Planning to ride down from NY in June and take Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville and back to NY. Google maps s worthless for mapping this out. Any advice on where to stop and stay? Gas stops? Figure I could get to Front Royal on Day one then start on Skyline Day 2. Any help or mapped out routes would be very much appreciated. I have about 6 -7 days to do it and girl and I can ride 8 hours with some stops.

 

Skyline Drive charges a fee & max speed is 35mph. Nice view but I won't do it again. BRP is free & much better. Great place to stay on the BRP is in Little Switzerland. The best part of the BRP is on the other side of Asheville. You need to go on the Cherokee to the end. Stay in Cherokee Or Maggie Valley.
http://www.virtualblueridge.com/travel-guide/lodging/

 

Make it a 2 day trip down to Maggie Valley (not too far from Asheville), take 81 down. BRP is okay but there is a lot of great riding in the Western NC/Eastern TN area. You can do a lot in 3 or 4 days and then head on back to NY. Lots of Maggie Valley riding suggestions in the rides part of the forum.

 

I suggest you go out off skyline and a bit more rural. This place is a nice layover. The roads to get there are awesome. Lots of farms too. Or make it a stop on the way back.

https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/homestead-virginia

 

As a Virginian, I call BS on skipping Skyline Drive. Yes, it is 35 mph due to volume of cars, bikes and bicycles, but it's worth it. I have countless great photos from the many overlooks. Here is one:

 

I was on skyline for a few hours. That was enough for me. It is cool and I liked it. But it gets old. I really enjoyed 220 down through the national forest. Here’s another stop. A lot of riders hit. I got the tip from a local. But missed the place on my ride.

https://www.paintbankgeneralstore.com/

 

Prior to our trip on the BRP I went on the BRP National Park and download/ made copies of their map of the Parkway. We entered the BRP just north of Asheville and traveled north. Spent the night in Boone, N.C., day started in Greenville, S.C. Being fans of Andy Griffith we got off the BRP at Fancy Gap (US 52 south) went down to Mt. Airy, this is Andy's hometown and the idea for Mayberry. Got a room at the Mayberry Inn (traditional roadside motel) reasonable rates and played tourist in the old town. Next morning motored north to BRP, got breakfast at the Hungry Farmer, few miles north, it's a feeder, good breakfast buffet. Hit the BRP, left BRP at Roanoke and proceeded home. Yea, took extra time but it was planned that way.

 

The HD shop in staunSta va is pretty nice

 

thank you guys. Keep em coming

 

Also, Virginia cops suck! So just watch your speed.