Story & Photos Submitted by Malcolm Gropper

My bucket list always had a dream item, to own a new or late model Porsche 911S Cabriolet. 

When I turned 80, I decided it was time to fulfill my dream and notch one more item off my bucket list. 

Finally, after spending innumerable hours searching websites and online auctions, I found the car that I wanted, at a dealership in Naples Florida. I negotiated terms of the sale over the phone. Then my wife and I drove across Alligator Alley to get to Porsche Naples. While driving the Alligator Alley, my wife asked “Why are we doing this?” I responded “if I don't do it now, then when will I be able do it. ”A few hours later I was back on Alligator Alley, with the top down driving my 2020 Porsche 911S Cabriolet… all smiles every mile along the ride home.

Part of me hasn’t got over the thrill of owning my Porsche 911S, and another part of me rejoices about that bucket list item, but my greatest thrill is my joy of driving, yes the simple act of turning the ignition, raising hairs at the sound of its exhaust tone, every single time I fire up my 911S. 

Every Porsche owner will agree that it is a car that was designed to be driven. Living in South Florida, where winding, curvy roads are significantly missing, shall I say “to the point of boring,” I had to find a solution. So I joined the local chapter of the Porsche Club of America, the largest single marque auto club in the world and a family of Porsche enthusiasts.

This past September 2024, Gulfstream Region organized a trip to Young Harris, Georgia where our group stayed at the Ridges Resort. This is approximately a 750-mile drive for us. The plan was to do daily planned drives, on various winding country roads through Northwest Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. We would be a caravan of 12-15 Porches.

The trip’s highlight was to drive a legendary road in North Carolina known as the “Tail of the Dragon”. Here is how the “Tail of the Dragon” is explained on its website:

“Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap with 318 curves in 11 miles: America’s number one motorcycle and sports car road. Designated US 129, the road is bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest with no intersecting roads or driveways to hamper your travel. It is considered “the destination” for thousands of motorcycle and sports car fans throughout the spring, summer, and fall.

Can you brave it? It’s best to be cautious as the turns are tight, but the Tail of the Dragon is guaranteed to be the ride of your life.”

It was a rainy Tuesday morning when our 15 Porsches set out to drive about 625-miles roundtrip from our starting point. Again, we drove on winding country roads through some of the most beautiful countrysides you can imagine getting to the base of the “Tail of the Dragon”.

After doing some perfunctory souvenir shopping in the “Taile of the Dragon Store” we got into our cars, strapped up tight, and prepared to launch ourselves onto the “Thrill of the Dragon.”

Some of the more experienced drivers went first as they were going to try and do the road as fast as they could. Remember this is a winding uphill drive with no intersections, no driveways and no trucks. After giving the advanced drivers, a significant head start we started up the mountain. I planned to drive vigorously but within my limits.

It was like being on a roller coaster. The car felt like it was on a rail. Never did I come close to feeling that I would lose control. We were making switch-back turns into switch-back turns repeatedly on wet pavement! The most fabulous 318 turns on 11 miles of roadway I’ve ever experienced! My wife, Sandi, made a valiant effort to make a recording of our drive on her iPhone. We got nauseous just watching the recording. As a lifelong sports car enthusiast all I can say is that it was one heck of a drive! 

On the following days we did additional drives in Georgia and South Carolina. Again, winding roads through beautiful countrysides. If we encountered a truck, the truck driver would graciously pull over to allow our 15 car caravan to pass. The same was true if we encountered a local driving their SUV, even being waved through as a group at some stop signs! 

It was an exciting drive, even my wife, who was a passenger all the way through the ride, thought it was a lot of fun.

So now I can check two more items off my bucket list. I got to drive my Porsche on one of the most challenging roads in the United States!  an awful lot of fun

Next up, good lord willing and the creek don’t rise, we will take the Porsche to Colorado and drive through the mountains to Colorado Springs (Pike’s Peak), Mesa Verde, Moab, Breckenridge, and Rocky Mountain National Park!

Oh, to be young at heart.