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Back of the Dragon Day 2013

It does not matter....Come on down and I will take you on a tour......

Thanks for the invite... I was actually just down that way- in and around Blowing Rock. Hanging with some friends -some of whom are local to the area- on our Brit bikes, we rode +/- 200 miles in rain & fog a couple Saturdays ago. Took the BMWs down & back tho! Our routes did include 421, and VA 58. Probably rode 45 miles on the BRP (pea soup fog) that day... among other roads in NC, TN, & VA.
Over 1400 miles down (from PA) & back. Mostly on US & state hiways. :dance

I've ridden the Cherahola Skyway, also in mist/fog, as well as the Dragon- both on a rainy Tuesday in mid October, about 2006 or so, coming home from Barber. On my 1974 Norton. (Same as the 200 mile recent Brit ride) Couldn't get me on the Dragon at this point. But the rest of the area is truly fantastic.
 
As I said, I would be promoting the heck out of it if I owned the store, just smart business practice. And although not local you do have company on those small back roads, I will give a wave if I see you. Not many twisty ones I don't know, even being a Yankee. And don't worry, I keep them quiet too.

Then you would be familiar with Lambsburg, Council, Warrensville, Trade, Lansing, Rugby, Cucumber, Elkhorn City, Fries, Volney, Nebo, Tannersville, etc.
 
Then you would be familiar with Lambsburg, Council, Warrensville, Trade, Lansing, Rugby, Cucumber, Elkhorn City, Fries, Volney, Nebo, Tannersville, etc.

Toss in Burkes garden, including the Dirt side out, old mountain. Had lunch at Volney the last 2 years, the Appletree restaurant in Marion,The Big Walker Motel. Good home made soup at the ice cream shop on the E end of Damascus. Robinson Tract, Mud creek, flat ridge, corners rock, The Back way from SV to Elk park. To the E of Dugspur, Double cabin, Sylvatus smith, Been a few years since I was N of Tazwell, but played around there too, over to Hyden, Hazard. If it is small and paved, I have found it, or are still looking for it. Even some dirt at whitetop gap/farmers store/ horse creek area.

Just look for the Yankee with worn out tires.
 
Toss in Burkes garden, including the Dirt side out, old mountain. Had lunch at Volney the last 2 years, the Appletree restaurant in Marion,The Big Walker Motel. Good home made soup at the ice cream shop on the E end of Damascus. Robinson Tract, Mud creek, flat ridge, corners rock, The Back way from SV to Elk park. To the E of Dugspur, Double cabin, Sylvatus smith, Been a few years since I was N of Tazwell, but played around there too, over to Hyden, Hazard. If it is small and paved, I have found it, or are still looking for it. Even some dirt at whitetop gap/farmers store/ horse creek area.

Just look for the Yankee with worn out tires.

Haven't found many people who have gone up Big Horse Creek and found the short patch of dirt road just before Whitetop. That little patch of road is still dirt because the land owners would not give the state the right of way to pave it. (My mother was born and grew up on Big Horse Creek). Give me a shout next time you are this way and we'll ride a road or two together.
 
We stumbled across the Back of the Dragon quite by accident yesterday. We were returning from visiting the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum on Friday. Saturday brought us up the Cherohala Skyway and the Tail of the Dragon to Bristol where we spent the night. Sunday morning we left Bristol and stopped at Marion to fuel. It was there I set the GPS to avoid highways to Union, WV. The GPS took us right to the Back of the Dragon. The road was very nice until we hit the new pavement along with freshly graveled shoulders. Every curve after that point was covered with gravel, what a shame.:cry
 
Toss in Burkes garden, including the Dirt side out, old mountain. Had lunch at Volney the last 2 years, the Appletree restaurant in Marion,The Big Walker Motel. Good home made soup at the ice cream shop on the E end of Damascus. Robinson Tract, Mud creek, flat ridge, corners rock, The Back way from SV to Elk park. To the E of Dugspur, Double cabin, Sylvatus smith, Been a few years since I was N of Tazwell, but played around there too, over to Hyden, Hazard. If it is small and paved, I have found it, or are still looking for it. Even some dirt at whitetop gap/farmers store/ horse creek area.

Just look for the Yankee with worn out tires.

We also stayed at the Big Walker Motel- nice clean place, and the rooms, if I remember right, were about 45.00 per night.
Had pretty decent pizza delivered right to the doors of our rooms. Nice views there as well.
 
I personally like the GAP exists and its publicity, it keeps the clowns and pirates all clustered in one place, they are easier to avoid that way.

Exactly. I don't need some squid taking me out.


BTW, the GAP has 220 turns at most, not close to 318 unless you count every wiggle Bubba the solid double yellow guy made as he sipped his Busch light, while painting the road.

I have an e-mail from the guy who runs the Tail of the Dragon web site admitting any change (radius change) within a turn is counted as another turn.

Hell, the SS46 is a heck of a lot better.
 
My wife and I rode the Back last month mainly by accident. We were down riding around the smokeys i.e. the Dragon, NC28 etc. and part of our trip plan was to go up from there and see the bridge over the new river. Looking at maps planning trip 16 looked like an interesting road and Hungry Mother looked like a nice place to camp. Then we figured out it was the Back. Was a nice road but like others have said, gravel in middle of a lot of the corners and they are blind so you have to be prepared for them. Also there is very very few places to stop off the side and the ones that are there have a big drop and very loose gravel. as soon as we got to north end we stopped for rest and look at map and a town council woman puled up behind us to ask how we liked the road. I gave our concerns and she stated that they are working on highway dept to get shoulders worked on and overlooks put in. I doubt you will see as many lunatics hitting this road because it is a little more challenging than the Dragon and your risks are a little higher. I see death rate rising as it gets more popular just due to response times would be huge. I really prefer route 19 in WV. We were avoiding the toll road (Cheap BMW owner) and found the road really fun and a lot of twists and turns and ups and downs.
 
The wife and i are riding down after laborday and planing to ride 16, than travel The Crooked Road. I want to see a show at the Rex Theater in Galax and the Floyd Country Store in Floyd. Any locals have any suggestions
 
Good places to eat local country cooking:
http://www.shatleysprings.com/ good country food,family style-
http://thegalaxsmokehouse.com/ BBQ downtown Galax
http://www.blueridgehost.com/The_Hungry_Farmer_Restaurant_-_Cana_Virginia.aspx Cheap, plentiful and good country cooking
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...views-Riverfront_Cafe-Chilhowie_Virginia.html Great food
http://www.cuzs.us/cuz.html different & good

Beautiful Theatre from the 20s:
http://www.thelincoln.org/ Song of the Mountains program on Sep. 7th. http://songofthemountains.org/new/

Beautiful refurbished hotel from the 20s:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...ral_Francis_Marion_Hotel-Marion_Virginia.html
http://gfmhotel.com/blackrooster/

Since you're on the Crooked Road:
http://www.carterfamilyfold.org/

Stop by on contact our Visitor Center at exit 35 on I-81 for maps and other local information,
http://www.visitvirginiamountains.com/
 
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