The Tail of the Dragon, eh? I have a good car friend who's been there a couple times. A bunch of friends and myself are planning on taking a trip there later this year--probably in the summer or fall, depending on how busy the place is--and we're going to stop in Marietta, Ohio on the way. Route 26 between Marietta and Woodsfield has been talked about more than a few times in my car mags, along with Tail of the Dragon. I can't wait to go!
By the way, the fact that you've been putting it off is good. The road is in the mountains and pretty much closed during the winter. Also, the road can actually get pretty busy at times with cars, mostly enthusiasts, but local traffic also uses the road. And watch out for semi trucks. There have been a few fatal accidents because of people driving too fast and coming around a corner to find a truck goin wide to make his turn. Be wary of the motorcycles. Stay in your own lane. I also don't think police are too big an annoyance there, because they know there are many people who go to this road just to drive it. There are more than a few businesses that rely on the traffic brought by the road, and I don't think the police would want to put a damper on the business. But that doesn't mean we'd be imune.