[sadster]

Well, just got back from my wedding / honeymoon in Pigeon Forge, Tn. It’s a very beautiful area. The highlight of the trip (other than the wedding / wedding night of course), was a trip to the dragon. We had to rent bikes since we did not choose to trailer ours all the way down there. I got a Fat Boy, and she got a Honda Shadow. Even though I sorely missed my warrior, I was pleasantly surprised by the Harley. It handled very well and had good power. I was impressed with how well balanced it was.
My wife rode a Honda Shadow, and again was pleased with it. She normally rides a Sporty 1200C (screaming eagle) or a Can Am Spyder. While the Honda is not in the same league as either, it was also a very easy ride and certainly served its purpose for our day-trip.
The dragon was not very busy the day we were there, but still we saw a mix of bikes. Sport bikes, touring bikes, a few customs, and of course quite a few cruisers, mostly Harley’s. I was a little bummed that I didn’t come across anyone on a warrior. Deals Gap was a little disappointing – I’m not sure what I was expecting, maybe a bike Mecca of sorts, but really it was just hamburger joint with a smallish gift shop. Nevertheless, it is a “must stop” since it is the legendary launching point for the start of the dragons tail.
We stayed a week in the picturesque area of Tennessee and stayed busy taking in all the sights. But just like we missed being in our own bed, we also missed being on our own bikes. After quickly carrying in our luggage last night, we jumped on our bikes and tore up a few miles of Southwest Michigan landscape. We loved every minute of it, even though it was slightly less challenging than the 318 turns in 11 miles that the dragon boasts!

 

[messx03]

Congrats on the wedding and the Dragon ride. Glad you kept the shiney side up. Try to make plans for the Warriorfest we have there every April and we will show you some more great roads around the area and some good fellowship around the fire every night after riding all day.

 

[06_warrior]

Congrats on the wedding. I went to the dragon in Sept. for the first time and with all the hype i heard about it i was disappointed with the dragon my self. There were a couple of cops on the dragon just waiting to pounce on someone to hand out tickets. So needless to say it was a very slow ride with too many people on it. It was nice to get that scenic view from the top and i can say that i got to see it, but other than that i wasn't impressed at all. Actually i had a better time with the other roads near the dragon than the dragon itself. Glad your honey moon was nice.

 

[darken_rahl03]

Yea, Congrats on the wedding. I hope you also enjoyed Gatlinbury and Pigon Forge. My parents live in Seiverville, so i'm up there all the time. Did you do the Cherohala Skyway or the Foorhill parkway (both great rides)too?

 

[sadster]

Warriorfest? I guess I've read some references of it on this 4M, but didn't know it was an annual event....so, every april? What's the weather like that time of year in Tn? I'm certainly interested. It sounds like you guys camp? RV? Tent All-the-above?


....Thanks for the congrats, yep we kept the shiney side up, rubber side down,but we did see one guy and his wife not so lucky....just pulling out of deals gap heading into the dragon, there's that sharp right turn with the steep grade...anyway he laid it down. His Goldwing was little scratched up, and I'm sure his ego bruised, but otherwise no injuries. By the look of the "Tree of Shame", it appears that some have not been so fortunate. I chatted with an H-D dealer in pigeon forge, he said they lose 5 or 6 riders a year at the dragon, mostly sport bikes riders.

 

[sadster]

Foothills Parkway - I agree, it was outstanding. The scenery was spectacular, and the road was in great shape. My wife is a capable, but new rider so I had to keep a tight leash on myself. We will be back, I have no doubt, maybe next april? But this time i will bring my RV and tow my own bikes.

 

[sadster]

Congrats on the wedding. I went to the dragon in Sept. for the first time and with all the hype i heard about it i was disappointed with the dragon my self. There were a couple of cops on the dragon just waiting to pounce on someone to hand out tickets. So needless to say it was a very slow ride with too many people on it. It was nice to get that scenic view from the top and i can say that i got to see it, but other than that i wasn't impressed at all. Actually i had a better time with the other roads near the dragon than the dragon itself. Glad your honey moon was nice.

Thanks for the congrats!


I could certainly see where the experience could be swayed by a lot of riders. We were fortunate in that not too many people were out - which was a surprise, b/c the weather was great. We were on a few other roads, in a cage however, that would have been a blast on a bike. Specifically, the road going to cades cove.

 

[warriordog]

Here's lots of reading for you regarding the gatherings at Deals Gap a couple of times each year.

WarriorFest 4 next April

http://rswarrior.com/forums/t/111702.aspx .

WarriorFest 3 last April (102 pages long)

http://rswarrior.com/forums/t/53786.aspx

The "Return to the Dragon" last Sept

http://rswarrior.com/forums/t/112421.aspx

And a recent trip that the N Ga, Tn, SC riders got together at Blood Mountain in North Georgia.

http://rswarrior.com/forums/t/120513.aspx

Lots of pics can be found in the Pics and videos section. Heck, Yamaha even came and filmed the event one year, Lots of forum members at the end, warrior group pic at the campground, rippin up the gap, dragstrip, etc.

[YouTube:M9QUun7Coic]