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 Interesting Stuff * Travel Tales Saturday, February 04, 2012
Tell us Your Travel Tales! Minimize

We know you've got Travel Tales of your own! Whether or not you had a great experience on your last ride or adventure, chances are something was learned by somebody. Here's the place you can let your fellow bikers have a laugh on you, or with you! Remember, more of the same things happen to more people than you realize.

 
Hampton Inn - Franklin, NC Minimize
Hampton Inn, Franklin NC
 
We recently paid a visit to Franklin, NC. The town is nestled between Sylva, NC and the North Carolina/Georgia state line. The scenery is gorgeous and there are a variety of things to see and enjoy. Franklin provides access to some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains and if mining for gems interests you, you have come to the right place.
 
Franklin is a quaint, quiet little town with hometown hospitality. I had the pleasure of staying at the Hampton Inn in Franklin. I have traveled quite a bit and stayed in various hotels and a lot of Hampton Inns but I have to say the Hampton Inn in Franklin ranks in the top 5 Hamptons I have visited.
 
The rooms were spacious and were equipped with a refrigerator and microwave. They provide free internet access and a very nice desk from which to work. The thing that impressed me most about my stay was not the bed, the room, the cleanliness of the hotel but the service. I have never been to an establishment where everyone I encountered went out of their way to be pleasant and accommodate my every need. They are very proactive in anticipating what those needs would be.
 
The hotel is very motorcycle friendly in that they have a large paved lot with ample parking for trailers. They cater to the needs of various groups and provide amenities based on the characterization of that specific group.
 
If you are hungry I would recommend Cody’s. They have a variety of foods on the menu but I can only attest to the prime rib and baked potato which were delicious. They also have a full bar and peanuts you can enjoy while waiting for your food. The hotel does provide an informational sheet of restaurants in the area.
 
Unfortunately during my visit the weather did not cooperate enough to allow us to ride the roads surrounding Franklin. Check back soon for mapped rides based out of the Hampton Inn in Franklin.
 
The General Manager of the hotel, Jay Bradshaw, spent a few minutes with us to share his philosophy of what a great hotel should be. To sum it up in a few words he uses a quote from Cesare Pavese “We do not remember days…we remember moments”. My stay was full of moments.
 
This hotel definitely gets my Thumbs Up.
 Until next time, ride safe and ride often.
 
A Great Place to Visit Minimize

Rocky's Soda Shop and Grill

One of the best spots we visited during our fall travels in the Smoky Mountains this year was Rocky's Soda Shop and Grill in Brevard, NC. This ice cream shop and grill made you feel like you'd stepped back in time and were glad to be there. Filled with great nostalgic fixtures, including a barber chair and the oldest juke box I'd ever seen, Rocky's also features a genuine 1950's style living room, complete with a TV the likes of which my kids had never laid eyes on before. Prices for the ice cream and other goodies were very reasonable, and the offerings in the gift shop were great as well. Definitely a place to park the bike!

 
A Great Place to Visit Minimize

 An Poitin Stil

While the SmokyMountainConnection.com team was in Timonium, Maryland for the Mid-Atlantic Motorcycle Show, we made a stop at one of the best Irish pub restaurants that I've ever been to. An Poitin Stil, located at 2323 York Road, in Timonium, MD, was awesome from the first step in the door. The entrance to the pub resembles an Irish castle, as well it should, because both Irish and American architects worked to make is as realistic as possible. I could go on about the pub area, but that would take me all afternoon and I have other things to get to! Let's just say that the bar staff and wait staff were all friendly and eager to make sure we got what we wanted when we asked for it. We also got to meet one of the Chefs, a gentleman named Don, who we ran into as we were leaving The Tack Room.

On to the food....An Poitin Stil's menu includes traditional Irish fare as well as American items. Between the three of us, we enjoyed a fabulous lamb-filled Irish Stew, Fish and Chips that were out of this world, and the Big Stil Burger, which was so large that I would have had to take half home with me, if I'd ordered it. We also had Caramel Fudge Cake... nothing was left on that plate! The prices of the food top out at 23.95 for the Gaelic Steak, and can run as low as 5.99 for the Veggie Burger. My Irish Stew was 13.95, and it was a huge portion.

If you have a trip planned to the Baltimore area, do yourself a favor and make An Poitin Stil a high priority on your to-do list. The atmosphere, people, food and fun were amazing.
 
Smoky Mountain Dinner - Hot Springs, NC Minimize

Smoky Mountain Diner
70 Lance Ave
Hot Springs, NC 28743
Phone: (828) 622-7571

Located directly on the Appalachian Trail in
Hot Springs, North Carolina

Hours
Monday-Saturday 6:00 AM-8:00 PM
Sunday 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM

When you visit Hot Springs, NC make sure you stop at the Smoky Mountain Diner for some of the best food and friendliest service in the Smoky Mountains. The menu has a large variety with everything from breakfast, featuring mouth watering pancakes to full breakfast plates and omelets and lunch where you can get the juicy burgers, French fries, salads, pizzas or subs or dinner where you can select a variety of home cooked country dinners. The Smoky Mountain Diner is located directly on the Appalachian Trail which is great for hiking, motorcycling or just enjoying the scenery. Please stop in and see us when you visit Hot Springs.

 
’09 Riding Season Has Officially Started - Daytona Bike Week Minimize

Daytona Bike Week 2009

Daytona Bike Week

It has finally arrived!!!

I had the good fortune to attend Daytona Bike Week '09. The weather was perfect for the official start to the 2009 riding season.

 

Luckily avid motorcyclists haven’t gotten word there is a recession. The streets were filled with people from everywhere at one of the biggest motorcycle events in the U.S.  We saw all types of motorcycles and all types of people riding them. No one really cares who you are or what type of ride you have, all that matters is that you share the experience and the road.

 

While in Daytona we visited a lot of the vendors who were there to showcase equipment for your bike and accessories to make your ride more comfortable and safe. One of the things that caught our eye is the Nolan helmet with the Bluetooth built in the helmet. That is at the top of my wish list.

 

One of our rides took us by the ocean on A1A. That is one of my favorite things to do when visiting Daytona. There is nothing better than being on that bike with the ocean waves crashing on the shore as you ride along chasing the setting sun.

 

Ride safe and ride often.

 
Love Joy/Cruso Ride Minimize

Love Joy Road and Cruso Road can be found at the intersection of Highways 215 and 76, in Canton, North Carolina. We happened upon this road early on a Tuesday afternoon, so traffic in and around the town was minimal. Everybody but us was at work! Well, considering that this was reasearch for the site, we were at work too. You'll want to turn left on 215 to experience this ride.

This road was just made for motorcycling. Running alongside of us was a great creek that eventually widened out to a respectably sized lake. It was amazing how quickly the seven or eight foot creek became a large body of water. As we gained elevation, all reminders of civilization totally left us. I've been on many mountain roads in the past where there are some traces of development, but as we ascended 215, the only thing remotely civilized was the road itself.

Speaking of the road, curves were everywhere! And not just the usual switch-back after switch-back. 215 was full of a variety of sweeping curves, tight angles, and switch-backs. The vegetation along many of these was so close at the top of the tree line, that you could imagine in a few weeks that riding it would be like being inside of a living green tunnel. Huge rhododendrons were everywhere, and most of them were taller than I've ever seen anywhere in nature.

Towards the apex of the mountain, we hopped off the bike and wandered to the edge of a good sized parking area. The silence was just incredible. You could actually hear the river talking to itself far below, and at the same time, hear the water coming out of the rockface to the right of the highway. The view, of course, was a good ole Smoky Mountain view...looking across it made me feel like there really wasn't anything other than trees, hills, rocks and wildlife for miles and miles around. We really were alone up there....we had been passed by maybe four or five other vehicles.

Coming back down the mountain, the curves got a little more plentiful and a little tighter. Signs of civilization began to appear, but they were still few and far between. The sights were still beautiful, and the river reappeared on the right. The total length of the ride was 35 miles. While there were fewer stopping points along the way, there was the large lot near the top that was located at a good place for stopping. This ride was something I'd like to do again, once the rhododendrons, dogwoods, and other vegetation begins to bloom. Not too long and not too short, the Love Joy Road/Cruso Road was a great way to spend an afternoon.

 
Web Cams Minimize

 State Parks Web Cam 

 Click here to see the webcam for Look Rock
 
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
 
 View from Look Rock

Click here to see the view from Purchase Knob

 Great Smoky Mountains National Park
View From Purchase Knob
 
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