Carrabella

Aussie senior couple with 10 days to travel with hire car from Washington DC in October. Love National Parks, but preferably without the crowds. Could anyone recommend a route, and a good place to look for accommodation? What to see and where to stay on the road? Have read that the Gt Smoky Mountains is the most visited National Park in the USA - but it will be Autumn, and I'm sure will be worth it. Thanks, Fodorites! Have just started research.

mrwunrfl

From D.C. your drive would go west on Interstate 66 and then south on I-81 down the Shenandoah Valley. Before I66 meets I81, you could get off at Front Royal and take the Skyline Drive south through Shenandoah National Park. Would be good to do this during the week as it is a popular drive during leaf-peeping season.

Leave the park at U.S. route 211 and head west. You could visit Luray Caverns that is nearby. Drive thru Luray, pronounced LU-ray by the locals, to get back on I-81 at New Market. There is a Civil War battlefield park at New Market that you might like to visit. It is less than a mile or so from the interstate (on the west side of the highway), so very convenient. It is worth an hour or two. If you go on to the battlefield, down by the house/barn, then do walk up the hill to the treeline - there is a pretty view down to the river and a valley and hills below.

I've stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel that is just of the interstate at one of the Harrisonburg exits and recommend it.

mrwunrfl

Hope you will come back to this post before you go to sleep tonight and top it so that the folks back east will see it when they wake up!

EricH

Skyline Drive and the northern sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia are nice, but the Blue Ridge Parkway further south in North Carolina into Tennessee is on another level altogether. Don't miss it. You can pick up the most spectacular parts at I-77 and head south. It's very indirect, but definitely worth it.

weimarer

Unless you're in a hurry, I'd sugegst taking the Skyline Dr and BRP for much of the way. It's all scenic, althouh, yes the stretch of it north and south of Asheville runs much higher thru more rugged mountains than the rest and there are some stretches around Roanoke and into NC that are hemmed in by trees with no views. The Virginia portion south of Roanoke runs straighter and thru much more pastoral scenery vs more mountainous terrain further south. If you were to detour off the BRP, Rte 221 south of Roanoke to I-77 near Hillsville, then back on would be a good option. Very scenic route thru the VA countryside. Floyd is a nice little town-live bluegrass music every Friday night at the country store.
If you want a taste of traditional Appalachian culture and music, this would be a perfect place for it if you can get there Friday evening.

I'd avoid 81 unless you just want to make time to get south. It's only two lanes each way, very high speed, and lots of trucks. Not relaxing at all. Trucks will bear down on you on hills (they don't like using up their brakes for cars in front of them). If they do you better do whatever you have to do to get out of the way or you'll feel like you're in the movie "Duel". Better to just stay off it altogether.

Also, while not National Park, much of the mountains in Western VA and NC/TN are National Forest. (US Forest Service website) Technically different, but same type of thing for all practical purposes, so don't assume that GSMNP is the only place just because it's the only NP down there. The monuntains in western VA into WV are also quiet beautiful, so you may want to consider an excursion there. I recommended Highland County VA to another poster. Very different scenery than in the Smokies, well worth a jaunt-and no crowds.

Also, you mentioned you're seniors, so I'm not sure about hiking, but keep in mind that there are minimal roads in GSMNP and no facilities, so unless you're planning on doing some hiking, you'll probably have exhausted much of what you can do inside the park itslef within a day, maybe 2. And definitely do that during the week.

You'll definitely enjoy the trip-beautiful landscape, take time to explore the backroads.

Carrabella

Thank you, mrwunrfl, EricH, and weimarer for your ideas - I do appreciate your input. We are walkers, and reasonably fit for a few hours ramble in nice scenery.

We will have 10 days, late Oct early Nov. after our few days in Washington, and driving down the Skyline and Blue Ridge Parkways sounds great to me. We will leave Washington on a Thursday. Possibly get through Shenandoah NP on the Thursday, and stay in Floyd? Or perhaps stay further south and drive to the bottom of the BRPW through Gt Smokeys on the Friday? Is is more than a two day trip from Washingon?

We drove through the Amish country in Penn. many years ago, visited Philadelphia and on to Atlantic City. Don't think we'll be doing this again though. Have heard of Harper's Ferry and it looks pretty - perhaps we could spend some time around here? Maybe visit Mt Vernon directly on our way out of Washington?

That sea-road near Cape Hatteras looks amazing. I really don't know anything about it yet - all I have is an old AA map of NE States to plan our trip, and my net research from there.

weimarer, I WAS thinking we'd return on route 81, but certainly don't want to feel like I'm in a scene from "Duel". How about the 40 over to Greenborough and the 95 back towards Washington, then find something on the coast? Highland County sounds good too. I might just mention that we'll be coming from spending a couple of weeks in California, Yosemite, Lassen and the coast south of SF, so it will be a lovely contrasting trip, I think.

Greetings all, from downunder - it's not even Spring till September and it is so hot today! Beach weather even.

SAnParis2

You have some great suggestions on here, however, you will be visiting the Mts. at the absolute busiest times of year. Your trip will coincide w/the invasion of the 'leef-peepers'. So, be prepared for lots of people & traffic, especially on the weekends.

mrwunrfl

It might be past peak colors in Shenandoah NP that late in Oct. GSMNP would be colorful a week or so? later than SNP, I would guess.

Without going via SNP the drive from DC to Harrisonburg, VA, is about 2 hours. Maybe 2 and a half. I have a cousin in H-burg who has volunteered to be your tour guide there for a day and has a friend at the visitor's center. She mentioned a farmer's market, where the Mennonites attend in the horse and buggies and sell homemade lace and other things. A few other attractions in the area.

Yes, it will be quite a contrast to Yosemite, etc. Not as dramatic but beautiful country (the Virginia part, maybe GSMNP is more dramatic).

Maybe you might want to stay in Virginia over the weekend (given the last poster's comment) and go to Caroline after that.

melindalyn

We lived in Virginia for 8 years and drove the entire lengths of I81 and I95 countless times. IMHO I would rather drive I81 on the busiest day of the year than I95 on the slowest day of the year. Yes, I95 has many sections that are more than 2 lanes each way but the traffic is horrendous and sometimes it gets crazy making sure you take the right loop around a city or if you choose to go straight through a city, that you don't get lost in inner-city (like we did on I95 on our honeymoon). I find that on I95 I spend more time watching traffic and less time enjoying the scenery. If you do choose to drive I81, around the town of Lexington is Natural Bridge, an absolutely amazing natural wonder. You can drive over the stone earthen bridge and also take a walk under the bridge. Someone mentioned Luray. If you enjoy caverns (or want to visit your first) there are 4 between Luray, Front Royal and New Market. Luray is the most stunning, but very crowded. Endless Caverns in New Market is less visited and when we went early on a weekday my husband and I were the only 2 on our tour. Made it personal and memorable. Good luck!

Rich

We drive I-81 a couple of times a year on the way to and from DC area. There are a lot of trucks, but all you have to do is speed up a bit if you feel like they are bearing down on you . . no big deal at all.

They are just trying to get enough speed to get up the next incline without slowing down and blocking traffic.

ronkala

I-81 goes through Woodstock where I live as does the designated Virginia Scenic Byway route 11. I would bypass Front Royal, continue west on I-66 onto I-81 south and take the first Strasburg exit south (rte.11). Follow that thru Strasburg and Toms Brook and just before entering Woodstock turn left on Woodstock Tower road. This takes you up to the tower and from there you can look down on the Seven Bends of the Shenandoah River and the valley. Continue on to Woodstck and see the still in use 1795 courthouse, the Woodstock museum, and the churches in Old Town Woodstock.

Continue south through Edinburg and Mt Jackson and you will come to the Meems Bottom covered bridge. Continue through the bridge and the road will cross over I-81. Turn left after crossing 81 and stop in at the Route 11 Potato Chip factory. You can view the chips being made and taste the various samples. Turning right out of the parking lot will take you south to two Caverns. It will also get you back on 81 into New Market where you can see the Battlefield as mentioned above.

I suggested bypassing Front Royal as that part of Skyline Drive has the lower elevation of the mountains. You can get on the drive from rte 211 out of New Market or rte. 33 out of Harrisonburg.

weimarer

"Possibly get through Shenandoah NP on the Thursday, and stay in Floyd? Or perhaps stay further south and drive to the bottom of the BRPW through Gt Smokeys on the Friday? Is is more than a two day trip from Washingon?"

I'd really recommend spending Thursday in and around Shenandoah, perhaps hooking up with mrwunrfl's cousin, then getting to Floyd for the bluegrass jamboree Friday night (starts at 6:30, just show up don't worry about a seat or anything), either staying at one of the B&Bs/Inns in the area or, if you aren't averse to a regular chain type place, around Blacksburg or Christiansburg off 81 (short drive along Rte 8 from Floyd). Catch the sunset on Thursday, assuming decent weather, atop Skyline Drive, or even better on top of Reddish Knob (mrwnrfl's cousin will know about this).

http://www.floydcountrystore.com/

http://www.floydtourismdirectory.com....html#lodgings

No need to rush to GSMNP-it's not going anywhere and is hardly the only thing in the area. Definitely avoid it on the weekend. Maybe Floyd area Friday night, Blowing Rock or Banner Elk, NC Saturday night, Asheville Sunday night, then GSMNP on Monday. Something along those lines.

Another fantastic scenic drive (as good or better than the high points on the BRP) is the Cherohala Skyway, starting near Robbinsville, NC (a dumpy little town favored by bikers).
It's getting more popular as people find out about it, but will still probably be fewer people than the BRP. Goes thru some of the most remote area on the eastern seaboard. The only possible drawback is that it takes you way down from the far SW corner of NC into TN, so you may want to just go halfway or so and then turn back after you start winding down into TN.

Near the start of the Cherohala is the Joyce Kilmer Forest, pretty well know for it's large old-growth tulip poplars and hemlocks. Well worth a stop. The trail is pretty easy.

http://www.cherohala.com/

weimarer

And here is a good resource for some other scenic routes to take in western Carolina-maybe explore some of these routes on the weekend for fewer people and save the Smokies and the BRP north and south of Asheville for the first part of the week.

http://www.byways.org/explore/states...untains_Region

weimarer

One last thing...I would also recommend ordering a couple DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteers of both NC and VA. They are $20 each. (Is this in violation of the advertising policy on Fodors?)

They are excellent. Topo maps as well as the entire road network, including all the little backroads that won't show up on a regular map. They also have tons of information about unique natural features, historic sites, museums, recreation areas, hiking trails, the whole works. Well worth it for a 10 day jaunt thru the two states.

Mango7

(Is this in violation of the advertising policy on Fodors?)

It is, and as a result you will slapped in the face 50 times with a wet fish