Blue Ridge Parkway

[dlbushey]

We’re headed to the Dragon Memorial Weekend and then take a ride up the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive as a detour to Americade. GPS says that BRP/Skyline Drive is 574 miles from one end to the other. For those of you that know anything about that route, other than the fantastic views and great twisties, what can we expect?

[messenger13]

First of all, the further south you go the better the twisties. A lot of the ride is simply a 45mph ride through a nice parkway. Any other expectations higher than that, and I think you'll be disappointed. Did I mention 45mph? Get caught speeding, and it can be a VERY stiff fine. Federal road and all...you know.

I'd recommend that you head down and ride the Cherohala Skyway (http://www.cherohalaskyway.com/) (west to east), then Deal's Gap (http://www.dealsgap.com/) twice (south to north, then north to south), then head east on 28 over to the south end of the BRP (http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/).

If you have a GPS, I and others can give you waypoints and/or routes that will make your life very easy. Let us know.

[gunny]

I'd consider waiting for spring before hitting the Blue Ridge. Unless you want to deal with snow and ice.

[pkpr1998]

We’re headed to the Dragon Memorial Weekend and then take a ride up the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive as a detour to Americade. GPS says that BRP/Skyline Drive is 574 miles from one end to the other. For those of you that know anything about that route, other than the fantastic views and great twisties, what can we expect?

You can expext more cage traffic on the NC side of the BRP with fewer passing zones. The Va side of the BRP has less traffic with MORE passing zones! You can also expect weather such as rain, fog and of course cooler temps. You shouldn't (????) have to worry about ice/snow late in May.

And as Joe said, the Feds have lost their sense of humour when it comes to bikes and speeding. 45 IS THE SPEED LIMIT on the BRP.

Enjoy the ride.

[RVB1019]

I went down the BRP late last April on my way to STCII. The Skyway was loaded with Fed Park Police with radar. It was nerve wracking so I slabbed it to the BRP.

Enforcement there (during the week) was nowhere near as intense. I went the whole way and saw one or two feds. I was having a great time doing 50-60mph and they left me alone. There were a number of crotch rocket guys doing 80.

The views were spectacular! What I remeber most was the smells. Everything fragrant was blooming. No snow or ice but it was brisk at spots especially in the higher elevations. I had to keep adding and removing layers the entire way.

It was a blast!

[gfspencer]

* You will see some very nice scenery. At that time of year snow shouldn’t be a factor – even on Mt. Mitchell.

* On the parkway you can expect really slow riding. If the weather is nice – and it probably will be – the cruisers will be out riding in their obligatory, staggered parade formations. You will have a hard time getting around them without breaking the law. There aren’t many passing zones and the 45 mph speed limit is enforced!!

* Avoid Deal’s Gap over the Memorial Day Weekend! Ride it during the week if you like but over the weekend you are just asking for trouble. It was a great place to ride ten years ago but now it’s horrible.

* The Cherohala Skyway is fantastic! It has some nice, fast sweepers and the scenery is great. Ride into Tellico Springs and have some Barbeque! There is a good restaurant beside the river – can’t remember the name.

[Ranger6]

There is a good restaurant beside the river – can’t remember the name.
Bistro by the River in Tellico Plains? Great place.

[Bruce_N]

The BRP is nice, great views, no lights, good twisties. But with the speed limit of 45, traveling at 55-60 it gets old after a while.

[UltraLT]

I know we all look out for wild life when we ride, but the BRP, especially in NC, has a bunch of wild turkey, who occasionally like to cross the road. No one knows why, but they do. :) They are fast, and can come from nowhere. You would be supprised at the damage one of them can do to a bike. Not to mention being covered with stuff. Enjoy the ride, it is a great place to ride. If you like twisties, try some of the side roads off the ridge that go down to civilization.

Ultra LT

Riding is life. All else is just waiting.

[Steve_R]

Sniffing that diesel fuel again. :rotf: Better get a different brand. He's coming down over Memorial Day weekend. I haven't ever seen snow and ice up there then. But then it could happen.

[gfspencer]

Bistro by the River in Tellico Plains? Great place.

I guess we are talking about the same place. I've been away too long! (Called back to active duty for several years.) When I was there it wasn't a "Bistro". :confused: It was a good barbeque restaurant. No fancy white table linens . . . :o

Another interesting place to visit is Ducktown. It used to be a copper mining area. Fifty years ago you couldn't find a blade of grass growing in Ducktown because the fumes from the mines killed everything. (I know. I was there fifty years ago. :rolleyes: )

Didn't mean to hijack the thread . . . but the point is that there MANY good places to ride and things to see in that area. Have a fun ride. :D (And if you decide to ride "The Gap" be careful.)

[clay]

We’re headed to the Dragon Memorial Weekend and then take a ride up the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive as a detour to Americade. GPS says that BRP/Skyline Drive is 574 miles from one end to the other. For those of you that know anything about that route, other than the fantastic views and great twisties, what can we expect?


Skip Skyline Dr. I rode it last fall and was disappointed, the speed limit there is 35, I believe, the southern end of the BRP is fantastic. Don't get in a "big hurry", if you ride 55-60 and take a radar detector, you'll be fine. The park police leave their radar on all the time. It is an amazing place, have fun and good luck.

[UncleRock]

I went over memorial day weekend last year
(May go again this year)
Long stretches between fuel (you can hop of at a town and get back on) the ride while slow, is very refreshing, not having to look at stupid billboard ad's or any other commercial crap.
There is a folk art museum that I would stop and visit. (all the mountain tops are a racket, run by the gov, they charge you to go up From Brasstown Bald in GA, to Mt Davis in PA. I hit all of them on this trip for a project I'm working on)
If your short on time your can do the Sky way Dragon loop (about 50 miles) with thousands of bikes there last year, before 8 am there was only one other bike (very good rider on R1) on the Tail and some bicycles.
If you see this camp along the lake on Rt 28 (The Hell Bender)heading into the Dragon, stop and say hello, I'll show you some roads you'll never forget!
Rock

[messenger13]

I'd consider waiting for spring before hitting the Blue Ridge. Unless you want to deal with snow and ice.Gunny, They moved Memorial weekend and Americade out of January this year. :D

[dlbushey]

If you see this camp along the lake on Rt 28 (The Hell Bender)heading into the Dragon, stop and say hello, I'll show you some roads you'll never forget!
Rock

Rock...we might just take ya up on that offer!

Thanks guys for your opinions and experiences so far. We're still in the planning phase of this ride and don't know exactly where we want to go...just that we are going!

I think we'll hang around the area of the Dragon for a couple of days and see what the local roads (including the Cherohala Skyway) are like without all the camping gear and 2 weeks worth of stuff on the bikes before heading northeast. I do believe that I'll take the slab as far as Skyline Drive...and then if I get board with that...there are a few places to bail out and hit the slab again.

We'll just get to Americade early and enjoy the back roads in upstate NY and Vermont a little longer. MMMMM.... I think I hear the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory calling!

[gunny]

OK OK I must have missed the part about Memorial Day. Cold medicine will do that to you, make you miss things that is.
As mentioned by others, keep an eye on the cops, they excite easily and can write tickets that cost a whole lot. Avoid Deal's Gap on weeknds, especially a long weekend.

I'm lucky, can be on the BRP from the house in about 45 minutes, an hour if I observe the speed limits.