By Mandy McFarland Enquirer Coordinator
MARSHAL COUNTY – Some of them are moms. Some are wives. Some are grandmas. Some are daughters. But one thing they have in common is that they are all sisters: Sisters in the Wind.

Sisters in the Wind is a Michiana-based group of ladies who enjoy the freedom they find in cruising down the open road with their motorcycles. Last Thursday, May 14, they embarked on a several thousand-mile trip that will take them from the relatively flat terrain of northern Indiana to the rolling hills of the Tennessee-North Carolina state line, where they will take on the Tail of the Dragon, a nickname for an 11-mile stretch of U.S. 129 that runs through the area.
So, why bike several days and several hundred miles for just an 11-mile stretch of road?
For one thing, there are 318 curves packed into that short distance. But there is an even bigger draw for the Sisters of the Wind.
They just like to have fun.
Their Web site describes them as “generally strong-minded individuals who do not like to be told how we should be, how we should act or how we should look.”
While they have taken several shorter trips, the Sisters have not yet attempted a ride of this distance or this magnitude. The group looks forward to tackling the winding curves of the nationally-known Tail of the Dragon.
 “We’re all excited,” Mary Kunkle of Plymouth said.
Kunkle works at the Culver Academies and is one of three Marshall County residents who belong to the group. Cindy Britton and Sandi Schlemmer of Bremen are also members of Sisters in the Wind.
The 13 riders embarked from LaPaz at around 3:30 Thursday afternoon, with one last stop in Argos to pick up Kunkle before heading out on the open road.
About Sisters in the Wind:
Sisters in the Wind is a close-knit group of female motorcycle riders. They meet the second Tuesday of each month in South Bend and ride to a different destination. More information on the group is available at www.sistersinthewind.com.
About the Tail of the Dragon:
The Tail of the Dragon is described as “America’s number one motorcycle and sports car road.” Also known as Deals Gap or The Dragon, this stretch of U.S. 129 is popular among bikers, cyclists and drivers. More information is available at  HYPERLINK “http://www.tailofthedragon.com” www.tailofthedragon.com.