Southern Rally 2011 - Little Switzerland in September
 

This is the location we are doing the Southern Rally this year. The Central guys will be doing a spring rally in Arkansas. Kyle posted a link to a place in the other thread. Let's try to find us a location to do this and start getting things planned. I for one want to do the hike on Grandfather Mountain one day. It looked freakin badass.

Do it closer to the end of sept around the18th, or over labor day, that way ebbs and me can show

definitely not doing it labor day, want a less crowded weekend.

Since the other thread got locked before I could answer your question. :lol:

I like it alot. I actually road up 80 to the BRP this past Saturday and up to Mt. Mitchell State Park with another guy on his Triumph Speed Triple. When we left it was dark...about 8pm so we took the BRP over to 226 right by Little Switzerland and then down to 221 to get back home. A few stray dogs and a deer or two plus with it getting kind of chilly took the fun out of it so we were pretty slow on the return trip. :lol:

Sweet... looks like 11hrs to make Little Switz from my place... and that is even going thru WV.

Google

That is quite a jog from NW AR. However if things are going well I might try and make it. If not Eureka Springs may be my only week of vacation...

:withstupid:

it wouldnt be too bad to end the ride at gas's house then shoot down through niagara and into the south with him and avery

I should be in. Just need some dates to give to work.

Yeh lets try and get this for the end of sept

I am waiting on dates from some members that don't normally get to come and pick a date based on that.

That would be cool.

How about sep 17th weekend?

Yeh sounds like a good plan, that would give usa couple of weeks in canada then to gas house and down

Looking like September 10th.

I'm out then

Me too, 17th is good though

17th is out, as is labor day for obivious reasons.

The 24th is actually starting to look like the most possible weekend.

later in the month is better for me. I would like to make both, but with the lil one tha tme be impossible esp if I want to get a few track days in as well.

Why is the 17th out?

Some people have other responsibilities and I want to make sure they can make it this time.

Awaiting the date from the sky....

as if it will just fall from the heavens? Come on lets get this shit settled and set the date and get the place booked and get some vacation picks placed for the work places. I put the vacation pick in at the beginning of the year then I will get it for sure.:rockwoot:

I am looking forward to do this and get to know some of the faces to match the words and personalities. oh and have a good time :chug: too

September the 24th it is then...

Ok well that is something... I'm on days that weekend.

Will this be a Fri-Sun thing again?

I am hoping to do thurs-sun or fri - mon. Depends on what people want to do.

Ok... I would prefer Fri-Mon aspect, that makes it so I don't have to take as many days off.

Even that said... I may not get there till late Friday.

If I took Fri-Mon off, and I'm already off for Tues & Wed for catch up.

Woot...I shouldnt have any issues making it.

Now time to find a location, anyone famaliar with the area enough to give us a good spot to bring our sheninigans and not get kicked out?

Ok YEP

Awesome. I'll be there

you said shenaningans:dvrofl:

I'll put in for it. Count me in.

Oi think you need to lower your standards for this group

Can't.......Fucking......... wait

yeah, I need to, lol

Sub'd for a maybe.

Geez september....

the central rally is doing their's in the spring.

Count me in. Only 1008 miles away from me. That's a day ride.

Now I may have to go to Ark just to beat ya on the miles :lol:

I'm going to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in July. You're pretty well screwed before the new year even starts. ;)

Ahh you dont know about my trip to OKLA in june to sabbotage your bike :lol:

Central? I'll check it out, thanks Nick.

Well, if this is still a go the dates are perfect right in the middle of a seven off for me. Great trip with no vacation days needed to be taken. :rockwoot:

I love my job

Little Switzerland is a fantastic location - spent many weekend rides in & around there when I lived in NC.

One thing to be aware of is that it's a largely 'tourist trap' area, and as such the lodging may tend to be a bit higher than typical, especially in prime leaf-gazing season.

I *think* this is the inn right by the Blue Ridge which I have often passed by & seen motorcycles parked at separate cabins. They also show a big 8br lodge a few miles from the main inn, at lower per-person cost:

http://www.switzerlandinn.com/rooms/diamondback.html

There's also this place, with a tavern which I've heard is pretty good: http://www.skylinevillageinn.com/

There are the usual chain places a few miles further N in Spruce Pine, and various bed&breakfast type places around, but I think those 2 may be the only ones right in LS which are large enough to accommodate. I'll be out there this spring & would be happy to help out w/ some recon.

I know quite a few great roads around that area, including some 'of the beaten path' stuff with very low traffic & great scenery - glad to help out with route suggestions too.

I think this rally is going to be different. A lot of us are going to approach this one different. It's going to be more centered around group activities instead of riding. We want to do the touristy stuff like hike Grandfather Mtn.

Those two inns are ones I have been looking at, getting a group for the 8br would be awesome.

Please send me a PM if you want in on the 8br and I will see if we can get the people for it.

for me it's kinda always been about the people... I enjoy riding with a few of you a lot... but the conversations and interactions at the stops was the biggest draw for me...


that and Rae's "leather butted, elfish, macarena" at speed

Well, then fuck it, let's have the rally in the Bahamas and screw dragging those stupid bikes across the country... Seriously, if riding isn't the "focus" then why even bring bikes or go places with "good roads"? Don't misunderstand me, I want to meet up with you guys and hang out, very much in fact, but I can see myself getting bored pretty quick with watching you guys get drunk and hiking. I mean the money/time we'd "waste" getting bikes to a destination could be better spent flying to somewhere AWESOME! Just a thought...

The idea is to keep it somewhat cheap and the option to ride if you want to, some people are going to do rides. I am going to do ride some, but it won't be major focus for me this time.

I would entertain a TWFix Vacation Rally for next year though. Hit the beach or something else different.

I like the riding but to meet people that I only know from a screen is cool, one of the best days from the 09 rally was the day we went to helen. There was some awesome riding to get there, to get to the waterfall and back, plus the activities we did were pretty cool, go karts, Helen itself, that crappy live band, and the waterfall hike that I think everyone agrees was about a mile too long in riding boots.

That's the type of stuff I want to line up this time. Riding a decent ride to somewhere we can do crazy shit like go kart racing as a group.

Tigger, I don't just want to sit at a pool and drink, I agree that gets boring after awhile. We will find fun shit to do plus riding.

Cool! I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just saying the money and TIME involved with hauling bikes could be spent on plane tickets. I don't mind all the drinking but if you eliminate riding that doesn't leave much else. I agree with Derf the go karts were by far the high light in '09, my idea btw....:lol: I actually consider some of you as friends and look forward to seeing you. Sad as this sounds, I actually have more interaction with you all than "real people" most days.:wink:

I understand what you're saying Tig... but what I meant was riding isn't the focus for me... it breaks the boredom (when it hits) but the focus for me is bsing with you retards...

I like the ride to and from.. but as our types of riding are usually different especially now... the rides during the rally aren't the draw... ya know?

now if we did a sort of week long traveling rally... ie we all meet at say Suches and spend a week riding/camping or hoteling/riding... that would be different.

I'm sorta planning that to get to this rally, between the mudrun the weekend before, want to do some camping for 3-4 nights on my way up to WV for the rally the weekend after

I think the highlight of 2011 is going to be the warrior dash for me...

Doing something like what me/derf/kyle did would be a blast. With a lot of people. Traveling with friends is awesome. Wish I liked sleeping in a tent, that's the only part of camping I hate, I just can't sleep in a tent.

Not if you go on the x-country trip. It's going to be fuckin awesome. Are you planning on doing the central rally if you do the trip?

yeah I'm thinking I'm gonna turn it into another annual ebbs rally pilgrimage... hopefully I'll have a new steed... just need something a bit more LONG trip friendly...

Has it really been 4 years since I made a rally? Damn time flies. See you fuckers in sept

Last time I saw u I had a pyscho on her good days lol

And a mashed up 636. I have the pics :lol:

Well I'm game for whatever. I'm not as lucky as caveman but I have my vacay time in. I might be in maryville, tn before the rally and just leave from there.

If you drink enough it will always be interesting, after gluing your foot last year my goal this year is to reattatch a limb :lol:

i hope its not mine, lol

My money is on Gas, he was drinking pepto last year a limb sounds right for going bigger

Shouldn't have tried keeping up in the drinking.

wanna play with the big boys sometimes you pay for it :lol:

I will say this we haven't had a barn burner drinking night yet.... I hate to say it but ETR has us beat.... we should fix that this year.......
Boys bring your big girl panties.... this year its on like donkey kong....

I'm not much of a drinker... just like to chill myself.

Yeah I'm pretty much just blowing smoke, but ETr has had some great drinking moments

we've had some pretty good ones too... like rae confirming she's as retarded as the rest of us

same here, I outgrew heavy drinking. I will occasionally drink if I am bored or at a party, but that's about it. I don't drink to get smashed anymore.

no, no we haven't, in comparison that is...

Best quotes:
"BEAR! RUN!"
And

"I LOVE Ya DREW PEaCock!"

That was the best OSB evar. "I miss beer... YOU MADE US LEAVE THE BEER!!!"

You would be seriously depressed to see what the OSBs have become with the old group not showing up and the new ETRians have made of it.

Hahhahaha I just laughed out loud

Ok you homos. Im up for riding AND heavy drnking.

Sweet I'll bring the pepto and camera

Ditto on both of these. I love the riding, but I really like actually seeing and talking to the friends I've traveled so far to see. The go karts were the best, I pwned you all. :lol: I wouldnt mind doing something like the waterfall stuff again,so long as we knew and dressed for it.

i killed on go carts, you bitches dont know about my skillz... like a bozz

No way man, I finished 1st and 2nd. Never got lapped. I owned you bitches even when I didn't get the fast cart.

derf actually probably owned the most. Slow car, hardest to pass thanks to his evil block strategy.

all I know is I got the Katana of gocarts... fucking slow pig. that and I had to keep my foot out of the car cause I didn't fit... and with my broken foot.. just didn't work well.


oh well it was fun... and we pissed off everyone there lol

Good times...

They were just hating cuz we had our own cool helmets. :lol:

Best part was when they gave up after 15 mins of shouting at us and just let us ram each other. 2nd best part is when the bus full of kids showed up and they couldn't let them on the track cause we still had it rented.

yeh that was an awesome day

I'm debating on wether or not I want to Ride it again like 09' or Take the Truck...Its a little less mileage wise this time around, but you fuckers like to pick places where taking 81 is the fastest route and Fuck is that road LONG and Brutally boring.

Guess Ill debate this more as time inches closer.

Dont forget the monsoon :lol:

I will NEVER forget about that night. I still talk about it to this day. Me and Derf ran into heavy rain driving back from last years Rally on 81...he was glad he strapped the bike in my truck.

I guess I'll also make the prediction based on the weather...see in 09' i didnt have the Truck...but I did enjoy riding it all its more satisfaction that way.

This on making the ride there. I lucked out with the rain going home last year. got rained on for maybe 20 minutes. it looked real ugly up into northern va though.

Its a little less time to get to this one, like half and barely any time on 81

When I left in 09 when you guys split off for lunch that day, riding down into the beginning of where 40 starts I had to climb up this steep steep Road and when I reached the top it was so foggy I couldn't see 5 feet in front of me...Going down the other side It looked like hell was going to open up on me, somehow it stayed clear of me and I got thru it without much precip. I stopped at a gas station shortly after and the guy asked where I was going, when I told him the Outer Banks he laughed and said you know your a bit far from there...9 Hours later I got there...THAT was a hellacious Ride as well

Derf, your in MD already Remember I have to drive down to MD and for me the quickest route is 66 West to 81 South ALL THE WAY down thru VA which alone is like 300 some miles.

its still plenty o time on 81 for me. But thats going through NJ, PA and MD

I got clobbered by fog too, I left the gap around 3am, ran 28 in total darkness(that was interesting/scary) I took 28 untill I got to 40 and there was a ton of fog. Once I hit 40 it wasnt as bad being on the hwy, I think I made it to 81 before the sun came up.

Just looked at the map, 81 South to Exit 81 towards Charlotte, Then onto 40 West...I'm gonna have flashbacks on 09' Lol

Tommy you plan on going again? We can meet up and ride down together like 09' I like riding with someone rather than alone on long trips.

I am planning to, I wanted to make the AK trip too, but will be too close after going back to work with paternity leave and not sure the mrs will be ok with me taking off for a whole week (need 2 days of travel time for that)

I just looked at the maps again, I originally thought this place was in west virginia, I was figuring great an easy 5 hr jaunt, boy was I wrong :lol:

Lol, no its def not in WV

It says about 11 Hours...but I think it can be done in about 9...After we got thru the ran we were making great time going to Suches. and Last year I beat my mark by about 2 full hours getting to Copperhead.

its about 600 Miles for me. With good conditions...9 hours is doable.

google maps has it at just over 12 hrs if I take 78 to 81 to 40 so yeah thats def doable for me. I just need to time it right getting off LI and out of NYC with traffic

We might be better off doing a midnight run like last time.

Can def do that plan it closer to them time frame