I thought I was dreaming. Did I just hear Kay suggest we extend
our trip to the Mitty and spend a week in the Smokies all in the MGA?
Yes, I heard right and before she could back out, I reserved the rooms,
then shared the plan. We would spend 4 nights in Atlanta, see the Walter
Mitty Vintage Races, then drive to Pigeon Forge on back roads for 7
more nights. Then came the BIG question, "I can pack what? You expect me
to pack for 11 nights and fit it into the A in one bag? Whaddaya mean
the trunk is full of tools and parts?"
Well, of course I did! It was HER idea. You should have seen the blank stare when I said the one bag was for both of us. It is a small car after all. This was something we had been wanting to do since May of 1991 when we saw an early Townsend, Tennessee British Car Show. It had always gotten put off. This would be the year. Betsy must be readied. A quick check of the brakes revealed a leaky axle seal, so seals and shoes were replaced. That was all she needed. Oh, I forgot the insistence that certain rattles and squeaks be fixed, the seat bottoms stuffed with fresh foam, and the windshield resealed for rain. Forget the mechanicals man, it is the comforts we'll be needing.
I did pack a few spares in case our friend Murphy came along. Fan belt, radiator hose,
water pump hose, fuel pump, water pump, distributor cap, rotor, points, coil, ignition wire, regular wire, rear axle bearing, axle seals, differential seals, fuses, bulbs, head light, 6 quarts of oil, brake fluid, gear oil, duct tape, baling wire and the latest Moss Catalogue. A handy tool case along with a bag with more wrenches, sockets, a meter, and so on. Even a 3/4 inch pull handle and sockets for those axles. The basics for any long road trip and those easy road side fixes.
The trip was great, 1630 miles. The old MGA never hiccupped. She seemed to enjoy stretching her legs. After the Mitty, we headed north on winding back roads. Along the way we passed Fugitive Dam where Harrison Ford did his Peter Pan escape in The Fugitive. A quick lunch at the Dragon's Den and we headed through the Dragon Tail, an eleven mile stretch with 318 curves - along with at least 200 motorcycles, a Miata club, a Vette club, and who knows what else. With the top up and luggage on the rack we still managed to chase down #53 - a Miata with racing numbers that left well before us. This is a great drive, but a little slow with all the traffic, we would have to come back.
We completed the 227 miles to Pigeon Forge along the Foothills Parkway and settled in. That is when I got the news. Being the first to run out of underwear, I had to do the wash! I guess that is the price you pay in a small car. The weather was great, so next we visited Cades Cove and Gatlinburg, then over the mountains to Cherokee and a blast up the Blue Ridge Parkway. The newly arrived canopy of green leaves with an open top was beautiful. The raspy exhaust note echoing on the rock walls would lift any soul. Every day was filled with top down cruising, heads turning, and a few folks stopping to talk to us in this old car. My kind of vacation.
We returned to the Dragon with the top down and no luggage only to find 330 Minis running the road along with more bikes and a roadster club of all makes. The speed and fun were higher, but something was missing. Near the Dragon is the Cherohala Skyway which opened in 2000. Here I found my road at last. Plenty of undulating sweeping turns for fun higher speed driving. First you must climb, and climb, and then climb some more - until you are a mile high. Cruising this road 43 miles along the tops of the mountains, the view is amazing. The Smokies are beautiful in the spring, but to be looking down on all those valleys was awesome and you come to understand the name "skyway."
The last day I took Kay off the beaten path to an antique store for some last minute shopping. This was a very interesting place, not the regular tourist trap and we spent a couple of hours searching for that special keepsake. As the day wound down we headed back into the mountains for one last sunset cruise and packed for home. Oh yes, going home - 370 miles one way in a 46 year old MG. We needed more foam in those old seats. We had to buy some shorts as the temps hit the mid 80s for the first time. Highway 411 brought us all all the way to Cedartown, Ga. Then a short drive to Piedmont and highway 9 to Wetumpka. We made it all the way home with no interstate driving.
The trip was great. Do it. Take your old classic car on a drive you have been dreaming of. It is worth it. Some said we were gutsy, others said crazy, to go that far with no support vehicle. The truth is, if it cannot be fixed, it can always be towed or stored. Trucks and trailers can be rented. However, in our club, friends had volunteered to come get us if the need arose. I thank them for that and thank Betsy for making it without a problem. As the saying goes, just do it. You will be glad you did.
Well, of course I did! It was HER idea. You should have seen the blank stare when I said the one bag was for both of us. It is a small car after all. This was something we had been wanting to do since May of 1991 when we saw an early Townsend, Tennessee British Car Show. It had always gotten put off. This would be the year. Betsy must be readied. A quick check of the brakes revealed a leaky axle seal, so seals and shoes were replaced. That was all she needed. Oh, I forgot the insistence that certain rattles and squeaks be fixed, the seat bottoms stuffed with fresh foam, and the windshield resealed for rain. Forget the mechanicals man, it is the comforts we'll be needing.
I did pack a few spares in case our friend Murphy came along. Fan belt, radiator hose,
water pump hose, fuel pump, water pump, distributor cap, rotor, points, coil, ignition wire, regular wire, rear axle bearing, axle seals, differential seals, fuses, bulbs, head light, 6 quarts of oil, brake fluid, gear oil, duct tape, baling wire and the latest Moss Catalogue. A handy tool case along with a bag with more wrenches, sockets, a meter, and so on. Even a 3/4 inch pull handle and sockets for those axles. The basics for any long road trip and those easy road side fixes.
The trip was great, 1630 miles. The old MGA never hiccupped. She seemed to enjoy stretching her legs. After the Mitty, we headed north on winding back roads. Along the way we passed Fugitive Dam where Harrison Ford did his Peter Pan escape in The Fugitive. A quick lunch at the Dragon's Den and we headed through the Dragon Tail, an eleven mile stretch with 318 curves - along with at least 200 motorcycles, a Miata club, a Vette club, and who knows what else. With the top up and luggage on the rack we still managed to chase down #53 - a Miata with racing numbers that left well before us. This is a great drive, but a little slow with all the traffic, we would have to come back.
We completed the 227 miles to Pigeon Forge along the Foothills Parkway and settled in. That is when I got the news. Being the first to run out of underwear, I had to do the wash! I guess that is the price you pay in a small car. The weather was great, so next we visited Cades Cove and Gatlinburg, then over the mountains to Cherokee and a blast up the Blue Ridge Parkway. The newly arrived canopy of green leaves with an open top was beautiful. The raspy exhaust note echoing on the rock walls would lift any soul. Every day was filled with top down cruising, heads turning, and a few folks stopping to talk to us in this old car. My kind of vacation.
We returned to the Dragon with the top down and no luggage only to find 330 Minis running the road along with more bikes and a roadster club of all makes. The speed and fun were higher, but something was missing. Near the Dragon is the Cherohala Skyway which opened in 2000. Here I found my road at last. Plenty of undulating sweeping turns for fun higher speed driving. First you must climb, and climb, and then climb some more - until you are a mile high. Cruising this road 43 miles along the tops of the mountains, the view is amazing. The Smokies are beautiful in the spring, but to be looking down on all those valleys was awesome and you come to understand the name "skyway."
The last day I took Kay off the beaten path to an antique store for some last minute shopping. This was a very interesting place, not the regular tourist trap and we spent a couple of hours searching for that special keepsake. As the day wound down we headed back into the mountains for one last sunset cruise and packed for home. Oh yes, going home - 370 miles one way in a 46 year old MG. We needed more foam in those old seats. We had to buy some shorts as the temps hit the mid 80s for the first time. Highway 411 brought us all all the way to Cedartown, Ga. Then a short drive to Piedmont and highway 9 to Wetumpka. We made it all the way home with no interstate driving.
The trip was great. Do it. Take your old classic car on a drive you have been dreaming of. It is worth it. Some said we were gutsy, others said crazy, to go that far with no support vehicle. The truth is, if it cannot be fixed, it can always be towed or stored. Trucks and trailers can be rented. However, in our club, friends had volunteered to come get us if the need arose. I thank them for that and thank Betsy for making it without a problem. As the saying goes, just do it. You will be glad you did.
David Price is a lifelong resident of Alabama and has been
involved with British cars - primarily the MGA for 30 years. A member of
the local British Motoring Club of Montgomery, he writes a monthly
column and recounts years of adventures, mishaps, and experiences. You
may contact him through his birding website at
[http://www.fancyflyers.com]
The author also has two blog sites:
For British car and other adventures :[http://backroadramnblings.blogspot.com/]
For birding information and pictures :[http://fancyflyers.blogspot.com/]
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_R_Price
The author also has two blog sites:
For British car and other adventures :[http://backroadramnblings.blogspot.com/]
For birding information and pictures :[http://fancyflyers.blogspot.com/]
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