Need Help Leaving DC Area

[HotRodZilla]

So, a small group of guys I work with are going to ride from Albuquerque to Washington DC for Police Week in May. Our plan is to leave here on Tuesday May 9th, and cover around 500-600 miles per day. So far, I'm the only non-Harley, and it may stay that way unless Patch decides to come. These guys are casual riders, so 800-1000 mile days would be unreasonable. It will be a couple of these guys first time leaving the state; although, they are all good riders.

So, we're going to leave here and mostly slab it to DC. Albuquerque to Henryetta OK on day 1. Henryetta OK to Nashville TN on day 2, and Nashville to DC on day 3. An extra day is built into this, in case we run into weather they're not comfortable with, or mechanical issues. So, we have 4 days to get there. There are Memorial events on Friday night, Saturday, and Monday. We'll probably be off the bikes most of the time in DC to do some sight seeing. Our planned hotel supposedly has easy access to the Metro, so I'm thinking we'll use the train for transportation most of the time. Is that a valid plan?

The last event is on Monday morning at 11. When that's over around 2pm, our plan is to ride out of DC to like Charlottesville or Roanoke. My ultimate goal is to get us on the right path to hit the Blue Ridge Parkway and run that down towards 28 and the Dragon. Hell, even 421, in North Carolina would be fun. However, I don't want to bite off way more than we can chew.

I'd like to take these guys to run the dragon, then exit to Robbinsville and take the Cherohala Skyway to Tellico Plains. Then we can run west from there. We have until Friday to get home. I know some of you know those areas well, and I'd like to know what you think, and any routes. I've ridden out of Ashville, Johnson City and Maggie Valley. Maggie valley would be cool, and I'd take them to the Wheels Through Time Musuem.

Please post up and let me know. I know just enough out there to be dangerous, but not effective.

Also, if you're free any time during those days and want to come along, a local guy would be AWESOME!!

Have at it...

 

[SmashVol]

The Snake is a great one that you can hit on the way down, devils triangle and the dragon-cherohala loop is a good one. They may scrape the boards on their bikes since they are Harleys. I will look at some of the other ones on some maps I have at home and get back with you but some on here will probably chime in with some more or same results. Good luck and ought to be fun. Be safe and BTW, where are ya staying in the Nashville area since you will be right around corner from me. Be safe out there!

 

[1911]

From near Roanoke hit as much as you can of this

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=1ifKqEF1kyVuqWwAleuQatCW080Y&ll=37.1101527291844%2C-81.19879215234374&z=9

We'll be up there to do just that as soon as Hungry Mother opens

Then 58 to Damascus>133> Shady Valley>421 South>67>321>19E>143 south ROAN MTN

>261>80>BRP all the way to Maggy Valley/Cherokee and then over to Deals Gap!

 

[Laser Dude]

From Nashville to DC in one day is a long ride. Not impossible, but one heck of a long day. You lose an hour of time in there with the time change, so that doesn't help you mental state when your trip just lost an hour. Taking the metro around DC is probably fine. You used to be able to buy a day pass for a reasonable amount, so that might be worth doing. That'll get you in and out as much as you want. You will be doing some walking though. There's a lot of great stuff to see and do in DC.

When you leave DC, head west as quickly as you can (don't go south and then west). Traffic in Northern VA/DC is beyond anything pleasurable. You can breeze through without stopping or end up in 2 hours of backlog. No way to know which one you'll end up on, so avoid Interstate 95 at all costs. There is beautiful countryside from outside DC all the way to the Blueridge. You can do little bitty roads or 55 mph roads that cut through the countryside. You can take Route 7 west towards Winchester and it's beautiful, which will get you all the way to 81 if you want, letting you get more into the WV mountain area to head south, you can do Interstate 66 which will be busy out of DC but get you out, or you can take Route 15 which will take you out of Fairfax, VA toward Culpepper, then to 29 which will take you to Charlottesville. Route 15 is rolling countryside and a nice ride. No turns, but a nice ride. It's all pretty. From Charlottesville, you can hop on Interstate 64 for 15-20 minutes and get on the Blueridge at Afton Mountain.

Your worst part of the entire trip will be DC for sure. It's just so hit or miss with traffic. There's a 80% chance you'll get screwed by it, but a 20% chance you'll ride right through.

I've driven in a car from Nashville to 90 minutes south of DC a number of times. Interstate 81 in the southern tip of VA is just a long way. It'll seem like you are riding for days on the same stretch of road. Interstate 81 is the fastest route but it's flat and a major road for truckers so depending on the time/day, you can ride with no trucks around or be the only one not in a truck around you.

Watch of Law Enforcement. VA likes running radar and giving out speeding tickets. You'll probably see more law enforcement in VA than you see in the rest of your entire trip.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

AJ. I used to live in that area and you are biting off a big chunk trying to make that kinda time in the DC area. It's been too long to give you any tips on roads, just be careful out there, It's a different world for sure. Your buddies that haven't been out of state are in for a culture shock. I lived there and I can't handle it anymore.

 

[bikerskier]

Using Metro is clearly the best answer when you are near the city. You can stay out of the congested area, not worry about traffic, construction, detours, parking, etc ,etc. Easy, cheap, stress free access to almost anywhere you want to go. I did this in '14 on my big ride, both in DC and New York City, and I highly recommend it.

 

[El Toro Joe]

AJ...you know, yer buddy Bob (intech) lives just south of DC, in King George, VA. You might wanna contact him, he might even be willing to give you an escort, on your ride out of DC.

So does this mean you won't be doing YFO...or is that still in your plans?

 

[FJR Flyer]

I've done Memphis to home (east of DC) in about 15 hours (included some snow in the mountains). Nashville to DC will be a challenge for those riders, from what you've said, but not impossible.

Metro in DC is the way to go. Not as reliable as it once was, but still your best option. DC rush hour starts building early. More so on a Friday, so Monday shouldn't be too bad. But if you get out after 3 you will surely be screwed. You can take 66 west out to Front Royal and pick up Skyline drive. Only downside is the 35 mph speed limit on Skyline. Fort Valley Rd through the George Washing Nat'l Forest is pretty good, too, but will take you off the beaten path. Lot of good back roads through VA to the Blue Ridge.

The Snake is a great ride. Stop at the Shady Valley Country Store, they are rider friendly. If you take 133 out of Shady Valley to Damascus, VA, there are some great sweepers along the way.

 

[BigOgre]

One of these days I'd like to make time for the Marine Corps museum. I've heard it's worth the stop.

 

[Laser Dude]

One of these days I'd like to make time for the Marine Corps museum. I've heard it's worth the stop.

Definitely worth the stop. Very impressive and when I was by that area about a month ago, they were heavy into adding on to the place. Can't wait to see it once it's finished.

 

[lonerider]

Definitely agree that you don't want to drive in D.C. Parking is an expensive PIA and traffic regulations on major arteries can change with the time of day. Metro is currently undergoing a major maintenance program, supposedly to be completed in June. You might want to check https://patch.com/district-columbia/washingtondc/metro-2017-safetrack-schedule-new-dates-single-tracking-info to see if your travel plans will be affected. Tom

 

[HotRodZilla]

From near Roanoke hit as much as you can of this
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=1ifKqEF1kyVuqWwAleuQatCW080Y&ll=37.1101527291844,-81.19879215234374&z=9

We'll be up there to do just that as soon as Hungry Mother opens

Then 58 to Damascus>133> Shady Valley>421 South>67>321>19E>143 south ROAN MTN >261>80>BRP all the way to Maggy Valley/Cherokee and then over to Deals Gap!

Ok, 1911, the link here worked. Looking on how to hit that route. Would we jump off 81 onto 460 towards Newport and catch it from there? That would be a fun ride.

AJ. I used to live in that area and you are biting off a big chunk trying to make that kinda time in the DC area. It's been too long to give you any tips on roads, just be careful out there, It's a different world for sure. Your buddies that haven't been out of state are in for a culture shock. I lived there and I can't handle it anymore

Ok, Bud, what do you mean? You're not the first to suggest Nashville to DC is a hard ride. Why is that? Is it bad traffic, bad roads, or just longer than I'm thinking. It's hard to get out of thinking like an FJR rider and take less experienced guys so far into account. They're all tough guys, and no one will sissy out. One of them is a phenomenal rider and rode to Robbinsville last year I think. However, we have a 4th travel day we can use, and that may be a better plan. Get into DC mid morning or early afternoon, instead of later in the evening. Tell me what going too sick about that leg, because I don't know.

Last time in was in DC was like 1989 for a HS trip. I flew in, got picked up, and we got bussed everywhere. A couple guys have been there recently, so picking sights to see should be the easier part I hope. Lol.

AJ...you know, yer buddy Bob (intech) lives just south of DC, in King George, VA. You might wanna contact him, he might even be willing to give you an escort, on your ride out of DC.So does this mean you won't be doing YFO...or is that still in your plans?

I called Bob yesterday while we were meeting about this. He made it sound like the Nashville to DC ride was ok, but now I'm hearing different. He'll be shirt of time, so no riding on Monday for him. I'll find a way to meet Spanky and him for dinner.

I forgot about YFO. However, that's not until June. The good thing about this trip is we should be getting paid during our time, since it's department related. Hopefully I won't have to use vacation. Apparently were also looking for sponsors so hopefully the out of pocket won't be too bad. If it doesn't break me, I'll come home, change oil and tires, and then prep for YFO. My problem will be that my brother, some friends and I are going to Moab from April 26-26-30 on the dirt bikes. This trip is barely a week after that. Gonna have to keep the wife calm!

One of these days I'd like to make time for the Marine Corps museum. I've heard it's worth the stop.

We'll defiantly hit that. That looks cool!! Thanks!!

 

[HotRodZilla]

Just from the conversations here, I'm thinking of splitting the ride there differently. Day 1: Albuquerque to Oklahoma City: 546 miles, easy as its all on I40. Day 2: OKC to Maybe Jackson TN: 554 miles, but again, all open freeway. I was thinking, maybe Brownsvilla TN, but that only cuts like 25 miles off. Day 3, Jackson TN to Bristol VA or Johnson City TN: approx 415 miles. Day 4, Bristol to DC: 376 miles, which makes a decent short day.

Any one have any better suggestions?

 

[Laser Dude]

I'm not sure why that route seems so far from Nashville to DC. I think it's sheer boredom. It's just slabbing it for 12 hours straight. I have family in Nashville and relatives that left Richmond Thursday to go to Nashville. They called about 2 hours out and said "Who moved this place? Seems like we're never going to get there". That's always been my feeling too. Interstate 81 is just a long straight, boring road.

I bought my FJR in Nashville and rode it for a couple hours, trailered it most of the way back, and I didn't think we'd ever get home. I left the dealer around noon and pulled into my driveway on my bike at 1:30.

I don't know how much time you have on the way back, but if you took route 7 out of DC, out to WInchester and that area, pick up some riding into West Virginia, like around Senaca Rocks, heading south. You can take WV south for several hours and then pick up NC and tail of the dragon or cross back into VA and pick up the Claw of the Dragon and head south into NC would be a ton of fun. Just not sure how much free time you have.

If you have time, get over to WV and ride that, then head south. You won't regret it. It's just such an awesome place to ride.

Claw of the Dragon in case you want to pick that up.... https://www.clawofthedragon.com

Forgot to mention, if you get in the area and need help, let me know. PM me if you are interested and I'll give you my contact info. I'm certainly willing to drive to you guys and help if someone is having a problem.

 

[El Toro]

Maybe someone else mentioned this, but Nashville is a genuine traffic nightmare. It used to be rush hour dependent, but now it is nearly continuous.

So, when you're on the west side, pick up 840. It's around mile marker 175 (not sure of exact number).

It will bypass Nashville on the south side, passing through Franklin and Murfreesboro before heading back north to 40 just west of Lebanon at mile marker 235.

It used to be that 840 was a safe bet. This is no longer true, but it is a LOT more likely to be clear than 40, and what mess there is near Franklin seems rush hour dependent.

840 adds about 17 miles (77 vs 60), but nowadays it can literally be an hour or more shorter.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

Wait a second! Did you just say you are getting paid to ride to DC? I want in on some of that tax payer financed motorcycle touring, Where do I

sign up?

 

[Bounce]

[Taking the metro around DC is probably fine.

Had my HQ in DC for years and spent a lot of time there. The Metro is the ideal way to get around. There may be locations that are inconvenient from a stop but Metro to a stop and a cab the rest of the way is always an option and a better way to save $ than a cab the whole way (Arlington Cemetery is one example I can think of).

There are a few dicey areas accessible via Metro (Silver Spring for example) after dark but if you're together at night, then it probably won't be an issue (more so for a single guy or women). Avoid Bawmer. Not that it's unsafe but that it's uninteresting and depressing. [wink]

If you're looking for some slick memorabilia, there's Ship's Hatch at the Chrystal City (underground) Metro stop.

https://www.shipshatch.com/ (they have stuff in the shop that's not on the web site. I got a custom Navy cap with NCC-1701 on it.)