4th Annual, Official 2010 Dragon Meet Thread, April 29th - May 2nd

[candymanjl]

Updated 4/11/2010

ClubHONDA's 4th Annual "The Dragon" At Deals Gap 2010 Official Thread

April 30th - May 3rd

Overview...
The last couple of trips have been great! For anyone who loves to drive cars, the Dragon is the shiznet, like driving a roller coaster. The only thing out there I can think of that could be better is Nurburgring, and since that's too far away, there's "The Dragon"

I modified the schedule we've been going by over the last couple of years and added an extra day. After typing out the schedule I think this will be a lot more fun and a lot less hectic. With only three days it seems really hurried and we don't get a lot of time at the Dragon. This year will be able to take a little more time and not be rushed, I think it's a good thing.

Edit - Things have changed a little due to the available places to stay. There's nothing available in Robbinsville till Saturday so we'll be going on a schedule similar to last year but with the extra day on the end of the trip instead of the front of the trip. Should be fine Also we may not get to ride the Dragon itself due to a rockslide. We'll see when we get there but if we can't drive the Dragon there's other great roads in the same area so I'm not worried about it at all.

All right, plan "B" in full effect!

called the ol' faithful Microtel in Robbinsville and got the very last rooms available. I reserved 4 suites, each suite has one queen sized bed and one queen sized fold out couch bed. so it's actually two queen beds per room vs the two twin beds per room we've been used to renting.

it's $95 per night per room, same as the normal rooms. if someone has AAA then we can get a discount when we check in. I reserved the 4 rooms so they're ours. we'll check in on Saturday May 1st and check out Monday May 3rd. Gary I looked into checking in on Friday April 30th like we originally planned on but they're 100% full, not even one room is available till Saturday.

so this is the deal guys, please confirm with me on here ASAP so I can let Microtel know what we're doing. as of right now there's 8 people saying they want to go and I reserved 4 rooms, 2 people per room. if anyone can't go then that's cool, I'll just release the room so they don't get screwed out of renting a room and I don't get charged any fees. also confirm that we're sticking with the plan of staying an extra day out there and checking out Monday like the first page says. that's what Anthony and I have been doing every year anyway, but if one or two rooms need to check out Sunday we'll change the reservation now.

recap...
check in Saturday May 1st
check out Monday May 3rd
4 rooms reserved
2 per room
$95 per room per night
post in here to confirm ASAP

TRIP ON BIATCHES!!!

Schedule...
Friday, April 30th...
Afternoon - Arrive in Raliegh, NC.
Evening - Go to the go cart track and then dinner (or maybe the other way around, we'll figure it out). We'll try the drift cart track this year plan on $5 per session per person.

Saturday, May 1st...
9am - Leave for Ashville, NC. This year we're leaving on time!!! Get gassed up and ready to go the night before!
Lunchtime - Arrive at Ashville, get some food.
Afternoon - Drive the rest of the way out to Deals Gap by taking the Blue Ridge Parkway, almost as much fun as the Dragon!
Early Evening - Arrive at hotel and check in.
Evening - Have dinner.

Sunday, May 2nd...
Morning - Get some breakfast, there's food at the hotel and a McDonald's close by.
Before Noon - Head out to The Dragon!
Lunchtime - After a run or two down and back eat lunch.
After Lunch - Go out to Fontana Dam and get some group shots. The lighting should be perfect at this point and it saves us from rushing to get pictures after checking in at the hotel Friday.
Afternoon - Run The Dragon again, hang out, chill, whatever people want to do.

Monday, May 3rd...
Morning - Breakfast.
Before Noon - Head out to The Dragon again! Or maybe try out another section of road, we'll figure it out.
Lunchtime - After a run or two down and back eat lunch. After this point people are on their own to ride the Dragon again or head home if they need to.

Costs...
Gas - I spent around $300 on gas, for me it was a 2,200 mile round trip. On the highway I did awesome on gas, 30+ mpg, but on the Dragon I was killing gas The gas available at the Dragon was priced normal which was nice in case you needed gas right there.
Food - Plan on eating out every meal since we're stopping at restaurants everywhere. I've budgeted $10 for each meal each day as a good guess.
Hotel - At Deals Gap the hotel was around $90 a night if I remember right. If you just meet us at Ashville then go to the Dragon you only have to worry about two nights (Saturday and Sunday). If you meet us in Raleigh on Thursday we'll try and work something out for that one night.
Stuff - Plan on at least getting a cool sticker or T shirt while you're at the Dragon. There's also photographers along the dragon that take pictures. www.killboy.com usually has the best shots of our group and charges $5 a picture to download them, definately worth it.

List of attendees...
1) Rich aka CandyManJL
2) Eric aka CivicBeater
3) Eric's chick?
4) Anthony aka Camuman
5) VW Joe
6) VW Joe's Brother aka Anthony #2
7) 00civicsi
8) accordy2g aka fat bastard aka Mark
9)
10)
11)

Oh yeah, if you type "deals gap" into google earth you get this...

[DOHCIVIC]

List of attendees...
1) Rich aka CandyManJL
2) Gary aka DOHCIVIC
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)

Hotel at the Dragon...
Each room has 2 beds...
Room 1: Rich aka CandyManJL
Room 2: Gary aka DOHCIVIC
Room 3:
Room 4:
Room 5:
Room 6:
Room 7:
Room 8:


I'll be there either way the vote goes... I would like to make the trip a little longer but I understand that others are coming from other states and are doing way more driving than me...

[Almighty-Si]

You know my ass will be there ! I like the 4 day idea as well, it will be harder for me to take 2 days off work before vacation but who cares, they'll just have to deal with it. Ultimately I would like to spend more time on the dragon, so if this will accomplish that I'm game. Blueridge is cool and all but of we have to skip it to get more time on the dragon, I'm cool with that as well.

List of attendees...

1) Rich aka CandyManJL
2) Gary aka DOHCIVIC
3) Allen aka Al akaka Almighty-Si
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)

Hotel at the Dragon...
Each room has 2 beds...
Room 1: Rich aka CandyManJL
Room 2: Gary aka DOHCIVIC
Room 3: Allen aka Al akaka Almighty-Si
Room 4:
Room 5:
Room 6:
Room 7:
Room 8:

[DOHCIVIC]

Al, Couldn't you take your vac the week of the dragon instead of the week after???

[Almighty-Si]

Yea I could but that would mean I would have to go right back to work after driving 2000 miles in a weekend. I mean I would have to leave on Sunday early to get back in time for work on Monday. Not to mention when we do these trips, I don't get all that much sleep as it is, so I like to have the week after off to catch up on some rest.

Like I said though, no worries. If everyone is game with making it 4 days I'm in. I'm going to take off and they're going to have to like it

[candymanjl]

I agree Al, I usually lay around the house the day after I get back down to florida to rest before work. I think if we made it a day longer it's easier to do it on the front end. so instead of going out to the dragon on saturday we leave on friday. then we have all day saturday out at the dragon and sunday too. people could meet us late and just be there sunday or they could go saturday and leave early on sunday, gives everyone different options.

I don't know, something to think about. I enjoy the blue ridge almost as much as the dragon anyway so the whole drive is fun for me. the trip does feel a little rushed once we get out to the dragon.

[93civic93]

Would be awesome if I can get a chance to go. What would be the plan for lodging if I came out Friday night? Go karts would be cool. What's the drift track you were talking about?

[candymanjl]

if we stick with last year's schedule then between Gary and Eric we may be able house a couple of people but that's up to those guys of course.

[93civic93]

Figured as much. I might have a girl with me so I'll figure something out pending on if I can really get down there. Would be sweet to take my 4 door for some romps thru the twisties.

[Almighty-Si]

I hear ya on that one Rich, I do the same the day after I get home from the Dragon, just one day doing nothing but sleeping/relaxing. As you're doing the drive it doesn't seem so bad but when you get home, you realize how taxing it was.

I mean I don't hate Blueridge, it's nice, it's just if we cut it out we would get more time on the Dragon. Well, with working with it 4 days (if we do it this year) we would get more Dragon time in so I guess it wouldn't be so bad. I do have to say though, this passed trip I was a little on edge going through Blueridge from the year before don't really know why...LoL

If I am right, didn't Eric say there was a hotel or something like right down the road from his house? We'll wait for Eric to chime in, if he posts the name of the place you can check out online how much a night would be there.

[DOHCIVIC]

I'll have a larger house by the time the dragon comes around... 4br, a living room and a den... so plenty of room for people...

Now the way you guys are talking, are we talking about not going on the parkway... i would still like to hit the parkway on the way

[Almighty-Si]

No one said we're not going...just would like to get more time on the dragon and if we decide to do the 3 day thing again, cutting it out would get us more time on the dragon. It was just a suggestion.

[Camuman]

psh, u know i am in!!!! eric, your ass better be there with the cobra!

[Camuman]

what dates!!!!!!!?????!!!!!!!!

[Almighty-Si]

I say, around same time as last year hopefully it won't be as hot as it was last year.

[candymanjl]

I like the blue ridge because it's faster turns, nice compliment to the dragon's tight turns.

I think both are worth doing, the big decision is just whether or not to add an extra day or keep last year's schedule. then the next thing to decide on is the date of the trip.

as far as the date goes it was unseasonably warm last year during our trip. the average temp in Robbinsville at that time of the year is highs in the low 70's and lows in the 40's. we ended up with highs in the high 80's / low 90's but coming from Florida is was still cooler out April is one of the lowest percentage months for rain in that area so just going by averages it still seems like a good time of the year to me. if we go a month later the average temperature is almost 8 degrees higher. if we go a month earlier that's the month with the highest average rain / snow for the year. ha ha, they average 7 inches of snow in March, not good for running the Dragon

[DOHCIVIC]

So are we looking at April 22nd thru the 25th... Hitting blueridge on friday and dragon sunday

[Almighty-Si]

Whatever works for you guys...i'm in

[93civic93]

Originally Posted by Almighty-Si

Whatever works for you guys...i'm in

X2, I'll have to stop spending so much money, then I can get a paint job before driving down. What's the name of the Cart Track we're going to?

[candymanjl]

Originally Posted by DOHCIVIC

So are we looking at April 22nd thru the 25th... Hitting blueridge on friday and dragon sunday

so on the 22nd we meet up in Raleigh, the 23rd we drive the blue ridge on the way out to the dragon, then chill at the dragon saturday and sunday? just seeing if we're all on the same page.