The Southern end of the Parkway is just 10 miles from Bryson City at Milepost 469. It has 26 tunnels, 168 bridges, and 6 viaducts. The highest and longest continuous route in the Appalachians, the Blue Ridge Parkway runs for 469 miles through North Carolina and Virginia. Covering 11 miles with 318 curves, it is considered very challenging by most riders. Other movies filmed along the Dragon include “Thunder Road” (Robert Mitchum, 1958) and “Two Lane Blacktop” (James Taylor, 1971). Harrison Ford famously jumped off this bridge in the movie, “The Fugitive”. Officially called Deal’s Gap, the Dragon begins 42 miles from Bryson City at “Fugitive Bridge”. The Dragon is a mountain pass on Highway 129 along the Eastern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here are just a few of the great rides that are close to Bryson City North Carolina and the Fryemont Inn: TAIL OF THE DRAGON The Fryemont Inn is an excellent base for exploring the Smokies on a motorcycle–after a long day on the bike, the on-site dining room and bar make it unnecessary to ride around in the dark searching for good food and libations. The American Motorcycle Association ranks the close-by Tail of the Dragon, Blue Ridge Parkway and Cherohala Skyway among the 15 best rides in the country. Bryson City is at the center of what many enthusiasts deem the best rides in the country, from relaxing scenic rides to challenging roads with complicated twists and turns. I have been riding in Western North Carolina for 40 years. These days I have a more sensible riding wardrobe–an Arai helmet, Thurlow leathers and Bates Riding Boots. I still have the last three and ride them as often as time permits. Over the years I acquired a 1978 Yamaha XS1100, a 1982 Suzuki Katana, a 1987 Yamaha FZR1100 and a 1996 Triumph Speed Triple 1050. The freedom of the open road was exhilarating and habit-forming. In the summer I used to ride barefoot, wearing cut-offs and not much else. I got my first motorcycle–a 1951 BSA–when I was 16. Senior Innkeeper George Brown shares his thoughts on his favorite pastime: motorcycling
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