Southern Blue Ridge Parkway: Trip Tips
5 Beautiful Drives
Tips
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to some 1,800 black bears — none of which are huggable. If you happen to encounter a berry-foraging bear, take its picture and move on. When in doubt, move away slowly without turning your back.
Mountain thunderstorms can be dangerous, especially when lightning is involved. If a substantial storm hits, try to avoid trees, ridges, ditches, rocky overhangs and peaks. Electrical current flows fastest down steep inclines and watershed areas flood quickly.
Because the Smokies attract more than two million visitors every year, urban freeway-rivaling traffic jams are not uncommon. A trip around the 11-mile Cades Cove loop, for example, can take two to four hours. Check the official Blue Ridge Parkway website (www.blueridgeparkway.org) for road, weather information and tips.
Side Ride
In the "secret city" of Oak Ridge, 18 miles northwest of Knoxville, the Oak Ridge National Lab (www.ornl.gov) was established in 1943 for the U.S. government's atom bomb-producing Manhattan Project. Today, the lab claims to address global environmental issues, but the self-guided Oak Ridge Driving Tour covers plenty of dubious history. Pick up a map and CD audio guide at the Oak Ridge Welcome Center (www.oakridgevisitor.com). Wrap up your tour with a bite at the Jefferson Fountain Restaurant (22 Jefferson Circle), where atomic-inspired fare includes Y-12 burgers and breakfast items.
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