I wrote awhile ago about that amazing stretch of roadway called Tail of the Dragon. 

The Dragon's Tail has 318 curves in just 11 miles, so it's no surprise that there are some tragedies and mishaps along the way.

Many of them are memorialized on the "Tree of Shame".

I was going through my collection of digital photos and realized that I haven't shared the photos from our road trips along the 'Tail of the Dragon' yet.

The Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, with 318 curves in 11 miles, is America's number one motorcycle and sports car road. Source

It's definitely a daredevil stretch of roadway. (For example, check out these Tree of Shame photos!) But that's not why we go there. We go there for the scenic views and a fun ride in the Jeep with the top down.

I'm sure the motorcyclists hate us for that, because we just get in their way when they're trying to take the rapid turns... fast! While we're not the only car on the road... vehicles other than motorcycles are definitely in the minority.

That said, there have been a bunch of fatal wrecks on this particular road, and I remember reading that most (if not ALL) of the deaths occurred while the drivers were headed NORTHbound on Highway 129. Hmmmm....

For the most part, what makes this road unique is the number of sharp (very sharp!) turns within a very short stretch of roadway. They say the Tail of the Dragon is like a roller coaster ride -- but better -- because you are in full control behind the wheel.

Here are some highlights...

In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just outside of Cherokee, NC, is a 14-mile trail known as Heintooga Round Bottom Road. It looked pretty tame, so Lynnette and I decided to give it a spin in our Jeep.

The good news is that just about anyone can take this trip. A 4WD vehicle is not required.

The highlight of the trip was this rocky water crossing. The entire way, we only passed 2 other vehicles and 1 mountain biker... and we just happened to capture both cars going through the water.

(The other one's in the video below.)