********Some of the runs / activities to look forward to this Fall**********


Mark's Mystery Tour

Totally accidentally, I found/invented a new run for us. THIS FALL, I will premier "Mark's Mystery Tour".

WHAT IT IS:

• We will be gone five hours.
• We will stop for lunch.
• We will see some wonderful roads and scenery.
• No further information is, or will be, available. So do not ask.

NOW:

• No maps will be given out; no description of the run will be given to anyone.
• No one without a QUALITY (Kenwood or Midland Mobile) radio will be allowed to drive on this run. (No Walmart/Amazon FRS radios; I will have at least two spare REAL radios. There are unique aspects of some of this route - you MUST be able to hear what the leader is telling you.)
  And the most amazing (or suspicious) part: It will be almost entirely Tourist Class - only the slightest "Sport Skill" will be required. (When did I ever lead a tourist run?)

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Cherohala Skyway Run

The Vonyure Liquor Store(s) appear to be gone. In search of a substitute, we changed the route from Tellico Plains to Vonure.
I will publish a new map in this post in the coming weeks.
With the re-route, we do miss a bit of scenery, but we encounter a Walgreens,
Liquor Store, big grocery store and gas stations. It is a re-route worth considering.

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The Church Run

The Church run started in 2018 in Honor of Johnathan and his Sunday morning devotionals he led for many years until his passing in 2015. Each year we choose a different denominational church. This years run will take us out of Fontana on a road you probably didn’t know existed then on through Robbinsville for a fuel/potty stop then on down Wayah road to Franklin for a church service at Discover church 11:30 AM. Lunch is at a favorite in Franklin, the Motor Company Grill at about 1:00 then on to Bryson City for a small waterfall hike. It's about a half mile round trip to the falls.

Route http://mapq.st/2UDlCnC

We will line up at 9:00 on the upper road in the lodge parking lot and leave at 9:15. We plan to stop in Robbinsville to get gas/snacks/potty/etc then on to the church in Franklin.
https://discover.church

Lunch website Motor Company Grill - 1950s Themed Diner Restaurant in Franklin, NC

Waterfalls are optional due to the hike in. It is hilly and a lot of terrain changes but on a marked trail.

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Other Runs

We vary in what runs we offer. The factors that determine where we go are: What the leaders feel confident with, what attendees express interest in at the Friday night driver's meeting, weather conditions and number of cars. Please understand that ANYONE can invent a run and lead it. Don't worry about how it will go - the first time on a new route is always interesting. (This last Dragon, we tried a new route, not knowing the best road of the route was closed - that turned into some unexpected fun ! )

We try to limit runs to ten cars each, as it is hard to handle a LOT of cars and more than 20 people at a time will overwhelm some of the little restaurants we visit over the weekend. If we have more than ten cars, we usually break into two groups for that run.

Check back here over the next few months for updates on routes that are being offered, as leaders discuss their plans. If you want to be a leader, simply post that in this thread and we will add you to the conversation (which is held elsewhere, including conference calls, email and private messages).

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From Valk (Gary):

Skylift Park / Skybridge Run - With drive to Gatlinburg - Friday and/or Sunday only

This new attraction might be of interest to some of our Crossfire folks - This attraction is new for this year !!
It is about a 2 hour drive / 75 miles from Fontana lodge to Gatlinburg
Gatlinburg can be a very congested area but this new attraction might just be worth the trip
I called and spoke with someone at the Skylift Park and was told that the Skylift ride is about 20 bucks per person to take you to the top where you can then walk across the suspension bridge with no additional cost
There are two parking lots nearby and parking can be 5 to 10 bucks a car but there should be space for a group of 15 to park fairly close to one another if we arrive mid morning.
Skylift park is centrally located in downtown Gatlinburg and about 75 miles from Fontana lodge
There are two different runs that we can use to take us into Gatlinburg from Fontana lodge
If this does become one of our runs it would be done on Friday and/or Sunday
The link below will provide you a little bit more information about the bridge etc

Take a look:
https://www.gatlinburgskylift.com/skybridge




Other FUN!
tttt
Other places or activities we will probably visit:

The Wheels Thru Time Museum
https://wheelsthroughtime.com/
We turn this into an all-day event, as we drive to Maggie Valley, visit the museum, get lunch and then come back to the lodge via the Parkway and other roads. This can be a LONG day (over 7 hours) or a shorter event - depends on leader motivation and participant interest.

The Road to NoWhere
https://www.greatsmokies.com/road-nowhere/
It's a short drive to Bryson City, NC. The Road to NoWhere does not take long to drive, so we either hike to the lake or stop in Bryson City for shopping. Lunch is is in Bryson City at any one of many restaurants.

Sunset Ride on Fontana Lake
This is a chartered boat ride guided by a local expert who can tell you all about how the lake and dam came about, decades ago.

Go-Karts
https://www.nascarspeedpark.com/
We've had some attendees drive to this park only to drive AT this park - it's an all-day event, as it's a considerable drive thru the Smokies to get there.