That's right, you heard me. A Fall Dragon run. I know it's been thrown around, but for pete's sake, somebody's got to get the ball rolling. So, here's the low-down!
jason

It is final: the 2007 MINIs Slay The Sleeping Dragon.
O.K. The details are this: The Fall Dragon Run is the the first weekend of November 2-4. You can stay any variation of the weekend, and there are cabins still available at Fontana Village. They are $99 a night for a 2 bedroom. There are also other rooms, some less expensive, some bigger and more expensive. All who are interested, we will be putting together a info packet to be sent out just before via e-mail that will include all the info and activities. Also, there will be long-sleeve t-shirts and hoodies printed. The T-Shirts are $18, Hoodies are $25. I will need to have ALL orders in by Oct. 15th. I think it will be fun, great weather, and good to get our Dragon fix before May! Please let me know if you want to be added to the roll call, and if you have ideas and suggestions! The feel is very low key, with driving the Dragon and surrounding scenic drives the focus. We will have a few get-togethers, a barbecue and a brew swap, a Midnight Run, a disc golf tournament with lots of prizes, and alot of just hanging out, enjoying the area and our MINIs. Fontana Village will be a base of sorts. THE PROGRAM CAN BE FOUND HERE http://www.paulscottpenny.fastmail.fm/THMMC/MSSD2007Prog.pdf!!!!! The Program has all the specifics for the weekend, as well as maps and other useful information!

Here's the scoop on the Charity Disc Golf Tournament: All skill levels, as it's random doubles! The entry fee is $5 a person, with all money going to charity, Blood:Water Mission, also where any residual from the $20 registration donations are going. There will be great prizes, from Grassroots Garage, Outmotoring.com, Detailers Paradise, Aesthetic Creations, Innova Disc Golf and much more! Fontana Village has discs there for rental if you need it. The bag with all discs is only $5 for the round. I will bring all the extra discs I have, Innova Discs is loaning us a bunch of discs and I am sure others will, too, in case....

1) Join the Dragonslayer's Club.....upon making your reservation, tell the reservationist that you want to join this membership. This will entitle you to 15% off lodge room accommodations and 25% discount off cabins - ANY TIME you stay with us! There are a moderate amount of rooms reserved for us. Those discounted reservations expire Oct.1st.

2) The gang needs to identify that they are booking for the MINI's Fall Drive in order for my reservationists to understand that each individual is with a group.
jason


Tentative list:
1QukMINI +1
dlopez8a
Nay's Mini +1
BlimeyCabrio
Brg Sam
Midnight Dave
MiniBee4Me
Percy615
RudyT
Twister
Mega Mini Man S
HotRodPilot
Vango +1
Nascar Mini
minimarks
jogreen1
Mr. minianni
Sgt. Pepper
MACSMINI and TILLEY +1
staz87
N2MINI +1
Mr. Magoo!
localdrummerweb
MDK
delelie +1
MINI_Bee
thatatvguy +1
LowCountry S
hellbot +1
S_Car_Go +1
Arnbut
gaminis
Tourer +1
quemas
Blue Devil
Cooper_Gal and wakevi
Cine
NoMetro +1
Drillslinger +1
wildcrazy442000
yumyumdriver +1
Xiek
baddmann +1
Phillip
Sidewalk Mini
bordertaz
lubus!comn
LucyGoose
CUTiger3
RoadFly
bordertaz
carve906
Wayne Wheeler +1
Tommy Wofford +1
seabee65 +1
91Eunos
zipimini

( I feel to need to add this, because I make assumptions too often. This event it not a club or company event. We are all going at our own responsibility, and I am not, and will not, be held responsible for your actions there or on the road. I am merely helping facilitate the gathering of people. We all need to be safe, and drive safely, knowing how important it is. The roads around that area are great roads, but if you don't practice common sense and caution, it can cause injury to you and your MINI, as well as others. Please drive safe and responsibly.)

 

Just remember the rule about Saturday and College Football

We spend most of our fall Saturday's in Death Valley

GO TIGERS

 

Oooo... I do like the way you think !! Its so tempting ..

 

I'm still new to this area and have not made it over there yet. As you might guess, I have a great deal of patience.

MOD was just poor timing for me to go.

 

Well it will be worth driving in the MINI whenever you go !! Lucky to live so close and in such a beautiful city. Hope you can make it next year!

 

The only problem is that if you just go on the spur of the moment expect alot of motorcycles and maybe other car clubs that week also. Its best to just drive up middle of week and have a go. Motor on !:impatient

 

Yeah, you're right, I was just thinking there were those same elements the same weekend as the regular Dragon, so it's just going to be one of those things we just do. There will be leaf-lookers and snowbirds over there, as well, just part of the scenery of fall in the mountains. And after all, who could turn down a motoring trip?
jason

 

I was just visioning an old couple (q-tips) driving their buick down the dragon and being all mad about it, trying to find somewhere to turn around and get off this crazy ride. I am sure it has happened many times.

I just moved here from MI, and it seems like every road around WNC is a dragon road.

 

That's funny! I agree, but what do you do? I have the advantage of living only a couple of hours away from the Dragon, but if you had a good weekend, you could get a couple of good runs in, and there's aways the midnight runs.....

 

A really good driving day would be to take the Blue Ridge from Asheville to Cherokee and then down to the dragon. Definately out of the way, but would provide a ton of scenic and cool driving.

 

I'm ready! Heck, lets go sooner...

 

Don't forget there is MINI Meet East coming up in Alcoa, TN, at the end of this month. I'd dare say a lot of Minis/MINIs will be headed for the Dragon that weekend.

 

Another good drive is from Asheville to Boone on the Blue Ridge Parkway, up to Mt. Mitchell, then up to Boone, that's a nice drive, too.

 

I'd love to go!! I've heard it's beautiful in the fall. I just need to pay off the
blasted credit card from this last trip. I work weekends so a weekday trip would be awesome. Less vacation time to use up.

 

My current vote is Nov.3-4. There are two Porsche clubs that will be there, and from an auto enthusiast, it would be cool and fun to see the Porsches and MINIs doing the Dragon! The last weekend of September, which was the other alternative, plays hosts to Eclipses, Talons, and Lasers, which if aren't familiar with them, will be sports cars when they grow up.
Let me know what you think about this option. Coming this Fall, the MINI Dragon, pun intended.....
jason

 

I actually got to see how beautiful the Dragon was while following a lost 18 wheeler, slowest trip ever on the Dragon but it was very nice to see the sides of the road. Sorry Jason the Britts & Battleship is 1st weekend in November in Wilmington NC and its just beautiful there and can't miss that one. Several of us went last year and already made plans to return.

 

Count me in! If I can keep up...

 

BLUCOOP, that's cool. Wilmington would be cool, too, but Fall at the Dragon has gotta edge for me. So, not trying to take anyone from the Wilmington thing, just another option. That weekend would be cool, and I could see calling it, "Playing With The Porsches."
jason

 

so just to give this thread a shameless bump up.. has anyone put any serious thought into it? i know i would run the Dragon anytime.. im enamoured with it.. even a small gathering of minis would be better then not doing it again till next may!

 

I think we are talking about the first weekend in November. Less traffic, and great weather should greet us there then. There is an option of the event in Wilmington if that sounds more fun! Everyone cool with that weekend?
jason

 

I live down in the Greenville South Carolina area and on my days off I seem to gravitate towards the Dragon.
If I don't go all the way there, I seem to get most of the way there.
Today I went for a drive up to Flat Rock, NC and after I got there I thought that a nice little drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway would be fun.
Well one thing lead to another and next thing I knew I was just a short drive from the Dragon , but I resisted and headed back via 276 which takes you through Brevard and up to Ceasars Head and over the mountain to Greenville.

Whew! That was close! I almost made an unplanned trip to Fontana Village.
I wonder if they had any rooms for this evening?

One bummer of the whole day was a rock coming off a dump truck that was almost 200 yards ahead, it left a small chip in my windshield.

Great day overall...

Count me in on any Dragon trips, pre-Dragon trips, post-Dragon trips and impromptu-Dragon trips .

 

Cool, I will post more specific info once we get closer, so subsccribe to this thread to stay posted!
jason

 

We're in!!

 

A bunch of us have gone every fall since 2004....it's OktCloverFest (my birthday month)! I'll be going Oct. 18-21 this year.

 

I heard about the MINIclo love fest going on then, I just think traffic will be heavy, due to the leaf-lookers still around. Plus, there are two other car clubs that will be there that weekend, Hondas/Acuras, and Corvettes.
jason