Places to camp and ride in East Tennessee - Brimstone Recreation Area

The Brimstone Recreation Area is located in Huntsville Tn, and over the past 10 years has evolved into one of the more popular riding areas in the East. The Brimstone riding area is privately leased land, with over 300 miles of trails. The trails on the Brimestone area also connect to adjacent lands, some of which are public gravel roads, and some that are part of the TWRA Wildlife management area (which requires a seperate permit).
Brimstone recently opened up not just a campground, with full hookups, but also rental cabins and campers. All of which are located at the start of the trail system.
Reservations are recommended.Their website is www.brimstonerecreation.com

Places to camp and ride in East Tennessee - Cherohala Mountain Trails Campground

Located in Tellico Plains, Tennessee, the Cherohala Mountain Trails campground caters to the motorcycle rider, as well as everyone else. They even advertise having boot and glove dryers in each cabin. How cool is that!  It was opened under another name a few years ago, was closed briefly, and now is thriving again. It is located just outside of town, and is just a few miles from great paved roads as well as some really great dual sport routes.

They have seven air conditioned cabins, an on site store, and 6 acres of tent camping. There is a pavilion for group functions, and a both community and private fire pits. Their location makes them a great spot for a base camp for street bike rides along the Cherohala and into Northern Georgia.
 For more info visit their website www.cycleresort.com

The Southern Dozen - 12 Great Rides

 

 I stumbled across the "Southern Dozen" motorcycle rides while in Johnson City, Tn on business. As I opened the flier I found a really simple, well put together, group of maps showing day rides based out of Johnson City.  The flier has "Johnson City Convention and Visitors Bureau" on the back, so I'm assuming that's who puts it out. I also suspect that the creation of this booklet has some help by some serious motorcyclist. Johnson City has recently been host to the BMW National Event, and the Motorcyclist Sport Touring Association's annual ride. There are lots of great day trips out of Johnson City, and if I compared my maps that I saved from the two previous mentioned events with this flier I bet many of the routes are the similar.

The flier that I picked up was very well done. It shows the 12 mentioned rides, and has easy to read maps and directions. All of the rides start in Johnson City and range from 30 to 151 miles. Some of the rides include, the rapidly becoming famous "Snake" through Shady Valley, a ride up Roan Mountain, and a ride to the Natural Tunnel, a rock formation just north of Kingsport Tn. The flier also includes a list of Johnson City hotels that offer discounted rates for motorcyclist.
 Personally, I think this is super cool! How often is it that a city realizes the value of promoting motorcycling tourism. I picked up my flier out of one of those racks of fliers that advertises everything from wax museums to area chitlin restaurants, that was at the Holiday Inn Express in Johnson City. You can also go to their website, www.southerndozen.com

TWO Creeks Campground - Del Rio TN.

If you are looking for your own private campground to hold an event, and you want it to be smack dab in the middle of great riding of all kinds (Street and Dual Sport) you need to look at reserving TWO Creeks Campground in Del Rio. 

Don't think you're lost when you turn onto Catnip Road. It's gravel, and by the time you pass the second house, you're sure you're on a driveway.  Don't despair, the campground is at the very end. The T.W.O. can stand for the 2 mountain streams which flow along both sides of the campground, or it could also stand for Two Wheels Only, since this campground was built with motorcycle riders in mind.   


Owned by Jerry and Cindy Dobrianski, (long time members and officers of the Knoxville BMW club) Two creeks is not the place to bring your 40' RV. Two Creeks is a quaint little campground, primarily catering to those who ride bikes, camp in tents, or have a small camper. (they do have 4 sites with 20amp electric). There are indoor (and outdoor) showers, a cool little clubhouse overlooking the water, huge trees, and plenty of well groomed places to pitch tents along the creek. 

The campground sits on a 4+ acre pie shape piece of land and has two large creeks flowing along both sides. These creeks come together at the end of the campground. Jerry said that the State of Tenn. stocks the creeks with trout, so bring your fishing rod.  There are also Beaver and River Otters splashing around. Speaking of splashing, there is one deep spot nicknamed "The Holy Hole" that a local church used for Baptisms. (I'm not sure if Jerry does Baptisms or not, but I would ask. He's very accommodating)

Jerry said that when they bought the place 4 years ago it was completely overgrown and overrun by kudzu. I honestly can't imaging how much work they've put into it, but it sure paid off. It's a beautiful setting and a great change from the" pack as many as you can in to a gravel lot" campgrounds that you usually find.

TWO Creeks isn't really open everyday, unless you need it to be. It's sort of camping with appointment. If you want to come camp, or reserve it for a group of any kind,  call Jerry or Cindy.   They have various groups coming in throughout the year, the biggest event being the BMW-ROK Rally, Sept 8-11th. which will pull people from around the country.  

TWO Creeks is located in Del Rio Tenn, which is about halfway between Newport TN. and Hot Springs N.C.  Directions: (25/70 toward Hot Springs/ right on 107/ right on Old Fifteenth / right on Catnip)  For more pictures you can go to  twocreekstn@aol.com , or you can link to it through  http://BMWROK.org      Phone 423-587-1718

Adventure Ride, Swap Meet, and Gold Wing Fling, all this weekend!

If you can't find a motorcycle event you like this weekend then you just aren't trying too hard. Here are three different events that should all be worth checking out.
 
Sunday the 17th there is a Motorcycle Swap Meet being held in the parking lot behind the Time Warp Tea Room at 1209 North Central Street in Knoxville.  Both vendor space and admission is free. The time is from 1:00 till -4:00 pm. It's supported by the Time Warp Vintage Motorcycle Club, so you never know what may show up. Food and beverages will be available. For info call Dan at 865-524-1155

The Gold Wing Road Riders Assoc. Spring Fling is being held at the Sevier County Fairgrounds in Sevierville, Tn. The host Hotel Wilderness in the Smokies. Lots of stuff going on with this event. There is a Rodeo, Talent Show, and they give away some killer Prizes for Participants.  www.tngwrra.org




Slate Creek Adventure Ride If you like to get out and explore back roads with your adventure bike this 2 day event is a great way to see some beautiful areas of East Tenn and Western North Carolina. This round of the AMA/KTM National Adventure Ride Series is designed for bigger Adventure bikes and larger Dual Sports. The ride originates out of Bybee, Tenn. (near Newport) and covers miles of backroads and forestry service roads. For more info contact John Strange at 865-322-0193.

REAL Adventure Riders from Knoxville - http://fairtanker.blogspot.com

The term 'Adventure Rider" is pretty common these days, but there are two real adventure riders from Knoxville who are, as you read this, somewhere in Central America with no GPS, no $1,000 riding suits, no trip itinerary, and to top it off are riding early 70"s XL Honda's (a 250 and and 350).

Mike and Tank left Knoxville on January 14th heading for somewhere in South America. I wasn't able to meet up with Mike before they left, so I don't know what the exact plan is, or even if there is an exact plan. (If you guys see this, send me some details!) These guys are part of the now famous 555 Club, who rode across the country on old Hondas a while back, so they are not new to adventure, or pushing their luck. Honestly, I have no desire to make the kind of trip they are making.  I can only admire that they are intrepid enough to go into Mexico, Guatemala, and wherever else south of the border they are going next, armed with nothing more than a good tool kit and an adventuresome spirit.

 I have no idea how they are able to update their blog, or how often, but if you can appreciate some real reality travels, you need to check their blog out. The address is http://fairtanker.blogspot.com They have posted some incredible pictures, and even some on bike videos. (The pics you see here are from their blog) Be sure to go back to the "older post" so you can track their adventure from the beginning. When I think about what these guys are doing it makes any ride I have ever done seem like child's play. I can say that in all my years of riding I have never had to sleep in an abandoned hotel, take apart my engine in a hotel room, or had machine guns pointed at me while I went down the road. Hopefully they won't have to  experience that again on this trip.

Mike and Tank, if you can see this, all of your friends in Knoxville are thinking about you. God bless and look over you both!  I'll buy you a beer when you get back!  

 

Jim's Motorcycles - Weekly Vintage Display

Jim's Motorcycle Sales in downtown Johnson City Tenn (1209 W. Main Street), is doing something that I have never heard of before, displaying a different vintage motorcycle each week for the entire year of 2011! That is just unheard of. I was able to catch the owner, Ken Hayes, last week and talk to him a for a bit. Ken and his family have a long history of not only selling bikes, but racing everything from flat track, to enduros, and even roadracing at Daytona and Laconia. His collection is going to be something to see.

The bike on display last week was an immaculate 1971 Kawasaki 500 Triple, that shows 1,059 original miles on the odometer. Besides just showing the bike in the "Classic Corner", Ken has some info about the bike. For this one he had a copy of some of the original literature on the bike,  showing that it made a whopping 60Hp @ 8,000 rpm (still very respectable for 500cc's) and sold new for $995. Ken told me, "It's the BS behind these old bikes that makes them interesting", and I have to agree. It's always fun to hear who bought it, where they found it, and who previously owned it. When I asked if he bought the bike new he said no. "This bike sat in the guys living room for 25 years before I got it", Ken said.
If you are in Johnson City, you need to make a trip by Jim's Motorcycle sales just to see what he's showing. A different bike is put out each Monday.

Dual Sport Touring - Good source for Good Stuff in Maryville Tn

Dual Sport Touring is located just outside of Maryville Tn on Hwy 321, and is a great source for the type of gear and equipment that most shops don't carry. As you may guess from the name, they specialize in the Dual Sport / Adventure Rider crowd, and they stock their shop accordingly. If you need something special for your GS, KLR, DR or any other Dual Sport /Adventure bike there is a good chance they have it, and if not they can get it fast. They also have a very good selection of High Quality riding gear from Rev'It, First Gear, and Scorpion, as well as Arai Helmets.

Francois and Megan St Laurent are the husband and wife team that own and operate this fine establishment, and are both avid riders with quite extensive riding resumes.  This picture of them was made in 2007 when they rode the Western Continental Divide from the Canadian border in Montana to Albuquerque N.M.and back to Knoxville, for total of 4500 miles (My guess is this picture was made early in their ride, judging from how happy they are!)


Their store sets back off of Hwy 321 about 100 yards, so its easy to ride past. If you're coming from Maryville, it is 5.5 miles from the 321 / 129 intersection (In front of Foothills Mall) .  Coming from Maryville, the store is on the left side of 321, before you get to the BP Station which is on the right. If you get lost give them a call at 865-995-9505, or you can link to their website (www.dualsporttouring.com) from the Cycleblend links page. They are open 10:00  till 6:00, Tuesday through Saturday

Places to Go - Wheels Through Time Museum, Maggie Valley N.C

If you are on this website, that means that you must have some interest in Motorcycles, and since you do, you owe it to yourself to visit the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, N.C. I rode over this past weekend for my third visit. There is just that much to see. Dale Walksler is the owner and curator of this collection of Motorcycle treasures, and has done an incredible job of not just collecting, but displaying these great old machines. Opened in 1993 the museum has all American Bikes and memorabilia dating back to the turn of the century (1900, not 2000). Most people don't realize how many different brands of motorcycles there where in the U.S. Besides Harley Davidson and Indian, you've got Crocker, Henderson, Excelsior and other brands that went away during the great depression. All are displayed in recreated scenes from the period they came from. Remakes of old garages, bike shops, and even a mountain of dirt which displays the Hill Climber exhibit. (Actually, the hill climb mountain is the background for this webpage. Thanks for letting me use that Dale!)

Advertised as the museum that runs, every bike in the place can be started, and they are happy to do so. It's amazing that not only do they start, but it seems like most of them start on the first or second kick, something my modern dirtbike seldom does.  The day I was there Dale fired up a 1940 Crocker for the crowd, and then proceeded to do a burnout down the aisle of the museum. Seeing that the floor looks like the starting line of your local dragstrip, this isn't a rare occurrence. Watching that, and hearing the sounds of that old V-Twin echo through the place just pegs the Cool meter in my books. Dales son Matt also helps with the musuem, and was happily starting up some old bikes for a group of fascinated kids. Got to make sure the next generation  gets the proper influences!

The Wheels Through Time Museum is smack dab in the middle of Maggie Valley, and just 4 miles off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you're making the 3-High Rides, it's a great stop between Mt Mitchell N.C. and Clingmans Dome TN. Admission is on $12, and they are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. There is too much going on over there to cover in here, but we have a link to their website in our links section.

Great Smoky Mountain Dual Sport Rental

Talking about services that are hard to find, try to find a place that will rent you a good reliable motorcycle that you can explore back roads with!  We have that rare place here in Townsend Tennessee, right on the edge of the National Park. 

Great Smoky Mountain Motorcycle Rental  (GSMmotoRent) is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Dan and Debbie Dickie.  The business just started in April of 2009, and they are already exceeding expectations. What they offer is a way for street riders to sample Dual Sport riding, and give those who ride their street only bikes to the area, an option to explore some different back roads.

Their fleet consist of Kawasaki KLR 650s, Suzuki DR 650's and DR200's. All of the bikes are fully serviced and ready to ride. Dan said that the KLR's are the most requested,but that the DR200's are popular with ladies and people new to off road. 2 of their KLR 650's have been lowered to accommodate people who just prefer a lower seat height.

To rent a bike all you have to have is a valid motorcycle license. There is limited gear available, so they suggest you bring your own. Dan said that many of their customers ride in on street bikes, and store them in the GSM Garage while they go out exploring. 

If you need help figuring out where you want to go they have mapped routes available that direct you to some of the areas more scenic roads. You're free to travel wherever you wish, and to any state. It just depends on how long you want to rent the bike for. From their location its a short ride through the National Park to Cades Cove, where you can take the Parsons Branch gravel road to Hwy 129 (aka the Dragon)

If you want to stay close to your bikes, they have a rental cabin and a rental camper available. Both are located directly behind their shop, and are right on the river. If your interested, you'll need to reserve these ahead of time.  

If you've ever thought you would like to try out a Dual Sport bike this is the perfect opportunity. Give Dan and Debbie a call. You can also connect with them through our links page.

Brasstown Bald - One of the 3 High Rides

Brasstown Bald (The Highest Point in Georgia) may have the lowest elevation (4,784') of the 3-High Rides, but it is just as spectacular. Granted, you do have a take a $3 van shuttle up the final climb to the top, (unless you want to hoof it up the 1/2 mile trail), but the 360 degree / 4 state view and the mini museum are well worth the effort. They also request a $3 parking fee donation.  I've spent $6 bucks before and gotten a lot less! There is also small souvenir store at the bottom parking lot.

The original tower was built in the 1960s to serve as a fire watch tower, but now serves as a watch tower, museum, and tourist destination.The Volunteer Rangers who staff the museum are super nice and eager to answer any questions. Debbi Pratt, (seen here posing with K.J.)  is one of the Rangers we met. She said that her and her husband are volunteers, and that her mother and father were the original volunteers at the tower. Pretty Cool!

Take the time to read some of the history of this area while you're at the top. When you look at the old pictures of the area, and see how it was once decimated by logging, you will be amazed. 

In 1832 much of the land you can see from  this tower was given out in the "Great Land Lottery". 18,309 people won 160 acre tracts, and 35,000 people won 40 acre tracts of what was formerly Indian land... The only problem was the Indians were still on it!