Bill, I will PM you my cell number... ATL traffic is not too bad after about 9:30 am and the run up 400 northbound won't get bad until about 3:30 in the afternoon. PROBABLY the best way, if you come in on I20, is to take I285 around the west / north side of Atlanta and exit onto 400 North. That downtown 75/85 connector can be a mess at times - but you never know, should be ok during the day but 285 is almost always ok during the day!

 

S*** WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!??! *facepalm*

 

Hmm we will see. I thought about leaving very early Wednesday to make Gulfport, MS to have an early lunch with my GF grandfather. Then Make Pensacola, FL by late afternoon to have some fun there and stay the night. Is it truly 5 hours to Atlanta from Pensacola or is that Google Map speak? I know sometimes they are right on the money and other are inflated an hour to hour and a half.

 

I was thinking 4 1/2 - but I'm often overly-optimistic.

Depending on when you leave, that could put you north of Atlanta by 1pm or so - not bad.
And by "North of Atlanta", I mean here at exit 14 of 400. From here, even with taking GA60, the dragon is only four hours away. We'd be there by 5 and could pull in and meet others at the Grill.

 

323 miles, almost all interstate. If you are brave, and average 70 ( means running 80 most of the time ), you can do it in about 4 hours 20 minutes.

 

Brave due to LEOs?

 

So, Pizzaguy, I am shooting for this. Still not sure where I am staying Wednesday night, but I will aim to be at the marked exit around 12 noon. Thought was to meet at the Racetrac Gas Station at 888 Buford Road, Cumming, GA 30041 just off the highway around noon. That way I can meet up with yall, stop for a driving break and some lunch, top off the gas tank and we all book it around 1 to 2 pm area as you mentioned. Sound good?

 

Also

Question on the route...

Once we hit Mineral Bluff, GA and US 129, it looked pretty tame up through Murphy and Andrews (really a ghost town) until you either cut across through Robbinsville, NC to Moonshiners 28 and up to Fontana Village or south along Hwy 19/74 to a point a bit further south on Moonshiners 28 and, again, on in to Fontana. Per Google Maps, that route is estimated at around 3 hours and 30 minutes either way. With some traffic and a few lights/stop signs, add an extra 30 minutes on there to make 4 hours a good rough estimate.

Another option that is a bit longer but a lot more fun from what I have researched, and what I was planning was to turn right and head east on US-76 or Hwy 2/515 or Appalachian Hwy (Geeze how many names can one road have?!?) just south of Mineral Bluff, GA. You follow this road east as it works its way through the hills and mountains through towns like Blairsville, Young Harris, Hiawassee, and Macedonia before finally turning left to go north in Clayton on Hwy 15/441/23. You ride that a bit north until you hit Hwy 246 or State Route 106 or Larry McClure Hwy (again, choose a name lol) where you turn right and head east northeast to Highlands, NC. The town would be a great quick stop, and then we could ride a good part of Moonshiners 28 (I have driven the entire length from South Carolina to Deals Gap in one shot and it is so worth the experience) all the way to Fontana.

This route adds about 75 extra miles and ups the time to closer to 5.5 hours give or take with 6 possible due to traffic.

Thoughts?

 

I will be leaving South Florida, Thursday morning, spending the night in Georgia somewhere just south or north of Atlanta, maybe 200 miles North of Atlanta then get up Friday morning and arrive sometime Friday

Anybody in that area was to p.m. me with their phone number I will return my phone number to you and we can meet up and convoy in .BKSeoul,, Alaxfire and or Pizzaguy. my trip is 823 miles. one way. jim

 

Well, Jim, I 'm going up on Thursday!

Bill, let me look over those options... right now, gotta get back to working on the car...

 

Alas, I shall not be in attendance this fall .....
( if you spend the night 200 miles north of Atlanta, you will have to drive south back down to Fontana .... )

 

I hear ya. I am coming from Houston, TX so it is literally 1K miles door to door for me most routes I take. As I said, I think meeting up with Pizzaguy around noon Thursday should be doable.

No problem. I actually send a reply back via PM with a second, probably better route that I prefer after doing a bit more research.

 

I like the 'better' one better... I will TRY to sit down tonight and go over the maps... just buried here, Bill.

Got up and made it to work by 7am - first time since 1979, I think !

 

Looks like a bit part of the fun of the Dragon will be this convoy! For any who can leave the GA400/Cumming GA area on Thursday around noon - join us!

Route to be determined in a few days.... Between the two groups, we have over 120 cars due at Fontana over the weekend.

 

Ok, so Bill and I will be meeting at GA400 exit 14 which is the Cumming/GA 20 exit around noon. I hope that, by 1 pm, we will be on the road.

We will be going up over Blood Mountain on GA60, to Mineral Bluff, GA then on to Tennessee via GA 60 which turns into TN68. We will follow TN68 to Tellico Plains, TN where we will turn east on the Skyway and proceed to Robinnsville and then up 129 to Fontana.

We should arrive at the Lodge by 6 or 7 pm and I plan to proceed directly to the Grill to eat!

The route we have mapped out is a not a totally direct route, it will add about an hour or more to the drive, but this way, we get to run the Skyway on a THURSDAY!!! Also, GA 60 is a blast for about 25 miles and I am curious to see what TN68 is like - from maps it LOOKS like a good drive !



Anyone who would care to, please join us.

 

Jim,

How 'bout you leave on WEDNESDAY morning? That would put you in Macon, GA after about 9 hours of driving. Get up the next morning and you are here in less than 3 hours - we meet with Bill at noon or so, and off we go - the 3 Musketeers!

Just an idea - of course, our path from here to Fontana is not the most direct....