Day Five: Tail of the Dragon

Tail of the Dragon by Matt May 2011

The Tail of the Dragon is a mecca for anyone into sport bike motorcycling as well as sports cars. It is Route 129, located in North Carolina, an eleven mile stretch of the most beautiful roadway known to mankind. Over the eleven miles there are three hundred and eighteen curves jammed into a roller coaster paradise.

The day was beautiful, with bright sunny skies, clear blue vistas and great folks to meet and share stories with. The ride from where I was staying was about sixty minutes, over some of the prettiest roads with mountain views.

My day was very safe, with no mishaps. I had a near miss with and wild turkey but thankfully he zigged while I zagged.

The tradition for riding the Dragon is pretty simple. Riders arrive off Route 28 to Route 129 and the Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort. From the Dragon Store you ride out 11 miles to Tab Cat Bridge, return the 11 miles back to the Dragon Store and repeat as many times as possible! It is considered to be bad luck to purchase any souvenirs prior to riding the Dragon. So, I saved my purchases for after a few runs just to be safe!

There are bikes and riders from every walk of life. Senior Honda Goldwing Couples, Harley Bikers, BMW Touring Fanatics, and Leather Suited Rocket Jockeys who scream along the route at super illegal speeds. Everyone is ultimately friendly and excited about bikes.

The day was refreshing and exciting. I made the runs safely, met some great people and came away with a real boost to my self esteem.

Take Care of Yourselves!