Vacation ideas?

[Catrin]

This book is good for western NC: http://blueridgebiking.tripod.com/

There's another one for around Asheville, but I've found that there are some road name/route issues with some of the routes.

Thanks for this, I am from East Tennessee but haven't lived there since a teenager. I am hoping my lovely new Long Haul Trucker will help me to rediscover region

[indysteel]

Catrin, the book I have is called Bicycling Middle Tennessee. I picked it up at the bike shop that's at the northern end of the Natchez Trace. They had several different books on the area.

Where in Tennessee are you from? I love the state--at least from a cycling standpoint. I'm trying to talk my DH into doing BRAT with me.

[Catrin]

Catrin, the book I have is called Cycling Middle Tennessee. I picked it up at the bike shop that's at the northern end of the Natchez Trace. They had several different books on the area.

Where in Tennessee are you from? I love the state--at least from a cycling standpoint. I'm trying to talk my DH into doing BRAT with me.

I was born in East Tennessee - as an interesting side note you may have noticed that people from East Tennessee are never from Tennessee, but from East Tennessee I am from the Knoxville/Maryville/Great Smoky National Park area.

The book that someone mentioned about cycling the Blue Ridge mountains looks interesting as well! I can't spend any extra money though - gotta pay for my lovely new Surly in 21 days

[indysteel]

I was born in East Tennessee - as an interesting side note you may have noticed that people from East Tennessee are never from Tennessee, but from East Tennessee I am from the Knoxville/Maryville/Great Smoky National Park area.

The book that someone mentioned about cycling the Blue Ridge mountains looks interesting as well! I can't spend any extra money though - gotta pay for my lovely new Surly in 21 days

DH and I spent a week in Townsend last year and went to Maryville a few times. It's lovely through there.

[tulip]

France.

[Catrin]

DH and I spent a week in Townsend last year and went to Maryville a few times. It's lovely through there.

Townsend is beautiful, I have family there. Right now I am trying to plan when I will take a week off this summer and go home and visit the mountains with my new bike....errrrr...visit my sister. Yeah, that's it

[Jaclyn]

If you decide on Townsend, I'll recommend the Dancing Bear Lodge. The owner is a cyclist, and they occasionally host cycling weekends. They provide route maps of the area and can provide advice - they even have bike rentals (great if you want to try some mountain biking).

http://www.dancingbearlodge.com/cp/A...-Fishing--.htm

[nscrbug]

Catrin, the book I have is called Bicycling Middle Tennessee. I picked it up at the bike shop that's at the northern end of the Natchez Trace. They had several different books on the area.

Where in Tennessee are you from? I love the state--at least from a cycling standpoint. I'm trying to talk my DH into doing BRAT with me.

Since you happened to mention it....how would road biking be on the Natchez Trace? I know there is no commercial traffic allowed (like the Blue Ridge Pkwy), but how is traffic in general? And is there a sufficient shoulder to ride on?

[nc tam]

The book Blueberry posted is the one I have. (for western NC).

I was wondering about the Natchez Trace, too, for TN.

Happy planning!

[indysteel]

Since you happened to mention it....how would road biking be on the Natchez Trace? I know there is no commercial traffic allowed (like the Blue Ridge Pkwy), but how is traffic in general? And is there a sufficient shoulder to ride on?

My experience on it is somewhat limited. I did about a 40 mile "out and back" on a Sunday morning starting just south of its northern nexus. There were more bikes than cars. There's no shoulder that I recall. The cars I did encounter gave me a wide berth. I enjoyed it very much.

It is possible to do a self-supported tour of the Trace, but you have to keep in mind that there are no stores or the like along it. You have to get off the Trace go into adjacent towns for provisions. If you google it, my guess is that you'll find some good information on touring along the Trace. The biggest issue, of course, is that unless you plan to do an out and back, you need to arrange for transportation back to the start.