DAY #3......HARRIMAN, TENNESSEE TO DAHLONEGA, GEORGIA...315 MILES (1290)

BEFORE I START ON TODAYS RIDE, I FORGOT TO MENTION SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. RIDING THROUGH NORTHERN TENNESSEE, AROUND DOVER, A LOT OF THE BARNS LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE ON FIRE. I REMEMBER MY BROTHER TELLING ME THAT IT WAS THE FARMERS DRYING THE TOBACCO LEAVES. ONE OF THE BARNS WAS OPEN ON THE END, AND YOU COULD SEE THE BUNCHES OF LEAVES HANGING FROM THE CEILING OF THE BARN. THEY DIG TRENCHES IN THE FLOOR OF THE BARN, THEN START A FIRE WITH WOOD, COVERING IT WITH SAWDUST SO IT JUST SMOLDERS. ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE LOCALS, SOMETIMES THE FIRE GETS OUT OF CONTROL AND BURNS THE BARN DOWN, WHICH HAD JUST HAPPENED LAST WEEK.

NOW ON TO TODAYS RIDE........WE LEFT HARRIMAN THIS MORNING, ONCE AGAIN UNDER CLOUDY SKIES AND BRISK TEMPS, HEADED FOR THE DEVILS TRIANGLE. THIS IS ABOUT A 25-30 MILE LOOP OF INTENSE CURVES AND STEEP INCLINES. WITHIN INCHES OF THE ROAD, THE DROPOFFS ARE BREATHTAKING. IF YOU HAPPENED TO MISS ONE OF THE CURVES, THE RIDE WOULD BE THRILLING, FOR A FEW SECONDS ANYWAYS.

ONCE FINISHED THERE, WE CONTINUED ON SOUTH INTO NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA TO RIDE THE DRAGONS TAIL. THIS IS ANOTHER ROAD THAT HAS INTENSE TWISTIES WITH STEEP INCLINES. IT HAS 318 CURVES IN 11 MILES, AND REALLY GET THE ADRENALINE FLOWING. EVERY TIME I'VE RIDDEN THIS ROAD THERE ARE ALWAYS CRASHES, AND THIS TIME WAS NO DIFFERENT. RIDING THESE ROADS IS NOT ONLY PHYSICALLY TIRING, BUT ALSO MENTALLY. ONE SMALL DISTRACTION, AND YOU BECOME ONE OF THE CRASH STATISTICS.

 

WE THEN HEADED SOUTH AND WEST TO RIDE THE CHERHALA SKYWAY, ANOTHER TWISTY ROAD, BUT NOT QUITE AS INTENSE AS THE PREVIOUS TWO. THEN WE HEADED SOUTH INTO GEORGIA TO RIDE THE SCENIC ROAD JUST NORTH OF SUCHES. IT WAS A CROOKED ROAD IN PLACES, AND VERY SCENIC. THE TRAFFIC WAS PRETTY HEAVY, BUT WE STILL HAD A GREAT DAY. WE ARE IN DAHLONEGA, GEORGIA FOR THE NIGHT. TOMORROW WE HEAD TO MADISON, ALABAMA TO HAVE LUNCH WITH FRIENDS, THE BACK WEST TOWARDS ARKANSAS.

STAY TUNED FOR TOMORROW NIGHTS REPORT, HOPEFULLY FROM SOMEWHERE IN ARKANSAS.

MOTOR MIKE