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Route from MI to Johnson City

dancogan

New member
My wife are planning on taking a 3 day trip to the rally in July. We're interested in back roads, obviously, and I'm thinking it would be nice to ride through parts of WV and maybe parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'd appreciate any suggestions for routes, starting from the Ann Arbor area. TIA!
 
Take US 23 south to Columbus, Oh. Catch 40 east to Zanesville. In Zanesville catch St. Rt. 555 (triple nickel) and ride it to Rt. 50. Stay on 50 East to Ellenboro, W.V. Take 16 south all the way into North Carolina. Catch the BRP at Glendale Springs N.C. Take the BRP south as far as you like and then head up to Johnson City.
555 in Ohio and 16 in W.V., Va., and N.C. are very nice rides. You aren't going to make great time, but you will see some great scenery, and some really remote areas that the world has forgotten about. Roads are curvy and can be narrow and tricky in spots, but WELL worth the effort. If it is a weekday watch for coal and lumber trucks in W.V.
Rt 23 all the way to Johnson City isn't a bad ride either. It is four lane with light traffic and some pretty nice scenery. I am in Chillicothe, Oh and I can be in Johnson City in around six hours on 23.
 
Thanks, NavyDad. Sounds like a great route! We're not trying to make great time, just avoid I-75 down through Cincinnatti, Lexington, etc. Neat ideas. We've never done 555 but have been hearing about it since Lima, so this may be the year we finally find it.

Many thanks.
 
I'm in eastern KY about an hour west of US23 mentioned. Take a look at coming down thru OH as mentioned, or on many other nice 2 lanes nearby to 23 such as 62(I think) and then along the OH river on 52 you can enter KY and steer toward the Red River gorge and Natural Bridge ST PK area(where I live) and some very scenic rides. There are some scenic east KY roads that don't have the coal truck traffic that you get on US 23. Heading for the Cumberland Gap NP or the Tri state-VA,TN,KY area near the rally is a great choice too. The bummer on the Blue Ridge is that you can never predict when it will be fogged in(which is often) and no views to be had. PM me for more info and I'll get out a map. I'm in Anonymous too...:blah
 
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