My 2011 tail of the dragon trip.

[Berto]

Was awesome. It was a great chance go have Doug meet me out there from Charlotte, its been a few yrs since I've seen him. Trip went really well. No huge issues except for the Porsche Boxer S dropping a half shaft on the Chrohala skyway. I've included a pic of one of the guy's A4 (for the Audi fanboys, Jones). The A4 was actually very impressive, but one thing I learned this trip is the importance of sweet tires (not that I didn't know this but it was very evident).

 

Also, there was a BoxsterS on the trip, and I went for a quick run with him down the dragon. And I will say I have made fun of Boxsters in the past but this thing had just tires and a seasoned driver behind the wheel and it was very impressive. Power band was surprisingly smooth.

 

Trip was great, cabin was great, friends were great. I really can't complain. Here are some pics.

 

There are a lot of pics of my car, but its my thread so I can do what I want. Deal with it.

Fontana Dam

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon/th_DSC_0112.jpg

BoxsterS Fail.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon/th_DSC_0074.jpg

The Cabin and the crew

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon/th_DSC_0048.jpg

Car at the top of the dragon

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon/th_DSC_0043.jpg

 

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon/th_DSC_0041.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon/th_DSC_0028.jpg

View from the front porch of the cabin

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon/th_DSC_00272.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon/th_DSC_00172.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon/th_DSC_0015.jpg

Doug's Whip

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon/th_DSC_0078.jpg

 

Panoramic Shot from Mt. Pisgah on the Blue Ridge Pkwy. Put together from 5 fotos.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c192/BertoBizkit/Fred%20Miranda%20Forum%20Entries/Berto%20Photography/MtPisgahPanorama.jpg

[frenchy chan]

Nice!

[Aaron]

A4 looks great with the A5 s line wheels.

 

My wife and I are going to be doing this in september.

[Draco-REX]

Some day I'm going to go out there. Living so close, there's no excuse not to go.

[Cordell]

Jealous? Yes I am, looks like a great time.

[motozachl]

Digg them pics!

[04silvrz]

will be going next month!

[gaewsky1]

That sounds like to best guy trip ever. Was it a stock A4? And your car looks great btw.

[CRed05]

[Mr. Jones]

Hot.

 

Yes, tires are everything, they are after all the only thing connecting your car to the road.

 

I thin I'm going to hit up 555, then maybe TOTD..

[Berto]

That sounds like to best guy trip ever. Was it a stock A4? And your car looks great btw.

 

Thanks! Not sure what was done to the A4. Suspension stuff for sure. Turbo was pretty loud I could hear the damn thing at any point over idle, even just pulling out of the lot. Last year it wasn't a guy trip but this year for one reason or another no one's GF/wife went. I think mine bailed because her face was green by the time we got done with the dragon the first time!

 

Oh yeah and for the record my truck got 15.6 mpg (hand calculated) on the entire trip, pulling my car and 2 bikes in the bed, and all the gear associated with 3 ppl.

[kyc12340]

looks amazing. would love to be there one day

[PRD2BDF]

I hear they're infamous for overzealous cops tiicketing for just barely touching the center line or going a hair over the speed limit. You experience that?

 

Did you drive it hard for fun or was it more of a cruise and take in the sights? I know you mentioned the importance of having good tires but I wanted to make sure.

 

I'm planning on hitting TOTD myself too, the Saab needs to see everything!

[Berto]

I hear they're infamous for overzealous cops tiicketing for just barely touching the center line or going a hair over the speed limit. You experience that?

 

Did you drive it hard for fun or was it more of a cruise and take in the sights? I know you mentioned the importance of having good tires but I wanted to make sure.

 

I'm planning on hitting TOTD myself too, the Saab needs to see everything!

I personally did not see any evidence of overzealous cops. First time we went last year there was a cop sitting at the beginning and one at the end. This time there was a cop that seemed to make it way down the dragon stopping at the guys that were taking pics. He didn't really seemed to be concerned with anything. He was standing about 10 ft from his cruiser with his arms crossed talking with the photographer. However, on Thursday there was NO police activity. It picked up towards Fri afternoon and Saturday.

 

I had fun and saw the sights. The speedlimit on the dragon is 30 mph but the turns are so tight that even at 35mph you are having a decent time. Unless you are 'time trialing' like I saw folks doing (gassing hard out of the turn and then jamming on the brakes) you probably don't need to break the speed limit to have fun.

 

When we rode the blue ridge parkway, that was a sights type of drive. I personally think the Cherohala skyway was more fun than the dragon.