I'm sure people are chomping at the bit. The way this year has been most everyone has a bad case of cabin fever. I've been out wandering the back roads myself. Sure makes an old fart feel good.
Wish I have gotten out mor.......never mind. Lol Hope everyone is staying safe! Prayers to those who have been dealing with stuff.
And got a cabin at Fontana Village! MINIs and Social Distancing and masks and moonshine! Oh heck yes, baby!
I couldn't find a better thread, so I'll post my little update here. The few folks who will care will find it here anyway... I called Fontana today and confirmed that my 2020 MOTD (the larger one in the spring) reservation was carried forward to 2021. All looks OK on that front. I asked the Fontana folks about the gift card that I had purchased in early 2020 during the Buy-One-Get-One sale and they recommended that I dispute the purchase w/ my credit card company (which has been started).
Thank you for the update! Glad to hear MINIacs have some options and appreciate you getting the word out!
If I am not mistaken the fall event by the Tar Heel Mini Club predates MOTD. I have met people from Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio at the fall event, Tar Heel does not care where you are from. Normally the Porsche 912 Club is in the area and I think that a Honda Club is having an event the same weekend but they are staying in Bryson City.
Looks like both events were celebrating their 18th year this year. Both are very cool, but different events. MOTD is a National event with 37 states represented, vendors, lots and lots of events and hundreds of MINIacs(sometimes topping a thousand). MSSD is much more laid back TarHeel MINI Motoring Club event with welcome dinner, drives on Sat and lots of fun! Normally they get up to a hundred MINIacs! I can’t wait to spend time with y’all! Stay Safe! Drive fast, take chances! Lol
If there is not a tropical storm in the area I will get into Robbinsville on Wednesday. Will do the Tail Thursday and Friday. Saturday morning I will hit the Dragon one last time and then head back to Raleigh. I take the BRPW out of Asheville as there are two to three very good mountain runs on the way to the Dragon.
Ingles is an Asheville based grocery store chain with a store in Robbinsville. They have great donuts and I have a soft spot for their apple fritters.
Last time I went to MOTD, I had some MREs that were aging out (5-10 years) according to the way I had to store them (I keep a case around the house for those just-in-case scenarios), so I took 3-4 MRE packs with me. It all stored nicely in the back of the car without refrigeration and the MREs were a bit of fun for me as I've never had the chance to try 'em. I had decided to skip the brewswap that year, so I just took a bottle of local single-malt with me and I didn't even have to bother with a cooler. Between the pre-packaged stuff and the occasional meal on the Fontana porch burger place or gas station biscuit breakfast, I never felt like I was eating the same thing too often and came home with several of the MREs still intact (nothing I tried tasted stale, so I figure they still have several years left).
mind the local wildlife! This just popped up in my Facebook feed: The elk are out and about en masse this morning on Newfound Gap Road at the Oconoluftee Visitor’s Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.