Excellent!!!
I have one important question. Given they're about to do an event out west that they call the "Tour d'Hoe", should we call this the "Tour d'Smo'"? Just a thought. I don't have a lot of those and need to get as much mileage out of 'em as I can.
Doesn't the "Hoe" come from Tahoe?
Where does the "Smo" come from?
Why the Smokies, of course 
Ok, it was the best I could do.
I have requested a reservation from the Maggie Valley Creekside Lodge http://creeksidelodge.com/.
Other nearby hotels are: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Ho...Carolina-Hotels.html
I've asked for them to get back to me regarding a block at the Creekside. I'll keep y'all posted.
I like the Tour d'Smokies thing.
550 Phil posted:I like the Tour d'Smokies thing.
Phil, can you please copy my post above to the facebook page? I don't have access to FB at this office.
What Facebook page?
Got it. Posted.
Carol, the nice lady at the Creekside Lodge, gave me a discount rate of $99 a night. She also put a courtesy hold on 5 more rooms at that rate. I'll bet she will enlarge it if enough people sigh up soon. C'mon folks, let's get this going!
Lane,
Can you verify the dates you blocked the hotel rooms for?
I made a reservation for myself for Thursday (28 Sep) through Sunday (1 OCT), with check out on Monday. She didn't say, but I imagine that's what she set them aside for. Some folks won't stay that long and some may stay longer. I will be in the area a day or so earlier, but staying with family in Asheville.
Just secured the time off. Hoping to be there mid afternoon on Thursday. Looking forward to the Rattler and breweries on Friday. I'm glad to navigate the Dragon/Cherohala loop on Saturday. Not sure I'll have my spyder by then. Would love to be shotgun navigator in someone's speedy. This will be great fun. Going to make reservation Thurs-Sat. Cool.
$99/night first floor walk out on the creek. Pretty sweet. Thanks Lane.
Excellent! So far it's:
Whoops. I left off Ron and Maddie Mullis. Can't forget them.
Lane, I'm going to put this one down. One way or the other -- thinking tow-in. Would be in for the whole she-bang. Lots of other stuff going down in the fall, so need to be careful in my planning. Sounds like a very cool run. Several runs, actually.
Lane,
You can add us to that list - in case anyone **cough** Stan **cough** is wondering! :-). We booked the room at the Creekside thingie today.
YEE-HAH! This is gonna be a good one!
I better start plotting a route with enough parking at the stops.
And he rose from the Abyss: have not been on this forum for a loooooong time. Run all of these roads regularly with Audi club and PCA. Have stayed at all of the mentioned hotels several times over. First note: 9/20 - 9/24, PCA is having a national event based at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. It is sold out, and rooms are north of $275 plus plus. Sierra Nevada Brewery: have done numerous organized tours. You can eat off the floors there, the restaurant is excellent, but on Wkends, every 20 something in four states descends on the place. Lane knows the roads, he will "steer" a great gathering. As Lane has stated, lock down your hotel ASAP (if you can still get one in lead hopper season). Dale Walkster's wheel through time is certainly worth a first time visit. I have been there 12-15 times, plus two magazine shoots with Dale. Put this together and BIGBIRD will appear.
Oh it's put together, Tom. I now EXPECT to see you and BB there for at least part of it. :-D
Ok, I am booked at the Creekside lodge. I will be arriving Wednesday night 27th and headed home on Sunday .
Looking forward to it.
Ditto here, Dianne and I are booked at Creekside. In Thursday noon and out on Sunday.
Two rooms left as of this AM.
Hi Lane.
We won't be coming. We've been looking at a two week trip to Scotland that leaves October 7th, so to head down there the weekend before would probably be too much. Two days down, three days there, and two days back again.
Too bad, as I've always wanted to see that area. If this becomes a yearly thing, I'll plan for it. 
Nothing better than a weekend with fellow speedster nuts...
Glad this is coming together, and I'd love to have finally met President Stan and others.
Bob
Sorry that you can't make it, Bob. I hope we do more of 'em and you guys can join us.
It appears my conversation with Lane is going something like this:
Elwood: we're putting the band back together
Mr fabulous: Look I can't, I really can't
Jake: if you say NO, Elwood and I will come here for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week
mr fabulous: OK, OK, you got me
So you see, you really have no choice
It's not peer pressure, it's just your turn.
I'm booked in. Check-in Thursday 9/28/17, check-out Monday 10/2/17 (4 nights).
Anticipating 3 days of historic drives.
Tom Boney posted:Ok, I am booked at the Creekside lodge. I will be arriving Wednesday night 27th and headed home on Sunday .
Looking forward to it.
The drives don't start until Friday, and there is a good one on Sunday. You might want to change your itinerary to arrive Friday and return on Monday. I plan to stay in Asheville for at least an additional day to do the Biltmore thing with Jeanie.
What is driving itinerary? I will be available for drives Friday and Saturday. Got to get back Sunday for work Monday. I've done the Biltmore and the River Art thing. I'm there more for the drive. I don't care what we do on Saturday as long as it involves roads and waterfalls etc. Maybe I missed the schedule. Haven't done the Rattler. That sounds great for Friday. What's the plan for Saturday?
I think my wife Chris will be coming. She's really not excited about back roads. She actually gets motion sickness when she sits shotgun. I think she would love to do a ladies day trip into Asheville if any of the ladies are interested. She will likely go on her own even if none of the other wives are interested. I highly recommend the River Art district for anyone who has not been. And yes the Biltmore is very expensive and crowded but is probably a must see if you have not been.
Phil - Friday is the Wheels Through Time Museum followed by the cruise on The Rattler. Saturday is Carlos' cruise through Brevard county, ending up at the Sierra Nevada brewery before driving back to Maggie Valley. You'll miss your "Fear the Yorkie Loop" on Sunday, but you've done it before. Can you send me the particulars on that route so that I can make sure we don't get lost?
This is what I posted before. Pretty easy to do some route planning on a GPS.
I doubt I'll have my outrageous 200 hp Spyder by then but if I do I might do a solo on Saturday. I'll be driving 15 hours round trip to get there. Pity to miss the Dragon and the Cherohala if I have my new little beast. 
I've done both of them dozens of times. At least for me they never get old.
From Maggie Valley head to 28. Maybe stop by Fontana Dam on 28.
Tail of Dragon starts at corner of 28 and 129. Stop at cool souvenir store at that corner. Continue on 129, The Tail of the Dragon.
When off the Dragon take a left on 72
Left on 411
Left on 360. 360 to Tellico Plains
Left on 165 (this turns into 143). This is the awesome Cherohala Skyway. Stop somewhere near the top to gaze out on humanity.
Take 143 to Robbinsville . Awesome little Mexican restaurant in town.
Then take 143 back to 28. Back to Maggie Valley.
One of the best circles on earth.
Thanks! I am apparently too lazy (or stupid - DOH!!!) to go back to page 1 of this thread. 
In my years of biking I became an expert at GPS route planning. Go to google maps or map quest and plan your route. Even one that goes in a circle. Then download it to your GPS. Then tell your GPS to take you on that route. I find this an absolute necessity on mountainous unfamiliar roads. There are many turns when you are actually staying on the same road. And there are many roads with multiple route numbers.
My first trip to Deals Gap in 2006 I went alone on a VFR. Got lost trying to find the Cherohala Skyway. Pulled over to ask some locals directions. They immediately started their Harleys and began to chase me. No match for my VFR. But I can tell you I was hearing those banjos from the movie Deliverance twanging in my ears.
Perhaps we could have Phil lead his trip on Friday, and do the Rattler on Sunday?
Yeah, that could work. Phil?
This is the loop I speak of. Its in yellow.
I'm good with that. Maybe I can try to catch the Rattler on my way back home.
Just reviewing the bidding here:
9/29 Fri -- drive stuff all day
9/30 Sat -- Drive stuff all day
10/1 Sun -- More drive stuff
Creekside Inn is HQ.
Have I got that about right??
