April Trip to Knoxville, TN and the Smokey Mountains

My wife and I are planning a trip on the R1150RT in April to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Besides Deals Gap, and the Cherohala Scenic Highway, are there any must ride roads or must see attractions in that area?

Can any locals offer typical weather patterns for Mid-April? Temps? Precip?

Finally, we are staying overnight in Knoxville. Any suggestions for accommodations? (My wife is a 'hotel camper':)

Try to plan your route through VA on VA & WV 311. Spend the night at the Paint Bank B&B, and dine at the Paint Bank General Store Swinging Bridge Restaurant.
http://thedepotlodge.com/

It's a little bit out of the way, but the roads in SW VA are fantastic: VA 311, VA 16, VA 61, VA 91 (about 5 miles of gravel!), VA 42, US 58, ....

You didn't specify your route... But you defenetly want to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Make sure you try the Buffalo burgers while you're at the General Store if you go through there. As a native of soutwest VA I can say the roads there are great and less traveled than the ones in NC. Deals Gap is a squid circus on the weekends so try to hit it on a weekday. Definitely hit 28, the Cherohala Skyway, 68 from Tellico Plains to GA, 60 to Suches (home of TWO), 180, 129, Richard Russell Parkway... the list goes on.

Don't miss VA & WV, Blue Ridge Parkway, Rte 16 in VA, Sennaca Rocks WV(Smoke Hole Canyon),Rte 28 in NC, Deal's Gap is a circus on the weekends, try for a weekday. If you take some of the routes suggested, Deal's Gap isn't that special, unless you want a sticker. Ride Safe !

If you can get a cabin at the Tapoco Lodge, stay there.

East Tennessee and Western Carolina are great places to ride. I went to school at UT and I take a trip over there once a year. IMO if you stay in K-town, you're too far away from the good roads. You'll spend a lot of your riding time getting to and from the twisty bits.

I stay in Robbinsville, NC at the Microtel. They cater to motorcyclists. They provide you with local maps, knowledge of the surroundings and even give you towels to wipe the dew off your bikes in the morning.

The greatest advantage to Robbinsville is its location. From there you have great rides in any direction, immediately out of town. You're about 10 miles from the Cherohala, 15 miles from Deal's Gap, and 30 miles from the Blue Ridge. Not to mention countless other paved mountain roads that don't really go anywhere.

Make sure you go to Dillsboro. Neat little town with a lot of character. Eat at the Jarrett House. Be very hungry.

Hot Springs,NC is great and home to some good ADV rallies .There is a great BnB there,The Magnolia House.She'll like that a lot more than Knoxville.Any direction you go out of there is good but since you be's heading for The Gap go up 209 into Maggie valley.209 is a gas!Go check out the Wheels through Time Museum.Lots of old iron and it all runs! .From Maggie you can go on through into Fontana and into Deals Gap.As mentioned Tapoco Lodge is great Snow Bird is really great too.It is pricey though.This county is ahem dry though so pack in any spirits you might desire .You can actually do a good loop by going through Deals gap to the Skyway and then head north and cut back over.Ain't no bad roads around there!

What he said. You won't regret it. Be sure and walk all over the grounds while there. The place is rich in history. Walk up the hill to the old Quansit Hut dance hall/theatre.

there is a new motorcycle campground at the bottom of the Cherohala Pkwy. Don't remeber its name, but they do have cabins . Or on the other side you are close to Suches,Ga (about an hour away) And can get cabins at Two. while in Tellico stop by and have the best breakfast ever at the Town Square Cafe and Bakery In Historical Tellico. That time of year you are guarenteed to run into lots of us bikers (mostly sportbikes ).Pm and will give you better directions. As for the wife she will love you for the breakfast in Tellico..speaking as a woman.

temps should be perfect mid 60's daytime nights early mornungs low 40's

I assume you are talking about the Cherahola Motorcycle Resort. While it's a wonderful place, the cabins maybe a little small for someone who wants to "motel camp". They are small 15x15 cabins and you share the same bathrooms as the campers.
That said, I love the place, I wish Mark and Renee all the luck in the world to stay open, but I'd hate to mislead someone to thinkin' they are going to get luxury accomidations there.
For a camper it woulds be a great place to base out of for a week riding in the Smokies.

I'd pass on the Knoxville location

he__ ... heckfar if she wants touristy go to Gatlingburg/Pigeon Forge, but be prepared for huge crowds and mucho traffic ... you can rent a log cabin or any price hotel you want or a B&B ... just remember I tole ya there'll be crowds

If she wants a town, think maybe Asheville, NC

If she's ok with small town/village ... Hot Springs / Robbinsville ...

Personally I'd say try Little Switzerland, NC for small and quaint with great roads to explore and the list goes on

basically if you want to SEE the area, take yer stuff with ya and move on to another area every couple of nights ...

but you'll never see it all in one trip anyway

be very aware that 441 from Churkey to Gagginburg is a traffic nightmare unless you do it early in the morning ... sorry that's Cherokee, NC to Gatlingburg, TN









oh yeah

stay away from Lake Lure ...
no good roads
no food
nowhere to stay
nothing to do
and the inhabitants are a$$holes






well some of us anyway