Guys I'm abandoning my home for a 4 day trip to the dragon. I know some of you have spent time up there. This has been a productive but hectic year, all I seem to do is work and its time to unleash the 4S on roads other than pot holed riddled Miami streets. So where should I stay? What should I hit on the way? Anything you could offer to make this a memorable trip would be appreciated. I'm leaving the wife and dog home. This trip is for me and the machine only.

 

Sooooo many roads ... so little time.

1st ... stay at Fontana Village Resort.

Dinner in resort restaurant is excellent and you can stagger to your room.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Carolina.html

Use that as ground zero.

Roads to hit:

Tail of the Dragon (obviously) but do it early morning on a weekday if possible. Make a slow speed run to scope out LEO density (weekday should be zero but you never know). Then have fun.

Cherohala Skyway
28 North from Lodge to Deals Gap (Hellbender)
28 South from 74 towards Franklin (Moonshiner) it is 55 mph and my favorite.
Blue Ridge Parkway go east towards Asheville (Pick it up at Balsam Gap milepost of 74)
BRP East towards Asheville and get off onto NC 215 (North or South both are winners) run down turn around and run up
BRP East even more towards Asheville and get off onto NC 276 (North or South both are winners) run down turn around and run up
If you are really feeing frisky take 215 all the way down to SC 11. At state line it becomes SC 178 and is a rocking road. If you make this trip, divert to twin falls along the way (hard right at Bob's Place).

Do lunch one day at River's End. Excellent chili and other grub as well as craft brews.

http://noc.com/places/restaurants/rivers-end-restaurant

Words of advice if you are not an experienced mountain driver ...

Start thinking about refuel at about 1/2 tank. You wander off too deep without knowing your next refuel and you will spend too much time worrying about gas vs enjoying the roads.
Never cross the center line even if you have a clear line of sight.
Be careful on downhill runs. You can be carrying a lot of speed and not realize it until you see the curve just went 180 on you. Uphill runs are a little more forgiving.
This time of year especially ... watch out for wet leaves/gravel at braking and turn in points.
Quite often, there are no guardrails.
We play by Darwin rules around these parts.

 

 

Excellent, this is exactly what I needed. I know the dragon gets busy... I've read the surrounding roads are just as good if not better. Thank you.... Any advice on bar/restaurants?

 

For me, last year went north out of St. Augustine area and blew up to Greenville, SC. That cleared the cob webs from my head and the dust off the car. You know 95 being from Miami! LOL

So out of Greenville me and the car plundered back roads just wandering around until getting on highway 64(this kept me away from I-40). Took it west until ... Franklin then north on 23 till 74 and then west again to Almond where you have to take 28 over to Fontana Dam and eventually Deals Gap.

For a place to sleep dropped into Gatlinburg after going to Pigeon Forge. The second night was in Maggie Valley. Hot shower and a bed was all that I needed so it wasn't 5⭐️.

On the last run out of Deals took 129 south towards Murphy and did the north Georgia 19 to Atlanta, by then was ready to hammer down and make time. So 75 to I-10 where I grabbed a room in Lake City and made it home mid morning day 4.

Great time of year but be aware the leave watching folks are up there, google eyeing every view they can.

Have a great trip!

 

Mako thanks... Id prefer to spend less time than on highways. I'm thinking ill do a loop up and back. Don't want to trace the same roads on way back. Unfortunately getting out of our state will be the most boring but I'm going to leave this evening and stop in Gville to see my brother and rest up for early morning leg to NC. 4 days is the plan.... I've got a newish set of AD08Rs to shred, I hope they last.

 

Oh ... If starting from Greenville and depending on what time of day you leave Gville ...

SC 25 north out of Gville to 276 North.
276 North to Ceasars Head State Park (Go to far end parking lot at top and do the overlook).

http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/ca...roduction.aspx

276 through Brevard and North through Pisgah Forest(hit the falls about 1/2 way up)

http://brevardnc.com/play/waterfalls...tional-forest/

276 up to BRP.
Cross BRP and go down the other side of 276 (Waynesville)
Reverse and climb back to BRP
Now go towards the west along BRP
Option to dive down North/South at next exit 215/178 (or save that for later?)
Follow BRP to the end or dive off any exit and run up/down as schedule permits
Exit BRP at Balsam Gap onto NC 74
74 will join 28 going north
28 up to Fontana (starts to get fun when the road goes to 2 lanes, try not to be blocked by slow traffic in front of you).
Follow signs to Fontana Resort
Miller Time.

 

One other tip - be conscious of off-camber turns. The 996 is WAY more compliant than older 911's, but lifting off the throttle (or worse, lifting and jabbing the brakes) in an off-camber turn can still cause you to suddenly start traveling backward.

Have fun. I'm jealous.

 

Shadetree Ill be in Gainesville, Fl. tonight sorry I shouldn't of abbreviated. So north on i75 through Atlanta after that I'm game for any adventurous routes up into North Carolina.

5CHN3LL I'd like to think the last 6 years of tracking this beast will come in handy up there. I'll be on public roads and doing my best to come home safely with car in and pride in tact. Appreciate it though..

 

Heh. Not trying to suggest you're a tool and can't drive.

I still have to work pretty hard to not caught out on a 50-mile, 8500-foot-elevation-change stretch of mountain road I've driven - very literally - hundreds of times. The same corners are completely different depending on the direction of travel, and the same corner I know I can power through at full throttle going downhill is the same one I have to break early and take ridiculously slow going uphill... the awesome camber shoving the car into the asphalt going downhill really wants to pitch me off the mountain when I'm driving uphill. I can't use PSM on the uphill runs...the car gets so light, so often, that PSM is constantly freaking out.

Are you going to shoot some video?

 

I will then let the GA boys give you advice on routes from that approach.

My post #2 still works once you in the general area.

 

You need to stay away from weekend runs. Too crowded.
The funny part is getting stuck behind a Harley. They can hardly make it through. They are rubbing on almost every turn.

 

Yessir! GoPro is charged and I'll pickup a phone mount somewhere along the way.

 

<br/>Just sayin, keep your gas tank filled.
No food here, just beer.

 

No doubt - I was stuck behind a bunch of bikes last weekend for a good 20 miles. Apparently, bikers don't think they need to GTFO of the way when traffic piles up behind 'em.

One of the few things that REALLY **** me off is a great stretch of road ruined by a slow-moving douche who is too proud to get out of the way. *cough* Prius *cough*