Tell your Dragon stories here!
Tell your Dragon stories here!
Ana and I had a great time at the Dragon this year. Monte Carlo night, Brew Swap, farewell dinner, camping, visiting vendors, wondering why the place was on fire when we first got there Thursday afternoon, making new friends, all of it was terrific.
We don't do a lot of the drives, we drive so far to get down there that we like to hang out around Fontana and just talk to people and check out cars. That's why this event works, there is something for everyone.
I hope we can volunteer to help out next year, and so long as gas isn't $5/gallon, we should be able to make it back again.
Somehow, we keep missing the folks selling the cool round window stickers (I think it was orange-ish this year.) If you have any left, PM me!
On the way back we had a bit of an issue, though.
It turns out the tire pressure system failed miserably, and we completely shredded a runflat about 100 miles from home. MINI roadside assistance couldn't get us a rental car, so we road with Mr. and Mrs. Tow Truck Driver through downtown chicago to Knauz MINI, where we met a friend of mine who brought down a spare 15" holey with a decent tire on it. all in all, it ended up taking 14 hours to get home instead of 10 or so.
Luckily, Ana won a set of Yokohama's this year (she was um, a LITTLE excited about it, but I think most of that was because she got to go talk to the Yokohama rep a little more) so at least we can replace ALL of the runflats at once! Now I just need new wheels....
We don't do a lot of the drives, we drive so far to get down there that we like to hang out around Fontana and just talk to people and check out cars. That's why this event works, there is something for everyone.
I hope we can volunteer to help out next year, and so long as gas isn't $5/gallon, we should be able to make it back again.
Somehow, we keep missing the folks selling the cool round window stickers (I think it was orange-ish this year.) If you have any left, PM me!
On the way back we had a bit of an issue, though.
It turns out the tire pressure system failed miserably, and we completely shredded a runflat about 100 miles from home. MINI roadside assistance couldn't get us a rental car, so we road with Mr. and Mrs. Tow Truck Driver through downtown chicago to Knauz MINI, where we met a friend of mine who brought down a spare 15" holey with a decent tire on it. all in all, it ended up taking 14 hours to get home instead of 10 or so.
Luckily, Ana won a set of Yokohama's this year (she was um, a LITTLE excited about it, but I think most of that was because she got to go talk to the Yokohama rep a little more) so at least we can replace ALL of the runflats at once! Now I just need new wheels....
Holy S*%#t, Batman!!!!!
We stayed at the Blue Mtn. Lodge which was about a 40 minute drive from the Fontana area, so after the Brew Swap, we made our way home late at night, I put my window down for fresh air, through typical twisty mountain roads...
About 2/3 back, we hear a couple of thumps coming from inside the car, but behind us. Jan asked, "what was that, did you hit something?". I replied that I didn't feel anything, so we just kept going. After pulling into the lodge parking lot, we get out of the car and open the tailgate to unload some stuff, only to be surprised by a huge bat attempting to escape! After fluttering around for a couple of seconds, it zooms past us to make it's way back into the darkness. After the "Holy S&*T!!!!!!", we both busted out laughing, wondering about the possibilities had the creature decided to try and make his exit while we were navigating those twisty roads that have no place to pull over......
...."Did you just 'squeek'"?
...."I thought that was you".....
About 2/3 back, we hear a couple of thumps coming from inside the car, but behind us. Jan asked, "what was that, did you hit something?". I replied that I didn't feel anything, so we just kept going. After pulling into the lodge parking lot, we get out of the car and open the tailgate to unload some stuff, only to be surprised by a huge bat attempting to escape! After fluttering around for a couple of seconds, it zooms past us to make it's way back into the darkness. After the "Holy S&*T!!!!!!", we both busted out laughing, wondering about the possibilities had the creature decided to try and make his exit while we were navigating those twisty roads that have no place to pull over......
...."Did you just 'squeek'"?
...."I thought that was you".....
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 353
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From: DC Metro Area
We stayed in a large but cozy cabin in Almond (only about 25 mins from Fontana) which kept us from getting to any morning activities (booo....).
I was actually a bit scared of taking on the dragon for many reasons. I don't trust my stock runflats, I have been more careful after a serious accident last December, I heard about the flipped Mini and the biker, and my allergies were leaving me feeling really bleh.... But once I got out there and took it slow and got the hang of it I had a blast. Of course, I let my bf drive for a bit and jebus @!$!@# christ....tires were squealing and I was holding on for dear life but he really is a natural and I was surprised Ambrosia handled the way she did so well. (and thank goodness I also won a free set of Yokohamas!!)
The best dragon experience for me was when I took the car out solo and just drove with the windows down (after the rain had washed away the pollen). I almost got a bit teary eyed out there....it was just an amazing feeling taking the curves one by one.
But I still feel pretty bad about taking out a SNAKE!!!! On our first run out there I saw what looked like a stick for a brief second as I went around a curve...however I realized it was a snake trying to get across the road but it was obviously too late and I couldn't do anything...
little Ambrosia...dragon (and snake!) slayer....
I was actually a bit scared of taking on the dragon for many reasons. I don't trust my stock runflats, I have been more careful after a serious accident last December, I heard about the flipped Mini and the biker, and my allergies were leaving me feeling really bleh.... But once I got out there and took it slow and got the hang of it I had a blast. Of course, I let my bf drive for a bit and jebus @!$!@# christ....tires were squealing and I was holding on for dear life but he really is a natural and I was surprised Ambrosia handled the way she did so well. (and thank goodness I also won a free set of Yokohamas!!)
The best dragon experience for me was when I took the car out solo and just drove with the windows down (after the rain had washed away the pollen). I almost got a bit teary eyed out there....it was just an amazing feeling taking the curves one by one.
But I still feel pretty bad about taking out a SNAKE!!!! On our first run out there I saw what looked like a stick for a brief second as I went around a curve...however I realized it was a snake trying to get across the road but it was obviously too late and I couldn't do anything...
little Ambrosia...dragon (and snake!) slayer....
Midnight on the Dragon
This isn't so much a "Dragon story" as you might expect, but hopefully you can laugh as we did when this happened.
My wife and I and another couple, Mike and Diane from TN, decided to meet about 11:15 PM in the parking lot of the road that leads to the damn area where the parade was staged and the group photo was taken. We met in the parking lot that is right just to the right of the bridge to watch the midnight Dragon runners go by with their lights on.
Not more than about 10 minutes after being there a Fontana Damn security/police officer in a white Explorer-type vehicle pulls up and gets out. In his thick southern NC accent he asks, "What y'all doing here?" We told him we were going to watch the MINIs go by as they were going to run the Dragon at mid-night and we figured this was a safe out of the way place to park and watch. Then again in his THICK southern NC accent he says this:
"In the interest of the pow'r house, y'all needn't be here. So go somewhere else."
So thanks to him we went just up the road a piece to a wide open gravel area off to the left of the road where we actually had a better view than we would have in that parking lot by the bridge. We could see the headlights coming down the hill from Fontana, see and hear the MINIs roar across the bridge and all the lights reflecting off the trees. Then as they passed by we would wave and cheer (some of you honked and hooted back at us!), it was quite a parade. Then as the MINIs disappeared up the road we could see the tail lights reflect off the water along the serpentine road that followed the water's edge for a mile or two as the tail lights and exhaust noise faded into the night. It was glorious.
This is just one night I will never forget. Great friends and great cars on a beautiful warm May night under the stars of NC. And we're still laughing about the "In the interest of the pow'r house..."
While we waited and watched, I painted our MINIs with light. This is what I shot!
My wife and I and another couple, Mike and Diane from TN, decided to meet about 11:15 PM in the parking lot of the road that leads to the damn area where the parade was staged and the group photo was taken. We met in the parking lot that is right just to the right of the bridge to watch the midnight Dragon runners go by with their lights on.
Not more than about 10 minutes after being there a Fontana Damn security/police officer in a white Explorer-type vehicle pulls up and gets out. In his thick southern NC accent he asks, "What y'all doing here?" We told him we were going to watch the MINIs go by as they were going to run the Dragon at mid-night and we figured this was a safe out of the way place to park and watch. Then again in his THICK southern NC accent he says this:
"In the interest of the pow'r house, y'all needn't be here. So go somewhere else."
So thanks to him we went just up the road a piece to a wide open gravel area off to the left of the road where we actually had a better view than we would have in that parking lot by the bridge. We could see the headlights coming down the hill from Fontana, see and hear the MINIs roar across the bridge and all the lights reflecting off the trees. Then as they passed by we would wave and cheer (some of you honked and hooted back at us!), it was quite a parade. Then as the MINIs disappeared up the road we could see the tail lights reflect off the water along the serpentine road that followed the water's edge for a mile or two as the tail lights and exhaust noise faded into the night. It was glorious.
This is just one night I will never forget. Great friends and great cars on a beautiful warm May night under the stars of NC. And we're still laughing about the "In the interest of the pow'r house..."
While we waited and watched, I painted our MINIs with light. This is what I shot!
Last edited by Cooper Guy; May 6, 2008 at 06:36 AM.
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Joined: Mar 2006
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From: nyc
This isn't so much a "Dragon story" as you might expect, but hopefully you can laugh as we did when this happened.
My wife and I and another couple, Mike and Diane from TN, decided to meet about 11:15 PM in the parking lot of the road that leads to the damn area where the parade was staged and the group photo was taken. We met in the parking lot that is right just to the right of the bridge to watch the midnight Dragon runners go by with their lights on.
Not more than about 10 minutes after being there a Fontana Damn security/police officer in a white Explorer-type vehicle pulls up and gets out. In his thick southern NC accent he asks, "What y'all doing here?" We told him we were going to watch the MINIs go by as they were going to run the Dragon at mid-night and we figured this was a safe out of the way place to park and watch. Then again in his THICK southern NC accent he says this:
"In the interest of the pow'r house, y'all needn't be here. So go somewhere else."
So thanks to him we went just up the road a piece to a wide open gravel area off to the left of the road where we actually had a better view than we would have in that parking lot by the bridge. We could see the headlights coming down the hill from Fontana, see and here the MINIs roar across the bridge and all the lights reflected off the trees. Then as they passed by we would wave and cheer (some of you honked and hooted back at us!), it was quite a parade. Then as the MINIs disappeared up the road we could see the tail lights reflect off the water along the serpentine road that followed the water's edge for a mile or two as the exhaust noise faded into the night. It was glorious.
This is just one night I will never forget. Great friends and great cars on a beautiful warm May night under the stars of NC. And we're still laughing about the "In the interest of the pow'r house..."
While we waited and watched, I painted our MINIs with light. This is what I shot!
My wife and I and another couple, Mike and Diane from TN, decided to meet about 11:15 PM in the parking lot of the road that leads to the damn area where the parade was staged and the group photo was taken. We met in the parking lot that is right just to the right of the bridge to watch the midnight Dragon runners go by with their lights on.
Not more than about 10 minutes after being there a Fontana Damn security/police officer in a white Explorer-type vehicle pulls up and gets out. In his thick southern NC accent he asks, "What y'all doing here?" We told him we were going to watch the MINIs go by as they were going to run the Dragon at mid-night and we figured this was a safe out of the way place to park and watch. Then again in his THICK southern NC accent he says this:
"In the interest of the pow'r house, y'all needn't be here. So go somewhere else."
So thanks to him we went just up the road a piece to a wide open gravel area off to the left of the road where we actually had a better view than we would have in that parking lot by the bridge. We could see the headlights coming down the hill from Fontana, see and here the MINIs roar across the bridge and all the lights reflected off the trees. Then as they passed by we would wave and cheer (some of you honked and hooted back at us!), it was quite a parade. Then as the MINIs disappeared up the road we could see the tail lights reflect off the water along the serpentine road that followed the water's edge for a mile or two as the exhaust noise faded into the night. It was glorious.
This is just one night I will never forget. Great friends and great cars on a beautiful warm May night under the stars of NC. And we're still laughing about the "In the interest of the pow'r house..."
While we waited and watched, I painted our MINIs with light. This is what I shot!
great pic!!!!
Ana and I drove down to Robbinsville (I had to get some 5 minute epoxy to re-attach a rebellious chrome mirror cap). We went to the Ace hardware store there, and "Can I 'hep y'all?" just brought me right back. I switched back into my own slight drawl that I developed while I lived down there without even thinking about it. Ana told me after we left she thought I was making fun of the guy, and here I didn't even realize I was doing anything!
5th Gear
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 804
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From: Trussville
On the way home, towards the Dragon, we had a Butterfly get caught in a wiper blade. I really loved the butterflies this year, and presumed this one had "bit it". But minutes later, he was showing signs of life- albeit trapped in the blade.
Up a little further, I was ready to pull over to release the butterfly from his little trap. There's also a slow SUV ahead of us. At the same moment, the SUV pulls off the road and the Butterfly works his way out and flutters away. So we pass the kind SUV and fly away ourselves.
What a Survivor! And a satisfying Dragon memory.
Up a little further, I was ready to pull over to release the butterfly from his little trap. There's also a slow SUV ahead of us. At the same moment, the SUV pulls off the road and the Butterfly works his way out and flutters away. So we pass the kind SUV and fly away ourselves.
What a Survivor! And a satisfying Dragon memory.
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Cooper Guy - great photo!
I had a little adventure on Parson's Branch Road - the writeup is on my blog...
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I had a little adventure on Parson's Branch Road - the writeup is on my blog...
And no, I didn't break anything...
4th Gear
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 415
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From: Charlotte NC
That's a great story and I'm sure a great trip.... It reminds me of when my wife and I went on vacation in Northern California there's this road off hwy 1 called Usal Road. Very similar with the exception that you actually ran into two way traffic. Let's just said that our rental Sebring convertible was never the same after that. http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=...-8&sa=N&tab=wl
Coordinator :: South East - Florida
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Tampa, FL
OK firstly I want to build a rally capable MINI after seeing that rough road.
I had a great time as my first time Mini/MINIless. Only one person telling me I ought to buy one was kinda funny. I had a good time with my M|U bros (and sisters) and well there was a bunch more original looking MINIs than I had experienced in MOTD 2,3,&4. Hope everyone made it home safe and I may well see you next year.
Oh, and let's hope for no fires.
I had a great time as my first time Mini/MINIless. Only one person telling me I ought to buy one was kinda funny. I had a good time with my M|U bros (and sisters) and well there was a bunch more original looking MINIs than I had experienced in MOTD 2,3,&4. Hope everyone made it home safe and I may well see you next year.
Oh, and let's hope for no fires.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,054
Likes: 10
Saturday evening, I was on my way from Robbinsville to Fontana and came across a local who had massive automotive issues about 3 miles out from the base of the dam. His Dodge POS died on him... would turn over but not catch. I took him up to the top of the dam so he could call his family (all drunk off their *****) and carried him back to his car. The Midnight run came by just as I was towing his car to a pull off, so it wouldn't be right on the side of the road. I plugged my code reader into his car... I've seen 'misfire on Cyl #' before, but I've never seen the 'Multiple assorted misfires' code before that night... he was skrewed!
On my way out on Sunday morning (11am ish, I think) I decided to run out past there, just to see what was up and he was STILL THERE! Apparently everyone in his family was so toasted that they couldn't even drive out to get him. The poor guy spent the night in his car! I was on my way down to visit my parents and wasn't in a hurry, so I offered to give him a lift home. Luckily, he spotted his brother driving the other way across the Dragon, so I flipped around and caught up to him at the Gap.
Did anyone catch a photo of the tow? Some 100 or so cars must have driven past us and I'd love to have a photo of the MINI pulling a big American car off the road!
On my way out on Sunday morning (11am ish, I think) I decided to run out past there, just to see what was up and he was STILL THERE! Apparently everyone in his family was so toasted that they couldn't even drive out to get him. The poor guy spent the night in his car! I was on my way down to visit my parents and wasn't in a hurry, so I offered to give him a lift home. Luckily, he spotted his brother driving the other way across the Dragon, so I flipped around and caught up to him at the Gap.
Did anyone catch a photo of the tow? Some 100 or so cars must have driven past us and I'd love to have a photo of the MINI pulling a big American car off the road!
There were a lot of butterflies ahead of me. But none left behind me. Oops.
Actually I didn't see so many that day - but there were SWARMS of them on Friday morning when we hiked at Twentymile.
Actually I didn't see so many that day - but there were SWARMS of them on Friday morning when we hiked at Twentymile.
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Joined: Aug 2002
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I saw 3 Canadian T-Rexes on their way to the Dragon when I stayed north of Roanoake VA on my way home. As they were getting ready to leave the hotel, I asked one of them if they were going to the Dragon. He nodded and said they held the speed record on the Dragon. 120 he claims...I didn't have time if he meant kph or mph...either way..hair-raising.
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While driving down to my parents house after MOTD, I was cruising along at 65 when I could spot a massive bug, directly ahead of my car. It was one of those bugs that was so large that you could spot it 20-30 feet in front of the car. I saw it come rapidly at the windshield, expecting to have to use the washer fluid and wipers shortly, but at the last minute, the aerodynamics of the car gave the bug a last minute reprieve and it was swept a foot toward the driver's side of the car and whipped around the corner of the front A-pillar.
The bug would have been spared his life, except for those same fickle aerodynamics that prevented him from splatting on the front windshield. As soon as he made it around the A-pillar, he was sucked towards the interior of the car, as I had all the windows down and the sunroof open. Because I was going so quickly, he wasn't sucked in enough, though, and he splatted on the interior panel of the B-pillar.
Usually I wouldn't have noticed the flight path of insects in front of the MINI as I've scraped entirely too many of them from the bonnet and lower grill, but I remember this one because of its size and the remarkably wet SPLAT that it made... along with the spray of bug guts that were deposited across the left side of my face. He was drawn inside, but not quickly enough and he hit the inside of the Driver's B-pillar. Thank goodness that I'm a detailing freak and I had a microfiber handy to clean up!
I wiped this entire event from my memory until yesterday afternoon when I got around to cleaning up the car. When I pulled the driver's seat forward to get at my briefcase in the back seat, I spotted the residue of the bug that didn't make it onto my face! It's amazingly difficult to scrape bug guts from the interior panels, head rest and seat back!
The bug would have been spared his life, except for those same fickle aerodynamics that prevented him from splatting on the front windshield. As soon as he made it around the A-pillar, he was sucked towards the interior of the car, as I had all the windows down and the sunroof open. Because I was going so quickly, he wasn't sucked in enough, though, and he splatted on the interior panel of the B-pillar.
Usually I wouldn't have noticed the flight path of insects in front of the MINI as I've scraped entirely too many of them from the bonnet and lower grill, but I remember this one because of its size and the remarkably wet SPLAT that it made... along with the spray of bug guts that were deposited across the left side of my face. He was drawn inside, but not quickly enough and he hit the inside of the Driver's B-pillar. Thank goodness that I'm a detailing freak and I had a microfiber handy to clean up!
I wiped this entire event from my memory until yesterday afternoon when I got around to cleaning up the car. When I pulled the driver's seat forward to get at my briefcase in the back seat, I spotted the residue of the bug that didn't make it onto my face! It's amazingly difficult to scrape bug guts from the interior panels, head rest and seat back!
Last edited by agranger; May 14, 2008 at 07:46 AM.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 353
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From: DC Metro Area
While driving down to my parents house after MOTD, I was cruising along at 65 when I could spot a massive bug, directly ahead of my car. It was one of those bugs that was so large that you could spot it 20-30 feet in front of the car. I saw it come rapidly at the windshield, expecting to have to use the washer fluid and wipers shortly, but at the last minute, the aerodynamics of the car gave the bug a last minute reprieve and it was swept a foot toward the driver's side of the car and whipped around the corner of the front A-pillar.
The bug would have been spared his life, except for those same fickle aerodynamics that prevented him from splatting on the front windshield. As soon as he made it around the A-pillar, he was sucked towards the interior of the car, as I had all the windows down and the sunroof open. Because I was going so quickly, he wasn't sucked in enough, though, and he splatted on the interior panel of the B-pillar.
Usually I wouldn't have noticed the flight path of insects in front of the MINI as I've scraped entirely too many of them from the bonnet and lower grill, but I remember this one because of its size and the remarkably wet SPLAT that it made... along with the spray of bug guts that were deposited across the left side of my face. He was drawn inside, but not quickly enough and he hit the inside of the Driver's B-pillar. Thank goodness that I'm a detailing freak and I had a microfiber handy to clean up!
I wiped this entire event from my memory until yesterday afternoon when I got around to cleaning up the car. When I pulled the driver's seat forward to get at my briefcase in the back seat, I spotted the residue of the bug that didn't make it onto my face! It's amazingly difficult to scrape bug guts from the interior panels, head rest and seat back!
The bug would have been spared his life, except for those same fickle aerodynamics that prevented him from splatting on the front windshield. As soon as he made it around the A-pillar, he was sucked towards the interior of the car, as I had all the windows down and the sunroof open. Because I was going so quickly, he wasn't sucked in enough, though, and he splatted on the interior panel of the B-pillar.
Usually I wouldn't have noticed the flight path of insects in front of the MINI as I've scraped entirely too many of them from the bonnet and lower grill, but I remember this one because of its size and the remarkably wet SPLAT that it made... along with the spray of bug guts that were deposited across the left side of my face. He was drawn inside, but not quickly enough and he hit the inside of the Driver's B-pillar. Thank goodness that I'm a detailing freak and I had a microfiber handy to clean up!
I wiped this entire event from my memory until yesterday afternoon when I got around to cleaning up the car. When I pulled the driver's seat forward to get at my briefcase in the back seat, I spotted the residue of the bug that didn't make it onto my face! It's amazingly difficult to scrape bug guts from the interior panels, head rest and seat back!
...gag....ack!!