![me on the parkway](/sites/default/files/styles/large_banner_1440x500/public/2023-08/IMG_1050.jpeg?h=92229be0&itok=xeiJlR6l)
I took 2 days to ride to Asheville, NC last week. It's only 360 miles, but I wanted to take another ride on the "Tail of the Dragon" and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Tail of the Dragon (https://tailofthedragon.com) is US 129 bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee and North Carolina.
![route](/sites/default/files/styles/image_full_width/public/2023-08/IMG_1053.jpeg?itok=GRRc69IA)
318 Curves in 11 Miles
Yep - you read that correctly. It's a LOT of fun but it's definitely not for the beginner. Multiple hairpin turns and switchbacks keep you on your toes. Depending on when you're go, there can be a LOT of traffic. This is not the road for meandering!
Along the way, professional photographers take pics you can purchase. Here are a few.
![2023 Goldwing](/sites/default/files/styles/image_full_width/public/2023-08/IMG_1058.jpeg?itok=K0SBwiKV)
![2023 Goldwing](/sites/default/files/styles/image_full_width/public/2023-08/IMG_1055.jpeg?itok=Bny_G2cn)
![2023 Goldwing](/sites/default/files/styles/image_full_width/public/2023-08/IMG_1054.jpeg?itok=DqetDdns)
![Deals Gap](/sites/default/files/styles/image_full_width/public/2023-08/IMG_1024.jpeg?itok=vacElz3W)
The Blue Ridge Parkway
Day 2 of the trip was the opposite. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 45 mph highway that winds its way through the NC mountains and up into VA. I rode the section between Cherokee and Asheville and it is just relaxing and gorgeous.
![Blueridge parkway](/sites/default/files/styles/image_full_width/public/2023-08/IMG_1041-2.jpeg?itok=cIMt8iax)
![me on the parkway](/sites/default/files/styles/image_full_width/public/2023-08/IMG_1052.jpeg?itok=6xCwufWd)
I'm blessed to have the opportunity to do something like this when I travel for work. Can't think of a better way to go :)