The 2010 T.O.D. Florida bugavan/carabug planning thread

[scarabY2k]

Attention: all Florida New Beetle lovers and orgers...

It's 01.01.10. Happy New Year!

The 2nd annual Tail Of The Dragon cruise weekend is just under 4 months away- it will be here before you know it!

What is the Tail Of The Dragon??? Click here to find out

The time is NOW for us to start planning for this event. ADVANCE PLANNING is the key- for the bugavan and the event as well.

PLEASE NOTE: Although the Dragon cruise will be on Saturday, April 1st, this is a weekend event. Again, please click the above links (the bold 'click here') to get further info and appropriate lodging. To reiterate, ADVANCE PLANNING IS THE KEY

Several Florida orgers have shown interest in attending the TOD and I hope to see you there. If you have travel plans already, cool- we'll see you in Bryson City on 4.30.10.

There is a bugavan (carabug as others would say) planned for this event- hence the purpose of this thread. The plan is....

1.Florida orgers will meet in Florida, at 2 meeting spots; i-95 in Jacksonville and at the i-10/i-75 junction in Lake City.

2.The Jacksonville leg of the bugavan will meet with the Lake City gang, where we will bugavan to Atlanta, to meet up with the Georgia bugavan.

3.The FL/GA bugavan will then carabug (okay I said it) to Bryson City, to meet with the other orgers from across the country and from around the world- yes we do have international attendence!

4. If you are along the i-75 portion of the FL to GA leg, please let us know, that way we can get off on your exit and you can join in on the bugavan

The bugavan will be departing from Florida on Friday, April 30th. Time to be determined. This first post will be updated as information warrants.

MichelleRoze, the Capt'n of the GA bugavan will be checking in with us on this very thread, as we, the FL orgers need to be in sync with the GA crew.

Again, Start planning now:
1.Save a little cash- as us orgers like to say fill the coffee can.
2.Request time off from work NOW. Before someone else beats you to the punch.
3.Commit to this event as a must attend. Sometimes 'little' things will deter you from the plans you've made.

For you first time TOD-ers; you won't be disappointed in this event. It's truly an exciting driving experience for you and your beetle, and the friendships and memories forged will be ones to remember!

i'd be remiss if I didn't give props to Gary/VWGary for His vision in making this event a must-attend experience! Thanks Gary! I'm proud to call you my friend!

See you at the TOD!

Al/scarabY2k

[scarabY2k]

Okay for those of you who might take the Jacksonville leg of the caravan, you might be saying....

"Al, we might as well go up i-95 and head straight up to Bryson City".
True, we could but the time difference in both routes is only 27 extra minutes on our end. Considering the experience of last years drive, the extra 27 minutes is well worth it. If we time things right and leave early enough, we might be able to stop briefly at the Tellulah Gorge like we did last year- I stress if we leave early enough and time permitting.

I did a mapquest of both travel routes with travel time included. see for yourself

[vwgary]

While I won't be part of the Florida bugavan I wanted to post.
You hit the nail on the head Al stressing the pre-planning. We started the 2K10 planning a few days after the maiden cruise last May and no doubt a new thread for 2K11 will be up before the end of May 2010. Get the trend?? Plan ahead for anything that could creep up and keep you from attending.

Thanks for the kind words Al and the feelings are indeed mutual. Without the help and support of the core group tho, it wouldn't have become what is and will continue to be.

[scarabY2k]

The info im about to submit is pending on the approval of boss lady- Valerie.

If Val gives the okay, we might be able to bunk some of you South Floridians for Thrusday night, so you'll be nice and refreshed for the Friday bugavan.

Again this is pending approval of boss lady

[scarabY2k]

Originally Posted by vwgary

While I won't be part of the Florida bugavan I wanted to post.
You hit the nail on the head Al stressing the pre-planning. We started the 2K10 planning a few days after the maiden cruise last May and no doubt a new thread for 2K11 will be up before the end of May 2010. Get the trend?? Plan ahead for anything that could creep up and keep you from attending.

Thanks for the kind words Al and the feelings are indeed mutual. Without the help and support of the core group tho, it wouldn't have become what is and will continue to be.

Yeah I hate it when things creep up

It is a trend indeed. Maybe i'm being partial here, but I think us Southeasterners get it- gotta plan in advance and don't let the schedule creeps eat at your GTG plans.

And yes sirrrrr, the core group of what we have here is a thing of beauty. I hope the core grows even more after this edition of the TOD!

[vwgary]

If it flies, what a great option for those coming up from further south

[vwgary]

I've PM'd a few new members who live in our "region". None of them had many posts so they may not have seen the ToD or it's associated threads. Did you say "media blitz"

[scarabY2k]

Originally Posted by vwgary

If it flies, what a great option for those coming up from further south

I think it might fly Gary. Val has become very fond of the beetle peeps. We pretty much work well together when it comes to tending to the house, so it won't be a load on Her.

Originally Posted by vwgary

I've PM'd a few new members who live in our "region". None of them had many posts so they may not have seen the ToD or it's associated threads. Did you say "media blitz"

Oh Yeah.... I said "MEDIA BLITZ"!!!
I'll be printing out the artwork to tag other nB's. I think i'll take a few to the local VW dealers as well.

[scarabY2k]

Can someone please explain to me why this new thread isn't in the "new threads" section on the homepage? This is NOT a help on our TOD media blitz

[vwgary]

Originally Posted by scarabY2k

Can someone please explain to me why this new thread isn't in the "new threads" section on the homepage? This is NOT a help on our TOD media blitz

I know it wasn't a rhetorical question but I can't even do the see details "here" thing, still

[Mazzzja]

Originally Posted by scarabY2k

...
3.The FL/GA bugavan will then carabug (okay I said it) to Bryson City, to meet with the other orgers from across the country and from around the world- yes we do have international attendence!

See you at the TOD!

Al/scarabY2k

From around the world? Just one other country aside of the US of A as of yet. Or Tommy needs to decide to attend the ToD as well. Then it will be 2 other countries.

[scarabY2k]

Originally Posted by Mazzzja

From around the world? Just one other country aside of the US of A as of yet. Or Tommy needs to decide to attend the ToD as well. Then it will be 2 other countries.

That's what i'm hoping for Marcia

[scarabY2k]

Originally Posted by vwgary

I know it wasn't a rhetorical question but I can't even do the see details "here" thing, still

Me goes to PM Saad.

[smartchick2009]

sooooo everyone is basically leaving from lake city and heading up 75 then?

i live off exit 5 on 75 so im 30 miles north of the i-10/i-75 lake city exit

anyone feel like calling me to let me know when to jump on the interstate? lol most likely i'll have ray waiting at exit 60 to jump in line with us.... sound like a plan?

[vwgary]

Originally Posted by smartchick2009

sooooo everyone is basically leaving from lake city and heading up 75 then?

i live off exit 5 on 75 so im 30 miles north of the i-10/i-75 lake city exit

anyone feel like calling me to let me know when to jump on the interstate? lol most likely i'll have ray waiting at exit 60 to jump in line with us.... sound like a plan?

It appears you'll be coming up with 2 cars then?
Have you made any lodging plans? You may want to contact the Ridge Top Motel & Campground to see if they've had any cancellations. Or the alternate site would be the Sleep Inn in downtown Bryson City, about 2 miles from the Ridge Top. Again, if you're open to camping the Ridge Top is also a campground.

[Tommy]

Can anyone maybe PM me with an estimate of the costs for this event (sleeping, fees, food, dunno what else,..)

Then I'll see if I can financialy get it round (together with airplane tickets) to finally get to a org gtg.

[smartchick2009]

yeah how much is a room ? :P

[vwgary]

The Ridge Top Motel is offering discounted rooms for ToD attendees @ $55/night tho I think they're booked with nB owners but it might be worth contacting them. Alternate lodging is the Sleep Inn about 3 miles from the Ridge Top and while they don't offer a discount I think they're rate per night is less than $60.00. The Friday night pizza fest should run about $6.00 per person (exact ammount to be finalized, but it won't be expensive). The BBQ place we ate at on Saturday night was also inexpensive @ less than $10.00. Snacks during the day will be cost dependant on your appetite We plan a stop at Deals Gap at the end of the Tail of the Dragon where memorabilia can be purchased but none of that is big dollar either. Besides plane fare, Tommy, you're biggest expense will be lodging.

[scarabY2k]

Great points Gary! To reiterate, if you're making the one day trip on Saturday April 1st, that's cool. But I'd strongly suggest the full meal deal, and attend the entire GTG weekend. For further info on this event...
Click Here...this is the home base for the Tail Of The Dragon cruise weekend to get you and keep you in the know

Originally Posted by smartchick2009

sooooo everyone is basically leaving from lake city and heading up 75 then?

i live off exit 5 on 75 so im 30 miles north of the i-10/i-75 lake city exit

anyone feel like calling me to let me know when to jump on the interstate? lol most likely i'll have ray waiting at exit 60 to jump in line with us.... sound like a plan?

You bring up an excellent point- one that totally slipped my mind. I amended post #1. Please keep in close touch with this thread. It should be no problem meeting you and your b/f at a designated exit along the route, where you all can join the party.

Glad to see that you and your b/f will be joining us. Like Gary said, don't delay... make your plans now.

We'll be in touch

[MichelleRoze]

Glad to see this thread in motion.

As the brains of the operation on the Georgia side (scary thought huh? ) I'd say, those those who plan to bugavan with the FL/GA group, you are going to have a BLAST!!! Hopefully we'll leave early enough Friday that we can stop somewhere in Atlanta for some grub. I'm kinda partial to Chipotle...especially because their parking behind the building had plenty of space for shots and whatnot before and after the food!

We'll probably go up the same route we did last year. I'll have to double check what that was, and make sure we don't run into that detour on I-40 I think it was. Again I'll have to double check. The drive was very nice, and easy for automatics to drive as well. I know mountains are a big concern for many with automatics, but if mine can make it up there, yours can too Besides, the hill to the Ridge Top Motel is bigger than anything we drove on to get there...lol

I'll be coordinating with Al on all the details. Again, this drive up to Bryson City in itself is fun. Looks like we might have a line of NB's this time, which will give you just a small taste of what the ToD will be like with, what is it now? 35 - 40 NBs? Either way, it'll be fantastic. I have a GPS, so I follow that little thing all the way up to Bryson City, no getting lost.

Now I will say, Georgia just passed a new "super speeders law", so we probably won't be traveling as fast as we did last year Going 85 and up will warrant a speeding ticket plus an additional $200 super speeders tickets. And from seeing what I've seen in only 2 days of this law being in affect, cops are looking for those who are traveling 85mph! So, what google maps says the time will be to get there, will most likely be right, since I don't want any of us getting tickets. Keep that in mind for those of you who are traveling up to ATL, cause I know that stretch from Savannah to Atlanta can be tempting to travel quickly...but be careful!

Again, I'm glad this thread is started early. Time moves by quickly. Which reminds me, I have to get my butt in gear with the ATL GTG on the 3rd Saturday of February (plug plug)