This year was a lot of firsts when it comes to trips. We have been to the Smoky Mountains as a couple three times, and had always car camped. All that changed when my brother asked us if we would go to the Smokies with him and his buddies for his 21st birthday. The difference to any other trip to the Smokies? He wanted to take the motorcycles. We had talked about going on a motorcycle camping trip before, but never thought we would do it so soon.
When we go anywhere I'm always the travel agent. I made sure everyone was on the same page about costs, where we were staying, and what we planned on doing while down there. I did all my research on packing a motorcycle, what to bring, and what's the best gear, but none of that would prepare us for everything. we had to take everything you know about camping when it comes to taking the car, and throw it out the window. Motorcycle camping was an eye opener. Everything you take with you when camping in the car has to be cut in half. Packing cubes were essential for clothes, and finding the best options for waterproof cases for the cameras was a must. The biggest challenge was packing for two people on one bike. If you've seen my posts on Instagram you would know, which bike is John's (if not it's the middle behemoth in the picture above). We managed some how to pack everything on the bike except for our Alpineaire meals that ended up in the Jeep that my cousin was driving down.
We rode 500 miles taking over eight hours with stops because of the heat that day. It was supposed to be in the 90's part of the time we were down there so frequent water stops, and water bladders were a necessity. Making it down to Pigeon Forge we discovered that we were going through town during the biggest car show I've ever seen. I'm not even exaggerating this car show had to be at least a half mile long. Vintage cars I had no idea existed were there. Lots of old men on scooters so they can get along efficiently. We didn't stay long in the chaos. Just long enough to get gas before making our way to Gatlinburg.
Us getting to Gatlinburg at a reasonable time allowed us to show the guys around. With us going so many times to Tennessee we are pros when it comes to knowing where the good places are to stop. We scoped out all the places we were going to stop the next day before heading by to our hotel, and discovering the indoor pool quickly.
The next day we were going to start out our morning with going to Pigeon Forge to a couple of shops. That was until we found out my brother's buddy's Harley had sprung a leak in the tank. It all started with seeing the seat wet and smelling gasoline. Once the guys got the seat off the motorcycle that's when we could see the gas squirting out the end of the tank. Great. What's a trip without one problem?
Now I know what you are thinking. Did he get it fixed? If not did you have to stuff the motorcycle in the Jeep for the remainder of the trip? Was he mad about the whole situation?
Before I get into all of that I have to mention the hotel maintenance guy who decided to take the time to help us. This is the guy that some old biker told us who sells Ole Smokies moonshine on the side. Now this guy was calling all the friends he had who ran junk yards to find a replacement tank. When he couldn't help us there he was able to at least give us a gas can to let the gas dump in. We are still forever grateful for his help.
The fix resulted in my boyfriend driving to Pigeon Forge for a repair kit. In the mean time my brother and I sat in the shade on the balcony of our room with the sliding door open to have the air conditioning hit us. The other two guys were patiently watching the gas tank making sure the gas drains right. In that time we watched a woman in the outdoor pool destroy a pack of Miller. We also watched a convertible Mustang go up and down the strip trying to hand out pamphlets telling you how you could find Jesus. When John finally came back we were able to get the tank patched, and luckily it held the rest of the trip. Even though the day started off terribly we were able to make it up with go karts, pizza, and merriment.
The next day was our day to finally head deeper into the mountains and get our campsite ready. I never realized how grateful I would be to be on a motorcycle in the Smokies. I can't tell you how freeing it feels to have the mountain air whip around you. It's this intimate experience with you and nature. You have more of a connection. I can't describe the feel when seeing those mountains for the first time on a motorcycle. No windows or steel to block any views. It's just you, the motorcycle, the open road, and the mountains.
As soon as we got to our campsite we took the tail bag off. That tail bag was so heavy with stuff, but we were to the point that we couldn't down size any more. My brother as he was unloading discovered that he forgot the air pad when he was packing. This was what I was afraid of when I wasn't able to help everyone pack the night before we left. My brother, being the old man that he is, was worried about how the first night would be without a sleeping pad. Luckily we knew of a place in Cherokee that sold camping gear. Bad news was for some odd reason they were closed on Tuesdays. Yeah, a Tuesday. Who is closed on a Tuesday? This led us going to the fishing outfitter, and asking about where we could find a sleeping pad close by.
The place they recommended was...interesting. It looked like an episode of American Pickers. Floor to almost ceiling packed with miscellaneous items in this building. You could get lost in there if you didn't watch. This was the place, however, and they did have a foam sleeping pad for five bucks. Our cousin even found a hammock that he bought.
After the minor hiccups of the first couple of days everything was very smooth sailing. The possibility of rain that loomed over our heads didn't stop us. It just showed me how fast my brother could walk when he doesn't bring the dry bag for his cameras on our four mile hike to Charlie's Bunion.
This was our first trip in a group to the Smokies, and it was absolutely fun. We spent each night having a fire, and joking around before going to bed. My brother learned not to park his tent at angle that he could potentially slide out if he wanted to. We didn't camp at our usually campsite, but the views from the group site didn't fail us. They were still just as magical. We even introduced the guys to some of our gear, and our Alpineaire food pouches.
I wasn't sure how the guys were going to like Tennessee at the beginning of the trip. I was afraid they were going to hate it for some reason or another and be miserable the whole time. As soon as we hit our campsite and they saw the view, however, they told us how they wanted to come back. We spent a couple of nights talking about next year's trip, and what we want to do when we come back down. 2020's bike trip will be full of new things. This year I will riding my own motorcycle, which is very exciting yet nerve racking because this will be the most miles I have ridden by myself. More friends will be joining us on our adventure. We are also hoping to catch a ride on the Tail of the Dragon this year. So until then here's to the new year, and new adventures. Happy Trails.
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