Day #70
Friday October 19, 2007
Boone, NC to Asheville, NC
163 miles today (27,770 - 27,933)
13,466 miles total
35 states total (+Wash. DC and Canada)
Again, for the 2nd day in a row, the word of the day is FOG!
Before hitting the parkway, I stopped for coffee at a gas station waiting for daylight to show up. I didn’t want to ride the parkway in the dark. While there, I met a man who had lived in Springfield, OR until he was 7. And tonight at the drug store, one of the clerks had relatives that lived in Eugene, OR for years. I didn’t recognize the names. To my daughter Karla: Yes dear, it is amazing how many Oregon connections there are no matter where I go!! And yes, in order to have friends, you must be friendly!
Back to the FOG! It appeared early again today, within just a few miles of getting started. I had no traveling companions today (Keith and Sharon), so I just pressed on. When the fog was absent, the trees and their colors were even MORE vivid than yesterday! Each day the colors just deepen. For the 4th day in a row, I have no idea how far I will travel. I thought I would do the 470 mile parkway in 2-3 days. This is day #4 and I am STILL nearly 70 miles from being to the end. I’m hearing 3-4 hours to cover the last 70 miles. The speed limit is only 45 mph, and I’ve heard strictly enforced. However, I’ve yet to see anyone out here in 4 days who would be concerned about it.
I rode for nearly 2 hours this morning when I was ready for a warm up at one of the park service owned gift shop/snack bars. However, they didn’t open till 10, nearly 20 minutes away. I wasn’t going to wait around. Why, I could cover 3-4 more miles at the rate I’m traveling this morning! While there I met another rider who was also going south. He was headed to Birmingham, AL for the big vintage bike show and swap meet.
After this stop, about 20 minutes later, the forecasted rain made a very strong appearance. Buckets? A torrent? Cats and dogs? I don’t know best how to describe it, but I had to pull off the road. After about 15 minutes of just standing in the rain, it finally eased, so I moved on again. But the fog remained. I saw on my map a place called Mt. Mitchell which is the highest point east of the Mississippi. It was within the park boundary, and only 5 miles off the road. Being this close, I wanted to stop, even if I knew I would never see the summit on a day like this. But as I got closer, I discovered there was a restaurant near the top. Finally, a warm up spot. The summit was about like Mt. Washington in NH back on day #50; windy, foggy, and cold. Soup and coffee helped warm me up as I watched the fog and clouds blow by at a steady clip. Another solo rider there gave me some warnings about the wind in the Keys when I go there.
As I drove down the mountain in the afternoon and began to drop in to Asheville, NC, the sky cleared, the temp climbed some, and the roads dried out. However, the traffic got thick. I thought seriously of a motel for the weekend as I’ve heard from 3 different sources this is expected to be the busiest tourist weekend of the year in and around Smoky Mtn National Park. But the $140/night price tag of a mid-grade motel drove me to the KOA. It’s great. Good wi-fi, nice people, not crowded, so I’m convinced it’s exactly where I need to be. I even set up a canopy over the picnic table, intending to catch up on the blog tomorrow and Sunday.
I’ll sit tight here tomorrow and Sunday and let the tourists clear out of the Smokies before I head over that way Monday. I’ll want to do the Tail of the Dragon, see downtown Gatlinburg, visit the Wheels in Time motorcycle museum, all while down here.
Again, for the 2nd day in a row, the word of the day is FOG!
Before hitting the parkway, I stopped for coffee at a gas station waiting for daylight to show up. I didn’t want to ride the parkway in the dark. While there, I met a man who had lived in Springfield, OR until he was 7. And tonight at the drug store, one of the clerks had relatives that lived in Eugene, OR for years. I didn’t recognize the names. To my daughter Karla: Yes dear, it is amazing how many Oregon connections there are no matter where I go!! And yes, in order to have friends, you must be friendly!
Back to the FOG! It appeared early again today, within just a few miles of getting started. I had no traveling companions today (Keith and Sharon), so I just pressed on. When the fog was absent, the trees and their colors were even MORE vivid than yesterday! Each day the colors just deepen. For the 4th day in a row, I have no idea how far I will travel. I thought I would do the 470 mile parkway in 2-3 days. This is day #4 and I am STILL nearly 70 miles from being to the end. I’m hearing 3-4 hours to cover the last 70 miles. The speed limit is only 45 mph, and I’ve heard strictly enforced. However, I’ve yet to see anyone out here in 4 days who would be concerned about it.
I rode for nearly 2 hours this morning when I was ready for a warm up at one of the park service owned gift shop/snack bars. However, they didn’t open till 10, nearly 20 minutes away. I wasn’t going to wait around. Why, I could cover 3-4 more miles at the rate I’m traveling this morning! While there I met another rider who was also going south. He was headed to Birmingham, AL for the big vintage bike show and swap meet.
After this stop, about 20 minutes later, the forecasted rain made a very strong appearance. Buckets? A torrent? Cats and dogs? I don’t know best how to describe it, but I had to pull off the road. After about 15 minutes of just standing in the rain, it finally eased, so I moved on again. But the fog remained. I saw on my map a place called Mt. Mitchell which is the highest point east of the Mississippi. It was within the park boundary, and only 5 miles off the road. Being this close, I wanted to stop, even if I knew I would never see the summit on a day like this. But as I got closer, I discovered there was a restaurant near the top. Finally, a warm up spot. The summit was about like Mt. Washington in NH back on day #50; windy, foggy, and cold. Soup and coffee helped warm me up as I watched the fog and clouds blow by at a steady clip. Another solo rider there gave me some warnings about the wind in the Keys when I go there.
As I drove down the mountain in the afternoon and began to drop in to Asheville, NC, the sky cleared, the temp climbed some, and the roads dried out. However, the traffic got thick. I thought seriously of a motel for the weekend as I’ve heard from 3 different sources this is expected to be the busiest tourist weekend of the year in and around Smoky Mtn National Park. But the $140/night price tag of a mid-grade motel drove me to the KOA. It’s great. Good wi-fi, nice people, not crowded, so I’m convinced it’s exactly where I need to be. I even set up a canopy over the picnic table, intending to catch up on the blog tomorrow and Sunday.
I’ll sit tight here tomorrow and Sunday and let the tourists clear out of the Smokies before I head over that way Monday. I’ll want to do the Tail of the Dragon, see downtown Gatlinburg, visit the Wheels in Time motorcycle museum, all while down here.
Nat, you'd like the decorations here at the KOA campground. A pic of the hosts is at the top of the page. Can you figure out which ones they are?
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