Texas->Virgina and scenic return

I thinking of making a quick family trip ... as soon as I get the call
that the baby is coming. Right now the the thinking is a quick trip
from Georgetown, Texas to Vienna, Virginia.

Traveling to:

Georgetown, Texas -> Knoxville, Tennessee (Interstates)
http://tinyurl.com/m7e6r7 or preview URL http://preview.tinyurl.com/m7e6r7

Knoxville, Tennesse -> Vienna, Virginia via the Cumberland Gap (Interstates)
http://tinyurl.com/n6ygdo or preview URL http://preview.tinyurl.com/n6ygdo

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On the return, I am planning on enjoying scenic roads

Vienna, Virginia -> Skyline Drive, Virginia
http://tinyurl.com/nhqxls or preview URL http://preview.tinyurl.com/nhqxls

Skyline Drive, Virginia -> Cherokee, North Carolina
http://tinyurl.com/mgcqkj or preview URL http://preview.tinyurl.com/mgcqkj

Still working the Deals Gap, Cherohala Skyway, Smokey Mountains routes

Knoxville, Tennesse -> Georgetown via the Natchez Trace Parkway
http://tinyurl.com/m4n3zd or preview URL http://preview.tinyurl.com/m4n3zd

After
I get to Vienna ... I will be able to start estimating my return
schedule. I have not (or may not) determine how far I will drive each
day or where I will stop ... so I can enjoy the ride.

If anyone has any suggestions or if someone would be interested in joining some ride segments let me know.

Bill...............sounds like a great trip. If you have the time and are interested in touring a distillery, I would recommend stopping by in Lynchburg, TN and touring the Jack Daniel's Distillery. Tours are FREE, at least they were when we stopped by there this past May. I found it very interesting. Just an idea.
You can check out their website...............www.jackdaniels.com
Have a great time!

Hey Bill,
First of all, many congratulations!

You'll be in my neck of the woods! I live along the Chesapeak Bay, about an hour or so from Vienna. You'll have to let me know if you want to take a short detour to see some really beautiful country.

With regard to your trip, There are some really wonderful back roads in the part of Virginia you will be crossing. On your way back to Texas, I would completely recommend entering Skyline Drive at Route 33 (Rather than Front Royal) and taking backroads including "The Constitution Route" through rural Virginia to get to Skyline (which, by the way, costs $15.00 to enter unless you have a National Parks pass). After Skyline, you'll be able to get onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is also wonderful, and 50 mph (yeah!). I went through this lower part of Skyline Drive yesterday. Skyline is beautiful, but it is very, very long and only 35 miles per hour the whole way. Entering at Route 33 will give you a big part of the road, and a lot of beauty, but won't make you crazy at the low speed. I drive about 100 miles of the Blue Ridge a few weeks ago, and it is a really wonderful ride, filled with other bikers.

Something to note though, both Skyline and the Blue Ridge get a lot more crowded while the leaves are changing, but they are both worth the trouble.

On your way to Vienna, You'll probably be taking US 81 most of the way through western Virgina, which is long and boring, but certainly the fastest way. There are alot of trucks, though.

Your GPS will probably tell you to get off at Route 64, which is the back way. It's very pretty, and is a part of what I was describing for your return trip. As a comparison interstate route, you'll also want to plug in Route 66, which starts in Front Royal, Virginia, intersects with Route 81 (although my Garmin can't seem to find the intersection, so I go to "Address" and just plug in '66' and 'Front Royal'), and goes directly to Vienna. If you are hitting 66 at either rush hour though, you will be very, very upset. DC and its environs have some of the worst traffic in the country. The local traffic and weather station is WTOP, 103.5 FM. I never get in rush hour traffic without it.

This is a start. Let me know if you want points of interest, or just routes to take, or both, of course. I'm happy to help...small payback for all of your help with farckles and mods!

Mandy