JessN16 Posted July 8, 2010 Report Share Posted July 8, 2010 Folks, I'm trying to put together some sketches for a reboot of the Mountain Lakes Drive, which used to take place every year in northeast Alabama and southeast Tennessee. I think we ran it from 2004-2008. It was a driving-heavy meet full of scenic roads and some spirited passes through the Guntersville (Ala.) State Park, Monteagle Mountain and the South Sauty Reserve. Everything is on the table for consideration for next year. I've always wanted to get up to the 20-car level for this meet and I think it topped out around 15 or so in its best year. I've kind of envisioned this thing as being a SE regional meet for the spring, but it hasn't worked out that way due to having no real work-on-the-cars time and the drive taking up the one full day we all have together. We ran it the first year in the fall, and then moved it to April for subsequent years. My work schedule won't allow me to host a fall meet unless I set the date in stone and everyone else have to fit into my plans. I'm much more pliable in the spring, but we tend to run up close to the drag meet at Jimmy's house in May. The problem with the scenery is if we go too soon in the year, the trees are still dormant. If we go in the summer, any car with the penchant to run hot typically does (not to mention we butt up against the Pigeon Forge meet). So here are some categories of ideas, and I'd like comments on each: 1. The Dates. To get this off and away from the Georgia meet later in the spring, I think we need to move this back to late March at the latest. Perhaps early March, somewhere around the first or second weekend, is best. But views/photo ops will be compromised. 2. Length of the meet. In previous years, people came into town the morning of the meet, drove all day, spent that night (a Saturday) and went home on Sunday. I would not be opposed to lengthening the meet, maybe to a three-day weekend so we could split up the drives, which last anywhere from 4-6 hours total. 3. The format. The whole point of coming to this place is for the driving, but the full run is 6 hours. Some of the suggestions/complaints in the past have included no time to work on cars, no time to be lazy and drink beer/soda/etc., no time to shop at Unclaimed Baggage or go fishing/play golf at Goose Pond Resort, no time to take the kids to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, etc. 4. Non-driving activities. Specifically talking about organizing anything as a group. A fishing/boating excursion, a planned meal, etc. 5. Lodging. I no longer live in Scottsboro, therefore I no longer have a yard and therefore Conquests don't have any place to relax. If we're going to have a centralized place for any type of non-group driving, we will have to rent a cabin at Goose Pond Resort or Lake Guntersville State Park. Both are very affordable options, but both places book up 6-12 months in advance. Therefore, if we're going to do this, the first thing we have to pick is a date and it would have to be fairly inflexible once picked. 6. The very location itself, as well as the spirit of the meet. If we're wanting to turn this into some kind of regional meet before Georgia or Pigeon Forge, we don't have to have this in Scottsboro. A suggestion at one time was made to move this meet to Gulf Shores or some other beach locale to break up the mountain runs. If that happens, the drives pretty much go away. Other than driving parallel to the beach, there is nothing fun about any roads in that part of the state (unless you want to tour "scenic" Sweet Gum Head, Florida). Also, you would absolutely have to have the meet before mid-April so as not to incur extremely penal hotel rates (example: a friggin' 40-year-old Best Western charges $350/night during May). I want to hear all comments. I'm hoping to get something nailed down, at least date- and location-wise, by the end of this month (July). And I'm not necessarily saying I'm going to go with the majority opinions, because I'll have to shoehorn this into what I figure will be a busy work schedule around that time. But I want to know what you guys think. Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menamc78 Posted July 8, 2010 Report Share Posted July 8, 2010 I really hope this can get off the ground and we can get this started again. Jess has really missed this meet, not to mention all of you. I've tried to get him to do it the last few years, and again, I hope we can make it happen for 2011. I'm of the opinion that we try to make it a 3-4 day event, giving us time to do things besides drive. For one, doing Unclaimed Baggage, but that's just me, I love that place. I could always go off and go there myself. However, I think this would be a ''better'' meet if we had an extra day or two. That way, we could drive one day, hang out one day, etc. March would be a good month, I would just worry about the famous Alabama weather, and what if it was cold? Maybe later/mid March? Again, Jess' schedule isn't very flexible, so once we set this it's set in stone. I think looking into the cabins for this would be great, especially since they're not much more (if any more) expensive than the hotel we've usually stayed at. Then, we could have a place to go back to and hang out, talk, drink, whatever. I'm going to miss Jim and his camera. I still smile thinking of he and Jeff that first year, and the cops! Oh, and let's not forget the whistling dixie ponies. In 2004, Jess and I had barely even kissed when he brought me to this meet. I knew that it was special to him, and I knew that you guys meant a lot to him. I saw him in his element that weekend, and I'll never forget that. He's missed being around you guys the last few years, and when we talked of selling the cars, I knew it was breaking his heart. As much as I curse them, they hold a lot of memories for me, and I just can't imagine them not in my front yard. Bottom line is, I'd love to see all you guys again, before this meet if we can do it, but I'd like to try our best to make this meet happen again. I think Jess thinks that some of you don't want to do the driving part, and if we got the cabins, those who didn't want to (like at PF) wouldn't have to, and that would take care of that. Just throw some suggestions/thoughts/ideas/opinions out. Even if it's not something he's suggested or said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minagera Posted July 8, 2010 Report Share Posted July 8, 2010 I wanted to come to this the last year you had it, but I was unavailable or something. 1. This date doesn't affect me much since I won't be back yet, but either in March like you suggested, or end of August when the trees are full and starting to turn. That is my suggestion. 2. I would like to do a 3 day weekend, but that is also because I would be close and could drive home in less than 2 hours. However, that is rather true for a lot that would likely attend this meet. 3. IF was can get this to a 3 day weekend even, (or come friday after work and stay saturday and sunday, leave sunday night), we can maybe include time for bsing and tinkering with the car. Personally I am there for the community and the drive. My thoughts is to arrive on a friday, get the lawn chairs out, and drink the suds. Saturday get some breakfast, or if we are at a cabin environment cook a large spread, and head for a 4-6 hour cruise through the loop. Then that night do the suds and bsing again. Sunday is cleanup, fixing of the cars for the trip, and heading to the Unclaimed Baggage or whatever. Then departure. Now as far as the US Space and Rocket Center, it has become run down and expensive. $20 per person to get in. 4. Hmm, might add a little too much structure to the whole meet. I think we might be set if we follow something like this ^^. 5. I vote for a cabin or lodge, something of that nature. I believe for the cost to lodging ratio, depending on attending member, that would be the best bang for the buck. However, that does limit the amount of concrete or asphalt we have to do repairs. 6. I am liking the Scottsboro location myself. There are quite a few member within 1-3 hours away, and there are loads of roads around for "spirited" drives. Also don't have the terrible humidity there. my 2.6 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MainstreaM Posted July 8, 2010 Report Share Posted July 8, 2010 Here ya go. http://halesbarmarina.com/ Camping, cabins, and family fun. Close to the driving action too. Kane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minagera Posted July 8, 2010 Report Share Posted July 8, 2010 Word ^^. 40 miles away from Unclaimed Baggage too if people want to make a little trip out of it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve57 Posted July 8, 2010 Report Share Posted July 8, 2010 heck yes! i say we do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonboyb Posted July 8, 2010 Report Share Posted July 8, 2010 I think you know my opinion on bringing this one back Jess I would prefer a 3-day, but mainly just to hang around and take it easy one of the days. This is a great driving meet beacuse it's not a white-knuckle drive like the Dragon or Hwy. 32. Yes....the mountain section is aggressive and we usually have someone give us a laugh (cough...cough...Chris, Danny (KillaCotton), and Brandon come to mind) but it's a low speed section becuase it's solid switchbacks. Short of Miata Jim (he will be greatly missed) I can't recall any overly agressive driving. The grade changes and hill pulls may overheat a few SQ's, but I wouldn't consider this meet abusive to the cars at all. The dates you have to gap are the Spring/Fall Import Showdown at Jimmy's (Late April/Early May and early October), Pigeon Forge, and Nationals (which seems to run in the July-October slot depending). I say early March would be spot on. There's been discussion of resurrecting the winter Dyno meet too in Atlanta in the Jan timeframe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psu_Crash Posted July 8, 2010 Report Share Posted July 8, 2010 If it ends up being a 3 day event I may consider taking the trip. I'll be watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menamc78 Posted July 8, 2010 Report Share Posted July 8, 2010 I'm glad to see some interest! I've missed this meet. As for doing the Unclaimed Baggage on Sunday, it's closed on Sunday, so if we do turn it into coming in on Thursday night, maybe we could do the UB on Friday, hang out, etc, and drive Saturday? Or vice versa. Either way. And, again, we don't ALL have to go to UB It's just something that's been brought up in the past, and we did it that one year it rained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pure_insanity Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 yes, i do think we should do it. jess you always put together some good meets and im right behind you. you plan it i will come. my only objection in the least is the fact of soooo much driving. i just personally dont care to drive that much. im still coming but maybe i would skip a part of the drive myself. otherwise, i cant wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessN16 Posted July 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 Wow, I wasn't expecting so much interest so soon. It's nice to see, though, and I appreciate the comments. I guess it appears as if people want a full three days. If that's how it's going to work, Melena and I will probably come into town Thursday night and stay through Sunday. The best thing about a three-day meet in this area is that motels are ridiculously cheap. You can stay three nights in Scottsboro for less than the cost of a two-night stay at PF. The following are what I feel are our four best bets for lodging where the group can all be together. 1. Goose Pond Colony: http://www.goosepond.org/The thing to look at here are the cottages. They rent for $170 apiece (for five people) and sleep 5-8 comfortably. You can sleep a max of 8 people there and renters Nos. 6-8 pay only $17/night for the room. That means if you guys get five people involved, you're paying about $36/night for a cottage. The other option there is to rent the entire main lodge. You can sleep 12 people very comfortably there and it costs $451/night to rent (plus $125 damage deposit, which I assume we'd get back), which would be less than $40 a person and a couple of those rooms have full kitchens. They also have a campground there but I don't recommend it for an early March date. Northeast Alabama is a little unique when compared to the rest of the state -- they actually have real winters there. Goosepond also has a VERY nice golf course that is cheap to play, you have boat rentals available for fishing and The Docks restaurant is a winner. Best shrimp and grits I've ever had, and I've actually been to the Carolina Lowcountry. The best part about this place is that we should have plenty of room to work on cars there, and hanging out/cooking out/drinking beverages is pretty much what everyone does at that place. 2. Lake Guntersville State Park: http://www.alapark.com/lakeguntersville/This is about 30 miles SE of Scottsboro in Guntersville, which is actually a part of the Lakes loop on the drive itself. This park, and not Gulf Shores, is actually Alabama's most popular park, and they just re-did the property 2 years ago. Cottages can sleep up to 6 people and cost $130/night, which means you can get something for around $25/person. Chalets are even cheaper -- $120/night, and they also sleep six. Couples wanting their own hotel suite can get one for $100/night. There's a golf course on site (but it's pretty average), while a couple of other golf courses are nearby. You can also camp out on the park property if you wish. 3. Paint Rock Valley Lodge: http://www.prvlodge.com/retreats.htmlThis place is in Estillfork, which is way up in the boonies of northern Jackson County, about 5 miles off the Mountain 2 route near the Paint Rock River stream-rising. There are no prices listed on the site but I do remember them being pretty reasonable. The thought here is we'd rent the entire lodge, which has 12 rooms plus a great room and an on-site restaurant. There is no golf nearby but they are listing an outdoor pool (not needed in early March); however, the last time I was there they also had an indoor pool. They also have an on-site restaurant. This is a good thing, because you're literally 20-30 miles away from the nearest gas station. You're about 40 miles away from Scottsboro. This place typically hosts church retreats and business group getaways. It's built in an old Air Force missile tracking station. Really neat place. My only question here would be whether they let people BYOB given that a lot of their business is church-related. Obviously I'd have to check on that in advance. 4. Hales Bar Marina: http://halesbarmarina.com/This is on Nickajack Lake in Tennessee. It's about 15-20 miles from the Stevenson Town Park, which is where we typically get together and rendezvous before hitting off on the Mountain 1 loop. They have "floating cabins" and land cabins, the latter of which appears to run about $40/person if you're splitting a room six ways. Looks like a lot of fishing opportunities. I don't think we could go wrong with any of these choices, and my preference is pretty much in the order I have them listed (although Hales Bar and the PRV Lodge are pretty much tied for third). The real issue here is we're going to have to pick a date quickly because Goose Pond and PRV Lodge both fill up very fast, and I'm sure the others do as well. Depending on the cost, I wouldn't have a problem renting the place on my dime and having people pay me back, but I'd need some assurances first. Check out these options and post your preferences. Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minagera Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 Goose Pond and Guntersville are both awesome, and imho it would be between them. Gosh I hope I can get back in time for this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menamc78 Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 Something Jess and I were just discussing.....with the lodges, they're going to fill up fast. March/April are their big fishing tournament events. If we're going to do this, we probably need to look into doing the lodging soon, if it's going to be at a cabin type place. My choice is Goose Pond, simply because it's in Scottsboro, but I love LG too. Not sure about Paint Rock since it's so far away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh '88 Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 Count me in for sure! I'd love to see this meet happen again, just like old times. I'm sure my girlfriend would want to come also, since we live so close. What happened to Miata Jim? Sounds like he's not alive anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helrazr70 Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 A 3 day event would help justify the 12ish hour drive down there... It might actually make more sense to just fly and hitch a ride! (but I get free gas and a free car so driving is cheaper in the end) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StreetVelocity Posted July 10, 2010 Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 im new to the starquest scene but ive been itching to go to a meet and meet fellow lovers of this car i would be down to come to this to meet all of you face to face Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessN16 Posted July 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 Count me in for sure! I'd love to see this meet happen again, just like old times. I'm sure my girlfriend would want to come also, since we live so close. What happened to Miata Jim? Sounds like he's not alive anymore. Josh, Jim passed away recently. I just talked to Jeff Hall within the last couple of weeks and he told me about it. Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessN16 Posted July 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2010 Lodging update Tried to call Goose Pond tonight to check on room availability. They do not have online booking. Unfortunately, they also do not have anyone manning a desk after 6 p.m., apparently. Looked online for rooms at Lake Guntersville State Park. As of 7/9/2010, they have the following non-hotel units available for the week of March 3 (a Thursday) through March 6 (a Sunday): 18 mountaintop chalets with view, 13 cottages. They also have around 100 hotel rooms available. Prices seem to be around $100/night for all options, give or take a few. The mountaintop chalets and cottages all have two full bedrooms and then apparently room for a couple of other people on couches as well. So if you're splitting six ways, you're going to be paying about $17 per person per night. A very good bargain! For the week of March 10 (a Thursday) through March 13 (a Sunday): 13 mountaintop chalets with view, 11 cottages. Prices are the same, but this illustrates how important it is to set a date QUICKLY. I will try calling Goose Pond tomorrow (Saturday, July 10) and check with them on the availability of their facilities. What I need you guys to do, and fairly soon: 1) Pick between March 3-6 or March 10-13,2) Speak your thoughts on what you would do if you came, relative to lodging. In other words, would you stay at the resort by yourself or room with another person/couple, try to find your own Motel 6-type arrangements, sleep in your car, be close enough to go back home every night, etc. For those of you who would want to split a lodge/resort room with someone, you would need to start finding your roommates. I'm sorry to accelerate the timeline a little, but I can see a scenario developing where we miss out on any "good" accommodations/central hangout locations and end up having to stay in a motel. Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken_B. Posted July 11, 2010 Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 Jess, you already know I'm a big fan of bringing this meet back to life. I'm also for a 3 day meet although I would probably plan on heading out Sunday morning, as a lot of others would, I suspect. And as much as I would love to stay in a cabin, I fear that a lot of people would not commit to making reservations until right before the meet. That's just the nature of the beast. With that said, I would probably opt for an inexpensive hotel in town like we have done in the past and try to get some sort of group rate if at all possible. As far as dates go, either weekend should work for me. It would be nice if it wasn't very cold, but I'd still come anyway. Ken B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve57 Posted July 21, 2010 Report Share Posted July 21, 2010 Mannnn. i hope we can have this before i ship out for boot camp lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psu_Crash Posted July 21, 2010 Report Share Posted July 21, 2010 (edited) I'd be in for the cabins/cottages and finding some room mates. Driving intensive with some BS in between then a few cold ones around a BBQ sounds like my kind of meet! I could care less about unclaimed baggage. A group meal is a very good plan though. I'll have to see if I can rally up more troops from the north to come down too. I have no issue with committing to this and setting up reservations for myself. The date and specific area I'll leave to you Jess since I have never been to any of these places. Edited July 21, 2010 by psu_Crash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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