Green Bank Telescope & Cass Scenic Railroad Tour

July 24-25, 2010:  The Green Bank Telescope

& Cass Scenic Railroad Tour

Follow the Shenandoah and Blue Ridge regions on the Porsche “train” to the wild and wonderful mountains of West Virginia.  (Other PCA regions will be joining us, too!)  We will start at Pesto Mediterranean Grill near Crozet and stop to pick up others in Churchville at the Riverside Plaza shopping center before winding our way into West Virginia.

Shenandoah’s own Jim Condon, a radio astronomer with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), will be our guide as we explore the Green Bank Telescope facility.  Upon arrival, we will have a pre-ordered deli buffet lunch from the Starlight Cafe in a private room.  Then, Jim and an NRAO staff engineer will give us a personal tour of the control room, the electronics lab, and other areas of interest.  Afterward, we will see a movie about the observatory at Green Bank and take a short bus ride down to the base of the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), the world’s largest moving structure on land.  We’ll also have time to visit the Science Center and to browse through the interesting astronomical items in the Galaxy Gift Shop.

When we have finished our tour at the GBT, we will have the option of saying our goodbyes and returning home or staying overnight.  Those who stay will head off to settle into their hotels.  (We have a block of rooms reserved at the Inn at Snowshoe at a discounted group rate.  Breakfast is included.)  Those who travel with pets or want a more rustic experience will have the option of staying at the cabins at the nearby Elk River Inn.   At 6:00 p.m. we will meet for dinner at the Elk River Restaurant, which specializes in locally raised and created products.

Sunday morning after breakfast, participants will have the options of taking a short drive on the curvy West Virginia roads, exploring the old logging town of Cass, going on a group train ride aboard the Cass Scenic Railroad (Boxed lunches can be pre-ordered and will be delivered to the train.), or choosing other activities that appeal to them.

This is a great event to come to by yourself, to bring your spouse or a friend, or to include the whole family for a weekend of fun.  There are so many interesting things to do and see in the area, you may want to extend the trip into a vacation!  Just come and enjoy the company of your Porsche friends.  Porsches are not required to participate.