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US trip this Friday
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Author:  chevy-stu [Wed Sep 18, 2013 8:31 pm ]
Post subject:  US trip this Friday
I shall be leaving our grey rainy island on Friday and heading to the US for a driving trip with my mates at Petrolhead Nirvana.
I did the Alpine Euro tour with them back in 2010, and had an absolute blast, They've done this trip about 4 times now. I know it's a proper driving trip, mostly avoiding the highways and taking in the coastal and mountain roads, with a bit of sightseeing, lots of real speedy moments and 2-way radio 'smokey' dodging to be had.. . Really looking forward to it..

Fly into San Francisco, along with about another 20 people in a dozen or so Convertible Corvette C6's.

Itinery is:
Day 1 - San Francisco via the mountains to Santa Cruz
Day 2 - Trip to Laguna Sec then Pacific Highway (with a short cut to take in some more twisties) to Sanata Barbara
Day 3 - Santa Barbara, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Angeles National Park leg of the trip, finishing in Barstow
Day 4 -Barstow to the Calico, Mojave National Preserve, quick drive on Route 66, Hoover Dam then arrival in Las Vegas
Day 5 - Day in Vegas
Day 6 - Las Vegas to Death Valley National Park, Artist’s Drive loop, Furnace Creek on way out to Mammoth Lakes
Day 7 - Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite National Park, past Mono Lake, then Eldorado National Forest in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, to Napa Valley
Day 8 - Napa Valley to San Francisco

I've then got 3 days sight seeing and chilling in San Francisco, Trip to Alcatraz booked plus other cultural activities I'm sure.

How does this look ?

Image
Author:  firebird68 [Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: US trip this Friday
That's a great road trip, some great sights to see and a great car to do it in! Enjoy 8-)
Author:  flak monkey [Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: US trip this Friday
Enjoy, we did some of those roads when we were there last year.

Image

Might not be as warm as it was when we were there pic below is in the middle of the Mojave at about 8pm, but highest we saw was 118F at Bonneville :shock:

Image
Author:  chevy-stu [Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: US trip this Friday
I've heard the desert bits will get a bit warm... :lol: I will avoid putting the roof up unless I'm about to die from heat..
Author:  78 Camaro [Fri Sep 20, 2013 10:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: US trip this Friday
Very envious Stu! You're gonna have a hell of time and i suspect lots of fun :thumbup:

Take lots of pics and vids, enjoy!!
Author:  bigkieko [Fri Sep 20, 2013 12:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: US trip this Friday
Lucky lucky lucky lucky B

Lucky lucky lucky F

Lucky lucky G

Lucky.......

Enjoy your trip :thumbup:
Author:  chevy-stu [Sat Sep 21, 2013 6:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: US trip this Friday
Update 1.

Nice long 10.5 hour flight into san Francisco yesterday. Met a couple of the main tour guys at the airport, after spending 45 minutes finding out that Nationwide had block my credit card, so couldn't get cash or buy anything. :( All sorted now. They'd booked a car from the airport just to get into town, got upgraded to a Merc C250. Nice crab and lobster supper last night and big decadent American brekkie today.
Off back to Hertz in 20 mins to meet everyone else and pick up the 'Vettes... ! :mrgreen:
Author:  chevy-stu [Thu Sep 26, 2013 4:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: US trip this Friday
Sorry for delay, been driving lots and limited Internet access when I'm awake.

I've taken as many pics as poss, unfortunately the really cool driving roads mean it's hard to fire up the camera whilst twisting the wheel in anger..I'll probably put p a load at the end with maybe some borrowed vids from other cars.

But.... what a fun trip so far.. !!!!
We left san Francisco sat afternoon unfortunately with the roof up because of some rare rainfall. A fun 80 mile drive down sone great winding roads through the forest to the coast at Santa Cruz, one of the contenders of the 'birth of the surf scene'. Rain stopped and much warmer already.

Day 2 was 300 miles mostly down Highway 1 coast road with a great detour to Laguna Seca and a suprise passenger ride around track with a couple of the staff ! It's amazing what happens if you ask nicely... which whilst not properly fast was a special experience. Back on the Highway and another detour to drive a mountain road with alpine style hairpins and then eventually down to Santa Barbara. ..

Day 3 we continued down the coast but turned off before LA to drive the excellent and winding Mullholland Drive often featured on Jay Leno videos for its bends and curves. Then a cruise through Beverly Hills and then into Hollywood, and up into the hills by the famous sign. Afternoon we went and travelled 60 miles on the amazing and virtually deserted Angeles Crest highway, though it goes up to over 7000 ft in elevation with ski resorts in the winter, so it's a proper mountain road with incredible with non stop fast sweeping cambered bends. We then drove 50 miles to the edge if Nevada and stopped at Barstow.

Day 4 we pushed on into the desert avoiding the freeways and drove in arrow straight cactus lined back roads of the North Mojave and getting into triple numbers on occasion. We stopped for a visit to the Hoover Dam, which is amazing, then pushed on the last 50 miles or so into Las Vegas.

Day 5 still in Vegas and writing this !.. very weird place, huge, fascinating and OTT, but so fake ..we visited Las Vegas Speedway this morning and tried to get a Nascar experience ride but no luck.
Off for a drive and cruise around tonight I think.

The Vette is a very capable car. We've the got the Hertz hire spec cars, so still V8 and 6.2, they've got the basic soft suspension and 6 speed auto. Fine for our purposes though they're quick enough, handle pretty well and are comfy for the long mileage. . All virtually brand new with around 15k on the clock. Fun seeing the envious looks from other tourists in their people carriers.. !

More updates soon..
Author:  78 Camaro [Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: US trip this Friday
Sounds like you are having a brilliant time out there :thumbup: Looking forward to seeing all the pics and video's that you and the others have captured, looks like a very enjoyable trip!!
Author:  chevy-stu [Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: US trip this Friday
Tour all done and back in San Francisco now..

Day 5 went for cruise around old Las Vegas at night, much better and way more interesting. All the old casinos, loads of bars and restaurants all next to each other, not the the bloated Disneyland of the strip.

Day 6 left Vegas and headed north into Death Valley through a dust storm and did 2 laps of the brilliant Artists Drive. A 9 mile one-way narrow road of tight bends, fast sweeping curves, blind crests and dips. Some more scenic sweeping hill roads and finished up into Mammoth Lakes at 8000 ft and on the edge of Yosemite Park with a very light dusting of snow falling that night. It

Day 7 we went north and visited the Mono basin, and across through Yosemite through some properly challenging alpine passes that would have done the Alps pround, and stopped at the most picturesque little lake I've seen. We then carried on across the hills and the very pretty Napa Valley and stopped for the night at a lovely golf resort after our 300 mile drive.

Day 8 was the last one so was mainly just a cruise down into San Francisco but diverted for some last minute photos of the bay high on the hillside viewpoint before cruising in convoy over Golden Gate bridge.

Trip to remember and pics coming when I return and get photobucket to work. .
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