Friday Bud and Ted's Excellent Adventure

Join us as we twist over the Tail of The Dragon (TOTD) and zoom to heights only Dragons knew. This trip is challenging, dynamic, and fun, and we'll stop in several places to decompress, share stories and photo-ops, and refresh. Leaving the Ridges Resort, we'll enjoy a brief run towards Murphy on a hidden treasure called US-64. Then we'll run through a valley towards Andrews NC, before taking the Topton turn onto US-129 towards Robbinsville and our climbout to the TOTD. We'll pass the beautiful Tapoco Lodge and cross downstream of the mysterious Cheoah dam (aka the Fugitive Dam). From there we'll advance on the Crossroads of Time, and stop briefly to visit and pick up a few souvenirs. We'll continue north onto the TOTD, and enjoy tight gravity cavities and quick swooping curves. Continuing along the Little Tennessee River, we'll pass carefully through sleepy villages to stop for lunch at the Lakehouse Grill! After a relaxing lunch at this vista, we'll continue our ascent to the tops of the Cherohala Skyway via a little-known challenge called the Unicoi Turnpike. As we climb up the Cherohala, enjoy immense aerial views from as high as 5390 feet (over a mile in altitude). We'll stop for some fresh cool air and the view, then dive down back into the Valley of The Dragon and Robbinsville. The last few legs are over ground we covered on the outbound leg, and are an opportunity to stop in Andrews for fuel and a leg stretch. Finally, back with friends and a fine dinner.

 

The drive is over 5h long, and challenging. Get your petrol-head on, as you will be mentally challenged to manage momentum, weight transfer, and distractions while on the run. Get plenty of rest, start with a full tank of petrol, bring a cooler and a camera, and remember Rule #1!