Memorial Day Weekend Blue Ridge Mountain Drive (Saturday, May 24th

[MandiLu]

Bumping again. Just a few more weeks.
Is anyone else in?

[R Sky Rox]

Only a couple of weeks away--I can't wait! We're definitely due for a weekend away and the Blue Ridge Mountains should be beautiful.

[Va_Sky]

Ok folks now that MECCA II is over, and boy that was a great time, it's time for the next weekend run. Come on, join in and have some fun with us in a beautiful area for a run with some gooood twisties...

[Va_Sky]

Bump.... 9 Days and counting... Come on. Join in. Good Twisties... It will be fun...

[MandiLu]

So far here's the list:
Me and SteveMR2
R Sky Rox and Ken the Great
NCRedline and AnitaSky
NCBlue
VA_Sky

Doesn't anyone else have a free weekend and want to join in? It's going to be a blast.

[Va_Sky]

Boomer is wondering if anything is going on and said that if there is someone needs to e-mail him... Here is his post Hey Charlotte Area Peeps!

[Ken the Great]

C'mon people, its not that hard... just write and say you are coming.. We did this last year and it was great. Glad to see that Anita is gonna be there. We haven't seen her in a while. Penny and I are really looking forward to this. The ride last year was great and the "after ride" get together was also a blast. The more the merrier.. Make some plans for a really good time peeps... You still have Monday to recoop. Dont forget to stop by the bank on the way and get a loan for gas money. 93 octane.....dang...I guess the kids college education can wait....

[Va_Sky]

Anyone going to be there Friday evening???? If so anyone want to meet for dinner???? I'll be getting there around 6:00pm.

[R Sky Rox]

Several of us are renting a little condo (it's a condo, right Mandi?) and will be arriving on Friday night. I PM'd Mandi and we thought that maybe everyone could just rendevous at our place Friday night, order out Chinese or pizza, and just hang-out. What says everyone else? VA_Sky, it will be nice to meet you. MandiLu has the location of the condo, so you can PM her for the info. We'll have to exchange cell phone numbers sometime this week via PM.

Yahoo! A four day work week and then a four day weekend for us! 'Hope the weather is gorgeous.

[MandiLu]

Originally Posted by R Sky Rox

Several of us are renting a little condo (it's a condo, right Mandi?) and will be arriving on Friday night. I PM'd Mandi and we thought that maybe everyone could just rendevous at our place Friday night, order out Chinese or pizza, and just hang-out. What says everyone else? VA_Sky, it will be nice to meet you. MandiLu has the location of the condo, so you can PM her for the info. We'll have to exchange cell phone numbers sometime this week via PM.

Yahoo! A four day work week and then a four day weekend for us! 'Hope the weather is gorgeous.

Actually it's a house. So there will be plenty of room for everyone to hang out. It has a nice porch with a view and the weather is supposed to be nice for this coming weekend. Steve and I just got back from that area and I will post more in just a bit with what we have finalized for this weekend. There have been a few changes but nothing to major. Can't wait till the weekend. I survived my sister's wedding yesterday. She somewhat turned to Bridezilla about 15 minutes before the ceremony, but since that was all of it, it was tolerable. We are going to have a blast. Check back later for an update.

[Va_Sky]

I could not get a place where I wanted to stay darn it... I was too late and they were already booked. I'm at Alpen Acres Motel right out side of Down Town Blowing Rock and about a mile from the outlet mall where we are looking to meet. Also here is a good link to a Weather Center to check the weather in the Boone Blowing Rock area... Ray's Weather Center - Home - booneweather.com

[bobarry]

Mandi,

I'm toying with the idea, and may 'go solo' if I don't find a co-pilot. My daughter said she'd go, but I doubt if her hubby will give her a 'kitchen pass'.

Surely there's room for a genuine, retired, senior citizen in the bunch. (for adult guidance, etc.)

I'm getting my honeycomb grille chromed but don't think it will be back by then.

I'll drop a note if I decide.

BoBarry (no alias - that's my real name!)

[MandiLu]

Originally Posted by bobarry

Mandi,

I'm toying with the idea, and may 'go solo' if I don't find a co-pilot. My daughter said she'd go, but I doubt if her hubby will give her a 'kitchen pass'.

Surely there's room for a genuine, retired, senior citizen in the bunch. (for adult guidance, etc.)

I'm getting my honeycomb grille chromed but don't think it will be back by then.

I'll drop a note if I decide.

BoBarry (no alias - that's my real name!)

There is plenty of room for you! We would love to have you join us.

Steve and I are still finalizing a few things and tossing around ideas about the run. We run into a few things yesterday when we did a test run of the route. Hopefully we will have it all worked/talked out by tonight and I will post back. I will also PM anyone my cell # this afternoon who may not already have it. Don't want anyone getting lost and not being able to get in touch to let us know.

[MandiLu]

Originally Posted by Va_Sky

I could not get a place where I wanted to stay darn it... I was too late and they were already booked. I'm at Alpen Acres Motel right out side of Down Town Blowing Rock and about a mile from the outlet mall where we are looking to meet. Also here is a good link to a Weather Center to check the weather in the Boone Blowing Rock area... Ray's Weather Center - Home - booneweather.com

Thanks for posting that weather site. I forgot about that one.


Ok..... Here are a few choices of places to go on Saturday. I would like everyone to think over these and give me an anwser. We are cutting out the Northern Loop of the Hich Country Backroads drive for various reasons. #1 of which is Steve's biggest pet peeve: A gravel road. But that is the shorter of the 2 loops and what we did see of it yesterday (which was a pretty good bit) is not that impressive. The Southern Loop is much better.
So here are the choices:
#1 Grandfather Mountain
#2 Linville Caverns
#3 Linville Falls
#4 Or just drive North on the Parkway

[R Sky Rox]

I had some trouble with the link to Linville Falls, so here it is again: Linville Falls
My vote is for the caverns. They look really interesting and I think a 30-40 minute tour would be nice after driving, particularly if it's warm that day.

BoBarry, it would be great if you could join us.

[Ken the Great]

I have been to Linville falls.... It is awesome... It is a bit of a hike to go down to the falls and/or observe them from some of the lookouts...but well worth it. Some of the lookouts actually make your knees and stomach wobbly.... If you are afraid of heights, some of the lookouts wont be for you.... We stay at a little place up there when we go to the Bristol race. I vote for this one.. Linville falls and gorge can be done in one stop.

[Va_Sky]

I'm up for any of them really. I love the falls and love the hike and the hike will really do me good. I haven't to the caverns in recent memory and I usually go to Grandfather at least once a year on my numerous trips up there. It's just an all around beautiful area... I also have the Southern Loop programed into my Garmin.

[MandiLu]

Here is the tenetive itinerary. Subject to change at a moments notice.
Meet at 10:00 at the Shoppes on the Parkway Saturday morning.

The Southern Loop offically starts at the intersection of King and Water Street and ends back in the same are. We will not be ending in that area as we are all staying Blowing Rock and would just be senseless. From the Shoppes, we are going to take a curvy road (Shulls Mill) to Hwy 105. From there we will take 321 into Boone and pick up the Southern Loop of the High Country Backroads. When we get to the Mast Store and the Annex we can stop at both if anyone wants to look around. The Annex has a wonderful candy selection that I never pass up. Then it's back on the road to get on Hwy 194 heading towards Banner Elk. This is a very curvey road too.

When we get back on 105 (going the opposite direction as before) we can stop for lunch if it's that time at The Old Hampton Store. Steve and I ate BBQ there yesterday and it was yummy. There were what looked like 2 college kids singing and playing the guitars while we were there. They were really good.

After that we can head to the Falls, the caverns, Grandfather Mountain or North on the parkway. That will all depend on what everyone agrees on.

Dinner is whever we get thru and are hungry and whatever. To-be-determined we will say.

Nothing is set in stone. Steve and I are pretty flexible and laid back. We'll just see where the road and the day takes us. We don't really want to set and time or place for lunch and dinner becuase you just never know what we will get into.

If anyone wants to add anything feel free. We are open for ideas/suggestions.

[Sunny Ragtop]

Hal & I will join you guys. We plan to drive up Saturday AM and home that evening.
Since my Sky's street tires are almost gone we will be riding our motorcyles. You won't mind too much being followed by a BMW and a Triumph will ya?

See Ya at the "Shoppes" Saturday AM.

Thanks Mandi for planning a great spring mountain ride!