Looking at planning the first Dragon in our new(ish) MINI this year. Looking at a 1k mile drive and 16 hours in the car to get there. Im a little turned off by the availability of the drives on the MOTD site right now as it seems nearly all of them are "booked".

What I am wondering is if this is more of just a way to judge interest in drives and in some cases for book rentals (kayaks and boat seats) but are the drive/meals and the morning/night "scenic" drive reservations just for rough numbers and anyone can tag along as well? I do see that there will be more added as the event gets closer but I just want to get an idea of things we can do while there.

Don't want to drive 1000 miles and not be able to join in and meet new people on drives and events.

Obviously the big group meals are more like real reservations and that would make more sense, just seems strange to limit participation for driving when most of the reservations currently seem like only one car but 2 people. Im just a bit confused is all.

So can we play along too?

I'm getting excited about this.

 

The way I see it, they all take place on public roads. Of course you can tag along! Might not be any space available at the eatery, but nothing says you have to eat there! I plan on "following" some of the filled up drives

 

Imo you can show up for a drive and ask the leader if there is any extra room available. Us leaders can't lead 100 MINI's without some help. Even with 30 MINI the group will probably divide into 2 groups.
The best thing anyone can do is create your own run and add it to the list of available runs. I did exactly that!
Or get ahold of one of us leaders and see if you can help out by leading a group that will follow.

Jackson

 

All drives have a limit for a reason. Some drives end up at a restaurant or a activity like ziplining and can only process and handle so many customers at once. Drives without a destination (which are few) will still have a limit just to keep the caravan to a manageable size. Usually convoys over 30 cars are hard to maintain and become stressfull for the people in charge. Especially when you consider that our radios have very limited range to communitcate and check on the back of the line.

All drives are lead by volunteers. They are taking time from their vacation to put together a drive for others to enjoy. Lets not pile on them and make them regret their decision or stress them out at the event so they don't want to lead a drive next year. Instead, how bout we get more volunteers to lead more drives.

I'll be more than happy to put together as many drives as we can get leaders for. You don't need to be local to lead a drive, I can help you set it up. I'm leading 4 drives and I live in Florida

 

Okay that makes much more sense and what I was thinking anyways. Now to really consider drive the 1k miles to get there.

 

You'll meet a lot of people just hanging around Fontana Village. It's like a little city where everybody drives a MINI!

 

I know it's a long drive, but I'm sure you won't regret it. There is a reason why folks re-booked their room for 2012 as they were checking out from the 2011 event......it's just that good.

Plus it's not uncommon for folks to get on the radio and announce "We're doing a drive to "such a place", anyone want to come along, meet at the General store in 10 minutes. We love impromtu stuff and the evening is pure mingle time (think I've even seen some drinking going on too)

 

The only organized drive I usually go on is the Ice Cream run....well, and the parade if that counts. What keeps me coming back is the area. There are so many roads to explore and little towns to visit. We normally pick a destination for the day (for example a town like Cherokee, Highlands, etc.) and it always ends up becoming a day trip by the time we stop at a dam and look around or find some waterfall we hadn't seen the year before. Always a new twisty road to explore. Also, keep in mind that Asheville is not very far away and makes for a great day trip just walking around looking at the shops and eating a great restaurants. It's well worth the 1000 drive IMO....you won't regret it.

 

i would suggest get in on as many of the unlimited runs as you can, coughPOKERRUNcough, and if theres another run you really want to do talk to the leaders, you never know until you ask, there might be some room for one more! But if you end up just wondering through the area looking for something to do you'll always have fun twisties to take you there!!

 

I drive 650 miles to get to the Dragon (this will be my 5th) and over 1K to get to MITM (this will be my 4th) and I find them to be well worth the anaesthetized butt. As others have said, there are a lot of impromptu drives, and the evenings are great to meet and renew acquaintances. There are several 'unlimited' drives - the parade, the Ice Cream Run, Midnight on the Dragon, Twisties N Twilight. Usually the Ice Cream Run is done in batches, when 20 cars get in line, they go and a new line starts.

In 2008 I lead a group of about 50 MINIs on the Ice Cream Run and it was a major headache using radio relays to try and keep us all together, so 20 to 30 is a lot easier to keep together.

That said, they are all public roads and the handbook (coming in April I think) will have maps of most of the drives for anyone that wants to go on their own. I know last year a Franklin/Highlands/Falls drive was put together at the last minute and advertised via radio.

By the way, it is all but mandatory to have a radio as cell phones basically don't work in the area.

 

I am thinking of a way to break up te trip from Boston with some stops in places on the way I havnt been (or been to in a while) before to kind of break up the drive. Thinking maybe Philly or D.C. on the way for a night or two and making the rest of the trip after.

Biggest hold up right now is the girlfriend not wanting to do either trip (there or back) in one shot. And her not wanting to be 'in the middle of nowhere' and not having enough to do over the few days other than drive. She typically isnt a 'woods' person and it creeps her out a bit to be somewhere more rural. I want to make the trip that is mainly for me fun for both of us and prevent her from hating me too much

Anyone with a significant other that loves MINIs, but maybe not enough to drive 16 hours to NC/TN to meets other MINIs, that can chime in here? Suggestions on mid ay stopping points for those in the PA or DC area other than the more obvious places?

My route is looking like this if anyone wants to meet up and plan a caravan or recommend places to stop by on the way without too much deviation from the main route.

 

Maybe you need some negotiating......like offer do something that she wants when you get back. Maybe let her pick out the stops on the way down and up. Or dedicated one day to shopping at the Highlands when you are at the Dragon.

The first time I took my wife to the mountains, she did not what to go. She thought it would boring. That was 20 years ago. After that first trip, she was hooked and couldn't wait to get back.

 

Yeah, we are still talking about possibilities. She generally has not been many places in the country (in our lower 20s) and, although she says she enjoys traveling, I don't think TN or NC sound too appealing to her at the moment so her finding places she will find fun might be a bit of a challenge. I really am willing to make it work for both of us the entire trip (more for me ) and think she wil have a great time once there.

Getting there without killing each other is the true test.

 

I totally understand where you girlfriend is coming from, if I wasn't so obsessed with my car I wouldn't be very interested in going out to "the woods" either. Lol.even though it's rural it's not camping in the woods so pitch it with a more civilized spin on it. Also include how scenic everything is, there are tons of breath taking sights down there, and definitely spend a day doing something she might wanna do like shopping or heading into town where there's cell phone reception, pigeon forge is a great place and gatlinburg is right down the street! Also after all the driving is done the fun continues with countless bonfires and the fire pit that aren't super MINI related more just a bunch of friends hanging out and drinking together!

As for you insane drive down, I would break it up. I live in MD and for me it's a 9ish hr drive down so if you guys make it down to me or even northern VA it would probably be a good half way break. Depending on which day you guys plan on leaving you can probably hook up with a caravan from one of the clubs down here.

 

This is going to be my 1st trip to the dragon but I have been to Pigeon Forge TN a few years ago. Your gf will be able to find plenty there to do to make her happy There are three towns each with it's own atmosphere

Gatlinburg- tourist/souvenir shops there is a nice little arts section to walk through with small shops, Ripley's believe it or not aquarium.

Pigeon Forge-entertainment/attractions area tons of mini golf, go-carts, a couple of coasters there was an indoor water coaster (didn't have time for that one) Dollywood theme park is there too. Also several dinner shows here.

Seiverville- Shopping! plenty of outlet stores to make her happy and you a little
This area of TN from looking at the maps is about 1.5hrs from Fontana and a very nice scenic drive through the Smoky Mountains.

There is a group of us from CT and NY leaving Saturday 4-28-12 for the dragon. We will be stopping in VA somewhere for the night and get to NC Sunday afternoon.

 

"Getting there without killing each other is the true test."

That is always the true test!

We have found that just hanging around the village is fun, the people watching, conversations, cars and games are plentiful. We have met some new life long friends, and everyone has a common bond, the desire to have fun, oh and the cars. Get a pair of walkie talkies, listen up, there are groups of people going on drives all the time that are not listed on the program guide. Most of the ad lib drives are very spirited, and there is a lot of experience there, there are also some, like us, that prefer a much slower pace and we head out all the time for less spirited cruises. The only boredom there is self inflicted. Once there, you are an hour to an hour and a half from just about anything you could want, however we rarely leave the village for entertainment. Good food, good drinks, good music, good people, and great fun, are all right there.

Look at the list of things to bring, it was created for a reason. If you like photography, hiking, nature, driving, eating, meeting new friends, sitting in the corner, or MINI's, this is the place for you.

We will be leaving Chicago area on the 13th of April, we do the "Diners, Drive Inn's and Dives" tour on the way down, getting to NC when we get there, travel, goof off and have fun until we get to Fontana on the 2nd of May, we head back to Illinois around the 8th, I have to get back to work at some point. The Mountains of western North Carolina are an amazing place to recharge after winter.

No I do not work for the North Carolina office of tourism.

Tripp

 

You guys have all sparked some great ideas and many thanks for all the help so far.

Looking at a stop in DC on the way there for a day or two and a stop in VA for a night with some of her distant(ish) family before making the last leg back.

I don't think that she will honestly have a bad time once we are there so all of this helps convincing her she will actually enjoy it and that I will actually let her drive are the big things, all these help for sure. She does enjoy photography so maybe I will give her the chance to go wild with my DSLR and tough point-n-shoot.

Thanks guys!

 

there are some awesome waterfalls to photograph!!

 

This is not exactly thread specific but it is a good resource every MINI person should have in their motoring arsenal. I'll never make it to the Dragon's Tail, don't know much about it, but I found a website that has tons of great drives identified by State and region. Before any trip it gets a visit to find the best MINI motoring routes along the way. www.motorcycleroads.us/index.html

If you find a road worthy that's not listed be sure to add it and pass this URL along to those who can't seem to get themselves off the interstates.

 

You might also consider the Biltmore Drive and Lunch on Thursday, there is still space available and that mansion is awesome.

 

Debating the Biltmore Drive. $40 seems a bit expensive for a house tour (albeit a very large house). Either way though, GF and I are now registered, working on lodging and the trip down and back now. Not going to lie, VERY pumped for this now. The GF slightly is too already, good sign?

 

We are from Albany, NY. It looks like we will take the same route from Allentown, PA on, assuming no slides or road closures. Our drive time is almost identical too. We will have a radio with us, we can figure out a channel to use if it seems like we may be on the road at the same time and you will have a radio too. Otherwise just wave frantically at the Cool Blue Convertible with Hibiscus stripes and eyelashes (we're surely the only ones dressed like that, right?!?) and we will happily rally with you.

On the way down we usually stop near Natural Bridge, VA. There is a pretty cool attraction there called Foamhenge. Some guy just decided to make a to scale version of Stonhenge out of foam and it is Fabulous. On our first trip to the Dragon we stopped there on morning 2 and got some fantastic photos of the MINI at Foamhenge. If she is really into photography, that is a pretty neat place. No cost. The road to get to it is riddled with pot hols and if your MINI is significantly lowered you may not want to drive all the way up to it. At the half way point there are some excellent photo ops also.

Other than photography, I dont see much about what your girlfriend likes to do. If you tell us a bit more about that perhaps we can steer you towards some of the activities that she may enjoy. I am the MINI nut in the family so I will happily do anything as long as I am surrounded by a couple of hundred MINIs...if it werent for the MINIs Fontana would not be anywhere close to my idea of a vacation.

 

She is an interior designer/architect (read: not HGTV type) so we are thinking about Biltmore. Other than that she s into crafting and other things likely not to be found in the area of the dragon haha. I'm not so worried anymore as we have been talking about it now I have got her on board more and she is really excited for Bingo and the Poker Run. She has never really been kayaking before so the lake trip is likely to happen as well.

I am hoping to get her to get a little out of her comfort zone at least once and try something new (like kayaking) and try to avoid her from something we can do any day (like mall/outlet shopping). So far its seems like that wont be a problem though.

 

I am glad she is on board now! The Pinewood Derby really brings our the crafty side of me but I am not so sure it would be as enjoyable if it werent for the MINI aspect too.

If you are thinking about doing a Bridal Veil Falls run, there is a town nearby (Franklin I think). They had a really nice and big antique store. I know you want to limit shopping but antique stores are always kind of a one of a kind experience. And I figured if she is into design, that might be a fun stop for her. Last year when we went there was a BBQ place in the same lot. The girls shopped and the guys hung out and ate and drank.