The coldest part of the ride as we climbed to 6,000 feet near Richland Balsam on the Parkway.

After passing Waterrock Knob on the Parkway, we descended to Soco Gap, with the Great Smoky Mountains on the horizon and Cherokee in the valley below.

Riding the 5 lane through Maggie Valley. The 'strip' in Maggie Valley was once the setting for one of my favorite road races, the 5 mile Maggie Valley Moonlight Run, held each August. It is big, drawing top runners from around the world.

Lunch at Legends - not bad...

There was a Toys for Tots run ending at the Wheels Through Time Museum, with probably more than 1,000 bikes in attendance. Harleys were by far the most prevalent, with a few sport bikes and a handful of 'adventure' bikes. It was a good crowd. I like Harleys - probably won't ever own one, but I like the variety of design.

Apehangers are becoming popular again - will polyester bell bottoms be far behind?