Friday Tail of the Dragon to Clingman's Dome Loop

This drive will take off out of the resort and head straight up the tail of the dragon. After we cross the dam we will take a right on the Foothills parkway and follow it to where it ends on 321 and we will turn off and eat lunch at the Riverstone family restaurant. Once we head out after lunch, our route will be full of tourists and we will likely get stuck behind some slower travelers but the roads are just spectacular and worth the trip at any speed. We will continue into the Smoky mountain national forest where we will pass by Cades Cove and then eventually head up to the highest point in the Smoky Mountains called Clingman's Dome. We will drive up to approximately 6000+ feet of elevation and then you will have an opportunity to walk the final ½ mile which is paved but is excessively steep. If you make it to the top, you can see in every direction for tens of miles and the pictures are quite incredible. After leaving Clingman's dome, we will head back to the resort in anticipation of Friday night’s cookout!

Important info:
The address to the restaurant is: 8503 State Highway 73, Townsend, TN 37882
The next stop is at Clingman's Dome, which is not on a digitized map but here are 2 set of coordinates and an address that is across the street from the turnoff to get there: 35.610687, -83.426189 OR 35 degrees, 36 minutes, 38.5 seconds North and 83 degrees, 25 minutes, 34.3 seconds West OR Newfound Gap, Bryson City NC 28713
http://www.clingmansdome.com/

This drive is approximately 145 miles, is planned for a 6 hour duration (including stops) and departs Friday Morning.