05/16/2013 - 05/20/2013 Spring Tour 2013 Tail of the Dragon/Asheville and Waterfalls

[bimmernupe]

Spring Tour 2013

Biltmore, Waterfalls

Tail of the Dragon
DEPARTURE 0630hrs

AS REMINDER, THIS IS NOT A SHOW UP AND DRIVE EVENT. EVERYONE ATTENDING MUST REGISTER IF YOU ARE ATTENDING.

When you book your room at the Hilton for the NCC Spring Tour to Asheville and the Tail of the Dragon, they have released our block. This may cause an issue with you getting our group rate. When you book your room you may get a higher rate. Let me know and I will contact our person at the hotel handling our group to transfer to the lower rate.
A few people have used their Hilton Honors points. There are members from Tarheel, Tidewater and Sandlapper chapter BMW CCA joining us. So far 60 people attending.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A CCA MEMBER OR DRIVE A BMW TO ATTEND.

ITINERARY UPDATE 3/18:

THE DINNER ON FRIDAY NIGHT HAS BEEN MOVED TO THURSDAY NIGHT. I WAS ALERTED TO A VERY POPULAR STREET FESTIVAL ON FRIDAY EVENING IN DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE. THE LINK IS BELOW IN THE ITINERARY.

BMW OF ASHEVILLE WILL HOST A FOR US RECEPTION ON SATURDAY EVENING.

ATTENDEE UPDATE:

1. FOR TIDEWATER CHAPTER MEMBERS AND DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE IN TARHEEL AND BLUE RIDGE CHAPTER AREAS THE MEET POINT WILL BE THE FIRST REST STOP ON I-85 SOUTH IN NORTH CAROLINA A FEW MILES SOUTH OF THE NC/VA STATELINE.

2. FOR OTHER TARHEEL AND BLUE RIDGE CHAPTER MEMBERS THE MEET POINT WILL BE THE LUNCH STOP AT HILLBILLY HIDEAWAY.

3. IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO MAKE A SPA APPOINTMENT AT THE GROVE PARK INN ON SUNDAY WHILE THE REST OF US ARE AT TAIL OF THE DRAGON, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER HAS NO DESIRE TO BE A PASSENGER ON THE TAIL. DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE GOING TO THE SPA SHE IS WILLING TO SPLIT A RENTAL CAR OR VAN IF NEEDED.


This year’s National Capital Chapter of the BMW Car Club Spring Tour will be 16 May 2013 – 20 May 2013 to Asheville, NC. We will tour and lunch at the Biltmore Estate, drive some great back roads as we tour a few waterfalls and lastly we will drive the Tail of the Dragon a time or two or three or four.

Take the time to visit the Asheville visitor site for other activities: http://www.exploreasheville.com/

Book a spa treatment at The Grove Park Inn, visit the many microbreweries, or take in Asheville's bohemenian downtown. There is plenty to do.

If you have never heard about or driven the Dragon, then Google is your friend.

This tour will follow our usual format of a drivers' meet at the start and the dispersal of a packet with turn-by-turn directions and other important information.


The hotel option is:

Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park

The Hilton Asheville is located in a town center with movie theater, restaurants and other amenities.

You can either book online using our personalized page: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/p...14/index.jhtml

or

You can call the hotel direct at 1-828-209-2700 and reference the BMW Car Club.

Single & Double $159/night

Triple $169/night

Quad $179/night



ITINERARY:

Thursday 16 May –

Depart Dale City, Va 0630hrs

Lunch: Hillbilly Hideaway

Dinner: Black Forest Restaurant www.blackforestasheville.com


Friday 17 May -

Biltmore Estate (early opening for us for photo op with car in front of Biltmore, tour and lunch at DeerPark Restaurant) www.biltmore.com

Lunch: Biltmore Estate

Dinner: If you want there a street festival in downtown Asheville. http://www.ashevilledowntown.org/dow...harmony-motors


Saturday 18 May-

Waterfall tour

Dinner: Reception at BMW of Asheville


Sunday 19 May-

Tail of the Dragon and surrounding roads

Dinner: Tupelo Honey www.tupelohoneycafe.com


Monday 20 May

Departure

REGISTER

[Merlosso]

I'm very interested. I look forward to the details.

[bimmer32five]

I will be going, though only 3 days?? Let's do a 5 day tour. Seems such a long drive to do it in such short time.

[Trevi]

I vote for a five day tour!

[bimmer32five]

a week tour would be very worthwhile as there is more to see and do than 1 or 2 days can provide. plus it's 11+ hours to drive down there.

[bimmer32five]

Will we be taking the highway down or Blue Ridge Parkway or....?

[bimmernupe]

Will we be taking the highway down or Blue Ridge Parkway or....?

Both

[tmcneish]

Here's some video of the traffic jams you can expect on the dragon around sunrise. This video was shot stating at the Tennessee State Line headed North: http://youtu.be/uyf06caLmqo

[tmcneish]

Stumbled across this Great Smokey Mountains App which has a route driving add on for 99 cents; may come in handy while touring the park: http://www.nomadmobileguides.com/guides/gsma/

[tmcneish]

When driving on the tail you'll find many "pull overs" where the slower vehicles are able to pull off the road and yeild to the more enthusiastic drivers: http://youtu.be/jvUEum7gPEE

[bimmernupe]

Updated above

[Jayg335i]

Is anyone heading up from Florida?

[bimmernupe]

Not that I have seen. Maybe you can start a trend.

[tmcneish]

Kill boy is one of the photogs that camp out on the Dragon all day and shoot photos of passing motorists; later that day you'll be able to visit their websites and pay to download the photos: http://youtu.be/t88jRk0g9Ek

[tmcneish]

Beware of tractor trailer on the Dragon as they take up both lanes; many times the local will escort the mammoth vehicles down the Dragon warning on coming motorists by using their 4 way flashers and flashing their hi beams. If you observe this behavior from on-coming traffic there's probably an over sized vehicle in your near future: http://youtu.be/ydb6SL5Te7k