Early spring in Falls Creek Park. From this vantage point, one can survey the whole valley and watch the buzzards float on the updrafts. The location is "Buzzard's Roost" just to the right of Milliken's Overlook on the Park Loop.
Of course, getting there is half the fun. Once you get to the park, there's a chance to meet up with all the people you saw last year and exchange lies about your exploits since you last saw them. That's the other half of the fun. And don't forget the last half, the ride home. (Everyone knows riding a touring bike is greater than the sum of its parts.)
For me the trip to Tennessee meant a 8:00 a.m. start near Ann Arbor and a long haul to Lake City, Tennessee. Along the way the weather held and only light sprinkles cropped up from time to time. On the I-75 leg I fell in behind a Mercedes SLK and made pretty good time.
The Maumee River just south of Toledo was overflowing its banks with tons of sediment from as far away as Fort Wayne. There are some scenic drives if you have time to explore its historic shores.
One break in the monotony of riding the superslab is navigating the section running through Cincinnati. Entering from the north, the traffic becomes more and more congested, often coming to standstill just before the Ohio River bridge. Once on the bridge drivers start jockeying for position for the race up the hill on the Kentucky side. The whole thing resembles a running start at a NASCAR event.
From Cincinnati on I-75 starts to become interesting. The hills and curves give some texture to an otherwise bland trip.
By the time I got to Lake City I was looking forward to a change of pace. I quickly gassed up and headed down Rte. 116. About a mile into the woods and I came upon stopped traffic. After about ten minutes a County Deputy came walking toward us pushing a roller-tape. It was obvious something bad had happened up around the corner. The assumption was confirmed when the first tow truck came by with a smashed cruiser in a trailer. The second tow truck was pulling a red Ford F-150 with major damage to the left front. As we were allowed to proceed I saw short skid marks obviously left by the truck which were all the way over to the right side of the road and ending in a pile of debris and dirt.
It appeared to me the motorcycle had been northbound toward Lake City in a right hand curve. The impact occurred in the oncoming lane indicating the bike had crossed well over the center line before hitting the truck. The bike left no skidmarks nor scrapemarks. Who knows why the wreck happened. Just guessing: the corner was posted with a caution of 25mph and looked like it could be done at 50 or better. From the amount of damage to the truck I'd guess subsantial speed was involved. Anyway, back on the road.
Once clear of the wreck, traffic thinned, then dissappeared. I was alone on a very cool, twisty road for the next 30 or so miles. When you first start to climb into the hills there are several switchbacks that require full attention to avoid winding up like the hapless cruiser rider described earlier.
Route 116 is one of my favorite Tennessee roads due to its good condition, constant turns and hills, and scenic location. It is also one of the least travelled roads in the area. (Bonus)!
This is the one of the few straight sections on the road and one of the few places it is wide enough to pull over.
After winding my way down to Highway62 I headed east and found a Comfort Inn in Oak Ridge. There was a Ruby Tuesday right next door so I settled in for the night.
Saturday I was up early looking forward to the free breakfast bar in the lobby. Apparently so were a few dozen teenage girls. After standing patiently in line for coffee for a while, I gave up and hit the road. It was another beautiful spring day and the temperature was already at 55.
I headed for Dayton to connect with Route 30 over to Pikeville. Between Dayton and Pikeville there is a ridge that provides fantastic motorcyle riding. On the way up I notice something big and dead up ahead. Too big for a deer, no elk around here, maybe a bear? As I passed the carcass I recognized it was a mule. The only mule I've ever seen in Tennessee. A second incongruous sight was a car wash in the middle of nowhere on the top of the pass. I stopped and hosed off a days worth of bugs and continued over and down the other side into Pikesville.
From Pikesville it is a short run to Falls Creek Falls. The Tennessee Lunch Run IV was scheduled for 11:30 so I had some time to look around. The park's namesake falls is one of several in the park that are accessible by foot a short way from the roadways. The long freefall is what sets this site apart from its counterparts.
If you like nonstop curves take Hwy 116 out of Lake City Tennessee to Brushy Mountain Prison. There are a few hairpins like the one in the picture at the north end but then it turns into lots of curves through some scenic hills. About a 30 mile run. If you add up all the straight parts it would equal maybe 3/4 mile. Fun ride. 
Early spring in Falls Creek Park. From this vantage point, one can survey the whole valley and watch the buzzards float on the updrafts. The location is "Buzzard's Roost" just to the right of Milliken's Overlook on the Park Loop.
From Pikesville it is a short run to Falls Creek Falls. The Tennessee Lunch Run IV was scheduled for 11:30 so I had some time to look around. The park's namesake falls is one of several in the park that are accessible by foot a short way from the roadways. The long freefall is what sets this site apart from its counterparts.
