SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY!

It was back to the grind today, northbound to Tennessee which was a relatively short ride in comparison to previous days. There was some traffic leaving the Atlanta area but it eventually cleared up. Most of today's route was on US 411 which took me through some (very) small towns such as Ranger, GA.

There are interesting things to see in small towns such as antique/vintage items/vehicles. The best way to see the smaller towns is to (obviously?) keep off the main interstates. There are plenty of alternative highways to use while still being able to make it to your destination.

The (welcome) signs for states are often difficult to photograph on a solo adventure. Some are small and others large, in most cases there is no safe turnout available. A great feature of the Garmin GPS is it usually warns me ~1.0 mile out from a state border to inform me of local helmet laws so I know a state sign is approaching. This particular sign was just a bit past the actual state line sign.

As I travel through the small towns I have noticed the dominant chain being Dollar General and they are actively hiring. I did see a Family Dollar in one area but there was still a Dollar General less than a mile away. Cemeteries seem to be quite common as well just off the highways/roads. Another notable thought is how easy it is to cross through the different states after going through Texas (or even California North <-> South). I think I saw a horse buggy today too but I do not recall the time so no photographic evidence.

After riding for a few hours I arrived at my stay for the night: Grand Vista Hotel and Suites. The location was chosen since it is near US 129 so I could ride the famed Tail of the Dragon. Since I arrived early enough in the day I headed out to Pigeon Forge (home of Dollywood) at the recommendation of a friend. I had planned to stay here initially but decided against it due to cost/distance. I am glad I did not opt to stay here and only rode through because it is a very busy area with a lot to offer in different forms of entertainment. Some music for the evening.

I decided to stop for dinner at Full Service BBQ in Maryville because it was on the way back to the hotel and at a convenient location. I thought it would be a quick bite to eat and back on the road. While I was queued up to order a person had asked about my bike and if I had a YouTube channel. Their initial interest started a good evening of conversation over dinner. So from an expected 15-20 minute stop to a 90 minute stop. This person is a fellow rider with a GSX-R 750. However, they still need to transport their GSX-R from their now former home state. We talked about riding, line of work, travel, and other interests/plans. I am hoping they are able to take their planned Yellowstone trip! I might have even considered trucking (their current line of work) again as another method to see the country...but I might still have similar time constraints like I have now.

Tail of the Dragon tomorrow, SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY!

-curti