National SOC gathering

I started this on the "Anything Goes" heading and it was suggested I move over the "Events" headding ... so below is a copy for you to start putting in your feedback ..............................


COLORADO FOR A MEETING OF THE COASTS !! Sounds good to me, but then, I live here. OK, OK, enough loose talk. If enough of you guys and gals will make a commitment to come to Northern Colorado for some date between June and October I will do what I can to arrange it.

My suggestion is here in Loveland (or some neighboring town) where we can get housing together. Then I will host drives up to Estes Park, the Poudre Canyon and the Peak to Peak Hiway. There's two pretty full days of driving on the best mountain curvy roads in America. I can arrange a barbeque dinner here, too as a good friend of mine owns the most award winning barbeque restaurant in Colorado. Lots of other good things to see and do here including shopping for the ladies and brew pubs for the guys. How about car museums? We have the McLaren Museum, the Cobra Museum, Clive Cusler's collection, the Dougherty Museum, the Tebo Collection ... and all of these are within 35 miles of my place!

OK, now I am serious. Make a FIRM COMMITMENT of 15 cars and I will bust my butt and my bankbook to make it happen. I we are to do it the planning has to start now. Let me hear from you.

Happy Trails,
Dusty

As I said on the other thread, I'm much more likely as a fly/rent/drive sans Speedster. Depending on available time-off, time of year, etc., I might be convinced to do a 3K+ round trip, but I'm not sure I quite have the cojones for that. I've gotten a lot more comfort-oriented in my 50's.

I'm a 75%, depending on dates....once the date is set, I can confirm or decline....

Carol and I have agreed to make the trip (although dates will dictate firm commitment) and have come to a meeting of the minds. She'll "meet" me there by driving in another vehicle and she doesn't "mind" if I tow the speedster or drive it myself.

Frankly, she's not really all that fussy with other stuff, she just doesn't appreciate some of my thoughts on a neat road trip. Could it be our 1975 summer honeymoon when we visited about 30 states in a Chevy panel van with only two opening windows and no air conditioning for the day time or screens for the night? Or maybe it was the six weeks touring the outback in a Mitsubishi Pajero loaded with four extra tires/wheels, 40 extra litres of petrol, 40 extra litres of water, and a promise that dingos really wouldn't steal our kids out of the tent? Or just maybe the 9 days on a motorcycle and driving through 10" of rain on the way to the jazz festival in New Orleans was the straw that broke the camels back? In any event, road trips are not high on her list.

Dusty, day trips of a relatively short duration, with lots of breaks, would be ideal for my better half - and considering all the opportunties within 35 miles of your base camp, it sounds like Loveland could do the trick! Thanks for taking the lead on this to see if we can all pull it off.

Dusty - count us in (and let me know if there is anything I can help with)!

I am in! Time of year is important to me as driving from So Cal to Colorado in summer desert heat is not fun. Spring or fall is great! Is the weather in October decent there? I have been to Estes Park and the Colorado Springs area in summer and it was wonderful.

Sounds like Fall woiuld probably be better, since Knotts, Paso and Carlisle are all in the Spring....and Henry's BBQ is usually in the Summer.....

Just think/typing out load, here.

Just remember, Gordon, Fall arrives earlier up there. I would think September would be perfect.

I am in on this too. I have never been to Colorado.


Marty G.

We are losing momentum here. I believe the best time for this gathering would be late August or early September. The weather would be good and it might make a nice "cap" to a good summer season. I have been doing some checking locally and have found the hotels are willing to give pretty good discount rates if we could guarantee 16 or more rooms. I am checking on possible places to gather for part of a day to let the locals view the cars. The trips and lunch/dinner stops are the easy part. Let's hear if you are into this.

Another idea ... what do you think of letting other cars (replicas, German, English, early sports cars, etc) join us? Yea or nay?

Happy Trails,
Dusty & the lovely Miss Sharon

I love almost any kind of car, but there should be some common theme. Could be air-cooled anything, anything German, all kits/replicas, anything from the 50's, all sportscars, or whatever.

Dusty - we're game for any excuse to get together with other SOC'ers in Colorado!

There was talk of a National Meet in Colorado a year ago....
Jim Youngs KKB Magazine, knows of the individual that was trying to put it together, if you were to lean towards a National Kit/ Replica Meet there, I would contact Jim Youngs. National VW Air Cooled meet would also be a huge draw.
Then again, this is a hell of a lot of work to put something like this together... Carlisle, now has become our four day event, everything is in place by others there..... all the long distancer's could fly in on the cheap, avoid the grueling 1500 miles and have less objections of their right seater. Just my .02

I'll second Alan's suggestion about Carlisle. The featured "marque" for '08 is supposed to be "all British", with kits/replicas being possible for '09. Well worth a plane ticket.

That said, I DO like Colorado. Just got to get a handle on the logistics. I'll also second Alan's suggestion about calling Jim Youngs and making it into a real "event."

With the Carlisle "08 featuring British, you know that they will come out of the woodwork and far exceed the huge Volvo population we had this year.
If anyone is in a days drive of Carlisle and have not attended a Fall Carlisle event, it is next Wednesday thru Sunday. The placed is packed solid with vendors and a huge Flea Market. I'll be there this Friday AM 10/05 for my egg samich and searching for speedster project items with my neighborhood cronies.

Alan,
I have tried to contact Jim Youngs but have had no luck with any return correspondence. If you have any influence I would welcome his input and assistance. I probably have more time and desire to put this gathering together than anyone out there but I cannot do it alone and without a firm commitment of a number for attendance. I hate to waste my time!

If anyone wants to help I would be glad to meet with them and get the ball rolling. Let me hear from you! My telephone is 970-669-1588

Happy Trails,
Dusty

Dusty ,

I'll see what I can do and get back with you. ~Alan

Dusty,

pm on it's way to you. Alan

Dusty:

Just sent you an email with Jim's phone number, and I spoke with him just yesterday about the Tail of the Dragon event coming up, and also mentioned that there may be a "National Event" in Colorado next year. He was interested and is waiting to hear more about it.

He inticated that he's been in Florida most of last week, so that may explain his not responding thus far.

gn

Dusty: I'm a newbie and I live in Kansas City. If my car is sufficiently roadworthy by next summer, and it should be, I would welcome a trip to Colorado because I used to live there, and still have family there. Late August is a problem because of Pebble Beach, etc, but early Sept. would be good. Keep me posted. Tom Strongman

OK, I've had a number of phone calls and IM's and they all lean towards September. I will shoot for sometime in the first two weeks of September. I have also gotten the word from Jim Youngs that he will help publicize the gthering in his magazine.

NOW who is going to be pretty committed to this? Come on, folks, I need to be able to guarantee a hotel of at least 16 rooms to get a price and a block from them. That is the end of our tourist season and still fairl busy so ti is not only a good time for us but a busy time for them.

Let's make this happen !!!

Hopeful Trails,
Dusty

I'll commit as much as I can this far ahead. Still don't know if I'll be flying or driving.

Dusty, I'm in.

Larry Bull

We're in!! Event or no event, one way or another, we're driving to Colorado to harass you and the missus just for kicks (and take in some Colorado mountain scenery)!

Count me in. My work always throws curves my way at the last minute, but from what I know now, I'll be there -- Speedie or not.

I am very interested in this event. Can we get some proposed dates?


Marty G.

I will definitely make it in week one or two of September. I have lots of local checking to do before I can name an exact date. I want to have as much local support (ie: hotels, tours, activities, etc) picked out and a real plan beginning before a date is chosen.

Keep letting me know who will make a better than average try to come and I will keep working on it. It sounds like there might be enough interested to make this thing happen.

Happy Trails and COLORADO IN '08,
Dusty & Ms. Sharon

Dusty: If this materializes, perhaps we could have a day-long drive -- kind of a miniature version of the Colorado Grand -- that would be fun and might be an added attraction. I lived in Colorado many years ago and still have family in Denver. There are a lot of cool roads. My brother has an original 914.

Tom

I would love to do that. I'll have a better idea of how comfortable my car is on long trips after this coming weekend, but I won't rule out a hauler (we'll see) and a round-trip plane ticket.
Unless, of course, Alan wants to drive it. I'll ride shotgun with him if that's the case.
Second week in September, huh?

I'm think'n round trip via something aluminum with wings and a lap tray :)

Alan hires a hauler; film at six!

Rusty....I hope to have my car finished before your venue next year and can come early and leave late so I can help with whatever. I have your wonderful luggage straps oiled and ready should my car show up someday....