I like the Appalachians, and I like the Great Smokey mountains. The drive along the Cheraloha skyway was brilliant but must have been exhausting on the bikes. Mile after mile of hairpin bends. It's in the same area as the Dragons Tail which has more bends in a shorter distance, but the Cherahola is so long and relentless. Later Mark complained that his tyres seemed to overheat and had lost a lot of grip. I'm not sure if it's the tyres or the road surface melting. I'll have to do a little research....
Stopped at Grandfather Mountain towards the end of the day, dropping off the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway. Bit of a tourist trap but we arrived late and there were few people there. Rachael was happy to see the bears. These were a female who used to come up to the top of the mountain to be fed. As she wouldn't leave it was safe to create a caged area where the public could see her safely. She has since had cubs so there were more than one for Rachael to admire. "Teddy bear!" "No Rachael, savage animal...."
