Blue Ridge Parkway

[ctechbob]

Thanks to working night shift, Saturdays on my long weekends for me usually consist of being wide awake at about 4am. Instead of just tossing and turning until I getup, I decided to just roll with it and go for a drive. Since I've been driving the Ranger mostly these days I decided I would go beat on the garage queen Acura for a while.

I struck out and headed up to the Lake Toxaway area, hit up the Blue Ride Parkway, and wandered around from there, until it got a little too warm to drive with the windows down and headed home.

400+ miles later.... (I didn't reset the trip computer until after I'd gotten gas on the way up and had already been driving for 20-30 miles.

Route Map

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Few Random Photos, and a short vid. (Everything sounds better in a tunnel):

BRP

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[loneryder]

Good for you! Can you see why they named them Blueridge? All that bluish haze. It’s even there on a clear day.

 

[Sierra048]

I see you went through Helen. That's about twelve miles south of us over the mountain.

 

[ET16]

That's interesting. I've only driven the Blue Ridge Parkway in VA. I forgot that it's long!

 

[alarmguy]

That's interesting. I've only driven the Blue Ridge Parkway in VA. I forgot that it's long!

We are in the Smoky Mountains once a year on the bike, NC/TN area. Highest elevation is here but the whole parkway is awesome.
When we were younger, we rented a small motorhome (almost as late teenagers) and drove the West VA and VA areas, was an awesome experience, still remember it even though we were "partying" the entire time. )

This is just from a couple weeks ago ... the peak is somewhere near the Transylvania/Canton NC area.

 

[alarmguy]

Last year we stayed at this place in Cashiers NC, awesome waterfalls leaving Cashiers and heading towards TN.

 

[Bud]

Been all through that area as a kid with my parents and as a parent with my kids. Went to school in a small place called Fletcher, NC. Love those mountains.

 

[ctechbob]

I see you went through Helen. That's about twelve miles south of us over the mountain.

Yep, I actually try to avoid actually going through there unless I'm with the wife, then I will, but otherwise I go around. Be going up that way now through 3 motorcycles, a Miata, and now the Acura. I'm a big fan of the area, especially all of the TVA stuff as you get up a little further north. Lots of really cool history and winding roads.

Next weekend off, since the wife is working, I might head up to Cades Cove in the Ranger and hit a few of the dirt roads.

 

[ctechbob]

That's interesting. I've only driven the Blue Ridge Parkway in VA. I forgot that it's long!

The absolute best time I've ever had on a motorcycle was the year I rode up to Harrisonburg VA and met my uncle who had come down from PA. We intended to get up early and hit skyline drive back north to PA where I was going to vacation for a week. We get up early and make it to the entrance at about 0715. Neither of us realized that the road actually wasn't open till 0800. We were just going to sit there and wait, and then the ranger person looked at us and gave us a grin and waved us past. 45 Min of us being the only thing on the road was just awesome. Soon as 0800 rolled around we got stuck behind an RV, but for 45 min we had it all to ourselves.

 

[ctechbob]

Figure I'll drop this here instead of starting a new thread.

Today was an 'up at 0400 for no reason' day and since the wife had to work and I didn't really have any pressing chores this weekend it was back in the Acura. This time up to Cherokee - Gatlinburg - Down across the foothills parkway - back through 129 (Deals Gap/Tail of the Dragon) and back home. 390 miles.

I'd spied an elk 2 weeks ago at the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Today, when I rolled up near the entrance of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, there seemed to be something going on as there were cars lining the road and big electronic signs signaling that all of the fields were closed.

These were the culprits:

Elk everywhere, just chillin in the morning having a snack. One of them was strolling through the visitor center parking lot, and there was one dude, I didn't get a great picture of him, but he's a big one: (Up and to the right of my mirror) I wasn't feeling very social this morning, so all of my pictures are from a moving car.

Rest of the album....not very good pics, but its what I've got today.

2021-08-29 Drive

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Next weekend off, I'm thinking about taking the Ranger to Cades Cove and hitting some of the dirt roads up that way. Not sure how I'm going to keep from beating on that poor truck on the roads getting there.

 

[gman2304]

Yep, I actually try to avoid actually going through there unless I'm with the wife, then I will, but otherwise I go around. Be going up that way now through 3 motorcycles, a Miata, and now the Acura. I'm a big fan of the area, especially all of the TVA stuff as you get up a little further north. Lots of really cool history and winding roads.

Next weekend off, since the wife is working, I might head up to Cades Cove in the Ranger and hit a few of the dirt roads.

^^ Planning another motorcycle trip to the Robbinsville, N.C. area in October. My dad worked on the building of the Fontana Dam for the TVA during WWII. I have visited the dam quite a few times and even rode the now closed tram to the base and toured the interior/face where the huge dynamos are. Our last visit 2 years ago only allowed visitors inside the visitors center and to walk along the top of the dam. Still worth the trip and is a beautiful and amazing place.

 

[ctechbob]

^^ Planning another motorcycle trip to the Robbinsville, N.C. area in October. My dad worked on the building of the Fontana Dam for the TVA during WWII. I have visited the dam quite a few times and even rode the now closed tram to the base and toured the interior/face where the huge dynamos are. Our last visit 2 years ago only allowed visitors inside the visitors center and to walk along the top of the dam. Still worth the trip and is a beautiful and amazing place.

I can't help but think one thing when I'm around that dam. That they've cut clear through it twice now since its having a bit of a problem with the concrete actually expanding and causing it to buckle.

My brain understands how that works and how its no real problem. But there's a little part of my brain that also says 'they cut the thing in half, you shouldn't be standing on/in front of it'.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

^^ Planning another motorcycle trip to the Robbinsville, N.C. area in October. My dad worked on the building of the Fontana Dam for the TVA during WWII. I have visited the dam quite a few times and even rode the now closed tram to the base and toured the interior/face where the huge dynamos are. Our last visit 2 years ago only allowed visitors inside the visitors center and to walk along the top of the dam. Still worth the trip and is a beautiful and amazing place.

Yes. I was there many times. Also a beautiful sight looking down on the lake from on top of the National Park in late evening. The lake is so blue.