But do they really? You can't control everything a kid does and it's not outside the realm of possibility that a kid might damage a vehicle. It's not unreasonable to be a little careful with people around a modded car or one with an expensive paint job.

And FWIW, I have no idea who the person who made the comment was, just in case you think I'm biased.

 

Man those scones are worth the 13 hr drive.

I cant believe there is a Casino a hour away and there were no trips planned for a ride out there.

 

This was my first MotD event but here are my thoughts...

1: I really loved the "ego alley". I learned a lot there from talking to the vendors and other car owners.

2: I agree with the idea of 2 opposing 1-way roads. The road that Aesthetic Creations was on could go towards the cabins and the one that runs up behind the adventure center could go towards Rt28.

3: I hate to gripe but, for the cost, the dinners were skimpy. The glitch at the farewell dinner wasn't really a big deal to me but I can understand where it bothered some folks. That sort of stuff falls into the "**it happens!" category for me.

4: I really enjoyed meeting people and matching faces to names here.

5: I enjoyed seeing such a diversity of styles on all of the Minis including the classics.

6: I had the pleasure of meeting and briefly speaking with the gent who gave young Andria ("$100 girl) from my club $100 at the casino night. I'm sure that the memory of that night will live long in her memory. Thank you again for that. Anyone who does nice stuff like that for kids is the kind of person I want to know.

7: Ok, one more gripe and this has NOTHING to do with NAM... The restaurant in the main building is woefully under-staffed. I would have ate there more often but it really ticked me off to stand there at the door looking at a dozen empty tables only to be told that there would be a 30 minute wait because, "we don't have any tables". WTH?

8: I really enjoyed meeting the vendors themselves. Buying things over the internet is impersonal and I hate doing it. After meeting them face to face I feel more comfortable spending my hard earned money with them. Mike from Aesthetic Creations, Blake from Coopergear and Dave from DDM Works in particular were very patient with my many questions. Thank you guys!

9: I liked the tent and can see where it would have been even more useful in the event of a rainy dragon weekend. I think it's practical to keep it.

10: I enjoyed meeting people from the clubs near my club. Katie from DC Metro in particular.

11: I would have liked to see more vendors there just because it would present more options to everyone. There is nothing wrong with those who did come, it's just that a bigger choice of items would have been nice.


What is this about a Fontana Public Safety vehicle crashing into someone's car?? I also heard a rumor about some people rolling a bowling ball down the hill towards the general store. What gives with that??

 

First of all, I thought the tent and check in trailer were a great addition. The parking up top was nice, even though I didn't park up there much, it was nice to walk up there and look at the cars.
The Pinewood was a disappointment as I never got my car and at check in poor Mark had no clue what to tell me when I asked about it. I showed up at the race just to pick up my car that I "paid" for and the guy I talked to (sorry, I didn't get your name) was so nice and apologetic, that I couldn't be mad. He said that that ball had been dropped and he was sorry, that's good enough for me.
As far as the food portions?? Good Lord people, how much food can you eat??
Granted, $30 for a plate is silly but nobody "needs" more food than we got.
The only part that I would really "complain" about would be the LEOs, these guys were out of control. I think when they started wrangling people up for driving lights, they might be forgetting how much revenue we bring to their po-dunk County.
I really appreciated the efforts for the car show, and have my plaque proudly displayed behind my desk with some others. Not sure how I feel about a coin toss to break a tie for first though. J/K
Thanks to Mark and the team for showing us a good time. Me and my fellow M|Uers had a total blast. I look forward to next year as always.
Cheers!!!!

 

Favorite:
The drive to, drive around, and the drive home.

The drive down for me starts Tuesday night. A sleep over and then its down I81 and then down thru Ashville and over to Fontana by Wednesday evening. If I can meet up with other Mini owners on the way , all the better. This year I met up with Team309 at the Tenn. border.

Making new friends and meeting up with old friends is always fun.

Washing the Mini two or three times a day is always fun and a great way to unwind after a run on the Dragon.



For the most part just hanging out with other Mini owners is my favorite thing.
Having a cigar with Mike on the porch and talking about everything or drinking beer at 1:30 in the morning with Roy and Garth after the Beer Olympics.

Having dinner with Mosimo and Susan at the Sweetwater BBQ.

Hanging out at the bridge waiting for the Devils Triangle ride, because we were just to lazy to drive back up over the mountain.

Or just going for a ride by myself.

As long as other Mini owners are going to be there on the 1st weekend in May, I am going.

 

At this point it might be good to bring up some points about the dining situation given all the comments.

As you all know the Village isn't really near anything. Just as in any remote area the cost of commodities is higher. Add on top of that being served and preparation and the cost goes higher. The higher cost of the dinners was not due to a laissez-faire attitude. It was due to the higher costs Fontana occurs that they must pass along.

I agree on the food choices and the quality. I didn't really like it when we dined on dinners last year. But being remote limits your options.

A good idea might incorporate both the surroundings and the idea of dinner for all. I mean, you can't fit that many people into one place in Fontana and meet everyone's needs. Next year why don't people start organizing some more group dinners offsite. A group dinner at Nantahala or Tapoco or a place in Robbinsville or Dillsboro or Bryson City, etc....These don't have to be large groups. If there are a bunch of them it opens up more options, new experience and hopefully happier people.

 

Cabriopilot posted, "And everyone that has a negative opinion should first figure out how they can help to change it and not leave it up to someone else to do."

You don't really think coordination of this event is open to the general MINI public do you? You have a group of folks who are responsible for the promotion of this event. They should know what they are doing or don't do it, period.

As for "ego alley"...I've never looked at it that way. I've always looked at it as a great central location where lots of folks can gather to see what others have done to personalize their MINIS...exchange ideas and see many possibilities before you spend the big bucks and make the big mistakes.

I don't get the high fees for the food. If I approached a restaurant and told them I could bring them x number of people for a single meal/event I know I could get a break on the price of the meals. That's the way it works in most situations. No way the meals were worth what was charged. The group I was with arranged for a farewell breakfast that usually costs $13 per person, all you can eat for 1/2 price...the group was only about 40 people...duh.

The 2008 MOTD appeared to have less folks, less vendors, and less enthusiasm than the previous year probably because so many got pissed off from 2007 and how things were handled. Maybe it's because 30 miles away all the fun in the world was right at your finger tips...free.

How's that for bitching? Somebody better get their act together before the goose that laid the golden egg is certified dead.

Call

 

Is there a rule against BBQs at Fontana? I was surprised nobody had even a hibachi out one night (or I missed it). I'm sure that just like everyone has their favorite brew to swap around, everyone has their favorite BBQ style that could be worth swapping.

 

i dont really have any serious complaints about this years event. ill be honest though, i didnt spend much time talking to vendors and following the event list...and maybe thats why...lol.

- i thought the tent was a great idea until it started to rain hard on saturday and it went to mush. luckily, the weather held out for the event.

- wasnt stoked on the ant investation in our cabin. no biggie though.

- i did feel like it was vendor light this year. funny how some of the more well know Mini vendors dont show their faces at these events. tells ya something...dont it? (intercooler, intake, pullies for sale btw...lol)

- what? no strip club? come on!!!!

- i think the car show was great but, i wasnt happy with the 50/50 ratio of the car show. either its for fun or its cut throat dead serious. sending a pack of judges to pick apart a car at a "just for fun" event is just silly to me but, then again, what do i know about car shows? i only compete in 1 every weekend?
coin toss? peoples choice? competitors choice?

- hangin with M/U = favorite part of MOTD 6








lol...coin toss? wow.

i wish i was there to laugh out loud at that.
all i can say is...

 

The coin toss may or may not have been the best way to figure it out but there were quite a few things with the car show that need to, and will be worked out next year. This was the first one and a very educational.
You're not the first person to bring up that "just for fun" and "judged" don't coexist very well. I was really surprised at the level of effort most of the competitors put into preparing their cars despite having less than ideal environmental conditions. And not a single car at the show can really be called a trailer queen since they all made at least a few runs on the local roads.

 

favorite: Dragon runs and hanging with the m|u

least favorites: ALL the vendors need to be together, seems to be playing favorites to put some up top where all the action is and some at the bottom of hill in tent.

Needs to be more coordination with the major events, ( i/e parade, group photo vs. the cavern drive) it's all about timing.

No power for a day , no TV or phone for the entire stay (I do like to check the weather when I'm there) due to the fire.

A coin toss to decide the show winner???? should've come down to crowd vote imho, if the judges were tied,especially since they didn't announce the winner til next day at dinner.

 

My favorite thing was actually getting to go to MOTD! Even though I couldn't make my annual cross-country drive in Wanda this time (cannot be away from my ailing dad for too long), I flew in and shared a rental counterfeit MINI (Chrysler Sebring convertible) with inioway. It was great to see old and new friends!

Least favorite thing was the fire that forced us to evacuate our cabin and leave MOTD early.

As for comments about MKO's Midnight on the Dragon, we will always have it on the last night. Folks can run the Dragon any other evening/night they wish, but the real deal will be the last official event of MOTD. It is the longest-running tradition of MOTD. Take naps if necessary . . .

 

Were you not the least bit disappointed with the plaque being written in Russian?

 

I think I'm going to add one more thing that I loved about this years event.
I love those that did not loan a hand to volunteer for anything and yet feel they have the right to complain about everything.

Yes! Coordination is partially available to everyone and everyone has an opportunity to volunteer and help with many of the events.
The more you get involved the more of your own personal touches you'll be able to add to the events.

Here's how I helped and made it much more fun for myself and my daughter:

• I helped with registration and met bunch of great people while doing it.
• I volunteered to lead a drive to the Joyce Kilmer forest and again met a bunch of great people and learned a few things about leading a drive that will help me make it better for next year.
• I volunteered to help with the group photo and learned that the photographer is an ex-drill sargeant and had a great time working with him and Snooter.
• I paid for the Ice Cream Run business cards that my daughter and I handed out to help get the word out.
• I gave out prizes for the 100th/200th/300th MINI's registered (expense out of my own pocket).
• I helped (along with zinvester) lead a drive to get some Ice Cream after the Group Photo and had a fantastic Cuban sandwich and Ice Cream along with meeting a bunch of great people again.

Are you begining to see a trend here?
Don't sit on the sideline and complain, become part of the solution and help make it a better event next year.

I'm already hatching plans to lead several "Dinner Drives" next year and I'll start scouting for large Bar-B-Que vendors this summer or fall.

I will be there next year and I will volunteer whenever possible to put a little of myself into it and that is what gives it the personal touch.

 

I think you all have come up with some great comments. And for the most part they have been constructive.

I am puzzled by the complaints about the meals. I understand that the $25.00 Welcome Dinner and $30.00 Farewell Dinner can be considered high by some standards. But did you feel the $10.00 Chili and Pasta dinners were overpriced also. I'm pretty sure I could not go into town and get a dinner with Ice Tea, tax and tip for under $10.00, not too mention the convience of not having to drive back and forth to Robbinsville after a long day of driving.

 

Pack your own food if you have a cabin. We ate dinner 2 times in our cabin. Nothing like George Foreman chicken

h

 

Every year we get the same comments that Midnight on the Dragon should be moved to a different day or done earlier in the night. Some people get frustrated that they cannot both get drunk and go to Midnight. Some people need a good night's sleep before a long day's drive home. Some people wish that God made Midnight happen at a different time of day. I wish we could, but we cannot accommodate these people for Midnight on the Dragon.

Quite simply, this event's schedule is not up for discussion. It is the only event that has been run since the very first year (although it was a party of two the first time around), and it is the final event of the weekend. Yes, we know that the schedule makes this an event that weeds out the weak, but that is the point. Midnight on the Dragon is for the obsessed driver who just cannot get enough: the motorist who will forgo booze and deprive themselves of sleep the night before having to drive all day home just to spend a few magical moments blazing across the mountains in the middle of the night. Midnight on the Dragon is supposed to hurt a bit. If it didn't, it wouldn't be the same.

If a Friday night sunset cruise on the Dragon is what you want instead of a Saturday night Midnight on the Dragon, you should organize it next year. Every year people complain about the schedule of Midnight, they wish there was another alternative evening drive on another day, but they have yet to follow through and make it happen. We are certainly not going to stand in your way when you step up the the plate to organize another evening event, but we'll probably come along and join in the fun!

See you next year at Midnight, May 2, 2009!

 

They may cost a buck more but how about OSHA approved lanyards next year. The one provided is a disaster waiting to happen with all these cars around with open hoods and running engines.

 

OMG...did you guys do that in a golf cart???

Lean...LEAN....LEAN!!!

Too funny!!!

 

I don't think that they were overpriced, but I was disappointed in the portion size at the pasta dinner. I had a much better dinner with larger portions for less money at one of the off-site club dinners that I attended. I wish they could all be more like that one.

 

OH YEAH BABY!!!

 

sigh...it's a shame some people feel the need to do nothing but b!tch and moan instead of being the least bit appreciative that we are able to even have an event like this in the first place.

this was my first motd and everything didn't go exactly as planned but so what...you make the best of it and you realize it takes work and money to put on any type of event. even with being a noob at all this and to the mini community I realized that motd wouldn't even be taking place if not for the dedication and hard work of a few individuals.

people will whine because an event is not perfectly orchestrated and organized but as soon as it gets too big and too commercial or overly organized they b!tch that it isn't 'grassroots' enough.

the constructive criticism is great but drop the effin attitudes. if you aren't bright enough or creative enough to find ways around what you don't like about motd then stay home. of course food prices are not going to be a good value at fontana (and apparently their lodging isn't either)...you are a captive audience in the middle of nowhere! the negativity and hating only help ensure that we no longer have events like this in the future.

 

Actually, yes. Everyone can participate in the coordination of the event. Even in threads like this, where we get together and talk about the best and worst parts of the weekend, everyone is welcome to offer suggestions on how to improve things.

Almost everyone involved with this is a volunteer. I get the feeling that next year, EVERYONE will be a volunteer. Did you fill out the comment card and say you'd be willing to help next year? I did, and I'm 11 hours away from Fontana, and not even sure I'll be able to attend next year.



Now that I've got that out, I DO have an idea. It may or may not be a good one, but I'll throw it out anyway. I understand that the vendors doing installs need to be up by the adventure center, or at least 'on high ground' for the inevitable rain that comes every year when we are there. The car show area does flood with heavy rain. However, having the install vendors on both levels up top makes for a lot of congestion with parked cars, etc. I know I saw a GP parked in the middle of the road and folks with large trucks were narrowly missing it and another car trying to squeeze through.

How about putting all of the install vendors on the 'lower' of the two sections by the adventure center? I think there would be room if all of the vendor 'display' cars were parked in regular spaces on the top level (or somewhere else entirely...they don't NEED to be right there, do they?).

Then make the lower level a foot traffic/scheduled for install only area, and the top level parking/hang out/drive through/ego alley/etc.

Just an idea. If it sucks, just let me know!

 

Pros: The entire event is a blast. The planning of the event is just fine. The rest of us that enjoy this event every year and don't have to do alot of planning except just to be there should quietly put it in our back pockets and just smile.

Cons: Really the only thing I can even complain about besides having to leave early for WORK is NOT having the dash plack in the swag bag this year. I have started a collection inside Coop of the years I have been and now this year, leaves a blank spot on the sunroof edge.

Again guys, you all did a marvelous job with the event.
Remember you can't make everyone happy.

 

+1 to BSUCardinalfan. Having participated in many bike events it's a good idea if only cars having work done are in that area. Perhaps having non install vendors seperate could also preserve "Ego Alley".

Overall I have to say that MOTD 2008 was a blast and I hope next year I have more time off to enjoy more of it.