Our family detests long road trips and we have broke up the trip to the Smokies by staying either in Roanoke (the Hotel Roanoke is great and connects by a sky bridge to the cute downtown area, I’ve never had safety concerns there and I’m someone who is very conscious of that), or in Blacksburg right near the VT campus.

We did this trip last year, and we made a few stops on route. They weren't absolutely necessary, but we wanted to break up the drive. Among the places that are "sort of" on the way/worth a small detour: Staunton (Frontier Museum was very interesting and staffed by historians and grad student in history); Asheville (Biltmore); and on to the Great Smoky Mountains. On the way home, it was absolutely pouring all day, and we stopped in Charlottesville for a night.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depending where you’re going in the smoky mountains area - Roanoke is kind of halfway. There is also Holston lake that could be nice for a stop.

Is the Roanoke area safe for a stop? Maybe I’ve read too many articles on the opioid crisis there?

I feel like I follow this subject closely and must have missed the part about violence in the streets of Roanoke. You know—Beth Macy, who reports on the opioid crisis, works out of Roanoke, but not all her stories are set there.

Coming from DC and worried Roanoke isn't safe? Roanoke is along 81 and has a cute Market Square area which is also near some museums. Among the restaurants and shops, there was a small group of smiling older people with pro-peace signs and an art parade. I wouldn't stop a in a lot of the small towns between here and there, but Roanoke is not a problem.

If you don't mind a longer route, after lunch in Roanoke you can head down to Asheville, spend the night and the next day there, and then continue on to the Smokies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depending where you’re going in the smoky mountains area - Roanoke is kind of halfway. There is also Holston lake that could be nice for a stop.

Is the Roanoke area safe for a stop? Maybe I’ve read too many articles on the opioid crisis there?

Are you being serious?

Anonymous wrote:It's not worth stopping overnight, just do the drive in a day.

Agreed it isn't a terrible drive to do in one day.

It's not worth stopping overnight, just do the drive in a day.

Anonymous wrote:Depending where you’re going in the smoky mountains area - Roanoke is kind of halfway. There is also Holston lake that could be nice for a stop.

Is the Roanoke area safe for a stop? Maybe I’ve read too many articles on the opioid crisis there?

Stop in Roanoke for lunch. Finish drive in one day.

Why would you do an overnight? It isn't that far. I just did the drive yesterday.

Beckley WV adds over an hour to the trip, but you get to stop at New River Gorge NP.

Depending where you’re going in the smoky mountains area - Roanoke is kind of halfway. There is also Holston lake that could be nice for a stop.

Does anyone have suggestions on good places to stop overnight on the way there and back? First timer here.