Moped Riders Association

[cheesemama]

Official announcement of the Bryson City, NC Ride June 14-17, 2007!!! We already have several reservations in a great campground that Bryan and I have stayed in for years. It is called Kirkland Creek Campground, so you can look it up on the web and check the layout, etc. There are primitive sites, water and electric sites, and full hook-up sites. There is also one camper available that will sleep two in the bedroom and someone on the sofa if you care to share. If you have a popup or tent or camper, plan to come and have some great fun for a few days! Make a mini-vacation out of it! Bryan and I have just purchased a park model there, so we will try to answer any questions you might have. Please book early if you need a campsite, as they fill up quickly. The campground closes on Nov. 1 and re-opens April 1, 2007. Look forward to seeing old and new faces next June! Ya'll stay warm now!

[brentus]

I really should go. I think I almost drowned in one of those old trout ponds in the 70's..

[Smitty]

Dibs on the camper for 3 !!! , please!!!

Mrs. Smitty, Nightflight, and myself ARE going to this one, so if it's OK, we'd like to reserve the camper (I'll even drive it if need be ;^)

All three of us are really looking forward to this one! Hopefully, we'll have Mrs. Smitty's trike completed by then, Ms. Nightflight will have either a new TGB or Tomos Revival ("Powered by Smitty", hehehe;^) and of course, I'll have some kind of screaming Puch to ride!

[arthurx]

Yes!! The Dragon!! 8 months and 2 weeks away! I can hardly wait.

I have been wanting to ride the Dragon for 8 years.
I drove through it in my car 8 years ago and it almost made me puke!
I was going to go there this fall but the winter weather came upon us fast.
Falling leaves wet or dry are too dangerous to have lying on the road when wanting to
ride as fast and hard as possible.
Last year at the final moped race in Ohio, Chris MWH told me to let him know when I was going to ride the Dragon.
He wants to ride it also. So we can expect to have him and his crew show up.
This is going to be the best moped ride/rally ever! (as long as it doesn't rain)
Smitty is lucky; he is only about 53 miles from the Dragon.
I purchased 2 DVD's of the Dragon. It tells the history of the Dragon, etc.
The speed limit has been reduced down to 30mph! Ridiculously slow.

See you all soon,
Art

[JD]

Lisa and I would definitely like to attend this year if we can.

Is there a tentative schedule for what will be occuring on each of the four days?

jd

[John]

Rena and myself are already booked in and reserved for the four nights on site 6 with full hookup. See you there.

[arthurx]

cheesemama, Why did you choose to camp 12 miles away from the Dragon for $18 per night when you could
camp for $12 a night right on the Dragon?
http://www.dealsgap.com/motel.htm
The $12 per night camp ground has 2 bath houses.
Have you checked out this campground and found it not as nice as Krikland Creek?
I will stay and camp where ever you all decide to stay. Kirkland Creek looks like a good place.

Links to Deal's Gap info.>>
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/
http://www.dealsgap.com/

Also, the annual Kalamazoo, MI BBQ #13 will be held two weeks before this ride.
There were approximately 220 mopeds this year at the Kalamazoo BBQ.
Many of those riders would also enjoy this Deal's Gap rally and want to attend.
This event is going to be awesome!
Swimming, hiking, horse riding, rafting, kayaking, frisbee golf, fishing,etc.!!
Gatlinburg, TN ? Fun things to do there also.

Kirkland Creek campground info.
http://www.kirklandcreekcampground.com/features.html

Hope to see you all soon,
Art

[arthurx]

I just made reservations for 6/14/07---6/17/07.
Camping with Electric and Water.
Four people and two vehicles.
Total cost: $66

Why didn't the reservation let me choose which site to camp?
http://www.kirklandcreekcampground.com/rates.html

Ok, thanks.
Art

ps> right now I am planning to attend this rally by myself.
So, if anyone would like a place to camp and park let me know.
We could split the cost and help each other save some money.

[cheesemama]

Thanks for all of the replies and interest, guys and gals! To answer your question, JD: we're not certain of the exact schedule yet, but do know that we are going to ride the Dragon one day and have a regional ride (50+ miles) on the Road to Nowhere and around Deep Creek one day. There is a pool at the campground, a train in Bryson that goes through the Nantahala Gorge, rafting on the Nantahala River, horseback riding around Fontana Lake, white-water tubing at Deep Creek, etc. We were talking about doing the Dragon on Friday the 15th, so everyone could drive their trucks over with the bikes and not have to unload them when they first arrive. Let us scope out the distance first, okay? To answer your question, Arthurx: Bryan and I OWN a stationary park model at Kirkland Creek, and several people are coming with campers, popups, etc, and Deals Gap can't accomodate those. If we fill up the Kirkland Creek sites, there is also a campground at Deep Creek that is operated by the National Forest Service, or people can choose to stay at any of several other campgrounds or motels in the area. Kirkland Creek puts us close to Cherokee and Bryson City. It has a nice bathhouse also. Once we know how many will be coming, we'll see if a cookout will be in order, which Bryan and I will host, and we'll "pass the basket" for donations. If everyone will get on the web and look up Bryson City and Kirkland Creek and Fontana Lake and Nantahala River Rafting and Deep Creek tubing, they will see why most of us are going to make this a mini vacaion and get -together of old friends! To Smitty: we no longer own our camper...we sold it to buy the park model at Kirkland Creek! There is a camper that is stationaary at the campground...look it up...it has photos. I forget what it rents for...maybe $45 a nite or something. But I also have a tent site reserved for you and Lisa and Lenny and anyone else, and it looks like Arthur has space on his site. You won't actually get your exact site until next April, when the campground opens again for the season. Let me know if there are anymore questions, folks...I think it will be an awesome time!

[JD]

Reservations made! We'll be there for the nights of the 13th. 14th, and 15th, but will have to be on the road by late Saturday night. We need to put in a few hours of driving that night because I want to be home for my daughter's piano recital Sunday evening. So if it's possible to have the major rides on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, we'd most appreciate it. I imagine that at least a few people will have to be on the road by early or mid-day Sunday in order to make it home that night.

jd (and Lisa)

[Gomez]

my reservations made, I will be there thursday the 14th leave sunday

Gomez

[kex]

I too have reserved a site for the 14th-17th. I'll be camping in a tent, so if anyone needs space to pitch theirs, let me know.

[Smitty]

We reserved a camper yesterday ... so we're all set to attend. Well, with the exception of building a "Dragon Slayer" 'ped, which I hope to have time to complete by then ... if not, then my ol' Trick Pony will make another appearance ;^)

[tomos03's better half]

This sounds like a wonderful time Jeanie! Jeff and I already have a cabin reserved June 14-17. We are very much looking forward to this. Jeff and I love to travel and stay in cabins, what a nice way to do it and be with wonderful people and have a great time!

Chris

[Paulh]

Can someone post a google earth url or whatever they call it for this road? I found the campgrounds and saw something that might have been a road.

Anyone going on this ride should really try the Applebarn in Pigeon Forge or the Old BArn in the same. Great food at both places.