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The coronavirus has ruined this year for driving my Reatta


Ronnie

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As many of you know I own my Reatta for the pleasure of driving it through the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. I just saw on the TV that all my favorite places to drive have been closed to the public.

 

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park has been closed. It is the most visited national park in the U.S.  I can understand the reasons for closing all the visitor centers and bathrooms in the park to insure that people aren't congregating and spreading the virus but I don't understand why they have to close the roads. Maybe they don't want crowds of people pissing on the side of the road who might spread the virus. ?   Highway 441 that runs between Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC,  (a great destination for people interested in their Cherokee heritage and for gamblers at Harrah's Casino), has been closed. The Cherohala Skyway, the most scenic road in this area, has been closed.  The Tail of the Dragon, the must fun road to drive in this area, has been closed.

 

Between having to stay in the house all the time and not being able to drive my Reatta this virus is taking a toll on me. Maybe all this will be over soon and we can get back to normal.  Stay safe Reatta fans!

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have been discovering many other back roads to ride my motorcycle on since all those roads you mention are closed. I recently discovered a lot of backroads in your area that make a complete circle of about 100 miles. A good afternoon ride with little traffic, thru Kingston, Sugar Grove Valley Rd over to 61, 327 back over to Oliver Springs, 95 back to Melton Hill Lake and a few miles of country road back to Knoxville.   

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Those are good backroads to drive.  I go a similar route a lot. I go up 70, across 95, and then back through Suger Grove Valley to Kingston for an evening ride. You might like to take your bike on the Devil's Triangle if you haven't done so. It is so remote I doubt it is closed. I usually run it backwards from what most people do, starting off in Oliver Springs and coming out at Brushy Mountain Prison in Petros, then back to Oliver Springs before heading home. You had better like curves. ?   Take a tour of the prison while you are up that way if you have the time.  We intended to take the Reatta through the Sequoyah Hills Dogwood Trail today but something came up and we couldn't make it.  It should be beautiful on Cherokee Boulevard right now. It's been many years since I've been there.

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