So I am plotting a Blue Ridge Parkway trip. It is a bit long for a weekend but I could do 250 to the head on Friday then 620 for the BRP all the way to Front Royal on Saturday this is the part that is a bit out of range. Then 650 home on the slab but that is not that big a deal.
Anyone ridden the BRP and have recommendations on places to stay that will make me less paranoid about the bike? Either somewhere near Front Royal or near the north end as I might take a Monday off also...
EDIT: Review starts at #20
Last edited by SheepOfBlue; 08-26-2008 at 08:59 PM.
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
I've always stayed in spots well off the Parkway, except for a night in the Pisgah Inn. It was actually pretty cool, but a bit $$ for a bike trip...
Front Royal is not to be missed, but I recommend running it in the other direction, early in the morning for full effect. Have you considered reversing your trip... ie slabbing up to Front Royal and then Skyway/Parkway home?
Thanks Baketech I will check that. Logistically reversing it "might" work. I had not for two reasons. One is that I would be slabbing when I was the most worn out. The second being that I could leave work Friday and get to Cherokee by nightfall thus a reasonably clean start.
I will have to check into Front Royal as I considered that area a get the heck away zone . To many folks when I get near DC. I did go up that end one time when I was working in DC to the Deer Patch but cannot remember Front Royal at all.... I will be checking your thread
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
Hmmm, I need a good road trip. When are you planning on being there? Not that I have much more vacation time...
“I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center.”
~Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Hmmm, I need a good road trip. When are you planning on being there? Not that I have much more vacation time...
I actually wanted to do this for a while. I have ridden parts of the south and in a car parts of Skyline. This would match nicely with my ride of the Natchez Trace end to end (until they added a couple of miles ) So I was on AOL with CBR929RE and plotting using Garmin Bobcat to see the miles.
It seemed possible so the next stage was plotting places to sleep etc. If I do it this summer it will likely be in August so it is warm (lots of it is at altitude) or very early September at the latest. Not sure yet but I will post up and/or PM you as things gel. As far as vacation time I would be at the top on Sunday at the latest if I go north. Still have to plot some based on Baketech's idea though as I might be able to go slab further on Friday then hit the top mid day on Saturday then head down on Saturday and finish Sunday....
Still plotting
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
You'll never do 620 miles on the Blue ridge parkway in one day. the speed limit is 45 MPh and that will be hard to keep. The road is nothing but twisties all the way. You need aleast two days to cover the blue rige IMO. Plus you'll want to stop and look at the awesome views.
You'll never do 620 miles on the Blue ridge parkway in one day. the speed limit is 45 MPh and that will be hard to keep. The road is nothing but twisties all the way. You need aleast two days to cover the blue rige IMO. Plus you'll want to stop and look at the awesome views.
All true but insanity does go to the bone at my house Of course I am leaning toward leaving work on Friday and getting to Cherokee. Ride the BRB up into VA somewhere and stop. Make the rest on Sunday and loop back part way. Take Monday off and run on in to the house getting in at a nice hour.
Think maybe the last weekend of August or so
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
Sounds good. i guess you know to take warm gear, it gets cold at 5000- 6000 ft. Blue Ridge into Asheville is beatiful !! I do the run from Greenvilee ,Sc a couple times a month. i go up 276 over Ceasars Head ,down to Brevard, take 276 north through Pisgah to The BRP into Asheville. have fun. Leave lots of time though for site seeing.
Sounds good. i guess you know to take warm gear, it gets cold at 5000- 6000 ft. Blue Ridge into Asheville is beatiful !! I do the run from Greenvilee ,Sc a couple times a month. i go up 276 over Ceasars Head ,down to Brevard, take 276 north through Pisgah to The BRP into Asheville. have fun. Leave lots of time though for site seeing.
Any idea on bike friendly hotels in VA? I wish I could find something like those around the gap as I would sleep better knowing the RR was safe.
COLD yep but that is also why August is a good month to go
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
Sounds good. i guess you know to take warm gear, it gets cold at 5000- 6000 ft. Blue Ridge into Asheville is beatiful !! I do the run from Greenvilee ,Sc a couple times a month. i go up 276 over Ceasars Head ,down to Brevard, take 276 north through Pisgah to The BRP into Asheville. have fun. Leave lots of time though for site seeing.
Having spent 9 years living at nearly 5000 feet (and countless hours well above that) I find the weather just right, I consider it HOT at the low elevations, not cold at the high one.
An Alabama sheep though might want to take his wool suit.
...dude you ride an offroad bike with slicks, 1/2 the weight of a GS, double the suspension, with a browning 50 cal going off 32" from your skull as a daily freaking driver - I'd expect anything except a nitro dragbike to be bland by comparison - SSG
Sounds good. i guess you know to take warm gear, it gets cold at 5000- 6000 ft. Blue Ridge into Asheville is beatiful !! I do the run from Greenvilee ,Sc a couple times a month. i go up 276 over Ceasars Head ,down to Brevard, take 276 north through Pisgah to The BRP into Asheville. have fun. Leave lots of time though for site seeing.
From Greenville? You know that practically makes us neighbors(again)? Glad to see you back!
Thinking leave work Friday and ride to Cherokee, NC 4.5 hours.
Saturday ride up to marker 170 detour to Woolwine (can't resist) and stay at Rocky Knob Cabins if possible. 300ish miles should be easy.
Sunday continue to Front Royal not sure on the hotel yet. I get miles at about 270ish more.
Monday get up real early and zip up I81 to get WV, Mass and PA to add to my state list. Then uturn and home. I have to check the time cost of heading up to get states still... Ride home is 12ish hours probably.
August 22-25 is looking VERY likely
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
So I skipped lunch and headed out an hour early from work. The bike was mostly loaded and ready to go. The trip over has an ETA of 3 hours but I loose an hour due to clock shift.
Pretty uneventful I head out US72 to I24 and into Chattanooga missing rush hour nicely. Then up I75 to the Cleveland exit (20) across US74 (and US64) to US411. At TN310 I head east which turns into TN39 nothing exotic but a bit rolling and winding. At TN315 I pull a hard right back down a hill and go a tiny distance to the Cherohala Motorcycle Resort the first nights destination.
Sorry no elevation maps as I lost all my tracks from the first two days
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
The Cherohala Motorcycle Resort is cool and I give it 4 hooves up. I actually talked to the owner when they were building it before it even opened. The night I stayed he was not there but his wife was and both are super people that ride. I had the place almost to myself with just a fellow and his son camping there (talked to them in the AM and he was nice and his kid cool, he liked the CBR )
My cabin was a single bed though you can get twin beds also. Nothing exotic but comfy and in the middle of great riding. The lack of TV and internet was kind of relaxing. No heat but they are closed in the winter and cabins get AC. The AC could have been a touch stronger but it was enough and even in the heat it should lessen the whining of yankees. The shower are single bathroom setups and very campy but clean with towels provided in your cabin. One down is the cabin could use a bigger porch and/or a kickstand pad rather than dirt. Also the cabin road is a bit loose but you could park up top on the cement.
If you where in a group the gazebo would be a great get together area.
I would return for sure.
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
More later. Sorry about the slow post but this was a longer than average graze and the house is a mess chores to do, bills to pay and lots to sift through and do.
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
Day #2 the basic route was into Tellico Plains (just a short hop from the campground) then up over the Cherohala Skyway. From there I followed TN143 further to TN28. Onto US74 into Cherokee which is the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Once on the Blue Ridge I was planning on getting to the Woodberry Inn area and find a place to sleep using the GPS. I stopped just a bit short of that as it was getting late. Details and pictures tomorrow including bad luck #1 and #2....
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
OK so day two will really start on the end of day one
I get to my cabin and settle in then decide to head into the metropolis of Tellico Plains for a soda and food. Well as I swap from tinted to clear the side peace breaks on my helmet. Yep replaced the OTHER side and still have a new one for this side.... back in Alabama. But I did bring some duct tape so disaster averted
Disaster two is in the morning. I get up early to get rolling and have everything loaded and bring the bike up top. I mess with a couple of things and put gear on and left the key on and it is dead now Yep the battery is on the way out but I borrow a charger from the owner and after a couple of minutes I can start it and just plan on being sure to not leave the key on at all extra.
She suggests checking with Tellico Plains Outfitters for a helmet shield cover but thinks the odds are low. Wheelers on the other side MIGHT have had it but I didn't bother checking (they have some hard parts as they cater to dragon crashes)
I run into town and check his store out. As expected he did not have one but I wanted a Cherohala shirt anyway and he had those Talked a bit about his Aprilia that he was having issues with then headed out to the Skyway. Between the stop, visit and battery my early start became just a normal morning start though.
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
As I head up the Cherohala Skyway I figure it will be chilly but nice as it is early but likely a lot of sun in my eyes. Well I was wrong on the sun and there was hardly a cruiser clogging the road to be seen so I ran through at a decent clip having a blast! Didn't get many pictures as I have been there done that before. Did stop once though and a couple pulled up.....yep filthy Quebeci's that brought no Maple tribute from the frozen north . Reminded me a bunch of you and V though JetBDude so I forgave the slight and wished them a nice visit. The tar chip mess on the Robbinsville side in the Cherokee reservation has be fixed and it is actually some decent pavement. That section has always been narrow with dodgy pavement and a good place to decompress slowly coming into town. Still narrow but the pavement is pretty nice now (narrow still)
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
Once on the Blue Ridge Parkway and continued north to just below Mabry Mill in VA. Sadly a car ran a bike of the road. I think the :assat: was passing a bicycle in the turn and freaked the bike who ran off the road. Unfortunately he was hurt as they were cutting his pants when I went by but I am unsure as to what the problem (they did not need someone in the way). The scenery I have some pictures but this does not even come close to what you see. For anyone that has driven a long way and experienced road hum.... I got scenery hum when I finally lay down that night and closed my eyes... never had that before but it was just hours of awesomeness.
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote
. To many folks when I get near DC. I did go up that end one time when I was working in DC to the Deer Patch but cannot remember Front Royal at all.... I will be checking your thread 
Originally Posted by SheepOfBlue
) So I was on AOL with CBR929RE and plotting using Garmin Bobcat to see the miles.
Of course I am leaning toward leaving work on Friday and getting to Cherokee. Ride the BRB up into VA somewhere and stop. Make the rest on Sunday and loop back part way. Take Monday off and run on in to the house getting in at a nice hour.
If 
Talked a bit about his Aprilia that he was having issues with then headed out to the Skyway. Between the stop, visit and battery my early start became just a normal morning start though.
. Reminded me a bunch of you and V though JetBDude so I forgave the slight and wished them a nice visit. The tar chip mess on the Robbinsville side in the Cherokee reservation has be fixed and it is actually some decent pavement. That section has always been narrow with dodgy pavement and a good place to decompress slowly coming into town. Still narrow but the pavement is pretty nice now (narrow still)
I have some pictures but this does not even come close to what you see. For anyone that has driven a long way and experienced road hum.... I got scenery hum when I finally lay down that night and closed my eyes... never had that before but it was just hours of awesomeness.
Bookmarks