The “Tail Of The Dragon” Doctor Will See You Now

To be honest, the year 2020 gobbled up our mental bandwidth.

When the world gives you the deadliest pandemic in 100 years and triggers the most severe economic collapse in history, it gets tough to wear a smile under your CDC-approved face mask.

For Corvette owners, a cruise to the world-famous “Tail of the Dragon” at Deals Gap, TN, might be just what the doctor ordered. Clearing your head on this awe-inspiring 318 curve, 11-mile stretch of US 129 can give you the mental reset you probably need right about now.

A technically challenging stretch of highway like the Dragon forces you to use a substantial part of your brain to focus on driving, leaving the rest of your mind to wander. As the miles go by, layers of stress and strain are peeled away.

We’re guessing you could use a few layers of stress peeled away right about now. Here are some excellent photos of Corvette owners doing just that on the Dragon.

Special thanks to Darryl “Killboy” Cannon for sharing his considerable photographic talent for this article.

Maximize Your Smiles Per Mile

Timing is everything if you want to maximize your smiles per mile on the Dragon. In our experience, Monday through Thursday are the best days to have more of this unique mountain pass to yourself.

Early morning daily light hours till about 10 am are good. After 5 p.m., most of the traffic fades away, even on the busy weekends and holidays.

Count on the Dragon to be packed with just about every kind of motorized vehicle during prime-time warm-weather weekends and holidays.

Enjoyment, speed, and safety drop as racing wannabes come to show off the extent of their skills during these times. On average, depending on how you drive and traffic, most people will average 25 to 30 mph over the 11-mile route, which will take them about twenty minutes one way.

The truth is twenty minutes of this focused driving leaves you filled with Zen-like bliss. Your mind is crystal clear, and your left ventricle is pumping hard. The smiles, well, they are ear to ear and slow to fade.

A Pavement Party

When the Tail of the Dragon is in full swing during the summer weekends, it becomes more of a pavement party than anything else. A mountain boulevard cruising scene of sorts where the goal is to see and be seen.

The 11-mile route becomes a slow-rolling wilderness cruise-in happening 1,988 feet above sea level—the entire vibe changes. More people are waving, and more people are pulled off to the side of the road to watch the show pass by.

Sit along the side of the road long enough, and you’ll see just about every motorcycle and car brand pass right in front of you. The ever-changing Great Smokey Mountain car show combines the best of nature with the best in two, three, and four-wheel automotive design.

You’re Next

There may be no better time for mountain driving therapy than now. The pandemic has thinned out the traffic, making a road trip mind-rinse even more enjoyable.

A legendary stretch of highway like the Dragon restores your sense of control while also freeing your spirit. It briefly cuts the cord of depressing news, email, and social media that seems to flow continually our way.

Sliding behind the wheel of a Corvette has always been a soothing balm to your soul. A chance to hear your inner monologue once more.

As we’ve always said, “My Corvette is my therapist, the open road my therapy, the throaty V8 exhaust the soothing words I need to hear.”

Thankfully, the “Tail of the Dragon” doctor will see you now.