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The State of Kentucky recognizes a good touring road when they see one. In 2016, the state officially named Highway 192 "The Rattlesnake" in the hopes of attracting motorcyclists and sports cars drivers to help local tourism. Located just north of the Tennessee border and west of I75, the Rattlesnake winds through the foothills of Daniel Boone National Forest from London to Somerset Kentucky. The road has excellent pavement and sports 150 turns in 12 miles. Not quite the Tail of the Dragon, but good enough to make a pass or two.
The road officially runs from Hwy 192 and 1193 west to Buck Creek; however, the next five miles have some great curves too so plan to make the run all the way to Somerset. Be sure to stop at the Souvenir Shack at Brake on the Snake for some souvenirs. Local officials are eager for tourism on the Rattlesnake and will welcome all.
Officials name part of Highway 192 “The Rattlesnake”
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) – Laurel and Pulaski County officials named a portion of Kentucky Highway 192 “The Rattlesnake” in hopes to attract tourists from all over the country.
The road was once considered the only road to connect London and Somerset. Since Highway 80 was brought into play, Highway 192 hasn’t seen as much action.
The owner of Dirty Deeds Bikes & Customs, Charley Simpson, had the idea to rededicate the usage of 192 to motorcyclists. With around 150 turns within an 11 mile stretch, the road reminded him of Tennessee’s “The Dragon’s Tail.”
“If they can have a ‘dragon’ down in Tennessee, we can certainly have a ‘rattlesnake’ in Kentucky,” he told WYMT.
A representative from Wildcat Harley-Davidson in London, Chris Minton, said, “It (Tail of the Dragon) started out the same way. Some people had a vision, they said, ‘lets make this a stretch of road, let’s get it banded, push it, promote it…’ and now there are literal stores in that area that exist just because of traffic.”
County officials said they are also hoping the Rattlesnake will bring in tourists. Pulaski County Judge Executive Steve Kelley told us, “It’s a gem that we’ve got here, we’ve had for years, but we’ve kept it a secret and now we’re going to open it up and try to share it with the country.”
All motorcyclists are invited to come together on June 11, 2016 for the inaugural ride. Whoever wants to participate can meet at either Dirty Deed’s in Somerset or Wildcat Harley-Davidson in London. From there, motorcyclists will meet at Bee Rock and have a ceremony. The ride starts at 11:00 a.m. Organizers said the ride is free and they’ll be selling T-Shirts and patches after the ride.
By Sarah Anderson | Posted: Mon 11:28 PM, May 16, 2016 | Updated: Mon 11:47 PM, May 16, 2016
source: http://www.wymt.com/content/news/Officials-name-part-of-Highway-192-379740521.html