But it's close enough to some fantastic roads to make up for it, as well as some wineries. The Mullis' and I have discussed Helen and Dahlonega, GA as two of the main points for 2019, with Dahlonega possibly being the base of operations. Just in the consid'rin' phase for now.
If you are thinking about Helen, think about this. This one is for the more hard core folks. Figure 8 in the mountains just NW of Helen. I've done it twice on bikes. Its a hoot.
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Helen reminds me of a similar sort of faux village somewhere around Santa Barbara CA. Looks cool.
PS: working on a diversion from all day driving one day that would involve NC BBQ and mountain music. All quite tentative at the moment, so just a heads up.
@El Frazoo you may be referring to the Danish city of Solvang in Santa Barbara County. Founded in 1911 by a group of Danes.
Add Michael & JianPing McKelvey to the list!
Yay! This is gonna be fuuuun!
Michael McKelvey posted:Add Michael & JianPing McKelvey to the list!
Great!!
El Frazoo posted:Helen reminds me of a similar sort of faux village somewhere around Santa Barbara CA. Looks cool.
PS: working on a diversion from all day driving one day that would involve NC BBQ and mountain music. All quite tentative at the moment, so just a heads up.
We need some banjo music. Now, who do we know who plays a banjo...?
Wish My bluegrass band all had speedsters to join us at Maggie Valley>
I can arrange a banjo player, if needed, but it'll cost a piglet and 3 chickens.
I would like a banjo..... steering wheel.
Bun’cha Rednecks on here, for sure........
You have no idea as to how much that piece is disliked by banjo players....
Enjoy some Vest Virginia flat foot dancing and the Davisson Brother doing "Po- Boyz" here in WV where people will give you the shirt off their back and put a $20 bill in the pocket to help you out.....That's just the way we roll here. https://www.facebook.com/Davis...s/10156265907576944/
My wife and I are having a conversation about maybe staying in the area a few more days to see and do other things.
This prompted questions from her about what things we will be seeing and doing as part of the 3 drives. And, what other things might we be seeing and doing in addition to the drives?
The only things "scheduled" are the drives. This is a very informal, loosy goosey gathering. People are free to partake in the drives or to strike out on their own. Besides the drives there are many places to hike, museums to see, even casinos nearby. There are also other touristy spots, and we aren't that far from Asheville with the Biltmore, and many other things. Really there are too many things to mention here, but we can discuss when you arrive. You might want to do some online research as well. This is a wonderful area loaded with things to see and do.
Wheels of Time! I've heard it's a must-see.
I'm going to try to gently approach the elephant in the room:
This ain't no Sunday drive. This is a driver's event, on some the best driver's roads in the country. No, we won't be driving anywhere near track driving levels(9/10 or 10/10). But some of us like to move along nicely(say 8/10?), and will be terribly miffed if we can't. It is well understood by me that we may be slowed down by people not in our group. There's really nothing we can do about that.
I hope nobody gets upset about this topic, no disrespect is intended.
Michael McKelvey posted:This prompted questions from her about what things we will be seeing and doing as part of the 3 drives. And, what other things might we be seeing and doing in addition to the drives?
Last year was magic. There were some bumps with differing opinions regarding how long the drives should be, but at the end of the day: this get-together is situated on the best roads in the Eastern US - the entire point is to drive with haste and prejudice. There are enough guys coming to have a "fast/long loop" and a "shorter loop", but make no mistake - the roads are the attraction.
There are other places and events for those who'd like to walk a show field or browse a curio shop. The accommodations are clean and comfortable, but by no means 5-star. This was a driver's event in 2017. I'd hope it always is.
I think that's important to keep in mind.
Yup. Lots to do. My wife is making the trip this year and does not ride in the spyder. So other than the Dragon/Cherohala all day cruise I will likely do abbreviated drives on the other days. For people coming from long distances, missing Asheville would be unfortunate.
DannyP posted:Wheels of Time! I've heard it's a must-see.
I'm going to try to gently approach the elephant in the room:
This ain't no Sunday drive. This is a driver's event, on some the best driver's roads in the country. No, we won't be driving anywhere near track driving levels(9/10 or 10/10). But some of us like to move along nicely(say 8/10?), and will be terribly miffed if we can't. It is well understood by me that we may be slowed down by people not in our group. There's really nothing we can do about that.
I hope nobody gets upset about this topic, no disrespect is intended.
Danny is right on all counts. "Wheels of Time" is a stellar museum that anyone will enjoy. I have never seen anything like it and could have spent a couple of days there. Truly unforgettable.
And the roads and views are right up there with the incredible Pacific Coast Highway---well, pretty close. I'm looking forward to getting routes for the short loop and the long loop for each drive. And I'll get a second dragon decal for my car signifying running that toad twice.
I do have a very good suggestion: If your mirrors are FULL of a car, when it is safe, slow down, and let them by. You can even stick your hand out and point them by, just like we do at the track. Believe me, everyone will have a better time.
Michael McKelvey posted:My wife and I are having a conversation about maybe staying in the area a few more days to see and do other things.
This prompted questions from her about what things we will be seeing and doing as part of the 3 drives. And, what other things might we be seeing and doing in addition to the drives?
Mike---everyone loves seeing the Biltmore mansion. On one of our previous Dragon runs we toured Biltmore mansion and it was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. Google it to get an idea of what you can see. It's in Asheville and Maggie Valley is very close to Asheville.
Jack
The short route for the Dragon/Cherohala trip is turning around by the river after the Dragon and doing the Dragon in reverse and heading back to the hotel. The rest will head on the the Cherohala.
And yes the Biltmore should be on everyone's bucket list. For the artsy folks the Ashville River Arts District is a must see. Some of the best breweries in the country including the east coast New Belgium Brewing Company.
If there are folks who would rather mosey along than burn up the roads we could probably split into two groups, with shared info about points to possibly stop and meet up. And some folks may want to sight see elsewhere, socializing with the rest of us afterward, which is perfectly ok. I've done the Dragon about 6 times now and may (or may not) skip it on Thursday. I WILL NOT skip the Friday or Saturday cruises. Yeehah!
Lane Anderson posted:If there are folks who would rather mosey along than burn up the roads we could probably split into two groups, with shared info about points to possibly stop and meet up. And some folks may want to sight see elsewhere, socializing with the rest of us afterward, which is perfectly ok. I've done the Dragon about 6 times now and may (or may not) skip it on Thursday. I WILL NOT skip the Friday or Saturday cruises. Yeehah!
I think that sounds much better than torturing either group with one-size-fits-all togetherness. There's ample time for communal socializing round the 'ol campfire.
Can someone tell me how long the time is for each cruise is so I may have some idea how much time there may be for seeing or doing other things?
On the cruises how often might we stop to take on and dispose of fluids?
The Dragon/Cherohala loop is only 120 Miles. Problem is Maggie Valley is an hour and a half from the loop. So 3 hours just to get to and from the loop. With a long stop at the gift shop at the Dragon, lunch and other gas and pee stops it will take 8 hours. I’ve done the Dragon more than anyone probably 40 or 50 times. I’ve spent hours on bikes going back and forth. I still love it. I’m happy to skip the Dragon and the Cherohala but it’s likely on a few bucket lists. Skipping the Cherohala will cut 3 hours including lunch off that 8 hours. So if we leave at say 9am you’ll be back at Maggie Valley by 2pm. Do the whole loop you won’t be back until 5.
I would add that the other 2 cruises are much closer to Maggie Valley and Ashville. So there are a lot more opportunities to break off from the group. With the loop we are heading out due west into the Smokies. If you decide to go further than the Dragon you are committed to a lot of seat time.
The Rattler cruise (Saturday, I think) starts just outside of Maggie Valley. I seem to recall it as about an hour or so in length, winding up at a restaurant in Hot Springs. We sat there and conversed for quite a while before doing the Rattler in reverse to get back to the hotel. The best cruise (IMHO), a good lunch, and a relaxed day overall.
Last year I changed my Saturday tour to accommodate the people that didn't want another day of twisty driving. This year, weather permitting, that's not going to happen. We will start on the Parkway, but we will drop down 215 into my neck of the woods to do some back roads to the SC border, then back up and over to Waynesville via 276. BTW, 276 was the way I sent you guys back home last year.
There will be a lunch break at The Blind Mule at Lake Toxaway. https://www.blindmulerestaurant.com/ I had to cancel with him last year. I'll reach out to him sometime soon.
There will be a gas stop with ethanol free premium after lunch. They even have 110 at this station.
These roads will be twisty backroads that are usually traffic free, bumpy in places, and you might even hear banjo music at times. There will not be piss stops at every corner or even cell service, but they are fun and they'll be a view or two. Like Danny says, it will not be full out, there are a few turns that are very tight and one or two that get tighter as you go, but most of it flows nicely. We'll keep it fun and safeish. I've got a pretty good idea of a route, but I'm still working on it.
BTW, part of the Parkway was just chip and sealed, so there is a lot of loose gravel on it at the moment. Hopefully the heavy rains that we've been getting will wash them clean. I need to recon this to see how far they got.
If some of the group doesn't want to do the Deliverance part of the ride, they could just keep on going down the Parkway like we did last year, eat at the Pisgah Inn, and double back and go down 276 back to Creekside.
Of course, all of this is weather dependent.
CG
I hope that maps of the routes will be made available to the attendees!
Lane Anderson posted:The Rattler cruise (Saturday, I think) starts just outside of Maggie Valley. I seem to recall it as about an hour or so in length, winding up at a restaurant in Hot Springs. We sat there and conversed for quite a while before doing the Rattler in reverse to get back to the hotel. The best cruise (IMHO), a good lunch, and a relaxed day overall.
I would not call the pace of the 2017 version of “The Rattler” relaxed by any metric. It was also considerably longer than an hour in length.
It was, however, perfect— especially for a group traveling at differing rates of speed. It’s one long road, no way to get lost, with a defined destination at the end.
”The Rattler” rocks.
I'm not sure if it's possible but it's nice if the lead car(s) has a pre programmed gps for areas were there is no cell service. How many of us are coming? 4-5 cars max per run group is usually a good number. Printed maps is also a good back up. Sandy and me got lost in deliverance country once. Thankfully it was day time or it would have been pretty scary.
Well, Sandy sure is pretty. But in deliverance country, you'd be MIGHTY PURDY Marty!
You shore got some purty drivin’ gloves, boy! 😈
This really is a pretty good map. I thought we would stop at the gift store at the base of the Dragon and then stop at the river just past the Dragon for talk and pictures. Then we can drive a little further to The Dragon Pitt BBQ for some lunch. Those who want to head back to the hotel will head back east on 129 and do the Dragon again in reverse. Those who want to do the Cherohala will head west on 72 to Vonore. Gas can be had at the Dragon gift shop and at Vonore.
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GPS? Hahaha, I've got one of them there flip phones.
I'll see if my buddy Carlos wants to come along. He was in the dark green IM last year. He's born and raised around here. He might be able to prevent Marty from getting molested, but if Marty shows up in a modern car, may the molesting begin.
I ain't skerd.
Carlos G posted:Last year I changed my Saturday tour to accommodate the people that didn't want another day of twisty driving. This year, weather permitting, that's not going to happen.
I’m taking a week off of work to drive the car I love on some of the best roads in the eastern United States. It is my fondest hope to drive the wheels off this thing.
Bring it, Carlos.
Marty. I know those roads pretty well. And I will have a programmable GPS. I know Carlos isn't skerd but I actually got lost on a VFR 15 years ago trying to find the Cherohala Skyway. Pulled up to some mountain folk, 2 on Harleys. As soon as I pulled up they started their bikes and started to chase me. They were no match for me on a VFR and luckily I soon saw signs pointing to the Cherohala Skyway. This was 15 years ago and folks are probably kinder now but I can tell you the banjos were definitely playing in my head as I scooted away on that VFR.
Dragon and Cherohala both on yellow. We will be on orange and yellow. Come in on 28 and head past the Fontana Dam to the Dragon. Right at the star, the gift store and start of the Dragon, right on 129 from 28. All the way around to Robbinsville, then back to 28. We will be coming in and leaving on the orange unless some locals who are there for the drive want to go another way home. Last year we stopped by an old Mercedes restoration garage. Very cool.
Was the Mercedes garage owned by Piet Van Rossum?
Michael McKelvey posted:Was the Mercedes garage owned by Piet Van Rossum?
Yes