the mountains. We were told at the visitor’s center that Cades Cove was the perfect spot for us to do this and on Wednesdays the 11-mile loop is closed to motor vehicle traffic from sunrise until 10:00 a.m. We got up at 5:30 a.m. EDT and had a quick breakfast in our room and then began driving towards Cades Cove. The rain was heavy in some areas and the fog was annoying, making it hard to see as we drove along the narrow, winding road. The rain suddenly stopped as we neared the Cove and we were able to bike the loop and enjoy an unhindered view of the surrounding mountains.
My camera could not snap pictures fast enough—the Cove was on display and we were biking through some of the most beautiful paintings I have ever seen.
We saw wild turkey and deer and were warned to watch out for the black bear but did not see any in the Cove.
The few sprinkles we got only added to our enjoyment as you can’t see rainbows unless you bike in the rain and rainbows in the mountains are truly a sight to see.
Cades Cove is 2500 acres of open space located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is a beautiful, sheltered valley with a mixture of forests, meadows and an outdoor museum of pioneer life in the 1800’s.
A “cove” is a relatively flat valley between mountains or ridges making this 11-mile loop a dream route for cyclists. This particular cove is a showcase for some of the most inspiring natural and cultural treasures that the Southern Appalachian Mountains have to offer. In fact, there are few other places within the entire national park system where both wild nature and human history can be enjoyed in such an idyllic setting. Around 2 million visitors come to the Cove each year to visit this popular National Park attraction. In 1927, the states of Tennessee and North Carolina bought the first large tract of land in the mountains north of the Cove to give to the federal government for park use. Their actions in the mid 20’s have allowed future generations to enjoy this quiet beauty. We are grateful to the hundreds of families that lived in the Smokies and left their homes to allow for the establishment of the Park.
The park warns that bicyclists should be alert for deer bounding across the Loop Road as one bicyclist was killed when he crashed into a deer. Over the years many people have received minor injuries from the claws and teeth of Smoky Mountain bears and one person has been killed and we were advised to enjoy the bear at a distance. Intentionally approaching a bear to within 50 yards is illegal and can get you a hefty fine. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any black bear at the Cove today.
We ended our loop tour of Cades Cove with a nice visit with the park rangers and thanked them for making this bicycle adventure possible. They had many questions about our bike which we were happy to answer. I shared my disappointment about not seeing any black bear on our route today and they advised to keep watching the tree tops as the day was yet young.
Our next bicycle adventure started in Townsend, Tennessee—the peaceful side of the Smokies. Townsend lies in the beautiful Tuckaleechee Cove, a mountain valley at the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We found the trailhead just outside of the town and parked the van so that we could pedal along the 8-mile loop suggested. We soon came upon the Visitor’s Center and it was here that I got my first close-up look at a mamma bear and her two cubs as they wandered into the parking lot of the Center. I was so excited that I had trouble getting my camera opened to capture a few shots before the three ran up into the nearby trees.
Dennis, do you see the black bear?
The bike ride around Townsend made us hungry and we decided to drive to Laurel Valley, outside of Townsend, for lunch. We had a fabulous view of the mountains from the deck of the restaurant.
With the biked packed back in the van, we ventured off hunting for waterfalls. The Sinks waterfall was first along our route. No hike was necessary to view the falls so we stopped to take a rest and get some photos of the area.
Our next waterfall stop was Laurel Falls where we hiked 2.5 miles up a paved walking path to observe this water attraction.
Our adventures were now done for the day and we were back at our hotel by 2:30 p.m. We then decided to drive to Pigeon Forge to check it out. After seeing such natural beauty all day, our review of the town was not triple star. The strip was a shopper’s heaven if you prefer that kind of thing. We did purchase some Corning to ship home and after our 4-mile walk of the town, got back in the van to return to enjoy our final supper in Gatlinburg at the Smoky Mountain Brewery.
Thursday, September 22
Today we left Gatlinburg via the Blue Ridge Parkway. We had all day to reach our destination at Raleigh, North Carolina so we decided to enjoy more mountain views before leaving the area.
Our drive along the Parkway began at mile marker 469.1 and I can’t click my camera fast enough—so many beautiful sights and nice pullovers for just that perfect photo to remind us of how beautiful this country really is. It was still extremely foggy throughout our tour of the mountains today and we were surprised to see a bicyclist slowly making his way up the mountain pulling a B.O.B. with all his gear. Hope he made it safely wherever he was going.
A visit to Grandfather Mountain was on our list today but the nature of the weather caused us to exit the Parkway at mile 380 near Ashville, TN with hopes of trying again following the STR festivities. Once on the interstate, we set the GPS for Embassy Suites in Raleigh, NC. The GPS estimated our arrival for 4:30 p.m. EDT.
The host hotel was located in a newly developed section of Raleigh. We checked in in time for evening cocktails being served in the hotel lobby and met and visited with STR attendees Pam and Jim Davis from Colorado and a few other tandem teams that arrived a day early like us. As we began walking towards Red Robin for our supper, we ran into Martha and Budge Bean whom we met on our Santana tour of Chattanooga in May. Once back at the hotel we got ready for bed and that’s when I saw a strange sight—what’s the remote for on the bathroom mirror? WOW! The TV picture came to life inside the mirror—now that’s classy. Enough play, off to bed for a good night’s rest for tomorrow starts the first day of the Southern Tandem Rally in Raleigh, NC.
2011 Southern Tandem Rally – Raleigh, North Carolina
9-23-2011 (Friday)
Rally Day #1: 35.27 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 2 hours 14 minutes, average speed: 15.6
After a great made-to-order breakfast, we got ready to make the 30-minute drive to the remote start. This would be our first time biking the roads of North Carolina. We chose to bike the 50 mile route and began pedaling at 9:00 a.m. EDT. We met up with Jack and Susan Goertz and discussed shortening the route because of the predicted rains heading our way. John and Susan Coppedge from OH joined our small group. They were new to tandem riding and just recently attended their first tandem rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company was welcomed as the rain tried to drown us. We just kept on pedaling towards our finish and after 36 miles (18 in the rain) we were back at our van, but where were the others? We drove back along the route until we saw Jack and Susan biking our way. They stopped to help John and Susan change a flat. That’s quite the experience to have when you’re new to the sport but they were in good hands.
The new state of North Carolina is added to our state biking list.
Friday Evening Social
The STR social was held at the North Carolina Museum of Art. We visited with rally attendees as we ate a variety of tasty cakes and other desserts. Following the social, we ordered pizza to be delivered to our room and then readied ourselves for another day of riding with hopes of better weather.
9-24-2011 (Saturday)
Rally Day #2: 53.37 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 3 hours 42 minutes, average speed: 14.3
Looks like rain again today—yeah, no sun lotion! We were up at 6:30 a.m. EDT for the great breakfast again and ready for the mass start at 8:15. We had slight rain for the first 11 miles but then the sun came out and it was a beautiful ride. Our lunch was catered by Raleigh’s Neomonde and served at Rolling View park in Durham. The food was unique—I was told it was Mediterranean fare. We ate our wraps and got back on the bike to pedal the remaining 15 miles of the route.
We were back at the hotel by 1:00 p.m. EDT with plenty of time to get ready for the evening banquette being held at 7:00 p.m.
Our evening dinner was very good. We dined with Budge and Martha and since we were the only recumbent riders attending this rally, we were the 6th table selected to join the food line. Our entertainment for the night was Claude Monnier—our rally host. She was quite the comedian. We enjoyed our visit with Budge and Martha and following our dinner, went to the parking lot to discuss recumbent bikes some more. We then said our goodbyes to the Beans and informed them that we would not be biking the final day of the rally. We decided to begin our drive home with hopes of stopping to view Grandfather Mountain and get a jump start on the long drive towards Indianapolis, IN.
Ride Statistics
Riders of STR 2011 represented 17 states (1 team from MN)
65 teams were registered to ride
Our total STR 2011 ride miles: 89
Total YTD tandem miles: 1367
Rans miles since purchase: 15,711
9-25-2011 (Sunday)
Rally Day #3: 0 miles
We check out of the Embassy Hotel at 7:00 a.m. EDT to head for our overnight stay in Indiana. We try again to visit Grandfather Mountain but again the poor viewing quality prevents this tour so we give up and continue our journey towards Drury’s of Indianapolis.
States travelled today: NC, TN, KY, OH, IN
We continue to travel along the interstate until we notice the GPS directing us to go farther west than we thought it should—woops, the wrong Drurys was keyed in and we were heading towards Missouri. We caught our mistake before too many hours were lost and got back on track and after driving through 5 states (3 boarders crossed in 5 minutes—KY, IN, OH), we finally reach Indianapolis, IN at 8:00 p.m. EDT. We decided to pamper ourselves after our 13-hour drive and upgraded our room to a whirlpool suite on the quiet side of the hotel—very nice.
9-26-2011 (Monday)
After spending 9 days in the Eastern Time Zone, we finally arrive back to our Central Zone. We drive through four more states (IN, IL, WI and finally MN) to reach home at 4:40 p.m. CDT. We travelled a total of 2863 miles which took approximately 40 hours of drive time. The trip was great but we are happy to be home and sleeping in our own bed.
Memorable Highlights: first view of the Mountains, seeing black bear for the first time, biking Cades Cove, rainbows spreading through the mountainous sky, spending time with my husband of 31 years
