If you see another vehicle coming at you in your lane, hug the white line in your lane. In all likelihood you can avoid trucks and trailers if you stay alert and watch ahead.

DO NOT be spooked by other vehicles. DO NOT make sudden avoidance moves. You might have to adjust your line to avoid a car, truck, or bike, but DO NOT lay on the brakes or turn off the roadway suddenly unless that is the only out you have. Motorcycles might dent your car, but that is better than going off the bank and hitting a tree sideways. If a cycle is in your lane that is their mistake and problem … don’t let them force you into a worse situation for yourself.

Trucks are usually traveling at a very slow speed and you should have time to stop and back-up if you see one coming at you and taking the whole corner. Watch for signals from drivers/riders coming at you. Many times they will escort a big truck over the Dragon and wave a warning to you to pull over. DO NOT ignore these warnings.

Avoid driving hard on the Dragon in heavy traffic times. Weekends from 11 am to 5 pm are the busiest. These are the times to lay back and enjoy watching the "show" go by.

The early mornings (before 11 am) and the late afternoons (after 5 pm) have the least traffic.

ALWAYS stay 100% alert. You do not have the advantage of relaxing on the Dragon.

Make sure your vehicle is mechanically sound and that your tires are good.

Plan to make several runs, the first is always a nervous one .... then you can have fun on the second and third.

DO NOT over-use your brakes. Use your gears and DOWNSHIFT. A good Dragon driver WILL NOT use a lot of brakes.

Focus - do not daydream. Watch the road, your mirrors, and pay attention to other bikes/cars/trucks.

99% of the accidents on the Dragon come from the following:

Too much speed

Too much brakes

Inattentiveness

Driving above your abilities

This article reprinted by permission – tailofthedragon.com

Killboy doesn’t know we are advertising for him, he just takes some really great pics! To find out if he captured your MINI while motoring

on the Dragon, go to Killboy.com

Welcome to the Dragonrun 2005!

AtlantaMINIS has put together this little booklet for your pleasure! Most of this info has been taken directly from Tailofdragon.com*.

Please remember – BE SAFE, be courteous to other motorers and most of all HAVE FUN!

Schedule of Events:

NEED TO FINISH THIS WHEN WE GET THE SCHEDULE

The best and fastest route is I-75, I-575, Rt 5, Rt 76, 60 North to Mineral Bluff, Spur 60 North into North Carolina, 64 into Murphy, 19 and 129 north past Andres, 129 North to Robbinsville.MILAGE: 154 milesDRIVING TIME: 3:15

FACTS ABOUTTHE DRAGON

• TOTAL DISTANCE:By Road:Tabcat Bridge to Deals Gap - 11.1 milesTabcat Bridge to Hwy 28 - 11.8 milesTabcat Bridge to Fugitive Bridge - 14.0 milesAs the Crow Flies:Tabcat Bridge to Fugitive Bridge - 6.0 milesAVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC (ADT):400 vehicles in 2002.

• HIGHEST ELEVATION:Deals Gap - 1962 feetLOWEST ELEVATION:Tabcat Bridge - 877 feetELEVATION CHANGE:Tabcat Bridge to Deals Gap - plus 1085 feetTabcat Bridge to Fugitive Bridge - plus 321 feet

SPEED LIMITS:The speed limit on the TN side of the Dragon is 30 mph.The North Carolina portion of the Dragon is 55 mph.

• Start out going SOUTHEAST on US-129/TAPOCO RD toward CASTLEWOOD RD. Continue to follow US-129.13.8 miles

• Turn LEFT to stay on US-129.<0.1 miles

• Turn LEFT onto US-74/US-19. Continue to follow US-74 E.22.3 miles

• Take EXIT 67 toward BRYSON CITY/GREAT SMOKY MTS NATIONAL PARK.0.2 miles

• Turn LEFT onto FRANKLIN ST/BENNETT RD/SPRING ST.0.7 miles

• Turn RIGHT onto US-19/MAIN ST.0.1 miles

• Turn LEFT onto EVERETT ST.0.1 miles

• Turn RIGHT onto ISLAND ST.0.1 miles

• Turn LEFT onto COLLINS ST.0.1 miles

• COLLINS ST becomes RICHMOND ST.0.2 miles

• Turn LEFT to stay on RICHMOND ST.<0.1 miles

• Turn LEFT onto PLATEAU ST.0.1 miles

• End at Swain County Hospital 

*This is the closest hospital from Deal’s Gap, NC – open 24 hrs

Swain County Hospital*828-488-2155

45 Plateau St, Bryson City, NC Total Est. Time: 53 minutes

Total Est. Distance: 38.17 miles

We hope you have signed up to join us at the farewell dinner! We have lots of prizes to be given away and guest speakers. Also, there will be ping-pong tournaments, MINI racing contests, and lots of other fun things! Vendors will be present as well!

Even if you didn’t sign up for the dinner, please join us anyway – we need you there!

(need to finish)

*Many thanks to Ron and Nancy Johnson from tailofthedragon.com who supplied most of the articles and/or information obtained for this brochure!Many, MINI thanks for all those who donated items to be given away at our event!

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Disclaimer: The information contained in this brochure is designed for informational and educational purposes only. AtlantaMINIS members shall not be liable for any errors in the content, nor for any action taken in reliance thereon.

We aren’t responsible for the poor Dragon Pukers! If you choose to ride shotgun, please do so at your own risk!

Thank you for being a part of AtlantaMINIS! This booklet is brought to you by the

AtlantaMINIS Steering Committee:

TAPOCO  LODGE - Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fixed hours with dinner served 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Mon. - BBQ, Tues. - Roast Beef, Wed. - Beef Tips, Thurs. - Pork Roast, Fri. - Catfish, Trout, Steak, Sat. Steak, Sun. - House Special. Beer and wine sold and served here. Call to pre-order lunch for large groups ... they can have it ready on arrival to save

you riding time. .

FONTANA VILLAGE - Offers several options for dining. Peppercorn Restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Village Grill for a quick burger 11:30 to 8:00 pm. Ice Cream Shop for a quick cool down snack.

General Store for a hot dog or pre-made meal 9 am-5 pm.

ROBBINSVILLE – Papa's Pizza - located on US 129 just a half mile north of the US 129 Hwy 143 intersection. Pizza, subs, salads, Italian dinners. Open until 9

pm. Rosies Cafe - located on Old Main Street just down the street from the

courthouse. Breakfast and lunch snacks. A great place for a cup of coffee.

BBQ - located on Hwy143 just East of US 129 in downtown Robbinsville, Chicken, pork, beef, and ribs. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Open

until 9 pm. 828-479-6862Phillips Restaurant - located on Main Street adjacent to the Phillips Motel. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Buffet or order from the

menu. Lynn's Place - located on the corner of Main Street and East Main

Street across from the courthouse.Mexican - Located on US 129 Bypass in RobbinsvilleChinese - Located on US 129 Bypass in Robbinsville

Texaco Gas Station - Located in Robbinsville on US 129 just north of the Hwy 143 East intersection. Snacks, broasted chicken, breakfast

biscuits, and SubWay.Wendy's - same as everywhere. Located on US 129 in Robbinsville.

The Black Knight - Breakfast, lunch and dinners. Located on US 129 on the south side of town.

Amanda HarwoodAngel DurhamET and Jill FossPaul and Becky CoveneyPaul DarrowPete CrosbyJean LambkinScott and Jenny GrandfieldLaura White

Drive the Dragon at your skill level - don't try to push it or keep up with faster vehicles.STAY IN YOUR LANE, There are videos available for sale that show vehicles cutting the corners and taking chances that might appear "fun" while sitting in your easy chair. BEWARE ! This style of driving on the Dragon can cost you dearly. The challenge of the Dragon is to take the many curves in the best line possible and both lanes IS NOT "the line". Drive Florida if you like to straighten out the curves.Do NOT sightsee. The Dragon is to drive, not to watch the sights. On many runs I don't even see what is on the side of the road. I'm watching the roadway way ahead.Look far ahead at the road, curves, bushes, other vehicles, etc. If you haven't seen the hazards right in front of you, you are going to hit them anyway, so you might as well pay attention to what you have time to avoid. We have seen deer, bear, turkeys, and wild boar on the roadway. Be ready to brake and slow. When we say brake we DO NOT mean slamming on the brakes. That will get you turned around in a hurry and it’s no fun looking at where you’ve been at any speed.Maintain a "safe zone". Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you. Watch your rear view mirrors for faster vehicles. If you see a faster rider/driver coming up behind you, pull over to the right of your lane, slow down just a little, and wave them around. It is much safer to let a faster vehicle around you than to try to outrun them. NEVER stay left trying to keep someone from passing you. NEVER pull off the road onto the shoulder unless it is at one of the pull-off parking areas. It may be illegal to pass on the Dragon, but I'll let a faster vehicle get around me to protect my safe zone.There will always be faster drivers than you. Don't try to be the King of the Dragon.Drive the Dragon many times before trying to challenge it. Then you still need to respect it at all times.DO NOT STAND ON THE BRAKES if you see danger ahead. You are much better off to tap the brakes and maintain control. Some 90% of the accidents on the Dragon are due to speed and then over-braking.

Did you know that AtlantaMINIS has over 250 members?

Ask a Steering Committee Member for club cards and “card” the next MINI you see, let’s keep our club growing!

LEGEND: There are ghosts on the Dragon and you can hear them at night. Enough has happened in these parts that this very well could be true. There have been deaths on the Dragon long before the white man ever set foot on this continent. And there were many more after the white man came. In the

years of Cherokee domination in the area (late 1700s-early 1800s) there was constant bloodshed. The Civil War

brought more death (one soldier is buried not far from the roadway). We heard stories of hangings on the Dragon when the owner of the land found trespassers trying to

avoid paying his toll. And there are the many bikers who have lost their lives here. We would not like to spend the night camped at Toll Booth .... we just might hear those ghosts.