@El Frazoo posted:… the pavement where Phil has scouted seems much better than the roads seen in and around the Maggie valley area from years past. In our runs last year, i did not see one axle- breaking pot hole.
Laying aside that where we were 2 years ago is presently a hurricane disaster zone, and Virginia escaped relatively unscathed, comparing Wytheville to Brevard is kind of an apples/oranges deal.
The roads we were on in Virginia were definitely better maintained than those in NC. From a pure driving standpoint, they were the equal/better to the majority of the runs around Brevard. I’d say Carlos’ “Deliverance Run” was more technical, but that pavement quality was way better in Virginia. No crater swallowed my rear-end or broke my suspension, and I was working it hard. I LOVED the routes, and am still grinding my teeth that I suggested this weekend (as opposed to last weekend or next weekend).
However, as both Phil and Jeanie pointed out to me at different times, the vistas (lookouts, waterfalls, etc.) in the Pisgah Forest and up on the Parkway in NC are probably not going to be replicated anywhere else. I’ve been down CA1 and in Yosemite with my car — the Smokys in that part of the world don’t give anything away for scenery. Virginia was excellent driving, but probably 8/10 in majestic overlooks. There wasn’t an abundance of shops/galleries, etc. in Wytheville as there are in Brevard.
It’s also a considerably more expensive option than some things we’ve done in the past. Virginia is not cheap. The Holiday Inn Express charged a $5/day parking fee in addition to being $165/night before taxes. We averaged $200/night— it was a very nice hotel, but at the end of the day, it was a Holiday Inn Express. Again, I was a part of this decision (and I’d make it again), but getting the room made up every day comes at a cost. Nothing was a deal-breaker at all, but it’s something to keep in mind.
I’d absolutely go back (in a heartbeat) because for the reasons I go (fast driving in the mountains), it’s pretty hard to beat glass-smooth and uncluttered mountain roads without a bunch of slow traffic. But if we’re asking wives to tag along, we’ll probably gonna need more of the things they’d like to do.
None of this is an indictment of Phil, the drives he put together or the quality of the roads: it’s just a statement that going forward we’ll probably need to decide if this is couple-friendly, or a “Maggie Valley roughing it” kind of trip.
I doubt it can tick both boxes anywhere but Brevard.
