Talimena 2010

[SixChuter]

The date for this event has been officially set for June 12, 2010!

Well, it seems I have been stricken with the GTG bug....so here goes. I am going to start a discussion on a GTG to run the Talimena Scenic Drive in 2010. I'm new to this game so I'll need your input. Give it some thought and then come and join us!

http://www.talimenascenicdrive.com/

[vwgary]

Originally Posted by SixChuter

Well, it seems I have been stricken with the GTG bug....so here goes. I am going to start a discussion on a GTG to run the Talimena Scenic Drive in 2010. I'm new to this game so I'll need your input. Give it some thought and then come and join us!

Gonna do some research but it looks like a great stretch of road. Once a date has been set in stone, Denise & I will do our best to be there. I'd mentioned in the TOD thread how we want to see more of the good old US of A, and this would be great. Thanks for posting this and it's a thread I'll follow for sure.

[SixChuter]

Originally Posted by vwgary

Gonna do some research but it looks like a great stretch of road. Once a date has been set in stone, Denise & I will do our best to be there. I'd mentioned in the TOD thread how we want to see more of the good old US of A, and this would be great. Thanks for posting this and it's a thread I'll follow for sure.

It will take a while to get a feel for when it will work for all. We have to reserve the date for TOD2 in 2010. I ran the Talimena last year in June and October. Our club is going to make the run this coming October. Both June and October worked for me but in October you see more charter buses. Usually church groups coming over for the fall colors. In June we saw only 2 cars and a half dozen bikes on the whole "round trip" run. I have made the drive many times and it has always been a pleasure.

Thanks for being the first to step up, Gary. How far are you from Mena, Arkansas?

[scarabY2k]

Well, you know me. I've been saying that Val and I need to get out more and enjoy life. I'm not ruling this trip out, and with a year away, I should have enough money in the coffee can for The Dragon and Talimena as well- i'm not ruling it out. Put me on the tentative list

Enjoy life- drive a VW

[SixChuter]

Originally Posted by scarabY2k

Well, you know me. I've been saying that Val and I need to get out more and enjoy life. I'm not ruling this trip out, and with a year away, I should have enough money in the coffee can for The Dragon and Talimena as well- i'm not ruling it out. Put me on the tentative list

Enjoy life- drive a VW

Thanks Al! Get a group of NB nuts together and we're bound to have a good time.

[warren]

not sure what work schedule will look like next year, but mark me down as "interested".

[SixChuter]

Originally Posted by warren

not sure what work schedule will look like next year, but mark me down as "interested".

Your name is official entered in the Interested column. Thanks Warren.

[vwgary]

Originally Posted by SixChuter

It will take a while to get a feel for when it will work for all. We have to reserve the date for TOD2 in 2010. I ran the Talimena last year in June and October. Our club is going to make the run this coming October. Both June and October worked for me but in October you see more charter buses. Usually church groups coming over for the fall colors. In June we saw only 2 cars and a half dozen bikes on the whole "round trip" run. I have made the drive many times and it has always been a pleasure.

Thanks for being the first to step up, Gary. How far are you from Mena, Arkansas?

It looks like we're about a 12 hour ride. If we're able we might make this a 4 or 5 day weekend. Enjoy the sights to and take an alternate route back.

RE: setting the date. Gauge the interest and ask for input. You won't find the "perfect" date for everyone but you'll have to set a date anyway. With plenty of notice folks with genuine interest can then work it into their schedules.

[SixChuter]

Originally Posted by vwgary

It looks like we're about a 12 hour ride. If we're able we might make this a 4 or 5 day weekend. Enjoy the sights to and take an alternate route back.

RE: setting the date. Gauge the interest and ask for input. You won't find the "perfect" date for everyone but you'll have to set a date anyway. With plenty of notice folks with genuine interest can then work it into their schedules.

If you can come over for a few days, we'll be glad to show you some nice roads and sights in Southeast Oklahoma/Southwest Arkansas.

I think the time of year that would have the best scenery would be during October. I'm up for alternative ideas but let's start there.

Tentative date for the 2010 Talimena run(s) will be in October! Hopefully we will hit it right and the fall colors will be happening.

[vwgary]

I'm a Libra and my birthday is in October so I'm OK with that.

Wish we still had our T model Fords. You have some great touring roads in your neck of the woods. But the scenery will look just as beautiful in the nB

[SixChuter]

Originally Posted by vwgary

I'm a Libra and my birthday is in October so I'm OK with that.

Wish we still had our T model Fords. You have some great touring roads in your neck of the woods. But the scenery will look just as beautiful in the nB

I think we can show you some pretty country over here.

[Oh Randi]

Originally Posted by vwgary

I'm a Libra and my birthday is in October so I'm OK with that.

Wish we still had our T model Fords. You have some great touring roads in your neck of the woods. But the scenery will look just as beautiful in the nB

Me too!!


Mark me down as interested.

Go Oklahoma!

[SixChuter]

Originally Posted by Oh Randi

Me too!!


Mark me down as interested.

Go Oklahoma!

You are on the list, Randi!

[SixChuter]

We did an October trip to Mena this weekend. The colors in the trees was wonderful but the traffic on Saturday was horrific! I'm afraid I am going to have to consider changing my thoughts of doing the gtg during the "Fall Foliage Festvals". Trying to keep a group of cars together in this traffic would be difficult but I found an even larger problem. The Drive has vistas where we can stop but it was hard to find a parking spot for just one car at most of them during the prime drive time Saturday. With even a small group of cars, it would have just been a matter of driving from one end to the other and hoping we could stay together. I was really shocked at what I saw but I'm afraid it means plans are going to have to be changed again. I just wanted to let folks know I'm still hoping to get a group together for the Talimena run. I'm afraid it looks like I may have to shorten or planning time a bit and move the occassion to June. I know from personal experience that we will have a much less of a crowd that time of year.

I'm going to post one pic from Saturday to show you what we were dealing with. The rest of the pics are from this morning (Sunday). We did get headed home early enough to beat most of the crowd this morning. About the last 10 miles traffic started picking up again. We got lots of rain this year. That adds up to beautiful colors in the trees in the fall. Nice stuff but it sure draws a crowd.

[raff]

Sunday's shots definitely look ominous, but at least there's no traffic to mar the landscape.

Put us down for a tentative maybe.

[SixChuter]

Originally Posted by raff

Sunday's shots definitely look ominous, but at least there's no traffic to mar the landscape.

Put us down for a tentative maybe.

Thanks Bob. I appreciate the support. The clouds did look ominous but it stayed dry for us. It was windy and very cold up on the ridge but it was a great morning for driving.

[vwgary]

If we don't go up to New Hampshire next June, we would like to join in as well

[Duffy]

Don't forget lunch at the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge.

[SixChuter]

Originally Posted by Duffy

Don't forget lunch at the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge.

We will definitely put "Lunch at the Lodge" on our activities list.

[raff]

Originally Posted by SixChuter

We will definitely put "Lunch at the Lodge" on our activities list.

Speaking of scenic rides - did you ever receive the Scenic Byways book in the mail?