I40 East to Asheville, North Carolina and beyond

Oct 22 2012 Sunny 73 degrees

Tunnels through Smoky Mtn

 When you turn off at Knoxville to head east to the Carolina's the I40 is a good route; but just be prepared for a bit of downhill and winding interstate highway (about 20 miles) before you get into Asheville and again when you leave till Old Fort (16 miles).   The freeway runs right over the tail end of the Smoky Mountains and then drops again off the Pisgah National Forest.  A great stop in Asheville for camping is a suburb called Fletcher where the Rutledge Lake RV Park will give you a nice overnight or longer stay if you want to visit the area.

Rutledge Lake RV Park

We rode this area previously on the motorcycle and it is a very beautiful area to see.  A must visit is the Biltmore Estate and a ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  This time we are passing through - destination is the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

On our way leaving the park we spotted this old firetruck sitting at the yard next door!
The next overnight will be past Raleigh near Smithfield.  There is a great KOA with many, many pull thrus - very clean and convenient to grocery and supplies which we want to stock up on before reaching the coast.