Day #74
Tuesday October 23, 2007
Ashville, NC to Knoxville, TN
166 miles today (28,302-28,468)
14,001 miles total
35 states total (+Wash. DC and Canada)
It rained off and on all night last night. But before dark, after returning from a day around, but not through, the Smoky Mtn. Nat’l Park, I moved the canopy from the picnic table to the tent. I wanted to keep the tent dry in case the rain was falling while breaking camp. And I was able to keep the tent dry except the 2’ or so at the end over the bed area. Shouldn’t hurt it.
I got onto the LAST section (70 miles!) of the Blue Ridge Parkway before 8:30 AM. I traveled only a few short miles before….FOG! Wow. No real surprise there. There were 7 tunnels in the first 11 miles this AM. And it certainly seemed that the fog AND the rain increased after exiting each one of the 7. Last week, starting at Front Royal, VA I had 2 beautiful days of riding. I travled the last 2 on the parkway in bad weather, and now the final day would prove to be the WORST! I traveled 20 miles this morning when I came to Pisgah, where there is a restaurant. I had to make a left hand turn, across the opposing lane of traffic, in the fog to get into the parking lot. I almost passed the opening it was so foggy, and until I got IN the opposing lane, I couldn’t even see the car coming. I think he was traveling WAY TOO FAST for the foggy conditions. I actually met a car or two without lights on in fog so thick you couldn't see 4-5 car lengths in front of you.
As I was going in, I met a guy from Ontario that had done 7,000+ miles. He had started in Vancouver, BC and gone all the way done into Mexico. He was on his way back to Ontario. Fog and rain was the report from him. After having another breakfast (excuse to get out of fog/rain), I met another rider, John from SC, who was going north up the Blue Ridge Parkway. We visited a while, then it was back out in the fog. I stopped at the highest point on the parkway and made a couple of pics. As I headed to the end, about a mile before getting there, almost to Cherokee, NC, I passed a pullout where a guy on a big bike was waving and flagging me down. I had to ride nearly a ½ mile to find a safe spot to pull over and turn around. I could SEE the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway less than 100 yds away, but I had to turn around and help a guy, or at least try. I thought, “Oh no, I’ve come 469 miles in 5 days and I can’t get to the end!” When I got back to the turnout, the guy explained how his big Valkerie Interstate fell over, a passing motorist helped him get it upright, and how he been trying to start it for over 30 minutes. He explained about a “tip over switch” that shuts them off when they’re tipped over. He’d disconnected the battery and tried everything else he knew to get the switch to reset and the bike to start. He put the key in to show me there was nothing, and as he reached for the throttle I said “Have you checked the kill switch?” He looked at me like I was from Mars. But then he had that “I am SO DUMB” look. He flipped the switch, hit the starter and VROOOM it fired right up! I wanted to take his picture, but just couldn’t. And out of respect for a fellow biker, I’ll just keep his name and state to myself. At least I was able to help. I told him I'd send him a bill if he didn't help some other rider on down the road. We traded road conditions, as we were going opposite directions and I was on my way to FINISH the Blue Ridge. I stopped and made a pic of mile marker #469, the last one. I was FINALLY off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and was kind of glad of it.
I rode the short 26 miles across Smoky Mtn. Nat’l Park from Cherokee to Gatlinburg and headed on in to Pigeon Forge, TN. I stopped at DUFF’S Smorgasbord in Pigeon Forge for lunch. I had a customer in Eugene by the name of Dan Wilkins who gave me his business card and wrote on the back that I could get 8 free meals when I stopped in Pigeon Forge. I’d saved the card for nearly a year, thinking I would be coming through the area. I was really a little skeptical about it, as I had no idea Dan had any connections to the restaurant. I think he told me at one time he was the owner of it. When I got there, and told the cashier I had a business card for 8 free meals, she looked at me a little funny. She was new and had to call someone else over. When I told the other person in charge I was traveling from Eugene, OR and had a card from Dan Wilkins, she immediately said “Oh, Dan, sure! We know all about him!” About half the staff knew Dan and just spoke like he was Santa Claus or someone equally as generous. Dan has a really big heart (read his story below), but sometimes you just can’t tell if he’s serious about something. They had me record my name in a spiral bound notebook (were those names all free meals from Dan???) and changed my card from 8 to 7, and I was on my way through the buffet line! Check out Dan’s movie “Have you seen Clem?” Paste this address in your browser for more info on it.
It rained off and on all night last night. But before dark, after returning from a day around, but not through, the Smoky Mtn. Nat’l Park, I moved the canopy from the picnic table to the tent. I wanted to keep the tent dry in case the rain was falling while breaking camp. And I was able to keep the tent dry except the 2’ or so at the end over the bed area. Shouldn’t hurt it.
I got onto the LAST section (70 miles!) of the Blue Ridge Parkway before 8:30 AM. I traveled only a few short miles before….FOG! Wow. No real surprise there. There were 7 tunnels in the first 11 miles this AM. And it certainly seemed that the fog AND the rain increased after exiting each one of the 7. Last week, starting at Front Royal, VA I had 2 beautiful days of riding. I travled the last 2 on the parkway in bad weather, and now the final day would prove to be the WORST! I traveled 20 miles this morning when I came to Pisgah, where there is a restaurant. I had to make a left hand turn, across the opposing lane of traffic, in the fog to get into the parking lot. I almost passed the opening it was so foggy, and until I got IN the opposing lane, I couldn’t even see the car coming. I think he was traveling WAY TOO FAST for the foggy conditions. I actually met a car or two without lights on in fog so thick you couldn't see 4-5 car lengths in front of you.
As I was going in, I met a guy from Ontario that had done 7,000+ miles. He had started in Vancouver, BC and gone all the way done into Mexico. He was on his way back to Ontario. Fog and rain was the report from him. After having another breakfast (excuse to get out of fog/rain), I met another rider, John from SC, who was going north up the Blue Ridge Parkway. We visited a while, then it was back out in the fog. I stopped at the highest point on the parkway and made a couple of pics. As I headed to the end, about a mile before getting there, almost to Cherokee, NC, I passed a pullout where a guy on a big bike was waving and flagging me down. I had to ride nearly a ½ mile to find a safe spot to pull over and turn around. I could SEE the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway less than 100 yds away, but I had to turn around and help a guy, or at least try. I thought, “Oh no, I’ve come 469 miles in 5 days and I can’t get to the end!” When I got back to the turnout, the guy explained how his big Valkerie Interstate fell over, a passing motorist helped him get it upright, and how he been trying to start it for over 30 minutes. He explained about a “tip over switch” that shuts them off when they’re tipped over. He’d disconnected the battery and tried everything else he knew to get the switch to reset and the bike to start. He put the key in to show me there was nothing, and as he reached for the throttle I said “Have you checked the kill switch?” He looked at me like I was from Mars. But then he had that “I am SO DUMB” look. He flipped the switch, hit the starter and VROOOM it fired right up! I wanted to take his picture, but just couldn’t. And out of respect for a fellow biker, I’ll just keep his name and state to myself. At least I was able to help. I told him I'd send him a bill if he didn't help some other rider on down the road. We traded road conditions, as we were going opposite directions and I was on my way to FINISH the Blue Ridge. I stopped and made a pic of mile marker #469, the last one. I was FINALLY off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and was kind of glad of it.
I rode the short 26 miles across Smoky Mtn. Nat’l Park from Cherokee to Gatlinburg and headed on in to Pigeon Forge, TN. I stopped at DUFF’S Smorgasbord in Pigeon Forge for lunch. I had a customer in Eugene by the name of Dan Wilkins who gave me his business card and wrote on the back that I could get 8 free meals when I stopped in Pigeon Forge. I’d saved the card for nearly a year, thinking I would be coming through the area. I was really a little skeptical about it, as I had no idea Dan had any connections to the restaurant. I think he told me at one time he was the owner of it. When I got there, and told the cashier I had a business card for 8 free meals, she looked at me a little funny. She was new and had to call someone else over. When I told the other person in charge I was traveling from Eugene, OR and had a card from Dan Wilkins, she immediately said “Oh, Dan, sure! We know all about him!” About half the staff knew Dan and just spoke like he was Santa Claus or someone equally as generous. Dan has a really big heart (read his story below), but sometimes you just can’t tell if he’s serious about something. They had me record my name in a spiral bound notebook (were those names all free meals from Dan???) and changed my card from 8 to 7, and I was on my way through the buffet line! Check out Dan’s movie “Have you seen Clem?” Paste this address in your browser for more info on it.
After lunch I headed out of town and got onto I-40 west bound toward Knoxville.
I had made the decision to head to west KY to surprise my wife by showing up there this coming Saturday. She was flying in for some family business, and I hadn’t seen her smiling face in nearly 3 months! I was looking forward to the visit. Rain was forecast again for tonight and tomorrow, so I decided to settle in a motel for the night, and try to keep everything dry. I was glad to be off the Blue Ridge Parkway, finally. The fog, along with wind and rain, made for some very tense riding days. I hope to be in Symsonia by Thursday at the latest, then it will be on to Florida and corner #3!
I had made the decision to head to west KY to surprise my wife by showing up there this coming Saturday. She was flying in for some family business, and I hadn’t seen her smiling face in nearly 3 months! I was looking forward to the visit. Rain was forecast again for tonight and tomorrow, so I decided to settle in a motel for the night, and try to keep everything dry. I was glad to be off the Blue Ridge Parkway, finally. The fog, along with wind and rain, made for some very tense riding days. I hope to be in Symsonia by Thursday at the latest, then it will be on to Florida and corner #3!
