Great Smoky Mountains – Arkansas State Rally Trip

September 12 – 21, 2003

This was great trip and we had a blast! We rode some of the best roads in the greater Great Smoky Mountains area (Blue Ridge Parkway, Deals Gap "The Dragon", Cherohala Skyway, Foothills Parkway, 441, Cherokee, Boone, Blowing Rock, Mount Pisgah) then we headed west to the Arkansas State HOG Rally.

The Truck:

• We are using Open Road Adventures, Mike Ray www.openroadadventurs.com
• Cost for each bike one way is $300.
• He is insured for 5 million
• The truck is a NASCAR trailer and has a very large lift gate to load the bike onto both the upper and lower deck
• He will pick up our bikes on Tuesday September 9^th
• I – and anyone else who wants to - will be flying to Knoxville on Thursday so that I can meet him on Friday, September 12, to take possession of the bikes at a hotel close to the Knoxville airport.
• The group should be in Knoxville sometime on Friday, September 12, as we will depart on Saturday for the ride.

Flying:

• Continental fly's to Knoxville and the cost is around $300 - $400 (You book a round trip and burn the return, it is cheaper that way. You also plan the round trip over a Saturday nigh stay. So ticket is the 12th to the 22nd.)
• Sandra and some others are flyng out on Friday on Continental.  The flight is Sept 12, Fri, at 1:10 pm.  We arrive Knoxville at 4:30 pm.
• If you have the vacation time Johnny and I will be flying over on Thursday so we can meet Mikael from Sweden and help on Friday with the truck!!!

Friday Sept 12:

• The group arrives into Knoxville and takes a shuttle to the hotel close by where the bikes are waiting.
• Hotel cost ($70-$90) I need to nail down a hotel that is close and can handle the truck unloading the bikes.

Saturday – Sunday Sept 13-14:

• We head to the Nantahalainn outside Bryson City in the woods www.nantahalainn.com  and check in, unload and then go out for some riding. This hotel is close to the southern tip of the Great Smoky Mountains, around Deals Gap "The Dragon", Cherohala Skyway, Foothills Parkway
• We will stay two nights here and take in Deals Gap "The Dragon" www.tailofthedragon.com  www.dealsgap.com , Cherohala Skyway, Foothills Parkway, go to Cherokee and over the mountain on 441.
• We will also take a ride down south to see some water falls (Cullasaja and Dry Falls…you can even walk beneath them and will ride under Bridal Veil Falls….good photo op with your bike), ride along the Cullasaja River and the banks of Lake Thorpe……..

Monday – Wednesday Sept 15-17:

• Monday morning we head up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mt. Pisgah where we will check into the Pisgah Lodge at 5000' above everything….
• We will stay at the Pisgah Inn for 3 nights, so make yourself at home!! www.pisgahinn.com Hotel cost $90
• You need to call the hotel and make your own reservation for Sept 15-18 (3 nights)
• Hotel phone number is 828 235 8228.  They take Visa and MC and will bill you for the first night at the time of the reservation. They have a 2-week cancel policy without penalty and $15 up till 48hrs before, then it is one night within the 48hr window.
• Ask for Non-Smoking Downstairs Deluxe room and we will all be together, you can also ask for a room near "Lance Berry". Angel set this up for us. They have 9 rooms downstairs and 12 rooms upstairs in this building so we are close together.
• All rooms have two double beds
• This is a spectacular hotel that is on the parkway itself. The view is the best you will find and every room has a porch/balcony with an awesome view. The restaurant is first rate with all meals prepared homemade each day.
• During the days here we will ride north to Blowing Rock and visit Grandfather Mountain for a tour, Linville Falls for a hike and ride the famous engineering feat Linn Cove Viaduct.
• We will also make trips off the Parkway on some other very fine roads in and out of Boone, Banner Elk, Spruce Pine and such.
• We will visit Little Switzerland, the Mast General Store, Racing Station (Local HD Shop) and of course lots of good eats stops!

Thursday Sept 18th:

• We wake up and head west as fast and far as we can make it. I would like to make at least 500 miles this day so that we are as close to Hot Springs as we can get in one day.
• Depending on how far we make it, we will stay around Memphis.
• Hotel cost $60 - $80

Friday – Saturday Sept 19-20th:

• Check into the hotel on Friday and go register for the rally.
• We will stay at the Majestic Hotel.  http://www.themajestichotel.com 
• $79 a night!
• It is right in the middle of things...downtown....and all the action.

Sunday Sept 21st:

• We head home to Houston
• This will be another long day, putting us into Houston late afternoon on Sunday.

The Deal:

• We have enough slots for 10 motorcycles on the truck at $300 a piece.
• I need the money in order to secure your spot.  This is first come first serve.
• Please, if you do sign up, be serious about going on the trip and wanting to stay with the route, itinerary and hotels……it is much more fun when we are all together and with only 14-20 bikes, this should not be a problem.

Updated By
Lance and Sandra
Aug 16, 2009

E-Mail Lance and Sandra at web@lancesandra.com