R Ving with 911 in tow

[tevake]

Yes Scott you are probably right that raising the tire pressure to 35/40 PSI would reduce the grip and lessen tire wear a bit.

These tires are at their use by date anyway. But I dread putting on a new set with this accelerated wear going on. And seeing them lose their new tire grip goodness while towing.

I've got time to think about it, just have to keep an eye on them.
I will raise the pressure in the mean time.

Cheers Richard

[daepp]

I saw this out near the Grand Canyon and the license plate reminded me of this thread:

[tevake]

That looks like a converted bus, anther neat type of RVs. See a bunch of them in Az.
The vista cruisers seem a preferred model.
This one showed up at Laguna Seca the other day. I shot it as I was driving by in the stream , shifting to the other side of the track and general camping for the big weekend.

Classic old fifties design bus. Nice restored and converted to RV use.

Reminded me of similar buses used to tour folks around on Catalina Island.

Sorry for the slow reply, I'm not hooked up tp shore power so on short device rations for now.
I know many So Cal Pelicans have been coming to Laguna Seca for years for a variety of events. But I'd like to recommend and pelicans that have not been here before, the histoics in car week offers great racing and access to check out a vast array of significant beautiful vintage car and their owners. As well as plenty of other events of car week.

The Small Car show show in Pacific Frove was fun!

The pebble car are parked in Carmel for a few hours after their tour, and free to see.

I drove over to Carmel Valley yesterday to go to the werks reunion gathering. But ended up following a Carrera G T. On the mountain drive over that way and was so intoxicated by the sound that I ended up following it into a big event. Which turned out to be the quail show. When asking about the Porsche event, they said there was a big Porsche presents there and slapped a staff wristband on my arm and said to have fun.

WOW, some days are just like that. It was a fantastic event for the Rich and famous.
Filled with the most impressive selection of amazing cars, restored to the nines. Oh and a few worthwhile stylish women to enjoy as well.
Me, I was kicking around in trackside get up of tee shirt, funky shorts, and slippers ( flip flops). Would have felt self conscious if not so entertained by it all.
Oh the well dust coated SC. After a week of camping at the track , Was the oddball in a parking area fill with immaculate exotics of all sorts. :-)

This week offers a bucket list of experiences for any car guy.

I'll post pics when I have more power.

Cheers Richard

[tevake]

Well a fabulous week has wound down.
I moved back over to a plug in shaded spot on the other side of the track to cool down, charge up, and get cleaned up to continue the voyage.
And had the chance to check out the Flexible bus/ coach in the earlier pic.
Turns out it belongs to Bernard Juchli and his wife Rosesalee, Bernard is Jay Leno's head mechanic at the Big Dog garage .
They have had the 61 flex able for over Twenty years and have done just the sort of restoration - conversion you would expect from a couple with their talent and attention to detail. Complete with modern high power diesel with 6 speed trans, very fine comfortable interior, ducted AC. Hidden strip lighting, beautiful woodwork custom cabinetry . NOS stainless siding and windows. It is sweet!
They did all of the work them selves in their back yard.

Here are a few better pics.







It is snug by modern standards but so fine!

I really enjoyed meeting them and exchanging tours of our coaches.

[tevake]

Here are a few images from the week .


The zebra striped 911 did the Afirca and Monaco rallies in the day.


A grassroots Ferrari team doing brake work in the dirt in general camping


A nice little vintage camper overlooking the corkscrew.

A few pics from the Quail show.


The drive over the mountain from Laguna was filled with nice sounds from up front!


Bugatti thru the ages. Zume in to check the blue tinted carbon fiber on the Veryon



This classic Bugatti had a superbly elegant interior


The light colored wood could have been a violin.

And my favorite, a Zagato Aston Martin.

[tevake]

The show would not have been complete without a French art car


They had some neat old bikes too

[tevake]

This nice sunset last light closed out a wonderful week, hope you enjoyed a peek


Cheers Richard

[jhynesrockmtn]

Awesome photos. I went to Rennsport with a group of guys in 2011? The Historics are next on the list. One of my racing buddies has a Lotus 23 currently being restored. We figure he's our ticket in. The plan is to take the Lazy Daze down and tow motorcycles to use while we are there.

[daepp]

So fine - living my summer vicariously through your travelog!

[tevake]

Really Jerry, no need to wait til you have a friend there racing. The access is the same for spectators anyway. You can spend as much time in the paddock as you want. During the quite hours there is plenty of time to connect with the racers and crews. Taking the bikes is an excellent plan. You can go to the other events with the parking challenges. Good for cruising around the track too. Try to book in the Chaparral camping area if you cal book early.
And with so many grids on schedule lots of down time during the day.

I especially enjoy the wide mix of types and age of the cars at the Historics.
This makes it more fun for me than a single Mark event.

There were plenty Porsches there to satisfy the most hard core pelican.

I have well and truly committed to the inland leg of the trip now.
From Laguna Seca. I wandered east in small roads across the valley and into the foothills of the sierras .
Then entered Yosemite Park at the South entry. Continuing north to the road to Glacier point. Part way op there is Bridalvail creek Camp grounds. Where I shoehorned the coach into the last available spot in the C G. Had a quite and chilly night there.

Continuing in the morning I drove the valley before the crowds filled in. Had a nice splash in the stream,

Shot a few pics





Then I made tracks for the back door. Just as the summer crowds started to fill the valley.

It gets much drier on the east side of the mountains, exposing just how rocky the terrain is


I headed north at Mono lake for Carson City,
there started east on hyw 50. This route recommended by Bob S (lake Cle Elum)
Looks to be a nice alternative to droning along on the interstate, heading for Salt lake.

I Made it to Dayton. A small fertile green pocket in an otherwise dry land scape.
Dayton was considered the" breadbasket of the Comstock "in the mining hay days of the 1800s.
When I checked into a R V park here to get charged up and refreshed for the crossing of the desert to the east, folks here were saying it had been the hottest day of the year. So I guess there is not getting out of some days in the heat. At least the coach is handling it all with no cooling issues, wish I could say the same for me.
I'll try to keep the whining to myself.

I'm loving this trip, and looking forward this new chapter.
Have had strong recommendations to head to Jackson Hole and the Tetons.
Am all ears for input.

Cheers Richard

[LakeCleElum]

Trip of a lifetime Richard. If you have an extra day: Leave the coach in Dayton, zip around Lake Tahoe clockwise. Mt Rose Hwy from Incline Village, Virgina City and drop down the hill to the south and U B in Dayton again.........Happy travels...

[tevake]

Oh that does look like a fun day trip.
I hadn't realized Lake Tahoe was so close as it is on the other side of the fold on my map.

Hum. I'll have to give it some thought.

Thanks Bob

[tevake]

I think I mentioned earlier that I get a bit of target fixation once a destination is in mind.
This may be a case of that. Been just focused on getting across the desert and to Salt lake, once there to start wandering again.
But the last big picture weather forecast I saw a couple of days ago had this high heat period peaking around mid week. So it may be a good plan to head back up into the cooler Lake Tahoe area for a day and then hope for a little less heat later in the week.

I appreciate the suggestion Bob.

For any one that is following along, the next fixed date on the trip is Colorado Springs on sept 3 rd. My nephew is starting at the Airforce Academy. And will be celebrating completing basic then. So family is coming to join in and see where he is going to be for the next few years.

So between now and then is open to suggestions, bring them on.

Cheers Richard

[jhynesrockmtn]

Really Jerry, no need to wait til you have a friend there racing. The access is the same for spectators anyway. You can spend as much time in the paddock as you want. During the quite hours there is plenty of time to connect with the racers and crews. Taking the bikes is an excellent plan. You can go to the other events with the parking challenges. Good for cruising around the track too. Try to book in the Chaparral camping area if you cal book early.
And with so many grids on schedule lots of down time during the day.

I hear ya! We (group of racing buddies) just really want to crew at the Monterey Historics :-)

Enjoy Colorado. I lived 30 minutes north of Colorado Springs for a year back in the early 2000's. Love that area! Congrats to your nephew.

[ASD]

Being a former Airstream Classic Motorhome owner and having a 911sc at the same time,
I pondered towing like that. I choose a Saturn Sl2 instead for a toad.
Now I have a 66 Airstream Trailer and still have the 911. Love both of those..

[aigel]

Hi Richard - isn't it time for an update?

I have made it up to WY recently to chase some antelope and we had a fabulous and successful trip with some great long range kills. We went later this year as previously and enjoyed the fall colors and crisp nights. It was short, stay over in Tahoe national forest to break up the drive and on the way back just pulled of the road close to Wells, NV. We camped in the field in the new to us four wheel camper. Just the right step up from tent camping without restricting the places to go - 4x4 to get to the good spots!
It is nice not to worry about pulling into a crappy motel and just pull over anywhere. I hope to be between jobs some time to really enjoy it and start wandering a bit more!

Best,

George

Camping spot in the field, southeastern WY.



Wells, NV overnight

[LakeCleElum]

Richard, you left us hanging somewhere out there in the middle of Nevada.....Time you write up a HAPPY ENDING?

[tevake]

Right you are Bob, and long over due too.
After a wonderful time exploring the coast from So Cal up as far as the Puget Sound and back to Monterey Ca. It was tough for me to head back into the deserts of the dry West. After many year living in Hawaii, many especially in the damp of N Shore Kauai I guess that I'm not well suited to the dry conditions of the desert west.

But head back into it I did. Across Nevada and Utah taking the loneliest Highway in the US. Route 50. And empty and desolate it is out in that part of the country. After a pause in Salt Lake City for some new tires for the front of the coach and the back of the Porsche
. I pushed on heading for Colorado and a meet up with Family at Colorado Springs and Family week at the A F Academy to celebrate my nephews starting his freshman year there.

Continuing with the choice of lesser roads found me on highway 40 from S L C into Northern Colo. Finally finding habitable terrain near Craig Colo. Where there starts to be water in the streams, even trees growing in the lowlands and valleys. Out of Steam Boat Springs I took route 131 which runs parallel to the Colo and other rivers and is one of the river rafting areas in Colo. Continuing south found me in one of the highest situated towns in the US. Leadville. A former mining and smelting center of the area, it now seem to survive on tourists and Skiing, an interesting old town with a largely intact Main Street built mostly in the late 1800 early 1900s And quite the thriving place it must have been.







I'm developing a thing for the old Victorian style homes of the era.

[tevake]

From Leadville I had planned to drive through Twin Lakes and Aspen to do some exploring around Carbondale area and south into the Gunnison area.
Once in the Twin Lakes I came to realize that to continue in the direction I wanted, required driving over the Independence Pass. It is said to be the Highest paved pass in the lower 48. This development took me by surprise and caused me to find a roadside pull out to pause and consider my options.



While sitting contemplating the pass beyond the lakes. A motorcyclist stopped in for a break and chatted me up, as his folks have an old Airstream Motorhome. While talking with him, I told him of my situation and thoughts of trying the Pass.

He called his Dad who told him that the time that he had driven over that pass was one of the worse decisions of his life and he didn't think that he would make it over in one piece. Funny how this sort of details can come to you when you need them.

As I didn't feel like backtracking and spending a bunch of time on I 70 getting back into the area I had wanted to explore my focus turned south to the Salida area and the Arkansas river gorge on the way towards Colo Springs. These pesky long high mountains of Colo. Do shape the choices of how you get around. At least with a large rig like I'm sporting.

Cheers Richard

[tevake]

[QUOTE=aigel;8840597]Hi Richard - isn't it time for an update?

I have made it up to WY recently to chase some antelope and we had a fabulous and successful trip with some great long range kills. We went later this year as previously and enjoyed the fall colors and crisp nights. It was short, stay over in Tahoe national forest to break up the drive and on the way back just pulled of the road close to Wells, NV. We camped in the field in the new to us four wheel camper. Just the right step up from tent camping without restricting the places to go - 4x4 to get to the good spots!
It is nice not to worry about pulling into a crappy motel and just pull over anywhere. I hope to be between jobs some time to really enjoy it and start wandering a bit more!

Best,

George

Camping spot in the field, southeastern WY.



That is a nimble looking rig George, good for backcountry access. Glad to hear that your hunt went well.

Cheers Richard