BRP and Skyline Drive

The Cherohala Skyway is a beautiful drive but so very similar to what you will be experiencing on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I would follow the parkway all the way to Charlottesville and get off to take in some wonderful attractions in Virginia. Drop off your 5th wheel at a campground and tour Thomas Jefferson's home near Charlottesville. Then pick up Route 29 toward Lynchburg and head south to Natural Bridge & Appomattox Court house. Virginia is a wonderful state for camping and historical sites. All the parks are well maintained.
Some of our favorite campgrounds are Meadows of Dan on the BRP & Hungry Mother State Park near Marion. Take your time in Virginia, there are many places to see!!

Thanks for the suggestions. We will only have 2 weeks. Glad to hear someone say the BRP would take a week. I have been planning a week for it. We will be in a pulling our 5th wheel...we like back roads and interstates. I guess we would like to use the interstate to get to the good scenic places.

Check out the America's Byways resources - here's a short ride that looks like it will be on your way from Alabama to Cherokee, NC - http://byways.org/explore/byways/2282

jsparkscougar wrote:
We are planning a trip along the BRP and to the Shenandoah National Park. We don't want to do an out and back trip. Looking for suggestions on how to go and come back a different route. We will be leaving and returning to Alabama. Thanks for your suggestions!

How long will you be traveling? The BRP is a good week, done right. You could do the BRP, and Skyline, then take off toward the OBX (Outer Banks), and ride 17 back down, detouring off to see the historic cities along the way.

What are you traveling in, do you like back roads, what do you like to do, and how long do you have?

I81 with a few stops at VA state parks and TN COE parks if you like major roads or in a hurry.

If not and you don't mind back roads, after Shanadoah, hit Seneca Rocks in WV, visit the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, then when the Monongahela NF runs out, swing over to New River Gorge for some free camping (though lots of trains across the river). Finally, back roads over to Cumberland Gap NP. The scenery and NF campgrounds in the area are very nice.