Spring Ride XVIII May 10-May 12, 2013
(Accommodations can be made for early bird arrivals and late departures.)
Little Switzerland, North Carolina
on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Spring Ride XVIII
General Area:
Little Switzerland, North Carolina is about 14 miles north of
Marion, NC at the intersection of Rt. 226 and the Blue Ridge Parkway. This will be the
base for organized (and not so organized) rides with great roads
on and off the Blue Ridge Parkway (like Route 181, Double Island, 80, Roan Mt, etc). This location is about
3.5 hours west
of the Raleigh/Cary area via Interstate, less from the Durham side of the Triangle, more if you take
more northern or southern routes west. Although Spring Ride is billed as a weekend
event, many folks arrive on Wednesday or Thursday... and some stay through until Monday.
General Description:
This event has been very successful every
year...with average attendance around 40 people. A few folks show up
Wednesday, about 25% of participants arrive on Thursday...and the rest arrive
mostly during the day on Friday with the remaining arriving by Friday night...with
the occasional rider/s showing up Saturday.
Rides are informal and, normally, riders split into small groups of 2 to 6
based on the type of riding they enjoy...with some folks riding by themselves
and some groups of 10 or more occasionally venturing out. Most riding groups will travel at a relaxed
pace, with a couple of small groups running more aggressively. If you are a
newbie...don't worry...there will be rides for you, too! This is a great opportunity to
shrug off the winter chill, reacquaint ourselves with each other, share food and drink
and meet and ride with new TriDoDs and friends. Some bring their
non-riding spouses/significant other...some bring their kids...some bring
both...and both are always welcome!
Accommodations:
In the past, we have stayed at the Skyline Inn, Mountain View Motel,
and the Pine Valley Motel. In 2005 (Spring Ride X) we moved to Big Lynn Lodge.
We've been at Big Lynn ever since and it will, once again, be our primary base of operations.
The lodge grounds offer an awesome 40 mile view of the Catawba River Valley; with rocking chair equipped porches and several well-placed benches to enjoy the scenery.
The staff takes great pride in their food service and everything is home cooked and served at individual tables. Daily breakfast features eggs-to-order, Belgian waffles, homemade pancakes, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, cereal, juice, coffee, and more. Dinner includes one entree, potato, two steamed vegetables, fresh baked bread, garden salad with homemade dressings, and a sinful desert. Guests enjoy the magnificent view from the atrium dining room. Special dietary requests will be honored when possible. They serve modest portions and offer second helpings (if you behave and ask nicely).
Big Lynn Lodge is informal. In addition to regular motel rooms, they have individual cottages, and grouped cottages. All accommodations have porches and private baths. All rooms have cable television and air conditioning/heat.
Room Rates - Click HERE.
NOTE: THESE RATES DO INCLUDE BREAKFAST, DINNER AND MEAL GRATUITY, BUT DO NOT INCLUDE TAXES OR MAID GRATUITY.
Here is a map of the lodge/layout (click on image for larger image):
Reservations/Confirmations:
Everybody will be responsible
for making their own room reservations and coordinating roommates if needed. Response is always
large and demand for rooms high...so it is important to make your motel
reservations as soon as possible to assure that you get the room/rate you want.
Call the motel and make a formal reservation for whichever room will suit your needs for the appropriate number of nights. If you are sharing a room with one or more other folks...only one of you will need to call and reserve the room.
If your plans change and you cannot attend, please call the motel to cancel your reservation and then post to the list so that if somebody needs a room they can call and reserve it. No refunds on cancellations made less than 10 days prior to arrival. There is a $20 charge for all cancellations. No refunds for early departure.
NOTE: Once you have made your reservation, please drop me a line off-list and let me know that you are attending and who else, if anybody, is in your group. I just need to keep a head count.
Big Lynn Lodge (800)654-5232
Meals/Food/Ice/Beverages:
If you are
staying at Big Lynn, breakfast and dinner is included in the cost of your room.
For lunches, you will be on your own.
| Breakfast Hours 7:30-9:30 am |
Dinner Hours 6:00-7:30 pm |
| Morning coffee available starting at 7:00 a.m. | |
Ice:
Available on-site for personal or group coolers (ice machine located behind
cottages 101/107).
NOTE: If you utilize the "group"
coolers...you need to make sure you help keep the coolers maintained (drain
water, refill ice).
NOTE: We need volunteers who are
coming up on more than two wheels to bring a cooler or two for general beverage
storage. Email me off-list if you can help out.
Beer and Wine:
Available on-site.
Alcoholic beverages can
also be purchased a couple miles
down the road at
either The Skyline or Mt. View motels or a little farther down the road at WalMart.
Drink/Snack/Ice Machines:
Located behind cottages 101/107.
COOKOUT: Dinner on Saturday (May 4, 2013) will be a cookout. More details later.
Other Notes:
| Weather: Weather conditions are usually quite variable during the early spring in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. Spring Ride is being conducted as a rain-or-shine event. There will be no rain dates or postponements, schedules make this impossible. We all hope for warm weather and clear skies, but it is wise to make sure that ALL riders and pillions prepare for the possibility of cool and/or wet weather by bringing proper riding and rain gear. Generally temperatures are in the 50's - 60's during the day and 40's - 50's at night. Sometimes it gets up into the upper 70s....sometimes it is down in the mid-30s. |
|
Parking/Trailers: There will be a lot of bikes coming and going from the parking lot over the course of the weekend...and in order to assure that everybody who wants to park their bike close to their room/s can do so...and to assure plenty of room for bike maneuvering...I would highly encourage you to park your car/truck/trailer somewhere out of the way if at all possible.
List of Riders (that I know about):
Direct all questions to the KotSR!
Spring Ride is dedicated to Fred Castrovinci.
"Fred Castrovinci is an ordinary human and is famous for little."
Those are his words. I think that everybody who knew Fred would agree that he was far from ordinary.
And famous? Well, if you consider the number of people he touched with his sincerity, humor, and love...i'd have to say that he's one of the most famous people I have ever known.
Fred rode away from this world on Friday, May 13, 2005.
Canopy of Green
The cool crisp air
and new Spring leaves
We’re biking down the Parkway
under a canopy of green.
Memories of past rides
flood my mind with joy
brothers and sisters of one spirit
Some are here and some are gone
But all are ridin’ with me
under a canopy of green.
“High Collision Area”
Yes, this marks the spot!
The esses are ahead
bike flowing left then right
Ridin’ down the Parkway
under a canopy of green.
Best friends in a line are
flowing through the curves
downshift and pin the throttle
Feeling the motor respond with
8, 9, 10,000 screaming delights
Blastin’ down the Parkway
under a canopy of green.
We’re in the flow
like the rhythm of a song
The engine is the melody
And the road provides the beat
Memories are the words
Past, present, future all are one
Ridin’ down the Parkway
Under a canopy of green.
Dick Peterson
Reflections of SpringRide 2011
These pages are copyright 2011 by John P.
Hite, Jr., all rights reserved.
These pages, images, code, layout, concepts, etc. may not be linked and/or
copied without the author's permission.