Hills of Tennessee to the Great Smokey Mountains

Into the Great Smokey Mountains
Waynesboro, Tennessee to Frankin, North Carolina
So many roads, here’s the log, then the story:
Tenn. 64E, to Winchester, then 50W to Lynchburg & Jack Daniels, 50W back to Winchester, 64E to Tracy City, 56N to 399E, pass Gruetle-Laager, Hwy 8E down the Cumberland Plateau to Dunlap, along the Sequatchie River to Pikeville, down 30E across the Tennessee River to Decatur, up the foothills to Athens, 39E to Hwy 165E, the Cherohala Scenic Skyway, into North Carolina, Rt. 143E, a bite to eat in Robbinsville, with many loops around this old mill town to find food, then many loops to leave as well, they need a special map just for this town, though Stecoah, and a twisty, turny late evening ride on Hwy 28 S to Frankin.
The day's ride: Waking up in rural Tennessee, after a great drive though Mississippi and Alabama, up the Natchez Trace. A perfect day.
Now log cabins, fruit stands, churches, small rural towns struggling to get by, poor country folks with an economy that’s moving elsewhere, folks making money on there treasures, your antique,
small shops shattered on the sides of most roads, pass Good Hope Primitive Church, there are alot of divisions of the church goers here and homemade crackin’, rolling hills to farm country, cornfields for miles.
“Give me cornbread when I am hungry, corn whiskey when I am dry”.
Stopped in Winchester for breakfast of eggs, grits and biscuits, on the dinner menu there’s frog legs, fried chicken, and chicken livers, the service decent, too.
Leaving, ready to pay, young woman on cell phone taking my money, complaining about her boyfriend, making change, it’s not the first time, this practice is very annoying.
I notice Lynchburg, home of Jack Daniels, I need to do some back tracking on Hwy 50, pretty, pretty drive 21 miles up the into the hills to the distillery, this is a dry county, has been since 1906. Go figure.
The employees get a fifth a month, so let’s meet in the parking lot soon.
The tour is lots of fun, our guide was very entertaining, he had all of us laughing with his stories, then we all sniff the fermenting mash, he even tried to sweet talk one of the light headed ladies into a walk.
This is the “Oldest requested distillery in the US” established in 1866. I am sure that others have been making clear liquid in a jar for longer than that.
There is George Dickel's and Prichard’s distilleries close by, too.
In Lynchburg check out the Caboose Bar-B-Que Cafe, as well as lots of the small country shops here, the cafe has good BBQ pork or smoked chicken, hand-squeezed lemonade and peach cobbler, they even have live music of Friday night and a live radio show of old timey music and they broadcast every Saturday at 10am.
Back down 50E to 64E, its local election time, so the sign reads, Mike Foster for Sheriff, “he will continue to give Bibles to inmates”, he should get re-elected, cuss God wants him in office, then I pass the Bear Hollow Smokehouse.
There is an odd mix of religion, moonshine, music and a way of life that seems a bit confusing to me.
Back on the road heading east, the mountains in SE Tennessee are like fins, carved out by ancient rivers more than 5000 yrs old, maybe older depending on who you believe. This wonderful country with has no straight roads, except the Interstate, but my arms need the exercise, and who needs to go straight.
Up Hwy. 127, along the Sequatchie River to Pikeville, turn down Hwy 30E, pass the Laurel Snow Rocket Wilderness, across the Tennessee River, up the ridge, into the hills, then the Appalachian Mountains, on to the Cherohala Scenic Skyway, take Hwy 39E to 165E, crossing from Tennessee to North Carolina for the ride of a lifetime.
There are motorcyclists all over these mountains, there is a rally in Knoxville, 17,000 riders. On Rt. 129 around Deals Gap the road is called “the Tail of the Dragon” and a favorite ride for bikes and me.
The views are spectacular, rich, layered, forested, clear rivers, adventure for all, the Great Smokey Mountains, fun driving, Skate and I enjoying the ride, up to 5377’ at the summit, down a 9% grade, way down, yet you are never quite down, that takes another 150 miles, pass Stecoah, where the Historic Stecoah Valley Center is, there is folk, bluegrass and mountain music, dancing, story telling and ballads sing, other activities include spinning, weaving, log spitting, as well as local crafts and information of the Cherokee culture.
Time to rest, down Hwy 28 to Frankin, another road less traveled, I will name this road. “the Spine of the Southern Dragon”.60.3 mpg/ 381.2 miles traveledI great finish to a day on many small roads cutting though southern Tennessee hills into the mountains of North Carolina, excellent!