2011 Pebble Beach Concours d

I'm considering taking 3 days off of work to attend some of the events in Pebble Beach in August. That will give me 5 days to plan with, but I have never been and I don't know which days I should plan to be there. What would you Pebble Beach regulars recommend?
Troy

I would recommend bringing a bicycle and riding the 17 Mile Drive. Ride it counter-clockwise. Quite spectacular!

(sorry, no other advice).

angela

17 mile drive is a must to cruise in the Speedster and I've done that several times, but never on a bike.

Troy, I'll see you next weekend on the Palomar Run I hope. We can talk then. I actually never have attended the Pebble Beach official event. It's pricey for a curmudgeon like me and there are so many cool free things to do that I have not indulged as yet. Some highlights of the week are a Concours on the Avenue held in Carmel on Tuesday 8/16/2011. Free, lots of very interesting cars, great location, straw hats, silly shoes, smoking hot babes, get there early to get a parking place, spend all day. On Thursday is the Tour d'Elegance, also free for those who want to see many of the cars that will be on the lawn being judged at Pebble Beach driving around the Carmel area and down Hwy 1 to Point Sur light. The occupants of the cars dress in period attire, you see hear and smell the cars driving around, and the price to watch them drive down the road is again free! Then there are the "Pre-Historic Races weekend of the 13/14 August. This event changes but last usually you can get into the pits, watch most of the cars that will be in the historics run, not get mobbed by crowds, and the cost is usually about $6.00 admission to Laguna Seca. This situation changes, so I can't say for sure what the deal may be. I like the Pre-Historics because it is a more mellow crowd scene and much less expensive than the Historics. But I will be attending the Historics also and camping the whole 10 days at Laguna Seca. If these events are not enough, there is the Concorso Italiano, big money, even hotter women,red cars, About 3 high line auctions going all week, the Pacific Grove Rally on Fri, and Calamari on the pier. See you there!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.seemonterey.com/concours This is a good link to events that week. I hope to see some SOC folk come to Monterey for the fun. If you like cars, there is nothing that compares in the USA.

Will.
I would miss the pre-historics, but if I want to combine my 3 days with a weekend, it looks like it would be better to be there on the 17th through the 21st rather than the 13th through the 18th. Would you agree? Also, it sounded like there were more "smoking hot babes" in the first option!

Greetings from Carmel, CA:
We are finishing up our annual sojurn to the Monterey Pennisula. My son & I attended Concours week last year, and I have attended 5 other times in the past.

Thought I would throw in my two cents on restaurants:
For concours week, MAKE RESERVATIONS, and do it a MONTH OUT.

Best Italian: Little Napoli, Carmel $$
Best Seafood: The Fish Wife, Monterey $
Best Breakfast: Black Bear Diner, North Fremont, Monterey $
2nd best steak: Wills Fargo, Carmel Valley $$
Best Steak: Whaling Station, Monterey $$$$
Best Lunch: The Cottage, Carmel, on Lincoln $
Best view: Rocky Point, 8 miles south of Carmel on the PCH $$ (order the swordfish)
Avoid: Mission Ranch (Clint's place) great for a drink, but the food is awful

Our "route" for the weekend is usually the Concourso Italianio on Friday, the vintage races at Laguna on Saturday and Pebble on Sunday.
Great auctions every night, the RM Double Tree auctions are always a treat to watch. The normal street traffic in Carmel is, as Wil points out, a car show in itself.
Seafood on the warf can't be beat, and there is a little "hole in the wall" in Castroville called the Central Texan that is family run and essentially a displaced good ol' boy from TX who has the BEST, AUTHENTIC pit BBQ I've ever had.

I have eaten at the same BBQ place in Castroville as Carey, and I second his endorsement.

check out demetra cafe in carmel - great food, service, entertainment, at reasonable prices...

casanova in carmel - great food, service, and ambiance at much higher prices...

smalley's roundup in salinas - great ribs and steak, reasonably priced. good service...
tell sonia that marcus sent you..

elements in salinas on river road - great food, good wine, near wineries...tell misty that mark (marcus) & debra sent you...

peppers in pacific grove - great tex mex - gets crowded an noisy, but we love it there...

ginos in salinas - very poplular local's hangout. noisy - good food and wine. excellent service...park at the insurance building next door, or ask gina or another family member where to park your very special car...

you can find all of these on the web..

the best greek food anywhere on the central coast is found at epsilon on tyler street in monterey.

I may be at Pebble Beach this year doing some vehicle wrap install for Jaguar ( maybe I can talk them into VIP pass)
I believe they are marque?

Desi, you have more talent in your little thumb, than I have in my hole body...

Gerd ...what did you do to Vinny ??

Thanks for the props, I like to stay busy or else I'd be in all kinds of trouble : )

DESI
ITS MR BILL
HE RUBS OFF ON EVERYONE

Hey Gerd....Rub this....

Desi, I will be in Monterey for the whole week. We have to hook up! Troy is coming over for Pebble Beach weekend too.

Anyone else who is thinking of going. Rooms are available at the Motel 6 in Watsonville, which is just a few miles down the road from Monterey. It was something like $59/night for Wednesday and Thursday and then up to $85 for Friday and Saturday. So, a total of $275.96 for 4 nights.
Troy

Thanks Troy for the info, I'll let you know if I'm coming up ?

Cabanaboy

Desi.
Make your Motel 6 reservation now, even if you don't know for sure. You can cancel it right up to the day before. I don't think the rooms will be available much longer.

And thanks to Will for the Watsonville Motel 6 recommedation.

Troy , could you forward info to this place(phone #) I may be coming up?

Thanks,

Cabanaboy

Here you go Desi.

Phone: 831-728-4144

http://www.motel6.com/reservations/motel_map.aspx?num=0524

Troy,

Trying to get some VIP passes, I'll let you know

Thanks,

Cabanaboy

That would be GREAT!!! Thanks.

Will, isn't there now a charge for the pre-historics? IIRC, the races are now under new sponsors, and they are clipping spectators to attend, unlike in previous years.

Barry, if memory serves, last year there was no admission charge for the Pre-Historics. It seems there were rumors, but I just paid my camping fee to the Monterey Park system and hung out for the weekend. There may have been admission to the pits charges, but I can't remember for sure.

Will P's 'Big Blue' (RV) and Little Blue ('67 bug) at Laguna Seca, Monterey, for the Pre-Historics.


Ginny, Mary and Will enjoying the race action at the famous Turn 9 at Laguna Seca. Note the Paris-To-Dakar 959 in the background. You can draw your own conclusions as to what that support in the middle of Will's chair is for...




After the races, Happy Hour around the campfire...

Jim-c'mon, supporters are available in a wide range of sizes. Although I do agree that THAT supporter is for a (you fill in the missing word)...

...good spot for a kerswill pump if you...

Camping...yuck....I hate camping...

If I drive my Westy I need to leave 1 day ahead of time : )

Will you have room for camping.... I LOVE camping

Troy still waiting for good news.

How far is this Motel 6 away from the action ?

Cabanaboy

I'm pretty sure the map said 12 miles, but check it out.

Desi, call me 561 301 7885 It is too much to explain here. I'm taking my van, and there is room for you in your Westy at my camp site.

Will and Desi.
I'll be there on Wednesday evening. Hope to hook-up with you.
Troy

Troy, I'm in town, I may spend Wed. nite in Big Sur. Thursday AM I'll be watching the Tour de Carmel on CA 1 somewhere, then doing the Legends of the Autobahn car show later in the day. Call me.

Troy - there's so much going on it's hard to choose - some of the events have triple digit ticket prices - some are free.
.
We'll be a the Pacific Grove Concours/Rally on Friday afternoon/evening 8/19 http://www.pgautorally.org

there will be a few of us "Spyder People" at the (free to spectate) Pacific Grove Concours / Rally (on the street / Lighthouse Ave / Pacific Grove, CA (next to Monterey) our cars should be easy to spot and likely we won't be too far away - stop and say hello 1-5:30 Concours, 6pm Rally around 17 mile drive/Pebble Beach/downtown Carmel, BBQ follows ($20).
.
this is a fun event - and replicas are allowed - we've enjoyed participating in this one the past few years.
.
RickJ

Troy, did u get your starting issue resolved?

HOTEL late availability - Monterey/Pacific Grove area...
.
a friend has had to cancel his trip to the Pebble Beach weekend - and may have a hotel vacancy (Friday/Saturday nights ~ $215/nite)
.
interested / contact Rusty
415-931-3941 (h)
or
415-716-7209 (c)
.
RickJ

Bob.
I just bought a new battery, that was all it needed. The old one was 4 years old.

Richard.
I'm in town and spent the day driving around, just looking at all the cars. Came across 3 Bugatti Veyrons parked in a row and got some photos. At $1.7 million each, that's $5,100,000 worth of cars!!!
I'll be at the Pacific Grove event and will be looking for you. I may even enter my car in that one. Will had to head home, so I missed him. He is supposed to be calling me with your number in the morning, but just if you don't hear from me, call me. 559-908-3258.

Desi. Did you make it?

Troy