Harley-Davidson Store – CKay Lens View

Day 4 of our Claw of the Dragon trip finished up the actual Claw. This day I had scheduled a zip line tour with Hungry Mother Adventure. We had a great time, unfortunately I did not get any pictures while we were zipling.

In the morning we had some time before our reservation so we did some exploring in Wytheville, VA. When you approach the town you can’t miss the hot-air-balloon-themed water tower with the town name on it. Also throughout the town you will see signs with the town name and the slogan, “There’s only one!” This is because if you do a search you will find that while most city names are used more than once the city of Wytheville only exists in Virginia.

First stop was the Great Lakes to Florida Highway Museum. Unfortunately the museum was not open when we were there but we did get to check out the old gas station…check out the pumps and those prices!! Don’t we all wish gas was still that cheap.

Next stop, Main Street to get some pictures of the famous “big pencil” that hangs on the outside of the Wytheville Office Supply Store. It’s not hard to find this roadside attractions since the metal pencil is approximately 30 feet long.

In the early 1960’s John Campbell Findlay, former owner of the Wytheville Office Supply Store, had the “big pencil” constructed as an advertising gimmick. He hoped other business owners would do similar things to attract travelers on US Hwy 21, the main highway at that time, to stop in Wytheville and shop.

The “big pencil” also gained some fame in December 2000 when it was the features in a national syndicated comic strip “Zippy” by Bill Griffith.

Comic source Doggo Bloggo

Our last stop in Wytheville before heading to the zip line tour was Black Bear Harley-Davidson. This dealership has a good-sized store and I loved the theming.

After our zip line tour we started heading north, making our way home. The last stop of the day was a place we had passed on our way down and back on our first trip, and I was not going home without stopping this time….The Tractor Bar.

The Tractor Bar is located in Mt. Nebo, WV not far off of Route 19. The bar actually made it into GQ Magazine on their list of the 12 wackiest and weirdest bars in America.

It turns out, The Tractor Bar, was an actual tractor dealership back in the early 90’s. After hard times fell upon the business, the owner decided to turn it into a bar. But the money was tight, so the bar and decor were pieced together from things laying around the tractor dealership. In fact, the beautiful red tractor in the middle of the bar was sitting in the weeds behind the dealership before they dragged it out, gave it a good cleaning and paint job and turned it into the centerpiece of the bar.

If you stop to check this place out make sure to walk around and check out all the interesting decorations both inside and on their back patio. Oh and the food is good too, lol. We of coarse had to try their wings and enjoy a couple cold beverages. Before you leave you might also want to check out there little souvenir shop…the products are as interesting as the decor.

After dinner we continued north on Route 19 to Summersville and found a hotel for the night. Total miles for day 4 of our Claw trip, 193.

On our way to the famous Tail of the Dragon on day three we stopped at Look Rock Overlook. Located on the scenic Foothills Parkway, Look Rock Overlook provides a scenic view of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It was another hot day, so we decided to not take the hike to the Look Rock Tower. Which just gives us an adventure for another time.

Continuing on we reached the beginning of the famed Tail of the Dragon. Located on US Route 129, the Tail of the Dragon begins at the Tabcat Creek Bridge in Tennessee and ends in North Carolina at the intersection of NC 28 and US 129…depending on where you start. We rode it south, then back, so we could experience it both directions. Although it did not gain national attention until the 1990’s it is considered a must do at least once for most motorcycle riders because this stretch of road has 318 curves in 11 short miles and no intersecting roads.

For more details on the history of the road check out the Tail of the Dragon website.

Deals Gap is located along the Tail of the Dragon at the North Carolina-Tennessee line. Here you will find the Deal’s Gap Motorcycle Resort, a place to grab a bite to eat, fill up your tank, shop for some Dragon gear, and get information about the Tail of the Dragon and other motorcycle roads in the area. There are some great maps here.

There is a lot of great photo ops at Deals Gap, including the Tree of Shame. According to the Deal’s Gap Motorcycle resort, the Tree of Shame was started in the 80’s by a group of riders, and is a makeshift shrine to those bitten by the Dragon. While its not something that anyone wants, it does happen, and when it does they have the victim sign and date a part from their bike and they add it to the tree.

The Tail of the Dragon is a beautiful ride weaving through dense forest and has several pull-offs, including the Calderwood Dam Overlook. This is a great spot to stop and get some pictures. There is plenty of room to park and the view is amazing.

Similar to the Back of the Dragon, there are photographers located along the Tail of the Dragon route that will take shots of you and post them for sale on their website. Unlike the BOTD there is a lot more information out there about these photography companies including when they will be there. When we rode there were several posted up at different spots along the road, and I did purchase a few when we got home. Some include killboy.com, 129shots.com, 129slayer.com.

When you ride the Tail of the Dragon make sure to venture south of Deals Gap to see the 225ft Cheoah Dam. At the time of it’s construction, completed in 1919, it was the world’s tallest over-flow dam in the world. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

The dam was made famous in the 1993 film, The Fugitive when Harrison Ford’s character made the leap from the top of the dam to elude capture. Which is why it is often referred to as Fugitive Dam.

There is a nice article about the dam here.

Even if you’re not a “Harley” person US 129 Dragon Harley-Davidson is located along the river and is a great spot to stop before or after you take on the Tail of the Dragon. When we stopped there as also a little mom and pop shed setup on the corner next to the HD shop selling motorcycle gear and Dragon merchandise. I’m not sure if they are still there, but if they are make sure to stop and check there little shop out too.