Taking a little trip, looking for suggestions for detours!

[WesV]

As Enzo said, for VA, catch the Blue Ridge Parkway up the mountians, when you do, please let me know and if I am around I will ride with ya as I live right dead center of it in Harrisonburg, VA.

[realslacker]

Lots of great replies!

@enzo: Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm going to try an do as many side trips as possible, so this is great!

@WesV: PM me your contact info, and I'll be sure to drop you a line when I'm coming through!

[dodger1]

Can't comment on most of your planned trip except to say I'm jealous as hell! but I drove the south shore of Lake Superior from the Soo through to Duluth a few years ago, managed to keep off the 4-lanes for most of it, and wished I was on my 850. Met some great folks, found some great beers, Enjoyed the drive. Hope you get to do the same.

[dardoonk]

After leaving Southern Pines and heading north, aim toward Charlottesville, VA and drop by Monticello & Jefferson home. You can run up Hwy 15 in VA & catch the Thomas Jefferson Pkwy (hwy 53) north.

Or, if you head toward Lynchburg, VA you could go to the Walton's Mtn Museum. It's between Lynchburg & Charlottesville

Sounds like a fun trip

[TheCafeKid]

Second Leg: Memphis, Beale Street for some music and clubs. There are a few BBQ places if you like BBQ(let me know I know some great BBQ all over the south).

Third leg: The Natchez Trace Parkway runs for 404 miles between a point near Franklin, Tennessee (south of Nashville) to just north of Natchez, Mississippi. Apart from a gap in the Jackson, Mississippi area the Parkway is continuous. http://www.johncletheroe.org/usa_can/scenroad/ntp.htm

Fifth leg: Daytona Beach, Savannah, Charleston. Deal's Gap (The Dragon's Tail) http://www.dealsgap.com/ .

The Blue Ridge Parkway, administered by the National Park Service, runs along the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains for 469 miles from the southern tip of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, south to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. The Parkway is continuous with no gaps.

If the highly scenic Skyline Drive (97 miles long) through the Shenandoah National Park at the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the equally excellent Newfound Gap road (26 miles long) through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park at the southern end are both added then the total distance from Front Royal, Virginia to Gatlinburg, Tennessee is 592 miles, all on National Park Service roads. Technically the Blue Ridge Parkway itself does not extend into Tennessee. However, the Newfound Gap road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a natural extension to the southern end of the Parkway, so Tennessee is included in these notes as if it were truly a state through which the Parkway runs.

http://www.johncletheroe.org/usa_can/scenroad/brp.htm

Seventh Leg: Peter Lugar's New York for a steak.

If I come across anything else I'll post it.

Were I you, if you've ever already ridden the Dragons Tail, I would pass on it. Its simply, by all accounts anymore, over crowded, CRAWLING with cops and probably not worth the hassle if youve already been on it once. *I* have not, so at some point I would like to give it a go, but only to say ive done it. I have seen video and heard tales of the overrated monstrosity it has become. And after my little trip thru parts of WV this weekend, I think most of the Apps have just as good as roads, and we were fortunate enough to see VERY little traffic, especially on a holiday weekend. Incidentally, WV 33 and 47 were pretty darn fun, but as I said, I am sure there are a lot of Byway type roads in those areas to ride that would be very satisfying. Hit up Dpep, and Grandpa on the board here, both know that area pretty well.

[dpep]

Not much beauty left on either Florida coastline I'm afraid. Almost entirely developed. When coming north from the keys you might want to take the Fla Turnpike instead of I-95. It costs a few bucks but there is a lot less traffic. I-95 goes through a lot of metro all the way up to north of West Palm Beach.

The FlaTurnpike runs out just south of Ocala on I-75 a few miles from the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum if that would be of interest to you. From that vicinity take Fla Hwy 42 over to Daytona Beach on the east coast. 42 actually has some curves on it. The Speedway is just off I-95. You will want to go in there and take the tour. It is mostly NASCAR oriented but it does show you around pretty good and gets you out on the track. After you leave the track go out and ride the loop north of Daytona.

http://www.daytonachamber.com/enbw/loop.html

Instead of completing the loop south you can turn left when you get out to A1A and ride up to St Augustine. Much of the road along that stretch runs essentially along the top of the beach. I would cut back over to 95 at St Augustine unless you are looking to kill some time. A1A gets pretty congested through Jacksonville's beaches section. I would say take 95 through Jacksonville rather than 295 though you might get caught in some construction later in the evening. Try to avoid the rush hours as with any large city.

I-95 through Georgia and the Carolinas is brutal. Flat, straight, hot, no scenery. But that will be your most direct route to Southern Pines.

[bwringer]

Were I you, if you've ever already ridden the Dragons Tail, I would pass on it. Its simply, by all accounts anymore, over crowded, CRAWLING with cops and probably not worth the hassle if youve already been on it once.

It's a zoo as described after the party crowd rolls out of bed on sunny weekends, but virtually deserted before 10:00 am and on weekdays. Or if it looks like rain.

However, I think the Dragon is definitely well worth riding, as are dozens of superb roads in the area. Just stay away from the peak times.


If you're in search of even more incredible, virtually unknown twistage, I would also suggest US 421 between Bristol, TN and Boone, NC, specifically the section west of Mountain City, TN. It's every bit as entertaining as the Dragon, and goes on much longer. Aside from some deadly coal trucks and a very few local sportybikers, it's virtually deserted.

If you happen to swing through Indiana, look me up -- I live on the northwest side of Indianapolis, and will be happy to offer whatever hospitality I can. We also ride the excellent twisties in Southern Indiana regularly, so holler if you'd like to hook up or need info.