Thanks I will take a look at those!

 

We are going to be in Maggie Valley for three days/4 nights at the end of June. There is a nice quiet little place called Maggie Valley Creekside Lodge http://www.creeksidelodge.com/index.html

which is very inexpensive, very clean, and like I said, quiet. One place we want to stop at for eats is in Franklin, NC, south of Maggie Valley on US 23 where they have a great Blue Crab Bisque....Cafe Rele. I have been told the Maggie Valley Restaurant next to Wheels through Time, has excellent pan fired trout too. Now about WTT....they are closed Tues and Wed.

Unless you like LOTS of traffic, stay on the south side of the Smokeys. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are packed with 4 wheeled vehicles and at times you can sit through several lights before moving much. Cades Cove is even worse. Its two lane and usually bumper to bumper and s-l-o-w. They are cool places, but if you are tight for time I would steer clear of both places. Sounds like there's pulenty to do, see, ride in NC. This will be our first time in Maggie Valley but I know lots of biker friends who have nothing but praise for the spot where we will be sleeping while there. 4 nights there is costing us $350 total.

If you are planning on sleeping slong the BRP you might want to call ahead. One place I called and got a price on, well I called back a two days later and they were already booked full.

 

Well chit Mike sounds like I better stay on the NC side of the mountains. What about going home, will it take forever to get through that area to get back up to Knoxville?

 

When we rode in from Knoxville, it wasn't too bad. I think it took a little over an hour to go from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg. That was at about 6 pm on a weekday. Leaving though, it was bumper to bumper, crawling along. It took us a whole lot longer, like at least three times as long. Too slow for me. It was hotter than heck too and the bike got pretty hot, but we made it. So its a crapshoot basically. I think I'd shoot over west to I-75 and head north before I tried going through Gat and PF, because after that you've got Sevierville to get through too before getting up to Knoxville. But that was back in '07 so maybe things have changed. Yeh, changed....heck probably more danged car traffic! lol

When we leave to head north, we're going to go east and hit I-40 then catch US 23 the rest of the way home. For us its about an 8 hr ride home. I'm sure you're looking a at least twice that if not more. We'll be there on the 22nd of June. You?

 

I see someone beat me to it. But Towsend looks like a great spot when we visited the area. It is Central to a lot of things in the area, and makes a great starting and ending point. Do your homework, and check out some of the previous threads about Dragon Area attractions. I know in July my wife & I are dragging the toy hauler, and looking to camp near Towsend. I am sure you will enjoy the area, the people are great.

 

Dates are a bit fuzzy still. Either be there around June 23rd or if that doesn't work out the week after the 4th of July.

 

Maybe our paths will cross.....

 

I enjoy meeting ppl so if we happen to make it out the same time I say why not?

 

Bogart's in Waunesville..(2 locations) Good Mountain trout and steaks also...been several time, Fat Buddies BBQ in Franklin if you want to get your fingers dirty...Both were eating places when i use to travel for work up there and introduced severeal friends and my spouse to both places and they loved it...

 

Townsend or Sevierville TN would be a very good choices...on the TN side...SInce you are on that side of the HIlls, think about going to the Jack Daniels Tour..even if you don't drink the tour is very nice and the history there is interesting...