Week long ride

[FRubio]

If you had a choice: Would you ride the Natchez Trace or the Blue Ridge Pkwy in the month of June?
Thanks in advance for your responses.
Fernando

[DarrylRi]

If I had a week in the area, I'd do both! They're only a couple states apart, after all.

The BRP is, of course, legendary, so it's on my short list. Last year I didn't get to do it when I went to the RA Rally in Birmingham. But I did cross the Trace on my way home, and it looked very intriguing. Clement Salvadori wrote a piece about the Trace a few months ago, and that just added to my interest...

[HexST]

The BRP can be quite congested in the first part of June with schools out and weekend campers. I've always had better luck in May or mid September.
Knick

[wilhelmggw]

I would take the Blue Ridge Parkway ANYTIME! I rode the Natchez Trace only once, and would not do it again. Boring! After you've seen the first five million pine trees, seeing the other 95 million leave you wondering, "How do I get off this thing?!"

[Jim Shaw]

At the Asheville end of the BRP, you are within range of some wonderful riding in the Smokey Mountains and foothills. The western edge of these fantastic roads is marked by Deal's Gap (Hwy 129 south of Knoxville, TN). Hwy 28 is fun to ride - heck - pick out a squiggley road on the map and ride it. The Cherahola Hwy is nearby, too. This is some of the finest motorcycle riding and scenery south of New England and east of the Rockies.

The map I marked is just by way of an idea of the region I'm talking about.

By the way - Biltmore House, in Asheville, is usually worth a half day visit. It's the old Vanderbilt estate, and has been fully restored and the gardens are gorgeous. Gives your butt a chance to regain it's natural shape, before more riding.

Avoid Gatlinburg at all costs - period.

[Jim Shaw]

Here's the map I forgot to attach to the above:idea

[sfarson]

BRP. Though it could be busier than the NT.

The NT is nice. The Tennessee part especially in terms of riding. Many places to pull over and read/view history.

[MarkF]

I absolutely LOVE the BRP. That said the month of June can be very RV heavy on the BRP. I know nothing of the other place. Is that the road I read about in Rider mag last year? I can't remember the name but it went from somewhere like Tenn to Texas.

MarkF

[knary]

I use them only to get you from amazing road to amazing road. The BRP is pleasant in a pleasant kinda way. But all around it are squiggly little roads that aren't plagued with tourists and heavy speed enforcement. Use them as better than average roads to get to amazing roads.

Maybe I'm just too used to riding out west to get the hoopla over the BRP. I dunno.

You've got a week?
c'mon. You're only 1,200 miles or so to the rockies. That would give you 3 or 4 days playing on top of the world.
:D

[Jim Shaw]

I know I am in a small minority when I refer to the BRP as "turn right - turn left," but no road in the history of my riding career has tried harder to put me to sleep. It seems like every turn is the same radius, and they consistently alternate right/left. After hours of this, I use about every other scenic turnout to get off and try to wake up.

Be especially careful to not run off the edge of the pavement, too. In most places there is about a 4-6" drop off to grass. Many a rider has wrecked by running off the pavement and trying to get back on, instead of riding it out on the berm.

Some of the better roads I have ever ridden in the east have been a result of getting off the BRP, and getting wonderfully lost on surrounding back roads. Not a bluehair or a Volvo to be found.

All that said, lots of riders I know just love the Parkway, even if I can't understand why. But the NT has the dual capability to bore you with scenery, while it bores you with the ride. Bronze placques do not a riding adventure make.

Jim :brow

[Jim Shaw]

Here's a close up of just one nifty looking road in VA off the BRP. Check out 640. And, who could resist riding a road named 666? :bliss

[FRubio]

Well, the reason I am leaning towards the NT is because it looks like it will be a 2-up tour. So, for comfort sake I must cut down on the squiggles.
I still do not know which way to go but you all have been very helpful in giving me some info. Special thanks for the maps!
Who knows, maybe I'll end up riding north instead.
You are welcomed to stop if you are ever in the Madison, Indiana area.
Thank you!!!:)

[rocketman]

The BRP is a great ride, but not if you are in a hurry, I took 5 days to do it along with 441 over the Smoky Mt. in Sept. when all the traffic was gone, kids back in school etc. See my post elsewhere on this forum.

Took a lot of side trips, as others mentioned there are tons of great little lost roads all along it. In summer you may well be better off spending more time on the side roads, staying west will keep you more in the hills, east it's more flat land, esp. on the Va end. If you make it through Little Switizerland on Rt. 221 a stay at the Alpine Inn is well worth it. At 3500 ft, and sitting right on the edge of the mountains the view can't be beat, and the price is very affordable. Rt. 221 is a great road too.

June may not be the best time to travel it though, lots of blue hairs, RV's etc. better doing it in May or after Aug but worth it regardless.

In the lower southeast corner of Ky, there is a nice road called Kingdom Come Highway (i kid u not) that climbs up a valley through coal country and ends up passing through a narrow gap at the eastern end. Worth the ride just to say you've ridden it!Lots of nice little towns along there, with some great little hidden museums, like the Kentucky Coal Mining /Loretta Lynn Museum staffed with real "down to earth" coal mining families. Tons of fun just talking with 'em.

Just found this link, so I cam back and added it, more than you ever wanted to know about Kingdom Come Highway, a very nicely done site.

http://www.kingdomcome.org/

Good luck which ever road you take, they all lead somewhere...


RM

[charliec]

I rode the BRP in 1972 on a Triumph 750 , great ride . Did it again in March 76 on a MotoGuzi with my new bride, second trip took 2 weeks. There are lots of really nice side roads off of there. We even spent the night in an apple orchard some where out there. If you do get to do it 2 up I recomend some snacks and drinks and a lot of time off the side of the road looking at the scenery. Last time I did it I bought a 12 volt coffee pot I could stop and brew a cup off the bike battery to sip while I relaxed and enjoyed the views.
I have run the BRP in an RV several times and various cars, it still amazes me in the Spring. Down here we have 2 seasons "Brown " and "Green" with Green being short and wet. The seasons and colors up there are something to see again and again. I would avoid the vacation times because of the RV traffic and people. Some of the little eateries are great in the towns off the main road. The plan here for Spring is a run to Big Bend for a few days.

[jhelming]

A great alternative to the BRP if you're heading south towards the Smokies but want to make better time, is VA Hwy 42. Like the BRP, it parallels I-81, but on the west side of the interstate. Great curvy, rural road with nice scenery, interesting little towns, farms, etc., but you can cruse at 70 mph if you want. I picked it up south of Winchester last Fall on the way to the RA rally at Barber, and followed it almost all the way to Abington, near the TN border.

It's not totally continuous, i.e., it disappears here and there, but connecting the dots using other local roads also involved some fascinating 'local color' -- Bubba is definitely out there in some of those 'hollers'!

____________
John H.

[tom42n]

The Natchez Trace take your time, camp on the trace-
Like Riding Through a History Book

Read "The Devils Backbone" before you go

[edge51]

Rode the Trace a few years back in May. I enjoyed all the history and the countryside. I did not enjoy the heat and humidity - was 95 plus with bout 98% humidity. I hope others have better luck - it is a very relaxed ride in all other respects.

The Blue Ridge area has also been a favorite of mine. May or Sept is the best due to summer traffic. With only a week I might just limit myself to one portion of it - there are so many great rides on the side roads as others have said.