Best route to Deals Gap resort?

[ozarkryder]

Looking forward to at trip to the area. We are planning to camp at Deals Gap Resort. Will be arriving in the area Sunday, May 20th in the afternoon or early evening. Planning on staying 3 or 4 days before heading back home to the Joplin, MO area. We will be riding a GL1500 trike pulling a bunkhouse camper.
Mapsource puts us on I-40 (the Adimarial wants to get there quickly - we can take our time getting home) to Knoxville and down the Dragon to the resort.
The question is that I've been cautioned against pulling a trailer on US 129, especially the first time on the Dragon. Would it be better to head through Chattanooga and accross the Cherohala Skyway to Robbinsville and up to to the resort?
We live in the Ozarks, so sharp curves with the trike/trailer rig are the usual fare, but not as many in as few miles as The Dragon.
How is traffic Sunday afternoon/evening? I want to be polite and not hold back a bunch of people. the trike takes up a lot of room!

[brad@dealsgap]

I visited your area last year, the curves here are somewhat sharper but I think you will be ok to come this way. Their are several pull offs coming from the north and as long as you keep an eye out for the bikes and pull over you should not have problems holding folks up. Sun evening we usualy have locals around so they know that their are plenty of pull offs and will wait.

[ozarkryder]

Thanks for the info! Hope you enjoyed your trip to the Ozarks - judging fron the map on the GPS there are more concentrated and sharper curves, but I think we will be OK - It's not like we were in Kansas, where we rode 150 miles to ride the curve.;-) The key seems to be to not get overconfident or cockey. 17 days and counting!

Don

[brad@dealsgap]

Don your area is impressive as far as riding goes, we were very supprised. We spent most of our time on the AR side but the entire area has some great riding

[748L052]

take I-75 south from I-40 about 12 miles to TN 72. East on TN 72 till it hits US 129 - sort of zigs north a bit with 411. Promise you you'll like it better than what looks on the map to be the obvious Kville, Mville, Alcoa way - unless the admiral really, really likes riding suburban, strip mall, endless traffic lights 4 & 5 lane stop&go...

[brad@dealsgap]

Good call, I agree. Great way to bypass all the construction ect in the Knoxville

[jbrown9079]

May 20th! I will be rolling in on Monday the 21st with about 8-9 others. Staying at the gap all week till Friday morning. Is this your first time at the Gap?

JB

[ozarkryder]

Yep, first time to the area and am looking forward to it. From what I understand, not only is the riding great, but we may need another 1 gig card for the camera. :-) We will be on a purple GL1500 trike and camping in a maroon bunkhouse camper, both with Missouri plates.

Don

[LBF]

Another Missouri Gap Fan! I tend to take the superslab on the first day when I head down to the The Dragon, and then take some better back roads on the way home. My second day route on the way down is usually the same - 68 is a fantastic ride. My usual route on the way home is this:
Take the Cherohala to Tellico Plains.
68 to Crossville, TN.
70 to Lebanon, TN.
(Get through/around Nashville however I can, and then hit 24)
24 to Paducah, KY.
(I know, 24 is a busy Highway...)
60 West into Missouri.
After you cross both bridges, continue on 60 West to Winona.
Then I take 19 North to Salem, 72 North to Rolla, and 63 North to Jefferson City.
Of course you would probably take 60 all the way to 44 then on to Joplin.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=joplin%2C%20mo%20to%20cairo%2C%20mo&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wl

Good Luck, and have fun! - I'm going to head down this year on June 11th, and will head for home on the 17th. I usually take two days to make the trip when I'm riding, and one day when I'm pulling a trailer.

[Deerhead]

Hi,
There is great riding all around but you've got to eat. I am attaching a Garmin gbd file of some local eatery's. If it doesn't come through, get to Helen, GA, you'll love it and eat at Trolls, west end of the Chereala, Bisro's is nice, Tommy's and Carolina Smoke House in Cashiers, NC, Rib Shack in Highlands, NC, Tapoco Lodge east end of the Gap, and The Dillard House in Dillard, GA. I'm sure there are others but The rides to get to Helen, Highlands and Cashiers are great too.
Can't load the gbd files.

[748L052]

If'n you really want to twist&shout on the way home try this. From Tellico Plains west a short bit on totally back roads till you pick up TN 30. Stick with TN 30 all the way to McMinville. From there, again serious back road maps, to Rock island State Pk. Then again a short bit N to US 70 N. (you'll cross over I-40)Go west toward Nville...

Ain't nuthin' straight....