Well, hello! I just sleep-walked into my backyard with my phone and a credit card and booked a couple a rooms.
See you boys in church!
@Robert M PM sent
Friendly reminder to download offline maps from Google Maps, as cell service may be limited on some of the route. Instructions: https://support.google.com/map...form%3DiOS&hl=en
Offline maps stay on your phone for a year and work even when your phone loses signal.
Napa Paul is going to need this in paper form.
majorkahuna posted:Napa Paul is going to need this in paper form.
Yes I will! Cellphones are too much like Badges, and I don't need no badges...stinkin' or otherwise! 
I'd say to follow the guy in front of you but we know how that worked out last year on the third turn.
I really don't understand why anyone would need a map, in any format, to get to San Luis Obispo's Comfort Inn. 
Even a dullard - and God knows there are plenty in this state - should be able to find Hwy-101 without one, ...running north from its south terminus at the East LA Interchange and running south from the Oregon border.
If that dolt is in Southern California, he (or she) need only drive north on Hwy-101 N and take Exit-203D; if he (or she) is in Northern California...drive south on Hwy-101 S and take Exit-204. 
Easy-Peasy! 
No map, no cellphone, no nuthin 'cept being able to read (and understand) the five numbers and three letters: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, N, S, and D! 
I just follow Musbjim.
Larry
Napa Paul posted:I really don't understand why anyone would need a map, in any format, to get to San Luis Obispo's Comfort Inn.
If that dolt is in Southern California, he (or she) need only drive north on Hwy-101 N and take Exit-203D; if he (or she) is in Northern California...drive south on Hwy-101 S and take Exit-204.
Easy-Peasy!
He was talking about downloading the app for the route not getting to SLO.
Oh-h-h...then nevermind.
I'll just do like GOOFER and follow Jim! 
goofer posted:I just follow Musbjim.
Larry
Me too ;-)
The Dowd Familia just reserved their room for yet another maddening adventure! ! ! WOOHOO!!!! I'll either have the Speedster or Coupe... will see...
I was driving my truck last year and was responsible for support, so I was the last one to leave the staging area with a few tools, a tow bar, gasoline and other misc. stuff. I lost the group virtually right out of the gate and was no use to anyone. Fortunately, I don't believe anyone needed any help.
One suggestion I would make is that nobody leave the staging area until everyone is in their cars and ready to leave. There are always people who need to make a last minute potty visit and need a little more time, especially when they find that the bathrooms are locked, like last year.
Otherwise, I don't know what the solution is to keeping everyone together.
Have everyone hug one another while singing "Cumbayaa." 
Troy: a couple FRS walkie-talkies for the lead and tail vehicles might help you out. We used those on a caravan to Carlisle one year, they worked well.
Danny: Will they work in hilly terrain?
Some are supposed to have a range of 2 miles. Others supposedly 5 miles. I don't know how much hilly terrain affects them, we were interstate running.
A hand held CB radio with the maximum 4 watts would transmit about 2 miles in mountainous terrain and up to 20+ miles in flat terrain. They're around $100 for a good one. If you had a few units spread out amongst the group you could easily relay info from one end to the other if it got more stretched out than that.
How right you are, Michael. I did a bit of looking. There are FRS which are less powerful, and GMRS which are more powerful and require a HAM license.
https://midlandusa.com/gmrs-or...radio-how-to-choose/
I found a pair of Motorola T460, which do both FRS and GMRS on REI for 90 bucks a pair. GMRS channels will supposedly transmit up to 35 miles on the flats, I'd wager they would work well a few miles away in the mountains.
I did not know there was still a need for a HAM license. They once were required for CB, and Marine Radios. I used to have a Class 1 Radio Telephone operators license that was required to broadcast AM radio but only Class 3 on FM. I went to one of those 4 week cram schools to learn the answers to the test only to have the rules changed shortly thereafter.
Neil,
You're supposed to apply for the license in order to use the GMRS channels. Motorola doesn't include an application with the radios. The radios transmit on all FRS and GMRS frequencies, but above 2 watts requires a license. The license has no test, just an application and a fee($70 for 10 years). I think you could apply, or not. But we'll probably all be denied, being felons:
https://midlandusa.com/why-do-...nse-how-do-i-get-it/
Cheers.
I CANT MAKE IT
Up yours GERD! Go do somebody's taxes or something else useful!
Cheers, buddy!
You do NOT need a “Ham” license to use a GMRS radio. That’s a whole different thing.
GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) requires an individual commercial license ($70 bucks and not worth it for this exercise), uses the same frequencies as FRS (Family Radio Service) BUT GMRS is allowed to use more power in their transmitters. Think a small business with a few service trucks in one city area.
FRS = no more than 2 watts
GMRS = up to 30 watts
You can legally use a 2-watt FRS walkie talkie on GMRS channels with no issues. Most of the FRS walkie talkies include GMRS channels and that’s OK because they only operate at 2 watts. If you interfere with a GMRS commercial user (like Stan and his commercial freezer/cooler business for communicating with his trucks) then just switch to a different channel. That’s all there is to it.
Just FYI, a Ham license gets you WAY more channels (many span the globe, unlike FRS/GMRS good for under 50 miles) and transmitter power up to 1,000 watts. Whole nuther thing.
Get a few FRS walkie talkies at Walmart, spread them through a caravan and you’re good to go.
Now I'm wonderin' if that Lotus we came across last year was maybe just communicating with others in their group via "smoke signals?" 
I wonder if he had an FCC license or just a county burn permit?
Napa Paul posted:Now I'm wonderin' if that Lotus we came across last year was maybe just communicating with others in their group via "smoke signals?"
I wonder if he had an FCC license or just a county burn permit?
It had just pulled over to let some smoke out of the wiring harness and it got a little carried away. English cars will do that...
Marcel in Paso will be there! No hotel needed.
Looked again and friends wedding is on the weekend of the 20th, so all good here no conflicts. I'll ride with you, wife Michelle should be able to attend too. Now just need the car. Spyder is currently undergoing upgrades with full intention to have an excellent summer.
Be well everyone
Hey if we end up meeting in September, I can recommend a cool car show that was rescheduled to that month. If you're in the SLO county area mid-September, consider the Warbirds Wings and Wheels show at the Paso Robles airport. All proceeds go to the Estrella Museum. Dennis Gage says he'll be there filming.
https://www.ewarbirds.org/www12/index.shtml
***2020 West Coast Cruise*** ***Rescheduled***
The majority of people have spoken and would like to see the event rescheduled until later this year. I will come up with a date and I've contacted the hotel to see what is available. Based on my schedule and my wife's schedule we're looking at the weekend of September 25th, 26th, and 27th, 2020. I'll await a response from the hotel and will post that information as soon as I get it.
The other thing I'm trying to work out with the hotel is if we each need to change our reservations or if the hotel can switch the group as a whole. If that is the case I'll have them make the switch and if you can't make it you may have to call and cancel your reservation.
@TheMayoMachine @Cory McCloskey @PaulEllis @Napa Paul @Kevin - Bay Area @Rick99GSX @Tom Murtaugh @goofer @Dutch @GERD @SimplifyTALightness @*LongFella @majorkahuna @Dan Stewart @IMDoug @OCC @Roy @Ryan (formerly) in NorCal @MusbJim @Troy Sloan @JMM (Michael) @Terry Nuckels @ChrissyB @Meade @Dave Mitchell @VSpyder @Karyadi @Speedster Marc
Thanks for working this all out, @Robert M.
On the other hand, if it turns out there's a safe way to road/camp trip to SLO by June 7, count me in for an unsanctioned, unofficial, socially-safe run down the coast.
Oh well...more time to work on the car...
We are in for September madness 😎👍
Rick99GSX posted:We are in for September madness 😎👍
You should have more than a 100 miles on the new motor.
I don't advise it, but I once got a rebuilt engine (by me) in my bug running at 2 am, got to bed at 4 and we were on the road to LA and Bug In 20 by 10 or 11 the next morning. Drove from Vancouver to Eugene? Oregon down I5, varying the rpms all the way. That night we found a gas station off the highway still open at 6 or 7 pm, convinced the owner to let us use the hoist and performed the 300(?) mile oil change, got to bed about midnight and slept in sleeping bags under trees in a rest area (again, right off the highway, even ran into friends doing the same thing, so we had to stay up for a beer!), got up early (7:30?) adjusted valves, woke my brother up and off we went, driving non stop and arriving at Orange County International Raceway for Bug In at 5:30 am Sunday morning. That was 1978?
The point is- you just have to have a plan.(oh, we were young and we were idiots!)
ALB, you described a perfect VW holiday. Doing a trip with an engine you built. Nothing like that.
Ryan in NorCal posted:Thanks for working this all out, @Robert M.
On the other hand, if it turns out there's a safe way to road/camp trip to SLO by June 7, count me in for an unsanctioned, unofficial, socially-safe run down the coast.
I would be more than happy to come on down to your neck of the woods for a day or two of driving.
I haven’t been keeping up on here and we’ve been taking the quarantine pretty seriously since early March.
Are people doing day road trips still?
Does carving turns through the mountains meet the “exercise” exception?
Ryan, I moved to Sonora. Lots of fun roads around and I stay safe.
I've have satisfied more than two quarantine periods trapped in CA. Todays AM news from LA County is that the Sheriff is regretting the release of jailed criminals because of rising crime rates, and, an LA judge has agreed with the Mayor that gun stores can be lawfully be ordered closed because they are "non-essential businesses". Just symptomatic evidence for some of the reasons I moved out of this State. Given the lack of coherent leadership in and around the State I have less hope than others for September in SLO.
Robert M posted:Rick99GSX posted:We are in for September madness 😎👍
You should have more than a 100 miles on the new motor.
Planning on putting that much this weekend alone 😁
ALB posted:I don't advise it, but I once got a rebuilt engine (by me) in my bug running at 2 am, got to bed at 4 and we were on the road to LA and Bug In 20 by 10 or 11 the next morning. Drove from Vancouver to Eugene? Oregon down I5, varying the rpms all the way. That night we found a gas station off the highway still open at 6 or 7 pm, convinced the owner to let us use the hoist and performed the 300(?) mile oil change, got to bed about midnight and slept in sleeping bags under trees in a rest area (again, right off the highway, even ran into friends doing the same thing, so we had to stay up for a beer!), got up early (7:30?) adjusted valves, woke my brother up and off we went, driving non stop and arriving at Orange County International Raceway for Bug In at 5:30 am Sunday morning. That was 1978?
The point is- you just have to have a plan.
Now that's how you do it! 😂