Tail of the Dragon cruise

[vwgary]

Update to this tread:: It is official, Saturday May 9th 2009 is when we'll cruise the Cherohala Skyway and tame the Tail of the Dragon. The bugavan will leave Bryson City NC at 8:30 AM to begin our 118 mile journey. Please read on for details but it appears there will be quite a few folks heading up on Friday the 8th. Please arrange your schedules to make this awesome GTG.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special thanks to Al, scarabY2k for the awesme flyer artwork
You rock bro!!!
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***The tour will begin 8:30ish at the Ridge Top Motel & Campground, 390 Arlington Ave, Bryson City, NC 28713***




I did alot of cutting and pasting then said heck with it. Just check posts #25,26 & 27 of picture thread "Raff's previous cars" for what prompted this thread.

If you're a car buff and you've never driven/ridden the Dragons Tail you are missing an awesome stretch of road. 318 turns in an 11 mile stretch. Whether you're in a souped up rig or just want to do some top down cruising amongst some spectacular scenery we NEED to get this thing together. Talk about photo ops . From Aiken SC we did this in 2 days with one overnight in Bryson City NC. Those travelling from Florida might want to consider a 2 night stay. Check out the link that Raff posted and post your thoughts here. Best time would be late spring or early summer simply because I don't think any of us will want to wait till next fall 09 to do this

I don't want to step on toes so if anyone wants to take the ball and run with the planning of this, you won't upset me
I just wanted to get this info out there so folks that would like to do this have enough time to prepare. I, for one really don't do shows anymore and I know alot other NB owners aren't part of that scene either. This type of trip puts you in touch with fellow NB enthusiasts for more than a brief GTG in some of the most spectacular countryside. So, what say you?

[raff]

Excellent suggestion for a GTG - count me in. We would need to check the Tail of the Dragon's website to make certain
our GTG does not coincide with other club drives - getting tangled up with 500 Minis or Miatas would not be fun.

With that being said I think Gary would be a great coordinator for this GTG.

link to website: http://www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon.html

[vwgary]

Originally Posted by raff

Excellent suggestion for a GTG - count me in. We would need to check the Tail of the Dragon's website to make certain
our GTG does not coincide with other club drives - getting tangled up with 500 Minis or Miatas would not be fun.

With that being said I think Gary would be a great coordinator for this GTG.

link to website: http://www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon.html

Car clubs plan impromptu events thruout the year. With the Tail of the Dragon such a draw for driving enthusiasts we could plan 6 months in advance with maybe one other car club to contend with at the outset. By the time the preplanned day arrives, we'll be there with thousands of other individual motorists (2, 3 and 4 wheel) and another car club or two. That can't be avoided. We need to get more input for a month and pick a day that suits the majority. I do think that spring or summer won't be as crowded as during leaf peeping season.

I also feel the upside to making this a 2 (or more) day event for those that want to, opens us up to more potential participants. Obviously we could have some folks who live close enough they can do this in one day. When I did this with the ElementOwnersClub we took a leisurely drive up to Bryson City NC on Friday. Enjoyed a beverage or 4 on the patio while waiting for the others to arrive. All 14 cars and their occupants stayed at the same motel. Most of us went to the local carwash then went out to dinner en masse. Saturday we ran the Cherahalo Skyway/Tail of the Dragon and were back in Bryson City by 3:30. Denise & I decided to head back to Aiken that same day. We made that trip in the 2 days without getting all wrung out from all the driving and made us some great memories.

[MichelleRoze]

after seeing that it's not too far of a drive for me, if it works out I'd love to join! This looks like a really neat place to drive...I just don't want to meet up with one of those crazy semi drivers!!!

[vwgary]

OK, I’ve drawn up what I believe to be very nice Saturday ride that includes elements of both a relaxing mountain drive along the Cherohala Skyway, to the attention-grabbing ride on the Tail of the Dragon with a date to be announced.

What I would like to propose is a 118 mile Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway Loop starting and ending in Robbinsville, NC. The course winds through Eastern Tennessee and culminates back in Robinsonville (www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon_loop.html (http://www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon_loop.html)). Along the way, the Cherohala Parkway boosts of awesome views. “The Cherohala climbs from 2,660 to more than 5,300 feet in the first 11 miles.” I’ve detailed the route with distances and estimated times (please remember that these times are flexible given the group's interests along the way, e.i.: photos, t-shirts, momentos) :

Time Mile Instruction
8:30-ish AM Depart from Hotel Parking Lot in Bryson City (32 miles to Robbinsonvile)
9:00 AM 0.0 Depart Robbinsville on Circle St (North)
9:00 AM 0.1 Turn LEFT (West) onto Atoah St
9:01 AM 0.4 Bear LEFT (South) onto SR-1127 [Atoah St]
9:20 AM 9.6 Turn LEFT (South) onto Pine Rodge Rd [National Forest Rd]
9:38 AM 18.7 Continue (West) on National Forest Rd
9:41 AM 20.1 Turn RIGHT (North-West) onto Local road(s)
9:44 AM 21.7 Entering Tennessee
9:44 AM 21.7 Turn LEFT (West) onto HWY-165
10:20 AM 42.2 Turn LEFT (West) onto Stout St
10:21 AM 42.3 Turn RIGHT (West) onto S Babc0ck St
10:21 AM 42.4 Turn RIGHT (North) onto Local road(s)
10:21 AM 42.4 At Tellico Plains, return South on Local road(s)
10:22 AM 42.4 Turn RIGHT (West) onto S Babc0ck St
10:23 AM 42.7 Turn RIGHT (West) onto Church St
10:23 AM 42.8 Turn RIGHT (North) onto SR-68 [New HWY-68]
10:45 AM 55.5 Turn off onto Ramp
10:46 AM 55.8 Bear RIGHT (East) onto US-411 [SR-33]
10:58 AM 65.4 Turn RIGHT (South-East) onto HWY-360
10:58 AM 65.4 At 208 HWY-360, Vonore, TN 37885, return North-West on HWY-360
10:58 AM 65.4 Turn RIGHT (East) onto US-411 [HWY-411]
11:15 AM 67.3 Stay on US-411 [HWY-411] (North-East)
11:17 AM 68.1 Turn RIGHT (East) onto SR-72
11:32 AM 76.6 Bear RIGHT (East) onto US-129 [Calderwood Hwy]
11:32 AM 76.6 At 4364 US-129, Maryville, TN 37801, stay on US-129 [Calderwood Hwy] (East)
Enter the Tail of the Dragon
11:56 AM 97.0 Entering North Carolina
12:18 PM 114.8 Turn RIGHT (South) onto SR-1106 [Main St]
12:20 PM 115.3 Bear RIGHT (South) onto SR-1127 [Main St]
12:20 PM 115.3 Turn RIGHT (West) onto Hossana St
12:20 PM 115.4 Arrive Robbinsville


There are many places along the way we can stop for socialization, lunch, photo-op’s, and the necessary bathroom breaks!

The only reason why I picked Bryson City to gather is that it seems to have more published accommodations.

Hotels in Bryson City

Scenic View Motel
1000 Hwy 19 S
Bryson City, NC 28713
Tel: 828-488-3378

Mountain Laurel Motel
250 Main Street
Bryson City, NC 28713
Tel: 828-488-6641

Rosewood Inn
265 Main St
Bryson City, NC 28713
Tel: 828-488-2194

[vwgary]

Originally Posted by MichelleRoze

after seeing that it's not too far of a drive for me, if it works out I'd love to join! This looks like a really neat place to drive...I just don't want to meet up with one of those crazy semi drivers!!!

MichelleRoze, I in no way want this to coincide with your planned spring GTG. We intend to do yours and would like to have you join in on this one.

If you can, try and drive up that Friday afternoon so you can have dinner with the group. Area motels weren't all that costly.

[vwgary]

Attached is the proposed loop highlighted in yellow. This would make an awesome day of driving. The Dragon is thrilling for the turns but there are speed limits so the drive & distance won't be stressfull at all. As I previously mentioned we decided not to stay another night (Saturday) and headed back to Aiken and were NOT burned out from too much driving.

[HarlequinPixie]

I'm so down for that. heh. Went up there to the blue ridge mountains a couple of weeks ago, though not the dragon's tail, with a bunch of Charlotte dubbers.. was soooooooo much fun!


I think a lot of the rafting places for the Nantahala River are around Bryson City, too....? just a thought for a possible longer adventure.

[vwgary]

Would love to have you join us HP

www.noc.com. We'll be in the vicinity of the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Some great whitewater rafting.

We can always put this into the mix for those that want to stay longer and make this a 3 day event. I would still suggest the Dragon for Saturday for those that want to be home the same day or Sunday.

[Fl_bug]

I'd be down for it! Especially the whole late summer early fall! Thats some great photo ops with the trees chaning color and all(miami boy. Palm trees don't change color) and I'll definately have a Bug by then no problem!

[raff]

Originally Posted by vwgary

OK, I’ve drawn up what I believe to be very nice Saturday ride that includes elements of both a relaxing mountain drive along the Cherohala Skyway, to the attention-grabbing ride on the Tail of the Dragon with a date to be announced.

What I would like to propose is a 118 mile Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway Loop starting and ending in Robbinsville, NC. The course winds through Eastern Tennessee and culminates back in Robinsonville (www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon_loop.html (http://www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon_loop.html)). Along the way, the Cherohala Parkway boosts of awesome views. “The Cherohala climbs from 2,660 to more than 5,300 feet in the first 11 miles.” I’ve detailed the route with distances and estimated times (please remember that these times are flexible given the group's interests along the way, e.i.: photos, t-shirts, momentos) :


There are many places along the way we can stop for socialization, lunch, photo-op’s, and the necessary bathroom breaks!

The only reason why I picked Bryson City to gather is that it seems to have more published accommodations.

Route makes sense - the skyway is different but every bit as scenic as the dragon.
Now all we need is a date for the "cruise"

Daates already taken: Honda S2000 @ the dragon - 4/23-26, 2009
Minis @ the dragon 4/29-5/3, 2009

[vwgary]

Originally Posted by raff

Route makes sense - the skyway is different but every bit as scenic as the dragon.
Now all we need is a date for the "cruise"

I suggested doing this in a loop to give us a defined beginning and end without driving the Dragon both ways. Plus the Skyway is a beautiful drive. I didn't agree to be the coordinator. So the routing IS open for discussion

[raff]

Originally Posted by vwgary

I suggested doing this in a loop to give us a defined beginning and end without driving the Dragon both ways. Plus the Skyway is a beautiful drive. I didn't agree to be the coordinator. So the routing IS open for discussion

Re: the route - if the street names were ommitted from the route instructions it could become a rally (hehehe).

So far you're doing an excellent job as coordinator.

[vwgary]

Originally Posted by raff

Route makes sense - the skyway is different but every bit as scenic as the dragon.
Now all we need is a date for the "cruise"

Daates already taken: Honda S2000 @ the dragon - 4/23-26, 2009
Minis @ the dragon 4/29-5/3, 2009

Dates aren't "taken" by anyone. The Tail of the Dragon is US highway 129 and travelled by thousands of motorists daily. We can plan, plan & plan and still have to deal with a high volume of traffic. I highly doubt our group will be so large we'll get separated by other car clubs. And with such a huge police presence we won't be holding many people back due to slow speeds. And speaking of large clubs the Honda S2K and Minis on those days are just local chapters of much larger clubs like we'll be. Just my opinion and again, open for discussion.

[vwgary]

Bumping for some input people...........suggestions, options?!?
We should be able to draw participants from the 3 or 4 surrounding states for this event.

[NaplesTurboS]

You have even caught my interest. You all pick the date. I will check it on my callender.

[vwgary]

Originally Posted by NaplesTurboS

You have even caught my interest. You all pick the date. I will check it on my callender.

I'm just waiting for a little more feedback before I set a date. Keep your eyes on this thread. I've driven the dragon and it is a blast. Tons of turns where you can sling shot out the other side. Definiely a stretch of road where you don't check out the scenery if you're driving. On the same token, not at all intimidating for the less robust drivers.

[NaplesTurboS]

Sweet. I will keep an eye on it.

[HarlequinPixie]

Originally Posted by vwgary

Bumping for some input people...........suggestions, options?!?
We should be able to draw participants from the 3 or 4 surrounding states for this event.

might wanna post up a link to this thread in the oh\pa area region(s) as well.

[warren]

gonna keep an eye on this thread...a bit of a drive, but if i can work it in, sounds like a great GTG!