Must see in TN

[BMWBagby]

Ok... we're starting to plan the trip to the 2009 rally in TN. Having never been to the TN area, what are the must see / must do places? We'll be coming "from the west" but the route is fairly open right now. Tourist attractions, places to eat,...

Thanks in advance!

[ultracyclist]

...and hotels in the area.

[Greenwald]

If you're coming in from the west, once you reach the TN / NC area, you might consider making time for HWY 129, and ride "The Tail of The Dragon" in both north and south directions. It is quite the challenge to one's riding ability and not to be missed.

There is also the Cherohala Skyway, the Foothills Parkway and other local routes that I have ridden in the Smokies that are beautiful and definitely a pleasure on two wheels. Maggie Valley is nearby and I have enjoyed riding to it.

If you have time, spend some of it in Gatlinburg, with a vibrant main street, the Aquarium of The Smokies, and a gondola to the top of a nearby mountain, which loads / unloads right from the downtown, near the aquarium.

Pigeon Forge is a bit too commercialized for me (reminds me of Branson) but has everything to offer, if you're in the mood. Then make your way to the Blue Ridge Parkway for your journey east, and eventually Johnson City.

Ashville, NC is on the way, with quaint buildings and 'old South' manners, and makes a nice stop.

There are actually many more points of interest, but I hope this 'sampling' from my travels in the region helps. The locals can provide even greater detail and highlights.

Enjoy your travels and see you at the Rally!

[osbornk]

If you're coming in from the west, once you reach the TN / NC area, you might consider making time for HWY 129, and ride "The Tail of The Dragon" in both north and south directions. It is quite the challenge to one's riding ability and not to be missed.

There is also the Cherohala Skyway, the Foothills Parkway and other local routes that I have ridden in the Smokies that are beautiful and definitely a pleasure on two wheels. Maggie Valley is nearby and I have enjoyed riding to it.

If you have time, spend some of it in Gatlinburg, with a vibrant main street, the Aquarium of The Smokies, and a gondola to the top of a nearby mountain, which loads / unloads right from the downtown, near the aquarium.

Pigeon Forge is a bit too commercialized for me (reminds me of Branson) but has everything to offer, if you're in the mood. Then make your way to the Blue Ridge Parkway for your journey east, and eventually Johnson City.

Ashville, NC is on the way, with quaint buildings and 'old South' manners, and makes a nice stop.

There are actually many more points of interest, but I hope this 'sampling' from my travels in the region helps. The locals can provide even greater detail and highlights.

Enjoy your travels and see you at the Rally!

There are some better choices and most are closer. Surrounded by many of the best motorcycle roads in the country and within a couple of hours of the Rally is Breaks Interstate Park http://www.breakspark.com/. The Biltmore in Asheville, NC is a must see and the 59 miles of I-26 is a great motorcycle interstate highway. I agree with the Blue Ridge Parkway but I would ride it toward Asheville so you can ride the Viaduct and climb Mount Mitchell. I wouldn't miss riding Rt 421 through Shady Valley, TN http://www.shadyvalleycountrystore.com/

You can experience a great 32 mile ride over 3 mountains from Hungry Mother State Park in Marion, VA to Tazewell, VA

[Greenwald]

There are some better choices and most are closer. Surrounded by many of the best motorcycle roads in the country and within a couple of hours of the Rally is Breaks Interstate Park http://www.breakspark.com/. The Biltmore in Asheville, NC is a must see and the 59 miles of I-26 is a great motorcycle interstate highway. I agree with the Blue Ridge Parkway but I would ride it toward Asheville so you can ride the Viaduct and climb Mount Mitchell. I wouldn't miss riding Rt 421 through Shady Valley, TN http://www.shadyvalleycountrystore.com/

You can experience a great 32 mile ride over 3 mountains from Hungry Mother State Park in Marion, VA to Tazewell, VA

Ahh, the wisdom of the 'locals' that I referred to!

Thanks for sharing. My 'point of reference' can only be the areas I have visited several times within the last three years.

Those of you who enjoy this area as your 'backyard' are in a much better position to suggest routes, layovers, POI's, etc.

Looking forward to a return visit - keep the intel flowing about what we all should be looking for in your neck of the woods!

[osbornk]

Ahh, the wisdom of the 'locals' that I referred to!

Thanks for sharing. My 'point of reference' can only be the areas I have visited several times within the last three years.

Those of you who enjoy this area as your 'backyard' are in a much better position to suggest routes, layovers, POI's, etc.

Looking forward to a return visit - keep the intel flowing about what we all should be looking for in your neck of the woods!

The Chromeheads had a rally at Breaks Interstate Park last weekend and people were blown away by the riding. How often can you take a ride of under 225 miles and over 200 of them be challenging mountain roads with little traffic, no law enforcement in evidence and good roads? These roads are within a couple of hours of the 2009 MOA Rally location.

[SCQTT]

Three stars in the TN flag, Three wildy different states.

Nothing worth seeing until you get east of Nashville.


I 40 is a semi clogged, sewer of a road between Russellville AR and Nashville. There are also an extreme number of people driving 100 MPH in the left lane and throwing chicken bones out of the sunroofs of Escalades.

If I were coming from the west I would zig zag the AR/MO border, then visit Grass Roots in Cape Girardeau MO, cross the MISSISSIPPI on the new bridge in Cape and go east through KY.

[The_Veg]

If you can, take a detour south to Birmingham and check out the Barber Motorsports Museum.

[BMWBagby]

Thanks - these are some great ideas! Keep 'em coming!!!

Oh, what about the "and you have to eat at..." places? (not the "chains" but the places the "locals" go to)

[SHAG]

Ok... we're starting to plan the trip to the 2009 rally in TN. Having never been to the TN area, what are the must see / must do places? We'll be coming "from the west" but the route is fairly open right now. Tourist attractions, places to eat,...

Thanks in advance!

Don't miss this http://ludden.com/SandP/ in Gatlinburg :deal

[Visian]

i'd highly recommend breakfast, lunch, dinner and an overnight stay at the mt. pisgah inn (http://www.pisgahinn.com/), just west of asheville, nc, on the blue ridge parkway.

this would be an excellent pre-rally stayover, and i'll gladly provide an all-twisty way from this point to the rally. :)

another good choice for campers... blue ridge motorcycle campground. (http://www.blueridgemotorcyclecamp.com/)

ian

[Hillman]

There are some better choices and most are closer.

<snip>

You can experience a great 32 mile ride over 3 mountains from Hungry Mother State Park in Marion, VA to Tazewell, VA

I was wondering if you were going to keep VA 16 a secret! :p
And how about VA 80 between Elk Garden and Meadowview?
And US 58 between Volney and Damascus?
And NC 226 down (or up) the mountain?
And NC 181 uphill from Morganton?
And.....
And.....
And.....

[calmil]

+1 on the Osborn & Hillman suggestions.

I would also include 160 in eastern KY across Black Mountain(highest in KY) and into VA at Appalachia,VA, only about 45-60 min from Grey, TN.

Someone mentioned Pardners BBQ near Grey, but seriously consider Ridgewood BBQ :eat in Bluff City, TN. Much better IMHO, and only a few miles from Pardners.

Calvin Miller

[osbornk]

Someone mentioned Pardners BBQ near Grey, but seriously consider Ridgewood BBQ :eat in Bluff City, TN. Much better IMHO, and only a few miles from Pardners.Calvin Miller

I totally agree but Ridgewood BBQ has people lined up out the door when nothing special is going on. I suggested Partners because they will have room for some of us.

[osbornk]

I was wondering if you were going to keep VA 16 a secret! :p
And how about VA 80 between Elk Garden and Meadowview?
And US 58 between Volney and Damascus?

That's the problem where I live. If I don't get on I-81 or Rt 11, I can't ride on a road that is not really good.

When you ride Rt 58 from Volney to Damascus, it's hard to not turn off at the Whitetop Post office and ride Rt 600 to Konnarock and then ride up through Fairwood to Troutdale and then follow Rt 16 back to Marion and then over to Tazewell, etc. The hard decisions never end when I take a ride.

[1074]

Ahh, the wisdom of the 'locals' that I referred to!

Thanks for sharing. My 'point of reference' can only be the areas I have visited several times within the last three years.

Those of you who enjoy this area as your 'backyard' are in a much better position to suggest routes, layovers, POI's, etc.

Looking forward to a return visit - keep the intel flowing about what we all should be looking for in your neck of the woods!

Love to get advice from the locals; but I don't always heed their words. I'm happiest with just a state road map, a desire for squiggley line roads, and a sense of adventure.
I always find neat "stuff" and have a ball!
Case in point: Doing the "Dragon" has become a virtual requirement for almost everyone on two wheels. I was there in 1980 when it wasn't as well known, and had a blast! Going back now would be a bummer for me. It's too much of a tourist trap and, with all the squids out there diceing with the law, a less than safe place to be.

[osbornk]

Love to get advice from the locals; but I don't always heed their words. I'm happiest with just a state road map, a desire for squiggley line roads, and a sense of adventure.
I always find neat "stuff" and have a ball!
Case in point: Doing the "Dragon" has become a virtual requirement for almost everyone on two wheels. I was there in 1980 when it wasn't as well known, and had a blast! Going back now would be a bummer for me. It's too much of a tourist trap and, with all the squids out there diceing with the law, a less than safe place to be.

Being a "local", I don't know anyone around here that would ever recommend the "Dragon". Based on the hype, almost all of us rode the "Dragon" and came away disappointed. There are 3 rides within 45 minutes of my house that are better.

If you just get a state map and look for squiggley roads, you will miss a lot of good riding roads. Around here, the maps do not accurately represent the roads. Based on maps, dispatchers keep routing trucks over our best road that goes over three mountains (Rt 16 between Marion, VA and Tazewell, VA) that is impossible for a large truck because the curves far more crooked and the mountains are far steeper than are indicated on any map. Maps also don't indicate the quality of the road surface.

If you find a knowledgeable local, they can be a very valuable resource. You have to be careful because there are a lot of pretenders that can lead you astray.

[barryg]

Looks like U will be coming in from the west, if U cross into Tn. at Memphis during the middle of the week, Bikes on Beale is Wendsday night. Ride your bike downtown to Beale, park it free on the street and listen to all the free blues, soul, rock, and rockabilly. You'll still be snapping your fingers, and tapping your feet when U get to the rally. Rally may be a little bit of a downer after that, at least the rally will give U a place for some quiet time to relax. :laugh

[alabeemer]

Rally may be a little bit of a downer after that, at least the rally will give U a place for some quiet time to relax. :laugh


Come on Barry..."rally a bit of a downer"??? We gonna have tunes there too....good ones!:twirl

[wuli959]

Fall Creek Falls State Park (http://www.myfallcreekfalls.com/fallcreekfalls.html)


http://www.myfallcreekfalls.com/sitebuilder/images/panofcf-888x295.jpg

[BMWBagby]

Looks like U will be coming in from the west, if U cross into Tn. at Memphis during the middle of the week, Bikes on Beale is Wendsday night. Ride your bike downtown to Beale, park it free on the street and listen to all the free blues, soul, rock, and rockabilly. You'll still be snapping your fingers, and tapping your feet when U get to the rally. Rally may be a little bit of a downer after that, at least the rally will give U a place for some quiet time to relax. :laugh

Excellent! Memphis was going to be one of our "stop overs" and now we know when! Thanks!!!

[barryg]

Try this web site for more info. www.bealestreet.com Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of RocknRoll. :dance :rocker :groovy

[Visian]

If you just get a state map and look for squiggley roads, you will miss a lot of good riding roads.

what you need is a delorme gazetteer (http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtdItemDetail.jsp?beginIndex=0&item=304&section=10096).

http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/Atlases/images/samples/tennessee.gif

ian

[Visian]

Fall Creek Falls State Park (http://www.myfallcreekfalls.com/fallcreekfalls.html)


http://www.myfallcreekfalls.com/sitebuilder/images/panofcf-888x295.jpg

:thumb

[rocketman]

I often use google map images (topo and road view) and print those pages out, along with setting my GPS to "shortest route, no highways" and have found a ton of wonderful roads that way all over the eastern seaboard and mountain areas from PA down thru Georgia. Never had a bad ride (road wise) using those two techniques.

Either that or just follow your nose and the sun...... if you're in a rush, take the car! Ha ha!

RM

[wuli959]

Historic Rugby (http://www.historicrugby.org/), TN

http://www.nps.gov/biso/planyourvisit/images/rugby_imagewithtext.jpg


Time stands still at Rugby, Tennessee - the restored Victorian village founded in 1880 by British author and social reformer, Thomas Hughes. It was to be a cooperative, class-free, agricultural community for younger sons of English gentry and others wishing to start life anew in America. At its peak, some 350 people lived in the colony. More than 70 buildings of Victorian design graced the townscape on East Tennessee's beautiful Cumberland Plateau.
This would-be Utopia survives today as both a living community and a fascinating public historic site, unspoiled by modern development. Twenty original buildings still stand at the southern edge of the Big South Fork National Park, surrounded by rugged river gorges.


near Big South Fork National Recreation Area (http://www.nps.gov/biso/), also not to be missed

http://www.nps.gov/biso/naturescience/images/obedriver_imagewithtext.jpg


and check out Charot Creek Lodge (http://www.charitcreek.com/about.html) for a stay (requires human propulsion to access)
http://www.charitcreek.com/template_assets/images/Main_bgimage_r1_c2.jpg

[Norwood]

Here is link to some great roads in the rally area.:usa

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/other_rides.html