This morning begins with a sigh, as most mornings do when I realize that I don't really have any trips planned in the near future. For me the planning of a trip can be nearly as much fun as the actual execution, and it can keep me entertained for a very long time. Unfortunately I don't really have anything on my radar at the moment. I'm considering booking some time off around the end of January and trying to get one of these last-minute deals where you don't know where you're going until a few weeks from departure time. It's apparently a very cheap way to go south in the winter, and I could certainly use a nice week in the sunny Caribbean by the time January rolls around each year. The only downside to that is that it doesn't give me a plan to drool over for the next three months. Oh well, sometimes cost considerations have to be made.
Given that I have no concrete plan for a winter getaway the only trip that I've got definitively planned is around the end of April when I'll be heading down with Jay, Graydyn, Susan, and perhaps others to attend the Minis on the Dragon event. They've got a website (http://minisonthedragon.info/index.html) setup if you'd like the full story, but I'll try to summarize here. The Tail of the Dragon, or simply the Dragon is a stretch of Highway 129 that crosses the Tennessee/North Carolina state line and in 11 miles manages to curve 318 times. This makes it a mecca for motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts. Every spring Mini enthusiasts converge on the Dragon to experience the epic driving and enjoy the company of fellow Mini fanatics. For any of you that know Jay, you know he looks forward to this all year.
For me the trip will be less about the driving and more about the epic countryside of rolling mountains and dense forest that surround the area. I'm hoping to get in some really excellent hiking, and may even camp for a night at some point. Of course, as a licensed motorcycle driver I will be tempted to rent a bike and see what I'm made of on The Dragon, but I have a sneaking suspicion that what I'm made of isn't sufficient to emerge from the The Dragon with all my limbs intact. Maybe I'll try to get some practice next summer and leave those 318 curves for 2011.
3 comments:
Sounds very cool.. reminds me of the road up the mountain to Sequoia National Park in California.. I had the fun surprise of turning a corner and finding a massive rattlesnake crossing the road..
Alas someone has beaten me to the first post.
One thing I must point out is that it's just The Dragon, Tail of The Dragon is the name of a T-shirt vendor, the locals hate that name. It is a wonderful place as much as I enjoy the twisty roads I would still want to go if I could not drive.
I actually just returned from the area my friends just got married there.
I must admit that I've neglected to keep up to date on reading your Blog. Sorry about that!
This is more in response to your writings on currency exchange -- the availability of procuring different currencies (Asian, Australian, European) here on the west coast is readily available at the numerous currency exchanges. Just let me or G&G know next time you need some.
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