The Chereohala Run

The Chereohala Skyway is a 43-mile long national scenic byway that runs from Robbinsville North Carolina to Tellico Plains Tennessee. It's named for its course through North Carolina's Nantahala and Tennessee's Cherokee National Forests. Its lowest point is 900 feet above sea level and its highest point is 5400 feet. It was opened in 1996 after 34 years of construction.

I'd been wanting to drive it for years, and now I was about to.

At 6:00 Miatas began to assemble in the school parking lot across the street from the Phillips Motel. By 6:30 there were more than 60!

I missed the instructions, but figured I would just stay close behind the car in front of me.

Easier said than done!

Things started out well, but as soon as we turned off on the road that led to the Chereohala everyone started driving fast.Very fast, and along a road filled with the sorts of curves not usually found in Atlanta-- sharp 90 and 180 and even 270 degree turns on steep upgrades and downgrades with rock faces on one side and a sheer mountainside on the other-- with no guard rails, of course. I was throwing my car into curves at frightening speeds.

I'm a good driver, raised on such curves and in a superbly-designed  rear-wheel drive sports car that happily goes wherever you  point it, but I saw no reason to thrash my car along a highway I wanted to enjoy, so as soon as we reached the Skyway (after 8 very fast and scary miles) I pulled into an overlook and took photos while the rest of the Miatas flashed by.

The scenery was beautiful, pristine wilderness. I drove at a leisurely pace, taking my time.

When I reached Tellico Plains there were no Miatas in evidence (I found out later they had pulled onto a side road at the end of the Skyway). I bought a soft drink at a convenience store and had a great drive back to Robbinsville. I arrived just after dark, looking for a meal, but the only places open were McDonald's and Wendy's. I opted to go to bed instead.

Next: All Day in the Car, Part I: Miatas at the Gap