938 Miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway (mostly pics)

I am on my way this week end to see my dad in virgina from florida will be about 950 mile one way my longest trip yet. Wednesday the 9th of oct I plan to drive from the BRP all the way south . now my question is how long will it take. is anyone else going to be there ?

It all depends on how many stops you make. I would plan on 2 days.

You can solve that problem by taking side trips on some of the twisties running west to east. When I felt the urge I'd use the GPS to find the twistiest roads (usually on the west side) and rip up and down a few times. The BRP was scenic, but I require periodic doses of adrenalin.

For anybody heading down it looks like the campgrounds/visitor centers are now closed with the rest of the government.

http://www.blueridgeparkwaydaily.com/parkway-remains-open-facilities-close-amid-government-shut/

Timed this with near peak leaf changing season. If this shutdown continues on there are going to be a lot of unhappy campers, literally.

Would it also mean the Park Rangers,,, who limit the fun factor... are not present?

I would assume so ..but to be honest ..on my trip in august (during the week ) I never saw one ranger on the road , must have been my week

sent from my Illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator

I bet "law enforcement" is exempt.

But maybe it's cut back to "essential" so radar traps could be on furlough?

I didn't see that many rangers on there, and when I did, it was near the areas of attractions. There were plenty of times I'd wick it up to keep the adrenaline flowing. And on some of the tighter sweepers, 45 is peg-scraping territory.

To be honest I have never seen that many radar traps on the parkway, especially once into NC.

I've only noticed one trap, and that was around the visitor center near the Northern terminus. He was tucked back into the woods on a little dirt ramp. The other few I've seen were rolling. I only assumed they had moving radar units running.

Skyline Drive is hardcore, though. They really do hide in the trees there. I heard a strange whine and slowed down to figure out what it was. Sounded like air whistling around my shield. Still heard it when I stopped. Then a ranger comes around a corner flashing. I waited for him to go by but he stopped. Said he'd been trying to catch me for over five miles and had called for backup because he thought I was running. I was like, "whaaaa..." Anyway, he made a big deal of it and eventually another unit showed up, he wrote me for 60 in a 35. Said he'd radared me but I never saw anyone, and I watch for them. I've sworn off Skyline Drive since. You even have to pay for the priveledge of being harassed!

I left Mt. Pleasant, SC all by my lonesome on Friday 9/13/13 @ 4:30 AM.
I arrived at the beginning (end) of the BRP in Cherokee, NC at 10:30 AM and started on the BRP @ MP-469.
I arrived at Black Mountain CG, which is on the east side of Asheville @ MP-344 at 3:30 PM. This is a great campground operated by the Cradle of Forestry folks.
Day 1: 440 miles
On Day 2, I slept late, stopped for a good breakfast, and started back on the BRP @ 10:30 AM. I rode 220 miles to Roanoke, Va/MP-122, arriving at 4:00 PM.
Day 2: 220 miles
Got up on Day 3 and rode the last 122 miles to Waynesboro, Va./MP-0, arriving at 10:30 AM.
That was all easy riding with many stops at pull-offs to take pics and chill for a while. No big hurry. It was a great way to ride the whole 469 miles of the BRP.
Ready to go again!

Oh, if you ride the BRP early in the AM, be especially cautious. The area is absolutely FULL of deer! I counted 35 one morning in the first 5 miles and quit counting after I almost ran over a fawn. He bounded in front of me, turned and saw me, then promptly slipped and fell on his side twice when he wheeled around to get out of the way. It never occurred to me that their hooves do not give them much traction on a paved road! So even if they see you and try to haul-ass, they may not be able to get off the road in time.:eek1
Be safe!

That's scary about the deer; thanks for the early morning warning. Good to know about the Black Mtn. CG. Where did you stay in the Roanoke Vly, MP-122?

I wimped-out and stayed at the Comfort Inn! (Had a air pad failure the night before and didn't get any sleep. That wasn't going to happen again!)

Its around MP 90, but Peaks of Otter has a campground---when the govt doesn't have it shut down. Otter Creek is one of my favorite campgrounds, but it was closed this year due to budget issues. Which I find hard to believe because it was manned by volunteers so really all they had to do was pay someone to clean the toilets other than that it was just sitting there making money.

Well, it's Gov't, so if it made sense, we'd be going "WTF?"!

So yeah, if you need Comfort Inn, I don't blame you. I can sleep without an air mattress, and rooms aren't in the budget, so Peaks of Otter or somewhere near about halfway or a little further south is what I'm thinking. Looks like this year came and went but there's still hope I can do my four day BRP trip next year.

Most govy's are back to work as of yesterday, so I would think that all the parks are back open as well.

They are all still closed.
http://www.nps.gov/

Well, that sucks. Plan B?