I made a judgment call, and cancelled lunch. It was a small place, and wanted to give him as much forewarning as possible.
We'll talk in the AM. There will be some driving with some beer at the end and hopefully lots of shooting the breeze.
I made a judgment call, and cancelled lunch. It was a small place, and wanted to give him as much forewarning as possible.
We'll talk in the AM. There will be some driving with some beer at the end and hopefully lots of shooting the breeze.
It turns out that today's drive >200 miles. We definitely need to shorten tomorrow's or some will opt out. We can figure it out when you get here. No worries. As you said, this is supposed to be fun.
Ok, it's 11:00 pm and and I am lubricated by some $250 scotch and am going to bed. This is almost certainly going to be an annual event. The fire pits are awesome!!! Nighty night folks!
I came to drive. Today was awesome. I'm betting on getting back together by tomorrow AM, and am looking forward to more of the same.
Okey dokey. This is year zero for this event (if it becomes one) and we're figuring out what works and what doesn't. I think the best idea is yo provide options. We'll figure it out tomorrow. I'm going to bed. Zzzzzzzzz.
I did the math. We drove 240 miles yesterday. The loop is 120 miles. It's 60 miles getting to loop and 60 miles returning. There are so many drives around here. In the future if we want to drive the Dragon/Cherohala loop we should stay there. Lots of other drives around that area. That area is really for driving. No ETOH. No breweries. Hard core driving area. The closer you get to Asheville the closer you get to civilization ETOH breweries etc. I'm good with anything. But I personally thought the day was awesome. I love the drive. In the future if we want less seat time we should only do drives near where we stay. Problem is every year someone is going to want to check the Dragon off the bucket list. To tell you the truth if you stay 30 minutes from the Dragon some people will chill and others will go back and do another quick there and back with the Dragon. I know I would. I love you guys but I'm here to drive.
What is my favorite Carlisle year? The covered bridges tour. Why? Because I came to drive. Can't wait for the next one that I CAN attend!
Someone post a darn pic of those beautiful roads please.
Lane and Phil, you did a great job and don't need to defend it. This place is nothing short of majestic and I am not sure you can find a "bad road" even if you tried.
However, as it is a new thing and hopefully will become a annual thing, here are a couple recommendations from a right seater in a car with no frills:
1) Starts with a warning - by my calculations it was a 233 mile drive - but not a "Sunday going to meeting" kind of drive. It is exhilarating! It is jaw-dropplingly beautiful! It is a helluvlot of work! Change the step off time to 0800.
2) Encourage everyone to leave the hotel with a bottle of water and a map - the one Diane got from the hotel is actually pretty good!
3) Keep the Tree of Shame as the first stop. That is perfect for getting last gas, a snack, drink, bathroom, t-shirt etc. Remember to round us back up - we are like hearding cats!
4) Add a stop right after the Dragon - Maybe the Punkin Center to get out and stretch and check fuel - you have a steering wheel to hold on to, your passengers ... not so much.
5) Keep the fuel stop before heading to Tellico Plains - again advising folks that it will be a while without a potty.
6) Keep the Tellio Kats lunch stop!!! That was amazing!
7) Add a photo op at big lookout at the top of the Cherohala Skyway. I could not keep my mouth closed on that entire segment of our trip. It was ... astounding, and reaffirmed our belief that we are supposed to spend our lives here. But, it would have been great to stop and get some pictures and to let the brakes cool down a bit!! P.S. there were bathrooms of a sort at two of them according to the sign at the bottom.
8) Keep the stop at Pete's if he will have us. Holy Cow!!!
9) Return to the hotel and commence dinner then the World Problem Solving Fire Pit Association! That alone is reason to stay here.
Those are my two cents, but either way, my day was AWESOME and I can't thank you both enough for it!
p.s. Marty Check Facebook
Sorry I didn't say goodbye. Woke up at 3AM and couldn't get back to sleep. Thought what the heck I might as well drive home. Back in Norfolk by 1030AM. Just wanted to thank Tom Boney for supplying my ride. What a beautiful powerful IM. Great mix of people and cars. Thanks to Lane for organizing this. Thanks to Carlos for a providing the beautiful cruise on Saturday. Sierra Nevada Brewery was amazing. Thanks to Ron and Maddie for sharing their hospitality and of course their scotch. Thanks to Stan and his much better half. Never a dull moment. Stan again was THE MAN resurrecting his ride overnight to make the Saturday cruise. This should definitely be a repeat trip. Last week of September 2018. So many roads, so little time.
Good times Phil. Hope to see you again in Carlisle with your new Spyder! We will be there, as well as Maggie Valley next Sept. We will once again share good whisky I think!
Today’s run was fantastic! We went up the Rattler, leaving about 10:30, arriving at the restaurant in Hot Springs at11:45. After a leisurely lunch I was back at the hotel about 2:30. What an incredible ride!
Going to have a nice dinner tonight to put the cap on a fantastic gathering. We pretty much have next year already figured out. It’s gonna be GREAT!
gonna put this one in my calendar for 2018.
550 Phil posted:Sorry I didn't say goodbye. Woke up at 3AM and couldn't get back to sleep. Thought what the heck I might as well drive home. Back in Norfolk by 1030AM. Just wanted to thank Tom Boney for supplying my ride. What a beautiful powerful IM. Great mix of people and cars. Thanks to Lane for organizing this. Thanks to Carlos for a providing the beautiful cruise on Saturday. Sierra Nevada Brewery was amazing. Thanks to Ron and Maddie for sharing their hospitality and of course their scotch. Thanks to Stan and his much better half. Never a dull moment. Stan again was THE MAN resurrecting his ride overnight to make the Saturday cruise. This should definitely be a repeat trip. Last week of September 2018. So many roads, so little time.
I was awake at 3 Phil so you must have released the brake and rolled down the hill like a kid past curfew.
MikelB posted:I was awake at 3 Phil so you must have released the brake and rolled down the hill like a kid past curfew.
Now, who would've ever done something like that?
Exhaust from my Abarth was pointed right at Ron and Maddie's door. Tried to ease out but that thing is loud. Hope everyone's drive home is uneventful.
Next year I'll be in the spyder. Can't wait.
Made it home a little before 2:00 pm. Traffic was light until the Charleston Crazies. Had one more stall due to pulling a vacuum n the tank, so I guess I will be drilling some more holes to help the venting. I was running 80+ for a while and the vent just couldn't keep up I guess.
What a wonderful few days! Perfect weather, spectacular scenery, and incredible roads. Topping it all of were the wonderful people. It was great to finaly meet President Stan and First Lady Jeanie, Tom "Bones" Boney, and Carlos Galarza and his friend Carlos (whose last name I didn't quite get). It was also great to see Pieter van Rossum again for the first time in several years. Cory said it very well: "We have two times a year that we can spend with the families we chose." I like that, "...the families we chose."
This will definitely be repeated next year. We have already made many of what plans there are to be made, the rest will be as they were this time - making it up as we go. Make plans for the last week in September, folks. You don't want to miss this.
Oh yeah... I'll post my photos later. Someone needs to invent a Nikon that can go online.
Was indeed a great gathering..... Stan has an absolutely gorgeous sleeper of a car..... He gave me a "QUICK" trip thru the twisties and I loved every microsecond of it.... Thanks again Stan... Let me mention the fireside chats behind the Inn with Maddie the Pyromaniac getting things going with a leaf blower... Made for delightful consumption of adult recreational beverages, and conversation....
"YOU SHOULD OF BEEN THERE."
I always describe Speedster / Spyder Carlisle as one big happy car family reunion less all the drama.
I regret not being able to make it - was so hoping for the mid-Sep time frame BUT IRMA would have washed that date out. We had long ago booked a Viking Prague to Berlin cruise starting in next few days so was just too close to do the Tail of Dragon too. Hoping to do the Bourbon trail when we return!
Here's a link to my photos. If you click on a picture you can see any comments I may have added.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/141355660@N05/albums/72157661090421438
Ok Theron, how do I fix the link? Folks, you can always cut and paste the address.
Man, I really missed something. I hope to be with you next year.
I got the idea that several people needed repairs, including one with a ball point pen spring.
Who and what?
Lane, great photos, thanks for sharing them, looks like a wonderful weekend!
over a thousand miles, wow, you guys drive!
Very cool photos, Lane. Looks like you guys had a blast! Is it possible to caption some of the photos so those of us who have never met anybody knows who's who?
ALB posted:
Very cool photos, Lane. Looks like you guys had a blast! Is it possible to caption some of the photos so those of us who have never met anybody knows who's who?
El Presidente was obvious...
Will Hesch posted:ALB posted:
Very cool photos, Lane. Looks like you guys had a blast! Is it possible to caption some of the photos so those of us who have never met anybody knows who's who?
El Presidente was obvious...
Yeah, Will, I've seen pics of El Presidente. I was thinking of the rest of the riff-raff...
Home.
It was excellent. Most highly excellent.
ALB posted:Will Hesch posted:ALB posted:
Very cool photos, Lane. Looks like you guys had a blast! Is it possible to caption some of the photos so those of us who have never met anybody knows who's who?
El Presidente was obvious...
Yeah, Will, I've seen pics of El Presidente. I was thinking of the rest of the riff-raff...
and don't forget to include the type of cam they're running Lane. LOL
MikelB posted:and don't forget to include the type of cam they're running Lane. LOL
FK8
... and that was seriously funny.
MikelB posted:ALB posted:Will Hesch posted:ALB posted:
Very cool photos, Lane. Looks like you guys had a blast! Is it possible to caption some of the photos so those of us who have never met anybody knows who's who?
El Presidente was obvious...
Yeah, Will, I've seen pics of El Presidente. I was thinking of the rest of the riff-raff...
and don't forget to include the type of cam they're running Lane. LOL
Hey! one thing at a time! Then we'll start asking about private stuff. And I already knew you were an FK8 guy, Stan
LeonChupp posted:Was indeed a great gathering..... Stan has an absolutely gorgeous sleeper of a car..... He gave me a "QUICK" trip thru the twisties and I loved every microsecond of it.... Thanks again Stan...
Leon,
It was my privilege. Driving fast by myself is fun. Driving fast with a guy like you who knows what's going on was one of the highlights of my weekend.
To all my fellow SOC compadres who indulged my desire to drive all day:
Thanks! I know it made for some long days... but my, oh my. If somebody had told me when I was a young father with 3 kids and making 10 bucks an hour that I'd own a car like this and drive it on roads like these, I'd have probably laughed out loud. It would've seemed like too much to hope for. It really was a "bucket-list" kind of deal. Thanks again.
Just astonishing roads.
Looking forward to next year. I'll be there, probably in Bridget, maybe in the Spyder if it doesn't sell quick.
Home safe. Great to meet everyone and the weekend exceeded all of my expectations.
Cut 3.5 hours off my drive home(not sure why it took so long to get there) but what a beautiful day to be on the road.
Just checked 129photos.com and Stan's,Ron's and Lanes cars are featured on the front page as photos of the week.
Thank you to everyone and plan to be back next year.
edsnova posted:Looking forward to next year. I'll be there, probably in Bridget, maybe in the Spyder if it doesn't sell quick.
I'm gonna' tell you straight up-- bring the Spyder.
I agree. Owning both a Speedster and a Spyder, I can say the Spyder is made for these roads.
Ron Mullis posted:I agree. Owning both a Speedster and a Spyder, I can say the Spyder is made for these roads.
Unless you drive like Stan.
Just found everybody on 129photos.com
Again, looks like you guys had a heck of a day!
So- who owns the white trimless Speedster with color matched 5x205's and roll bar, GT bumper trim, headlight covers and driving lights?
So- who owns the white trimless Speedster with color matched 5x205's and roll bar, GT bumper trim, headlight covers and driving lights?
Tom Boney. He graciously let me ride shotgun. Much like the car I just sold but better. Suby IM. First IM to have 914 front suspension with wide 5's. Beautiful car.
Will Hesch posted:ALB posted:
Very cool photos, Lane. Looks like you guys had a blast! Is it possible to caption some of the photos so those of us who have never met anybody knows who's who?
El Presidente was obvious...
I'll try to take care of that this evening.
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