Event Summary
Mark your calendars now for our annual Harold Wilson Memorial Drive on October 18-20, 2024. This year we will Return to the Dragon. If you are unfamiliar with the "Tail of the Dragon", this road is located near Robbinsville, North Carolina is famous for its 318 curves in 11 miles.
Friday, October 18th will be our travel day to our host hotel the Stonebrook Lodge in Murphy, North Carolina. There will be an optional tour to the John C. Campbell Folk School which is located just a few miles away from Murphy in Brasstown, North Carolina. The school is modeled after the Danish folkehøjskole, "folk high school". These "schools for life" helped transform the Danish countryside into a vibrant, creative force. In 1908-1909 John C. Campbell and his wife Olive studied mountain life from Georgia to West Virginia and talked of establishing such a school in the rural southern United States. After John C. Campbell died in 1919, his widow Olive and her friend, Marguerite Butler traveled to Europe and studied folk schools in Denmark, Sweden, and other countries. They returned to the U.S. full of purposeful energy and a determination to start such a school in Appalachia. The John C. Campbell Folk School became a reality in 1925. Today the school is a vibrant community of learning. Come tour the campus and see individuals learning a new skill or honing existing skills.
On Saturday, October 19th you will be able to drive the "Dragon" and the beautiful Cherohala Skyway. The Cherohala Skyway winds up and over 5,400 foot mountains for 18 miles in North Carolina and descends another 23 miles into the deeply forested back country of Tennessee. The road crosses through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests thus the name "Chero…hala". Choose your own adventure on Saturday, October 19th as to whether you will want to drive the drive the "Dragon" first and then the Cherohala, or drive the Cherohala first and finish your drive on the "Dragon". Regardless of your choice you will ultimately find yourself in Tellico Plains Tennessee for lunch.
Route Maps:
Murphy to Tellico Plains via Cherohala Skyway
Murphy to Tellico Plains via Tail of the Dragon
A block of 15 rooms (king rooms) has been reserved for our weekend stay at the Stonebrook Lodge in Murphy, North Carolina (300 Casino Pkwy Murphy, NC 28906). To make reservations call the hotel directly at 828-835-2753 and ask for the Mercedes-Benz Club of America Peachtree room block. Room rate is $209 for Friday night and $219 for Saturday night.
Register NOW for what will be a very memorable weekend. Harold Wilson (past President of Peachtree) loved this region of the country. You won't be disappointed on how much fun you will have driving the "Tail" while taking in the fall colors. The Cherohala is a more relaxed drive traversing you up to the top of the mountains. A small $20/per person registration fee will cover incidental expenses and a Peachtree memento of your weekend.
Make your hotel reservations now! Registration for this event will close on October 7, 2024. Questions? Please contact Diana Quinn at dianaquinn@me.com
