N.E.Georgia, N.C./Tn. King Holiday Weekend Trip 2016

[MrPolak]

Is it also happening this year?

[MrPolak]

It looks like I missed this. I attended the cruise last year and really enjoyed it. You should post this in the VW events section.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewforum.php?f=16

[russwiththebus]

Update: RV spots are $20 for 2 people. Primitive sites are $15 for 2 people. Call and talk to April, she works Friday and Saturday.

[Jeff Geisen]

I really don't know as I have never camped there before, we camp on the ridges in the National Forest.

It is a spectacular property though, with a restaurant and store.
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I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[russwiththebus]

Thanks Jeff. Is there a special group rate or discount when making reservations for the King festival?

Also if we don't need hookups for the weekend, would they allow buses in the primitive sites?

We left a message for them today, hopefully they call back soon.

[Jeff Geisen]

All the sites I saw will accommodate vehicles Russ.
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I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[danfromsyr]

your bus isn't any bigger than a Subaru forester, I'd say pack a small tent to toss out next to you if they give a question.
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[russwiththebus]

So the RV sites are $40 a night. They advertise primitive sites for $15/night, but from their website it seems they might be walk-in. Can anyone confirm? It's nice having full hookups but I'd be ok with primitive on this trip.

[Jeff Geisen]

The King Weekend Bus Festival will base at Wildcat Lodge & Campground, Suches Georgia 30572.

We will meet at Vintage VW, 3900 Camp Rd., Jasper, Georgia on Saturday January 14th. We will have the shop open by 8:00 am.

We will drive to the campground at 9:00 AM Saturday.

Call Wildcat Lodge & Campground at 706-973-0321 to make reservations. Tell them you are with the King Weekend Bus group.

Only 27 sites to go around.

See you then.
_________________
I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[ultralite]

[CessnaJon]

We're in! Exciting!
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1973 Westy (shared birthday)
1990 Westy Multivan
2015 Passat TDI 6sp
2015 Sportwagon TDI 6sp
LR-JET, Gulfstream 159

[russwiththebus]

Stoked! It's my favorite trip of the year and a bus festival sounds exciting.

I don't believe I've ever been to Suches. My first MLK trip was 2014 and we camped both nights along the Tellico River in Tennessee. Count us in.

Might want to create a separate thread for this to announce the 2017 event, so that it doesn't get skipped over. Or I'm not sure how much you want to promote it or your target group size, I'd say you've got 30 repeat campers easy already.

[Jeff Geisen]

Alright kids, here's the deal for the 2017 King weekend trip... it'll be a bus festival next year.

It has been getting more difficult each year to come up with a new route and getting 30 buses through small towns and traffic signals, restroom and fuel stops and all the other logistic issues.

Ian and I have spent the fall up in and around the Chattahoochee National Forest pre-running over 100 miles of FS roads and scenic drives on county roads too. We will have a killer combo of pavement and FS roads for Saturday's trip from Vintage VW to our host campground near Suches, Georgia.

Both nights will be based in the same campground like we did about 4 or 5 years ago (is that about right Russ?) and Ian and I will have a full day of off pavement touring Sunday from the Toccoa Valley to neighboring ridge runs nearing 4,000' in elevation. However, if you don't want to take your baby off highway there will be plenty of other things to do right nearby.

There is the Appalachian Trail, and dozens of other notable trails in the area with great day-hike options. Vogel State Park, the famous Walasi-Yi where the AT passes through the building will be near. A few miles away in another direction are the National Fish Hatchery and the resort towns of Blue Ridge, Blairsville, Ellijay and Dahlonega.

This will be a type of staycation compared with the experience some of you have been used to the last 8 or 10 years on the King trip. I really want to showcase what a spectacular area the rooftop of Georgia is. I think this deal will evolve nicely into a bus festival.

So, same meeting place and start time as last year. I will post contact info for the host campground as soon as I hear from them on the availability and the absolute max number of spaces they can offer us.

And thanks MJ, Ben and Russ firing up the thread again.

Later
_________________
I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[russwiththebus]

I'm already excited!

[benandmj]

Can we start getting excited about this years trip yet?!
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85 Westfalia Weekender
91 Syncro Westy

[Jeff Geisen]

I agree, we could not have traveled the Forest Service roads if there was weather like today/tonight last weekend. Amazing that we just missed the snow last Saturday night by 500' in elevation.

Next year I am hoping to route us half and half on pavement and gravel/dirt roads.
_________________
I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[Johnny Baldwin]

Hey Pops, if we had went north this weekend we would have been in a mess. Might have been fun though. Lol

[ultralite]

[Johnny Baldwin]

Prayers for Barry and his boys for their loss and safety

[CessnaJon]

That's terrible news. We are thinking of Barry and his boys.
_________________
1973 Westy (shared birthday)
1990 Westy Multivan
2015 Passat TDI 6sp
2015 Sportwagon TDI 6sp
LR-JET, Gulfstream 159