This year's Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) run will take place on Saturday, Oct 8th, and will be taking the north route to Mt. Mitchell State Park & Restaurant. The plan is to be on the BRP from 10am-5pm, but it might be shorter if weather is poor.
Friday & Saturday evening plans for those staying either or both nights will be firmed up about a week before the date of the meet. Some suggestions I have off the top of my head for each night:
--Brewery tour; Asheville currently has over 2 dozen microbreweries, which is an insane amount for a city with a population of only 85,000 peeps. There are also at least 5 companies that provide brewery tours in town...seems like a no-brainer.
--Party Bus; Don't know exactly what the cost would be on this, but I would guess somewhere in the $20-30 range. Website: http://www.360partybus.com/
--LaZoom Bus Tour; several avenues on this one, from a city tour to a beer & band tour. Website: http://www.lazoomtours.com/tours/city-tours/
--The Treasure Club; I personally haven't visited this establishment, but I've heard it's not that great. The only reason it survives is because it is the ONLY strip club in Asheville. However, if you have a serious craving for some T&A, we can check it out!
--Harrah's Cherokee Casino; the Casino is located approx. 50 miles (1hr) west of Asheville.
Hotels close to where we will be entering the BRP:
Holiday Inn - (828) 298-5611
Quality Inn - (828) 298-5519
Days Inn - (828) 298-4000
Motel 6 - (828) 299-3040
Best Western - (828) 298-5562
Itinerary:
Saturday, 8 October
8:30am – Meet up at Waffle House (1444 Tunnel Rd) for those who want breakfast. If not interested in breakfast, show up at Waffle House by 9:15am.
9:30am – Depart Waffle House en route to BRP
9:45am – Arrive at BRP Visitor Center (MP 384); depart at 1030am
11:00am – Arrive at Craggy Gardens Visitor Center (MP 365); depart at 1130am
Noon – Arrive at Mt. Mitchell (MP 354 + 5 miles to Mt. Mitchell and restaurant); depart at 2pm
2:30pm – Arrive at Craggy Pinnacle (MP 364). Weather permitting, this stop offers a short hike (approx. ¾ mile) to the top of Craggy Pinnacle, which is 5,890ft in elevation. Depart at 330pm.
4:00pm — Arrive at Folk Art Center (MP 382); depart at 5:00pm.