kgdblu

welcome to the dark side...:evil:

"Best Cuban sandwich around"? Try "ONLY Cuban sandwich around"! That's why it got the "best" vote..:rofl:

bug eye lenses on your mirrors help a lot...

yeah, they supply towels, but you might as well be using the TP, they're that small and thin...scratchy, too. I always bring my own...both towels AND TP. I bring paper towels, scrubby sponges to do dishes and pots and pans (we have a dishwasher, used it once...terrible waste of water unless it's really full), Clorox wipes, crappy rags to dust off porch furniture (pollen will be thick) and to damp mop lino floors, a couple of decent knives, cutting board (theirs tend to be really beat up), saran wrap, tin foil, zip lock freezer bags, garbage bags, a Swiffer, several large stock pots (I AM feeding an army, mind), a small dust broom and dust pan and an apron. Now our cabin gets more traffic than most between the spag. dinner and the DCMM get together, so we lean heavily on cleaning supplies. Otherwise the cabin would be yucky, especially the kitchen floor and Laura's bathroom. If the weather's crappy(gods forbid!!), a lot of mud can be tracked in and the floors get gross.

Holy crap..the car disintegrated! We thought about getting a Smart when they 1st came out,,,,until we drove one. The transmission is truly awful, so's the acceleration. Plus, there's no room for even groceries in it. We opted out. A friend of mine has a Fiat 500...she likes it but is already looking at the Abarth model.

I'm not helping, am I? :rofl:

Some "primitive tent"! It has cable, flush toilets and AC/heat! I wish I had a picture of Laura's face when she first saw our cabin..:rofl:

Given the number of attendees, the main thing you'll need to bring to MOTD10 is patience. It's going to be crowded like never before, parking is going to be a major challenge, and space at the restaurants is limited. Beer is available at the general store, but it's expensive and probably yucky so bring lots of your favorite.

Someone said on the MA fuel thread "If you're down to 1/2 tank, you're almost empty" or something like that. I agree and if you're anywhere near a gas station and you're at half a tank or below, fill up. I have never gotten gas at Deal's Gap...it was always my understanding that the gas there is for motorcycles only. If worse comes to worse, put a gallon in your car at Fontana (want to take bets that that gas is over $4.50/gallon?) and then go to Robbinsville to fill up...tho' I bet that gas isn't much cheaper there. I wouldn't carry around a gas can...dangerous and stinky.

I hope we're scaring them into going to the safety seminar.

That's great Laura! Yes, even a tire's width of line crossing is dangerous. I forgot to mention that the area is packed with wildlife...bears (!), boar, deer, turkeys, porcupine, snakes, possum, etc. This is their habitat we're driving through, so be aware of animals crossing roads, especially at night. They're not so prevalent in and around Fontana, despite what Laura may tell you. Another thing to be on top of is making left hand turns into Fontana from Hellbender. Last year, someone was T-boned by another driver, turning left into the main drive leading to the lodge. Please make sure that there's no oncoming traffic before you make the turn!

you could set up a booth and sell shots....but somehow I think that would be seriously frowned upon...

AMEN to all the previous posts!! It is of VITAL IMPORTANCE that all newbies attend a "How To Drive the Dragon" seminar. I would love to see all DCMM newbies go to a seminar. I'm going to be blunt and if it scares you, all the better. The Dragon can kill you if you're not extremely careful. It claims lives every year. Nearly every one of the 318 curves is totally blind, with a precipitous, tree lined cliff on one side and a solid rock wall on the other. There are very few guard rails. There are sport bikers and car drivers who are so hopped up on adrenaline and testosterone that they throw caution, and their own mortality, out the window. Driven within safe and speed limits, the Dragon is a total blast..a ride you'll never forget. You will enhance your experience immensely by attending one of the seminars. Ok, I'll stop lecturing now. :X

4 GALLONS??! yikes...I think we need to institute DCMM Dragonberry spritzers: In a tall glass, or one of those ubiquitous red cups, fill with ice, then add 1 oz. rum..or more...depending on how sweet you want it to be or how quickly you want to get hammered.. juice of half a lime or 2 teaspoons of Rose's lime juice or more if you want to cut the sweetness of the rum top with club soda Guzzle and repeat. One caveat however....if you get drunk, NO DRIVING!! Not even to your cabin. I don't drink, so I can give rides to the plastered. This ONLY applies to folks staying at Fontana...I'm not making runs to Tapoco or Robbinsville.

For the past couple of years, Laura and I hosted a very informal DCMM gathering at our cabin after the welcome dinner on Wed. night. Well, that tradition continues! Please come to our cabin (#538) at 7:30PM. If the weather's good, we can sit outside, so bring chairs. We'll have a small fire in our fire pit. If the weather's crappy, we'll just hang indoors. Now, this is not an "event". This is just a social gathering. Please BYOB, tho' Laura has lots of Dragonberry rum to get rid of and I might still have some Dragon's Blood punch (non-alcoholic) left over from the spaghetti dinner.. If you have any snacks to share, bring those too please. Hope to see all our DCMM friends there!

Glad it all went well and am sorry to have missed it.

I leave 2 weeks from today! YAY! Um Jeff, $5 isn't that much, but I suggest you act quickly!

spaghetti sauces made! I made 3 qts. of vegetarian in addition to my vat of regular sauce. Everything's in the freezer to start the aging/mellowing process. Get your drool on!

I'm going to come but just as a spectator/cheering section. Is there anything I can bring for you guys? I have several folding chairs, a tent if it's hot, and a big cooler.

YAY! Yet another reason to come to the meet 'n' greet, folks!

I leave 4 weeks from today!!!

you could always plan something....

nice pics...looks like Cricket ate a cone tho'

Did any one take pics?

definitely BYOB...they won't have Guinness, and the beer they sell at the general store will be pricey. Plus, I think it's crappy beer....I remember seeing Bud Light (shudder)....don't know what else they carry. There is a super market (Ingles) in Robbinsville, so you can get food there. There isn't a liquor store in Graham County, and I think it's a haul to the closest one...like an hour away, I think. I bring some food with me, aside from the vat of spaghetti sauce, but I stop at Ingles on my way to Fontana to get last minute stuff. It helps to make lists..like what food/drink you're going to take and what food/drink you plan on buying there. All the cabins have coffee makers, microwaves and toasters and their appliances are full sized. The kitchens have everything you'll need to cook...if you need an extra pot or pan, you can always borrow from our cabin.