Smoky Mountains & Tail of the Dragon Thanksgiving Run
 

The object is to try to get on these roads when there is little other traffic. The season is the summer and when it is nice warm weather. This is prime motorcycle season. (bad news) Ive been several times and have found that it is least resistance on the week of Thanksgiving. Few people are out for business. Not many tourist traveling either.
It is also necessary to have good clear weather. Rain or snow will not allow good driving either. There was a pretty good opening the week of Thanksgiving.
I went north from Atlanta to the Tail Of The Dragon, Robbinsville NC, and the Cherohala Skyway.
Then to Cherokee and the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville.
I hit a front with thick fog. Zero visibility. No use in going any further. I had to come down off the parkway and try the back roads to the east. Down 151, the Devils Drop, one of the best downhill switchbacks there is. Across to Haywood and up the 209 to Hot Springs, back down 63 (100% backwoods treacherous pig trail thru the mountains) to Asheville. The next day it cleared. I went east on the BRP about 100mi. Drove Little Switzerland, Diamondback route. Very cool circle around 226 and 226A, and killer downhill on 80.
Also did the Chimney Rock run south of Asheville.
And heading home, back down the 276 thru the Pisgah forset to Brevard. 64 west, thru Transylvania. ( when you drive thru there youll know why they named it) Really good, tight narrow road with waterfalls and badasss curves.
All the way to Hayesville and south to Blairsville. From there south on 19/129 again. This is one of my favorite downhill streches of all. Fantastic new road with extreeme banks and hairpins. When you get in the groove, you can push the car to - your limits - and hopefull stay on the road. At Turners Corner, down 19 thru more cool woods and curves toward Dahlonega and Atlanta.

And whats thanksgiving with out turkey?

Nice way to spend TG.

Would be really cool if you could map your trip on google maps and get a screenshot or something.

I tried to make a map using google maps, click below to see it and you can even change it and then send back a new link, click on the top right corner will show the 'share' link.

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=At...ra=ls&t=m&z=11

Smart thinking about going there for thanksgiving ;)

Awesome trip. Thanks for sharing it with us. Yes - a map shot would be great but baring that I'm heading to Google Earth.

Ill see if I can work on the map.

I like going up there this time of the year.. The kids are in school, and the tourists don't like the 'no leaves' look of the mountains. Many more open roads to play on without all the lookie-loos.

I must get down there,did you shoot the Turkey?

I'll agree with Top Gear on this one... its a good road ruined by an insanely slow speed limit (which is there because the average US driver cannot drive in a reasonably safe way... ie stay in the lane and at a proper speed for the conditions and visibility).

Looks like a fun trip! Car loos great too. Stop back over soon.

If you have the Extended Navigation package you can save the route and then snap a shot of it for the gang here.

And yes, the Norte Americanos are the worst drivers on the planet, followed closely by Italians and Arabs.

I wasnt able to make any adjustement to the linked google map. I made my own and posted it as Tail of the Dragon maps. I recalculates every map route you draw so I did several short sections.