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5th Annual Volvo Dragon Slayers

8K views 76 replies 16 participants last post by  MyNameIdeasWereTaken 
#1 · (Edited)

Group photo from last year's event.

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Like last year, this event is for Volvos ONLY. Previous event attendees who no longer own Volvos are the only exception. I know this sounds rude, but the majority enjoy keeping it exclusive. This also helps limit it to our tight community where we can meet new people with similar interests.

MyNameIdeasWereTaken - C30
adamyeti - S40
Trivolvo - C30
redneckitengineer - C70
tchnprgrmr - S60R
TheBelgian - C30
Thasten - V60
prancingmeese - C30
macthias - C30

When? Saturday September 3rd is the official date of our meet, but some of us will be arriving Friday night and staying for the whole weekend.

What is Volvo Dragon Slayers? This is a one day meet at the Tail of the Dragon. This is not a full weekend like C30s Conquer the Dragon and is not in competition with the scale or quality of the C30s CTD event. This is just an opportunity for local Volvo owners to satisfy that desire for another run of the dragon.

The Saturday trip will consist of a scenic drive to Clingman's Dome, a run of the Tail of the Dragon, concluding with a visit to Fontana Dam. This is not a race! It's a scenic drive for the whole family to enjoy. At most, we may be doing 10mph over the speed limit on highway sections. For those planning to stay late or spend the weekend, there will also be a night run of the dragon.

8:00AM - Breakfast at the Mountain View Restaurant at Fontana
8:45AM - Meet at the Fontana Village Resort General Store
9:00AM - Departure for Clingman's Dome. We will stop at a gas station about 20 miles from Fontana Village Resort
2:00PM - Lunch at the Dragon Pitt Inn & BBQ
3:00PM - Group Photo along the Little Tennessee River and drivers briefing
3:30PM - Tail of the Dragon concluding with a stop at the KillBoy store
4:30PM - Visiting the bottom of Fontana Dam
5:30PM - Visiting the top of Fontana Dam and history museum
6:30PM - Dinner the Wild Wood Grille at Fontana
8:30PM - Meet at the Fontana Village Resort General Store and drivers briefing
8:45PM - Departure for the Tail of the Dragon night run

*This schedule is optional, but what the majority in our group will be doing.
*We will be departing the General store strictly at 9:00AM. If you are not with our group at this time and wish to join us later, please use the schedule for an idea of where we will be.
*Please note at that aside from the departure time, these times are not set in stone. We may run a little early or a little late.
*While the roads we are driving are free to access, you are responsible for your own meals and gas.

Clingman's Dome is located in a State Park and the speed limit is strictly enforced. There are multiple stops along this scenic drive for opportunities to stretch your legs and take pictures. We will stop at the Clingman's Dome visitor center for about an hour. Here, you may hike the .5 mile paved trail to the lookout tower. This is the highest elevation point in the Smoky Mountains at 6,643 feet.

The Tail of the Dragon is a public road with 35mph speed limits and occasional cops. Slay the dragon at your comfortable pace! This is not a race! No one will judge if you intend to hold back and drive slow. Some of our group will lead and intend to drive fast, others will stay back and enjoy the curvy road at the speed limit.

The dragon is a completely different beast at night. There will be designated leaders for the night run, each with aftermarket lighting to help guide the way. As with other runs of the dragon, drivers will be encouraged to drive at their comfortable pace. The group will be divided between those who want to drive fast and those who simply wish to take a calm evening stroll.

If you want alcohol, bring your own! There is a bar at the resort, but this is a dry county with a 30 mile drive to the nearest liquor store.
Do not drink and drive.

It is advised that everyone brings walkie talkie radios for communication while driving. We will be using Channel 3 sub channel 0. Radios are a great way to communicate upcoming turns, rest points, and friendly chatter.
 
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#2 ·

Group photo from last year's event.

We have narrowed it down to two weekends to choose from, please vote for your preference. To date, neither weekend has anything booked on the Tail of the Dragon events calendar; this does not mean that other clubs aren't planning something for that weekend too.

August 27th
September 3rd (Labor Day weekend)

We went on labor day weekend last year and traffic was minimal.

----------

Like last year, this event is for Volvos ONLY. Previous event attendees who no longer own Volvos are the only exception. I know this sounds rude, but the majority enjoy keeping it exclusive. This also helps limit it to our tight community where we can meet new people with similar interests.

MyNameIdeasWereTaken - C30
SunroofGirl - V50

What is Volvo Dragon Slayers? This is a one day meet at the Tail of the Dragon. This is not a full weekend like C30s Conquer the Dragon and is not in competition with the scale or quality of the C30s CTD event. This is just an opportunity for local Volvo owners to satisfy that desire for another run of the dragon.

The Saturday trip will consist of a scenic drive through North Carolina concluding with a run of the Tail of the Dragon. For those planning to stay late or spend the weekend, there will also be a night run of the dragon.
The scenic drive is generally a 4 hour trip with multiple stops for photo opportunities and lunch. This is not a race! It's a scenic drive for the whole family to enjoy. At most, we may be doing 10mph over the speed limit on highway sections. Destination of this scenic drive will be decided soon.

After lunch at the Dragon Pitt BBQ & Inn, there will be a group photo and briefing before driving on the tail of the dragon. The dragon is a public road with 35mph speed limits and occasional cops. Slay the dragon at your comfortable pace! No one will judge if you intend to hold back and drive slow. Some of our group will lead and intend to drive fast, others will stay back and enjoy the curvy road at the speed limit.

Once the dragon has been slayed, a group will be visiting both the top and bottom of Fontana Dam. It's a nice chance to wind down from dragon slaying and enjoy the peace and quiet of the Smoky Mountains.

For those who plan on staying late or spending the weekend, there will be a night run of the dragon (around 8pm). The dragon is a completely different beast at night. There will be designated leaders for the night run, each with aftermarket lighting to help guide the way. As with other runs of the dragon, drivers will be encouraged to drive at their comfortable pace. The group will be divided between those who want to drive fast and those who simply wish to take a calm evening stroll.

Some of us will be spending the weekend at Fontana Village Resort, arriving Friday evening and departing Sunday morning. SunroofGirl and I intend to camp at the Fontana Village campgrounds and we will be eating breakfasts and dinners at the resort.
If you want alcohol, bring your own! There is a bar at the resort, but this is a dry county with a 30 mile drive to the nearest liquor store.
Do not drink and drive.

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Please comment if you plan on attending this year's Volvo Dragon Slayers event and which date works best for you. The majority vote (based on multiple forums' input) will decide on the event date. This will be determined after 1-2 weeks.
I'm up for August.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
#6 ·
Gotta get the car done. This is getting ridiculous. My vote for which weekend is forthcoming.
 
#8 ·
OK, officially my vote is to have it on August 27th because my wife's 10 year high school reunion is on Labor Day. Either way, we'll be there.
 
#10 ·
So did a date ever get nailed down?
Yes! By majority vote, the official date is September 3rd. I will personally be arriving Friday evening and will depart some time on Sunday.
 
#16 ·
I'm new to the community but would love to attend! I will likely head down from Knoxville, TN on Saturday morning, or possibly Friday evening.



If you're passing through Knoxville, I would consider convoying.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Booked! I'll be there. I'll be taking the s60r, it'll be a fun comparison to the c70.

Fontana village is already mostly booked, they have a few cabins left but you have to call for them. I think even for the campsites everything is marked 'unavailable' online.

I'll be staying at Tapoco Lodge from 9-2 through 9-5, about 20 minutes from Fontana Village (right on route 129). Looking forward to seeing everyone!
 
#17 ·
Fontana village is already mostly booked, they have a few cabins left but you have to call for them. I think even for the campsites everything is marked 'unavailable' online.
Thanks for the heads up! Unlike the larger dragon events, we do not have any cabins reserved nor do we have any group discount rates. However, Fontana does offer a free Dragon Slayers club membership which is usually good for a 10% discount at check out.

Our rendezvous point will still be the Fontana Village Resort General store on Saturday September 3rd. Full Saturday trip details will be released soon.
 
#18 ·
The Saturday trip will consist of a scenic drive to Clingman's Dome, a run of the Tail of the Dragon, concluding with a visit to Fontana Dam. This is not a race! It's a scenic drive for the whole family to enjoy. At most, we may be doing 10mph over the speed limit on highway sections. For those planning to stay late or spend the weekend, there will also be a night run of the dragon.

8:00AM - Breakfast at the Mountain View Restaurant at Fontana
8:45AM - Meet at the Fontana Village Resort General Store
9:00AM - Departure for Clingman's Dome. We will stop at a gas station about 20 miles from Fontana Village Resort
2:00PM - Lunch at the Dragon Pitt Inn & BBQ
3:00PM - Group Photo along the Little Tennessee River and drivers briefing
3:30PM - Tail of the Dragon concluding with a stop at the KillBoy store
4:30PM - Visiting the bottom of Fontana Dam
5:30PM - Visiting the top of Fontana Dam and history museum
6:30PM - Dinner the Wild Wood Grille at Fontana
8:30PM - Meet at the Fontana Village Resort General Store and drivers briefing
8:45PM - Departure for the Tail of the Dragon night run

*This schedule is optional, but what the majority in our group will be doing.
*We will be departing the General store strictly at 9:00AM. If you are not with our group at this time and wish to join us later, please use the schedule for an idea of where we will be.
*Please note at that aside from the departure time, these times are not set in stone. We may run a little early or a little late.
*While the roads we are driving are free to access, you are responsible for your own meals and gas.

Clingman's Dome is located in a State Park and the speed limit is strictly enforced. There are multiple stops along this scenic drive for opportunities to stretch your legs and take pictures. We will stop at the Clingman's Dome visitor center for about an hour. Here, you may hike the .5 mile paved trail to the lookout tower. This is the highest elevation point in the Smoky Mountains at 6,643 feet.

The Tail of the Dragon is a public road with 35mph speed limits and occasional cops. Slay the dragon at your comfortable pace! This is not a race! No one will judge if you intend to hold back and drive slow. Some of our group will lead and intend to drive fast, others will stay back and enjoy the curvy road at the speed limit.

The dragon is a completely different beast at night. There will be designated leaders for the night run, each with aftermarket lighting to help guide the way. As with other runs of the dragon, drivers will be encouraged to drive at their comfortable pace. The group will be divided between those who want to drive fast and those who simply wish to take a calm evening stroll.

If you want alcohol, bring your own! There is a bar at the resort, but this is a dry county with a 30 mile drive to the nearest liquor store.
Do not drink and drive.

It is advised that everyone brings walkie talkie radios for communication while driving. We will be using Channel 3 sub channel 0. Radios are a great way to communicate upcoming turns, rest points, and friendly chatter.
 
#20 · (Edited)
I'll head in from Nashville on Friday post work, camping out at the shelter atop the dam, and then maybe spend Sunday in Cades Cove.
(Bring a sleeping bag, and you can crash for free at the shelter)
https://atstagehiker.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/the-fontana-hilton/

In fact, I propose a Sunday ride through the Cove if anyone wants to join. It's slow, touristy, and maybe the bears will eat ya. There's TONS of picture opportunities for anyone wanting mountain and old world backdrops. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cadescove.htm
 
#21 ·
#28 ·
Here is an updated attendees list. If you are on this list and not attending, or if you are not on this list and plan on attending, please let me know! I would like to get a rough head count...

MyNameIdeasWereTaken - C30
adamyeti - S40
brad1367 - C30
ricks60R - C30
JRC3 - C30
bob82pigdog - V70
Trivolvo - C30
redneckitengineer - C70
tchnprgrmr - S60R
TheBelgian - C30
Thasten - ?

As mentioned above, we will be departing at 9:00AM from the General store. If you are not with us at that point in time, please use the schedule (first post) to determine where our group will be and roughly what time.

Don't forget to bring a walkie talkie radio! We'll be on Channel 3 sub 0.
 
#29 ·
Hate to miss this again but the car is still without brakes! Dang. You guys have fun and keep the rubber side down!
 
#32 ·
Saturday's drive will be about 180 miles in total, with multiple stops for pictures and stretching your legs. It may sound like a lot of driving, but the twisty roads and scenery (plus all the Volvos) will keep you happily engaged. For those who wish to map out our route, here are the main destinations that we will be visiting.

Starting point at Fontana Village General Store, 300 Woods Road, Fontana Dam, NC 28733
BP Gas Station, 7530 W Hwy 19, Bryson City, NC 28713
Clingmans Dome Visitor Center, Bryson City, NC 28713
The Sinks Bridge, Old State Highway 73 Scenic, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Dragon Pitt Inn & BBQ, 4407 Calderwood Highway, Maryville, TN 37801
Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort, 17548 Tapoco Road, Robbinsville, NC 28771
Fontana Dam, NC 28733
 
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