Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Skyline/Blue Ridge highlights

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Skyline/Blue Ridge highlights

After flying in to Washington DC from London on October 21st, we shall be driving to New Orleans on vacation. We want to include both the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, but can only allocate two days. Can anyone please advise us on the sections that are "must see" and on the best alternative routes in order to make fast progress on the other sections? Do we need to make a reservation for a motel at that time of the year? Many thanks in advance.

Any part of the Skyline/Blue Ridge Parkway provides beautiful scenery. I couldn't say that one part is nicer than another. May still be in the leaf season, if you, you will get an extra treat as the fall colors on the Parkway are spectacular. May want to check on some reservations. During leaf season motels seem to fill up pretty fast.

Leaf season does bring out the people and motel rooms close to the parkway are full, particularly on weekends. My favorite sections of that drive are in North Carolina. If I had only two days, I would try to pick up the Parkway at Blowing Rock, North Carolina and drive at least as far as Asheville. The stretch of the Parkway from Asheville to the Smokies is also pretty. But at Asheville you can get off onto Interstate highways and go on to Knoxville and on to New Orleans. Are you saying that you have two days for the Parkway or two days for the drive from DC to New Orleans? Dc to New Orleans is a goodly drive, about 1,100 miles.

Firstly, many thanks for the advice so far. I am very impressed with how quickly this forum can generate a response. Secondly, apologies for the lack of precision in my original message. We are flying in to Dulles airport on Saturday 21st October, arriving 2.40pm. We plan to spend Saturday night and Sunday night in the Washington area and to do some sightseeing there. On Monday morning we could get up early and drive to the Skyline Drive and then onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping overnight along the way. On Tuesday we would hope to get to somewhere near Chattanooga so that we could drive hard on Wednesday and get to New Orleans that evening. The 100 miles od Skyline at 30 mph and the 470 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway at 45 mph, plus stops for viewing, and then on to Chattanooga do not fit into two days, hence the request for ways to speed up the process, even at the expense of missing out on some good scenery. Hope this clears up the confusion, and that the request is not too unreasonable. (If it is, no doubt someone will say so!) Cheers and kind regards

Part One. OK. Chattanooga to New Orleans breaks down like this: Chattanooga to Birmingham: 142 Birmingham to Meridian: 144 Meridian to New Orleans 196 In round figures that is 500 miles. You have Interstate Highway most of the way, so while you are actually driving, I estimate that you can average 65 - 70 mph. At that rate you will need about 7.5 hours of actual driving time to reach New Orleans. With stops for gas and other purposes, you probably will be enroute about 9 to 10 hours. There will be an hour time change because you go from the Eastern Time Zone to the Central. When you approach Birmingham, you have a choice. You can take I 459 to the southeast or you can go straight through the city. The I 459 route is a little longer, but it is a good road that moves at times too fast. I drive that way regularly between Atlanta and Tuscaloosa, and there have been times when 90MPH was holding up traffic!! End of Part I. To be Continued. Now for the Parkway. You have essentially Monday and Tuesday to get to Chattanooga so you will be in a good position to reach New Orleans the next day. Your average driving speed while rolling on the Parkway will be under 50 mph. The combined distance of the two sections is 469 miles for the Blue Ridge Parkway and 105 for the Skyline Drive give you a total distance on the Parkway of 574. With turnouts and detours for various view points, you can figure on about 620 for the whole thing. Given the huge number of places along the route that virtually beg you to stop and get out and walk to an overlook, or to a waterfall, or to a mountain top, I think that you will miss the best of the trip if you only drive and stop at the roadside overlooks. For example, in North Carolina I think it would be criminal if you did not detour by Mt. Mitchell or turn off and walk the trail to Linville Falls, or take the trail up to the overlook at Devil's Courthouse. And !! the Parkway terminates in the Smokies on the east side. Before you get to the other side, I hate the thought of your missing Clingman's Dome and some of the other features of that most visited of our National Parks.

Part II Attractions Along the Blue Ridge Parkway. I suggest that you omit the section of both drives as far south as where I77 crosses the Parkway. Leave DC early, take I 66 west to I 81 and head south as fast as you safely can to the intersection of I77 and I 81. Turn south there and exit I77 to the Blue Ridge Parkway close to a hamlet called Fancy Gap. You will join the Parkway close to Mile Post 200. From there you have a series of attractions to stop and see: Doughton Park (restaurant), Moses H. Cone center near Blowing Rock, the Linn Cove Viaduct around Grandfather Mountain (the newest section of the road), Linville Falls, the Museum of N. C. Minerals, Crabtree Meadows, Mt. Mitchell State Park, Craggy Gardens, the Folkart Center (which has gorgeous hand made items for sale). At this point you will be close to Asheville, where you can find lodging, hopefully. You could resume your trip the next day by continuing past Mt. Pisgah, Devils Courthouse, Waterock Knob, and finally the Smokies. This section has some great overlooks also. In the Smokies I recommend the visitor center near Cherokee NC, Dingus Mill (a water turbine powered grist mill), Clingmans Dome (which involves a short uphill walk to the observation platform), Newfound Gap (view only), and Arch Rock ( a walk up to a natural arch under which a stream flows - may be too much time here). From the Smokies to Chattanooga is about 3 hours driving. This is just a suggestion, but given the time constraints, and my experience with the full length of the parkway, I think I am suggesting that you visit the most scenic parts. It is a question of superlatives, however, and I am not trying to downplay the northern end. But having seen all of it, I think the southern end has the most scenic attractions. Others may disagree with my judgment, but I think I can make a strong argument for my views.

Very many thanks for the replies. We shall be taking Bob's advice and leaving the northern sections for a future occasion.

Bob's right. Skyline drive charges $10 per car and the Blue Ridge Parkway is free. Though both are beautiful, with your time constraints, you will not get your money's worth from Skyline drive. You must go up Mt. Mitchell (bring a jacket because it gets cold up there), and stop at the Lynn Cove viaduct visitor's center. Get reservations for Asheville NOW!!! It will be peak leaf season and places fill up beyond capacity. www.ashevillechamber.org for information. On your next trip to this part of the world, fly to Dulles, visit Luray caverns. Take the Skyline drive (or highway 340) south to Waynesboro, go east on I-64 to Charlottesville, then back to Dulles