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Blue Ridge Parkway "End-to-Enders"

cehlbeck

New member
Last week my wife, Donna and I went on vacation. Our vacation happened to be on our K1200LT. Our vacation also happened to be from mile marker zero on the Blue Ridge Parkway back south to the end at mile marker 469. It was a vacation that we had planned as a retirement gift to me and ourselves. We have to brag that we're now "End-to-Enders"!

We had fog, rain, wind & sunshine during the trip but were prepared for all of it.

We intentionally took a leisurely trip and weren't in a hurry. In fact, we had even planned a 2 night layover in Little Switzerland, NC.

If you're looking for something to read while having your evening cocktail or morning coffe, I wrote a summary of the trip on our blog.

I had also made us a DVD slide show of some of the pictures and also uploaded it to You Tube if you're having your second drink or second cup of coffee that you can look at here.

It was a trip I'd do again in a minute! And so would she!
 
I've done the Parkway round trip end to end twice. By the time I got home, each trip was a little over 1,000 miles (I lived near the Parkway at the time). I had dense fog and/or rain both times when I crossed the viaduct one way but the return trip was clear once. I spent two days each way and fiddled away one day in the Smokies exploring the casino in Cherokee and wandering through Gatlinburg and surrounding areas.

I enjoyed both trips with very different riding companions on each trip. I found out the roads are very abrasive on much of the Parkway that is tough on tires. I apparently misjudged the tread on one trip and wondered if I was going to make it home with a slick rear tire.

The only part of the Parkway that didn't meet my expectations was around Roanoke, Va where civilization has intruded and spoiled the serenity.
 
A very under appreciated road for motorcycles. People ride hundreds of miles to ride the most over hyped road, the Dragon and miss the BRP which is a shame.
 
First off, thanks for the nice comments. We just wanted to share.

The comment about Roanoke is very true. From the parkway I was able to see a Wal-Mart and sub-divisions with yards that back right up to the parkway right of way. The amount of land for the parkway on either side of the road is actually pretty small I found out. On the other hand, when the parkway went through Asheville, we had no clue we were in Asheville. Some told us we would get bored but we never did.

There was only the one posted detour from mm 230 to about 250 (for work from 232.5 to 236.9). We knew ahead of time from the National Park Servie website and just took and followed the route of US 21 into Sparta then NC 18 to Laurel Springs and NC 18 takes you back to the parkway. We could've shave a mile off it by turning onto 18 sooner but I see why they make you go the way they do. The detour was very well marked.

From where we live I can go up to Deal's Gap and back in a day, leaving after breakfast and being back before dinner. But the Cherohala Skyway is a better ride to me. Don't get me wrong...if you happen to be in the area, head to Deal's Gap to see what the hype is about. My grips about it is the ones who treat it like a personal racetrack and get offended when others don't see it the same way.
 
I am leaving Mass for this trip in a couple of weeks. Do you have any advise for me in the planning. We are planning on starting at the west end of chericola then the dragon, then on to the parkway. We like to travel w/ no immediate itinerary. where exactly does the blue ridge start and end. Any must see places not commonly known

thanks
pete
 
Thank you for sharing your trip. This trip is still on my "bucket list". Your posting has made it even more of a "must" ride.
 
I am leaving Mass for this trip in a couple of weeks. Do you have any advise for me in the planning. We are planning on starting at the west end of chericola then the dragon, then on to the parkway. We like to travel w/ no immediate itinerary. where exactly does the blue ridge start and end. Any must see places not commonly known

thanks
pete

The northern end of the parkway is at the top of Afton Mountain near Waynesboro, Va where I-64 crosses the mountain. There is an exit on the interstate. The southern end of the parkway is at the Cherokee Indian Reservation in the Smokey Mountains at Rt 421. There is a lot of information at http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/
 
I am leaving Mass for this trip in a couple of weeks. Do you have any advise for me in the planning. We are planning on starting at the west end of chericola then the dragon, then on to the parkway. We like to travel w/ no immediate itinerary. where exactly does the blue ridge start and end. Any must see places not commonly known

thanks
pete

Since you are not leaving for a couple of weeks, plan for wind, rain, fog and sunshine. You never know what you'll get on the Parkway. Plan a stop at Mabry Mill.
 
Since you are not leaving for a couple of weeks, plan for wind, rain, fog and sunshine. You never know what you'll get on the Parkway. Plan a stop at Mabry Mill.

Some areas even saw their first snow flurries this weekend in NC too. Be warned that they do not remove snow and ice from the BRP, they just close the sections with it.
 
What was the sound track with your slide show? Enjoyed both the pictures and music.

The soundtrack was from a National Park Service CD I picked up along the way simply titled "The Blue Ridge Mountains". How appropriate.

So far as the start and end point someone beat me to it, but there are numerous entry and exit points along the way, most with state or US highways.
 
Well add my Bride and I to this list. We travelled the entire length from north to south after the Finger Lakes Rally in Sept. 2010. We had fair temps,rain and fog.......and it was a blast. We also added in "The Dragon" before the return trip home.
This pic is at Mabry Mill on the BR

BluRidge_09_10_9.jpg
 
FOG! You might want to allow for going both ways or a different return as in my many times there it can be such that you will barely see the road, much less the scenery. So, if it's clear going , plan another way on the return and see even more.
 
Grew up there:)

I'm a Virginia native, long removed to the West Coast these days. BUT, I grew up in CulpepperVA., an hour from the BRP, MISS IT:(. My riding it was a long time ago, except a short 100 mile section in NC, after the Tennessee Rally, couple years back. My GSA1200 and I managed to see it again after a LONG absense. I may retire back there? :usa:thumb
 

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Another BRP:)

A nice day:) Along the highest part of the BRP, N.C.:usa:thumb
 

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Count me in !

I did the BRP End to End in September 2010. I left The Finger Lakes Rally on Monday and headed South to Virginia and camped the first night in at Big Meadows Campground. I'm surprised I didn't run into you Snookers. As I was going down the Parkway I kept running into many of the same people that I saw at the campground I was at the day before. I was at Willville in Virginia one night and I ran into the same guys at The Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground in Cruso, NC the next night. It was fun, the video you posted makes me want to go back next year and do it all over again. Thanks for bringing back some great memories. Don

http://s416.photobucket.com/albums/pp243/capsnut/?albumview=slideshow
 
I'm a Virginia native, long removed to the West Coast these days. BUT, I grew up in CulpepperVA., an hour from the BRP, MISS IT:(. My riding it was a long time ago, except a short 100 mile section in NC, after the Tennessee Rally, couple years back. My GSA1200 and I managed to see it again after a LONG absense. I may retire back there? :usa:thumb

Retire to somewhere near where the Parkway crosses the VA/NC line. You grew up in the expensive part of the state (compared to most of the state except Fairfax, Arlington, etc). You can live in the mountains for a fraction of what you spend where you are now.
 
Does this count?

End to middle and other end to middle?

I rode Skyline Drive and BRP south thru VA to the NC border in 2009 prior to the MOA Rally. Spent a few nights at Hungry Mother State Park and riding the area before Johnson City.

After the Rally, I went west to Arkansas before heading home. I rode BRP north from Cherokee thru NC into VA before heading off on other roads.

Beautiful ride, making plans to do north to south end to end in 2012.
 
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