Only 343 days left to MOTD5.

 

And I heard that at Fontana, only Dogwood cabins are still available! Now, I don't know if my friend asked about the Lodge/Inn rooms.....but still! WOW!

 

As they say in the south, "I hrd dat".

Rebecca

 

I swear we had agreed on EST!!!

 

Ditto on that. May is the only vacation I get with my hubby every year. Our schedules don't mesh the rest of the year and we take separate vacations. This year we did the Dragon twice - once on the way to autocross, once on the way back. More important to us is hanging out with friends and getting some time to relax.

 

I made my Fontana res at checkout.. just like last year!!
(they are going to need to expand just to accomodate us )

let me add: I had as much fun arriving a whole day before the crowd as I did with the masses... next year I plan to arrive on Tuesday =) !!
it's sooo relaxing to get settled in and drive around (including 129) for a while knowing there are hundreds of MINIs in transit

 

We are the biggest club/group that comes to Fontana. They have removed some of the old cabins, but I bet they'll install some new ones before next May to accommodate us!

 

My MOTD experience was fantastic Meeting so many of my on line friends was perhaps the best & being with my cabinmates was super. I guess I'm a veteran driver of the Dragon having been there twice in the Miata & now twice in my MINI but by far the MINIs are the best Mark & I have our reservations for next year, so bring it on

Lois

 

It was so fantastic to share the cabin with you and Mark, Lo! We were like a functional family (as compared to a dysfunctional one)! And Ruby was a delight....just the best dog! I hope you will turn your cabin over to someone and come share with us again!

 

This was our first Dragon and we stayed in Cherokee and didn't really participate in anything organized, other than registration, but we had a great time. On our way down, we met up with about 5 MINIs, the lead was a HB/W MCS from Connecticut wondering if it was OmToast, followed by a few from NY, one from VA. They pulled behind us and since we were packed to the gills, I just barely saw over the top of my bucket o' cleaners that there was a MINI behind us. I screamed, then I waved, they waved back and then they passed us - all waving . Jolly1 (JollyNut from OL?) brought up the rear and I joined in. We drove together for a while, but parted ways at 40.

This was my first official group drive - I was ecstatic!!!

On Friday we drove to Fontana and I was introduced to a real twisty. After we had been on 28 for a few minutes there was a PW/B behind us along with some sportbikes, here's where being a newbie stinks - I didn't know that I should pull off the road, I just thought PW and me were having some fun, but the lead bike decided to pass us and then floated in the other lane for what seemed like 2 minutes once he took the lead. I think he was trying to tell/teach me that I needed to pull off because after going by a few pull-offs he did and the PW followed, but I was so excited to be there that I didn't get it. I ended up pulling over as far as I could without getting off of the road for the other bikes to pass, they all got around us eventually, but never really went any faster. Needless to say, I studied up on the rules of the road over the weekend and learned some of what I should have been doing to be a good driver on those roads.

Then we stumbled onto the Dragon by accident while we were waiting for the 3pm registration and drove it once, much to my husband's chagrin. On the way back up, we stopped at the overlook and talked with a couple from St. Louis in a BRG MCSC with a banner for Tire Rack on their windshield. Very nice couple, but we didn't get their names - then back to Fontana to watch it rain, from the porch of the store. We got registered at 3 (great registration stuff - btw!) had lunch at the grill, drove around the village, and decided we needed to make reservations there for next year, which we did the next morning.

We didn't really get to know anyone or meet up for the official playgroups but we totally "got" the spirit of MOTD and will be back next year, with bells on or at the very least a sign that says, "Tagger Stop HERE!!".