Oregon/California Fall Tour

Before we put those Speedsters and Spyders away for the winter a proposal was made to have a fall tour in Southern Oregon/Northern California. Tentitive date is OCT 1-3 and probably staying in the Riverside Inn in Grants Pass, Oregon. This is a very nice Inn right on the famous Rouge River. The Hellgate Jet Boat trip leave from the Inns dock. I don't know if the boats will still be running that late but will check. Water tends to get a little low in the fall.

Couple of tours we could think about are one to Crater Lake N.P., an easy drive from Grants Pass and one down to Northern California to tour the Redwoods N.P., also not a bad drive. While at the Redwoods the coast is right there and many photo ops exist. Fall color should be starting then, especially in the higher elevations.

Grants Pass is probably about a 6 hour drive from the Bay area, 5 from Sacramento and probably about 5 from the Portland area, all are on I-5. Seattle and BC are a little farther but still a doable one day drive, even in a Speedy or Spyder.

Those that are interested, send me an E Mail and we'll see how many
candidates we have. I'd think it would be great to have at least 5-6 cars but the more the merrier. Also Gas should be even lower by then!

Bruce

Bruce,
You know we'll come down. The hotel is great and the setting is the best you could ask for. After our little wine cruise in McMinnville our appetite is whetted for some more "road less travelled" cruising. As usual, we'll bring lots of Molson Canadian, eh.
Rick + Brenda

Bruce, the tour sounds good to us too. Chris and I would like to join in on this cruise. We will not be able to confirm yet, but if all falls into place between now and then, we would like to go. Eddie

Eddie,

Sounds good. We'll keep updating info as it rolls in. Any input as to what you all want to see and do after hours is welcome. Keep it clean now! You're number 4 so far so off to a good start.

Bruce

This sounds wonderful. Right now my Oct is full but I may be able to rearrange a thing or two. I'll follow this carefully and keep an eye on my calendar.

I should be back up and running by then...

Geez, Bruce. With Rick, Dale, Eddie and Paul thinking about the happening this this is shaping up to be a bunch of hotrodders in little cars blazing up and down the valley on those great back roads. What's not to like? Don't let the cops in on this one. It'd be a gold mine for them!

Great stuff, Paul we'll let you run up front, gathering those bugs and tickets. Seriously, because of the budget shortfalls here, the State Police and County police are not to be seen. Didn't see a one on the 700 mile RT up to Parts Obsolete last week. This is starting to look like a cool event. I'll see if Steve and Angela Lane can make it with their 911 powered 550. Will talk to Steve this weekend!

Like to see more of you NoCal guys make it, Gary, Brian???

Bruce

Bruce,

Tempting, very tempting.
Although only two weeks after the Reno Air Races....

Pencil me in for a definite maybe....

Keep me posted.

Brian.

Hey guys and Gals,

We are getting some interest on the early October Southern Oregon meet and tour(s). I've got a few definates and several maybe's. In the next month or so I'll be running some laps here in Southern Oregon and checking out some possible tour routes with some winery stops on the way plus some different scenic items like covered bridges. I am hoping this will be a couples event that will have enough to keep everyones interest.

Bruce

Kathy and I were out at Crater Lake 2 years ago and spent a day doing the road all around the lake. I could have spent a week there! That place is absolutely gorgeous and the water is SO BLUE!!

If we were to find our way out there in October, (we have a friend who lives in Banks, OR) and get a rental car, think we could come along?

Gordon,

Absolutly, Crater Lake truly is someplace special,

Bruce

Bruce: The day we were there was the day before some sort of big air show in Portland. As we were looking out over Crater Lake from that big lodge on the back side of the rim road, a pair of F-14's came swooping down out of the sky, down INTO the crater and did a gentle turn around the INSIDE of the crater and then up and out. I actually have some of it on video tape (tough following them when they're really moving and you're excited)......it was awesome......

Hope the pilots got a good look, too!

gn

Gordon,
That is supposedly a no-no but I'd never report them! The bottom of the lake has the remains of a sightseeing helicoter with 2-3 people in it. Happened the year we came out here. The lake is so deep they never bothered trying to get the bodies out. We are just down the hill from the VA cemetary here and every Memorial day a pair of F-15's do a fly over, real low. That is a kick. A B-17 was in town last week, paid $6 to climb inside and look around. Those flyers in WW 2 sure got my respect flying over hostile territory with nothing but about 1/16 in. of aluminum between you and a bullet or flak. There was going to be a B-24 come in too but it broke down in Chico, Ca. Can't get those parts at Napa I guess. They wanted $400 to ride the B-17 for 30 minutes, I passed. It was only $325 two years ago, should have done it then I guess.

Be great if you could make it in early October, we'll keep you posted. Maybe you could rent a 911 and really upscale our tour.

Bruce

West Coast Bruce!

The two Kathy's (my wife and her friend from Banks, outside of Portland) both want to do the fall tour with the you guys and your Speedsters. Of course, the best we can do for a Boxer engine is a Subaru Forester, but maybe we can find a cool looking rental car (although we can fit a LOT of gear into that Forester).

How are things firming up for this? We'll have to get some flights out and back sometime soon to get some decent rates. Also, should we be contacting the lodge/hotel direct or will you be contacting them for a group of rooms or something?

Gordon
One of the Speedster guys from Rhode Island

Gordon,

I just got back from Reno and Hot August Nights this afternoon! Fun time as always. I am going to get going on the arrangements next week. I'll see what kind of rates I can swing with the hotel and I'll
post the results. The Hellgate Jet Boat tours on the Rogue River leave from the Riverside Inns dock and the last trip of the 04 season is the day before we have our event so maybe we can get a good deal.
I've got a tour mentally planned thru the scenic Applegate Valley with some winery tours included, a covered bridge and a lunch stop in Jacksonville, OR. It is a restored old mining town with some great resturants and lots of places for the gals to wander thru. Guess us guys will find something to do while they shop for overpriced trinkets, LOL!

I should have more info on this in a week or two. I want to prerun the tour route to make the roads are 100% paved, course if you are in a Subby, you could care less! I'll see how the time works out for the tours, should be OK but I want to check it all out. I know you had mentioned you wanted to see Crater Lake but several people thought that would be a stretch after driving to Grants Pass from BC or California. It would be about 175-200 mile RT. You could sure fit it in coming or going to Portland, kind of on the way and definaltly worth the extra time it takes.

Bruce