2013 Shades of the Past

[dmswann]

Shades of the Past was a great gathering again this year. Unique Group was a little smaller, due to absence of some regular attendees, but overall crowd seemed larger than past 4-5 years. Maybe the economy is recovering.

I know that a lot of pictures were taken (not by me), so if any attendees have a few good ones, please post!

Thanks!

[eliminator]

"Maybe the economy is recovering." That would be nice but I really Doubt that!!! Glad you guy's had a good time though.

[JeepSnake]

Hardly made any photos myself, but if you go to the following link and scroll down in the thumbnails, at 12:22 PM a rather dashing chap rounds the bend into view... :D

http://killboy.photoreflect.com/store/ThumbPage.aspx?e=9028887&g=04RK020V03

Dad follows in his Cobra, then my aunt & uncle (Dad's younger brother) in their '81 Corvette, and then Momma in the stylin' Ford Escape. (Her comment: "Why does he waste shots on cars like an Escape?")

We did a 2-day trip up this time. Wednesday we left after getting the girls off to school and headed up through north Georgia, just knocking around. Looked at guns and got some cartridges at the Bargain Barn in Jasper, stocked up on fried pies in Ellijay, had lunch & let the ladies do some shopping in Blue Ridge. Spent the night in Tellico Plains, TN (definitely recommend The Lodge at Tellico).

Thursday morning after breakfast in Tellico Plains, we set out over the Cherohala Skyway to Robbinsville, NC, then hooked back northwest on US-129 through the Tail of the Dragon, then turned right up the Foothills Parkway into Townsend, arriving there right at lunchtime. Dragon & Foothills are fun, but I think my favorite is still starting out in early morning river/valley fog in Tellico Plains, then climbing steadily upward until suddenly you burst out above the fog & clouds into a blue sky so clear it almost hurts to look at it.

Now, for something Cobra owners don't generally brag about: I got an even 20 mpg on day one going up, and 19 1/2 mpg coming home! (Didn't check mileage on the tank full that we ran Cherohala, Dragon, Foothills, and the two breakfast runs on.)

[dmswann]

Zack,

Sounds like the family really had a great trip to Pigeon Forge this year. How did the Escape handle the Dragon's Tail?

[JeepSnake]

Well, it kept up with the Corvette... :)

(Mom was actually pretty impressed with the Escape and how it handled the mountain roads. All while pulling down between 31 and 35 mpg with the EcoTech Turbo four cylinder.)

On the Corvette, the '81 models aren't exactly fire breathers in the performance department. But, Uncle PD bought this one a year ago with only 18,000 original miles on it. It's really a time capsule of sorts: all the obscure pre-computer vacuum switches, spark controls, emissions devices, etc. are present and completely functional. NCRS judges have crawled all over it a couple of times taking photos and documenting it as a reference/benchmark. My aunt & uncle just enjoy the heck out of cruising in it. (His other hot rod is a 1966 Mustang that he's overhauled.)