I can see your concern Dave and I know others have the same feelings, but you really have to go to one of these before you understand how well it works. Staying at Fontana, I have my own private parking space and bathroom very close to Vendors row. Jim
I don't do crowds well either. Last year was my first time down there with the MINI nation. It was no problem at all. I just headed in the opposite direction from any planned drive. I had a wonderful time & look forward to more of the same this year.
I don't know for sure but I would guess MOTD has probably grown into the biggest single brand auto event in the country, that is newsworthy, this will be my third and wouldn't miss it for anything. Sure there are a lot of people but that's what makes it an " event " and not just a bunch of cars. I have been staying at the Microtel in Robbinsiville each year and have chosen to do so again the hotel is booked with MINI peeps and it is like its own little show. To say you are not going because there are too many people doesn't make any sense to me. There is always a path less traveled if you choose not to go with the flow. Now how many days untill I can leave for NC ?
A huge crowd is New Years Eve in Times Square NYC. Thats a packed area and a great party. MOTD is never fully packed like NYC but than again its not Kansas.
Get up early, run Hellbender and THEN eat breakfast. Hang around the vendor area, eat lunch and watch the crowd from the porch. Take a nap and then run the Dragon while everyone else is eating. Return to the village, retire your MINI for the night and enjoy the mountain air with some cold beers and great friends. ( did someone say something about large crowds?)
Not all the great ones... I have this one that starts on this tar and chip road that tosses up lots of stones so you don't want to follow close. It brings you through some hollows that I swear don't even have electric to the houses... Follow me if you dare!
I figure everyone will now run Hellbender early in the morning and we will have the rest of the roads open for a few of us to run.