Dragon

[Pandy]

I am heading up and expedition to the Dragon over Labor Day weekend. We are staying Saturday night in beautiful downtown Alcoa by the airport. I plan to make a stop in Newport on the way up I-40 and am curious about the road from there to Maryville/Alcoa. If I recall it's US 411. Good for a shortcut, or carry on thru Knoxville? The last time we did this we were coming from the north on I-75 and we stayed near I-140. Opinions, please if the spirit wills.

Patrick

[Pennyrick]

I am heading up and expedition to the Dragon over Labor Day weekend. We are staying Saturday night in beautiful downtown Alcoa by the airport. I plan to make a stop in Newport on the way up I-40 and am curious about the road from there to Maryville/Alcoa. If I recall it's US 411. Good for a shortcut, or carry on thru Knoxville? The last time we did this we were coming from the north on I-75 and we stayed near I-140. Opinions, please if the spirit wills.

Patrick

411 out of Maryville is a pretty road and it is a good ride through to Newport. Once you pass Seymour just west of Sevierville, 411/441's name changes to Chapman highway (aka the killer road). It is a four lane with no divider so be very careful of cages who don't stay in their lanes on the curves. It is best to stay in the right lane through that stretch.

[joe schmoe]

Also, Chapman Hwy has just started to be repaved...Don't know how long the project is going to run, but it looked like a good project based on the TV news report a couple of nights ago...Just watch out for the idiots if you go this route...

You could also go (look at a map) from Newport find Asheville Hwy (Hwy 70/25W) would take you through some nice areas of ET...Then once you get to Knoxville, you could then jump on I-40 to Hwy 129 to Alcoa...