Spring Fling 2016: Drive & Lunch in VA wine country

[Edge]

It's that time of the year again! Spring is in the air, old man Winter is running off to hide, and the trees are starting to blossom!

 

Just like I did in previous years, I'm organizing the Spring Fling run again, this time on Saturday, April 9.

 

NOTE: If you have done this run before, please take note that we are NOT starting at the Wegman's parking lot, but the TARGET parking lot. This is because Wegman's apparently has a strict policy against allowing car groups to gather in their parking lots (boooooo...).

WHERE TO MEET: Target Sterling West parking lot (South-East corner). The address is 45130 Columbia Place, Sterling, VA 20166

WHEN: Saturday, April 9 @ 9:00am. Driver's meeting at 9:50am. We depart at 10am sharp! Don't be late!

RUN DISTANCE: 69.6 miles (morning) + 68.0 miles (afternoon) = 137.6 miles total. Easy "early exits" available in afternoon at 88.7 miles (Rt 66), 105.7 miles (Rt 50) and 123.9 miles (Rt 50).

RUN TIME: Approx 6.5 hours - we will return to the Target parking lot at approx. 4:30pm, if you decide to complete the full run.

WHAT TO BRING: Full tank of gas, 2-way radio, money to buy lunch (cash please - makes it easier for the check), sweater/raincoat/umbrella (if necessary, depending on weather) and a fun-loving attitude! :top:

 

A quick refresher:

 

One of my fondest MINI-related memories is the very first drive I ever participated in with DCMM - it was the Spring Fling, created by Bruce Pancoast (mty_mini), and organized with help from Jen Oakes (Jen) - who was our event coordinator at the time. This all happened on Sunday, April 24, 2005... only 7 1/2 weeks after I picked up my brand new MINI. Alan (Scavenger), who was getting his first exposure to the MINI, came along as my co-pilot.

 

Meeting in the Sterling Wegmans parking lot (near MINI of Sterling), it was fun to meet a whole bunch of like-minded MINIacs all at once, for the first time. Little did I know just how much fun there was still to come... after grabbing some coffee and/or breakfast snacks from Wegmans.

 

The roads were beautiful and twisty, and was such an awesome experience to be in a long line of MINIs for the very first time. We stopped for lunch at Orlean Market in Upperville, VA (in western Fauquier County), then continued on for wine tasting at Naked Mountain Vineyard & Winery after that, before heading all the way back to Wegmans.

 

It was a long day (128 miles or so!), but so nice. Needless to say, I was eager to do this run again.

 

Our lunch stop will be again be at Griffin Tavern, since Orlean Market closed down many years ago.

 

NOTE: The plan is to have 1 check per table, so to make things easier to sort out, please bring sufficient cash to cover your portion of the check.

 

For those interested or curious:

 

Original Spring Fling thread (2005)

Spring Fling 2008 thread

Spring Fling 2009 thread

Spring Fling 2010 thread

Spring Fling 2010 Morning Route on Google Maps

Spring Fling 2010 Afternoon Route on Google Maps

Spring Fling 2011 thread

Spring Fling 2012 thread

Spring Fling 2013 thread

Spring Fling 2014 thread

Spring Fling 2015 thread

 

Due to severe size limitations from the local wineries, we do not participate in wine tasting any more. However, you are welcome to order yourself a glass of wine with lunch at Griffin Tavern.

 

Hope to see many of you out there again!

 

RSVPs are OPEN! Please note that our lunch stop (Griffin Tavern) has given us a hard cap of 50 ADULTS, so if we reach that number, RSVPs will be closed. (Kids will not count towards the count of 50, so please put in the comments if you have any kids coming with you)

[Edge]

Please note that we are going to be testing a "reverse route" on the practice run - basically doing the route in the opposite direction. This is just to try to make things interesting. If it works out well, the info above on the distances & times will be out of date and so I'll update the post accordingly.

 

One of the factors will be the possibility of more left turns (2 directions of traffic to deal with) instead of right turns. We'll see how it goes.

 

The reverse direction would also eliminate some of the "early exit" options after lunch, so there's that to think of, too. :angel:

[Goose]

Boooooo....I wanna go and I can't

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

I will try but it's the weekend after our move and the weekend that we hope to get the townhouse on the market. Things are really crazy right now

[wyretrip]

Let's do this!

[Ice]

Any news on the pre-run?

[Edge]

RSVPs are OPEN!

 

Any news on the pre-run?

It might be this Saturday, but it's probably going to be this Sunday. I won't know for sure until Friday afternoon which one.

[Edge]

Please note that we are going to be testing a "reverse route" on the practice run - basically doing the route in the opposite direction. This is just to try to make things interesting. If it works out well, the info above on the distances & times will be out of date and so I'll update the post accordingly.

 

One of the factors will be the possibility of more left turns (2 directions of traffic to deal with) instead of right turns. We'll see how it goes.

 

The reverse direction would also eliminate some of the "early exit" options after lunch, so there's that to think of, too. :angel:

Susan and I did the practice run this past Sunday, trying out the "reverse route"... it worked very well! There didn't seem to be a lot of places where the group would get separated, and there were more right turns than left ones than the usual direction... so - let's try it!

 

If you've been on the Spring Fling a bunch of times before, I think you'll find this one quite interesting. See the sights from a completely different perspective!

 

Looking forward to seeing you there. :motor:

[RDG_RCR]

Holy crap, I just realize that its this weekend! Unfortunately, doesn't look like it will be very "Spring-y" :banghead:

[Edge]

Holy crap, I just realize that its this weekend! Unfortunately, doesn't look like it will be very "Spring-y" :banghead:

Yeah - but the event is happening, rain, shine, warm, cold, windy or not. We've done it in the pouring rain before!

 

I really wish we could have done April 23 - that would have been perfect - but unfortunately it was out of my hands since the main chef @ Griffin Tavern will be out of town.

[Edge]

So out of curiosity I did a count of (intersection) left turns vs right turns between the original route and the new "reverse" route... sure enough, the reverse is an improvement!

 

Original route - 31 Lefts, 23 Rights

"Reverse" route - 22 Lefts, 31 Rights

 

It seems to suggest an even smoother run.

[chrimson]

I'm in, but really, 2-way radios? Could I just bring a cellphone?

[RDG_RCR]

I'm in, but really, 2-way radios? Could I just bring a cellphone?

 

The radios allow for mass distribution of any messages, provide entertaining banter, and allow for immediate messages such as road hazards.

[chrimson]

The radios allow for mass distribution of any messages, provide entertaining banter, and allow for immediate messages such as road hazards.

 

Ok, then which do people recommend?

[Poison Ivy]

Here's a couple of older forum posts about radio recommendations.

 

http://dcmetrominis.org/forum/topic/2771-2-way-radios/?do=findComment&comment=36503

http://dcmetrominis.org/forum/topic/3365-speaking-of-radios/?do=findComment&comment=45316

 

Also there's usually members willing to share their extra one as long as you promise to return it.

 

Another reason radios are needed is some areas won't have cell reception.

[chrimson]

Poison Ivy said:

Here's a couple of older forum posts about radio recommendations.

 

 

http://dcmetrominis.org/forum/topic/2771-2-way-radios/?do=findComment&comment=36503

http://dcmetrominis.org/forum/topic/3365-speaking-of-radios/?do=findComment&comment=45316

 

 

Also there's usually members willing to share their extra one as long as you promise to return it.

 

Another reason radios are needed is some areas won't have cell reception.

 

Pretty sneaky -- Trying to get me to subscribe since those threads are inaccessible by non-members, eh?

 

Maybe it'll be good to see other people's in person anyway before I decide. My main feature would be handsfree or a headset.

[Poison Ivy]

I didn't even pay attention to the forum source... but yes there are member only perks.

[Poison Ivy]

Some brands/models people like:

 

Motorola MR350R

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-MR350R-35-Mile-22-Channel-Two-Way/dp/B001UE6MJ8/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

Cobra CXR925

http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-CXR925-35-Mile-22-Channel-Two-Way/dp/B0035PMH1W/ref=sr_1_21?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1285256042&sr=1-21

 

Midland GXT1000VP4

http://www.amazon.com/Midland-GXT1000VP4-36-Mile-50-Channel-Two-Way/dp/B001WMFYH4/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285255977&sr=8-1

[FAST060]

Snow in the forecast? I'm loving Drunk Mother nature! She is keeping it interesting.

[Edge]

 

Snow in the forecast? I'm loving Drunk Mother nature! She is keeping it interesting.

Flurries won't scare me, even though I'm on my summer tires. However... anything more than that, unfortunately we will cancel. Some of these roads are just too twisty to have much fun in snow. :embarassed:

[Edge]

Flurries won't scare me, even though I'm on my summer tires. However... anything more than that, unfortunately we will cancel. Some of these roads are just too twisty to have much fun in snow. :embarassed:

I should clarify - the event is still on unless I post here otherwise (or say so at Target tomorrow morning).

 

It would have to be a pretty clear safety issue for me to cancel. I'm not skittish - but I'm not stupid, either!

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

And I have the flu or something that feels like the living dead.

 

For whatever reason I am just not meant to go this year, I hope everyone has a great time.

[Se7er]

I'm in, but really, 2-way radios? Could I just bring a cellphone?

There is not always cell coverage on the roads and using apps like Zello or other app based data programs you get katency, and based on your provider you might not get the message in time. If someone is trying to let the group know oncoming traffic is coming seconds mean everything and a reliable system needs to work 100% of the time.

 

I thought like you at first until I realized how important they were.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[Se7er]

There is not always cell coverage on the roads and using apps like Zello or other app based data programs you get katency, and based on your provider you might not get the message in time. If someone is trying to let the group know oncoming traffic is coming seconds mean everything and a reliable system needs to work 100% of the time.

 

I thought like you at first until I realized how important they were.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

Sorry didn't see second page with the responses already.

 

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[chrimson]

It's cool. I am so stoked for this run that I went and bought a pair of Motorola MR350Rs at BestBuy for just a little more than Amazon, and even registered for the 5-year GMRS license! WQXL571

 

Whether or not snow holds us back, hopefully I'll see y'all at Target!

Edited April 8, 2016 by chrimson
autocorrected my smiley