Help me plan my road trip

November 19, 2016 7:16 AM

Hi there, I live in NYC and I am driving to homeland (Knoxville, Tennessee) for Thanksgiving. I am leaving on Monday and I need to drop off the car in Knoxville at noon on Wednesday. Along the way I’d love to check out some nature and small-ish towns. Any ideas for pit stops between New York and Knoxville? I’m all ears!
posted by rageagainsttherobots to Travel & Transportation (11 answers total)

Your route wouldn't take you too far from the fields of Gettysburg, which is really worth getting out and walking around if you haven't been through there before. And you could have a meal in town.
posted by mochapickle at 7:34 AM on November 19, 2016

Response by poster: ^Thanks! That's a good tip. I've been through Gettysburg before but it was nighttime and pouring rain. Gettysburg sounds nice.
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 7:46 AM on November 19, 2016

If you're going through West Virginia, you can get off 79 and take Route 50 to 77 to 2 and end up at Point Pleasant, home of the Mothman!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:30 AM on November 19, 2016

Asheville, NC? There's some nature stuff around there to see, like Chimney Rock.
posted by FireFountain at 9:16 AM on November 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

Staunton, VA is an easy and obvious smallish-town stop. Monticello's not far away from there.
posted by holgate at 11:11 AM on November 19, 2016

If you drive I-81 you pass within 15 minutes of Harpers Ferry, WV. Historic, great views. The Appalachian Trail passes through there as well.
posted by JayRwv at 11:15 AM on November 19, 2016

One of Woodrow Wilson's homes is in Staunton. Roadfood recommends Mrs. Rowes .
posted by brujita at 3:27 PM on November 19, 2016

Could be nice to do parts of Blue Ridge Parkway or Skyline Drive
posted by sheldman at 5:24 AM on November 20, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks everyone! I should have mentioned earlier that I am looking for excuses to dodge interstates for the most part. Blue ridge parkway and/or Skyline are def on the itinerary!

Does anyone know rural routes between NYC and DC?
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 11:13 AM on November 20, 2016

Does anyone know rural routes between NYC and DC?

If you're looking at I-95-adjacent instead of I-78 / I-81 and are trying to avoid DC, you can duck south on Rt 50 / Rt 301 around Wilmington and then go through Delmarva to Annapolis, skirting south of the Beltway, and then cut west towards the mountains.

However, that's going to add a chunk of time and distance that might be better set aside for the scenic mountain roads during daylight hours. You've got 700 miles to cover, and it's 300 miles to the northern tip of Skyline Drive.In your shoes, I'd start early, head out west on I-78, suck up the interstate for five hours, take a break, then do a stretch of Skyline Drive in the afternoon. Overnight Monday in Staunton or thereabouts, pick a section of the BRP to drive on Tuesday, and combine that with another few hours on the interstate. Maybe drop down I-77 and take the section from Galax, VA to Grandfather Mountain / Linn Cove Viaduct? Boone to Knoxville is about three hours, so that's doable on Wednesday morning.

And check check check with the NPS for closures.
posted by holgate at 3:53 PM on November 20, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks! Tomorrow I can't pickup the car until noon so I am planning on taking 81 all the way to Staunton tomorrow.

I was planning on staying in Asheville on Tuesday night but I've never been to Boone before. Thank you for all of the tips on the potential routes from Staunton to Knoxville. I am going to have to chart this one out!
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 4:25 PM on November 20, 2016