BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY ROAD TRIP
This trip on The Blue Ridge Parkway starts out in Franklin, North Carolina and takes you to the start near Cherokee, North Carolina which is a little over 60 miles away.
I began the day in heavy fog at the Colonial Inn and it began to lift by the time I entered this beautiful, manicured scenic by-way. My destination for the day was West Jefferson, North Carolina.
I knew beforehand that the speed limit on the parkway is 45 mph and the consists of hundreds of switchbacks and curves. With this in mind, I planned on keeping the distance traveled under 300 miles. It's a good thing to keep daily distances short since curvy, winding roads and frequent stops eat up a lot of time.
This is the first half of a 400 mile trip along the Blue Ridge that took two days. Day one was shrouded in fog about a third of the time. This didn't make it lousy, just different.
There was much less fog on the second day of this ride and allowed for more stops along the way to soak in the views. Day two finishes up in Virginia and can be found on the Virginia rides page.
View Franklin, NC to West Jefferson, NC in a larger map
RIDE DIRECTIONS
1. From Colonial Inn travel north on US-23 through Franklin, NC
2. Continue on US-23/441 to The Great Smoky Mountains Expy. (US-74)
3. Turn Left on US-74/441.
4. Turn Right on US-441 toward Cherokee, NC.
5. Continue through Cherokee, NC on US-441 to The Blue Ridge Parkway.
6. Exit at SR 163 to West Jefferson, NC.
From Franklin, it's a total of 64.0 miles (about 1 hour 34 mins) to the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the length on this leg to West Jefferson, NC is 193 miles (about 5 hours 41 mins)
I started this ride in Franklin, North Carolina. My lodging accommodations were at the Colonial Inn just south of Franklin on US-23.
The address is 3157 Georgia Road, Franklin, NC 28734 and the phone number is (828) 524-6600. I stayed there on Saturday, July 9th and the total rate was $53.95.
The Colonial Inn is a nice little place with reasonable rates with a friendly staff and Neil, at the front desk, was kind and helpful. Although the motel was older, it was well kept and clean. My room had a fridge, A/C and free WI-FI.
I don't know about you, but I prefer the little "Mom and Pop" motels.
Mostly, these places reflect pride of ownership and are well maintained. Also, you can usually park right in front of your room.
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The nearest place within walking distance is an Exxon gas station/convenience store. Also, there's a little diner across the street too, but I didn't eat there.
Leaving Franklin, the weather was foggy. As I rode through the winding mountains, in and out of fog, it finally dawned on me the meaning of "Smoky" Mountains. I discovered that as the moist air from the Gulf of Mexico makes it's way north, it cools and condenses into fog at the higher elevations here.
This makes for some incredible views, but also makes it difficult to see anything from the overlooks.
After awhile, I arrived in Cherokee, NC. This little town is known as the gateway to the Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
It would be a good idea to gas up here as fuel is a little difficult to find on the Parkway.
As you start out on the Parkway you begin to gain elevation as you pass through many interesting tunnels.
Bikers should be extra careful in these tunnels during heavy fog.
I don't mind the fog too much, but riding into a curved tunnel where you can't see the other end, that's filled with fog, can be somewhat unnerving.
Throughout the day, I encountered fog that made it difficult to get the full effect of the many scenic overlooks that are everywhere along the parkway. However, at times when the fog lifted enough, there were gorgeous views.
Don't get me wrong, the fog didn't make the trip bad. On the contrary, It made it very interesting. Sure, some of the views were obscured, but it gives you a feeling of being way up in the clouds and provides
some spectacular, although fleeting glimpses of the Smoky Mountains as they really are.
Shrouded in haze. As the ride progresses, the parkway passes near Ashville, NC.
This is a good place to stop for fuel and something to eat.
Thirty two miles northeast of Asheville on the Parkway is Mount Mitchell. It's the highest point in the eastern United States and rises to an elevation of 6,684 feet and it lies in the Mount Mitchell State Park which is within the Pisgah National Forest.
According to the Asheville travel guide, the summit is covered in clouds 8 out of 10 days. I was there on one of those 8 days and couldn't see a thing. Temperatures are cooler too. Usually 10 to 30 degrees cooler than Asheville.
West Jefferson, NC is about the half way point on the Parkway and makes a good place to put in for the night.
I stayed at the Nation's Inn in West Jefferson and found it to be a nice place.
And, at $49.95, it's a bargain. The prices are well below anything in the area and the rooms are clean and nice.
It is locally owned but has the look and feel of a decent national chain. The address is 107 Beaver Creek School Road, West Jefferson, NC 28694-7197 and the phone is(336)246-2080
I wandered downtown looking for some dinner and stumbled into Geno's Italian & American and found it to be exceptional. You can find it at 302 South Jefferson Avenue, West Jefferson, NC 28694 (336) 246-3111
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