Planning a trip to NC

[DMCaton]

Hey all, I'm planning an 11-day road trip to NC May 27-June 6. I plan on trying to camp most/all nights if possible, both to save some cash as well as for the experience. This being my first "real" experience with both camping on the road as well as a "long" trip on the bike, I figured who better to turn to for advice than ye olde advriders?

I have a few goals with this ride. I chose NC because from what I have heard it is a beautiful state and it's at the top of my current list of places that I would consider moving to when I finally get out of the St. Louis area. The only problem is I have never actually been out that way, so I would like to cover as much ground and see as many possible places to live/work as I can. Of course I need to hit up some nice twisty roads along the way, because you guys seem to have so many!

Basically what I'm looking for here is any tips on places to see, things to do, where to sleep, roads to ride, etc. General tips as far as planning, living on the road for a week, things to bring, etc. would be appreciated too, since this is going to be a first for me. I've lurked here drooling for many-a-moon but lurking can only get you so far.

This is what I've come up with so far as a rough outline of where I would like to go: http://goo.gl/maps/RehD3

I've already got a full set of riding gear together, including Rev-It Sand jacket and pants, TCX boots, A* gauntlet gloves, and a Scorpion helmet. As far as luggage goes, I have (guestimating on sizes here) a 10L tank bag, 30L tail bag, 60L (30L on each side) saddlebags, and a tail rack that I figured I could strap my tent/sleeping bag to.

Thanks in advance!
Dana

PS: The bike is an '05 Suzuki SV1000S, with just over 9000 miles on her:

[NC BMW Rider]

Enjoy your trip.

Two recommendations:

1. Drop down near Bristol, TN and enter NC through Boone to catch the beauty of the NW NC mountains.

2. On the eastern end of the state go ahead and drive down the Outer Banks through Ocracoke, then down to Beaufort. Really beautiful drive, but you are going to have to take two ferries on the way.

Sounds like fun.

[C-Stain]

I was down 3 years ago and spent 4 days riding around the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Robbinsville area. Real nice folks, some good BBQ and the roads were to die for.

We stayed at a place called "The Kickstand Lodge", and while there WERE a lot of pirates and pirate-wannabes, there were also a few Sport and Touring bikes. The rates were good and the facilities were awesome. There was a great feeling of community, and the folks who ran the campground were great people.

We ended up riding Deals Gap, the Devils Triangle, Cherohala and the scooted down to Georgia and did Wolf Pen Gap. Great time.

[rsteiger]

Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground is another nice place to visit and there is a road that runs up Mt Pisgah that IMHO will give the Dragon a run for it's money, plus it is not as crowed.

[Hoodis]

When you get to Bluefield, Va(WVa) you should consider turning west to Tazewell and then taking 16 south at least to 58 or the BRP. You could stay in Tazewell or in Marion where 16 crosses I-81. Once on the BRP, head east/north till you get to Tuggles Gap. Great resturant and old school motel there. http://www.tugglesgap.biz/

Take 8 south to Winston-Salem - much more fun than 52.

I hope you like traffic if you intend to get very near Charlotte. I avoid it like the plague.

[DMCaton]

Thanks for all the info, I'll make some changes to the route tomorrow (no time this weekend because of work...). Definitely going to check out the Outer Banks, I didn't realize there were ferries there!

As far as Charlotte, and other big cities go, I would love to avoid them completely for traffic reasons but at the same I would like to see what the downtown areas are like for work purposes. I'll probably try to time it so I'm coming through at non-rush hour times to minimize traffic. Thanks for the heads up though!

[4PawsHacienda]

ouch. Lots of miles but low on smiles.
I rally hate your route - it's all ugly highways. You're going to miss the reason NC is a decent place. Try picking a couple of areas to explore and spend a few days enjoying the region. Coastal NC is a good area for several days exploring and riding and the mountains have enough to offer for multiple lifetimes.

Try taking highway 16 down (super road) and picking up the BRP, explore the Sparta/ Jefferson / Elkin region and work your way through the smaller towns enjoying the roads, foods, and wineries. Boone and Asheville regions are great tourist areas if you can work them in and want to spend some time in the larger small cities. In my area around Mt. Airy / Cana Va / Galax I can ride for days on super roads with little traffic and great scenery.
Route suggestion - Hwy 16 (super twisties) as much as possible and pick up the BRP, leisurely ride towards Floyd / Woolwine VA region then back down into NC. You can just about ride across the state on hwy 158 to the coastal region. Lots of small towns and wide open country side, much slower than the interstate and nowhere near as many tall buildings. If you're coming this far you have to at least be able to tell people you saw the Outer Banks too. Try and at least see Beaufort, head slowly down to Wilmington and work your way back to the mountains. I ca't think of a single reason to visit Charlotte, Winston, Greensboro, or Raleigh on a motorcycle unless you need repairs.

Outer Banks, Beaufort (my favorite), Wilmington stretch is a wonderful area to enjoy sea breezes, food, and a laid back lifestyle. Camping available everywhere in NC. Avoid chain restaurants. Fill up with gas before crossing the state line in. Try some barbeque, in several cities. If you pass a small church or fire department having a cookout, stop and get a plate. Visit the local brew pubs and distilleries. Madison NC has a "Junior Johnson Moonshine" plant with tours, Stoneville is home to Gerbing heated clothing, Asheville is getting ready to open a Sierra Nevada brewery to go along with all the other good beer there.

Give yourself enough time to enjoy an area, stop and experience what makes it worth riding through. If you want some specific road suggestions in the north central part of the state I'll be glad to suggest a few days worth. You can't go wrong riding the BRP.

[NC BMW Rider]

Originally Posted by DMCaton

Thanks for all the info, I'll make some changes to the route tomorrow (no time this weekend because of work...). Definitely going to check out the Outer Banks, I didn't realize there were ferries there!

The Hatteras to Ocracoke Ferry is free and takes about 45 minutes. The Ocracoke to Swan Quarter takes over two hours and there is a fee involved, but I can't remember how much, but it is not too bad.

[568V8]

ride the Cherohala, but only if the weather is clear so that you can see the vistas. http://www.cherohala.com/

[NC HILLBILLY]

Yep, our whole state has alot to offer for a variety of folks relating to work and recreation. IMHO however the western 1/3 of the state is the pearl of what the state has to offer for motorcylists. I love spending a week or so on vaction at the outerbanks but not on my motorcycle.

Pick you a couple of mountain destinations and camp & ride where the locals direct you. Places like Robbinsville, Murphy, Bryson City, Hot Springs, Hendersonville, Lenior, Boone....etc have a lot to offer. As you already know its not hard to find bone straigt roads and interstate to ride on.

The 7 or so far western most counties also have a lot of US Forest Service around. Swain County is 2/3 or better US Government lands with beautiful roads thru it like NC HWY 28. I'm just not much of a fan for riding the middle part of the state and have friends who travel up to my area from Charlotte just to have enjoyable rides........Good Luck.......Mark

Originally Posted by 4PawsHacienda

ouch. Lots of miles but low on smiles.
I rally hate your route - it's all ugly highways. You're going to miss the reason NC is a decent place. Try picking a couple of areas to explore and spend a few days enjoying the region. Coastal NC is a good area for several days exploring and riding and the mountains have enough to offer for multiple lifetimes.

Try taking highway 16 down (super road) and picking up the BRP, explore the Sparta/ Jefferson / Elkin region and work your way through the smaller towns enjoying the roads, foods, and wineries. Boone and Asheville regions are great tourist areas if you can work them in and want to spend some time in the larger small cities. In my area around Mt. Airy / Cana Va / Galax I can ride for days on super roads with little traffic and great scenery.
Route suggestion - Hwy 16 (super twisties) as much as possible and pick up the BRP, leisurely ride towards Floyd / Woolwine VA region then back down into NC. You can just about ride across the state on hwy 158 to the coastal region. Lots of small towns and wide open country side, much slower than the interstate and nowhere near as many tall buildings. If you're coming this far you have to at least be able to tell people you saw the Outer Banks too. Try and at least see Beaufort, head slowly down to Wilmington and work your way back to the mountains. I ca't think of a single reason to visit Charlotte, Winston, Greensboro, or Raleigh on a motorcycle unless you need repairs.

Outer Banks, Beaufort (my favorite), Wilmington stretch is a wonderful area to enjoy sea breezes, food, and a laid back lifestyle. Camping available everywhere in NC. Avoid chain restaurants. Fill up with gas before crossing the state line in. Try some barbeque, in several cities. If you pass a small church or fire department having a cookout, stop and get a plate. Visit the local brew pubs and distilleries. Madison NC has a "Junior Johnson Moonshine" plant with tours, Stoneville is home to Gerbing heated clothing, Asheville is getting ready to open a Sierra Nevada brewery to go along with all the other good beer there.

Give yourself enough time to enjoy an area, stop and experience what makes it worth riding through. If you want some specific road suggestions in the north central part of the state I'll be glad to suggest a few days worth. You can't go wrong riding the BRP.

[Dogscout]

Yeah you won't like it here. Lots of roads that don't go in straight lines past corn fields. It's miserable. Most of all stay away from the towns of Brevard, Boone, Blowing Rock, etc. remember towns that start with B are BAD. You should go visit Ohio. It's much better, and more like St. Louis

[WarriorDog]

Originally Posted by Dogscout

Yeah you won't like it here. Lots of roads that don't go in straight lines past corn fields. It's miserable. Most of all stay away from the towns of Brevard, Boone, Blowing Rock, etc. remember towns that start with B are BAD. You should go visit Ohio. It's much better, and more like St. Louis

+1 LMAO

[DMCaton]

Edit: Ok I lied, I got the bug and decided to mess with the route a bit tonight. I think the northern part of the loop looks much better now, still trying to figure out a workaround from Wilmington to the west side of Charlotte though... http://goo.gl/maps/RehD3

Originally Posted by 4PawsHacienda

ouch. Lots of miles but low on smiles.
I rally hate your route - it's all ugly highways. You're going to miss the reason NC is a decent place. Try picking a couple of areas to explore and spend a few days enjoying the region. Coastal NC is a good area for several days exploring and riding and the mountains have enough to offer for multiple lifetimes.

Try taking highway 16 down (super road) and picking up the BRP, explore the Sparta/ Jefferson / Elkin region and work your way through the smaller towns enjoying the roads, foods, and wineries. Boone and Asheville regions are great tourist areas if you can work them in and want to spend some time in the larger small cities. In my area around Mt. Airy / Cana Va / Galax I can ride for days on super roads with little traffic and great scenery.
Route suggestion - Hwy 16 (super twisties) as much as possible and pick up the BRP, leisurely ride towards Floyd / Woolwine VA region then back down into NC. You can just about ride across the state on hwy 158 to the coastal region. Lots of small towns and wide open country side, much slower than the interstate and nowhere near as many tall buildings. If you're coming this far you have to at least be able to tell people you saw the Outer Banks too. Try and at least see Beaufort, head slowly down to Wilmington and work your way back to the mountains. I ca't think of a single reason to visit Charlotte, Winston, Greensboro, or Raleigh on a motorcycle unless you need repairs.

Outer Banks, Beaufort (my favorite), Wilmington stretch is a wonderful area to enjoy sea breezes, food, and a laid back lifestyle. Camping available everywhere in NC. Avoid chain restaurants. Fill up with gas before crossing the state line in. Try some barbeque, in several cities. If you pass a small church or fire department having a cookout, stop and get a plate. Visit the local brew pubs and distilleries. Madison NC has a "Junior Johnson Moonshine" plant with tours, Stoneville is home to Gerbing heated clothing, Asheville is getting ready to open a Sierra Nevada brewery to go along with all the other good beer there.

Give yourself enough time to enjoy an area, stop and experience what makes it worth riding through. If you want some specific road suggestions in the north central part of the state I'll be glad to suggest a few days worth. You can't go wrong riding the BRP.

This is exactly the type of post I was hoping for. Having lived in the Midwest my entire life I immediately assume that if an area doesn't have a city nearby then it is going to be a cornfield. I'm really leaning towards stretching this trip out as long as I can and doing more exploring these great roads with less focus on trying to hit all the cities as originally intended. That should lessen the stress of having multiple 500+ mile days back-to-back as well. Reroute should be incoming tomorrow, I'm too tired from work tonight to deal with Google's crappy interface.

Originally Posted by Dogscout

Yeah you won't like it here. Lots of roads that don't go in straight lines past corn fields. It's miserable. Most of all stay away from the towns of Brevard, Boone, Blowing Rock, etc. remember towns that start with B are BAD. You should go visit Ohio. It's much better, and more like St. Louis

That's just what I'm looking for, lots of straight roads with corn fields. So I can do 100 mph wheelies and then hide from the cops in the corn, right? There aren't enough of those around here to satisfy my needs. Maybe Ohio would make a better trip...

Originally Posted by NC BMW Rider

The Hatteras to Ocracoke Ferry is free and takes about 45 minutes. The Ocracoke to Swan Quarter takes over two hours and there is a fee involved, but I can't remember how much, but it is not too bad.

According to their website, it's $10 for motorcycles. Seems like it's well worth it to me!

[4PawsHacienda]

Ferry's are no longer free - progress!
Outer Banks are a well known destination, good for saying you've visited;getting kind of crowded though. Inner banks are my favorite area for coastal cruising. Small fishing and farming communities with lots of history.
Western most region of the state is fantastic, can't say enough about the roads and the scenery. Camp, hike, fish to your hearts content. Decent mix of tradition and progress.
Career wise - Asheville or Wilmington unless you thrive in the urban rat race in which case you'll want to choose Charlotte or Raleigh/Durham.
Vacation - concentrate on the mountain areas, if you want to see the coast do it but you'll want to firm up some plans so you do have a place to spend the night that time of year.

I'd try and avoid Charlotte and head from Monroe thru Fort Mill area then up towards Kings Mtn / Crowders Mtn to Shelby area unless you really need to stop by a strip mall. Longer will be much quicker and definitely more enjoyable.

[DragonNester]

When in East, TN, if you are heading East, I suggest you leave I-40 at Hwy 68 and head South to Tellico Plains, TN. then ride the Cherohala Skyway to Robbinsville, NC. Take hwy 129 North to Deals Gap. Ride the Dragon twice, get your stickers, and patches then onto hwy 28 towards Cherokee, NC. Pick up the BRP and continue Eastward. Looking at your map just now, it looks like you're doing the Northern route first. If so, just reverse the segment I suggest. i think you enjoy the ride more if you ride the Southern route first...just a thought. It will get you to the scenic and motorcycle oriented stuff quicker.