Trip Planning

[Luv2ride-THOR]

2020 Thor Quantum 32 ft class C

My wife and I are planning a trip from Camino,CA to the Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Pkwy. Is 2 weeks long enough and any suggestions how you would incorporate the two. Trip planned for Sept 16 to Oct 20 2025.

 

[ghnl]

Hello & welcome.

How many miles do you like to drive per day? Is the RV new to you or have you owned it for some time (and got the bugs sorted out)? Google maps says it's about 2,600 miles from there to here. If you drive 500 miles a day (a long day for me) that's over 5 days driving. 300 miles a day would make it about a 9 day trip. I like to stop along the way when I find interesting things to see & do so two weeks (each way) might be OK.

Those dates are prime Leaf Peeping season. Will you make reservations for places to stay?

 

[16ACE27]

We took 2 weeks just to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway from south (Smokey Moutain National Park) to north, including Skyline Drive.

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

I would take AT LEAST a week to travel from CA to eastern TN... at least two weeks (if not more) in the mountains, then a week+ to get back to CA.

So... just me with a different travel style (retired), I'd block out a month MINIMUM for this trip and probably add a few days for a buffer. But that's just my opinion.

 

[ducksface]

We travel differently.
Two days is a long time in the woods looking at trees and vistas.
I'd plan things to see/do along the way and use the smoky mountains as a turn around. If you get there earlier than planned you can leave earlier than planned.

I'd start with
Yosemite
Redwoods
Kings canyon
Lee vining
Death valley
Back road to Barstow
Kelso
Havasu
Kingman
Grandcanyon
Flagstaff
Sedona
Payson
Greer
Blue Hole
Texas
Louisanna Puchase marker
North to smokies
Home a different route.
Too much to do to spend much time in the woods and vistas.

If you've seen some of these skip it if you want.
Smokies were
'Whats around the bend?'
'More of the same'

But
We don't know if you collect coprolites or dogcosts.
Tell us what and we'll tell you what.

 

[Lt Keefer]

Once you've gone about 20 or 30 miles along the BRP you'll begin to realize that you already saw most of the vistas just getting to the parkway. As to the Smokies themselves, they are just a bunch of hills with trees. You will probably have passed over bigger mountains just getting to them.

 

[Beau388]

2020 Thor Quantum 32 ft class C

My wife and I are planning a trip from Camino,CA to the Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Pkwy. Is 2 weeks long enough and any suggestions how you would incorporate the two. Trip planned for Sept 16 to Oct 20 2025.

Being a NC native, I have driven it part way or all the way several tines. First time driving was in my new Fiat 600D (1962). The loop around Grandfather Mountain was not finished at that time. In a 1965 Corvair Corsa convertible (1965 with new wife). The last time was in a 1968 UltraVan (class A motor coach)(2016). It is a great trip.


My favorite time is when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in bloom. I usually start at Cherokee, NC (don't miss "Unto these Hills" - May-Aug). I drive 35 to 45 mph and stop many times along the way. Takes about 10 days. I have to pry my wife out of the Museum of NC Minerals at Spruce Pine. She is a consummate rock hound.



My favorite mountain touring road is the Cherohala Skyway. If you like to have a spirited drive in a great handling vehicle (bike or car) the "Tail of the Dragon" is legendary.


Left is a November 2008 cruise on the Cherohala. Right is a Corvair gathering at Deals Gap on the "Tail of The Dragon" (Sept 2000)

 

[Greybaer]

2020 Thor Quantum 32 ft class C

My wife and I are planning a trip from Camino,CA to the Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Pkwy. Is 2 weeks long enough and any suggestions how you would incorporate the two. Trip planned for Sept 16 to Oct 20 2025.

We do this trip (more or less) almost every year, as we have kids living in Charlotte. Our departure point is Salt Lake City, and we take at least 5 days each way. According to Google maps, from Camino you are looking at 2620 miles one way (taking I-40). Assuming you take 7 days to travel that, you'll need to average 350 miles a day.

To actually enjoy your time once you are there, I'd suggest two weeks driving the parkways, and seeing the park. While you're there Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge are worth a look, as well as Dollywood if you are an amusement park type. The Biltmore Estate is also pretty close, assuming it's open (it was damaged in the recent floods in Asheville).

Doing the math, 3-4 weeks is probably a more realistic time estimate.

Going in September I'd suggest staying south on I-40 or the parallel backroads. There are some really nice sights to see along that route, as well as some pretty cool mom and pop RV parks.

A final suggestion - try and stay in an Army Corps of Engineers camopground every time you have the opportunity. They are uniformly beautiful, usually very low density, all have amazing water features, and are really cheap.

Safe travels!

 

[Bob Nodine]

I live in East Tennessee and have an annual parking pass for the Smokey Mountains. Most of the comments in this thread are spot on, although we do have some things beside vistas and trees for your entertainment. The mountains of the Appalachian chain are not significantly high because they are worn down from millions of years of erosion and wind. They are the oldest mountains in the world, so are different than say, the Rockies.

What bothers me about your post is the "2 weeks". We would take two weeks just to get from here to California because of all the things to see and do. Maybe you have seen all those things and just want to drive straight through. It is 2500 miles from here to California so if you drove 500 miles a day (which we do not) it will take 5 days to get here and 5 days to go home. That leaves 4 days to do stuff out of the 2 weeks. You are looking at about $2500 for gasoline for the Class C. If you add camping cost to that you could fly here and back and get a rental car and be money to the good. If we were going to spend that much money to travel in the RV we would want to do things along the way.

I assume you are not retired and only have two weeks to be away from your job. If that is the case then I would seriously consider flying here.

 

[Chrismpita]

I agree with a lot of comments on this. I left Fallbrook, CA to retire to the Smoky Mountains. If you are not on a set schedule of 2 weeks, I suggest you see as much as you can in the way. If you only have 2 weeks, I suggest the 500 mile a day rule and stay overnight at Costco, Walmart, Cracker Barrel parking lots. If looking to enjoy the Smokies and the Blue Ridge Parkway, stay out by Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge. If looking for a more "peaceful" side of the Smokies, stay out in Tounsend. Either way you will not regret it.

 

[The Gritz Carlton]

Short answer...NO. You'll be so pushed to travel long distances every day...you'll get tired of that real quick. Also, as already recommended, there is so much to enjoy and see along your route. You'll be leaving 95% of a wonderful trip behind you. It took us 2 months to travel from PCB, FL to Arizona...still seemed like we were pushing it.

 

[k_enn]

RV or car -- you don't want to rush across country. Allow plenty of time to see the sights along the way. That way you don't have to repeat in a few years to see all that you missed. Back in 1980, I drove (in a car) from NYC to Seattle in a week. There is so much that I did not see that I am now taking my RV back out many of the areas that I just drove through.

 

[16ACE27]

If only the OP could find his way back to this Forum to read all these great answers.

 

[Dave Randolph]

so you guys drive 300-500 miles day on average?
. It's about
I drove from Grand Junction, Co, to Louisville, in 32 hours. It's 1366 miles

Heading to Spring Hills, FL, from Louisville on 12/21 or 22 to visit the wife's dad and his wife. That's 827 miles. In a car, I'd do it straight through.
We are planning on 1.5 to 2 days

 

[ducksface]

915 solo is my rv record(I think)
1500 miles at 55mph speed limits is my most(much younger then. Rained from Tucson to millington tn, 70 1/2 z28, no ac, no rain gutters, 105°ambient. My then first okc experience was same as my last okc trip just this year...under construction)

900 for the spousal unit.

ability is.
Inability is.

Some here can't do more than 10mph under a speed limit.

You're arguing into the wind....

There is 'can't'
There is 'won't'
There is 'don't have to'
There is 'hold my beer. I damn well will meet the need'
That's 3:1 argument against driving distance.

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

I can't remember how defrosters worked without A/C. Dad's '64 Impala (the learn to drive car) had no A/C... don't remember. My first car, a '65 Simca, I could reach out the window and nearly halfway across the windshield to clear ice with my hand if necessary... rear engine - water was lukewarm at best when it reached the front heater core...

 

[ducksface]

I can't remember how defrosters worked without A/C. Dad's '64 Impala (the learn to drive car) had no A/C... don't remember. My first car, a '65 Simca, I could reach out the window and nearly halfway across the windshield to clear ice with my hand if necessary... rear engine - water was lukewarm at best when it reached the front heater core...

Poorly.
They worked poorly.

But
Ya run what ya brung
And lived with it.

If you don't know cashmere
Your knowledge of only burlap seems like a blessing.

 

[HMCSW]

2020 Thor Quantum 32 ft class C

My wife and I are planning a trip from Camino,CA to the Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Pkwy. Is 2 weeks long enough and any suggestions how you would incorporate the two. Trip planned for Sept 16 to Oct 20 2025.

do you love to drive long hours? How young are you? I drove from Palm Springs to Washington DC when in my 20s. Left on a Friday ay 12:00 noon and arrived in DC on Sunday night. Just me and a dog. Those days are long gone. Now it will take 4 over nights to get there with no stops for looking around. I would take 5-6 days to get there.

 

[Bob Nodine]

Poorly.
They worked poorly.

But
Ya run what ya brung
And lived with it.

If you don't know cashmere
Your knowledge of only burlap seems like a blessing.

Now that paraphrase for "ignorance is bliss" has me itching. But I guess if you actually wear burlap you get used to it and don't itch.