[MSCW list] MSCW Destination Drive #2 - A Roanoke Weekend - April 26-28

[Timothy Metzinger]

We had a great time last year heading up to Niagara Falls, and this year we wanted to do something a little closer.  Roanoke was suggested as it's close to both major interstates and great roads for sports cars, as well as having plenty of good stuff to see and do in the town itself.  We'll head down on a Friday morning, spend Friday afternoon and evening in Roanoke, spend Saturday driving and hiking, and return on Sunday via the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Our own Heidi S has arranged group rates at the Liberty Trust hotel in Roanoke.

On Friday, April 26th, we'll depart from the Front Royal Walmart Supercenter parking lot (Exit 6 on I-66) and take the interstates (I-66 and I-81) down to Roanoke, covering the 170 miles in about 2.5 hours, with a bladder break on I-81 after an hour.  We'll have lunch, get checked into the hotel at 3PM, and can have Dinner and see local attractions .  The Liberty Trust Hotel (https://www.libertytrusthotel.com) is located in downtown Roanoke.  Normal rates for hotels in this area are usually above $250 per night, but we have a group rate of $209 for a queen and $219 for a King.  Parking at a nearby downtown structure (Market Square Parking) is $8 per day with unlimited in/out privileges.   These room rates are only valid if we book our rooms by April 8th, using the online booking system at https://bit.ly/mscw2024-roanoke-booking.   If you make a reservation after the 8th, you may not be receive the discounted room rate.  Rooms MAY be cancelled without penalty until 3 PM on April 23d.  After that, a cancellation will result in fees for one night's stay. Ten rooms (five king, five queen) have been blocked out, so make those reservations ASAP.   If you find that there are no rooms available (all ten already booked), send me a message (tim dot metzinger at outlook dot com) and I'll try and get some more rooms added to our block.

On Saturday, April 27th, I'll lead a "Dawn Patrol" subgroup (max 15 cars) down I-81 to Marion, where we'll stop for a gas/bladder break and take a spirited drive on the Back of The Dragon (VA16). This is a very fun road to drive at speed, and when some of us tried it last year it was comparatively free of law enforcement when measured against Deals Gap and the Tail of the Dragon. When we're done with the curvy roadway we'll head into Tazewell where we can spend some time at the Back of the Dragon store for souvenirs, and then head back up to Roanoke via Rocky Gap, getting back by 3 PM to join up with the group for more fun in Roanoke.

On Sunday (28th), we'll sleep in a bit and leave Roanoke around 9 AM via the Blue Ridge Parkway, ending at the Afton Overlook where the Parkway meets the Skyline drive around noon.  From here, folks can head home in a number of routes - stay on the Skyline Drive (with the great views but 35 MPH speed limit), head east on I-64 to pick up US29, or head west over to I-81.  I intend to head into Waynesboro for lunch at the Heritage on Main St.

Depending on the size of the group, we may have subgroups for sections of the trip.

Logistics:
Assembly - We'll begin to assemble at the Front Royal Walmart supercenter parking lot at 10:00 AM . Please fill your tank and empty your bladder before hanging around with the group
Departure - We'll depart at 10:30 AM for Roanoke.
Time/Distance - approximately 168 miles to Roanoake, in about 2.5 hours. The Back of The Dragon loop will be aproximately 256 miles and 6.5 hours, but we will have a gas stop at 100 miles, and a break at the store, and another gas break in Pearisburg at 188 miles so the longest leg without a break will be about 1.5 hours and 100 miles. The Blue Ridge Parkway return is 121 miles from the hotel to the Alton overlook.
Food - No planned food stops on the drive segments, but we will have LOTS of options in Roanoke.  Heidi will have some great recommendations to share with the group once folks have signed up.
Lodging - Book your room by April 8th, at https://bit.ly/mscw2024-roanoke-booking
Car limits - There will be a limit of 15 cars for the Back of the Dragon Dawn Patrol.
Weather -  Since this is a weekend trip, we'll likely go unless the weather is predicted to be bad for the whole weekend, in which case we will cancel and TRY to reschedule in August or September.
Technology -  I will bring nine extra Midland GMRS radios.  If you want to bring your own GMRS radio, we will be using Channel 30 on Midland Radios, or 462.7000 MHz frequency and CTCSS 17 for the privacy code.  In Glympse, we'll use the !mscw_cruise tag to keep track of each other.  I'll have GPS for the subgroup leaders, and there may be an extra as well.

RSVP via signup genius at https://bit.ly/mscw2024-dd-3, AFTER you've booked at the hotel or made alternate plans for lodging.  Don't use Facebook to indicate you're going.
Visit www.midatlanticscenicdrives.com<http://www.midatlanticscenicdrives.com> for maps and GPS files, as well as the club guide for group drives



Timothy (Tim) Metzinger
tim.metzinger at outlook.com
703.963.3015