2018 Sunrise Drive on the Dragon - Thursday

[agranger]

Howdy all,

I've got friends over here at DCMM and I've recently returned to the world of MINIs (I had to sell Jango, my first MINI love, 4-5 years back, but I just purchased Rufus, an '05 JCW, and I'm in the middle of a refresh), so I thought I'd post.

I'm once again leading the Sunrise Drive Through the Smoky Mountains on Thursday morning at MOTD 2018.  It's an early drive, but crosses my favorite roads in the US at an absolutely stunning time.  When I am frustrated at work and need to go to my 'happy place,' this is where I go in my mind.

Hope to see you there!

Aaron

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

Sounds fun! I'm likely going as a ride along this year since I'm not sure I'll be up for the drive there and back after surgery. If I can score a MINI I might be able to make the sunrise run. Last year Gigi let me borrow her Justa with the JCW suspension and I had a blast with it. (Last year Tigger was down for the first few days with a dead alternator)

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

I just realized that you said this is Thursday. That's the same time as my photography run. Maybe we'll see you out there

[agranger]

I think you found the Wednesday version of this run as well.  I'm not leading that one (I'm in transit to Fontana on Wednesday), but I think it's 99% my original route, which is spectacular!

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

9 minutes ago, agranger said:

I think you found the Wednesday version of this run as well.  I'm not leading that one (I'm in transit to Fontana on Wednesday), but I think it's 99% my original route, which is spectacular!

Awesome, I can't do your run, it's at the same time as the photography run that Craig and I are leading

[wyretrip]

I'm signed up for this run! I have wanted to do a sunrise drive since I got my MINI 2 years ago! Very excited!

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

I'm going to give you a photography tip. If you have a black or dark MINI and you want to shoot it against the sunrise or sunset the car will turn into a sillouette. To see your car and not wash out the sky you need to add flash or shoot the reflection of the sky in your MINI. It can be really beautiful

[agranger]

FYI:  At the bottom of the MOTD page for this drive there is a link to a PDF that I refreshed a few weeks back.  It gives a event description, detailed instructions and maps for each turn and, my personal favorite, a single page driver's instruction sheet (on the back) that gives you odometer readings for each turn.  Just reset your trip meter where it tells you to and you can recreate the drive yourself very easily... so even if you aren't going to join us at Sunrise, if you print the packet and take it with you, you will have a beautiful prepared drive in your pocket.

 

[GreenCactus]

I didn't sign up for any of the drives, but if I end up coming down on Wednesday, I'll probably join Carl's brewery run on Thursday. 

Brandy - Deep Creek Falls is really pretty! I may go there again on my own!

[Brandy_Brown]

11 hours ago, GreenCactus said:

I didn't sign up for any of the drives, but if I end up coming down on Wednesday, I'll probably join Carl's brewery run on Thursday. 

Brandy - Deep Creek Falls is really pretty! I may go there again on my own!

Laura I will go with you at any time, I am open and free other than those few things I am doing, corey is doing his own thing