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MG TD TF 1500 - Goin' on Safari!!

Leaving Gowensville at 8 am June 7 and joining the safari 35 miles down Hwy 11 where it meets with Hwy 276, near Cleveland, SC. From our meeting place we will head north on Hwy 276 through Ceasar's Head state park to Brevard, one of the windingest vertical stretches of road in SC. We will stop at McDonalds for a nature break and then continue on Hwy 276 north, up the mountain and over the Blue Ridge Parkway. Weather permitting, we will stop at an overlook just south of the Parkway for a breathtaking view of the mountains and valley below. Hwy 276 will take us down the other side of the Blue Ridge and eventually into the little town of Waynesville (good place for shopping - Ugh!) to a tee intersection with Hwy 19 where we will take a left turn (west) and head towards Maggie Valley. The Jonathan Creek Inn is on the right side of the road on the western end of Maggie Valley. We'll visit the the Wheels Through Time Museum which we'll pass on the right just before we arrive at the Inn.

The safari will consist of four TR-6s, one TR-4, one TR Spitfire, two MGBs, one MGB-GT, one lone MG-TD and a chasecar. If all goes well I'll post an arrival notice Saturday evening. We'll spend the night at the Inn and head back Sunday morn.

Jud
J K Chapin

Jud, may the NOAA gods be with you. One of these days Lazarus and I will get down there with you. Bud
Bud Krueger

Goin' on Safari!!

What a wonderful drive! The pic attached is me and my sister at the gathering site. The Spitfire had issues so the safari was the 4 TR-6s, the TR-f, the MGBs and my TD. Up 276 damn near vertically (8 - 9% grades) past Ceasar's Head and Raven Cliff Falls and then some serious up and twisting on into Brevard. The TR-6s could pull the hills a bit better than me but I could keep up and occasionally challange on the flatter curves. After a potty stop in Brevard we headed further on up to Waynesville (fortunately no stop for shopping) and on into Maggie Valley to the Jonathan Creek Motel The next image is the view from the gazebo at the Motel - We were having too much fun to take many pictures so this is about it.

After a big lunch at the local Legends Sports Bar we drove back down Hwy. 19 past the antique tractor show to the Wheels Through Time museum - More motorcycles that you ever thought existed - Google it. Not only the thousand or so antique motorcycles in the museum but also the 100+ harleys and Goldwings and BMW of the vistors in the parking lot. Most motorcycle people and very friendly and these were no exception - they were fascinated with our collection of British cars.

Back to the Motel, a cheese platter and maybe more than one beer by the trout strean and then on the a pretty good steak dinner. The mediocraty of the steak dinner was made up for by the few more beers and great comaraderie back out by the trout stream until the sandman begin beating us soundly over the head.

A brief shower in the wee hours of the AM did nothing to dampen our spirits and everybody was out by 8 with towels wiping down their LBCs. A hearty breakfast and back on the road south. We took Hwy 215 to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Highway 215 has to be the prettiests stretch of road in North Carolina - an avbsolute green tunnel twisting and winding through the trees. At the BRP we split up with two of us (a charcoal grey TR-6 and my TD heading north and the rest staying in 215 heading southwest back toward Clemson/Seneca. Easley.

My sister had never been on the Parkway and she couldn't get enough of the vistas..Starting out was the only stumble by the TD. The hard drive across 215 followed by a too short stop (I probably shouldn't have shut it down) resulted in Carb #1 vaporlocking. She started find but about 10 mph in 2nd was all I could get. I said "It'll clear in just a momnent" but that didn't seem to be happening. I was just pullong off into an overlook to tap the bowl with a light spanner when she just began to purr again. Pulled back out onto the Parkway and never had another burp.

Round trip was 215 miiles that I made on 11.5 gallons a gas (I'm guessing at least 30% and maybe 40% of that was in 3rd) and about 1/2 quart of oil. I can stand it.We've started planning a three-day through the Cumberland Gap and up through the Kentucky bourbon district. I can't wait.

Jud

J K Chapin

Jonathan Creek trout streem at the Motel

J K Chapin

She looks beautiful. The car looks good too.
Don
D Hanna

We were there in '93 Great MG place!!Even if ya get caught in some snow ,,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj3i27MmB5U

Steve Wincze

Many years ago, I did both the Skyline Drive and the Parkway FULLY.

It was so narrow and full of Mobile homes, etc, that it took me 2½ days to do it

No question, its a beautiful drive and I have done some parts again, some as recently as 2013, but the traffic now is worse than ever.

For those who live outside of North America, this drive is highly recommended, but be sure to allow three full days to drive from Front Royal VA to the Great Smokey Nat. Park on the SC/Tenn border, with of course, the obligatory "Tail-of-the-Dragon" (318 curves in 11 miles) thrown in for a complete ride! I've done it twice - the first time in my TF (damn near lost the brakes) and the second time in a Lotus Elise (needed a change of underwear). Just watch out for the idiot riders of the 'rice rockets'

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

Steve, that picture was already hanging on my shop wall as a daily inspiration. Even though we were driving on a Sunday and there had been a big motorcycle gathering (very few rice rockets) nearby, the traffic was hardly existant. Just good luck I guess.

Jud
J K Chapin

This thread was discussed between 06/06/2014 and 09/06/2014

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