My self and 5 other guys were planning on going to the deals gap area next weekend (28th-2nd) but all the guys are freaking out because it looks like its going to be raining. I know its a little early to totally trust the weather man but I just want to start looking at alternatives. We are all from NY. So my options are the NE coast, Ohio bike week, or maybe VA beach. We want this to be a riding vacation and not a drinking vacation. What would you guys recommend we go to as an alternative.

 

Definitely not Virginia Beach

 

+ on NOT va beach

Lived there in the 80s. Probably find lots of crowds and traffic If you want rides, I'd run to the hills.

 

There are plenty of other roads besides the "Dragon" to ride in the area. If you don't want to come this far south the how about Skyland Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are also some great rides in southern Virginia and western North Carolina...

 

Not much good riding around Va Beach, I live in the area, believe me. Unless you enjoy sitting in traffic.

Mountains in VA are a good option, but if a front is coming through bringing rain to Deals Gap it maybe raining up there as well.

 

So what if it rains, go enjoy the scenery in the area. You can always go a bit further into N.Ga and ride around Helen, Dahlonega, Ellijay, Clarksville. Probably enjoy that area better than Deals Gap anyway!!

 

Hell, you are trusting what the weatherman has to say about weather more than a week away?

 

I just did a weather search for Cherokee, which is in the area of Deals Gap. It just shows a little rain tomorrow and Friday. Sat and Sun look clear. You have to expect to get a little rain when you ride that far. If you can't ride in the rain, I don't know what to say for your friends.

https://weather.yahoo.com/united-sta...rokee-2378916/

 

Some of the best rides I've done were in the rain. A good rainsuit, gloves, boots, face shield and off you go. Unlike the NY Thruway or the interstates no trucks are on Skyline Drive or the BRP. I've done the run down to Deal's Gap 24 times in the last 14 years. I think I've done it three times without rain.

And BTW that humidity is why they are called the Smokey's. Rain is a fact. It's fog you should be afraid of.

 

Some guys from Maggie Valley drove up onto the BRP last Friday and found themselves in sleet!!!!
A few of them claimed it was snow, but whatever, it was very cold and wet.

I'd say that by the Memorial Day weekend you should only have rain in that part of the country.