Preplanning

[reaper]

I met with Ross this morning to preplan our trip from Jax to Blairsville. :)
We laid out our tentative route and and had enjoyable breakfast.
Now all we need is to hear from the group and what their planned (term used loosely) route from Blairsville to to Staunton will be. ::) I can't wait for this semester to be over, hit the road, blow off some steam and unwind. http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif.
CoachA and Mrs. CoachA can't wait to see "y'all" again and looking forward to putting faces to names I see on the board.

[reaper]

I met with Ross this morning to preplan our trip from Jax to Blairsville. :)
We laid out our tentative route and and had enjoyable breakfast.
Now all we need is to hear from the group and what their planned (term used loosely) route from Blairsville to to Staunton will be. ::) I can't wait for this semester to be over, hit the road, blow off some steam and unwind. http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif.
CoachA and Mrs. CoachA can't wait to see "y'all" again and looking forward to putting faces to names I see on the board.

[reaper]

I met with Ross this morning to preplan our trip from Jax to Blairsville. :)
We laid out our tentative route and and had enjoyable breakfast.
Now all we need is to hear from the group and what their planned (term used loosely) route from Blairsville to to Staunton will be. ::) I can't wait for this semester to be over, hit the road, blow off some steam and unwind. http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif.
CoachA and Mrs. CoachA can't wait to see "y'all" again and looking forward to putting faces to names I see on the board.

[mrfuni]

Doug,
Looking forward to meeting you. I plan on trailering from South Florida up to Jax, parking the four wheels, and tagging along with you and Ross to Blairsville...Joe

[coacha]

We will be selecting the waypoints for the trip soon. Still trying to decide ride day lengths to keep it manageable and fun for everyone.

[reaper]

Joe - same here
Coacha - waiting "patiently" ???

[trosco]

Don't think I could be described a patiently waiting but I am waiting.
Joe; Doug and I thought if we could all get going early that Sat we might make some of the trip before the heat gets bad? Our first 250 miles will be on I-95 then I-16 to Dublin GA. That's where we'd catch State Hwy 441 which we'd run that hwy all the way to the GA mountains up by Athens then Commerce. Not much to see on the interstates but easy to make time. We thought if we left by 7:30 AM we could be past Dublin and off the interstates before lunch time. We have about 200 miles and 4 hours of riding once we are to Dublin and so I thought we'd shoot for getting to Dicks between 5 & 6 PM.
To all: Joe, Doug and I thought (especially because of how far Joe has to go after we get to Jacksonville) that on the trip back from Staunton we could all spend the Friday heading back southwest toward somewhere between the Boone & Ashville NC area? But then on Saturday we (Joe, Doug and I and anyone else who wants) plan on heading south toward the NC/SC border in the general direction of the west side of Spartansburg. There are a lot of good rides going down that way.
We'll catch Hwy11 going west/south as we cross into SC and take it over to the river road by Walhalla & Clemnson. We'll ride the river roads on the SC side down to Augusta. That section of roads is a recommended ride in my book and should be fun. Once to Augusta we can run a ways toward Savannah on Hwys 25 & 21 in GA. The idea being that we will stay somewhere south of Augusta Saturday night. That will make it easy to be in Jacksonville before noon on Sunday.
Nothing is real cast in stone so we can add lib along the way and certainly there will need to be discussion at Dicks that Saturday night. These are just ideas we have to toss out!

[coacha]

Guys, I am going to get some waypoints up on the board some time this week. We are still 2 months out, and things can change between now and then. So just get a cold one and sit back and relax. It will all come together in time.

[MikeInFla]

Pre-planning is good when we have this many people coming. But, plans can change and throw everything off if you do it too far ahead.

I'm going to wait for our Regional Leader to tell us what's going on since he's the one responsible for organizing this.

UPDATED:

Here is what I'm talking about. Back in March people were asking Ron and I to come up with a schedule and a route. So we did (see link below) and now portions of that route I posted is no longer true because things outside of Kawanow forced us to change it.

http://www.vulcanbagger.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=14811&start=15

[mrfuni]

Ross, Doug, Coach, Mike and all,

I leave for an adventure in Costa Rica on Friday, returning Sunday the 26th with NO internet access, so don't wait for my opinion. Whatever you guys decide is good with me.

Ross I like the return to Jacksonville around noon for my hike to South Florida. Figure with the trailer it'll take me about 8 hours to get home from there while you guys are sipping a cold one.

[goose]

Man you guyz got it together!!!!(::)

[coacha]

I have left a message for Dick on his home phone today and will await a return call. At that point I will post the tentative stop point for Sunday night and we can discuss the lodging options in that city. It will probably be either Mountain City, TN (per our first plan) or Wytheville, VA (Dick and I had discussed this earlier).

I apologize for any consternation that this is causing. I realize everyone wants to "get their ducks in a row" but sometimes, as Mike said, things happen outside our original plan. Also, please realize that I am trying to get everyone's input and feedback. It is sometimes difficult to reach a consensus.

[goose]

I have left a message for Dick on his home phone today and will await a return call. At that point I will post the tentative stop point for Sunday night and we can discuss the lodging options in that city. It will probably be either Mountain City, TN (per our first plan) or Wytheville, VA (Dick and I had discussed this earlier).

I apologize for any consternation that this is causing. I realize everyone wants to "get their ducks in a row" but sometimes, as Mike said, things happen outside our original plan. Also, please realize that I am trying to get everyone's input and feedback. It is sometimes difficult to reach a consensus.

Coach, your doing a FINE job, and with that you get a (ATTABOY) from me!

[MikeInFla]

I have left a message for Dick on his home phone today and will await a return call. At that point I will post the tentative stop point for Sunday night and we can discuss the lodging options in that city. It will probably be either Mountain City, TN (per our first plan) or Wytheville, VA (Dick and I had discussed this earlier).

I apologize for any consternation that this is causing. I realize everyone wants to "get their ducks in a row" but sometimes, as Mike said, things happen outside our original plan. Also, please realize that I am trying to get everyone's input and feedback. It is sometimes difficult to reach a consensus.


Just make sure I'm at the smores rally point.

[mrfuni]

+1 Goose... :) :) :) ...Coach you got it all together and we appreciate what you do..

[coacha]

Thank you all. I am just a cog in the machine.

Joe, hope you have a great trip to Costa Rica. When you get back, let us know when a good time would be to head down your way one Saturday. We owe you a ride to your neck of the woods.

[coacha]

I discussed the route from Blairsville to Staunton with Dick tonight. He thought Mountain City, Tn or toward Wytheville, VA was the way to go. He has some good roads to travel. Both days would be in the 250 or a little more range. If we want to we can jump on I-81 if we want to take make some time.

Please take a look at a map on Google or what ever you use and see if this is acceptable.

Dick filled me in on Kay's surgery while on the phone. Please keep them in your prayers.

[trosco]

Ron, I sent you a PM with a few more details but I have been to the mountain city area. It's nice riding on 421 and other roads around there. It is not a big city but there's a motel in town that would fit my requirements called the Empire motel. I remember several little eating places. And it has probably grown since I was there.
If we want or need a larger town it's about 25 miles to Boone NC about 45 to Bristol TN and about 70 to Wythville VA. And I don't care which of those it is if we go that route. There are chain hotels and chain restaruants in all three.

[reaper]

Geez, didn't mean to stir up a s#!t storm :-/, I was only saying Ross and I were laying out our trip plans for meeting everybody and our trip back. Believe me I know plans change ??? and it doesn't matter which way we go, just so somebody has a general idea of where we're going and where the cold beer is at the end of the day http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif.
(Reap say's to himself" hope there not this sensative on the road" http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

[coacha]

After checking in around the area, I am putting these two points out for everyone to have input:

Wytheville, VA. That will be approximately 280 miles for Sunday and leave 165 miles for Monday.

Bristol, VA. That will be approximately 215 miles and 235 miles for Monday.

Rational for these two spots is to allow us greater ability to find accommodations. Please let me know what your feelings are.

[trosco]

Either one will be fine with me Ron. Going to be pretty easy to fine hotel and food in either.
If anything I would lean towards Bristol so that we could take a route up through Deals Gap and the Smokey mountain national park the first day.
My biggest concern with Bristol would just be that the town is over run if there is a race event that weekend. The Sprint cup stuff isn't till August and I did a quick search and didn't find anything big at the drag strip either so we are probably safe.
Looking forward to it!
Ross

[MikeInFla]

165 miles on Monday is not very long and would put us at our destination pretty early. Folks may not be able to drop their stuff off right away.

With the longer ride Monday it would chew up some time and possibly get there closer to check in time.

[coacha]

I have no problem with either. My concern with Deal's Gap is that I will have a trailer and some of the people riding may not have a desire to take that as a side trip. If I recall correctly, Deal's Gap is still a somewhat closed or limited in acess.

That is up to you guys.

[mrfuni]

Depends on the weather...No preference here. Coach, get with Goose for a weather report :)

[Kawhead]

I wish I was riding with y'all. The trip to Custer was as much fun as the rally.

[MikeInFla]

I have no problem with either. My concern with Deal's Gap is that I will have a trailer and some of the people riding may not have a desire to take that as a side trip. If I recall correctly, Deal's Gap is still a somewhat closed or limited in acess.

That is up to you guys.

Deals Gap, a trailer and a passenger, whats the problem?

[coacha]

Not a thing...I have been there, done that, got the patch and sticker, no desire to do it again. If everyone else wants to do it, I'll wait for ya'll in Robinsville at Wendy's with a frostie in my hand and a song in my heart.

[MikeInFla]

a song in my heart.

The image of that alone makes me laugh. I'm thinking of Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins.

[coacha]

Chim chimeny chim chim charoo,
Coach A is a riding and going zoom zoom....

[mrfuni]

Make that Frostee X 2 :)
Coach got the song covered...

[goose]

http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gifX3 on that Frostie! I'll keep Joe & Coach company while everyone goes and scrapes their floorboards. (haha)



:)And for those who are intrested, The Dragon is now open from 8am til 8pm 7 days a week, until the rock slide is cleared [ http://www.dealsgap.com/ ]

[MikeInFla]

until the rock slide is cleared [ http://www.dealsgap.com/ ]


Or occurs again.

[bigdave]

If you decide on Mountain City or Bristol let me know. Since im not getting to go to the rally it would be a chance for me to meet the group. Im only a hour from Bristol or Mountain City and might be able to join up with the group at around Erwin TN

[sarge1057]

Does anyone Know when 129 will be open for through traffic.

[coacha]

Sarge, I heard on another forum it won't be till September, but I could be wrong.

[sarge1057]

I guess I have to change my route.

[goose]

I guess I have to change my route.
Sarge check this out [ http://www.dealsgap.com/ ] they are saying its open from 8am til 8pm.

[coacha]

Ok, I'm thinking Bristol area. I would like to stop south of Bristol, near Kingsport. There is a La Quinta Inn at 357 and I-81 and a KOA not far from there. Then we can either take I-81 up the road a little ways and get on side roads or go side roads from there.

[trosco]

That location works for me Ron. The LaQuinta's are always a pretty safe choice for hoteling it.

Plus, if we get there early those that want to could do the loop of 321 and 421 down by shady grove and hampton. One of the best rides available in that area IMHO. And the campers could drop trailer and join in.

Just a thought?

[coacha]

sounds good Ross.

[Yellow Jacket]

I guess I have to change my route.
Sarge check this out [ http://www.dealsgap.com/ ] they are saying its open from 8am til 8pm.

It's not open for through traffic. Access is only from the south and you have to make a u-turn where it's closed and go back out the way you came in.

[wompus]

I live in Gainesville, Ga. about 6 miles off of I-85. If anyone needs a place to park their trailer for a halfway ride just let me know.

[coacha]

Wompus, we will be going very near there on the way up to Blairsville...I think. I gotta get out my maps and look.

[sarge1057]

I feel like a kid waiting on Christmas only 15 days before I leave for the rally. http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

[trosco]

Ron, are we settled on the Sunday night stop of:

I would like to stop south of Bristol, near Kingsport. There is a La Quinta Inn at 357 and I-81 and a KOA not far from there.

If so then I will make hotel reservations. With Joe injured it will be me and Doug and Mike coming up from Jax and we all are hoteling it. There are a lot of choices in that area if someone wants some place else but at that exit the LaQuinta appears to be the best choice?

Let me know?

[coacha]

That is what I'm thinking Ross. Take a look at the route from Blairsville area to Bristol. I'm thinking that will give everyone someplace to stay. It will give us two days of about 275 miles +/-.