OK. Take me off the tentative list, and make it real! I spoke with my wife via email: she mails her thesis off to London on the 16th, so we are using McDragon as a celebration of Master's completion.

Now, does anyone want to split accommodations with us?

 

Hmm...Let's hope this bit o' news from tailofthedragon.com gets resolved before our lil' McTrip...

"CURRENT NEWS:

JULY 17: The patching of US 129 from Fugitive Bridge to the NC/TN State line appears to be completed. Repaving should being taking place in the next few weeks. The gravel problem on the Dragon is much better after heavy rains."

 

I think I can make this as well - I'll know more in August for sure though. Is the inn going to fill up?

 

It is official, I can't make my first chance to go to an unofficial McDragon!!! I have to go to Hilton Head for business on Sunday through Tuesday.

I will definitely see everyone at Dragonball in the Fall!!!!

Have fun!!!

Deiger

 

Personal update...

Julie and I were up there this weekend, and it does appear that patching is complete on the NC side. No paving equipment that we saw.

The TN side had shoulder work being done today to raise the gravel shoulders to the street level, which put dirt & gravel on the Dragon, but very light and should not cause any problems for us in August. Today however, we were never sure where the gravel trucks and COP were at any given pass. (no cops yesterday though )

 

If I reserve at the inn, do I eed to get a cabin or can I get one of the other types of rooms? Are they all next to each other?

 

Is there any room on Friday and Saturday nights? Trying to decide if I can make it out.

thanks
mike

 

Put us down as confirmed for Fri/Sat night. We plan to leave from Greenville (Greer) early Fri AM.

Mapquest estimates about 3 hours with a route going up I-26 to Asheville, then I-40, US 74 and NC 28. We hope to arrive between 9 and 10 AM.

BTW if anyone has a better suggested route, please let me know. We plan to take the scenic route back on Sunday by way of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Finally, and hopefully witout starting a whole new topic. What are people's preferences on radios?

 

The lodge/inn rooms are all clustered together, and the cabins are spread out all over the village. I'm not exactly sure where our cabins are located, but if you want to reserve a cabin near our 2, just ask the reservationist to tell you which ones are near the McCoy cabins. (Reserved under Sheila McCoy).

The inn has been recently renovated and is very nice; just be sure you get a recently renovated room. Check out the Fontana Village website under "Area Maps"; they have a map of the village and of the cabin locations.

BTW, there is no cell phone service at Fontana or the Dragon, but it shouldn't be hard to find 2 cabins with about 9-10 S2Ks around them!

We should be on the Dragon most all day Fri & Sat, so look for us there and keep your radio on the ever-famous channel 4. (no sub channel)

 

Arriving Friday night between 9-10, drive around the village and look for our cars outside a cabin or 2; I'm sure we'll be up!

Radios - A lot of people like the Motorola FRS radios. One suggestion would be to find an earpiece/headset you like first, then find a radio that's compatible with it. The hands-free is very important while driving, and it seems to be harder to find a good headset/earpiece than a good radio.