Vacation ideas?

[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

[makbike]

JP,

You can't go wrong cycling in the Bluegrass State - it is simply beautiful and offers a lot of safe routes.

Are you looking for an organized ride/touring company? If so, I know there is one that offers a week long tour around the Lexington area. I believe they are based out of South Carolina. I've not participated in their rides but I do recall their Bluegrass tour took in a lot of beautiful countryside and historical sites.

If you are looking to put together your own routes/rides I would suggest you purchase two books. The first is Wheeling Around The Bluegrass by Joe Ward. This book has 26 well planned routes of varying distances and difficulties. Most of the rides start in or near Lexington and take in some unique places as well as historical sites. Each chapter provides you with a cue sheet, a map and information about the area.

The second book I would recommend you pick up is Off The Beaten Path - Kentucky, 9th edition This book has a great section on central Kentucky and provides a lot of great places to visit in or around the Lexington area. Many of the places highlighted in this book are found on Joe Ward's routes - they nicely overlap and compliment each other.

I wish I could offer you some first hand information regarding the Lexington area but sadly I can't. However, if you find yourself just west of Lexington and need some ride suggestions/routes please let me know. I'll gladly share some of my favorite routes.

I hope this helps.

[jp4995]

For this trip, I don't think we're looking to do any organized tours. All these places look so pretty! Now I'm thinking of spending a few days in Lexington and a few days in Townsend TN. Or maybe quitting work and traveling for a living (ha!).

Thanks again for all the suggestions, you all have been a great help!

[indysteel]

For this trip, I don't think we're looking to do any organized tours. All these places look so pretty! Now I'm thinking of spending a few days in Lexington and a few days in Townsend TN. Or maybe quitting work and traveling for a living (ha!).

Thanks again for all the suggestions, you all have been a great help!

Granted, we had a ton of rain that made riding in and around Townsend nearly impossible, but I have to admit that it likely wasn't the best area for cycling anyway. I've ridden through SMNP, and while it's certainly doable (I did it in September of 2008 as part of BRAT), there was plenty of traffic to contend with. I can only imagine what it would be like during the summer.

There are some routes that we were hoping to do on our visit to Townsend, e.g., the Cherohala Skyway, but we likely would have had to drive to the start of the route, because the road through Townsend itself pretty busy and doesn't have the best shoulder. That probably wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but I would have preferred to just ride from where we were staying (a private cabin that I loved). There are routes out of Maryville I assume, but again, we would have had to drive there.

I think we might consider staying in Tellico Plains the next time we head to Tennessee with the bikes. For BRAT 2008, we also road in the area around Crosby (near English Mountain but not over it). I'd like to go back there, too. As much as I love SMNP, the areas immediately around it are just a little too crowded for me from a cycling perspective. Hiking, yes, but not cycling.

[Catrin]

It is important to remember that summer and fall are high tourist season in the Townsend/Maryville area. There ARE places that aren't so popular with tourists, but they have to be found. I like the idea of heading to the Lodge for a few days, but will have to talk with some people about the best places to take my Surly

[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.