PJ73

Hi there. We are planning to travel from Chattanooga to Washington D.C. in August this year and were wondering if this is doable in one day on the Interstate? Or more if we took in parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway? We are planning on spending 4 days in Chattanooga and 4-5 days in Washington but this is not set in concrete yet and we would really like feedback as to whether or not the BRP is a viable side track. We don't need to see the whole thing so are there parts of the BRP worth seeing more than others? Any thoughts or suggestions gratefully received.
Thanks!

starrs

Chattanooga to DC is about 600 miles and about 9 hours without stopping.

"if this is doable in one day on the Interstate"
Do you want to drive that far in one day?
Some people do. Some people don't.

Have you looked at the map of the BRP? If not, here is a link -
http://www.nps.gov/blri/index.htm

IMO the prettiest part of the BRP in NC is the section that includes the Linn Cove Viaduct.
http://www.romanticasheville.com/linn_cove_viaduct.htm

Also beautiful is Skyline Drive that runs through Shenandoah NP -
http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisi...line-drive.htm

It ends near Front Royal, VA and you can go to DC from there.

The speed limit on the BRP is 45 mph and it is meant to be driven without speeding. You would probably enjoy segments of the parkway but few enjoy driving the entire parkway unless they take several days to drive it. You can get on and off to drive any segments you are interested in.

PJ73

Thanks Starrs. We live in Southern New Zealand so it is a long drive anywhere for us and the driving hours will be fine. Thank you also for including the links and your opinion on the prettiest part - I'm taken just by the photos! This has definitely helped with our planning.

starrs

"We are planning on spending 4 days in Chattanooga and 4-5 days in Washington"

I don't know what you plan on seeing in Chattanooga or the area (nor Washington) but I'd definitely slow down and enjoy the mountains along the BRP a bit more. I'd probably spend 3 days in the Chattanooga are and 4 in DC to open up 2 days to spend in the mountains (along the BRP). Do you plan to go to the Biltmore House in Asheville? I'd do an overnight in the Asheville area and another near Banner Elk/Boone/Valle Crucis.

I love Lookout Mountain - overlooking Chattanooga - and recommend the Chanticleer Inn on Lookout Mountain. It's an easy drive down to the city below but much cooler and prettier. If you are interested in hiking and/or waterfalls, Cloudland Canyon state park is on the back side of the mountains and has beautiful waterfalls via relatively easy hikes (but with lots of steps). Ruby Falls and Rock City are two attractions you may be interested in and Chatt. has a river-focused aquarium. Lots to see and do in Asheville also. Happy planning!

PJ73

Starrs, wow, Biltmore House - have not stumbled across this in my research yet so thank you for this gem! Chattanooga is a base for Tennessee for us. My husband loves civil war history and I just love the variety there I guess. We also have people to catch up with and I'd love to see a couple of things in Tennessee only a couple hours drive from Chattanooga which is just a day trip to our nearest big city for us here in NZ.

Gosh the Chanticleer Inn looks lovely but I did fail to mention we would have our ten year old daughter with us... She is fabulously travelled, although not this far from home, but the romanticism of the Inn would be lost on her I'm afraid.

I'm definitely looking into stopping a night now between Chattanooga and Washington and can't thank you enough for your tips. We live in a rural town surrounded by nature and walks and just love the outdoors so will definitely look at the other things you suggested also. Great local knowledge?

starrs

There are a couple of rooms with 2 queen beds. It's a romantic place indeed, but would still be a lovely place to stay with your daughter. I like it because you can get out and stroll the neighborhood on top of the mountain. The streets are named after fairy-tale characters - Robin Hood, Cinderella, etc. - and the elementary school is Fairyland Elementary. A cousin grew up a stone's throw away and one of my dearest friends grew up on the ridge (overlooking Chattanooga). I love the area and had business meetings at the Chanticleer. It's a lovely old rock motor lodge that has been lovingly reinvented. I'm a big fan (can you tell?).

Chickamauga Battlefield is at the base of the mountain and on the other (more rural) side is Cloudland Canyon state park. We were there camping in yurts not so long ago, but the yurts fill up quickly.

nytraveler

You mention you are from NZ - so you will need to be prepared for the weather in that area in August. In the mountains is can be slightly cooler - but most of the trio will be extremely hot and humid - including DC. Be sure to carry water and stay hydrated

PJ73

Hi there. Haven't had the chance to login for a while but thank you so much for your interest and tips. nytraveler - yes, I keep warning my husband of this. I myself have no trouble with heat and feel the cold all the time so temperatures not worrying to me. I have also traveled Nevada etc in July so am guessing what to expect but our trip is based around Speed Week in Wendover in August so no option for time of travel and we are fitting in six weeks all together. I really appreciate the friendliness and guidance from these forums so thank you once again. We are taking hydro packs with pockets instead of carry ons (with the bladders in our check ins of course) so we can keep refilling with fluids.

Gretchen

I think staying hydrated on the east coast is not that difficult--just being plain thirsty will tell you, rather different than in the high altitude mountains of the West.
Starrs has given you a nice idea of time to allow you to enjoy the space between Chattanooga and DC. And of course, there is a lot of Civil War in Virginia. Definitely don't overlook Asheville.
The BRP is a wonderful ribbon of highway, but choose sections--the 45 MPH speed limit can get tiresome. North from Asheville would be a really nice section.

Virginia1990

New Market, VA might be a good Civil War stop for a few hours. Right off I-81. There's a nice little story behind it about the cadets marching from VMI in Lexington up Route 11 to New Market for battle. I went quite a few years ago as a school field trip, so I can't remember what all is there or what they may have added since then.

Virginia1990

Here's a few more things to think about along the way from Asheville to DC. Instead of overnighting in Asheville, head to Hickory, NC. If you get there early enough, there is a great little place called Sims Country BBQ. Only open on Friday and Saturday evenings for dinner, but if you are the least bit interested in a little bit of Appalachian culture, this is a great place to find it. $10 for all you can eat (good) BBQ, and there is live bluegrass band every night. They typically do short clogging shows, and then invite the audience/diners up for some square dancing and line dancing. Just a fun place to hang out that's off the beaten path and different from anything else you will experience anywhere else. On your way from Asheville to Hickory, there is also an abandoned town called Henry River Mill Town. It's right off I-40, a short 5 minute drive, that is cool to just drive over and look at then hop right back on the interstate. Some say it's haunted

Along the drive then from Hickory to DC, here are my recommendations. Some are personal favorites that aren't necessarily wide known. These are in order form south to north along 81.

Natural Bridge - just do the hike to see the bridge and up to the waterfall. Shouldn't take long, but it's worth going to see.

Panther Falls at the Buena Vista exit off 81 (exit 188) - this is a small waterfall that you can go for a swim in that's down in the mountain. This is one that's just a personal favorite, but it's a little ways off I-81, probably 20-30 minutes at least.

Humpback Rocks - great hike off the BRP that overlooks the Shenandoah Valley. Also has a little mountain farm set up to explore from the 1800s that is neat to just browse through.

My previous suggestion of New Market is further north than Humpback Rocks.

PJ73

Thanks Virginia 1990, these are some fantastic ideas and really helpful in planning. And my husband is a real BBQ fan so this will make him smile. I am a real planner and want to make the most of the time we have so this is really great. It is good to know where might be worth stopping instead of trying to fit in everything. We have extended our journey up the BRP from Chattanooga to Washington to take two days so should be able to fit in a few more sightseeing stops

Gretchen

I went back and sort of reviewed Starrs' ideas--and your desire for the BRP, and now you say you have 2 days to get to DC. In all honesty, this is not going to allow you a lot more stops. IMO you should choose your stopping place (and I think Asheville and a tour of Biltmore would be about right for distance and the time to tour the house--get an early start from Chattanooga). Whether you have the time for the BRP really depends on you--you could start north out of Asheville (a VERY lovely part) for X miles and then find the interstates and main highways to get to DC.
There will be good BBQ in Chattanooga--although the place described sounds VERY cute and we might seek it out ourselves.
You may be overlooking a treasure in Charlottesville by having to rush on to DC, but there is always a lot to be missed.

starrs

Gretchen raises good points. I love the BRP. It's wonderful But to be honest, I would have a hard time doing all of it in one stretch. I've driven all of it (I think) but in segments - off and on and at different times. The section that included the Linn Cove Viaduct is my favorite and I do love Skyline Drive. You can't go wrong by driving sections of the BRP but if you are limited in time, I wouldn't try to do all of it.

If you want a recommendation of a very nice place an hour from Charlottesville and DC =
http://www.meander.net/

ronkala

If you do a section of the BRP, you can skip Skyline Drive as beautiful as it is. I agree with Virginia 1990 about stopping at the New Market Battlefield. We always took our visiting family and friends there while living in Woodstock. A good southern home cooked meal can be found at the Southern Kitchen on route 11 in New Market. New Market is less than two hours from DC via I-81 and I-66.

To find distance and time between locations, go to freetrip.com

BritishCaicos

We have flown into DC from the UK and driven down to Asheville in a day.

I have to say that the first hour on the BRP was really enjoyable. After that it just became very, very tiresome. The scenery is "pretty" but not stunning and as others have mentioned the 45mph is an issue. Get stuck behind a CamperVan and 45mph is a out of the question but the view also disappears.

I can't remember the total distance that we remained on the Parkway, I just remember that we arrived in Asheville late and I was cursing the route.

starrs

The good news about the Blue Ridge Pkwy. is that it's easy to get off and on. So drive until you your bored and then get off and take the interstate or another road

BritishCaicos

Absolutely Starrs!

Virginia1990

Also, if you want a break from the BRP but don't want to take I-81, you could drive some of Route 11 in Virginia for a while. It runs through little towns along the way, but there are a lot of sections that the speed limit is 55, and it can be somewhat scenic as well. It pretty much parallels 81, and crosses it numerous times if you want to just get on 81 at any point.

Gretchen

Route 11 is a lovely road. Good idea.