This week we feature one of the most popular and revered stretches of road in the entire United States.  Called Tapoco Road on its North Carolina side and Calderwood Highway on its Tennessee side, US Highway 129 is known by bikers and car enthusiasts by another name:  The Dragon.  This 11-mile stretch of road boasts over 300 curves and attracts thousands of riders from all walks of life who set out to tame itand its right in our back yard!

Like another famous traveling road, the Cherohala Skyway; one must head up to Graham County to tackle this beast.  The most direct route would be to connect with US-129 inside the Nantahala Gorge in Topton.  From there, simply head north towards Robbinsville and continue on the road after passing through town.  It is suggested that you make sure you are filled up with gas before embarking as there are no gas stations after you leave Robbinsville.

The road will start out moderately curvy as it meanders along the shores of Santeelah Lake and the river, business will begin to pick up however when you enter Tampoco and come to Cheoah Dam.  As you make the sharp turn over the Little Tennessee River and up the banks of the dam, the curves, dips begin to increase you now follow along the Cheoa Reservoir.  After a few miles, you will come to the intersection of NC-28 (aka the Hellbender from Week 2)  After passing this road, you will enter the tiny community of Deals Gapand will begin to take The Dragon on in full force.  Take your time, the speed limit is at 30mph and the road is heavily enforced by both NC and TN state troopers.  Be careful along curves as there tends to not be a shoulder leaving very little room for error.  Eventually you will come to an overlook of Calderwood Lake and the dam which creates it.  Its a nice scenic stop, however depending on the time of year, can be very congested with bikers taking a break from the drive.

After the Calderwood overlook, you will begin to ascend down into the Tellico Lake valley at the end of The Dragon stage of the highway.  Once at the bottom you will find yourself at lake level with several opportunities to pull off and take a break at several picnic and recreation areas along the lake.  Here you can either turn around and tackle the dragon once again or you can have an option of a few return routes.

The first one you can take is to turn right onto the Foothills Parkwaywhich you will come to a few miles after coming off The Dragon.  Follow the parkway until it intersects with US-321.  Get onto US-321 and head towards Gatlinburg where you can connect with US-441 and trek through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park back to Western North Carolina, or gradually make your way back to I-40 from either Pigeon Forge or Newport.

The second option is to continue on US-129 which will eventually take you into downtown Knoxville where you can pick up I-40 and head back east to Western North Carolina.

Third Option (Which is marked on the downloadable map)  is to take the Cherohala Skyway back to Robbinsville.  To get to it, and continue on a very rewarding and scenic journey, is to turn onto TN-72 and take it to US-411.  Once there, turn left and head to Madisonville and then take another left onto TN-68 and take it to Tellico Plains.  Once in Tellico Plains, turn onto TN-165 (Cherohala Skyway) and take back to Robbinsville.  An alternative to this is to take NC-350 off of US-441 and take that directly to Tellico Plains.  This route will take you through a portion of the Cherokee National Forest for those who prefer not to be surrounded by development and civilization. 

• As has been the case with all trips, be observant of all local speed limits and helmet laws.  This road in particular, due to its difficulty requires alert and responsible driving.
• Be sure to gas up your car or bike prior to getting on the roadas there isnt any gas stations until you reach US-411.
• There is a small pullout at the top and bottom of Cheoa Dam for those looking to take pictures,  be careful around dams and stay off fences and any other restricted areas.
• Be mindful of your surroundings.  Bikers have a tendency to fly up on you when you least expect it, people on street bikes also have a tendency to hug the sharp curves exceptionally close.
• There are several attractions of historical significance in the area for those interested in searching them out.  The first being the Tellico Blockhouse Historic Site.  Located just off US-411, the Blockhouse served as an outpost to keep the peace between settlers and local Cherokee.  The site was also used for many treaty signings.  The blockhouse is no longer there but the foundation still lies so that visitors can see where the fort and its buildings once stood.
• Next is the Fort Loudon State Historic Park, located on an island off of TN-360.  This island housed one of the earliest British garrisons which was built in 1756 and was used to help protect the settlers and Overhill Cherokee from the French and their allies during the French-Indian War.  Eventually the British/Cherokee relationship eroded away ultimately ending with the Cherokee turning on their British counterparts and overtaking the fort in 1760.  After the defeat, the fort was destroyed and nature took it over until the 1930s when efforts were made to reconstruct the site.
  www.fortloudoun.com
• Adjacent to Fort Loudon is the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum.  Operated by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian, the museum serves as a tool to educate visitors on the cultures and civilization, as well as the contributions made to the Cherokee by Sequoyah. (The one contribution he is best known for is his creation of Cherokee syllabary, which allowed the Cherokee language to be read and written).
  www.sequoyahmuseum.org
• Within the same area as For Loudon lies the monuments for the Overhill Cherokee towns of Tanasi and Chota.  Along the Little Tennessee were 11 major Overhill Cherokee Villages (Great Tellico, Chota, Tanasi, Tuskeegee, Citico, Tallassee, Chilhowee, Toqua, Tomotley, Mialoquo, and Great Hiwassee) many of these sites are now submerged due to the damming of the river and the formation of the Tellico Lake.  Tanasi, was the capital of the Cherokee Nation from 1721-1730 and is where you find the origin of the name Tennessee.  At the site lies a granite marker noting the site and its significance.  A few miles up the road you can find another monument to the town of Chota, which was considered one of the 7 Cherokee Mother Towns and essentially became the Capitol of the Cherokee after Tanasi.  At its peak the village had between 300 and 500 residents.  Chota was destroyed during the Revolutionary War in 1780 and was rebuilt four years later but never regained the status it once held,  and the population fizzled out by the early 1800s.  The Cherokee capital was later moved to Ustanalli, which was located in North Georgia in 1788.
• The monument at Chota is built on the site of the towns council house and includes seven pillars, each one representing one of the Cherokee clans (Bird, Blue, Deer, Long Hair, Paint, Wild Potato, and Wolf).  To the edge of the monument lies the grave of Oconostota, a Cherokee chiefhis, along with several other burials were found in a 1986 excavation of the site.  The other bodies were reinterred in a burial mound at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum.
• To get to the monuments, take TN-360 to Citico Road, turn left onto Citico Road and follow it until it forks with Bacon Ferry Road.  Turn left onto Bacon Ferry road and follow it along the riverbank.  The Tanasi Monument will be on your left and the Chota Monument will be found at the end of the road off on a peninsula.