Planning road trip - suggestions

nosubstut · 05-15-2012, 07:48 PM

I am flying into Seattle next week to pick up my new purchase, a 1983 SC, and plan to drive home to Bucks County PA. This will be my first cross country road trip and unfortunately I have limited time for the trek but will squeeze in some sight seeing anyway. I have tentative plans to stop at Grand Teton NP and Rocky Mountain NP, then into Denver (tentative depending on weather and road conditions). No plans after Denver, except to make some time headed home.

I expect to take I90 out of Seattle (even though there is some construction in Washington State), through Idaho into Montana and pick up 15 South. I welcome any suggestions/alternatives to help plan the trip and especially would welcome the opportunity to meet fellow Pelicans along the way. Looking forward to this adventure as an exciting trip and a break from the daily grind.

herr_oberst · 05-15-2012, 08:10 PM

Sounds like a lot of fun!

Good luck, and let us live vicariously through your journey (pics!)

JAR0023 · JAR0023's Garage

Good Luck!

We did Glacier and Yosemite national parks last summer. Don't know how close they are to your route but both are beautiful. Glacier might be tough on a 911.

I made an offer tonight on a 911 in CA. If all works out I'm planning on a road trip as well.

J

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

Lewis & Clark ... Lolo Pass...

Seahawk · 05-16-2012, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWebb

Lewis & Clark ... Lolo Pass...

Could not agree more. There is a great Holiday Inn Express in Lewiston (sounds crazy but the place was great with stunning views).

Once you get to Lolo, take a right to Hamilton...one of my favorite towns.

I would also stay north and use Interstate 90 through SD and Minn, more scenic than 70 once you get east of Denver. You can drop south into Davenport, Champaign (both neat towns) and Indy.

nosubstut · 05-16-2012, 03:36 AM

herr_oberst : No worries - that is the plan exactly.

Jar0023 - I would be concerned about road conditions at Glacier - perhaps next time; I have been to Yosemite although I could go back again - it was beautiful.

Thanks for the suggestions so far - keep them coming.

Jim Richards · 05-16-2012, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I would also stay north and use Interstate 90 through SD and Minn, more scenic than 70 once you get east of Denver. You can drop south into Davenport, Champaign (both neat towns) and Indy.

Yep. When my wife and I did this in our old '73 911E, but heading in the other direction, we visited Pelicans in the Chicago 'burbs, drove up to Milwaukee, and drove through Wisconsin and on to Minnesota and So. Dakota. So. Dakota is a must, otherwise you'll miss the world-famous Corn Palace!

The SD Badlands are pretty cool, as is Mt. Rushmore.

Jim Richards · 05-16-2012, 04:22 AM

I just looked up images for Lolo Pass, and this is the first one I saw.

Yeah, this is a MUST DO!

pete3799 · pete3799's Garage

Lolo pass is a beautiful ride. Unfortunately i did it in a Peterbilt.

Drisump · Drisump's Garage

I haven't looked at routing, but Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah is very cool (with some very "Porsche" type roads. Cheers, looks like fun.

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

Just be prepaired for the car to run terrible up in the passes. We went through the Rocky Mountain Park a couple of years ago. My Carrera felt like I was pulling a heavy trailer.

DonDavis · DonDavis's Garage

Maybe a visit to John Walker's before you leave Seattle? I would certainly stop by there.

Zeke · 05-16-2012, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Just be prepaired for the car to run terrible up in the passes. We went through the Rocky Mountain Park a couple of years ago. My Carrera felt like I was pulling a heavy trailer.

I forgot about that. Our CIS 911 would not idle over 5000 feet. It was tuned at about 100 feet over sea level.

nosubstut · 05-16-2012, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Could not agree more. There is a great Holiday Inn Express in Lewiston (sounds crazy but the place was great with stunning views).

Once you get to Lolo, take a right to Hamilton...one of my favorite towns.

I would also stay north and use Interstate 90 through SD and Minn, more scenic than 70 once you get east of Denver. You can drop south into Davenport, Champaign (both neat towns) and Indy.

Thanks for the feedback about I-90, probably would not have gone that way.

Don - agreed - in fact, John will be looking at a few things in preparation for the trip.

Drisump I haven't looked at routing, but Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah is very cool (with some very "Porsche" type roads. Cheers, looks like fun.

I have wanted to visit both Zion and Bryce Canyon...if the Northern roads I am planning to take this trip are clear, then these two parks will have to be on the agenda next time. Shame I don't have more time...

Pete/Jim - Lolo pass sounds like fun!

nosubstut · 05-16-2012, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke

I forgot about that. Our CIS 911 would not idle over 5000 feet. It was tuned at about 100 feet over sea level.

This is an '83 with an '86 motor - will I still have the same issue at altitude?

porwolf · 05-16-2012, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nosubstut

This is an '83 with an '86 motor - will I still have the same issue at altitude?

I don't know about your model but in general all the Porsches I ever posessed I took to go skiing up to altitudes of 10,000 feet and never had a problem with altitudes. They are made for that. If they are set to original specifications there should not be aproblem.

nosubstut · 05-17-2012, 01:30 AM

bump

Jim Richards · 05-17-2012, 02:06 AM

Do you have your route figured out yet, nosub?

Linderpat · 05-17-2012, 05:32 AM

I just moved back to Pittsburgh from Bozeman MT. I have made the trek cross country a number of times, including in two Porsches and two Mustangs. It is a great ride. My advice, skip the south route on I-15 and I-70. Yes it's pretty for a bit (but only to Denver), but it is just as pretty and far more so if you stay on I-90 all the way through.
You'll see tons of cool stuff in Montana, and at Bozeman, it is a short hop down to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Then come back up through Yellowstone, thru Lamar Valley (the Serengetti of north America), out thru the northeast exit to Cook City and over the Beartooth Pass - the single most spectacular road in the US. Go thru the little town of Red Lodge, back up thru Billings and onto the 90 again, then keep going East. You'll go thru Rapid City where you can see Mt Rushmore and the other sites nearby, like Devil's Tower and the Crazy Horse memorial being carved into the mountain. Just keep going accross the 90 thru the rolling upper plains, and see hundreds of cool giant windmill farms and beautiful vistas. In SD, you'll see where Dances with Wolves was filmed. Hit Chicago for a stop there - great city, then push on home.
This will be a much better ride than what you'll get taking I-70 accross CO, Nebraska, KS, etc. Those are forever long, boring and perfectly flat. Plus, the I-90 drive will allow you to drive pretty much as fast as you want all the way to Wisconsin - I averaged about 100 mph in my sports cars when I went this way - nobody up there. Not the same on the nore heavily travelled I-70 or even I-80 down that way.
No matter, nothing like a good cross country trip to bond with your car. Take and post lots of pics when you do.

Linderpat · 05-17-2012, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nosubstut

This is an '83 with an '86 motor - will I still have the same issue at altitude?

btw, my 78 928 is CIS, and it lived at 5000 plus feet for the past 2 years without a single issue. I bought it in VA and drove it over in 2010. You should have no problem. Now if it was carburated, not sure if that would make a difference.