Directions needed from Northern Virginia

[kaw750]

Can anyone give me suggestions on directions to the Dragon from the Washington DC area? I am trying to avoid most highways but mapquest and yahoo maps are taking me down I-66 and I-81 most of the way throgh Virginia. I live off of I-95 in Springfield. VA

[Tank]

The most obvious thing that pops into my mind is to catch the Blue Ridge Parkway and ride it into Cherokee, then cross the smokies and take the Foothills parkway right to the gap.