Two Wheel Tuesdays

Not sure if you noticed, how often I keep going back talking about my trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park area, the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort.

The trip was by far the best vacation I have ever been in two wheels. What an experience. While places like the Sturgis Rally, Daytona Bike Week, and Laconia Motorcycle Week are at the top of some of my motorcycle buddies list, the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap is my favorite and easily one of the best destination drives for any motorcycle or car enthusiast. It is also one of the most scenic and dangerous drives. I am glad I made the trip and spent a week there, when I did.

Kofla Olivieri Rides The Tail of the Dragon

Deal’s Gap (aka the Tail of the Dragon) is without question one of the finest roads in the US. It is located in the beautiful Smoky Mountains at the Tennessee/North Carolina border where US 129 intersects NC 28. 318 turns in 11 miles.

Riding the Dragon is a lot of fun. Riding it fast is a challenge which brings motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the world to try their skills against it. Crashes are common on every given weekend (as the Tree of Shame can attest) and more than a few have lost their lives while trying to challenge it.

Have you been to Deals Gap and ridden the Tail of the Dragon? The Dragon has been on my bucket list for a while, I didn't think it would happen so soon. Last year a group of friends from the Philadelphia area invited me to spend a week with them at Deals Gap.

I figured I was more than due for a vacation, so why not ride my bike to the Dragon, hang out with my Philly friends and relax while exploring the area. I wasn't yet sold on the idea of riding solo to the resort, but decided to make the reservation anyway. I expected the round trip to be over 1,500 hundred miles.