If I may, the second to third weeks of October are the most beautiful here. Also crowded with caged tree peekers.
Hotels will start booking fast after the 4 th and going into August because folks want to escape the heat and it's the prime time to get away one last time before the BIG holiday season and family obligations.
We will NEVER AGREE on a date that works for everyone interested. To help R3Tex folks and the Two Wheel Lodge, let's set a date like the weekend of October 17/18 and get as many as possible to sign on. This will allow ALL involved in planning their respective travel plans.
If you can't make it, we'll see you on the next one. Its not a life or death party. Honestly.
I will be glad to take a day and provide my cooking skills and have a dinner for for kings and queens upon your return from riding. Your contribution will be the cost of a fancy burger at a fast food joint which would pay for the "raw materials" that I would prepare. For instance, Saturday evening we are having a low country boil (look it up) and bananas foster cheesecake here on the mountain, I am the chef. Its up to y'all. I do award winning baby backs (wanna see the trophies), from scratch fruit cobblers, roasted corn on the cob or seafood kabobs or teriyaki skewered chicken or even veg dishes. I enjoy doing this.
We can tow the cooking gear and stuff to where ever. No problem. Rain or shine, no problem.
Lets pick a date and see how many can adjust. I turn 59 on the 13th of October and I'll even do this the weekend before the 17/18 but the tree colors tend to be best from mid to late October and it's majestic here.
To quote someone else, this is a lot like herding cats and taking too long. Man up y'all, let's agree to one of those two weekends.
Just trying to help, seriously. I'm out now because I said enough and we're coming if y'all can agree and make it easier on R3Tex and the accommodations folks.
Sorry to be blunt but that's just me. I've had 300 pounds of baby backs on my smoker at one time.