Check out KillBoy.com for your Deal's Gap pics.
This trip was cursed from the start. The day before we left, I stripped sixteen teeth off the drive belt of my beloved Kawa 454 Ltd. So, I end up riding the Suzuki Boulevard S40 (a bike I truly hate!). Day we are ready to leave, my buddy is having problems with his Triumph Speed Triple. Keeps blowing fuses. Lots of troubleshooting and a call to the great guys at Fox's Suzuki, Kawasaki, Triumph in Roxboro, NC, and we were finally on the way - a mere six hours after the planned departure.
Now for the really fun part. We are all pretty cold by the time we get to the greater Waynesville area. Stop to get gas and some coffee. Come out in about 15 minutes, and the Suzuki will run the starter, but not turn over. After an hour of dicking around, we go to Waynesville to spend the night. Next day, can't find what's wrong with the bike. Can't find a single U-Haul with a truck or car rental place that will let you leave Waynesville and not come back. I figure the damn thing is stuck, and I am ready to put a bullet or two in it.
Quick note on Waynesville... If you have to ask directions, either ask a bike shop or a cab driver. They were the only groups that could tell me how to get somewhere and be correct. Do not bother with John Q. Waynesvillian. They are nice people, but DAMN! do their directions suck!
Frankly, Deal's Gap was a bit of a disappointment for me. Now, likely the trip to this point had made me pretty numb to any enjoyment, but it seemed nothing like what I imagined. The speed limit is 30MPH, and yes, there are cops. Fortunately, they cops have their own 60MPH enforcement rule. If they stop you, don't look for blue lights, they walk into the road and wave you over. An unmanned cop car is really a cop car with a cop hiding behind it.
The fun part is that the road is non-stop riding. You are shifting, steering, braking, and leaning for eleven miles.
O'Malley's Pub & Grill was the first shining moment of our stay in Waynesville. I was in there they day my bike got fixed, as my buddies ditched me to go ride the Gap. Met up with some Harley riders there from Daytona and had a hell of a time. While you're there, have a Dogfish Head, and if Danielle is working say 'hi' - she just might remember me from the proctologist joke.
Waynesville Cycle Center is probably the best shop I have been in. They fixed my Suckzuki in no time and helped me out with a broken helmet shield. They do Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda, with a great selection of helmets and gear. One hell of a bike shop!
For the Hog riders out there, Waynesville has at least one Harley shop, Ghost Town Harley. My new Harley friends from O'Malley's thought it was a great shop, and they were pretty nice to me, considering I rolled up on a Ninja looking for directions only.
Guayabitos Mexican Restaurant had great food and is one of the few places you can buy a drink. You can't go wrong with a Mexican resturaunt that has the TV tuned to Univision! Believe it or not, they had a pretty good vegetarian selection (did not ask about lard in the beans - I always forget the term for lard - it is manteca de cerdo, or 'pig butter', BTW :-).
If you are a gambling type, there is always Harrah's - all video slots and card/dice games. I did not see much of Cherokee, as I did not pack warm enough, and got a touch of the hypothermia on the way back from riding the Gap.
Waldesian Heritage Vineyard in Valdese was a nice stop. The wife and our friend tasted their wines while I tried to restore feeling to my butt (did I mention I hate thet Suzuki?). They have a big patio overlooking the vines and bocci ball, if you are into that sort of thing. A bit of a jog from I-40, but worth the stop.
Also in Valdese was the Dew-Drop Inn. Word of advice, Don't-Drop Inn. If you do, get the seafood plate with mashed potatoes - apparently their fries (and all other items) suck. If you are in Valdese and starving, there is a Subway about a half-mile away ;-)
A few things to know about North Carolina