Tales from the O.C.: Arriving in Maggie Valley, NC

Today didn't start as early as yesterday but it was going to be a much shorter ride than yesterday so we were not in any hurry. We had complimentary breakfast at the hotel. What followed was the daily ritual of strapping the luggage on the motorcycles and we were off by 8:30.

Leaving from Best Western in Richmond, KY.

The morning was warm and even though the skies looked somewhat overcast, we felt optimistic about our chances of staying dry for the second straight day. As we were approaching Tennessee and the altitude was increasing, the wind became a little cooler. When we rode past London, Kentucky, the interstate showed signs of an early morning rain and there were darker clouds on either side of the interstate. Our first stop came in Jellico, Tennessee which was also the first exit in Tennessee off I-75. There, we fueled up the bikes and had a shot of 5-Hour Energy to help us up. I also put gloves on as the colder air left my fingers very stiff. Leaving the gas station we noticed, in front of a church across the street from the gas station, a sign we found rather amusing. It said "Shock your mother. Take her to church this Sunday". Probably a leftover from Mother's Day.

A church in Jellico, TN with cloud-covered mountains in the background.

As we rode past Knoxville, we were relegated to riding state highways the rest of the way to Maggie Valley. We hit a snag in a town of Sevierville, Tennessee which looks like a great tourist destination with numerous attractions across the whole city. Unfortunately, it meant increased traffic. Similar thing happened in Gatlinburg, which is on the cusp of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, although it didn't take as long.

At the Gatlinburg Visitors Center.

The ride through the park was great with many twists and tall trees on both sides of the road. Before arriving in Maggie Valley, our plan was to meet Heather's parents in nearby Cherokee at the Dairy Queen or the Visitors Center. The GPS took us to a DQ in the heart of the town where Heather used the facilities. Jim and Sandy were not there so we assumed, correctly, that they'd be waiting at the Visitors Center. We arrived there at 2pm, nearly an hour after our original meeting time. The contributing factors to that was the heavy traffic through tourist towns and the slower than normal ride through the park during which we pulled over a few times to let faster traffic through. We also learned that there is a second DQ in Cherokee where we went for some refreshing treats before arriving in Maggie Valley via the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Applecover Inn in Maggie Valley, NC.

After arriving at the Applecover Inn, we spent the evening unwinding, meeting new people who were in town for the SEVROC rally, enjoying a great BBQ and sitting through a raffle. Our raffle winnings included a water bottle and a driving hat while Jim & Sandy also snagged two bottles of wine.