TENNESSEE: Motorcycle roadtrip from Arkansas to Missouri and Tennessee

From Arkansas to Missouri to Tennessee - from the Ozarks to the Great Smoky mountains. Follow my motorcycle roadtrip through three states - and find out, why my ride through the Great Smoky Mountains was quite different than I expected. I started my day of riding at Barkshed Camp. The campground is situated along North Sylamore Creek - you can ride a loop and follow small dirt roads all the way to Gunner Pool Recreation Area or Steele Falls. I was heading to the third recreation area on North Sylamore Creek creek though. Blanchard Springs is most famous for its extensive cave system - but due to covid I was not able to take a tour. The springs are worth a visit anyways though. There is a stone trail that takes visitors deep into the woods to see where the Blanchard Spring spills out of the cave. On the way I as well visited Mirror Lake . The water is a deep turquoise due to mineral deposits from the nearby springs and caves. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout - and there was quite an amount of people enjoying the beautiful views while fishing. After enjoying my breakfast at Drifters Cafe in Cave City I started to ride on bigger roads, crossed into the state Missouri and took a bridge over Mississippi river, that is as well the natural border to my next state of the USA, to Tennessee. Before finally heading to the Great Smoky Mountains I stayed a night at the idyllic Green Frog Farm. Green Frog Farm has the mission to Restore West Tennessee History. Dr. John Freeman collects and restores historic log cabins and buildings - and opened the Green Frog Farm with his family. Today there are more than 20 structures that range from a moonshine shed, old school building and church to a cotton gin built in 1910. The next day I decided against visiting Nashville, and rode straight to the Great Smoky Mountains. But unfortunately my ride through the Great Smokey mountains and to Cades Cove Loop turned out quite different than expected because of an unforseen incident. Tune in to find out what happend - and to join the turbulent ride through Arkansas, Missouri & Tennessee.
// A roadtrip that dreams are made of: join my journey through the United States of America. From Los Angeles in California on the westcoast to Miami in Florida on the eastcoast. 9,000 kilometers, 13 states, 28 days, 1 motorcycle.
// Welcome to the journey! I am Lea Rieck, a journalist and author and I want to take you with me on a motorcycle overlanding adventure to all the wild and beautiful places in the world!
// Riding a Yamaha Ténéré 700. Bought the motorcycle myself from the press fleet of Yamaha USA (thank you Yamaha USA for making this possible.)