Smoky Mountains / Knoxville / Atlanta

So for a bit of a drive I am thinking of driving from Roanoke VA to Knoxville in Tennessee then staying for the night then driving down to Atlanta. The drive is quite long says Google and I wonder is this because we will be crossing the smoky mountains?

Any advice on this? Is Knoxville interesting for a night? I only want to go because I've heard of it plus we tick another state off. but if it's going to be a pain and an extra 5-6 hours travel then it might be a no go option.

 

Whenever I’ve driven through those areas I was always on my way to another destination (so I really can't help) although I enjoyed my circuit through the Blue Ridge Parkway

Hotwater

 

We have a two day gap before we fly from Atlanta to Texas and we are coming from Viginia. If we go back the way we came from, that's Atlanta to Charlotte to Roanoke, it'll only supposedly take 7 hours but from Roanoke to Knoxville to Atlanta is 11hrs plus. 4 hours from Roanoke to Knoxville though. I think if we pull an early morning drive then we should be there for all afternoon and then evening, leave again at say 10am or even midday to travel back down to Atlanta. Pending hangovers.

I just wouldn't want to do it if like it takes 4 hours to get to Knoxville and then hours to get into the city where we'd stay. This market square looks cool, but I'm not sure how easily accessible it is, I hate losing time on pointless travel.

 

Knoxville sucks ass. Asheville is the place to stay in that big mountain region. In eastern Tennessee, Chattanooga is the only halfway cool city.

 

I have seen Asheville on the map.

I'll have to have a look see.

 

This actually works out better for me personally because we can drive 2 hrs to Bristol TN, hopefully the speedway is open to public. If not, I get to stand outside the coliseum. Then two hours to Asheville NC for the night and then 7 hrs to Atlanta. Roughly works out the same on time.

 

^sounds like a good plan, although I live roughly two hours from Atlanta and an hour and a half from Asheville so I'm scratching my head as to why Asheville to Atlanta would take 7 hours...check out maybe coming down I 26 to Hwy 25 towards Greenville (SC) which should take an hour and a half then hopping on I 85 to Atlanta which should be another two hours. Although maybe the way you're talking about taking from Asheville to Atlanta cuts across the Georgia mountains and is more scenic? I've never taken that route

 

No idea really lol. Just what google maps is telling me when I type in directions. I'm sure a tomtom will take us better routes. =p

 

either way, Asheville is a cool little mountain town, I hope you like it!

 

How's the drinking atmosphere? Good pubs or beer gardens?
It's just a one night stop, I've asked the crew what's up. They just wanna have fun.

 

I haven't been in a couple of years and I know the craft beer scene has blown up recently so it should be even better than the last time I went, but yeah it has a lot of cool pubs and breweries. Lots of little music venues too

 

Perfect.

Well I'm just about to book hotels then. Found some cheap ones on a golf course.

 

of the towns you listed, bristol is the most interesting one i've been to.

charlotte's the only one i've drank in, in a gross rave club with puke all over the floors and in the sinks. then my friend bought weed off some guy on the street, but when he got into the light we saw that he actually just spent $30 on a bag of pine needles.

 

If you wanna see the cool parts of the smokes and Appalachia, go up 448 iirc, takes you up to Gatlinburg, TN. Just reverse it and go down, when I took off from ATL, that's how I went about heading back to iowa. Lots of nice scenery and pull offs for pics etc.

I have been up and down the smokies and if I don't go through Newport TN to go fast, I take the scenic way. But have fun in ATL/asshole of America, drivers are slow no common sense and road construction will hold you up. They always have a couple portions that will fuck your schedule up. Have a fun trip!

 

We really won't have time for sight seeing. The only sights we wanna see are the bottom of beer glasses.

I hate to non stop travel and waste away days which is why I like little two hour cities on the way. The only thing I need to learn is these highway names and numbers. Erryone be like "oh take the the I40 and then the I26 and make a left onto F67 and then straight down z19475829

Mind boggling.