[Divya Sharan]

*Prologue*

"Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world." - Gustave Flaubert.

America is always a good idea. And when the opportunity presented itself in July of 2018, I (hereby referred to as DS) couldn't say no.
And there was a big hurdle in front : DS held a passport since time immemorial but he didn't have a VISA. A B1 VISA at that!
But the fact that he could finally meet his buddy Sid (DriveByFire for y'all) after a couple of years, that too at a home away from home was enticing.

VISA interview happened in the month of August in Chennai and miraculously (against statistics) DS got through in the first attempt. He took his phone out and sent the 1st message to Sid and not his parents or colleagues or siblings or girl friend, which immediately reminded him of a fun conversation with his sister who loosely remarked that he and Sid looked to be just a few tender moments away from being in love!

Tentative dates to fly : 18th/19th October. Duration: 3 weeks. Destination : Mooresville, NC.

But as September crept by and October approached, who's who back in office developed cold feet. They wanted people in India to ensure that peak season sales beginning November don't get affected.

"Life is an endless series of train-wrecks with only brief, commercial-like breaks of happiness." - Deadpool



The same was conveyed to Sid who understood the predicament and both hoped that the plan won't get pushed too far. Meanwhile, a lot of plans were made and remade and this circle continued till it was Christmas.

DS : Hey brother, good morning!
Sid : Hi, why are you staying up so late?
DS : Merry Christmas.
Sid : Thank you, thank you. Wish you the same!
DS : Happy birthday!
Sid : Arrey mera bhai... Thanks a ton!
DS : I maybe traveling around Feb.
Sid : Awesome! Hurry up, we don't have much time. Let's plan what are we going to do, where are we going to go.

Coincidentally, the very next day in office.
Manager : Would you like to travel in Jan?
DS : Yes.
Manager : Wow, that was fast!
DS : Yup, my passport anyways expires soon and I can fulfill my dream of seeing snow.
Manager : Kashmir chalaa jaata !
DS : Saaaar.

Sid was super happy knowing that the trip was in Jan, although it was strictly a business trip - 3 weeks were curtailed to 2 weeks, leaving just 1 weekend for a road trip. Another thing in favor was that Sid was relatively less occupied at this point in time. Many plans were made and changed and made and changed.

Sid : Bro, it doesn't snow much in the Carolinas anyways. For that you'd have to come up north.
DS : Ah, that's a bummer. I hope it snows during my visit.

And it sure did, but with a slight twist.

[Divya Sharan]

*Maintaining an average speed of 400 kmph*

This part illustrates DS' travel from Bangalore to NC. Qatar Airways are a hit or miss for most. But their services during onward journey were actually good.

It was a routine affair at Bangalore and despite the slow moving queue, DS was well ahead of time and it gave him some time to crawl ALL the counters at the airport. He had so much extra time that he ate thrice.

Much awaited announcements were made and funnily enough, DS observed that strangely the same people behave differently in the International side of the airport. They seemed, rather posh.
It would be the first time he'd board a Boeing and he was excited.

All went well for the next 6 hours until the Boeing landed at Doha, where all hell broke loose.

It started with Airtel as well as Matrix (AT&T) not accepting any network.
P.S : Airtel worked flawlessly in the US, with both voice and sms services. So, it's truly an international service provider that just doesn't work in Bangalore, or Chennai or, anywhere in India.

So, how would DS update his friends and family now? Airport WiFi Sherlock - said his brain.
Fair enough.
But after 20 minutes of struggle, having failed to connect to WiFi on both Android and iOS, he dropped the plan. There were simply too many people hogging the bandwidth at Doha.
Still, he managed coaxing a local at one of the myriad stalls to share his wifi hotspot for a couple of minutes so that he could send out a few messages. After an initial brow of worrisome expressions over his face, he relented.

The ordeal wasn't over though! Immigrations next. Despite keeping everything planned and packed to avoid security hassles - they happened nevertheless.
Here's a list of individual trays and items that belonged to DS (as instructed by security chaps):
1. Laptop
2. Phones
3. Wallet
4. DSLR body and lenses
5. GoPro and GoPro stick
6. Jacket
7. Shoes and socks
8. Belt and watch
9. Rings (hand as well as the one from an ear)
10. Toothpaste, brush and shaving kit
11. Pen
12. Carry in bag, with only a handful items that were left.

And to think about it now, GoPro and DSLR never got used during the trip.

After the ordeal was over, DS was glad that he had a window seat in the aisle row (number 26), meaning he had oodles of legroom.



Beautiful Doha.



Getting far from Doha.



Approaching Europe.



DS then slept for a while.

Imagine his amazement when he broke from his sleep and rolled up the window blinds to see vistas like these.

Ultimate jaw drop. Had to pick them up from the floor.





After multiple sleep-click-eat cycles, DS de-boarded at NY. It was the port of entry. Thinking of immigrations at NY again were giving him headaches and there have been documented cases of people being sent back, so that added to the confusion.
Gladly, US immigrations were relatively friendlier and convenient and there was no need to strip to bare essentials whilst emptying the entire bag in various trays.

Next, onward trip was from NY to Charlotte.
2 hours aboard American Airlines then.

5 min before landing in Charlotte. (Pls excuse the noise, as it was long shutter shot from mobile)



The journey wasn't over yet. Because Mooresville is another 45 min away by road. And DS got a ride in (and got to drive too) a colleague's Dodge Ram and he wasn't complaining. A slight drizzle accompanied and it only livened the mood so to say!

The Ram approaches at Arrivals.





Interior layout from the front passenger seat.



Soon DS checked into the assigned hotel in Mooresville and the next 7 days were a blur!

[Divya Sharan]

*Getting THE ride*

This was the day DS had been looking forward to, for months!

"One measure of friendship consists not in the number of things friends can discuss, but in the number of things they no longer need mention." - C Fadiman

Sid was flying to Charlotte from Boston and DS would join him there, head over to Enterprise rentals within the same complex, where Sid had pre-booked an intermediate package with 'you book we pick' plan (or something like that).

DS was at anxiety level 101. It had been nearly 2 years he hadn't met with Sid in person and he wasn't sure what (not) to expect. Would there be changes? If yes, will they be noticeable in these 2 days? Would Sid feel DS has changed? Would this would that bla bla bla...

DS promptly set toward Charlotte an hour before Sid was scheduled to land. With multiple thoughts running in his mind and excitement ready to break all barriers, he finally received the call.

Sid: Bhai, where are you?
DS: Taking the approach road to the airport.
Sid: Cool, I'm walking out of the lounge now. Would be out in 2-3 min.

*2 min later*
DS - Bhai, the driver mistakenly got me to departures, not arrivals.
Sid - No issues. I'll be there.

It was then DS was made aware that unlike Indian airports, one can get into airports in the US almost till the security checkpoint and not just passengers.
But the joyful glee upon meeting Sid was something that couldn't be explained. That one hug felt like it lasted for 2 years. Ok, end of Bharat Milaap.

Next was a walk to Enterprise rentals in the adjacent building. There was nobody at the front desk but soon both figured out that they're seated a level up in the building and that's where they promptly headed to.
Sid enrolled DS as a co-driver while both ogled at the premium performance rental cars, ranging from Porches to Maseratis to Challengers.

Sid had availed this scheme (you book we pick) a few times earlier and he got really decent cars but this time for some reason, Enterprise said - you'll get a mini-truck or minivan of sorts.

This wasn't acceptable and both guys had probably their only dull moment during the trip.
However, there was a shiny, 'black' soft top Mustang parked and DS was repeatedly staring at it. Little did he know, Sid was eyeing it too.

A single solitary question was fired at Enterprise - How much for this Mustang for 2 days?
<Yes, all necessary insurance gremlins were ticked>

It was a 10 speed fully automatic 2018 Mustang EcoBoost Premium. 2.3L petrol powered 4 cylinders delivering upto 310 hp at 5500 revs.

Sid, posing.



DS in the foreground.



After clicking pics for the next 40 min and finally getting a feel of the A and B pedals and their responses, both set out. The time was roughly 9:45 AM.
And it was drizzling, ever so slightly.

This was the plan for the day.



But the fact that they were a little late and that with the federal shutdown plus winters, Great Smoky was out of reach.

So this is what they did instead.



Pretty straightforward right? Maybe on a sunny day, but on this day, weatherman had different plans. Soon the ever so slight drizzle transformed into a full blown water shower. And it lasted the entire day.

Here's what Accuweather says for the day. January 19th.

[Divya Sharan]

*Looking Glass Falls and Deals Gap (Tail of the Dragon)*

Beauty of the Carolinas is that it is devoid of big cities, and ones that are there, are far and few in between.
In essence; DS and Sid were having the time of their lives through US' countryside.

But in all excitement of meeting one another and getting to rent the Mustang, they'd forgotten about food. And were they hungry after an hour or more of navigating through thick and thin, in rain!

They stopped at a familiar sight soon after. McDonalds.
Till this moment, the only breakfast DS had been having in the US was this.



It was funny seeing the only sporty car to be parked in a parking lot full of family cars or trucks.

Our Mustu parked.



Sid learnt using the front cam for he'd never before felt the urge. (P.S - all his selfies are mirrored)



$26 and a few burps later, both set out again and eventually the traffic thinned. Sid and DS had loads to share and catch up on the way along with Sid meticulously explaining road signages and rules.
The fact that DS was kinda aware of a few having read the DMV a few times and that sure helped. But he was still very much "afraid" of taking to the wheel a couple of times when offered.

Rain had intensified and it was impressive how the soft top didn't let a single drop inside. Even road noise was curtailed impressively.

Another hour later, it was a loo break of sorts.

Mustu enjoyed getting wet in the rain.



That's Sid trying to capture...



THIS.



Some B&W shots of the beauty.





Misty and foggy conditions prevailed as can be seen in this time-lapse while Sid was driving and DS was still apprehensive about taking the wheel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaqFi8-h7eY

DS and Sid were so engrossed in their chat that they realized 15 miles too late that they've overshot Looking Glass Falls and thus they promptly made a U turn and soon left the interstate for delicious B roads, if one can call them that!

Beautiful vistas coupled with rain made the entire experience a joy to behold. And few minutes later, they were at the first stop for the day. Presenting you - Looking Glass Falls.





Mustu posing.



Soon, to be joined by the cavalry.



Sid, giving another take with the selfie cam.



After clicking pics and absorbing what this beautiful place had to give for around what seemed like eternity, Sid observed that the tail lamps had lit up and the car seemed to have been switched on!



Because DS finally took to the wheel.



Android Auto guiding them all the way to the Dragon.



A timelapse of the curvy roads in rain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCOAkVjF2ek

Another view of the curvy roads.



Landscapes.







Sid then asked DS to halt at a viewpoint overlooking a massive waterbody. And DS being DS, chose to click the car instead.



The actual viewpoint.



DS doing his thing.



Finally, Deals Gap a.k.a Tail of the Dragon, also known as one of the best driving roads in the states.











Time to hop in and return back to Mooresville.





But was all hunky dory on the ~205 miles return drive? Stay tuned...

[Divya Sharan]

*Return to Mooresville*

For those who know these two blokes from the motorbike forum, must recall that they are the co-founders of Kela Chronicles.

Kela simply refers to the act of Stercus Accidit, i.e, shit happening (in a way that one can remember and laugh at, later - but in the moment, it's NOT funny).

Seldom have they been on a trip, irrespective of the number of wheels that kela hasn't happened to them.
So, how could this be any different?

Sid: You drove till Deals Gap, I'm driving the return leg of curvy roads. You take highways.
DS: Eh, ok!
Sid: What eh? Just sitting here as passenger, watching you grin like an idiot is making me jealous.
DS: Hmm, fair enough.

At this moment, a Mazda popped and revved and went down the curves. This gave Sid and DS a weird idea.

Sid: I shall use them paddles downhill.
DS: See if the car auto-blips!

What could have happened anyway? Sid was using paddle shifts but he wasn't driving crazy fast. He was fast yes, but not much. They were doing 50-55 in a 45 mph zone, albeit at higher revs and lower gears. Around 45 min later, the dash threw this symbol:

The dreaded Wrench with transmission oil temperature over 175 degrees (Image borrowed off Google).



Sid remarked that the car was in limp mode. And his face was no longer jolly. DS was perturbed, not by a potentially broken down car, but by Sid's reactions. He needed to chill a bit. At most, they'd have to get it towed and necessary insurance bits were covered.
It was raining incessantly and in some time Mustu was out of the curvy bit and on the interstate.
After carefully maintaining 30-35 mph in the slow lane devoid of traffic, Sid attempted to floor the A pedal. The car jumped to 50 mph and both nearly jumped in tears of joy when the car went back to limp mode.

Soon, they decided to take an hour long break at a petrol station for refuel + snacks + loo + story sharing. Despite this, Mustu's console displayed transmission oil temperature above 160 degrees. They were perplexed and DS was a bit drowsy by now. Still, he kept talking to Sid while it rained cats and dogs and the sun sat. Around 7:30 PM, they decided to halt at a McDonalds about 80ish miles from Mooresville.

DS was a bit uneasy because all guests there looked hard stoned and were huge, thus he suggested Sid eat in swift fashion. It was raining absolute bollocks and it meant the whatever heat issues Mustu had, it was gone by the time they checked out!
DS then drove all the way to Mooresville and despite the heavy rains, Mustang's headlights did a fine job. There weren't many occasions when they felt not-up-to-the-mark.
Driving in such heavy downpour also lent him much needed confidence for what lay next day, which was yet not finalized.

Sid wanted to visit Charlotte because he had been meaning to visit NASCAR and Aviation museum for a long long time and it would be easier to drop the car off at the airport and his flight for Boston was scheduled the same night from the same place.

But the car's heat issues and DS' sudden surge in wanting to drive somewhere offbeat and preferably a snowy place meant they decided impromptu; that Charlotte would have to wait and they would visit Grayson Highlands, Virginia instead.

[Divya Sharan]

*A cold morning*

"Take only memories, leave only footprints." – Chief Seattle.

Mad rains previous day meant the morning was nippy and cold. While Sid caught up on his beauty sleep, DS flew downstairs for his complimentary breakfast. No he didn't leave Sid behind out of negligence, he was forewarned about dire consequences if he tried awakening the latter at 6:30 AM.

DS took a stroll downstairs to ogle at the car again and it looked beautiful in the backdrop of a rising sun.



A Corvette in the distance.



Both were ready by 8 AM and arguing about who gets to drive first. Sid ultimately won the round and it being a Sunday, they expected traffic as well as cops, both of which were absent the day prior.

So, how does one exit a hotel's premises? Not before putting a silly show for sure!

DS warmed up the car, rolled windows and top down while the other recorded his antics.
Sid then proceeded to smash the throttle to bid adieu to Mooresville.

The latter of these 2 clips was recorded by another friend who landed a day prior and getting a hold on the full res clip was not that easy given how often people clear the media on their phones. Hence the 2nd clip was retrieved from Whatsapp videos folder (360p).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EcdV64gojU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0JTMehvgQI

This day was going to be fun with the following itinerary.



The plan was for Sid to drive on the interstate since it was dry and seeing cops could have been a possibility. Plus, DS felt that B roads were better suited for him given speeds maintained and traffic density.

And soon enough, a State Trooper was seen.



There's a solid reason US cars boast of massive engines - their roads.
Wide roads which even full of traffic as per locals look cute to an Indian.

DS was happily clicking pics while Sid was gunning at 65-70 mph through the interstate.
Mustu had 10 gears, which meant it wasn't breaking any sweat! None at all. Zilch. Nada. Nought.





Miles of interstate passed with a couple of breaks here and there for food/fuel, both friends were so completely immersed in the experience that every moment felt like a lifetime worth of memories.

There was some action in between where multiple cop cars were lined outside a house and it did seem like a Hollywood movie scene.

B roads were fast approaching and that meant DS' time to drive was about to come really soon. Roads were slightly curvy and after a few fast corners, both arrived at a beautiful viewpoint.

Soon enough both Sid and DS jumped out and started clicking like mad men.

Starting with the car.



The actual viewpoint.







Selfie galore.



It was time to push ahead now and DS promptly took to the wheel. Curves were aplenty and he started pushing a little harder when Sid looked a bit concerned. Though he did say that DS had done better than the previous day but he still needed improvement.
And well who was DS trying to kid anyway? It was literally day 2 of driving on the other side of the road with controls placed on the opposite side (Sorry Jeremy).

Some 20-25 min went past and all was going smooth when DS observed pollen like grains falling. Sure the area looked a bit run down and poor, so he assumed that it could be dried up vegetation and the result could be pollen.
Sid lamented they were insects. But within minutes, the amount of grains increased to absurd amounts to be pollen or insects.



They just decided to keep moving and got clear of the run down neighborhood when Sid chuckled out loud - DUDE! You're indeed lucky.

Great friends have great rapport. Nothing else was said, but everything was conveyed. DS immediately understood what these grains were.
Snowflakes.

A little while later, they grew in size and the surroundings too started becoming whiter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzsYYohnlOA

DS was beginning to grin from ear to ear. His mission seemed fulfilled.

Mobile network was running out but thankfully with Google Maps cached, both were completely at ease.

Less than 15 min later, they arrived at the base of Grayson highlands park, at a fuel station. It had just started snowing and DS wanted to hit the loo and take a few pics while Sid refueled.

Within moments, it got extremely cold and the temperature went below freezing point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1bb-Bmw9g0

Few cups of coffee and a couple of loo breaks later, it was time to scoot ahead. Sid advised DS put the car in Snow Mode however he noticed a truck full of salt had just passed by and his fear the formation of black ice got diminished to an extent!

Both of them immediately got into warmer clothes and continued ahead with DS driving up the hill and Sid clicking pics and gasping every now and then, hopefully seeing the nature and not DS' appalling driving.









They chugged along merrily and not much later, the board for Grayson Highlands was right in their view.



But, were roads ahead free of black ice?

[Divya Sharan]

*Icy road ahead*

"There's an awesome trick to drive on ice and apparently nobody knows it." - The Internet.

DS drove cautiously, as carefully as possible and then saw a clear patch of the road when he thought he could increase the speed a bit. He sped up and for some reason the car downshifted a gear from 3rd at 20 mph to 2nd at around 29-30 mph. The car lost traction for a split second with almost a small drift like motion when both of them farted and nearly shat their pants!

Roads progressively got from bad to worse with snow.











It was at this point when they saw 2 proper 4x4's having issues climbing up the road, they decided to call it a day at the point and turn back.
Sid walked ahead and talked to one of the gentlemen and confirmed DS' suspicion that the RWD Mustu wasn't going to climb any further.

The roads were so icy that both guys were having a super hard time walking on them despite wearing shoes with big knobby soles.
DS was cracking jokes when Sid's comment nearly had him crash due to laughter.

DS: Bhai, yahaan se drift maar k niklein kya?
Sid: Kyun bhai mazaak kar rahe ho!
DS: Acha, lets park the car here to the side and walk ahead.
Sid: Nahi bhai, it's snowing hard already. Within minutes, the amount of snow would increase manifold and we'll be stuck.
DS (tauntingly): Kya bhai, bas itne me hi darr gaye?
Sid: Arrey bhai, jab jab meri phat-ti hai, tabhi tumko masti kyun soojhta hai?

DS almost fell down laughing at this comment and decided it was better to turn around and enjoy ice a bit lower down the hills where snow would be manageable.

At this point, Sid wanted to drive away A.S.A.P and DS asked him to pose for a pic which must have pissed Sid a bit. But the end result came out good and Sid was jolly happy.

Sid posing.



Road after making the turn.



Need For Speed/Forza anyone?
This pic alone, summed the trip for them both!



Sid began driving along the treacherous roads back to Grayson Highlands state park entrance.

Here's a time-lapse of how it looked from inside.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKBPPtoJeJI

Within a few minutes, they were back at the park entrance and snow meanwhile made the entire area much more beautiful.



Sid, trying to take a selfie without contorting his face due to cold.





Sid and DS, trying to take a selfie without contorting their faces due to cold.







Icy conditions and their effects.





A panoramic shot of the entire area.



Few more shots of Mustu in angles DS loved most.







A behind the scenes shot of DS clicking the car at his favorite angles!



It was time to head back, with Sid at the wheel.





Soon icy conditions gave way to a sunny ambiance as they headed back into the Carolinas from Virginia.



And not long after, they nearly met King Leonidas.



The feeling of this trip nearing its end had begun to trickle in and it was making them both sad, but there were always many more reasons to look back at this trip with great amount of fondness and sorrow wasn't one of them.
The friendship DS and Sid share isn't a big thing, rather a million small things, so this trip was enough to fuel them for quite sometime.

It was evening by the time they returned back to Charlotte.



It was time to return the car and click it's logo for the last time.



Few other exotics.





And finally it was time for DS to say goodbyes to Sid who was flying back to Boston during a snow storm at his place. A cup pf coffee and few pics later, Sid proceeded to Departures.



Life is indeed meant for great friends and even greater adventures!

The end.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[artemis_fowl]

What a journey! Rating a full 5 stars!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and the pictures are drool worthy for sure. If only we had such roads in India That does not seem to be the Mustang sold in India. Has the latest model already launched over there?
P.S: Did you use launch control?

[mohansrides]

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

*Prologue*

"Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world." - Gustave Flaubert.

America is always a good idea.

Excellent job done DS. Your enthusiasm for travel, for the US and for your friendship is infectious.

Seriously, what would we do if not for our friends who both get us into trouble and make life worth living. One unsolicited tip - as you get older, the big challenge for you will be to sustain these friendships that have nurtured you through your teens and 20s. Typically, careers and families have a way of leaving one with very little wiggle room, which eventually leads to many friendships going by way of the Dodo.

Also, it's a good thing that you chose North Carolina rather than other destinations of notoriety in the US. NC is an underrated gem. We once drove up from Charlotte for a river rafting trip. I wish I had had the good sense then to pay more attention to my experiences. Truth is that I breezed through the couple of days without pausing to take in anything. The parts that I remember now make me smile. For instance, that water was ice cold when a couple of us fell off the raft. And it was supposedly the middle of the freakin' summer!!

For your next trip, calibrate yourself for a different sensory experience and then choose Alabama, Louisiana and the Texas panhandle. I promise you that you will have a truly memorable experience.

[Divya Sharan]

Thanks for approving my story mods!

Originally Posted by artemis_fowl

What a journey! Rating a full 5 stars!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and the pictures are drool worthy for sure. If only we had such roads in India That does not seem to be the Mustang sold in India. Has the latest model already launched over there?
P.S: Did you use launch control?

Thanks a lot.
India gets the 5L V8 model only. This was a 2.3L Ecoboost 2018 model.
We extensively used Cruise Control but never got a safe road/weather to try launch control. But line lock, yes. For a teeny tiny amount of time.

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Excellent job done DS. Your enthusiasm for travel, for the US and for your friendship is infectious.

Thanks for the kind words.

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Also, it's a good thing that you chose North Carolina rather than other destinations of notoriety in the US. NC is an underrated gem.

For your next trip, calibrate yourself for a different sensory experience and then choose Alabama, Louisiana and the Texas panhandle. I promise you that you will have a truly memorable experience.

Yes, places in NC and Alabama were at the top of my list. Conditions permitting, I would love to explore Louisiana and Texas should I visit again in the near future.

[ChiragM]

Nice travelogue with some amazing pictures throughout. Good that the trip went ahead even if it was cut short from 3 weeks to 2 weeks.

The pictures of the roads covered with snow and the pics of the Mustang on snow reminds me of the road trip (Road-Trip: 8 wintry days in snasail Scotland) I took in winter in Scotland.

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

Viper in the distance.

Although I am not too sure, it does look like it is a Corvette from the distance.

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

*Icy road ahead*

DS drove cautiously, as carefully as possible and then saw a clear patch of the road when he thought he could increase the speed a bit. He sped up and for some reason the car downshifted a gear from 3rd at 20 mph to 2nd at around 29-30 mph. The car lost traction for a split second with almost a small drift like motion when both of them farted and nearly shat their pants!

Been there, experienced that. That one moment when you think the car is going to slide into the ditch and prepare yourself for the crash. It happened at around 30 mph (or lower) when we hit a patch of ice on the road. The going was slow... very slow after that.

[Divya Sharan]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Nice travelogue with some amazing pictures throughout. Good that the trip went ahead even if it was cut short from 3 weeks to 2 weeks.
The pictures of the roads covered with snow and the pics of the Mustang on snow reminds me of the road trip (Road-Trip: 8 wintry days in snasail Scotland) I took in winter in Scotland.

Lovely pics there. I shall make time out to go through it in leisure.

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Although I am not too sure, it does look like it is a Corvette from the distance.

Spot on! It was a Corvette indeed. I've asked mods to correct the glaring mistake.

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Been there, experienced that. That one moment when you think the car is going to slide into the ditch and prepare yourself for the crash. It happened at around 30 mph (or lower) when we hit a patch of ice on the road. The going was slow... very slow after that.

Yes, it was a scary experience and we reduced our pace to what can be called as crawling thereon!

[drivebyfire]

Excellent read DS!! Captured so many moments from the trip... Thanks so much for penning all of it down. Excellent pictures as well !! (Dare I say that though? Some of them are from my phone! )

The highlight of this trip will be our time spent catching up driving the car, nothing like a 712 mile road trip with a close friend who you're meeting after 2 years. The conversations will remain priceless.

I thought I will add in some of my own perspectives from the trip as well!

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

The same was conveyed to Sid who understood the predicament and both hoped that the plan won't get pushed too far. Meanwhile, a lot of plans were made and remade and this circle continued till it was Christmas.

Initially we were deciding that DS will drive down to NY city because he wanted to see the "big apple" and my own travel will be less. However with all the volatility in the dates and plans I felt that driving to NY will not be feasible cost+time wise. Plus we wont get to spend time catching up anyway since it will turn into a hectic meet and greet. Right from then I kept the option open to fly at some destination, pick up car from airport and drive out. And that's exactly what we did!

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

"One measure of friendship consists not in the number of things friends can discuss, but in the number of things they no longer need mention." - C Fadiman

Loved the quote man!

The experience of picking a car! I have always had a great customer experience from Enterprise and so stick to them for long term/distance rentals, even this time they were very accommodating of adding DS as a designated driver and my other requests. I have always gotten an upgrade with Enterprise though and honestly with the "you pay we pick" option I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised! I would have gladly accepted a 2018 model of Camry/Accord/Civic/Mazda 3 or 6/Nissan Rogue or other CUVs. The rep tells me its either a mini-van or a compact car, the horror of the word mini-van liquefied my brain and while I could see 3 brand spanking new 2019 Elantras in the distance the sexy black 2018 Mustang just called out - "how much for the Mustang?" - and the rest is history! Honestly, I have driven the sad CVT Elantras and I would have paid money NOT to drive them (no offence to Elantra owners, I myself am a fan of the Hyundai Sonata).



The 2018 facelift of the Mustang just looks SO MUCH BETTER than the 2015 version - that sloping hood with hood vents just make the front end so much tighter! Fell in love with this beauty!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, loved this time-lapse through The Great Smoky Mountains Parkway

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

Because DS finally took to the wheel.

Android Auto guiding them all the way to the Dragon.

What better place than The Great Smoky Mountains for your first drive in US eh DS??!! This is driving through the Pisgah National Forest, love the curvy road highlighted in the map!

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

The actual viewpoint.

That's Fontana Lake, the catchment area of Fontana Dam

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

For those who know these two blokes from the motorbike forum, must recall that they are the co-founders of Kela Chronicles.

I actually LOL'ed reading this here!

The Kela Moment of this trip (© Kela Chronicles)

Driving the Tail of the Dragon has been a bucket list item for me and flying into Charlotte NC, it was hard for me to even entertain any other plan. I am a proponent of the K.I.S.S - keep it simple, stupid - pick up car, drive to Tail of the Dragon - what could go wrong? Right???

So this is what happened, a couple of friends - true car enthusiasts to come out on the Dragon in such a downpour, one with a heavily modded Silver NA Miata (First Gen Mazda MX5) and the other in a brand spanking new Black ND Miata (latest gen, probably had an aftermarket exhaust), were ripping it up. The pops and bangs from the ND Miata sort of inspired me to put the Mustang in sports mode and send it!

I was using the paddle shifters for downshifts and one thing to note about the 10 speed auto transmission - its not really made to be used in manual mode. The shifts are quick but you need multiple downshifts because of the close ratios to get the acceleration you want, especially in the up-hill sections of hilly roads we were in. The auto mode is much more enjoyable because it makes aggressive shifts like 8th to 3rd in a single step unlike paddle shifters where it has to be sequential, resulting in a lot of transmission heat. I was sticking to a max of 7th gear and shifting down upto 3rd for hard acceleration runs. Half an hour of this with me laughing like a maniac at the wheel - aaaaannd the car hit limp mode! You know what - IT WAS WORTH IT!

Luckily we were almost out of the mountains by then, but yes, I was super bummed, the limp mode hit like a rock. I switched to the Gauge Details info and saw Transmission Fluid temp was 198 F, that was bad. Car had cut boost, every time I pressed the accelerator the boost pressure would fall to zero literally. What had me worried was also that the ECU was not letting the car go above 50mph. Which for US roads is a bit dangerous, especially in pouring rain, at night, with low visibility, more than 200 miles away from home, and in the middle of nowhere. So yes - saying that I was worried would be a bit of an understatement.

Thankfully the hour long break at the BP gas station cooled down the car enough that it self corrected! I love modern technology.

The return journey was memorable as well, 80 in pouring rain and the Mustang handled like a champ. That insane downhill section before we stopped for dinner will be forever remembered!

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

"Take only memories, leave only footprints." – Chief Seattle.

Let me just say here that I was not expecting the way our second day unfolded. When DS said that morning that there is Snow forecast at Grayson Highlands State Park, I actually laughed. Truth is I had no idea what this place was, where this place was and why we were going there. DS showed me a few google image pics and I was like - 'meh' *shoulder shrug*. Now that I think about it, DS probably changed the plans from NASCAR/Aviation Museum to Grayson Highlands because of the snow forecast. And more seat time in the car! The dragon was done and dusted, and I was winging it for the second day any way. But I'll admit it, Grayson Highlands ended up being the better plan!!!

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

"There's an awesome trick to drive on ice and apparently nobody knows it." - The Internet.

In this pic - the guy standing there is a Park Ranger, the white truck was his - an old, beat up RWD Ford Ranger, the black truck was a new 4x4 Ford F150 with a family with kids in it. I later talked to the Park Ranger to get a sense of whether we can go ahead and he was like - you guys came HERE in THAT car?

But he was very helpful, said that the roads ahead were icy, he had called in salting trucks and none had arrived. We decided to turn back because I had a flight to catch, but if the roads had been salted I would have made a run for it. I have seen 2 Boston Winters and the 2 things I have learned is salt is your friend and never mess with an icy road.

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

Need For Speed/Forza anyone?
This pic alone, summed the trip for them both!

In this pic there is a thin layer of ice underneath that snow, probably less than 1 mm thick. And still the Mustang was having trouble finding traction, rear wheels spinning as soon as you dab the throttle even going as slow as 5 mph.

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

The feeling of this trip nearing its end had begun to trickle in and it was making them both sad, but there were always many more reasons to look back at this trip with great amount of fondness and sorrow wasn't one of them.

Damn dude, that's so true. The closer we were getting to airport the deeper the reality was sinking that the trip would be over soon and yet the overbearing feeling was that THIS HAD BEEN EPIC !!

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

And finally it was time for DS to say goodbyes to Sid who was flying back to Boston during a snow storm at his place.

Storm Harper had passed but I landed to a white Boston in -17 degC weather with a windchill of -26 degC !!

Originally Posted by Divya Sharan

Life is indeed meant for great friends and even greater adventures!

Amen to that!

[Divya Sharan]

Originally Posted by drivebyfire

Excellent read DS!! Captured so many moments from the trip... Thanks so much for penning all of it down. Excellent pictures as well !! (Dare I say that though? Some of them are from my phone! )

The highlight of this trip will be our time spent catching up driving the car, nothing like a 712 mile road trip with a close friend who you're meeting after 2 years. The conversations will remain priceless.

Yaayyy, see who's here!
And I've already said these things in person, just sharing the same in public again:
1. You've been one of the primary people to inspire me to learn various photography skills. Things you did with your Canon always gave me something new to try, like the panning shot, close-up photography and HDR.
2. Driving skills. I simply loved the way you slotted gears in Punto back home. So smooth. Also, the way you steered through sweeping corners are etched in my mind.

Basically, I owe both the things I love to you!

Originally Posted by drivebyfire

I thought I will add in some of my own perspectives from the trip as well!
....
Initially we were deciding that DS will drive down to NY city because he wanted to see the "big apple" and my own travel will be less. However with all the volatility in the dates and plans I felt that driving to NY will not be feasible cost+time wise. Plus we wont get to spend time catching up anyway since it will turn into a hectic meet and greet. Right from then I kept the option open to fly at some destination, pick up car from airport and drive out. And that's exactly what we did!

Yes. And I wanted to ride a motorcycle!

Originally Posted by drivebyfire

The experience of picking a car! I have always had a great customer experience from Enterprise and so stick to them for long term/distance rentals, even this time they were very accommodating of adding DS as a designated driver and my other requests. I have always gotten an upgrade with Enterprise though and honestly with the "you pay we pick" option I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised! I would have gladly accepted a 2018 model of Camry/Accord/Civic/Mazda 3 or 6/Nissan Rogue or other CUVs. The rep tells me its either a mini-van or a compact car, the horror of the word mini-van liquefied my brain and while I could see 3 brand spanking new 2019 Elantras in the distance the sexy black 2018 Mustang just called out - "how much for the Mustang?" - and the rest is history! Honestly, I have driven the sad CVT Elantras and I would have paid money NOT to drive them (no offence to Elantra owners, I myself am a fan of the Hyundai Sonata).

It was a stark contrast w.r.t rentals in India. No cap on distance, friendliness, no cutting corners etc.
I was secretly hoping for a Ford Fiesta and in my mind I was thinking what if they gave a truck and how would I drive it?

Originally Posted by drivebyfire

I've said it before and I'll say it again, loved this time-lapse through The Great Smoky Mountains Parkway
+
What better place than The Great Smoky Mountains for your first drive in US eh DS??!! This is driving through the Pisgah National Forest, love the curvy road highlighted in the map!
+
That's Fontana Lake, the catchment area of Fontana Dam

Devil is in the details. I should have paid more attention to these but I was busy clicking the car all the time.

Originally Posted by drivebyfire

The pops and bangs from the ND Miata sort of inspired me to put the Mustang in sports mode and send it!

I was using the paddle shifters for downshifts and one thing to note about the 10 speed auto transmission - its not really made to be used in manual mode.... - aaaaannd the car hit limp mode! You know what - IT WAS WORTH IT!

Yes, the 10 speed makes it more of a GT car and auto mode would be preferred by most if not all. But it was absolutely worth it.

Originally Posted by drivebyfire

The return journey was memorable as well, 80 in pouring rain and the Mustang handled like a champ. That insane downhill section before we stopped for dinner will be forever remembered!

For some reason, it reminded me of our Goa ride. Maybe the curves were such and so was the mood. Epic!

Originally Posted by drivebyfire

Now that I think about it, DS probably changed the plans from NASCAR/Aviation Museum to Grayson Highlands because of the snow forecast.

True that. Snow trumps everything.

Originally Posted by drivebyfire

And more seat time in the car!

Absolutely.

Originally Posted by drivebyfire

I later talked to the Park Ranger to get a sense of whether we can go ahead and he was like - you guys came HERE in THAT car?

We must have looked like Crazy101 right there to him, but what's an adventure without some risk?

Originally Posted by drivebyfire

Damn dude, that's so true. The closer we were getting to airport the deeper the reality was sinking that the trip would be over soon and yet the overbearing feeling was that THIS HAD BEEN EPIC !!

Hopefully next time it would be longer and we can head to places (yet) in the bucket list. And I still want to ride.