Skyline Drive, The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Cherohala Skyway

The first week of my adventure is over with.

I took my time and reached Skyline Drive on the third day. There is a $15 entrance fee for motorcycles. The drive through Shenandoah National Park is beautiful. It’s full of twistie turns and elevation changes that will leave you breathless. The park is also full of deer so keep a keen eye out for them!

The Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles long connecting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Just like Skyline this route is filled with hairpin turns, twisties and even some spiral curves in the south end. There are some spectacular views from the mountain tops, at several points on the route if you look right you can see the valley below and then turn and look left you can see the valley below on the other side of the mountain! At several point I actually rode into the clouds!

This route is also full of wildlife, I saw bear, deer, and rattlesnakes on the road, so drive with care.

After the Blue Ridge Parkway I took a ride on the Cherohala Skyway. If you haven’t done this one, I can tell you that it is well worth the time. Like the other two rides  this was no disappointment. The Skyway winds up and over 5,400 foot mountains for 18 miles in North Carolina and descends another 23 miles into the deeply forested back country of Tennessee. Twists and turns and elevation changes that are awesome. On this day I rode into the clouds again and visibility was about 40 feet at the top of a couple of mountains. This is a ride that can be done with The Tail of the Dragon as a loop ride.