winding roads? weird question... (Knoxville, McMinnville: sales, amusement park, mattresses) - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

Sonshine · 10-07-2006, 09:47 AM

Ok, this is a weird question (and maybe a dumb one!), but I have to ask. We have been contemplating a move to TN but haven't visited there yet. I get carsick and have trouble traveling on curvy roads. From what I have seen in my research, I love the Cumberland Plateau area. But if we lived there (or in other areas of TN) I'm wondering if we'd have to travel on winding roads every time we went to the store, etc. Obviously I know the closer to the mountains you are the more the roads curve. It's so beautiful near the mountains, I may just have to live on Dramamine!

Can anyone answer my silly question?

Sonshine

DivaLicious · 10-07-2006, 12:30 PM

I've never been to the Cumberland Plateau, but I do live in East TN in the mountains. The city I live in the store is just a hop, skip and a jump, so the answer is no for me, BUT, to drive to my hubby's job the answer is yes and i DO get car sick sometimes. It just depends on where ya live and where ya need to go.

Kklynnt · 10-07-2006, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Can anyone answer my silly question?

I'm afraid I couldn't find a silly question

But i can answer your question about the mountain roads on the cumberland plateau.

Once you are on top of the plateau, the roads are fairly straight and you shouldn't have any problems. I live on the plateau just to the west of Pikeville, and I do have to travel up a twisty road. The good news is that this part of the road is very short and I'm pretty sure if you drive kinda slow you won't experience any motion sickness.

Most of the newer roads that have been built are fairly straight. an example would be Hwy 111 which crosses through the valley at Dunlap.

Some of the secondary roads are pretty curvy. It really just depends where you are going and which road can be used to get there.

Kerry

robivi3 · 10-07-2006, 03:43 PM

Sonshine, if I remember right you are a Floridian. I have a place in Crossville. The answer is that for us the roads are very "windy' and steep in most of the area. Steep and winding are relative. Like Kklynt says, the newer roads are better, but by comparison to SoFla still very curvy. If you can bypass that issue, and it is a crucial one you will find one of the most pleasant, family friendly areas of the Country you could imagine. overlook the road issue and you have a wonderful 15000 square miles to live in.

If you are accustomed to Florida life it will take you about a week and a half to find a "comfort zone" but once you do what a nice place to be. You have to get used to where the stores are in relation to your home. Down here Cities are laid out on flat grids, in Broward everything goes North/South at Broward Boulevard and East/West at Andrews Ave. In Dade north /South is Flagler and East/West is Miami Ave. And you can go from the beach to the Glades and from parkland to the southernmost Homestead farm and not miss a beat, not so in east Tennessee. You will drive up, down and around, it is totally different from here. The upside, the ROADS are generally excellent and debris free. We are used to chips in our windshields from dump trucks, pieces of concrete, shredded truck recaps and even mattresses being thrown from tops of cars driven on the highway by ex-thirdworlders down here (sorry folks, 35 years of this crap) becuaes they were held on BY HAND with a tiny piece of string (we even had one of our buses burn up when one got caught underneath). The only reason we have lines on the road down here is so that cops know who to give the ticket to, there no rules here.

dgibsonrn · 10-07-2006, 04:05 PM

Hi,
I too used to have trouble driving in the mountains. First time was 20 years ago on my honeymoon, we went to Tennessee. Now we have purchased 78 acres in Morgan County, and visited twice. We drove about 2000 miles all over in April. I don't have a problem anymore, and have even driven those winding roads. The first time I was there it was pretty scarey, I couldn't even look at the views sometimes, Now I love it!
Maybe you will get used to it like I did.
We can't wait to move, hopefully within 2 years.
Good Luck,
Donna

Jhubtin · 10-11-2006, 06:46 PM

Well so far all of your posts are sales related.
Hi, I'm a Realtor. Call me.

insanesmooch · 10-11-2006, 08:51 PM

I haven't been off the beaten path in the Cumberland Plateu, but I almost daily travel winding roads in NE TN. Some curves are so sharp that you have to go about 5 miles an hour to make them. I used to get car sick when riding with other people. I still would if I ever let anyone drive. My solution was to do all the driving.

city lover · 11-17-2006, 06:18 PM

I have just bought property on the plateau in Van Buren County. Most off the hwy. 's are very straight. if you have to go down the mountain to Dunlap, then it gets curvy. I travel down the otherside of the mountain to McMinnville. It is not so curvy. It is not like the driving in the mountains that i am used too. I live now in Western TN.

Mrs.Bewitched · 11-18-2006, 04:39 AM

Because many areas have winding roads, does this make people drive more carefully? For example, do people not speed as much or drive drunk as much because the roads are more dangerous?

hiknapster · 11-18-2006, 05:44 AM

I think this is a great question. Something that most people don't think of, but it is a consideration.

I'm originally from very hilly terrain, so I found the move from Florida was an improvement. It is so much fun to drive!

However, my husband lived most of his life in Fort Myers, Florida. When we first came here, he was driving a top-heavy vehicle. As far as I'm concerned, he didn't know what he was doing! Terrifying!

Bear in mind that I HATE amusement park rides and get motion sickness. The solution is that I did most of the driving, especially in the beginning. We've been here over a year and my husband drives just fine, now.

As far as people driving slower, I find that people drive faster here. On the back roads, anyways. I understand this. When you grow up in a place you are use to the roads. The other drivers don't scare me because I know they know what they are doing.

Drunk drivers? They are everywhere. That doesn't change.

On the highways, I find the locals to be great drivers. Knoxville was recently voted some of the best drivers in the country. When I get on I-75 it is the snowbirds coming and going to Florida that terrify me!