motorcycling

This might be a little ambitious as a summer motorcycle trip (especially since 6000 miles is about two rear tire's worth, given the speed and terrain). One of the most interesting parts of that route is the Trans-Labrador Highway. Though it is the primary road across Labrador, it's still largely gravel and very remote.

My curiosity was piqued when Google Maps seemed resistant to plotting a route from Lodge Bay, NL to Québec, QC. Zooming in turned up this solitary road, and my next stop was ADVrider to see if anyone had ridden it and posted pictures. This guy had, and now I really want to go. Or at least I think I do. It's a long way away, especially on a dual-sport bike.

One interesting thing I found is that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has purchased satellite phones for free emergency use by travelers of the TLH. You can pick up a phone from any of several places along the highway, leave your credit card information, and drop it off again as you leave the highway. So there's really no reason to worry, Mom...

In planning a route for the trip to Georgia in a few days, I remembered about the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway, which is Highway 441 from Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee, NC.
I drove this route on my way home from my sister's college graduation in Toccoa, GA, in 2004. It was the middle of the night, in my not-so-trusty Jeep Cherokee, with my new kitten, Scout, in tow.

I stopped for a picture of one of the road signs that night. This was just before a loop that crossed over itself. Here it is on Google Maps, though Google's a little confused on the correct way to traverse the spiral.

Driving 441 in my Jeep was fun, but not nearly as fun as it would be on a motorcycle (and in daylight). So it goes on my lists of roads I must ride before I die. James informs me of two others: Pigtail Bridge and Tunnel and Needles Highway. Add to that the Blue Ridge Parkway, suggested by Tori.