Tail of the Dragon
 

Anyone interested in meeting at the Tail of the Dragon? Its off season so there shouldn't be much congestion ie: motorcycles and other enthusiasts. Wintertime is a favorable time.
I am thinking of getting there Fri night, goofing off Saturday, heading home early Sun. I could use a dose of Dragon.
Tail of the Dragon

Five or more people that can agree on a weekend in Jan or Feb is a consenus.

The Dragon
 

I have recently moved to the Cumming/Gainesville area, and have heard of this "dragon tail", what and where is it?

I believe the stat is 311 curves in 11 miles. Its a beautiful, curvy mountain road on the west end of the Great Smokey Mountain National park in Deal's Gap, NC. You can get there from Gainesville in a couple of hours [4 or 5?] Its been a while since I have been. Long ago it was a bunch of mad motorcyclists tearing it up, but it has since been published in magazines, become internationally known and so weekend traffic got a little crowded [in my terms]. My brother mentioned going there in his car in the winter. So now it is winter. Let's go!

CraigB check out that link I posted and any other searches on Tail of the Dragon or Deals Gap.

Actually it's 318 curves, or so they say. I lost count...

I visited the Tail around Christmas '06. That is one fine road for driving! However, the local authorities seem to target the road now and again. Do a search for Tail of the Dragon/Deal's gap. There's a website for the area that gives a bit of info about current "activity" on the road. There are also a couple of other similar roads in the same area that offer what we crave. Have fun out there and be safe.

so.... any folks in the southeast want to coordinate a winter weekend quickie? :)

Here's pictures from our trip last May :

http://nickandjim.freewebpage.org/TOD/TOD_Main.html

Nick

Beautiful! I love that area, especially when its warm and green. :)
It looks like there were a lot of folks there that day. that's the kind of crowded that discouraged me from heading up there during warm weather weekends. And my motorcycle is for sale for similar reasons. :(
thanks for the pics!

Tom, the guy in the wicked fast MR2 Spyder that led us around in May, was in the office a day or two ago attempting to revive my dead server.

He said that the local cops are now crawling all over the various corners of the TOD to give speeding tickets due to a consistent fatality rate on the road (motorcyclists make up the bulk of it, if not all of it I'm sure).

All this to say, I'm doubting the road is nearly as much fun as it was when we went there in May.

... but I still dream of going back all the time. In my dreams, I don't have to drive 17 friggin' hours to get there though!

If I lived within an hour or two of the road, I'd be driving it once a month.

That place is as addictive as heroine for the Boxster owner.

Hey Chicago guys, are we doing another TotD trip this year? I wanted to get in on last year's but there was a conflict with another trip. Anything in the works for 2008?

I am a Dragon Survivor! :)

I'd like to go in the Fall of 2008...to see the fall colors in that part of the US.

Count me in for next year's trip to the TOD. I have to be a little pickier in terms of weekends because of school and a wedding, but am definitely planning for the trip. Maybe mid to late September? Getting into October risks getting into mid-terms.

Tod
 

Ah Nick, thanks for the reminder with the pictures! Of course, I would go again in the fall with the stipulation that we find better dining facilities!

As far as a Jan/Feb trip, it would depend on the weekend....keep me in mind when you get a date...

A couple of related links:

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/maps.html

http://www.lexusdragon.com/routes_maps.html

Unfortunately, I haven't experienced TOD first hand, but I'd like to...

Count me in for another trip to the Dragon. Maybe the weather won't be wet and slippery like this past May. I thought went we pretty fast considering the conditions but I can't wait to see what the car can do on dry pavement.
Maybe we'll avoid the Mini Cooper gathering this time.
Hey Nick, I just looked at some of the pictures from last May- I love that 'Save The Tatas' sticker.

Western NC and southwest VA and over into TN is just crawling with that kind of road with a lot less traffic and law enforcement attention. I should probably make the ultimate sacrifice and go scout out more roads for another gathering.

Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded.
 

Western NC and southwest VA and over into TN is just crawling with that kind of road with a lot less traffic and law enforcement attention.

Exactly.

The Dragon is now a nightmare of families in minivans being treated as moving chicanes by imitation Rossis and Schumacher wannabes with no training, experience or ability. You may know what you're doing, but that doesn't matter when somebody coming the other way overcooks a corner and swings wide into you or somebody behind you decides to pinch you into the rocks with a combination outside pass and late apex transitioning into a lowside with a shower of parts and sparks.

And then there are the people who pull over to watch the fun, pull out to join the mayhem and crowd the verge. It's like driving the old Chimney Rock Hillclimb with audience participation.

No thanks.

The bad news is that the publicity has ruined the Dragon on all but rare off-season occasions. The good news is that the marketing of the Dragon has made it an idiot magnet which has cleared some of the fools off of the other good roads -- at least those which don't lead directly to the Dragon. It's also a target-rich environment which now draws the police to generate revenue and to clean up the mess as the herd is thinned.

I think of the Dragon in Yogi Berra terms.

Sim,

I hope you're not just saying that to dissuade us tourists from visiting ?

( just kidding - thanks for the head's up )

Nick

Good points - its not what it used to be. :(
In the last ten years, everyone that ever wanted a motorcycle or suddenly decided they wanted a motorcycle bought one - and soon over crowded where I used to play. And national publications in every motorcycle and car magazine really dropped a bomb. <sniff>
But see, this is why I suggest a Dragon Tail trip in the Winter. It won't be so congested.

I also agree that anywhere there are mountains there is opportunity for finding great roads. I should put more effort into that discovery. There is plenty of mountainous eastern TN that I haven't explored. I haven't driven / ridden much of VA because I would have to pound highway miles to make time getting there and back. [Yuk]. dmcutter, let me know if you find new adventures for me to explore. :dance:

I am up for another road trip to NC or thereabouts in the first or second week in September.

The Dragon would be fun, even crawling with cops. I don't think I exceeded the speed limit by more than 5-8 mph ... 40 miles per hour was reckless enough for this old man, that's for sure! <-- if you've never driven the TOD, don't judge me as a slow poke. It's awfully hard to go faster than this on four wheels.

I will not do another spring drive in that area of the country. Tom was right... it always rains in the Smokey Mountains in May! He recommended another trip this year for us, but in September. Said the weather was absolutely fabulous every time he's gone to Deals Gap in September.

Would anyone like to do the legwork on this year's trip? I did it last year and it wasn't much work, but between now and the time I would start driving that way I must complete a rather difficult book I am writing, so I don't think I'll be able to take the time to do it.

I'll have my new rotors, pads, glass top replacement, and SSK installed before then and I'd love to take another road trip!

Last year we picked a pretty busy weekend seeing that there were a kajillion Minis running around. Even so, I rarely felt like we were held up because of crowding. I'm more concerned about the idiots...

Hey I'm from atlanta too, and have been craving a mountain drive ever since I got the car in october. I'd like to go sometime when the weather is nice enough to have the top down. Aren't there some good roads in north GA in the mountains for the atlanta people?

Take 400 north to Dahlonega. Go through the square [stopping for a leg stretch and some ice cream] and turn left on Highway 9. At the three way, go straight towards Suches. This is a beautiful and fun road but know that it does have blind decreasing radius turns. Passing through Suches, turn right on 180. Near Vogel state park you will have some more scenic twisties and hairpins. Come to a T at highway 9 and turn right - heading back to Dahlonega. These wide switchbacks are a spirited way to wrap up a fun ride. Just beware - everyone now knows about this, too, so it will be crowded. Also has police and ambulances on standby because of the motorcyclists [primarily]. I live in Alpharetta and I can enjoy this quick jaunt in about a four hour turnaround, including pleasure stops along the way.

Let's do it! I'll see what I can find out. There's a place to stay that wasn't there last time I went so I will start with finding out about where to stay.

And regarding the slow speeds - I wouldn't want the embarrassment nor the cost of meeting up with a mountain wall or sliding off the edge - so I, too, drive for fun and not for skill development. There are other, safer places for that!

The Two Wheel Inn- http://www.twowheelinn.com/ was a great place that we stayed at last year. The owners (Barry and Linda) were very nice and keep a clean place. They live on-sight too.

Even a place to wash the car.

thanks! I called them and so far September is wide open. I would also like to mention that peak Fall color will be in October if that is a goal.

So it seems we need to identify an agreeable weekend. What say ye? Of those interested, do you have dates that will NOT work?

We can work out other logistics along the way, but I think hotel resesrvations at the tail is the starting point.

I'd like to get in on a ToD trip with you all.

So, a time that will not work for me is the first weekend in October (3,4,5). That's my 1 year anniversary and the wifey and Chills are headed to the Caribbean.


Any other weekend will probably work for me.

Count me in !

Nick

In...


better start making a list :)

Potential participants for the Fall '08 986Forum Tail of the Dragon Meet:
FTD
bmussatti
Sammy
derb
RandallNeighbour
NickCats
Chills
Mantis


Lodging options:
Two Wheel Inn- $60 single, $70 double. One night deposit. No cancellation fee if within 14 days.


Preferred weekend:


Other comments/ideas:


.

Pick a weekend in September and then we all make our own reservations - and show up.

How about the weekend of Sept 20 - 21?

May I suggest Sept. 6-7 instead?

I just can't make it if its 20~28 due to a trip I must make to Chitown.

If no one has any strong objections, I would be happy to give the Two Wheel Inn a call and see about room rates for us. The owner really liked us and said he would have garages that would accommodate a Porsche quite easily by September of 2008 and the room rates are great!

Go for it, Randall.
:dance:

I told my wife I'd take her to Europe for our 20th anniversary-I just hope she doesn't want to go at the beginning of September. I should be all turbocharged by then, too...count me in. I'm looking forward to doing it in the dry with the top down.

I know I dont know any of you and you dont know me but I'd be interested in a trip to TOD. I live in South central VA. Probably about a 5 hr drive for me. Any weekend in Sept would be fine. However the first weekend is labor day weekend. Crowds, ouch.. Count me in if thats OK.

gmboxster, we'd love to have you and make a new friend, that's for sure!

Labor Day is Monday the 1st of September and I'm proposing the following weekend, which should actually be a lot less traffic considering tons of people would be driving through there on the holiday weekend days before.

Or do I have my holiday wrong? Or is the holiday date right but my premise wrong? :confused:

I dunno. Let's get some additional feedback here from interested owners.

Looks like gmboxster is almost a neighbor of mine. I'll check him out and make sure he's worthy :D

Randall,
Any chance the next weekend is good for you- weekend of the 13th?

mike

I should be good with either the first or second weekend after the labor day weekend. :D

Fontana Village Resort is the place we always stay. Probably will include the tail in the trip to and from the Parade.

http://www.fontanavillage.com/

We stayed there on the way down to Rennsport III, the restaurant was a lot better than our previous stays.

http://www.fontanavillage.com/dining/dining.htm