318 curves in 11 miles. No wonder the motorcyclists of America flock to the "Tail of the Dragon."Last night’s update was posted prior to the main event of the evening – the Buffalo Creek B&B weekly campfire for friends and neighbours. Great crack; but sadly rain stopped play just as the jumbuck was being stuffed into the tucker bag during Stuart’s unique rendition of the “Waltzing Matilda.” Perhaps it was just as well that the rain arrived; with both Stuart and Craigs’ vocal chords warmed up the poor old locals might have been in trouble!

Today dawned with clear skies and beautifully cool, but it was with much sadness that we had to bid farewell to new, but great, friends – Rob and Robin. There may be a better Bed and Breakfasts somewhere in the United States, but it is hard to imagine. We could not have been made more comfortable or welcome. In fact we were made so welcome that we almost felt guilty to be leaving. For any readers contemplating a stay in the Smokie Mountains – look no further than www.buffalocreekbedandbreakfast.com/ý . I can assure you that you will be well worked after.

And so we headed for the infamous "Tail of the Dragon" – 318 curves in 11 miles. It is commonly thought that Harley Davidsons do not “do” corners. I beg to differ – it just takes a bit of practice and today we had plenty of practice. Not only did the 2 boys do the Dragon (both ways) without the pillions, but we then completed another epic local route – the Moonshine 28 - with the girls back on board. We have ended the day having clocked up 180 miles (or thereabouts) and if there was a stretch of more than 100 yards without a turnback, u-turn or curve of some other description then I am struggling to think of where it was. The Smokies are absolutely spectacular, The tree covered mountains look as if they are carpeted – no rocks or outcrops to be seen - just shoulder to shoulder mountains separated by serene lakes, babbling brooks, raging rivers and waterfalls. Each vista seemed more unique and special that the last. We ran out of superlatives by lunchtime and that was before we got to the waterfalls; you can look at them, climb around them, go behind them and, in the case of the Bridal Veil Falls, you can even ride your motorbke behind them. We had really hoped to get a bit further today, but this was not a route to rush. It was notable today that the ‘biker salute’ (or wave) which we have mentioned before was less in evidence. Frankly, bikers need 2 hands on the handlebars on these roads. All gripping the handlebars as though our lives depended on it – which of course they did.

With over a week behind us now, real life seems a long way away. We haven’t quite thrown off the responsibilities of society, but it sort of seems like it. We have talked about this trip for some time now – and are pleased to report that it is living up to expectation. Completely. So, if you’re interested, our song of the day is not “Puff the Magic Dragon” as suggested by MJ, but “Free and easy down the road I go.” It seems particularly apt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdbsZCiWWng

Camp fire...

Leaving Buffalo Creek

The Dragon!

An image behing the falls:

The Bikes behind the falls: