July 30 - Cherohala Skway Does Not Dissapoint

What a great ride! Even the rain couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the Cherohala Skyway, a 43-mile scenic byway connecting Robbinsville, North Carolina with Tellico Plains, Tennessee. The byway offers stunning mountain view of both the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests, both of which it is named for. As I swooped around one curve after another today on my way to one of my favorite bakeries, I couldn’t help thinking how lucky I am.

I love staying in Robbinsville, North Carolina as it is only 30 minutes from the Tail of the Dragon and directly connected to the turn off for the Cherohala Skyway. When I left my hotel this morning, I literally only needed to drive 300 feet before turning right on the road leading to the Cherohala skyway. After following a beautiful winding country road about 12 miles I passed the sign noting the start of the scenic byway.

I am convinced that the engineers designing the Cherohala Skyway were motorcyclists. It does not surprise me that the Discovery Channel named this road one of the top 10 in the country for bikers. The road is designed in such a way that there are almost no straightaways. Yet the curves are shaped in such a way that you really don’t have to slow down that much either. So, you get to constantly swoop and swirl around one curve after another without really having to concentrate much on the technical aspects of the drive. It also really helps that the road is in excellent condition.

Another reason I so much enjoy riding this road is the sweeping panoramas of the mountains and forests of both the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests. There are numerous well-paved overlooks, so it is easy and safe to pull over and take pictures.

After arriving at Tellico Plains, the end of the skyway, I headed over to one of my two favorite bakeries in the country – the Tellico Grains Bakery. I discovered this place last summer and was determined to make it back this year. I was able to order a wood-fired pizza topped with several specialty meats as well as a mouth-watering plum upside-down cake. The cake was both moist and also slightly crispy where the sugars had caramelized. Yum!