Tail of the Dragon Info or maybe "Something to do in Winter While Waiting For Spring"

[Joel]

Tail of the Dragon

Wanted to put out the word on our 10th Annual Tail of the Dragon so those of you who are snowbound can have something to think about. Since this a “VOA Bucket List” event, we have worked hard to make sure it will be something you won’t forget. The AL/TN Club has partnered with our friends in the Carolina Club to come up with a plan. The event will “officially” run from May 29-31 but we hope many of you will come in early to enjoy what the Gatlinburg area has to offer.

We are doing something we haven’t done before and that is to have a registration page. For the registration fee you get quite a lot. Not only will we know who is coming but you will get a t-shirt, a bucket list commemorative coin, and a spectacular dinner with some of the Who’s Who in the Viper Community. You will also get maps, tokens for a trolley ride to dinner, and a complete package detailing the events of the weekend. The EARLY BIRD per person registration fee is $70 for VOA members and $80 for non-VOA members. After April 1, the registration fee will rise – so don’t fool around. There will also be door prizes including hotel rooms, dinners, Viper memorabilia, and for one lucky VOA member, a new set of Pirelli tires.

Tail of the Dragon Registration Page http://carolinasvoa.com/tod_registration.htm

Here is the tentative schedule for the week:

Thursday May 28

A travel day for many. Registration desk at the host hotel, the Greystone Lodge, beginning after noon.

Dinner arrangements are on you but we suggest the Alamo, the Crystelle Creek Grille, or for those who want to go to Pigeon Forge, Margaritaville. We are making informal arrangements with the Alamo but we will have addresses of other locations.

Friday May 29

Traditionally this is the Dragon run day and we will follow that tradition. There will be groups leaving from Gatlinburg to do a “backwards” route to Tellico Plains to meet other groups coming from Knoxville and other areas.

Most folks will be at the hotel by 3:00 pm or so to get ready for the Gala Dinner Friday night. Buffet dinner at the Park Vista hotel ballroom. Trolley rides to the Park Vista will begin about 4:45 pm and the cash bar will open at 5:00. Dinner to begin around 6:15 to 6:30 pm. Our amazing speakers and door prizes to be given away around 7:15 or so. You must be present to win. Partying to begin after dinner either at the Park Vista, back at the hotel, or on the Gatlinburg strip. Let's just say the special guests will be announced soon but can you remember SRT? 'Nuff said. This will be a don't miss dinner - from all aspects!!

Saturday May 30

Some folks will want to go to the Dragon again but we will have a cruise to Cherokee and breakfast at the Casino (breakfast is $15 and there adult beverages available). After breakfast, folks will be on their own to explore Cherokee. Maggie Valley, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and other attractions like Wheels Thru Time Motorcycle museum are close by. For those who want to run the Dragon from Cherokee keep in mind that is a about a four hour run of 160 miles so a group would need to leave early to have time to get breakfast in Cherokee and make the loop.

To enable the Cherokee Grille to serve only the Viper owners in attendance, we will move the parade up to 5:00 pm. That means to get folks lined up we would have to start lining up before 4:30 pm. The parade is amazing and you don’t want to miss it but since we have a police escort to the Cherokee Grille, if you are not in line, you won’t be in the parade. The Cherokee Grille dinner is not included in the registration fee but we are handling parking. The parade will be video taped – with no music but the sound of our Vipers – and you may order a copy at dinner to be delivered Sunday morning. We hope to have a copy of the video playing at dinner and Tyrone has offered to bring his Tail of the Dragon video from last year. Of course, after dinner, you are on your own.

Sunday May 31

Another travel day for most. For those who need more, Maurice and the national VOA have organized a trip to the Pirelli Plant in Rome Georgia for an overnight stay Sunday and a plant tour Monday. Details on VOA page.

As usual there will be more details to follow. As we expect 100 plus Vipers to attend, you can see why we decided to have registration. You get a lot for the fee and you extend a courtesy to us by letting us know you are coming so we can accommodate everyone there. We realize you may have special needs or are bringing a family and we will help you any way we can. The restaurants, including the Park Vista, have children’s rates. We will offer additional t-shirts and coins for those who want them. The t-shirts in registration will be short sleeve but if you want a long sleeve t-shirt they will be available too.

If you have questions, please contact me or Brian Kennedy. The registration page is at http://carolinasvoa.com/tod_registration.htm
The host hotel info is:
Greystone Lodge
559 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738 1-800-451-9202
rates are ~$99 during the week - $109 weekend per night for king or double king

Joel Hausler 615-308-3358
Alabama/Tennessee Club

Brian Kennedy 724-822-9625
Carolinas Club

[01sapphirebob]

Registered!!!!!!

[PatrickB]

We're registered!

[dodgefever]

Registered and room reserved!

[CarolinaViper]

Donna and I are ready to go.

[Mad Max]

Just signed up! Wife is going this time. I might have to behave, or maybe not!

[Brian GTS]

Nice write up Joel! Janelle and I are registered and ready to go!

[Mreeves]

Terri and I are getting the salt and limes ready!!

[DaveW]

Dave and Marcia - again!

[LittleCobra]

Just a thought after noticing the trip that Maurice planned on sunday the 31st, the Jack Daniels brewery is located about 4 hours from the northwestern TOTD leg.

[uvbnbit]

Well done!

[billp]

Bill & Elaine - room booked - looking forward to a fantastic weekend!

[LATAMUD]

Wife and I will be there.

[HLANDIS]

Registered and ready!!
Great job AL/TN and the Carolinas. Gonna be an epic event!

[DEADEYE]

Jennifer and I are registered as well. Do children require registration?

[Brian GTS]

Here's an update folks....

In less than two days, we have 38 cars and 66 members registered so far! Amazing!

Regions Represented (so far):
Alabama/Tennessee
Carolinas
Florida
Georgia
Indiana/Kentucky
Michigan (Motor City)
Mid-South (AR/LA/MS)
Ohio
Pennsylvania/West Virginia

Awesome! Keep'em coming folks!

[Stretch]

Awesome! My registration is going in today :-)

[Joel]

Jennifer and I are registered as well. Do children require registration?

We've had lots of questions about children and family members and the short answer is NO, you don't have to register children and extended family who don't want the t-shirts and coins included in registration for members and spouses(or significant others). But they will have to pay for the meal on Friday night. We want as many folks as possible to come and to enjoy the event. With registration you get t-shirts, dinner, coins, etc. and the dinner on Friday has a child's price ($9.95 for under 10 years old) and the other restaurants will have children's menus too. Adults and children over 10 will have to pay the regular price for dinner on Friday night. The regular price is $24.95 but since we are in a group there is an 18% service charge and 10% tax added on meal prices. You may pay at the door but please let us know if you have other extended family or children so we can get extra trolley tokens and tell the hotel about numbers to expect at the dinner. We will also have extra t-shirts and coins for sale if you want them.

Our goal is for everyone to have fun - especially at the dinner events on Friday and Saturday -and in light of the scope of the event the registration price includes dinner for Friday night only. Seating will be limited to 250 on Saturday night so we do need to know numbers in advance and that is also the purpose of having event registration that lets us know numbers who will attend. Feel free to contact us if you have questions or need help in making special arrangements. Joel joel.hausler@mtsu.edu
or Brian Kennedy brian@carolinasviperclub.com

[DEADEYE]

Thanks! My toddler will be in tow

[djc986]

Registered and room reserved.

Everyone that is going to ToD, think about the Pirelli tour on June 1. It is a very unique opportunity to see a very special tire factory.

[NSviper]

Just registered....Did someone mention Jack Daniels tour ?

[uvbnbit]

Here's an update folks....

In less than two days, we have 38 cars and 66 members registered so far! Amazing!

Regions Represented (so far):
Alabama/Tennessee
Carolinas
Florida
Georgia
Indiana/Kentucky
Michigan (Motor City)
Mid-South (AR/LA/MS)
Ohio
Pennsylvania/West Virginia

Awesome! Keep'em coming folks!

Make that 39 cars, 69 people (Viper Twin Teresa will be in attendance this year!)

[uvbnbit]

Just registered....Did someone mention Jack Daniels tour ?

Yes, Lynchburg few hours away.. JD tour is pretty dang good. We did that as "season opener" event one year

Nova Scotia representin' !

[Stretch]

For those that cannot hit Jack Daniels on this trip, the Ohio & IN/KY clubs will be touring several Bourbon Distilleries the last weekend of June :-)

[NSviper]

Yes, Lynchburg few hours away.. JD tour is pretty dang good. We did that as "season opener" event one year

Nova Scotia representin' !

Hey Chip + 1 for Newfoundland ...Janets brother. Looking forward to seeing you guys again.