The quote above is from my Amazon #1 best selling road travel book (Available in paperback and Kindle versions on Amazon and also available on Apple Books). It sums up one of the beliefs I hold, and practice every time I wind up behind bars (The handlebars of my motorcycle). Explore! Some roads have garnered
legendary status in the motorcycling community…most of them deservedly so, for their technical challenge, scenic beauty or both. The problem, however, is that they soon become tourists traps plagued with high traffic volume and overzealous law enforcement activity. While many motorcyclists will make trips to these legendary roads the focus of their vacations, I try to steer clear of them, as much as possible, for obvious reasons. I prefer to explore the
roads less traveled and often find those that are true unspoiled gems. Pictured here is my
BMW motorcycle on the side of Little River Gorge Road just north of Townsend, Tennessee. The road weaves through the forests of
Great Smoky National Park in The Foothills of Eastern Tennessee and ultimately ends in the tourist Mecca of Gatlinburg…home to
Dollywood and hundreds of other tourist attractions. The popularity of this destination has exploded and has resulted in major thoroughfares being built to usher the vacationers expediently to their desired haunts; leaving roads like this one lightly traveled. Now that’s progress in my book! Put all the vacationers in their minivans out on the super highways and leave these
back road gems to the two-wheelers that will thoroughly enjoy them!