BEWARE the leafwatchers!

[JONNYREB]

Should have known better but i took the strom on a trip to pidgeon forge, Tenn. coming from my house in charlotte. I took I-85 to I-26 and then picked up 40w in ashville. I noticed the traffic was heavy but had not been to the pidgeon forge area before, so i figured it would thin out once i hit the "country". Man, was i wrong. I ended up stuck in a huge traffic jam that encompassed the entire eastern side of tennessee i think. The entire P.F. and gatlinburg area is awash with people. You need a sidecar to be able to stand the hours of waiting... When i finally arrived at my destination i immediately began to map out the best routes back to keep from dealing with it all on the way back. I found out that these people are mostly here to see the changing of the leaves and its big business for the locals.Guess if you have an attraction, might as well take advantage of it.I figured on taking 441 (gatlinburg bypass) all the way back to the cherokee area, then pick up the blue ridge parkway and head up torward asheville thus eliminating any traffic lights or interstate jams.
Found out the entire gatlinburg bypass was a solid 25 mile long chain of cars going to or from cherokee or gatlinburg. They are looking at leaves that are just showing what drought-condition color they can, but by god they are leafwatching!!
Just a couple more hours behind i was when i hit the BRP and finally began to shake off most of the 20 mile an hour crowd. Arrived back in charlotte with no troubles but i had turned a 9 hour 500 mile round trip into a 14 hour ride and just wanted to warn anyone with an agenda against riding through the touristy sides of the mountain towns in n.c. or tenn. unless you alot enough time or wait till the leaves drop. Shoulda thought about it being an issue but then again i'd never have thought it...J.R.

[gatordead]

Try living here and dealin with it on a day to day basis. Most of the leaves are just dying from lack of rain.....but they still want a picture of it.

[msheron]

Like Gator said...............try living here and having these crazy damn folks from Florida; and up north here taking a picture and running off the road; stopping in the middle of a road; driving 30 miles under the speed every day!

Like Gator said...............leaves are dying from lack of water but they still want pictures and will run your ass over to get one.

Don't get me wrong................I don't have anything against FL folks or northerners but for the sake of Jesus watch the foilage change on the weather channel!

I don't go to Florida to almost wreck you and congest your town to photo a damn gator! Or go to NY to slow the traffic or run you off the road to photo the Statue of Liberty or Coney Island!

[Stromin'Nroman]

I have no moral authority to say a damn thing about this subject because:

1. I'm from Florida, moved up here 11 years ago after 10 years of visiting and taking pictures of leaves from my car.

2. I've visited New York City and took pictures of the Statue of Liberty from a motorhome on one of the bridges, traffic was moving just prior to the photoshoot.

3. I was born in New York and should have kept my little 7 year-old self there to grow old within five miles of my birthplace when my family moved south, but I had not yet become emancipated.

Still, the Buicks annoy me, the minivans make me late for appointments and the Cadillacs find me invisible on my Strom.

However, I did meet a visitor from Florida today and had a nice chat. He was on a yellow DL1000 with Florida plates on a side road about a mile from my home. I pulled a u-turn on my 650 and gave him the secret V-Strom salute and offered navigation assistance. He was out on a relaxed solo ride just exploring the countryside and avoiding the Buicks, minivans and Cadillacs. Turns out he worked many years ago with my best friend's dad down in Florida. From what I could tell there was no evidence of leaf photos on or near his person.

The best riding between now and the end of leaf season is on gravel roads. Those folks in Buicks, minivans and Cadillacs freak when the pavement ends. One morning I buzzed up HWY 276 from Etowah, NC to the BRP at 7:00 AM. I usually have the place to myself. The I realized: Leaf Season!

[elbrown]

Good Lord Man, whatever were you thinking? Don't go anywhere near the parkway (Asheville to Gatlinburg especially) until November.

[Ogre_FL]

I don't go to Florida to almost wreck you and congest your town to photo a damn gator! Or go to NY to slow the traffic or run you off the road to photo the Statue of Liberty or Coney Island!

Nope, but your neighbors do.

They come and rent jet ski's or Pontoon boats, wreck my fishing areas and almost run me down on the water.

Yes they congest my town and almost run me off the road to look at the Gulf or girls in bikini's or dolphins.

Its all relative, our saga comes in the spring, yours in the fall.

[RodK]

I live in Florida. The headless Buicks scare me a lot more than the local Gangstas. I have the first week of November off and was going to roll up to north Georgia and environs for a few days.

Rod
07 Vee
Riverview, FL

[gatordead]

What the heck is the secret vstrom salute????

[nationwide]

Yes they congest my town and almost run me off the road to look at ...girls in bikini's ...

Well, at least it's for a good cause. ;) :cool:

[msheron]

Nope, but your neighbors do.

They come and rent jet ski's or Pontoon boats, wreck my fishing areas and almost run me down on the water.

Yes they congest my town and almost run me off the road to look at the Gulf or girls in bikini's or dolphins.

Its all relative, our saga comes in the spring, yours in the fall.

Well you have me there. When in South Beach a few weeks back I must admit I gawked at the half naked chicks.:mrgreen:

[Stromin'Nroman]

GatorDead,

This is the salute, not so secret anymore.

[Ogre_FL]

Well you have me there. When in South Beach a few weeks back I must admit I gawked at the half naked chicks.:mrgreen:


That's OK, I like to indulge in the curves your area has to offer.
I just do it FASTER :mrgreen: