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MOA Getaway - Fontana, North Carolina -- August 28-30, 2020 CANCELED

We're signed up. We've enjoyed the resort and the roads in the area (in 2018 / 19).
Also wanted to actually stay in the Lodge for once. Hope Y'all can come! :beer

Merry Christmas Y'all, and make it a Happy New Decade!
HSV-Phil & HSV-Karen

Here comes Mrs-K on her F650GS returning to the resort on Route 28. :bikes
NC-F650GS-small.jpeg
 
I'm pretty sure things will be better than the fiasco when the RA rally was there in 1997. The sheriff got most of the blame but the State Police were just as complicit.
 
I've attended the Fontana Getaway twice. It's a fun event with all kinds of great riding to do. There can be some heavy police presence on the Tail of the Dragon (US129). I think that's usually on the weekend, so getting there a couple of days earlier or staying later can be helpful. That kind of timing removes a lot of sport bikes and 4-wheelers from the area. I recall that a group of Volvo V60 drivers was staying in the Fontana Lodge at the same time as the MOA Getaway both times I was there.
 
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I've attended the Fontana Getaway twice. It's a fun event with all kinds of great riding to do. There can be some heavy police presence on the Tail of the Dragon (US129). I think that's usually on the weekend, so getting there a couple of days earlier or staying later can be helpful. That kind of timing removes a lot of sport bikes and 4-wheelers from the area. I seems to recall that a group of Volvo V60 drivers was staying in the Fontana Lodge at the same time as the MOA Getaway both times I was there.

In 1997 for the RA rally they had roadblocks north and south of the site, stopping motorcycles with no probable cause. They flew a helicopter over the rally site blaring the Bad Boy theme from Cops. They had statie unmarked cars driving below the speed limit which would pull rightward in no passing zones and wave bikes around and then light them up and give out tickets. Good honest North Carolina policing at its finest - To Serve and Protect they say. I have boycotted the State ever since - not that anybody but me cared.
 
We've very much enjoyed the roads and the Getaway during the past two years. Have not been bothered whatsoever by any Gendarmes.
We also took the long way SW to Tellico Plains for a good lunch, headed north for a nice tour of The Lost Sea Adventure, and then returned 'expeditiously' via US 129. https://thelostsea.com

What happened years ago at one RA Rally is now water over the Fontana Dam.
Do-Do happens; maybe the MOA just has better luck... :thumb
Ciao!
HSV-Phil + HSV-Karen
 
Though I live a few hours away from Deals Gap this will be the first year my wife and I will attend the Getaway. I go up there 3 or 4 times a year and I usually make one run of the Dragon before heading off to other roads. I like the Cherohala Skyway best. Long sweeping corners and little traffic. The Skyway is actually part of the National Park system and the only law enforcement you will see is an occasional Park Ranger. They are spread so thin you rarely see one. There are so many other roads to visit. The cut back at the end of the Skyway back to Deals Gap is a nice country 2 lane. The new section of the Foothills Parkway is now open and has some nice high overlooks. For GS riders there are Parsons Branch Rd and Rich Mountain and both originate in Cades Cove. Parson Branch exits just above Deals Gap and Rich Mountain comes out near Townsend. My favorite day loop is Deals Gap, Foothills Parkway, Hwy 411 through the Smoky Mountains to Cherokee back to Deals Gap.

I did find one photo from the 97 Rally and there is a police car from Graham Co NC which is the county Deals Gap sits in. You will see one from time to time and they will stop by and eat lunch at the Store. These days the Graham County Chamber of Commerce realizes the value of the tourist in their county. Remember only the first mile of the Dragon is in NC, the rest is in TN. I see more TN State Patrol than others. One usually sits down by the lake at the end of the Dragon on the weekends. I think he's asleep most of the time. They are usually all gone by afternoon.

A great source of info can be found at this website : https://tailofthedragon.com/ Ron and his wife have lived in the area for a number of years.
 


What happened years ago at one RA Rally is now water over the Fontana Dam.
Do-Do happens; maybe the MOA just has better luck... :thumb
Ciao!
HSV-Phil + HSV-Karen

Y'all have fun now, Ya hear! I'll see you in Montana, not Fontana.
 
Y'all have fun now, Ya hear! I'll see you in Montana, not Fontana.

It's probable, Paul. In carefully looking at next summer's itinerary, we're now thinking about taking the Top of the World 'highway' from Tok over to D2D in Dawson City before heading south into Great Falls. It seems to fit our schedule best because we have another appointment much further south in mid-July! C U there... :wave

Ciao! P&K
 
Hello Phil; your thoughts on the itinerary caught my eye. Having attended the 25th D2D in June 2017, and riding into the July Salt Lake National; I was wondering.

How will you leave Dawson City YT, even at 1am on Sunday morning as the D2D ceremonies/event is wrapping up...
and make it to Great Falls by, say Thursday afternoon?

Curious of route, daily distance, lodging locations/methods, ect...

"travel'n" john
 
.... I have boycotted the State ever since - not that anybody but me cared.
We were there at the BMWRA that year and it was bad, but to boycott the entire state for 22 years over what was mostly a local county action is a bit extreme. You're the one missing out on some of the finest roads in the entire country, but that's OK. It's your choice.
 
We were there at the BMWRA that year and it was bad, but to boycott the entire state for 22 years over what was mostly a local county action is a bit extreme. You're the one missing out on some of the finest roads in the entire country, but that's OK. It's your choice.

I can find all of the "finest" roads I need in Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, British Columbia and other places. You can say it was "mostly local" but when the State Police are trapping motorists as I originally described the "mostly local" myth is simply not true. I try to avoid places where Bubba is the Sheriff and the law enforcement agencies are allowed to be corrupt. But as I said, nobody but me cares.
 
..... I try to avoid places where Bubba is the Sheriff and the law enforcement agencies are allowed to be corrupt. But as I said, nobody but me cares.
Sadly the sheriff committed suicide a few months after Fontana due to that and other department issues of his own making. I saw "sadly" because he obviously needed help. For anyone not living in the 22 year old past please come to NC and see for yourself how great the roads and people are. YEARS ago the region realized (granted, finally realized) that motorcyclist are not so bad, and they spend money. The entire area is motorcycle friendly and the roads, well, come by and judge for yourself.

But do be careful on Deal's Gap in Tennessee. Blount County has been very strict for, oh what, 22 years or more! But don't boycott them either. The Cherohala ends in Tellico Plains. Stop by the Tellico Bakery for great pizza or sandwiches. Even better, do the GAP then 72 to 360 to Tellico, then the Cherohala back towards Fontana. Enjoy!
 
Hello Phil .... I was wondering.

How will you leave Dawson City YT, even at 1am on Sunday morning as the D2D ceremonies/event is wrapping up...
and make it to Great Falls by, say Thursday afternoon?

Curious of route, daily distance, lodging locations/methods, ect...

Here's my current understanding regarding times & distances.
The D2D is "scheduled from 10AM 18Jun to 11PM 19Jun." We plan to arrive on Weds the 17th.
https://dawsoncity.ca/event/d2d-motorcycle-ride-not-a-rally/

We'll technically be leaving ON the Solstice after packing our camper early 20th at Goldrush Campgrounds.
Our rough route is ~2,100 miles on crooked Canadian mountain roads ( Yeah! ):
Dawson City to Whitehorse,
onto Watson Lake,
onto Muncho Lake,
onto Fort Nelson,
Hwy 97 to Dawson Creek,
Hwy 40 to 50409B Hwy 16 (Hinton-Jasper KOA),
Hwy 1 & 1A to Lake Louise & Calgary,
onto Lethbridge,
and finally to Shelby & Great Falls, MT. - Who cares if we aren't there for set-up on the 25th?

We figure we can manage 2100 mi over 6 - 7 days pretty easy. Since we're pulling our 'home-away-from-home,' we'll have more options regarding campsites or motels...

Seems pretty reasonable to moi at first glance, but then You've Been There & Done That!
Ciao! HSV-Phil & HSV-Karen
 
Sadly the sheriff committed suicide a few months after Fontana due to that and other department issues of his own making. I saw "sadly" because he obviously needed help. For anyone not living in the 22 year old past please come to NC and see for yourself how great the roads and people are. YEARS ago the region realized (granted, finally realized) that motorcyclist are not so bad, and they spend money. The entire area is motorcycle friendly and the roads, well, come by and judge for yourself.

But do be careful on Deal's Gap in Tennessee. Blount County has been very strict for, oh what, 22 years or more! But don't boycott them either. The Cherohala ends in Tellico Plains. Stop by the Tellico Bakery for great pizza or sandwiches. Even better, do the GAP then 72 to 360 to Tellico, then the Cherohala back towards Fontana. Enjoy!


My wife & I attended this year for the first time. We had a GREAT time, and we're booked for 2020. We cant wait!

Dragon is too crowded/unsafe these days IMO. Sooooo much good riding around it and down into GA. Look forward to seeing everybody :beer
 
Thanks Phil, for the planning thoughts for the "other" trip. Looks like a good plan, and a super trip! Will see you in MT.

AND... My apologies to this threads OP for the interruption. I somehow... rather thought I had PM'ed!

"travel'n" john
 
Curious about this event

I attended last year; there were practically no posts on this site about it. This year there are posts on this site, but there is no listing for the event in ON magazine -- what's with that?! :banghead
 
Well MX, most everyone does their travel research on the Interweb these days. HOWEVER, in today's mail was the February ON, and enclosed in the plastic wrapper was a pamphlet detailing all of 2020's MOA Getaways. Eureka! Your prayers have been answered... Get those reservations done early, or you may miss out!
Ciao! HSV-Phil & HSV-Karen
 
Is anyone posting news...

...about whether or not this may or may not be cancelled? It would be nice if the organizers would keep everyone up to date on what the current thinking is. Based on medical/prevention advice on TV, I would think that this event would have been cancelled already.
 
There is another thread that concerns the big rally in Montana and its potential cancellation. A few days ago Ted Moyer indicated that at that time plans remained unchanged, but the situation was dynamic.
https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthrea...ssibly-cancel-rally-due-to-Corona-Virus/page3 (see post #81)

I called the office earlier today and asked specifically about the Fontana Get Away. Still no change.

However, given the latest guidance from the CDC I called the MOA office and cancelled my attendance for this year's Fontana Get Away and booked for the 2021 Fontana weekend. Similarly I called the Fontana Resort and changed my reservation from 2020 to 2021.

One has to expect that there will many many changes to plans for get togethers over the next few months.
 
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