m3dragon

Well better late than never. Sorry for the long delay on the event recap. For all the images of the trip see the album link here: http://www.raddrives.com/albums/2014-Mammoth_Road_Trip/index.html Here is a great video from one of the participants. https://vimeo.com/108736884 Event Recap: Saturday everyone meet up at the coffee meeting point. There was a little concern as there was a wild fire in El Dorado that was near the route we were going. Thankfully it was well west of the roads we were traveling so all we had was little smoke. The first part of the drive was good. We hit a little traffic as expected but after a short way the road opened up. We made great time and picked up one member of the group in Plymouth as they lived in that area. First stop and restroom break was Merkleeville. After Merkleeville we headed over the range to 395 and Mono Lake for lunch. The weather was clear and sunny with just a few wisps of clouds. Before leaving Mono Lake Visitor center we made a group call to see if we stop and see the Tuffa Rocks. The group said yes and we made a slight plan change to go see the rocks by the lake. We almost had an incident there which you might see in the photos. A Honda parked between two trip members and all of us were wondering what they were thinking. Thankfully no damage to anyone's doors even though you wonder how they got out. After Mono Lake we headed to the Devils post pile to see the rock formations there before calling it a day. These rock formation only are seen in a few places around the world so it is well worth the short hike. Sunday Recap Today was all about making it to Yosemite. The group first made a detour to June Lake which was very calm and serine. Made for some great shots and a fun little detour before hitting the busy park. After the lake stop we hit the park. We made stops to see the usual big items before making our way to Yosemite Village for lunch. This trip of course had a lot more going on and this recap just touches the surface of what we did. While it was a weekend run we did A LOT. We hope to do this run again but make it a three day run so we have more time to see things. For more details of the trip, see the albums to see all the fun you missed on this trip. Hope to see some of you on future trips.

See all the event images here: http://www.raddrives.com/albums/2014-Lassen_RoadTrip/index.html The Lassen trip was another great adventure to see new sights and make new friends. This trip started off a little odd to say the least. We had 13 cars scheduled to go and had 3 people had to bow out at the 11th hour due to various reasons. Then the night before we left, the co leader of the drive lost the alternator on his Porsche on the way to Sacramento. Thankfully we figured out a car solution so that everyone could still go. The group meet up bright and early Saturday AM where we went over the plans for the day and where we were going. 8:30am hit and a group of BMW’s, Lotus Elise, Opel GT, Jaguar XKR, Mazda RX7, Porsche Turbo, VW Passat, and a Subaru Outback headed North to feather river canyon. The day was slightly over cast as we made our way up the Feather River. Those who wanted to go a little faster stayed in the front and the rest of us stayed as a group moving along at a very good pace. We stopped for lunch at a hotel that if you blinked you would miss the turn. After lunch we made our way to Portola to see the train museum and then headed to Chester for the night. Sunday was all about hikes and being in the Lassen Park. The group made it to Lassen early in the morning and made a stop to hike to Bumpass Hell to see the hot springs and boiling mud pots. After this stop the group had lunch by a lake nearby and then moved on over the pass to see the other sites in the park. After driving the length of the park we regrouped for a return drive back to the visitor center, and then back to Chester where we had a fun farewell dinner on the shores of Lake Almanor. Monday was the drive home for everyone. All but two cars left as a group to head home back through Feather River Canyon. There was NO traffic in the morning and the group made good time to a rest area where we took a few pictures and said our goodbyes as we then headed off in different directions to make our ways home.

Reminder this is the last week for group rates on hotel. After this week you will need to book your own room or camp site. Register for Mammoth Here

Just a reminder that deadline to go is September 8th for group rate on the hotels. After that you are on your own to book a room.

Deadline is a few weeks away. If you wish to go there is still room. You will need to book your own room now but if you call the hotel and they have room you can get the group rate.

Last day to register for discounted hotel rooms.

Disclaimer: --------------------------------------------- This a pay your own way event. This means even me the organizer pays my own way to attend. Organizing drives is my hobby and I enjoy putting the events on. I also pay for the website and store system out of my own pocket to make sharing information and registering easier on everyone. --------------------------------------------- Register here for the weekend: Mammoth, Devils Postpile, Yosemite Road Trip – September 20-21 2014 The Mammoth Road Trip is a fun, two-day event that will start with a drive through the Sierra Nevada Mountains along some of the best roads in Northern California. Be ready for a lot of twists and turns and some breath taking scenery. Your car will get quite the workout, as we will be at altitude for the entire drive to the overnight stop. The trip will start with a fun morning of twists and turns. We will stop at the Mono Lake Visitor Center to have lunch, which will be provided. After lunch, there will be a short scenic drive around Grant, Silver, and June Lakes as we make our way to the Devils Postpile. Here people will be able to hike and take pictures of one of the great geological formations of the area. Day two will take the group through Yosemite for some valley hikes and images of one of the great national parks of North America. The afternoon will conclude with a drive to the Yosemite Sugar Pine Railway where people can ride the steam train or just hang out with other participants. The end of the road trip will be in Merced where participants can then make their way home. Fees schedule Included in the cost are the hotel, continental breakfast, decals, one boxed lunch, event insurance, and shipping. You can add another boxed lunch for $15. Additional fees not included are Devils Postpile, Yosemite, and rail road stop. Option 1: King bed - $231 Option 2: Dual Queens - $231 I advise if you don't have one, to get the year National Park Pass, as it can save you some money. We are seeing two National Parks this trip and if you do the Epic South West next year you will need this. Cost is $80 for a year. http://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html --------------------------------------------- Day 1: Meeting Location Date: September 20th 2014 Address: Starbucks - 4311 Town Center Boulevard, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 Time: 8:00am Depart: 8:30am – Trip begins. Activity: Registration and assist with decal application There will be two major check points on the first leg of the drive for the group to get back together as well as take images of all the cars participating. Lunch stop will be at the Mono Lake Visitor Center (box lunch to be provided) Address: 336 Visitor Center Dr, Lee Vining, CA Time: ~12:30pm arrive with a 30 or so minute lunch stop After lunch, there will be a short scenic drive around Grant, Silver, and June Lakes on our way to the Devils Postpile. Address: Devils Postpile - Pacific Crest Trail, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 Time: ~1:30pm till you are ready to go to the hotel. Hotel for the road trip is – Quality Inn and Suites. - Includes continental breakfast Address: 3537 Main Street, Mammoth Lakes, CA 9354 Time: ~ 6:00pm Dinner at: Slocums Grill & Bar - 3221 Main Street, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 Time: 6:30pm till you are tired or the bar closes --------------------------------------------- Day 2: Yosemite Valley and a Steam Train This day will be focused on making stops at several overlooks on the road into the Yosemite Valley. Once the group reaches the Yosemite Valley, we will make the loop around the Valley with stops to see the major attractions. We will leave from the hotel at 8:30am on the DOT!!! Stops on the drive in will include views of: - Half Dome - Yosemite Valley - Sierra Nevada Mountain rage - El Capitan - Yosemite Falls Lunch stop will be at the Yosemite Village, which has several food options. Time: ~ 12:30 – 1:30 for Lunch After lunch, we will make our way to the Sugar Pine Railway for a ride on a steam train or to hang out one last time before we all make our way home. Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad Address: 56001 California 41, Fish Camp, CA 93623 Time: 2:30pm 3:30PM After the train stop, participants are welcome to make their way home as they see fit. For those heading back to the Bay Area and Sacramento, the drive will head toward Merced where they can jump on HWY 99 to head north. Those heading back to Southern California can take HWY 41 to Fresno to make their way south on HWY 99. ----------------Claimed Decals -------------- If you have any questions, please email me, as I don't always get notified that a post happened. norcal.drivers@gmail.com Register here for the weekend:

Bump and an update. I have canceled the rooms at the Best Western as we don't have enough to fill the rooms. The Antlers Hotel also asked we do a final room count with them on July 1. This means if you plan on going on this trip and want the group rate on rooms you need to pay before July 1. After then you are on your own for hotel rooms. There is some nice B&Bs in the area if you wish to book on your own. Deadline to register for the trip is July 28th so I have enough time to mail things out to everyone.

Bump reminder about the weekend. Hope to see some of you out there.

For those who of you who have question about the trip, please email me directly as the forum notice does not always reach my email. My email is norcal.drivers@gmail.com For those who wish to come, the image below will update with numbers that have been assigned. To see the updated image, hit refresh to see the image update.

Disclaimer: --------------------------------------------- This a pay your own way event. This means even me the organizer pays my own way to attend. As noted in other events I have organized, this is where the insanity of what I do comes in. Don't ask I don't get it either. I recently made a website to help broadcast day drives and these road trips. --------------------------------------------- This is a road trip event for anyone and everyone. This is not a race or rally so if you are looking for a Gumball event this is not the event for you. The event does have fun back roads driving and some great stops. For references on past events look up Euro Cars Road Trip Yellowstone Redwoods Road Trip and California 500 Miglia. Lassen /Portola Road Trip – August 9-11 The Lassen Road Trip is a fun three-day event that takes into the Sierra Mountains to explore volcano country. This road trip will start with fun drive up the feather river with a stop in Portola for lunch. After lunch the group will head to the railway museum to see the trains and explore the museum. You can climb on all the equipment so dress appropriately. After the museum the group will head to Chester for base camp. Day two will be spent in Lassen National Park to hike some of the trails and see the sights. Day three will be a fun drive before the group splits off to make their ways home. Unlike rallies and road course events, we encourage people to stay in a group and stop at the planned destinations, as this is a road trip not a rally. However, the stops and activities are suggestions, not mandates. Our format is for those individuals, couples or families, who want to have an adventure as well as make new friends with fellow enthusiasts. We mix the day up between driving sections, photo stops and sightseeing opportunities for everyone. This is not a race, so if you are looking for a competitive event this is not for you. Fees schedule: (NOTE) We have limited rooms at the Antlers and Best Western. Antlers Motel - Two Night accommodations - $175.00 OR Best Western - Two Night Accomodations - $ 275.00 -- Or choose your own hotel -- Decals / Insurance / Shipping / PayPal / (Items for one person) - Boxed Lunch for the day in Lassen / Portola Railroad Museum Base event fees - $ 120.00 Additional boxed lunch $25.00 Additional Portola Rail Museum Ticket - $8.00 The 2013 Lassen Road Trip Itinerary: August 9-11 Day 1: Meeting Location Date: August 9th Address: Starbucks at 3230 Arena Blvd in N. Sacramento Time: 8:00am Depart: 8:30am - drive start Activity: Registration and assist with decal application Depending on traffic and group size, we will make a few stops for scenery photos and group pictures. You of course are welcome to stop on your own at any time to take pictures. Lunch stop will be in Portola Address: Sharon's Café - 270 Commercial St, Portola, CA 96122 Time: ~12:00pm arrive with a 1-hour lunch stop Western Pacific Rail Museum Stop Address: 700 Western Pacific Way, Portola, CA 96122 Time: ~1:00pm arrive time with a 1-hour or so to see the museum After the railway museum, we will head to Chester for our overnight accommodations, freshen up and head to dinner. Hotels for both nights Address: Antlers Motel - 268 Main St, Chester, CA 96020 Address: Best Western Rose Quartz Inn - 306 Main St, Chester, CA 96020 There are also many campgrounds in the area. If you chose the B&B option you are on your own to book the hotel as rooms are limited. Time: ~ 5:00pm Dinner at: RJ’s Lake Almanor Tavern, 384 Main Street. Day 2: Lassen Park Adventure Day Breakfast meeting spot: Address: Kopper Kettle Café, 243 Main Street. Rally point before heading to the park: Address: Holiday Market parking lot, 271 Main Street., directly across the street from the Antlers Motel. Leave from Lassen Park at 9:00am On the DOT! The group will head to Southern entrance of Lassen National Volcanic National Park (~30min from Chester) where we will drive the 30mi section of Hwy through the park. Once we enter the park we will make stops at the following locations. For those that wish to take longer hikes can break off at any time and meet up with the group later. The trails below are considered “Easy”, and the majority of stops have restrooms and picnic areas. - Kohn Yah-Mah-Nee Visitor Center, Lassen Chalet, café. - Sulphur Works trail (.5 mi.) - Lake Helen, Bumpass Hell overlook, trail (3 mi.) - Lassen Peak parking and viewpoint. - Kings Creek Meadow scenic pull-out. Hike to Cold Boiling Lake (1.4 mi.) - Summit Lake / Hat Lake, Emigrant Pass. - Devastated Area viewpoint and trail, (.4mi) - Trails around Manzanita, Reflection, and Lily Pond are each (1-1.5 mi.) - If time and energy allows we can drive to Subway Cave (bring flashlights), and/or continue to drive a loop back to Chester via Hwy 44 Lunch stop will be at: wherever we are when it’s close to lunch. (or when you get hungry) Dinner will be at: Time: 7:00pm Address: The Locker Room, 300 Main Street. Day 3: Drive home The drive home will regroup at Kopper Kettle Café before trekking home. The group will head back on some fun back roads to get back to the major Highways. During the drive home you can split off any time or stay with the group till it gets back to Sacramento which is the official end of the drive. To Register for the road trip: http://raddrives.com/catalog/index.php?route=product/category&path=59

The Redwoods Road Trip is now over. For those who missed the weekend of activities, you truly missed one great adventure. Below is the recap and some of the highlight images from the drive. To see all the images, please see the website link to them, as including all the images here would take up way too many threads. Redwoods Day 1: The group met in Novato at 8:00am to do introductions as well as sign waivers and receive their map and dinning location packets. While everyone was being introduced, the topic that was on everyone’s mind was the epic rainstorm we all survived the day before. Thankfully, Mother Nature decided that she wanted to keep things interesting and provided the Northern California coast a deluge so we could have a clear weekend. The group started off 23 cars strong for the first days of activities. As with all these drives, it was an eclectic mix of cars from Opel, Jaguar, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Caterham, Ariel, Mini, GTR’s and FRS duos. This is mix of cars is what makes the event fun. The first day of the drive was a trip of the California coast, where we stopped for photos at an overlook, two lighthouses and lunch in Mendocino. The weather for the drive up was a mix of high wispy clouds and perfect driving temperature. Apparently the request for a great clear weekend reached the desk of Mother Nature, so there was no need for the rain ponchos. Our first stop one was at Salty Point for a bio break and to take some group photos. When we first got there I was able to negotiate for everyone to get in for free, as we were not going to be there very long. As we were taking photos, the head ranger came down and said we had to pay now. Welcome to the CA state parks. As it was not worth the arguing factor, we were able to compromise with the ranger at a flat price for the 23 cars to save everyone money. Things like this, while frustrating, also make for great stories and are part of the adventure. After Salty point we went off to Point Arena Light house to take photos. This time we were not able to work out a deal to drive up to the light house for photos, but it still was a great view of the CA coast and the light house. Next stop was lunch in Mendocino. The restaurant we chose apparently forgot to tell the staff we were coming, which made for a bit of a scare. However, the staff stepped up to the challenge and we had a great lunch, even though it took a while. After lunch we headed to the last light house before making the fun drive to Garberville for the overnight stop. This was also the last stop before Fort Bragg and a much needed fuel stop for some of the participants. After the fuel stop, it was the 50-mile hoof to the hotel. This drive though was not without its fun factor. The section of HWY1 is known for its tight twists and turns which makes it a true driver’s road. Many of the people had a blast carving the turns and were even chased by a few tag alongs. The group picked up two Lamborghini’s and a Ferrari that were in the area to enjoy this last section of HWY 1 before getting on the 101 to Garberville. Everyone made it to the hotel okay and it was then off to dinner at a great New Orleans Bistro. While most of the participants had a great dinner and turned in for the night around 9:30ish, some of the gang went off to the bar and shut the place down as we say. As you can tell, these drives are an adventure both on and off road. HAHA. Redwoods Day 2: The following morning the ground was a bit damp from an overnight sprinkle. We picked up two extra two cars in the morning to make the full 25 car group. The two new members to the drive were a local Focus ST owner and another GTR who made the trek from Reno. The group left from the hotel promptly at 9:00am. By this time, the clouds had parted and there was a mix of sun here and there. The group drove to the Avenue of the Giants where we made several stops to see the amazing redwood forests. In addition to the nature walks, the group stopped at one of the drive through trees to allow participants to get their customary photo of driving through a living redwood. After the sightseeing at the redwoods, the group headed to Eureka for lunch. Apparently, Sunday afternoons in down town Eureka are pretty calm until our our group rolled through with decals and loud exhausts. After lunch we picked up another local GTR who just happened to be in the area and saw the group. We seemed to be gaining cars as we went along, which was fine by us. The group then headed up 101 to the Redwoods Visitor center so people could hike to the beach as well as get history or souvenirs of the area. This is more of an inside joke but to those who were on the drive, watch out for those sneaker waves, that are sneekyyyyyy….. After our time at the beach, we were off to Lady Bird Grove to take another hike amongst the redwoods. This was the longest hike of the day and a chance for people to chat more while they stood amongst the giants. The group called it a day and took off for the hotel to un-wind before heading to dinner at the Lost Coast Brewing Company. We were able to arrange carpools for people so those who wished to drink could enjoy the great beer selection on tap. This was also the last time the group would be at full strength. Redwoods Day 3: The following morning the group headed for the last leg of the drive up HWY 36. On the way there, members peeled off as some of them had to decide to head home directly down 101. Those who were in for the full planned adventure made their way to Grizzly Creek for a quick bio break and to re-arrange the group into an order according to what speed people wanted to drive. This allowed everyone to go at their own pace, as well as enjoy the long EPIC drive ahead. Now when we say EPIC, we mean EPIC. This was truly a great driver’s road with such a diversity of turns, straights and amazing vista overlooks. The road was very long, so by the end of it you felt as if you should have been awarded an achievement badge from the Forza racing game. As the group was split into different speeds, the drive leader of the spirited group did a great job of picking relay points for everyone to regroup. After the last regroup and bio break, the group finished the last 50 miles to Red Bluff down HWY 36. The last half of HWY 36 should be called Roller Coaster Alley. Along with some great turns, the road goes up and down and if you are not carful you will be in the air when you need to be turning. This section of road was worth the price of admission in and of itself. After lunch, the group split up so everyone could make their way home. This was the end of a very fun three days where people shared stories, made friends, and most importantly had an adventure. I hope after reading this you will join me and others on the future drives we have planned. Our next drive is the Lassen Road Trip in August, followed by Mammoth and Devils Post pile in September and then the 500 Miglia in October. If you are interested see the thread posted for these drives or the website made for organizing these adventures. See you on the road. http://www.raddrives.com/drives/albums/Redwoods_Roadtrip_2014/index.html

Just a FYI I have 4 rooms left. I try to keep the groups small so we can be social at the stops.

Registration for decals and other items to be mailed is: April 4th Deadline to participate is: April 18th

Just a friendly reminder that this event is next month. If you wish to participate please register sooner than later so we can make sure we have a room for you.