Yea, the visitor center at the dam is a great place. Plenty of parking and great view. Its very close to Fontana Village, about 1 mile up the hill. There is also a lower level below the dam with lots of grassy areas to park the cars, a little harder to find. If everyone is staying all over the place, the dam would be the best location in my opinion, because there are no other places to park along the route. I'm looking myself getting in on friday noon-ish. Haven't made any reservations yet, but that's still up in the air. Let me know if any help is needed and I'll see what I can do.