[MSCW list] MSCW 2026 Destination Drive #9 - Back of the Dragon Overnight - 7/10/2026

[Timothy Metzinger]

The Back of the Dragon is a 32-mile stretch of Virginia State Route 16 (VA16) running between Tazewell and Marion  There are many curves, lots of elevation changes, and some great views.
Our visit will start on Friday, July 10 at the Bull Run Parking Lot. We'll head south on US29 towards Charlottesville, but take US250 to the Blue Ridge Parkway which we'll follow down to Roanoake, and then we'll head west on back roads to join VA61 which will get us to the Back of the Dragon Store - with an enroute stop for a meal, we'll reach Tazewell around  7 PM.  We'll spend the night in the Tazewell area (there are hotels and nightly apartment rentals, some right next to VA16).  The next morning, we'll assemble after breakfast (TBD) and drive the route southbound to Marion, and pause there to discuss the route and likely change our order (I don't need to lead in both directions) and we'll turn around and head back up the route to Tazewell.  We'll have some time to do shopping at the store - and have lunch at the Front Porch restaurant.   After lunch, we'll take our third and final run on the Back of the Dragon to Marion, where we can get gas and join I-81 for a faster trip homeward.

Some notes - this is a road that is well known as an attraction for cars and motorcycles, but it IS a public road, and gets used by lots of folks not interested in setting speed records.  Know  your limits (and your car) and don't push too hard.  There are photographers along the route as well so you should be able to buy a photo of you in action by visiting the web site(s).

Logistics:
Assembly - On Friday July 10, the group will start assembling at 9:30 AM at the Bull Run Parking Lot (US29 east of VA234.
Departure - We'll head out via US29 at 10:00 AM.
Time/Distance - One-way distance to Tazewell is 353 miles - with our route on the Blue Ridge Parkway and stops for gas/food/bladder breaks, we'll be on the road for 9 hours or so.
Food - We will find lunch on the way down, and breakfast and lunch the next day in Tazewell.  The Front Porch (lunch on Saturday) is very good.
Fees - No fees for this trip, though you'll need to pay for lodging - some of the apartments for rent have multiple bedrooms so folks may share a space.
Car limits – I'm going to set 16 cars as the initial limit and will add more.
Weather - We may push this one day (to Saturday/Sunday) if the weather is bad, otherwise it will be rescheduled in the fall.
Technology - I will bring fourteen 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 (118.8 Hz) for the privacy code. In Glympse, we'll use the !mscw_cruise tag to keep track of each other.
RSVP via signup genius at https://rebrand.ly/mscw2026-dd-09, AFTER you've made your lodging arrangements for the 10th. Don't use Facebook to indicate you're going.
Visit www.midatlanticscenicdrives.com for maps and GPS files.


Drive safely and HAVE FUN,

Timothy (Tim) Metzinger

Scenic Drive Coordinator – Mazda Sport Cars of Washington, DC

Current drive list - https://www.midatlanticscenicdrives.com/mscwdrives.html

Guide to our group drives – https://midatlanticscenicdrives.com/downloads/MSCW_Group_Drive_Guide.pdf

tim.metzinger at outlook.com<mailto:tim.metzinger at outlook.com>

703.963.3015