RV road trip through Smokey Mountains

[glc]

Yes, it's a parking lot, but it has full hookups. I don't know what reviews you have been reading, but the only problems I'm seeing in the reviews I just read are dirty bathrooms. You don't have to drive the RV into NYC, you leave it and take the ferry or the train in. Ferry is right at the park, the train is 5 blocks away.

[Midwest Michael]

The reviews I've heard involve very poor customer service and issues with the hookups not working.

But regardless, a you can easily get a nice hotel room in NYC for less than the $80 a night plus RV rental fees. You might have to stay in Brooklyn or Queens but that's easier in my book than staying in Jersey since you can stay on the same subway system. Heck, if you're going to stay in Jersey, you can find reasonable hotel rooms not far from the RV park that cost about the same or less per night than the RV park.

[Foy]

Hello Kate,

You're planning what promises to be a very enjoyable trip.

I imagine you're booking a small motorhome built upon a Ford E-350 chassis, a van body much like Lifemagician's chariot, where the F-350 chassis is a pickup truck body, or else you're getting an F350 with a truck camper attached. Either way, no worries about driving it most anywhere you'd care to go.

You'll arrive in the Southern Appalachians at the beginning of the autumn "leaf season", when seemingly half of the population heads for the Smokies and the Blue Ridge to see the Fall colors. Just be aware of that and the wisdom of booking ahead when and where you can. More on that later.

Given your ultimate destination of NYC, and the two week time frame, you'll have the opportunity to see the whole of the Blue Ridge Mountains, from their beginning point in northwest Georgia all the way into Pennsylvania. From the eastern gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) follows the mountains of western NC and Virginia for 469 miles to Shenandoah National Park (SNP). Given the very slow pace of travel during leaf season, driving the entire BRP might end up being "too much of a good thing" but with I-81 on the west and various highways, including US 29, on the east, it's generally easy to drop off of the BRP to see other sights and make better time.

As for the Appalachian Trail (AT) there are essentially unlimited opportunities to access and use it: The AT has over 400 road crossings from Georgia to Maine. The beginning point is Springer Mtn, Georgia, within a couple of hours of Atlanta, with Amicalola Falls State Park and a "connector" trail leading to the official beginning point of the AT. This might be an ideal place to see and walk part of the AT at a most significant point. Further north, the AT passes through Wesser, NC, at the headquarters of the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), a rafting and kayaking outfitter. It passes into the GSMNP at Fontana Dam. Much farther north, the AT parallels and cris-crosses the BRP north of Roanoke, VA essentially all the way to the SNP. Through virtually all of the SNP, the AT parallels the Skyline Drive (SD), the only throughfare within the SNP. There are particularly scenic and easily-accessed segments north of Peaks of Otter, VA, near Apple Orchard Mountain and Thunder Ridge.

Now, back to reservations during leaf season: The GA state parks, as well as NC and VA, offer online booking. Federal facilities, including GSMNP, the BRP (actually a "linear" unit of the National Park Service), and SNP all offer online booking up to 6 months in advance. If much of your trip north involves staying close to or within the mountains, booking at least some of your stay ahead of time seems wise.

As to sampling some Southern culture, you'll have seen and experienced something unique in NOLA. Entering the Southern and Central Appalachians in GA, TN, NC, and VA, you'll be in the heart of Scots-Irish country. "Our Southern Highlanders" by Horace Kephart would be a good introduction into Southern Appalachian culture notwithstanding it initial publication 100 years ago. Be aware of a big NASCAR race in Charlotte, NC in mid-October, the NC State Fair in Raleigh in the 3rd week of October, and of numerous opportunities to take in a small (or large) college football game. College football on Saturday afternoon or night is very much a traditional pastime and can be found within a 50 mile radius of most any part of the South. Perhaps the largest spectacles involving college football would be found in Knoxville, TN (University of TN) and Blacksburg, VA (Virginia Tech). Washington & Lee University, Bridgewater College, and James Madison University offer football in Lexington, Bridgewater, and Harrisonburg, VA, near or within the scenic Shenandoah Valley.

Have fun planning and taking your RoadTrip!

Foy

[Aussiekate]

Hey Foy, thanks SO much for all that info. Its going to take us a while to digest it all but we will take on board everything you've said. I didn't realise it would be a busy time in that region, so will try to plan ahead as much as possible. Hubby would like to see some NASCAR, so just waiting on the 2013 calender to be released to see if we can tie that in, and the footy match was one thing on my "do see" list, so you've nailed that! The other thing I was thinking I'd love to experience is some Gospel music - preferably in a church setting (the real deal - not something staged for the tourists which I know you can do in NYC) - but also respectful of the fact this may not be appropriate - anyway any advice on that front would be great. Thanks again for all the info, it really is a fantastic site for a novice like me, and its only through the generosity of folks like yourself that makes it work. Just can't wait to get over there now!

[Foy]

My pleasure to provide some information, Kate.

The 2013 NASCAR schedule is out, Kate, and it shows Saturday night, 12 October as the Bank of America 500 date. Be aware of the numerous Sprint Cup (the top series) and Nationwide Cup (the second-tier series) practices and qualifying sessions during the days on the Thursday and Friday before the Saturday Sprint Cup race. Also be advised of the many opportunities to visit the race team shops, virtually all of which are within a 15 mile radius of the speedway at Charlotte. The race team facilities are designed with fans in mind, as all have elevated walkways where one can see the cars in various stages of construction or repair, and eye-level viewing of the engine-building rooms. For the true-blue fan or the disinterested, it's a pretty cool look at how it all comes together. Few, if any, of the team facilities charge admission for tours of their shops.

For interests in gospel and other traditional music, particularly country and bluegrass, look up "The Crooked Road" (TCR). TCR is an organization named for US 58 and its traverse of southwestern Virginia from Cumberland Gap to the Piedmont. Along TCR are many venues for live scheduled performances of traditional country music (think the Carter Family), bluegrass (think Bill Monroe), and gospel. I have a client who is in the habit of just stopping in at tiny mountain community churches on Sunday mornings to take in a worship service and do some singing of hymns with the congregation. He reports always being welcomed. Leaving a nice contribution probably helps. I have the general belief that TCR venues and performances are concentrated in the warmer summer months but with all of the tourism involved in the mountains in October, it seems likely one could find performances at least on weekends during the Fall.

One can hear gospel music over the airwaves by tuning in to AM and FM radio stations broadcasting from small towns in NC, TN, KY, and VA. In particular one can tune in to old-style gospel "fire and brimstone" preaching pretty much all day on Sundays.

Hotspots for small college football in and close to the mountains in NC, TN, and VA would include: Appalachian State University, Boone, NC (my alma mater). ASU won a small college division national championship during 2005, 2006, and 2007 and hosts Southern Conference rivals in a very nice stadium set in a "hollow" in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Furman University, Greenville, SC is a Southern conference school. Smaller college divisions involve play by East Tennessee State, Lenoir-Rhyne, Tusculum College, Bluefield State, Emory and Henry, Washington and Lee, Bridgewater, Hampden-Sydney, Roanoke College, and James Madison University, to name but a few.

Foy

[Aussiekate]

Fantastic info - thanks so much Foy. This will make a lot of difference to our trip so you've made a friend in Aus if you're ever over this way!

[Foy]

Fantastic info - thanks so much Foy. This will make a lot of difference to our trip so you've made a friend in Aus if you're ever over this way!

In October 2005, my wife and I endured a 9.5 hour flight from Cincinnati, OH to Honolulu. Until airlines find a way to reach Oz more quickly than that, that flight will be the high water mark of my airline travel career in terms of time in the air. I'm a RoadTripper, plain and simple.

You didn't mention outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, or paddling, and perhaps mobility issues or lack of interest are the reasons. Just be aware that most outdoor activities remain in full swing in early- to mid-October, and there are thousands of miles of hiking, cycling, and paddling trails worthy of exploration by the interested adventurer.

As you proceed with your research and plans, please return to the RTA Forums for more specific and detailed information, as by doing so many may benefit from your Q & A.

Foy

[Aussiekate]

Hi there, My previous post on this forum yielded some excellent information, so hoping you can all help me again. Hubby & I are planning an RV road trip commencing mid October, picking up in Tappan NY and taking 13 nights/14 days to travel through to Atlanta. We'd like to see some Amish country, and so plan firstly to stop by Lancaster PA. My question is which route from Tappan to Lancaster is likely to be the least stressful for an Australian couple having to negotiate driving on the wrong side of the road (for us anyway!), as well as a 23 ft RV for the very first time. Would like the route that gets us off freeways and away from heavy traffic as soon as possible. By the way we will be heading off from the RV depot around lunchtime on a Saturday. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Moderator Note: Please keep all questions about the same trip in the same thread.

[glc]

You are picking up the RV is a quite congested area, and what really hurts is you are not allowed to use the Palisades Parkway with a RV. You won't be able to avoid freeways and heavy traffic for quite a while.

I would probably take NY-303 north out of Tappan to I-87/287 (NY Thruway) and take that west/north. The most efficient route from there to Lancaster would be to stay on 287 at Suffern into NJ, take that to I-78 west to Allentown, then US-222 to Lancaster.

If you wanted to sightsee on the way, stay on I-87 to Harriman, take NY-17 west to Middletown to I-84 west. Take that into PA, where you can pick up US-209 south through the Delaware Water Gap. 209 multiplexes with I-80 for a bit at Stroudsburg, take PA-33 south to I-78 west to 222 as described above.

I know both routes keep you on a lot of freeways, but it's probably for the better if you want to make it from Tappan to Lancaster same day. Either route I described will take 4 to 5 hours.

[Aussiekate]

Thanks glc. Hopefully this will all go smoothly for us. Your information is very much appreciated.