Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway Roadtrip Advice
 

We are wanting to do a Roadtrip! Our First! We are planning on 6 days. Here is a list of places and ideas we have in mind and are open to lots of suggestions:
Start..... CHATANOOGA, TN ( Incline Railway, Lookout Mt., Aquarium) > CHEROKEE, NC (Reservation, Smokey Mt and Blue Ridge Mt Pkwy) > ASHEVILLE, NC (Biltmore Estate, Blue Ridge Mt Pkwy...whatever stops we can make after that)> LINVILLE FALLS, NC ( Falls and head back to Arkansas)
We were hoping to do some camping but the forecast is showing rain chances. I know that could change, but if not what are some suggestions on a clean place to sleep and shower and hit the road again. We are planning on taking our 8 yr old daughter and dog so that will also be a factor. We are planning on leaving Sat the 19th so please help us out!

Look on hotels.com for places to stay--and then the site that says "pet friendly". You might have better luck if you board your pet at home.

Make sure you have an alternate plan to the BRP. when we were in the area a few years ago, it was unexpectedly closed for bad weather when the weather looked fine to us.

You don't really say how much of the BRP you aare driving--hopefully not all the time between these areas. And remember that sometimes the Parkway is above the clouds so there is no view--but interesting looking at the tops of clouds!

We were planning on traveling the Parkway from Asheville up to the Linville Falls. Is that a bad idea and why? And is there a way to check that the road is open?

Ignore abram's post - it only applies in winter when the Parkway is often closed at the slightest hint of ice. You'll have no problems this time of year.

Your plan sounds great to me, though I'm not a camper and can't help there. Forecasts for more than 3 days out are worthless.

What Brian says. Starrs had posted this wonderful site for planning around the BRP which might even encourage you to do more than what you are saying.
http://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisi.../blrimap-2.pdf

Brian, we were there in mid October. That isn't generally considered winter.

Sometimes the Parkway is fogged in. We followed a truck off of it to safety one night when we couldn't see a thing.

I've not heard of the Parkway being closed for fog, but I would not want to try it in heavy fog either.

You can check for real-time closures at http://www.nps.gov/maps/blri/road-closures/

It isn't closed. As I mentioned above too, sometimes the clouds are below the road/down in the valley.
We have actually been on I77 in fog that we drove 30 mph with flashers on following the car ahead with flashers--now THAT is scary!!

Thanks for the replies...the were all helpful. I did check the road closures just incase, everything was good. I think we are just gonna be open for whatever. No set plans! There was an older gentleman from the area that was telling me it would take us forever to drive that Parkway because of the speed limit, but I am afraid I'll miss something venturing off. Do you all advise just going the Parkway? And are we gonna miss some really good stuff if we don't take the Pkwy from Cherokee to Asheville?

You can take the Parkway from Cherokee to Asheville with no problem if that is what you want to do. There are many places to get off to get something to drink--or to see something else. I will say that there is a lot of "same" on the Parkway so I don't think you'll miss anything!!

You aren't saying you are going to take the Parkway all the way (to where?). No you should NOT do that, IMO. ;o)

No we weren't going to do the whole Pkwy. Mostly wanted to see Mt. Mitchell since that is the highest point. But since we were going from Cherokee to Biltmore, just wondered if we should take the Pkwy or the quickest way? To me it wouldn't get old, but to the kids...yes! So, Gretchen (or anyone else)... what is your favorite part of the Pkwy? Mostly I just wanted to do the Pkwy from Ashville thru to Linville Falls.

That part is VERY nice--Asheville to Linville, around Boone and Blowing Rock.

Thank you so much! Headed to bed and out of here in the morning!