Eastern TN/Pre TOTD lodging suggestions

[kidsmoke]

Hoping those of you familiar with the area between Knoxville and Asheville can chime in with lodging and route suggestions.

I've got a work meeting in Asheville in June requiring a Sunday midday arrival. I live in Indy, so this seems like a rare chance to take the bike and run through the western NC roads that people long for. While the chaos of the TOTD in June is of little interest, it does seem like a golden opportunity to put that notch in my belt. I driven and hiked in Eastern TN and Western NC, but always by cage. This will be my first time riding these roads.

Plan is to ride to the Knoxville area on Saturday, lodge, and hit the dragon early, then take a scenic route into Asheville.

I'm looking for recommendations for moto friendly lodging for Saturday night, and suggestions of roads for Sunday. the screen shot shows Google Maps default Knoville to Asheville via 129 Route. I do pretty well with route planning generally, but I know many of you are VERY familiar with the region and would welcome your input.

Feel free to make 'must see' and 'must avoid' recommendations. Anecdotal stories and photos are always encouraged!

thanks in advance!

[twowheeladdict]

 Too close to Knoxville for my tolerance level.

If you haven’t ridden the BRP I recommend hopping on it and riding it to Asheville. 

I know some stay in Sweetwater if they plan to hit the Tail early.

[cliffrod]

I “only” lived around there- actually on both ends- so I never really stayed at any lodging and can’t really offer help there.  There are a lot of roads I enjoy in the region but I have little recent time riding on any of them.  Even riding I-40 between Knoxville and Asheville is fun on a bike as long as there’s no construction or wrecks snarling traffic.

I would expect the dragon will be bumper-to-bumper filled with weekender traffic and THP in June.  If there was a way to ride it on the way home (mid week?) after your Sunday arrival in Asheville, it will probably be noticeably less crowded & chaotic.   

I’m an hour south of Asheville now but still go back & forth between here and Knoxville area regularly with daughter in college up there.  When I-40 is compromised or closed, I regularly travel from Newport TN to Asheville on 25/70 and 19/23.  I always liked that route on my V7 Sport because the roads are bigger with longer sweepers than the endless tight switchbacks on the dragon.  The dragon is a lot more fun imho if you only go one direction.  Going both ways can become tiring or at least redundant, especially if you’re dealing with lots of traffic.

The biggest caution is that some of the small towns up there can be voracious in terms of policing speed limits.  Hot Springs (not on your current mapped route, but on 25/70) is a no-tolerance small town.  Don’t do it.   If you’re on the interstate The area around I-40 Exit 24 Lake Junaluska, especially under the overpass (NC- 209) at the exit, is the most consistently active & likely speed trap on interstate between Knoxville & Asheville.

The riding up there is hard to beat.  There’s so many great roads in the region that it’s hard to go wrong.  Hope you have a great trip!

[kidsmoke]

Too close to Knoxville for my tolerance level.

If you haven’t ridden the BRP I recommend hopping on it and riding it to Asheville. 

I know some stay in Sweetwater if they plan to hit the Tail early.

I hear that, TWA, Hoping to snake around it to a degree. And your right about BRP, I appreciate the callout. Although on a Sunday AM I suppose all those roads will be packed.

The riding up there is hard to beat.  There’s so many great roads in the region that it’s hard to go wrong.  Hope you have a great trip!

Great info there, thank you!

So is one direction of the TOTD better than the other?

[cliffrod]

I hear that, TWA, Hoping to snake around it to a degree. And your right about BRP, I appreciate the callout. Although on a Sunday AM I suppose all those roads will be packed.

Great info there, thank you!

So is one direction of the TOTD better than the other?

Not really.   I lived west, so always went to the dragon from the west end.  I would usually ride to the store & turn around to go home.

You should have a great ride.  Hopefully traffic won’t be a drag.   Especially when I was living in Asheville before moving to Knoxville area, I enjoyed just riding out in that general region and getting lost.  There are so many enjoyable roads up there, even if they’re not famous, that it’s hard to not have a good time riding..

[Chuck in Indiana]

If there was a way to ride it on the way home (mid week?) after your Sunday arrival in Asheville, it will probably be noticeably less crowded & chaotic.   

This. There are also many roads near there that are quite good. Almost any road going down from the BRP is worth doing. We've done the BRP from end to end. Dorcia loves it, "it's like a slow ballet."  It *is* slow.. maybe you can get by with 50 or so. Just smell the roses and enjoy the views.
The Sierra Nevada brewery is in Asheville.. a worthwhile visit if you have time.