(This post is to everyone coming for the first time)

This is a very good point. People who end up staying in Robbinsville (cause they book their trip after the Lodge is full) often miss out because so much of the socializing and getting to know one another happens at the Lodge in the evenings. And the drive back to Robbinsville in the dark spooks me, so I don't blame people for heading to the Hotel by 6pm! (People who will be camping at the Lodg'es campground will only be about 2 miles from the lodge, not nearly as bad to drive back in the dark as going all the way to Robbinsville.)

When you get there, just go up to ANYONE with a Crossfire and you are in. Asking for Gary or John or Nick (13dog) or Mark/Pizzaguy would be a good idea, too. The driver's meeting Friday is at 9pm, but anytime after about 6pm there will be people mulling around the lodge. If you see Crossfires sitting along the road or gathered at a restaurant on your way into town, don't be afraid to just stop and walk up to the bunch ! We all come there for the same reason - to see one another!

About the driver's meeting:
Gary (and others) talk about safety as well as what the various routes are like and what speed ranges each group moves in - this will give you an idea of what group to go with on Saturday. If you've never been there, just the places we all drive to, and the places we eat at, will fill you day enough. Then, when we get back, it's time for dinner together and we usually sit around talking till about 11pm.

It DOES sound like room can be made for one more lady to go shopping, if your wife wants to do that, it would just be that one or two ladies may follow the SUV in their car...


We will have a very fast group doing the Devil's Triangle; a moderate group (or two) doing the Skyway, a group going to Franklin and back (pretty drive and often the tourist class takes that route) and on Sunday there is usually a trip to the Builtmore (is that spelled right?), I've never gone along on that one. There is also the run down below Franklin that stops at some waterfalls, and this year there will be a run over to a Brewery and a ride on the Parkway.

You may have more to choose from than you know what to do with. For a first time up there, I recommend (what happens to be my favorite): the Skyway run. This one includes a romantic waterfall (I helped a guy propose there last fall), a beautiful drive down the skyway, lunch in Tellico Plains, an optional stop at the liquor store on 411, an optional shot up to about 110mph on TN72, and a return thru the Dragon. (I think if we are running ahead of schedule this year, I want to go up to Lookout Rock on the way back, if the weather is clear.)

Above all, just get there! I WISH you were coming in on Thursday, it sounds like I'm leading four cars - I think two are first-timers and we'll be going up my "road to nowhere" (different from Nick's road of the same name), over Blood Mountain and in the back way from Atlanta. We leave GA400 exit 14/Cumming at 1pm on Thursday, after a one hour stop for lunch. Being there on Thursday night gives you all day Friday to play around in advance of the rest of us getting there. It also beats the hell outta going to work.

Down to just over 4 weeks, everyone!