Every Year the Long Island BMW Riders Club plans an 800+ mile trip south to the Iron Horse Lodge in Robbinsville, NC. This year the trip started on April 28, 2018 and the weather was overcast with light rain. Like most of our trips off the island, the eastern riders met at a gas station off the LIE at exit 58. Three members left this location at 5:30 AM to rally with the rest of the group at 6 AM. 8 members in total planned to meet up for a quick cup of coffee and synchronize communicators. With kick stands up at 7:00AM we were on our way for the 2018 Iron Horse and Tail of the dragon ride.
Our first leg of the journey was a 150 mile trip to Hamburg, PA for a quick bite to eat and refuel. With the different motorcycles in the group the fuel range varied and 150 miles is a good fuel stop for most. Our next rest stop was further away, almost 300 miles, which meant we would stop for fuel half-way there. We had lunch at a Golden Corral in Winchester, VA.
With the temperature heating up everyone was working hard riding and we all made sure to stay hydrated. Our next leg was 200 miles to Floyd VA. We arrived in Floyd, VA around 6 PM on April 28th. After freshening up, we walked across the street for some pizza and laughs before bedding down for the night. Either we were really hungry or the pizza was especially good, it did not matter as we all enjoyed the food!
The next morning we departed around 8:00AM and went to Willville Motorcycle Camp in the Meadows of Dan, VA. The camp’s owner is a friend of the club and this has been a frequent stop for many of our members heading South. After a brief visit we continued south via the Blue Ridge Parkway. Some of the most beautiful roads a motorcyclist could ask for are here with never ending, amazing sweeping corners overlooking farms and of course the great smokey mountains.
We stopped for lunch, had some fun, and went back to the twisty roads until we arrived in Bryson City, NC for supplies, beer and some snacks. Once we arrived at the Iron Horse we met up with two other members bringing our club attendance to 10! The Iron Horse Lodge is a great place to stay and we always enjoy it. The staff is wonderful and the people and camaraderie is always great! The club has frequented the Iron Horse for many years and once again it did not disappoint us!
After waking up and having a great breakfast we took the back roads and enjoyed the infamous Tail of the Dragon which is also known as Hwy 129. The road can be a lot of fun and also quite challenging. We only ride up to our experience and comfort level during our time on the Dragon. Once in a while you will get stuck behind a slow moving truck and need to have some patience in order to pass safely. We stopped at one of our favorite eateries, the Tellico Grains Bakery in Tellico Plains, TN. If you get the chance stop in and enjoy a delicious sandwich at the bakery, we all enjoyed them!
The next day we started out on many more amazing back roads, this time heading south into Georgia. We stopped at another eatery the club frequents; The Troll Tavern in Helen, GA is a wonderful place with outside seating along the beautiful Chattahoochee river. We ate great German food and had lots of laughs. It is always a fun time, but as always the hunt for dessert was on! One of the members in our amazing club agrees to buy Ice cream every time we pass a Dairy Queen and we love seeing them. As luck would have it a DQ was located about 30 miles in Hiawasse, GA and we were on the road to get some ice cream! We always have a good time and this day was equally as good.
After we got back to the Iron Horse we relaxed and enjoyed cigars, music and laughs. The people are the amazing part of this club. They are all great and we all want to enjoy the time we share together. After we woke the next morning we rode an amazing section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, roads 226A in Little Switzerland, NC. What an amazing view and we couldn’t ask for better weather. No rain and perfect temps! We stopped for lunch at the Switzerland Café. As always, we had more laughs and great memories.
We all knew the inevitable was upon us. We pointed our motorcycles North and started the ride home. We were sad the trip was over, but happy to be heading home to our loved ones. The ride home was our typical controlled pace with stops at frequent intervals for gas and rest. Everyone had a fun time and we will be back next year!