I'm pretty sure it was based on a comment I read on this site about the beautiful mountain drives near Asheville, NC. In an case, my wife and I are planning a week-long driving trip this spring that will encompass Asheville, Savannah and Nashville. We haven't done any concrete planning yet, so would appreciate suggestions on fun/scenic drives, places to visit, even restaurants and hotels.

We live in Oregon, so we'll fly in and rent a car. I don't imagine there's a place we can rent a Mini, is there?

 

Beware, you'll be in Dragon country. This is an absolute must! US129 from Maryville,TN into NC. Do a search. You will not regret it!

 

Goose Feathers Cafe on Barnard Street in Savannah for breakfast or lunch (7-3) is a great place.

 

Take rt 28 out of Franklin,it ultimately turns into rt129 and Deals gap,
Another great road out of Franklin is Wayah bald rd,
Also try to do the Cherohala Skyway, and if you arent dizzy yet the Blue Ridge Parkway starts in Cherokee
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/maps/outlets2008.jpg

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/phot...0_1728718.jpeg

 

the dragon is a must!
If you will be traveling down I-40 plan to stop about 45 min east of Nashville at Timberloft Restaurant Exit 258 Gordonsville/ Carthage Exit. Best BBQ ever! It's slow smoked on hickory wood, everything is homemade! It will be a great stop on your trip! They are also about to open another restaurant on I-24 in Manchester, I think its exit 110.
Happy Motoring!

 

Maybe meet up with the Tar Heel Mini Club's Blue Ridge Parkway tour this June 16-19. Registration is open for a couple more days.

See the Tar Heel Mini website for details....

http://www.tarheelminis.org/forumdis...e-Parkway-Tour

I'm looking forward to it!

Steve

 

I think they have MINI's for rent from one of the agencies at Atlanta airport.

 

Do the dragon, and grab a dragon sticker for your ride...

 

All the above info is great. I have spent lots of time on these roads over the past six years and you will really enjoy the drives ,especially the Cherohala Skyway..We are from Augusta Ga. and the past two Octobers drove from San Diego to about 60 miles south of Oregon. All on Hwy.#1 or as close to the coast as possible...Next October we plan on flying into Oregon and driving South to San Diego. Possibly you could give us some help with "must see, must eat" places on the Left Coast...I have got to say the Avenue of the Giants ( Redwoods ) Big Sir and lots of other sections of that drive are spectacular...Good luck on your East Coast adventure !!

 

 

Look at Rt. 19 South out of Balirsville, GA, "The Little Dragon", awesome MINI/motorcycle road, eventually you'll hit 400 and that'll lead you down toward The ATL. Stop at Greenwood's on Green Street in Roswell (Google it), just off 400 for dinner, bring an empty belly...

 

I just drove through Asheville on my way back to IL. Had to be at work the next day so no time for any fun, but driving through the Mts at sunset was beautiful. Only wish I had been in my MINI, and had time to play on The Dragon. Oh well, I'll soon be a permanent resident of NC, so I hope to get to the Dragon very soon. Anywho, enough about me, have fun on your trip! Keep your fingers crossed that the rental company has a MINI!

 

Just to name a few:
GA - Hwy 180, RichardB Russell Parkway, Hwy 60, Hwy 17, Hwy 129. Be aware that any speed in GA over 80 has extra fines. A good reason to have radar!
NC - The Dragon (Hwy 129), Hwy 28 (Moonshiner), Wayah Rd from Franklin to 64.
TN - Cherohalla Skyway from Tellico Plains to Robbinsville, Tn 32 from Cosby campground to the NC line. I -40 thru the Smokies. I would avoid 441 over the top because of slow traffic.

I'm sure you can plot them on a map

There are many, many others!

 

Check the main car rental agencies, sometimes they have Minis. I rented a clubman in Miami from Thrifty. Drove down to Key West and back. Minis may not show up through the online reservation system so call the local phone numbers to see if the have a Mini. Of course if you are doing a one way rental check the drop fee if any.

In Ashville there is the Biltmore Estate and the Blue Ridge Parkway to explore.

In Nashville of course you have all the country music history with the Contry Music Hall of Fame, Studio B recording studio, and the Ryman Auditorium (Grand Ol Opry). Burgers Up is one of my favorite burger joints nationwide. Silly goose is a great neighborhood restaraunt with excellent food.

Also in Nashville is Hermitage. The plantation estate of Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the US. It has been kept in nearly the exact condition it was in when "Old Hickory" lived there.

If you get down to Chattanooga stay up on Lookout Mountain. A great place to stay is Chanticleer Inn. Great Civil War history, Rock City, Incline Railway, Ruby Falls and more right around Lookout Mountain.

Every year we do a fly-n-drive road trip. Spend a week driving about 1,000 miles seeing the country along the way. In the summer we spend a week in your neck of the woods. Jewels on Wall St is outstanding. Was in Bend last year during the Super Chevy car show in Drake Park.