I am going to be heading down to Nashville for my sisters wedding over the 4th of July, figured while I was down there I have to hit up the dragon. My wife and I will be staying in Gatlinburg on July 5th, we will hang out there that day and then head out to the dragon on the 6th. We only have one day, so my plans were to do the long loop from Gattlinburg (as shown here: http://www.tailofthedragon.com/maps_direct...atlinburg.html) starting at 73 W. to foothills parkway and taking 28 back east. I figured we would make some stops (any suggestions welcomed) along the way so I planned on a full day.

So I guess I am looking for:
-any better routes than what I have above
-if I start at 73 heading west what direction will I be when I get to the dragon (up or down) and is this the best way if I only drive it once, I could always do the loop the oposite way??
-Any good stops along the way? My wife will be with me so I want to make it fun for her too
-any other tips and pointers for a 1st timer?

 

Sounds like fun;however July 4th weekend is going to be very busy on that stretch of road or anywhere in the Smokies for that matter

Enjoy

 

Get some dramamine for your wife! Seriously- this is one twisted piece of road!

I agree with the previous poster - July 4th weekend will be very busy, and the LEO's will be out in force, so be careful.

 

 

Too

 

Don't drive...

Do this at every opportunity...

Don't get at the slow bikes!!!

Don't with the better half!!!

<== Dramamine will help prevent this!!!

Make sure you the S before you head out!!

What everyone else will be doing while you are on the Dragon ==>

 

Thanks for the advice. I figured there would be a ton of people out there that week, hopefully I can get lucky. Are you guys serious about the dramamine?? What do you guys think of the route that I am planning?? Based ou where the lake is I am assuming that I will be heading down the dragon, from the direction I am coming from?? Is it worth planning on turning back at the bottom, going back through and then turning back again?

 

Watch out for the LEO and DON'T CROSS THE DOUBLE YELLOW LINE!!!!

 

Your route looks like a great drive....

Rt 441 back thru the Smoky's will be slowwwwwwww....

If you want good roads.... turn around on Rt 28 and go back the way you came!

 

I just hit the dragon for the first time yesterday... I'm still in the smokies
I'd say plan a day out of it, so you can do a couple runs because you WILL get stuck behind slo bikers and minivans... campers... and they are doing some construction on the pull offs. They are paving them (which is nice, but no one seems to have been using them ).
I went thru twice... fisrt time, I just kept going and got stuck behind a lot of people going slo on harley's (who didn't want to scrape their chrome highway pegs). Then, I went back thru and whenever I got stuck behind someone slo, I pulled off... waited for a good stretch when there were no cars/bikes and then started back up (and caught up to a slow patch).
Best part was following a porsche 944, a firebird and a dodge viper... oh and the fact that it was my on my 10th aniversary and the wife was cool about going