MG 2006 - Gatlinburg, TN - June 21-25

[jaybird]

Bazul, can you 'pin' this? Please?
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

www.mg2006.com

I thought that it would be a good idea to have one thread for MG 2006. People can 'sign in' that are going, post where they're staying etc.

Also, people from that area could list things to do, places to stay other than the hotels listed on the mg2006.com website (campgrounds, condos, etc.) and restaurants.

 

[jaybird]

Re: MG 2006

Dahubby & I are going. Staying at Glenstone Lodge. I think dason and his wife are going as well. We'll arrive on Wednesday evening, June 21st, head home Sunday morning bright and early.

 

[jgbowman1]

Re: MG 2006

I plan to arrive Thursday morn' and stay at the Microtel. Our club is supposed to give local support.

 

[jaybird]

Re: MG 2006

www.tailofthedragon.com

I am absolutely making time to do this. 318 curves in 11 miles or some such nonsense!

 

[jgbowman1]

Re: MG 2006

 

[jaybird]

Re: MG 2006

Whoa!

How far is that from 'ground zero?' Close enough for a day thing?

 

[jgbowman1]

Re: MG 2006

It's pretty close. Probably a half hour to one hour drive or so away, depending on the route you take.

 

[aerog]

[ QUOTE ]
Bazul, can you 'pin' this? Please?
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

It's now sticky (ewwww)!

I changed the subject a little too.

I might try to make this one depending on the weather. Driving from here through GA/Carolinas in June is pure heck for me without AC but we'll see /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[jaybird]

Nooo, travelling from STLhumidityhell through Illinois & Tennessee in June without AC will suck. I have 280 ac in Emma. Is a short trip for you aerog! Besides, I want to see that B of yours!

 

[Joe Reed]

Janel....here's the drive you have to take:

Exit Gatlinburg into the park and turn right at the ranger station onto Little RIver Road towards Cades Cove (prettier than the Dragon - and almost as twisty in spots). Follow it until you get to the turnoff to Townsend. Turn there (right...the only choice) and take the highway to the Foothills Parkway turnoff. Head south on Foothills Parkway (some nice overlooks along the first part of the drive) all the way to Highway 129. There may be a detour along the way, unless they've replaced the road that washed down the mountainside! You'll know when you get to 129 when you see Chilowee Lake in front of you (see the upper left side of the map above). You can drive the Dragon down just past Fugitive bridge and turn around, or you can head on over toward Robbinsville and then back west along the Cherohala Skyway - where you'll be pretty much riding a ridge up to about 6000 feet before driving (coasting!) down into Tellico Plains. The drive from there back to Gatlingburg is pretty boring if you go through Marysville, though. That's what I did a couple if years ago (in the Miata)...this time I'd probably just turn around at Tellico Plains and reverse my original route. I think I spent about 4 hours on the drive....but you could just take few passes back and forth on the Dragon instead in less time.

Another drive you have to make: when you leave your hotel head away from the Parkway to the Rolling Fork road. It's a slow, single lane, winding drive you'll love. Lots of trees, hills, maybe a few bears - and the chance to make the fairly short hike to Grotto Falls on the way. The road exits on the opposite end of Gatlinburg....

You're gonna have fun!

 

[danmas]

"There may be a detour along the way, unless they've replaced the road that washed down the mountainside!"

They have. The road is good all the way to Chilowie. I'd allow about 1 1/2 hour for the drive from Gatlinburg, as it's about 40-50 miles to the Dragon, and the roads are not interstate by any means. As you point out, the roads getting to the Dragon are just as much fun as the Dragon (except for the short stretch through Townsend). I live in Maryville/Alcoa, but I agree about the return trip - go back the way you came rather than through those two cities.

Motorcyclist try to run the 11 miles in 11 minutes, but I wouldn't recommend that with an MG. At the '03 V8 meet, the record time in a V8 MGB was 17 minutes - still a pretty scary ride.

If you tend to get seasick, DO NOT ride the Dragon as a passenger. Trust me on this one.

One other word of advice - people come from all over the world to test their driving skills on the Dragon, an many are severely lacking in these skills. It's not at all uncommon to round a blind curve and find a "wanna-be" hot dogging it in your lane, "clipping the apex!"

Instead of making the right turn to Townsend and the Dragon, you may want to go on straight ahead and take a liesurely tour of Cade's Cove, another 11 mile drive on very twisty roads, but at a much slower pace on a one way single lane road through an old pioneer settlement.

Little river road from Gatlinburg to Cade's Cove is outstanding.

Take a look at: https://www.britishv8.org/2003.htm

FWIW, we will be having thr British V8 2006 meet in Townsend again next year, from June 18 to June 21, just prior to the MG 2006 meet. Come on down for the V8 meet and stay for the main event - get 2 fer 1!

 

[jaybird]

Maybe I'll skip the Dragon. I have this thing about little cars on windy roads 6000 feet in the air with SUVs coming the other direction.

And although I don't get carsick, per se, I was queasy just on the night rally a few weeks ago (as passenger/navigator) I'll drive the Dragon if we do it. I couldn't stand to let dahubby drive Emma or Bina on those roads, I'd have heart failure for sure.

Besides, if ANYONE is going to crash one of my (okay fine, OUR) MGs, it better be me and not Chuck, because I'd hurt him permanently!

 

[Joe Reed]

It's not scary....there are no drop-offs beside the road or anything. Other than the fact that you're going up and down hills, you won't notice the altitude...it's just a neat drive - and you don't have to drive it flat out.

One other thing, try to do it on a weekday - preferably early morning - so the traffic will be lighter...

 

[LarryP]

My wife thinks we should attend MG 2006 so we can find a nice MGB and get rid of my not fully restored 76! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Do you think anyone would mind me arriving in an ugly '76 MGB?

Larry

 

[jaybird]

Larry, when we went to John Twist's MG Revival party a few months ago, there were MGs in all stages of restore and disrepair. From $500 beaters to concours vehicles.

GO! If nothing else, it might motivate you to get busy on that restore. I've set my 'target date' for Binabox for June 10, 2006.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Hey, Larry -

Come on... I'm sure you'll be in good company. The point of these events is to enjoy the cars and the camaraderie. There are always those who attend these to show off (rightfully so) their cars, but the main point is sharing the passion we all have.

I've gone the show route, and unless you've got the time and inclination - and money! - to keep the car pristine (which I've found that I don't), you may be frustrated. But for the most part, the folks who attend these are just there to swap stories and have a good time.

My wife and I are planning to attend most, if not all, of the week.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif Mickey

 

[jgbowman1]

Here's a view on the Foothills Parkway that Joe mentioned. I think I took this coming back from the Townsend car show year before last.

 

[aerog]

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe I'll skip the Dragon. I have this thing about little cars on windy roads 6000 feet in the air with SUVs coming the other direction.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's nothing - go look at a few sites that show pictures of the tractor-trailers that try to go up that way and get completely hung up...or worse yet the ones that just about make it around a bend when someone in a car comes around and gets wedged under them.

A nice, docile (but still kind of fun) ride is just up to Clingman's dome up in the National Park off of 441 (the ride there from Gatlinburg itself is ok too). Figure a few hours round-trip, a little more if you keep going all the way to Cherokee to the Visitor's center and museum on the NC side of the mountains:

 

[Joe Reed]

And from there, you can just coast back to Gatlinburg and save fuel! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[aerog]

[ QUOTE ]
And from there, you can just coast back to Gatlinburg and save fuel! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats just about right. If I go I might stay in Cherokee - that's been my "vacation" the last couple of years, driving around that area and staying in Cherokee, then Georgia and back. It's pretty much a 2-day trip for me the way I go anyway.