MOTD5 on Google Earth

It’s getting that time of year again. To start preparing for the yearly MINIs On The Dragon, also known as MOTD, this coming May 3rd through 6th. Last year was my 3rd event so I took it easy and enjoyed the view from atop Fontana dam as the MINIs were lining up at the base in preperation of the parade down the Dragon. Some locations such as the top and base of the dam are not easily pointed out with signs. Actually I don’t recall any signs to the base of the dam and where the road is located it is hard to tell it leads to the dam. Quite a few people came to the top of the dam looking for the parade thus making them late to get to the parade or miss it.

I made up a quick Google Earth map of the area. It looks as if GE has updated the image this year to better resolution. If you don’t have Google Earth you can download it for free here. After installing GE, click this link and choose to open with GE. (If the link is broken for you. Right click the link and save as)It will open GE and carry you to an overview of the area with locations such as lodging, dining, route markers, places of interest plus the beginning and ending locations of the parade.

You can also use it to view a route. Expand the folder for your chosen start such as lodging. Then right click on the lodge and choose “directions from this”. Then do the same for the end of the route. This time right click the location and choose “directions to this”. Or you could simply do all of this by right clicking the marker on the map and choosing the appropriate option. This will carry you to an overview of the route or if you want to fly the route select the play button in the new menu that pops up.

Thanks to snooters Dragon website for some of the lodging and dining areas I was not aware of in the area. All on his site are not listed in GE as I have no clue where some are and didn’t want to get anyone lost.