Sunday, July 29, 2012

All Day in the Car, Part V: The Fat Buddy's Run


When I got back to Robbinsville I was hot and tired. I'd been all day in the sun in the car-- but there was no time to cool off. It was time to line up for the run to Fat Buddy's Barbecue in Franklin, NC.

The Fat Buddies run is popular, and there were at least 80 Miatas in queue.

As I sat in the car I watched through the rear-view mirror as a man attached a camera rig to the windshield of his Miata.



Gotta love his facial expression.

The first ten or so miles of the run were pleasant.


Then we turned off the highway and reassembled in a little park.


After that we headed for the Nantahala Gorge and there was no more time for photos.

Many of the drives at Miatas at the Gap were spirited runs-- you can guess what that means-- but this one wasn't supposed to be. Nonetheless, for the next hour-and-a-half I thrashed my car through hundreds and hundreds of tight turns.


It was sunset when we arrived at Fat Buddies.

The restaurant was, of course, overwhelmed by 120 or so hungry sports car enthusiasts, but it didn't take long to get my half rack of ribs.I had last eaten in Townsend, so I tucked right in.

One reason I chose to go on the Fat Buddies run was to position myself for the drive home. I was a little more than two hours from Atlanta. I got on the road as soon as I left the restaurant.

I arrived home at 10:30 pm, exhausted and, despite innumerable drinks while on the road, dehydrated. I turned on the air conditioner, took a cold shower, and proceeded to drink at least a gallon of cold water.

It was good to be home, but oh, I had a fabulous time on the road!

Zoom Zoom!

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