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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 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. 

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.IMG_2680IMG_2679

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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.IMG_2680IMG_2679

I was awake at 3 Phil so you must have released the brake and rolled down the hill like a kid past curfew.

 

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.

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."

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...

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.

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