Ownership change ushered in new era of U.S. 129
Cathy Mathews remembers her father Pete Leary waking up to cook for the anglers staying at the Deals Gap motel around 5 a.m. each day. He also reached out to fishing publications, spreading the word about the nest-egg sitting in the northwestern corner of North Carolina.
Though the marketing strategy toward anglers was solid, another lay just beyond the state line.
318 curves, 11 miles
When you pull out of Deals Gap and head north on U.S. 129, you cross into Tennessee before barely batting an eye at the road ahead.
The twists and turns that lie in Blount County, Tenn., are the stuff of legend. Photographers line the 11-mile stretch of breathtaking scenery, capturing shots of motorcycles bending into the curves at physics-defying angles, as well as the constant presence of pristine sport cars that weave through the stretch to show what their machines can do.
But in 1981, the 318 curves had yet to receive its modern name: The Tail of the Dragon.
“Going over that stretch of road would make everyone sicker than dogs,” Mathews said.
Eyeing wayworn travelers that would exit their vehicles with ghastly faces, Pete plastered signs at the gas pumps and on the front windows: “Dramamine sold here.”
Soon after, a T-shirt drawing gave way to more popularity.
“He sketched a mountain road and it said, ‘I Survived U.S. 129 and N.C. 28.’ He couldn’t keep the shirts in stock,” Mathews said. “It was white with green writing. That was the first shirt that represented ‘The Dragon’ before it was ‘The Dragon.’”
Ron Johnson is credited with coining the 11-mile trek as the “Tail of the Dragon” later that year.
“So many others have been able to benefit from a road that nobody wanted to ride, other than sports cars and motorcycles,” Mathews said. “Let’s just say … he was a smart businessman.”
More endeavors
The Learys maintained ownership of Deals Gap Resort until 2000, adding a campground to allow more travelers to stop and rest after crossing the Dragon. Along the way, Pete would see motorcyclists fail to tame the curves, which helped cultivate another unique staple.
“They call it the ‘Tree of Shame,’” Mathews said with a chuckle. “When you wreck, you nail the parts that you can’t salvage to the tree. As a matter of fact, there was a period where they were stripping the tree twice a year – rather than once a year – because of the high amount of wrecks.”
Because of the seclusion, it’s actually quicker for Graham County Rescue personnel to respond to Deals Gap than Swain County workers. Even some 35 years ago, Pete would collect donations to compensate Graham County for its continuous presence to accidents.
A race team even formed from Deals Gap sponsorships, which would later win the Western Eastern Roadracing Association’s Endurance Series’ Lightweight Super Bike championship in 2003.
Winding down
Its popularity continued to rise, but eventually Pete and Doris had to give up the property after Doris developed cancer in 2000. The Learys relocated to Florida, but took a huge piece of their heart with them, as they were gifted a special dragon – crafted by Michael Whalen – that was made of sterling silver and full-lead crystal, painted with a golden sheen.
A sign also adorned the Learys’ driveway entrance in Sanibel Island, which read “At the Gap, there be Dragons.”
Four months after Doris passed away from cancer, Pete suffered a debilitating stroke. Eventually, Mathews was able to have Pete moved to a North Carolina nursing home, where she would continually lift his spirits by simply harkening back to Deals Gap.
“They were such a great team, and I knew it would take a toll on him, one way or the other,” Mathews said. “It always made him smile if I shared a photo of a helmet, car window or license plate that my boys and I would see, with a reference to the Dragon.
“Due to the stroke, he only could control one side of his body. When we’d share a new photo of the week, that one-sided grin was such a pleasure to see.”
The first of this two-part feature can be found in the Sept. 3 edition of The Graham Star.