MINI on the Dragon

Last night we stayed in Athens, TN and as I write this there is nothing really memorable about the town. I do remember when getting our room I asked the person behind the desk what is Athens known for, she grinned and said we do have a Super Walmart. That sums up Athens.

We are headed for the Tail of the Dragon. What you are not on a motorcycle, one might say. Many car enthusiasts go to the Dragon for the same reason us riders do. Matter of fact MINI USA sponsors an event called MOTD, Minis on the Dragon every May.  To get there we headed north on US411 and made a right onto TN72 which placed on US129. I have been to the Dragon 2 or 3 times on the bike. I remembered this particular intersection because my friend Steve stopped here to test a scooter that was outside one of the stores.

So what is the Dragon. For some it is riding Nirvana because it has 311 curves in 11 miles. It is one of those must visit locations if you are a rider. The road, mainly in TN (or all in TN) starts out at the intersection of NC28 and US129. This is Deals Gap where Deal’s Gap Motorcycle Resort is located. Most riders if they stay within their riding abilities and keep their speeds down will make it thru the 11 miles and be able to tell their friends, Yes I have done the Dragon. For others that ride over their head and for even those that are experienced they will be whipped, bitten, fired on by the Dragon, leaving themselves without a vehicle and may find themselves spending some time in the hospital.

We are driving the Dragon heading west to east and heading for Deal’s Gap. Our first camopp (camera opportunity) stop is about 2 miles into the Dragon at Calderwood Dam Overlook. This a place that almost everyone stops up to discuss how exciting the last 9 miles have been.  Calderwood Dam was completed in 1930 and owned by ALCOA. It was build to provide electricity for aluminum smelting operations. To read more CLICK HERE. Found out in is on the National Register of Historic Places when I got home.

I have no pictures of the next 9 miles, because the road required me to keep 2 hands on the wheel. It is my inclination I rode the Dragon faster in the MINI versus the FJR, probably because recovery on errors is more forgiving with 4 wheels than 2, especially braking. We found ourselves at Deal’s Gap and parked the MINI to walk around abit. 

 The Tree Of Shame is for those that were bitten by the Dragon and had the wherewithal to hang a piece of their vehicle (appears to be 100% motorcycle) on the trunk or limb. This is like a shoe tree you find around the country, except it is mirrors, tires, fairing pieces, gas tanks, and even helmets. Having fulfilled what I thought was to complete MeAsWe riding experience on the bike, so she can say she has been to the Dragon, we headed out NC28.

Grabbed a cup of coffee in the store and restaurant. T-Shirts left by visitors from all over the place.

A touristy shot by the mascot.



Just outside Deal’s Gap is Fontana Dam. This is a hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River built in the early 1940’s. It was built to satisfy the demand of electricity in the Tennessee Valley during WWII. When it was completed it was the 4^th highest dam in the world.

 On our way to Athens, TN via the Cherohala Highway, we passed thru Asheville, NC. We passed thru Asheville again today. I really wanted to visit the Biltmore Estate, however the visiting price is $60 for each of us or $120, just to visit the joint. Ouch. I even considered staying here at $300 to $400 per night. The price was steep enough to keep us away, along with the rest of the riff raff.

The Blue Ridge Parkway starts in Cherokee, NC. Lots of touristy stuff and genuine hand made Indian articles made in China, Malaysia and Thailand. I just had to stop for this neon and mural. Great colors. 

 

The BRP south of Asheville is far more twisty than north of the Asheville. It is almost too twisty, making enjoying the scenery while behind the wheel much more difficult. We did encounter some wildlife along our ride and stopped numerous times at the various VC’s. I had a side trip to Chimney Rock planned , however opted to not go there since the weather was not great and figured the views from the Rock would not be great.

The Linn Cove Viaduct was a great disappointment. Here I was expecting a modern day marvel of great engineering landmark. It is only a ¼ mile long. It is right up there with Plymouth Rock. I didn’t even feel it was worthwhile pulling over for to take a picture. At least I can say I was there. 

 At one VC turnouts we ran into 3 FJR’s who were from the northeast and members of the forum. I spoke with them briefly; they had turned in here due to rain, which I did not even really notice. It was a sprinkle and we continued to keep the sunroof back (isn’t that an oxymoron sunroof in the rain). Two of the FJR’s were 2013 model Gen 3 and were very sharp looking. Why I didn’t snap off a couple pics of the 3 riders, I have no excuse. I think I even had my camera in hand as I spoke with them. 

The rest of the trip was simply driving up the BRP to Boone, NC our night destination. Some views along the way.

Plott Balsam - Blue Ridge Parkway

Road to Waterrock Knob - Blue Ridge Parkway

Craggy Garden Turnout on Blue Ridge Parkway

 

The travel for the day.

Cranking thru to the Cherohala

In the planning stages of these trips from years of experience I had learned out East to plan on only 300 to 350 miles a day on the motorcycle. I also learned that targeted spots to visit needed to be kept in the realm of reasonableness. If you do the math traveling 325 miles at the average of 45 mph (which may be on the high side because we tended to stay off the major highways) translates to 7.2 hours just to travel. Add to that 2 gas stops, a rest and stretch stop at 15 minutes each you are up to almost 8 hours. Throw in 15 places to visit at 10 minutes apiece, you are up to 10.5 hours. If just one or two of those sites prove very interesting add another 30 minutes extra time (like watching the video and chit chatting with the park ranger) you have 11.5 hours. That’s a pretty full day on the bike and making it in before the sun goes down to avoid those critters that just seem to randomly get in your way and big constraint.

With the MINI, the constraints are far less. Gone is the need to be in before dark. We drive every day in our regular lives at night without even giving a deer strike any thought. Hit just one on the bike, the need for light is firmly in your mind. Gas stops are stretched out going for 325 miles versus 225 miles. The prep time to get off the bike (taking of gear, opening the trunk, insuring the stuff you leave behind is safe and secure) and getting back on the bike is eliminated. Rest stops are gone, you can drink fluids while riding even snooze a bit. The overall effect has to be a 20% in efficiency so that 11.5 hour trip is now 9.2 hours.

Is it less fulfilling riding the country side on the bike? That depends. If you have never traveled long distances on the bike, you don’t know what you are missing. The engagement with the environment, becoming one with the road is not there with a cage. Given that, if you have traveled extensively on the bike and the main objective of your trip is to explore places you have not been to then the cage works, especially if it is a vehicle like a MINI. What I did learn from our travels, is to stay off the beaten path and take in what there is to be seen. City travel becomes less tense than on the bike, roads that are going to shit in a hand basket are more doable, and maybe even worthy of an exploration. The bike gave me the Chase and I can apply the Chase to the MINI. 

Today we have breakfast at Foster’s Market in Durham. We are meeting Alan that moved from Mass for work and a riding buddy. He picked the place and it was a wonderful food start for the day. Foster’s in their words “ is a gourmet food market and café, focusing on scratch made soups, salads, blah blah blah” Essentially they make everything they serve. It you are in the Durham area they are worthwhile visiting. The inside has the country laid back environment and is a great place to sit around, chew the fat or your meal and just catch up with friends.  Not sure how I didn't have a picture, but I don't.

Just south and a little west of Durham is Chapel Hill where the University of North Carolina is located. Old East is the first state university building in the US, built in 1973. It is a NHL, serving as a residence hall since its erection. Old East and Old Well (which I don’t have a pic of) have become symbols of UNC. 

Right across the street is Playmakers Theater, also designated as a NHL. It was built in 1850. It has served as a lab, bath house and law school until it became a theater.  

The fountain, dedicated to  Christopher Fordham who was the Dean of the School of Medicine, sits right outside the Playmakers Theater.  

We did hit the Nash Cooper House, which is a tad underwhelming and boring, but it is a NHL One of the owners signed the Declaration of Independence, Cooper. It’s located in Hillsboro, NC.  

We hit Greensboro, NC right around noon to catch Blandwood Mansion. This place sits right smack dab in the middle of Greensboro and seems so out of place. It should be in the country someplace, I am sure at one time it was. Kind of like the Louisiana Mansions with the oil refineries sitting in the background. It was built in 1795, owned by the NC governor John Motley Morehead. It is believed to the oldest existing Italian Villa Style architecture in the US.  

As we move further west Winston-Salem is right in our path. Two stops are on the agenda and both are located on the same street. The Singles Brothers House. The house was built in 1769 to house the unmarried me for the Moravian Congregation. The Moravians are a Protestant sect who exiled form Saxony in 1722. 

Down the street is the Salem Tavern. The original tavern was built in 1771, burned and then rebuilt in 1784 and served as a place for George Washington to stay in 1791. It was an important part of the Moravian's daily lives.

An Assist to get into a carriage, works for those trucks with the huge wheels too.

The Barn out Back

From Winston-Salem we passed thru Asheville, NC heading to ride the Cherohala Skyway, a National Scenic Byway covering 50 or so  miles of our last leg into Athens, TN. This has been a must ride for us tourer's on the motorcycle and if you are in the area take some time and ride along for the scenery even if you are in a car.







Our travel for the day.

Thats Alot of Bull

Today were are heading out, going south and west. Ultimately we are heading for the Smokies, but will make a bunch of stops in between.

Not too far from Fredericksburg is George Washington’s Birthplace National Monument. Having chased NP sites with cancellation stamps for the IBA National Park Tour, this site was always just a little out of the way to grab with routing efficiency in mind. Now that we are sightseeing versus certificate minded, we can wander off a more logical path and pick up these places. The house the GW was born in is no longer standing; however the foundation markings have been archeologically extracted. We were the only visitors at this time, so we had a nice sit down chat with the Ranger. With my ankle acting up, we even were driven up to the primary site and down to the Potomac River for a view. Quite a treat.

Foundation Outline on GW House

Potomac River

A couple of years ago, I picked up a National Wildlife Refuge Blue Goose Passport. Again not being IBA certificate driven I have worked these in to our trips. The Rappahannock River Valley refuge is not too far from GW and right in the path of our westerly trek. These refuges can really be off the beaten trail and travel on roads that warrant a bit more of cautious riding on the FJR, but the MINI, especially being ALL4 drive was “made for this type or riding”. Actually the roads here were quite tame, even with gravel in some places. They would have been easily traversed on the FJR, but it is the anticipation and planning the congers up the anxiety.

Crimson-eyed Rose Mallow

Menokin was the home of Francis Lightfoot Lee near Warsaw, VA. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The house was built around 1769 and was neighbors to John Tahoe who owned the large plantation Mount Airy. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971. What was so intriguing about this place from the trip planning stages was that it was in ruins and a canopy was built over the ruins.









Next stop was Mount Airy, however when we got to the entrance the sign that said PRIVATE, indicating sightseers were not really welcomed to enter the estate. We complied. So off to Sabine Hall it was. As we were driving I saw that I had noted that Sabine Hall was private, so we blew that one off as well.

Making our way west, we stopped in Hanover, VA to pick up the Hanover County Courthouse. Built in 1735 and still in use today. It looks pretty much like it did in the 1700’s. This is one of the first places Patrick Henry did his lawyering, advocating colonial rights over the King of England in the Parson’s Cause. The Courthouse is the 3rd oldest courthouse still in use in the US, today.



We headed south for Richmond area to visit the Cold Harbor Battlefield. This was an INK stop at the NP visitor center. Grant made the following quote "I have always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was ever made. ... No advantage whatever was gained to compensate for the heavy loss we sustained." Sounds like a description of Iraq and Pakistan.






As we turned out of the VC, I passed this rundown Store/Gas Station and made a U turn to go back and get it. The Coke sign on the overhang is vintage.





Up next was Petersburg, VA for the Exchange, NHL. This was intended to a place to buy and sell tobacco and cotton products. It was completed in 1841, and has served as a bank and the Petersburg Police Station. It remains pretty much like it was built and may be the last unaltered Merchant Exchange left in the US.



While this was not a targeted spot, I found the Petersburg Courthouse interesting enough to take a walk up to it.

Making a turn again to the west, Five Forks Battlefield is in Dinwiddie, VA. The actual site where the Landmark marker is located is simply an intersection of 5 roads and easily passed by. This locations is where Grant cut the disrupted the rail lines into Petersburg forcing the Confederacy to give up the town, which in turn weakened the defense of Richmond. Two weeks after the battle, the Confederacy surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse.





We headed for Durham, NC where we had planned to stay for the night. Of course it was not just a drive to Durham, we had spots to visit. We passed this place and just had to go back and grab some pictures. Research showed I was not in the minority, since this is frequently photographed spot






First was the Bull Durham factory, which sits in front on the American Tobacco Company factory but are separate and distinct historical places. Bull Durham, aka, WT Blackwell Company factory was initially built in 1874, with subsequent additions. While the product, tobacco, made their mark on American society, it was the marketing of the brand that made this a Landmark. Thru ads in newspapers, billboards and testimonials from prominent folks, the plant became the world’s largest. Do you remember the picture of the cowboy with the pouch of tobacco in their shirt pockets with the string and tag hanging out? That was Bull Durham.






American Tobacco that sits behind Bull Durham was a competitor of BD. Their claim to fame was the invention of the mechanized cigarette rolling machine. ATC with the efficiency in producing cigarettes brought their competitors to their knees by constantly underpricing their product. As they fell to pricing pressure ATC were bought them up. ATC also absorbed the WT Blackwell Company. LS/MFT is a phrase that I remember and the brand that I started my smoking habit with, Lucky Strikes. In 1911 the Standard Oil Trust was ordered dissolved by the US government under the anti-monopoly regulations. On the same day American Tobacco Trust was ordered dissolved as well from an on-going investigation started in 1907 under the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Today Durham does not have any tobacco producing plants in the city. Both of the above sites have been developed into places for small businesses, condos and entertainment places like restaurants. CLICK HERE. On a side notes I gave up the sticks about 12 years ago.


Last stop for the night was the NC Mutual Life Co building which isn’t that far from BD and ATC. This company was formed in 1898 offering life insurance benefits to the Black community by Black businessmen. When we first came into Durham, we headed to the NC building first. Where I had the spot waymarked just didn’t match up with the picture of the building we had. We circled the block twice just to make sure and then headed to the Bull Durham factory. I saw the building we had a picture of and made my way to it. Out of the car, I was snapping off pictures as the sun dropped down on the horizon and darkness growing making hand held shots more difficult. Also caught a picture of the old Liggett Meyers factory. When I got home I found out the picture I had was not the NC Mutual landmark I was looking for, and the spot I had waymarked was spot on.





Last shot of the American Tobacco Company. Liked the moon in the shot, otherwise pretty blah