2007 North Carolina Loop - In August Nancy and I made a 200 mile loop from Robbinsville that takes in much of the scenery, good roads, good food and nearby places of interest. This full days ride also has the advantage of keeping you away from harassment by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Spend your day and money where it's appreciated .... in North Carolina. CLICK HERE for story

2007 Shady Valley Tennessee - The Striped Snake, Motorcycle Playground - We are off again to explore another popular riding area in the Appalachian Mountains. CLICK HERE for story

2007 The Complete Devil's Triangle aka Brushy Mountain Prison Run - Nancy and Ron ride and analyze this unique road located north of Oak Ridge Tennessee. We found it to be a lot of fun and challenging. Not a great place for beginners though. CLICK HERE for story

TWO/North Georgia Roads Ron and Nanc check-out some of the roads in the Two Wheels Only area of north Georgia. CLICK HERE for more details

Clayton, Georgia / Highlands NC loop. This 200 mile loop has some great twisties and scenery. It's a full days ride with some interesting stops and good places to eat. CLICK HERE for more details

State Road 28 from US 74/19 to Highlands, NC SR 28 intersects US 74 a few miles north of the Nantahala Gorge. The first five or six miles of this road are the best. There is one twisty after another until you cross into Macon County. Those of you passing near here on the way to the Dragon can make a couple of runs on this section. The speed limit here is 55 so have at it. Just watch out for the big pavement heave near the rock cliffs.

SR 28 continues into Franklin, NC, a fair size town by western North Carolina standards. This area is known for its gem mines - stop and buy a bucket of rocks if you feel lucky. 28 then joins with 64 all the way to Highlands. There are some great twisties here, but the flatlanders kind of mess things up. Highlands and Cashiers have more Floridians per square mile than Florida! We just ride through these highbrow areas and dodge the cars.

Nantahala Lake Road - Wayah Bald Road - Thunder Road This little known back road is not too far from the Dragon and Cherohala. It runs from the Nantahala River rafting put-in over the mountain into Franklin. There is very little traffic, some great mountain curves, and minimal enforcement. Catch this road on US 19 just a few miles north of the 129/19 intersection. Watch for all the kayakers and the bike route signs. The road runs along the Nantahala River with a number of small waterfalls as you climb to Nantahala Lake. Great curves here as you cross the river several times. The road is rather flat, but still twisting as you circle the lake. It then begins the final climb to Wayah Bald.

The downhill (if you're heading toward Franklin) is the real ride here - some 4 miles of real steep, tight corners and one switchback after another. After that the road levels again to the intersection at Murphy Road. Watch for deer along this section. Take a right if you want to jump over to US 64, the 4-lane into Franklin. Take a left on Murphy Road and cruise the back streets into downtown. You can return to US 19 using SR 28 as detailed above.

US 19 through the Nantahala Gorge, NC This road could be a great cycle road if it were not for the rafting buses, tractor-trailers, and tourists. It is a major connector and has more traffic than you'd think. US 19 as it bypasses Andrews is 4-lane. It narrows into two lanes as it climbs to Topton Gap. The road then descends through the Nantahala Gorge and follows the Nantahala River a good part of the way. It is scenic, has many curves, and can be relaxing, but there are no high-speed runs here. Enjoy the coolness and stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center for lunch or just to watch the kayakers.

SR 215 from US 64 south of Brevard to 276 at Bethel, NC This little traveled road is a real climb with some good twists to it. There is a good 15-mile run as you climb from US 64 to the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 423 WATCH THIS SECTION FOR GRAVEL. Crossing over you then descend some 15 miles to Bethel, which is just a few miles from US 19 in Canton. There's a good BBQ place in downtown Canton if you ever pass through - Skeeter's has one fine BBQ salad - don't laugh until you try it.

TheTellico Plains - Ocoee Loop, TN This 75 mile East Tennessee loop has a lot to see, some great roads, twisties, and adventure. CLICK HERE TO READ ALL THE DETAILS