Touring Joara - NC Mountain Tour

Touring Joara, a European and Sports Car Tour is set for October 1, 2011. This is the second annual tour to raise funds for Exploring Joara Foundation a 501-3c non-profit which supports the archeology at Fort San Juan and Joara. Joara is the name of the Native American village where the Spanish Captain, Juan Pardo, built Fort San Juan in 1567 making this the earliest European settlement in the interior of the United States.

The Tour will begin at the Switzerland Inn and descend Hwy 226 A, “The Diamondback” one of North Carolina’s most challenging roads. From there participants will follow in the footsteps of Pioneers and Patriots as you follow sections of the Overmountain Victory National Trail. This trail is the route the Overmountain Men followed as they marched towards the Battle of Kings Mountain. In this pivotal battle, patriot backwoodsmen defeated a well-trained force of loyalists in an event Thomas Jefferson called the turning point in the War of Independence. On the tour you will visit Quaker Meadows, patriot leader Colonel Charles McDowell’s home, where the Overmountain Men camped the night of September 30, 1780. Step back into the 18th century with living history exhibits and tours of the historic McDowell House during the annual Revolutionary War Week events. At the Joara stop, travel further back in time to the 16th century. Joara is the Native American village where Spanish Captain Juan Pardo built Fort San Juan in 1567.

The first Touring Joara was a wonderful success with great cars, fun roads, interesting people, and beautiful weather. There were 59 cars registered on the tour and the cars were varied from Morgan’s, MGs, Fiats, Porches, BMWs, Jaguars, Volvos, Mini Coopers, Smart Cars, Mercedes-Benz, Austin Martins, an Aston Martin, Triumphs, Classic Mustangs, Corvettes, and Ferraris. At the end of the tour we had great music and announced the poker run prizes winners. To register for the tour and to check out last year’s tour photos and tour map visit www.exploringjoara.org.

Registration is just $75 per car; a percentage is a tax deductible donation to the Exploring Joara Foundation, a local nonprofit organization that supports public archaeology in the Catawba and Yadkin river valleys. Thanks to the following businesses who have donated poker prizes: ACE Hardware, Advance Auto Parts, AUTOZONE, LOWES, O’Reilly Auto Parts, and Radio Shack Electronic Depot.
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I just placed a half page ad in Classic Motorsports magazine and I thought I would share it. If you have been in the men’s bathroom at a gas station you will get it. Fun stuff!!!
Scott
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There is an article about Touring Joara in the July Issue of Classic
Motorsports Magazine on page 17. Check it out!!!

 

Registrations for Touring Joara have started coming in and I have had a few questions to answer recently that I thought I would post.

Start/end point? This year we will start in Marion NC and end in Morganton NC both locations are close to I-40 so it will be easy for those who are driving in on the day of the Tour.

Gravel roads? NO gravel roads!!

Overnight lodging options? I will put together a more in-depth hotel list but one suggestion would be the Switzerland Inn which is a stop on the tour and one of the sponsors of the Tour.
There address is:
Switzerland Inn
86 High Ridge Road
Little Switzerland, NC 28749
(828) 765-2153

$75 includes what…for one or two…? The $75 registration fee is per car not per person. I talked to our accountant this past weekend and the fee is mostly if not all deductable as a donation to the foundation which is a 501c3 non- profit. What each car will receive is a touring badge, that has tape on its back so it can be mounted anywhere on the car or wherever the driver wishes. The 2011tour booklet with map, a turn by turn, and each car will participate in the Poker Run. There will be prizes for the best ten hands for the poker run and last year’s prizes included item such as a GPS, a framed 2010 tour poster, a case of oil, and etcetera. Not to mention driving “great” roads with other amative enthusiasts.

I am sure these questions will spur some additional questions so please ask.
Scott Coley

 

That is a good looking Morgan!!! I hope you can come.
Scott

 

The history of Joara and this site is seriously cool. Thanks for the post!!! I was parking cars during the field day and I remember a Harley riding in. I am sorry we did not meet while you were there. During the tour we will park closer to the road than we did during the field day so it will be less bumpy and I will post some photos from last year’s parking.
I have been involved in history stuff since I moved from High Point to Morganton in 96 and the story of Fort San Juan is truly fascinating. I was asked to be on the board of directors for Exploring Joara Foundation and after seeing the PBS special “The First Lost Colony” about Fort San Juan I was hooked. The remarkable thing to me about this site is how early it is, for America and that it was able to be located at all. 1567 is when the fort was built which was 20 years before Sir Walter Raleigh’s “Lost Colony” and it was destroyed by the people of Joara within 18 months. And in my opinion if the Native Americans at Joara would have been using the gold that is here the Spanish would have been much harder to defeat and certainly would have returned in droves.
A few years ago I was asked to come up with an idea for a fundraiser for the foundation to help with the archaeology of the site. I was driving my son up 181 to Sugar Mountain to race team practice when I came up with the Tour idea. Tying together some of my favorite things history, curvy mountain roads, and cars. It is fun for me to be able to share this great area with other people that appreciate a fun drive through the mountains and maybe even learn something along the way.
Scott
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We will be finished by 4:30 and it takes me 4 hours and 30minuets to get the Charleston using I- 40 to Hwy-321 to Charlotte, then I- 77 to Columbia, then I - 26 to Charleston. So with a dinner stop you should be home around 10:00pm.

 

This is a great question and to be honest the route has been a “moving” target so I have been intentionally vague. We were approved by the Marion City Council last month to start the tour in down town Marion. The tour will drive up 226-A, then around Lake James with stops on the lake, then out to the Berry Site “Joara”, then to Quaker Meadows Plantation, then to Judges for a break and live music, then finish at the Catawba Meadows Park where we will give out the touring badges and participants will hand in there poker run cards. This route will be fun and just under 100 miles.
I will post a photo of one of the prizes for the poker run that I just received and the touring badge. The badge will have tape on the back not grill posts so it can be used anywhere.
Scott
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AHH the direct approach!! You are correct I will make sure Morganton, as home base is listed on future postings and mailings. Thanks for your thoughts.
Scott

 

Registration ends on September 23rd for the second annual Touring Joara, so register now if you want to be part of the fun!!! I went with Don who is one of my co-coordinators on the tour route this past Saturday and the route is fantastic. The roads are fun and a bit challenging and the stops had good flow and are interesting. I hope you will consider coming it is going to be a fun day. Check out our new web site at www.touringjoara.org . I look forward to seeing you on October 1st.
Scott Coley
Exploring Joara Foundation
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Just 21 more days till Touring Joara!!! If you have not registered check out our new website www.touringjoar.org and you can print off the registration form there and send it in. Be sure to invite a friend it is going to be a fun day.

 

This is the week to register for Touring Joara www.touringjoara.org then click on the registration form.