The first drive I took was with a group of 20 other Minis to the Joyce Kilmer Forest for a brisk 40-minute drive and a 30-minute hike that really worked out my city lungs. The trail was rated for a novice but proved one hell of a workout. The forest was amazing as the sun danced through the trees' foliage above us. After the hike, our group headed to the little town of Robbinsville for some hometown BBQ at the Sweetwater BBQ diner. We dined like kings on a Southern twist of BBQ pork and beef with all the fixings. After lunch, our group split up as some headed back to Fontana Village while others stopped at the local stores to pick up supplies for their cabins.
Overwhelming excitement and confusion filled the Village as a small forest fire threatened our cozy afternoon when a tree fell on some nearby power lines. A handful of Mini owners and nearby hikers started a bucket brigade and throwing wet towels at the fire to get it out around the bases of some very close cabins. People jumped out of their cars to help fight the fire as much as they could until the fire trucks got to the scene. Some felt helpless and could only watch as smaller fires flared up. The fire fighters were there within minutes to take over, and by nightfall we were all safe once again.
The biggest run of the weekend was to be the Dragon Parade. I waited in a large turnout on the side of the mountain just to watch 170-plus Minis make their way down a section of windy road. Not one Mini looked like another as they came around the turns and proceeded through the next. As the last Mini passed by, I jumped in our long-term Mini (which I officially named Millie after having it in our fleet for 10 months) and joined the group for the duration of the ride down the Dragon. We crossed the Tennessee border and regrouped at a picnic area on the banks of the Tennessee River and then returned up the Dragon for a second pass.
I made a pit-stop at a local popular spot at Deals Gap for a glance at a landmark and constant reminder to all how the Dragon can swallow people whole if they're not careful and don't respect the road. In the center of the parking lot sits a tree called "The Tree of Shame." It's covered with parts from various vehicles and motorcycles that didn't escape the Dragon's wrath. Unfortunately, two members of the Mini community added parts of their Minis to the tree as they had become victims of the Dragon's fury. Luckily, the owner of one of the Minis only suffered a sight fender-bender from a bridesmaid early in the week. But the most dramatic and lucky accident was from "Big Daddy" and his custom Mini's ill-fated drive where he flipped end over end without any serious injuries. His fender lining on the tree will serve as a reminder of how lucky he was to other drivers who dare take on the road with too much force.
The last big run of the weekend took place at midnight on Saturday. I couldn't count how many Minis took to the road for the "Fifth Annual Midnight on the Dragon" under the almost non-existing moon. The procession of Minis looked like a night at the disco as people decorated them with flashing strobe lights and multicolored neon. It was last night on the Dragon and Mini enthusiasts celebrated with gusto.
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