2009 Fall Tour of the Smokies in TN & NC Mountains

Hoss and I are proud to announce the third annual Tour of the Smokies which will be held October 16-17-18, 2009. More details will come early in 2009, but for your long term planners please note the highlights of next year's tour:

This event will occur one week after Alan Merkin's PA Tour (you can attend both!!)
We are considering expanding the tour to include stops in North Georgia and Asheville.
We will hopefully welcome the arrival of Mr & Mrs. Drake back to the tour !!

Tom, Hoss and all

I will change the '09 Pumpkin Run date so that we are one or two weeks away from the Smokies Tour date in hopes that both tours can be attended. ~Alan

Tom---yes, on Asheville. I loved the recent Dragon Run but wonder why it can't be with arrival on a Thursday then the event would both a Friday and a Saturday then travel home Sunday. If I were more local to Knoxville rather than 600 miles away in Hot Springs, AR maybe one day would be fine but it felt like we were there so briefly.

How many would like Thurdsay arrival, event Fri and Sat then head home Sunday am?---Jack

That's what the wife and I did Jack....See you next year....2009.

Mr. and Mrs. Drake are all-in!

Don't forget the possibility of including Aaron White's B&B in Lake Lure, which is just a short drive from Asheville. In that part of the country the possibilities are truly endless.

Oh yeah, definitely count me in. I'll work harder on getting Pam to join us.

That would be "GREAT" Lane.....

I am with Jack and Leon, I come from afar so a two day cruise would be better.


Marty

Just got back from from a nice drive with Barry Hudson. An all day jaunt from Lake Lure, via The Dragon, Townsend, Gatlinburg, Cherokee, Maggie Valley, Lake Junaluska, Asheville, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock and home to Lake Lure without any backtracking on the same roads. It was a 7 hour trip. Lots of coffee stops and of course the later results!! Yes, this trip was made with the top down...Need for HOT stuff due to snow still on the ground. The dates for 2009 is OK with us. Remember that our B&B only has 3 bedrooms. Question: what activities will be planned for the co-pilot ladies?

Aaron, I'm putting words in her mouth, but Teresa's pretty much Rosie the Riveter. She's more likely to smoke a cigar, have some barley-pops and wrench on someone's car than anything else.
No special options for her, please. (As for me, I'll pack along my quilting stuff and hang out with Mrs. Nichols.)

Darn, Corey,

How lucky can a fella get!!!! A gal what does his mechanic work while you keep house. :<)

Cory, you'd better upgrade your quilting skills a LOT to keep up....

BTW: I was told that her multi-grand, quilting-specific sewing machine was off-limits for ANYTHING related to upholstery, so I ended up buying a consignment-store Singer Stylist for myself.

It was (basically).....junk.

After $50 worth of new gears and 5+ hours of rebuild, I am now the proud owner of my very own, fully rebuilt to factory specs (sometimes called "blueprinting"), upholstery sewing machine.

Maybe I can start making E-Brake boots or something.....

Or fix the hole in the ass of my Wranglers......

Gord, my sister got my Grammy's old Singer treadle machine with an electric conversion. It was the only machine I've ever seen that could sew through the multi seams on jeans. If the motor couldn't handle it(never saw that happen) you could always give an assist with your feet. Grandma was a seamstress for forever, she could make ANYTHING out of almost any fabric.


PS- thread drift, get it?

We have an old treadle machine in the Lamont room just occasions like this one. However, this is considered an upgrade!!! The room is available on a first come first serve bases. Corey, call early. Also, bring your own thread. The rules are simple...no sewin' after 9:00PM!

Aaron,

since you only have 3 rooms, is there another place nearby that possible overflow crowd could stay at ? Hoss & I will need to work out a route for the weekend, but I would think your B&B would be an excellent spot to kick things off on Thursday night.

Tom,
We have several places, motels, hotel($179/night) and also B&Bs. What would the group prefer?
Remember that Chimney Rock Park was home to a SCCA hill climb as famous as Pikes Peak. I'll see if I can get the Park management to turn loose a DVD.
Let me know what and how many so that I can bargain with some of the Places. Lake Lure Inn is totally out of their minds...Tried to charge the Forest Service $169/night and the forest fire was behind and close to the inn property.

Tom,

I have found a drivable road near Lake Lure that's a more of a challenge than the "Tail". The road is known as Green River Cove Rd. The road follows the Green River then into a fancy mountain development. Getting to Green River is only half the fun. Several clubs has discovered this neat drive, but are not talking about it. The home owners don't seem to mind the cars.

Aaron,

I would love to schedule a "spring test run" and meeting of the minds to settle on routes and the itinerary for October. After the holidays, lets poll Hoss, Lane, Gordon, Leon & anyone else hibernating in the mountain south to come together one weekend & pour over Google maps & a platter of egg samiches.

Anyone up for this ?
........must be pre Carlisle, so you can spread the word in May

Sounds good to me Tom......As an officialy retired person,(LOAFER), I can schedule it in to fit whatever is required. (normaly)

Bring it on, I'll do it if I can.

Gee, um, I dunno... WHAT AM I SAYING?!

Of course I'll be there - wherever "there" is.

Hey, Guys, the Lovely Miss Sharon and I did that drive a couple of months ago and found it more interesting and more fun that Tail of the Dragon!! Don't miss it if you have any desire for a really great drive. I am sure Aaron will be a good guide but you may have to take turns showing him how to "push" his Speedy to the upper limits.

Happy Trails,
Dusty and LMS

Cool Ill make it a point to be here, no La Carerra for us in 2009 Mexico is a scary place right now untill they get that mess cleaned up Iamm staying north of the border. So we can have lunch one day at our shop which is located at the Nantahala Gorge I drove the dragon last weekend ( our daughter lives in Maryville) Drove from Robinsville to Maryville with no one in front of us an one behind us and no uncoming trafic that was a great drive.Happy holidays to all .Crazy Pete

OK, with me. Now just let me know when. I've have closed the B&B until around 15 March 2009. Of course, I'm here at all Club Members convenience, Dusty knows what I'm saying...Right Dusty. I'll get out the topo map and see if I can enlarge the area. Anybody got a DeLorme topo disc?

The road is paved, but I don't think that you will find it on a regular road map.

Looking forward to hearing from you ALL.

Aaron---you got that right---the Chimney Rock hillclimb was the bomb! In my misspent youth I lived nearby in Charlotte and attended this hillclimb for many years. The cars that always impresses me the most were Porsche Speedsters ---those cars did great! They were prepared strictly for going up the mountiain with super strong engines and no mufflers. What a wonderful memory. The last time I attended I drove driving a Hillman Minx---man, that's going back into the dark ages.
(Of course I mean to make the trip, certainly not to race!)---Jack

The best time to do such a run would be when the mountain Laural and dogwood are blooming. Varies from year to year...late March to mid-April.

Jack,

I, too had a Hillman Mink!!! Sh-t brindle brown with flags between the doors for turn signals. Had a lot of fun. Dangerous at any speed over 60 MPH.

I'll try to get a video of the hill climbs and post it in my photos.

Did you ever visit the "Crystal Palace" in Lake Lure? The brothel is now gone. The building housed a restaurant called Childes' Corner for many years. It has just gone the way of many great old buildings... bulldozed for a new bridge across the Rocky Broad River which was NOT needed!

Have you checked the Events for the October Tour for the Smokies? Of course you have, forgot were I was! Green River Cove road in early Spring would be a lot of fun. This road is shorter than the Tail and there or NO high speed turns. Why, wait till you see the map!

Now Aaron... You know that Jack can neither confirm nor deny taht he even knew the existance of the "Crystal Palace" ;-)


An early spring run sounds nice if I can get away. Surely we could gather some locals like Hoss, Leon, and Gordon.

I'll be there Lane.....Someone has to keep an eye on you around Pigeon Forge......

Yeah, Lane breaks out in a cold sweat whenever he passes "Dolly Wood".....

Count me in for the Spring, too. Maybe we can do some of the lesser know (and often more ride-able) routes in the Great Smokey Mountain National Forest.

gn

Just procured a DVD about Chimney Rock Pack. Now, how do I copy the Hill Climb portion so that I can show it on the site? Just so you all can see what it was like. You would not believe the silverware that was given to class winners and the Overall winner's cup was large enough to make bier!

The DVD has the sound that we all love...the various Porsche engine sounded VROOOOM. They held the road better than most in the turns. Of course, the trees ate a few English machines. Remember...slow in and faster'en h--l out.

Spent a couple or hours reviewing routes to and from Green River Cove area. Using a DeLorme topo map. I have driven most of the routes. Oh, bring your trout rods, the Green is loaded according to locals. OK,. name your poison...long or short drive? No slop shoots or greasy spoons along either route. Bring your own white bread, hoop cheese and bologna????? Sodie Pop? :<)

I'll try to scan the map and put it on site.

Aaron---I don't know the Crystal palace but when I was in the Marine Reserves after I finished active duty, we used to have training and camping out weekend drills right there at at Lake Lure. There was a dance place right at that sweeping curve to the right near the lake---it was on the left hand side towards Asheville.

I guess you never knew the girls of St Genieve Of The Pines and Beau Catcher Mountain didja?---Jack

Jack,

The place that you had all that fun at what was known as "The Pavilion"!!! It was a neighbor to the North of the Crystal Palace. The building is still in place. It has been used for many tourist oriented "stuff". It now painted baby blue and houses a lady's Spa thing.

The Lake Lure Inn (cir 1927) was used as a WWII R&R center and recovery hospital. It is still operating as an inn. I feel that it is way to expensive at the current time and for what is offered for $175 per night. Playing of Dirty Dancing as an advertising draw.

Didn't know the girls. Do you have any history of them? There is still an older motel known as "The Genvieve". It is north of the Pavilion by about 1/2 mile toward Asheville. Crazy, but I sure wish that Childes' Corner (Crystal Place) was not torn down just put in a new bridge. A dumb State move no $$$$ to repair the old existing, but $$$$$$$$$ for a new one is available!

Do you have any old photos in and around Lake Lure?

Aaron--no. sorry no pix of Lake Lure.

St. Geneivieve of the Pines was a girls high school---now closed.

Ahh--those wonderful basketball and tennis trips from Charlotte to
play in tournaments in Asheville.

---Jack