Motorcycle tour out of Chattanooga

Faulkner

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My wife and I met up with some riding friends from around Atlanta for a few days of riding in east Tennessee and north Georgia and we based out of Chattanooga. We were on my '14 Ultra and the others on a '08 Street Glide and a '13 Yamaka Super Tenere dual sport.

Just to satisfy the guys, we got up early and toured Point Park on Lookout Mountain, then rode over to the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. The ride up Lookout Mountain was very cool and the view from the battlefield park is just plain awesome.

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After spending a day touring the battlefields and then a nice dinner in downtown Chattanooga, we got up the next morning for a run west Tennessee to check out Lynchburg, Tennessee. Nice little town that is very motorcycle friendly, and home of the Jack Danial's distillary. The country between Chattanooga and Lynchburg is rural and very beautiful. The back roads have delightful twists and are well maintained.

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The ride through Franklin County was especially nice. I like seeing old courthouse squares and Tennessee seems to still have a lot of vibrant ones. A very cool art deco style county courthouse and an original movie house still showing movies in downtown.


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The twisties through the east Tennessee hills and hayfields remind me of home back in the Arkansas Ozarks. Lots of other folks on two wheels taking advantage of the scenary as well.

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We came back to Chattanooga through the small town of Scottboro, Alabama, home of the world famous Unclaimed Baggage Store that the ladies just had to stop for a look see. Turns out it was pretty cool and I actually walked out with a few items at bargain basement prices. It's amazing what people leave and loose on airplanes.

We headed north and crossed the Tennessee River at South Pittsburg, Tennessee, across the baby blue Shelby Reinhart steel arch bridge.

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On the final day of our trip we made a run east from Chattanooga to the area around the Cherokee National Forest. Some very beautiful scenary and we stopped and enjoyed watching folks ride the rapids in kayaks and inflatable rafts. We then trekked our way off of Hwy 165 down the narrow and twisty River Road to the Bald River Falls, an absolute gorgeous scenic place for a rest stop and take off the boots and socks for a soaking in the cool waters below the waterfall.

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This was our first time to ever ride in the area around Chattanooga, but certainly look forward to making another.
 
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That's a great part of the country to ride. We have been there several times. It sounds like ya'll had a good ride.
 
If you had continued on the Cherohala Skyway it would be worth your trip.. come back about the third weekend in October and make the ride from Tellico to Robbinsville on the Skyway!

Just stay away from Hwy 129(The Dragon)!
 
I was born in Knoxville and lived in Chattanooga for a while as a kid (not long after the Battle of Lookout Mountain). Used to love riding the inclined railway up the mountain.

It's lovely country that tugs at my soul to this day, but I can no longer travel.

I drove through Chattanooga twenty years ago, and the only things I could positively identify were the mountain and the river. The city looked completely different from my childhood.
 
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Hey, you couldn't stop by for real Tennessee Whisky? I'm in Tullahoma, about 15 miles North of Winchester.

Looks like a great trip!
 
If you had continued on the Cherohala Skyway it would be worth your trip.. come back about the third weekend in October and make the ride from Tellico to Robbinsville on the Skyway!

Just stay away from Hwy 129(The Dragon)!

Actually, one day we did ride the Cherohala Skyway one day, I just didn't make note of it. You are right, it was worth our while! I've done the Dragon several times too but we skipped it this trip. I've ridden out of Gatlinburg several times as far south as the Cherohala Skyway but I'd never made it over to Chattanooga until this trip.

I'm working on a plan to spend 4 or 5 days on the Blue Ridge Parkway from Cherokee all the way up to Front Royal hopefully next spring.
 
If you had continued on the Cherohala Skyway it would be worth your trip.. come back about the third weekend in October and make the ride from Tellico to Robbinsville on the Skyway!

Just stay away from Hwy 129(The Dragon)!

Nothing wrong with the Dragon, just watch out for the sport bike guys.

I love the Cherohala Skyway and that whole area.
Your pictures make me want to head back up there. Been too long.
 
Beautiful country, thanks for the pics! When I stop to think of how lucky I am, on the list is the roads near by. I can ride within 3 hours to
Lake Tahoe
Big Sur
Napa Valley

I just need to learn to take good pictures....
 
We rent a cabin once or twice a year about ten miles from Lynchburg, on Tims Ford Lake. I bet you got real close to it going to Lynchburg. It's where my wife and I are going to retire eventually. Yes, George Dickel is what the real Tennessean drinks, Jack is for the tourists.
 
We rent a cabin once or twice a year about ten miles from Lynchburg, on Tims Ford Lake. I bet you got real close to it going to Lynchburg. It's where my wife and I are going to retire eventually. Yes, George Dickel is what the real Tennessean drinks, Jack is for the tourists.

We rode right by the lake.
 
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