About a Week
7 days · ~620 miles · from Roanoke (start Thursday)
The Parkway's southern half braided with the Crooked Road's music calendar — schedule the week so Friday lands in Floyd and Saturday at the Fold.
This trip chains: Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies · The Crooked Road
Star and Texas Tavern send-off, then the plateau Parkway south. Early night in Floyd — tomorrow's the Jamboree, tonight's the porches.
Buffalo Mountain hike, Mabry Mill photographs (the braided stretch where two routes share the road), Galax's fiddle shop — back to Floyd for gospel at 6:30 and flatfooting after.
West on 58 through Grayson's ponies and Damascus, evening at the Carter Family Fold's Saturday show. Overnight Bristol; museum in the morning.
Bristol Sessions museum, then rejoin the Parkway at Fancy Gap: Cumberland Knob, Doughton's meadows, fresco churches — Blowing Rock for the night, Mystery Hill if it's open.
Beech Mountain's abandoned Oz (gates willing), the Viaduct and Grandfather's swinging bridge, Linville Falls — overnight Little Switzerland among the gem mines.
The East's rooftop in morning fog, Craggy Gardens, the Folk Art Center — afternoon and evening in Asheville (Biltmore or Moogseum; choose your gilding).
Graveyard Fields, Richland Balsam's high point, Waterrock Knob — MP 469 at Cherokee and the Museum of the Cherokee People. Finishers' choice: Newfound Gap to Gatlinburg's kitsch, or 318 curves at Deals Gap.