Drive and Dine is a touring activity where members to get to know each other better and enjoy their cars in a social, non-competitive atmosphere. A Drive and Dine event typically consists of a meeting place followed by a casual drive through the country, and lunch, dinner or other fun activity or libations. The meeting point is usually some place convenient in Virginia or Maryland.
These events are family friendly, and open to anyone who wishes to attend them with as many passengers as can be legally and safely held by the vehicle. You are welcome to come out solo, with your +1, spouse of 1-60 years, or even bring the whole family! There is no tech requirement or vehicle restrictions for most events (Porsches preferred of course), but we will be driving on scenic, often twisty, country roads so please make sure that your vehicle choice is appropriate. Many events are limited by the capacity of the venues, so always try to sign up early to ensure your place. Staying safe and having fun is key to enjoying our Drive & Dines. To achieve these goals, we ask everyone to observe the Drive & Dine Rules on the side bar. We have several events planned for the year, most of which take place on a weekend, please check the schedule on the sidebar for more information.
Registration Practice
Registration will be open approximately two months before the event. You should monitor the club emails each Friday for notices about event registrations. In signing up for an event, your registration status will remain “New” until we have some certainty about the number of people we can take. “Confirmed” places will be allocated on a first-come basis, as determined by your event registration date and time on MotorsportReg. If there are any registration fees for the event, they will NOT be charged to your selected method of payment until you are confirmed for the event, and we will inform you prior to any charges being made.
As with last year, all participants will need to sign an electronic waiver via the SpeedWaiver system, which addresses both moving vehicle event liability and COVID-19-related liability. You will be prompted and guided to do this upon receiving a confirmed registration. Registered participants will be required to attend a virtual drivers' meeting (via Zoom) where parking instructions for the various drive groups, driving rules, and route information will be presented and pertinent information (including whether you are in the first, second or subsequent drive groups if we have more than one) will be subsequently emailed to each participant's email address. The virtual meetings and SpeedWaivers allow us to quickly manage the rally point activities prior to the start of the event, allowing vehicles to be organized quickly into their drive groups in order to maintain safe conditions. As mentioned above, PPEs will be required at rally points until further notice as well as per the rules of the destinations.
Where overnight accommodation is part of the event, we arrange a block of rooms for the event, usually with some pricing advantage. These rooms will be blocked until registrations are confirmed. You will be able to book a room once you have a confirmed place and registration.
We understand that folks like to book time off and make plans for vacations early in the year. We also understand that members are desperate to get out and enjoy some Porsche time. As with last year, please do not be surprised if events become quickly booked and participants find themselves on a waitlist due to our capacity constraints. We ask that you bear with us as we try to accommodate as many people as we can in a fair manner and most importantly, keep all our participants safe.
DRIVE AND DINE FORMAT
Drive & Dine tours consist of an organized schedule with several parts. Not all parts apply to all events.
Meeting Point - We will meet at a convenient rally point somewhere in the greater DC Metro Area. Start times are typically between 9-10AM for Morning/Lunch Drives and Between 1-2PM for Afternoon/Dinner Drives, but may vary. As mentioned above, our virtual drivers' meetings and electronic waivers will enable knowledge of the route, potential conditions along the drive, and provide contact information for the volunteers that will be leading the event.
Drive - In general, our trips (or each leg of a trip) are 90 minutes or less, allowing for convenience and bathroom breaks. The Drive will focus on scenic rural roads with an emphasis on fun and safety. We travel in single file, typically in groups of 15 cars or less, each led by a lead car and a trailed by a sweeper. Volunteers serving as leaders and sweepers must include a driver and a navigator.
Rendezvous Point - These are points along our route where we plan to stop, and where cars who may have become lost or fell a little behind can catch up with the group.
Dining - After the drive, we may stop for lunch or dinner. Restaurants we go too will have ample parking and a variety of items on the menu. We try to find venues with unique and exquisite offerings to match our fine taste in cars! And the occasional ice cream cone. The restaurants’’ capacity is usually the limiting factor on D&D events.
Attraction - We may try to arrange for the drive to coincide with a local point of interest, such as a museum or historical site.
Second Drive - If it is an all-day/multi-day event, we may have a several drives planned on route to our final destination.
Dispersal Point - This is where we say goodbye for now. Typically, it's the same as the last restaurant or attraction we visited. If there was a second drive, then it will return us to a point near the Washington, D.C. metro area from where participants can head home.
BREAKFAST/BRUNCH GATHERINGS
First Saturday of the month in Manassas, Virginia
We have a new venue for our 1st Saturday (Virginia) brunch [starting October 1st, 2022]. It is Firebird's Wood-Fired Grille located at 14020 Promenade Commons St, Gainesville, VA 20155 (located just off Exit 43A off I-66, just 5 minutes west of our former venue in Manassas). There is substantial parking coming off Linton Hall Road so we can park together. We will stake out a parking area that is a short walk to the restaurant. The restaurant opens at 11 am, so plan on arriving before so we can park together. Visit their website at https://gainesville.firebirdsrestaurants.com/.
Third Saturday of the month in Glen Echo, Maryland
Join us at The Irish Inn in Glen Echo, MD from 11:00AM - 1:00 PM. The Irish Inn is at 6119 Tulane Ave in Glen Echo, just off of MacArthur Boulevard, and can be easily accessed from the Clara Barton Parkway by taking the Washington/Glen Echo exit. Take the Clara Barton Pkwy exit from the Beltway and travel south to the Glen Echo exit, the Irish Inn will be at the top of the ramp on the left. Visit their website at https://irishinnglenecho.com/.
ONLINE REGISTRATION
Please register for each Drive & Dine with our online registration system at http://www.pcapotomac.motorsportreg.com. No registration is required for the Monthly Breakfast/Brunches; just show up. Check the sidebar to see the Drive and Dine Schedule and you'll see what we have planned, including links for more details and registration, taking into consideration the changes for 2021.
Once you have registered, we will provide you additional details for each event. Payment via credit cards is preferred. If you wish to make other arrangements, please contact the Drive and Dine Chair. We will require payment in advance for any event that includes a cost.
If you have any questions, or you would like to help the Drive and Dine committee by volunteering your time, or if you have a suggestion for an event you would like to see happen, please email us HERE !-- at: driveanddine@pcapotomac.org
Cheers,
Your Drive & Dine Chairs
