Enjoy the story folks.

So here's how the weekend went down. I left Thursday night, and attempted to meet the MetroNY clan on the way to Virginia. I missed them by about 5 minutes. By the time I got there, they had checked in, Mike was still finishing a cigarette, and Mike and Jen's cars were in the parking lot.

I know Mike said they were 'Going to drive as far as we can, then pack it in for the night'. I figured they decided to stop with us. Not true I later found out. Jen had a small problem with the car, and she stopped so Bill could take a look. Since it was around 1:30 AM already, I packed it in. When I came out in the morning to get going with everyone else, Jen and Mike (and Deb) were already gone. Apparently they left about 2:30 AM after Bill confirmed that it was just a sensor or something, and nothing to worry about. (Its good to hang with Metro - Bill is a mechanic, and Dan carries an OBD II scanner since his car never runs right )

Just so everyone knows who is with us... DV: Jen, Mike and Gary. Metro: Eliot, Mike, Dan, Bill, Jay, Dave and Jimmy. JP from Metro is also there, but doesn't go down with us, and misses the 6AM convoy out of Tennessee on Sunday.

So we leave for Tennessee - On the way we convoy down with others that are going at a decent clip. For about 30 miles, we're following this trucker hauling a.... TANK.... nice!



After meeting some of the Virginia (Eric and Matt, plus someone who thought they forgot their wallet in the gas station) people, we drive a bit and take a break for lunch.

Eliot decides that there is too much lemonade in his glass, and promptly spills the contents onto the table and his son Russ, TWICE.


Dan then shows us what he is teaching his son Noa about manners, while Monique just turns away. She was heard murmuring 'Not now Dan, not in public, PLEASE!'

On the way down, I took lots of photos. Typical shots, nothing big. This one sticks out though.


Later, I make a comment to Jay about his car looking like a riced out Hyundai Tiburon. Jay's answers with "Yo, that's not right!"

Saturday is the big day. All the cars caravan down to the Dragon for a little bit. Raul does the safety speech. I notice Ron Howard at the site, apparently scoping out the location for Jurassic Park 4.


Jay is trying to get a part in the movie, and does his best gangsta impression. East Coast, Baby!

We drive. Metro goes down and back, then takes a little break.

Mike and Bill contemplate the meaning of life, and hope to find it in the mountainsides around Deal's Gap.

Mike, after trying to find the meaning of life, realizes what Dan and Monique have known all along. That the meaning of life is right there in front of them, so he joins them on the rock for a little breather.


After about 8 cops go by, none of whom are seen by anyone coming back towards us, we decide to head back down and go to lunch. Eliot, wanting nothing to do with this whole scene (his legal instincts kicking in I think), leaves the Dragon, only to return later that day.

We eat lunch. Mike and Jen are there.


We then head to Fontana Dam for some pics. The road there is like the Dragon, only not really like it. More like LWG or some other roads around here.
Mike is behind me as we head to the Dam. Check out the banking on this turn...


After lunch, I head out with Skip, Steve, and some of the others down Cherohola Parkway. Metro heads back, or so they say. Cherohola is just like the Dragon, but the straights are longer and the speeds are faster. Same turns, just spread out a little more, and a little more wide open. My gas light goes on, luckily we make it out to a gas station. I took 11.5 gallons, which wasn't nearly as much as Skip, who took 12.5 or thereabouts.

Sunday we get up and. Bill takes one last look at Dan's car and makes sure it starts up.


As we head out on I-40, the sun starts to come out over the trees.

The rest of the trip is pretty unenventful.

Hope you enjoyed the story and pics. Consider doing this trip in the Fall. It's a fantastic drive. I wish I had taken some vacation days and had the chance to drive more of the roads out there. They all seemed really nice, and the scenery was beatiful.

 

Great pics Gary from a superb weekend Whats up with the video? I want a copy

 

Gary, great narration and pics! That last shot is great as we all lived to see another day... something that is never guaranteed.

 

Great pics Gary I gotta head out to this in the fall

 

 

Very funny stuff, and about 75% true too !!!

 

That last photo is just so cool

 

Very nice!

 

Werd

 

Nice pics fellas! It was nice meeting you guys! I was the guy not from the north that was hanging out with you all. I still have that damn clunking noise coming from the back end of my s2k. Comes and goes, I cant wait to get it on the lift this week. Hope to see you all again