So who is going to make this happen?

 

Eeeeek and Uncle Fishbits
I was just on 128 about a month ago, at a music festival at Camp Navarro called Redwood Ramble. Yes, everything fit but it wasn't "real" camping.

 

Depending on timing, I am in as well!

 

I think there are a few questions that need to be addressed regardless of who takes the reins.

1) How many are expected to attend? This is likely to depend on the other questions.
2) How many days?
3) What is the expected level of accommodations? That is, how luxurious (expensive) is this going to be?
4) California is *big*. Where is this likely to be? If it takes someone a full day (or more!) to get to the start point, or to return home from the end, that will make a difference.

 

Well, I've my car back for now, while waiting for the new build and the whole process. Don't mind putting a few miles on this, and if I want my rims instead of the gaudy new ones w/ Pirelli P-Zeros, I'll need to wear these out so I buy brand new Pilot 4S for my car. So yes... November is delightful. Honestly, November is one of the most beautiful months in NorCal. It's warm, no rain usually, fires are just dying out =(.

I seem to remember one of the early posters in here saying they didn't get their car til Nov or so? I guess the 1st question to wrap our heads around decision by council:

Who's in for sometime in November, vs early to spring of 2019??? I think Lizzardo's questions will start to be answered after that. I am not trying to sway us, but it seems a wine country to coast loop is easiest that time of year, and less susceptible to rain/weather issues?

 

 

It can be a crap shoot. Sometimes it's amazing, other times the roads close due to snow. If we're shooting for November, I'd avoid Yosemite.

Roughing in the thought process a little more, I like the idea of the St. Helena. There are dinner places around and even a shuttle bus if it's a little beyond walking distance. Spring mountain is a great place for wine and while I would caution against too many wine stops, a place like Pride can accommodate a prowl of Jaguars.

Working from St. Helena, we could either make that a one night stop or more of a base of operations. From St Helena, it's about 2 hours to Stewart's Point on Skagg's Spring Road. Once there, we have the opportunity to follow the coast for a little bit either North or South. North would take you to Ft. Bragg and eventually the Avenue of the Giants. South has many many options.

 

I agree here. While the thought of all our V8s and V6s screaming through Wawona Tunnel at the same time for nearly a mile sounds amazing , it is really up to chance to go anywhere near Yosemite in November - just can't be sure what type of year it will be. We're lucky enough to be ~1.5h from it so we can day trip to tunnel view anytime the weather is clear.

If we can agree on a starting point, I think that would help a lot to get the rest of the planning going. Sounds like most people are in and around the bay. We may be the farthest away in Fresno but always looking for a reason to spend a few nights in the city and would be fine driving up there for the start. Can we agree that the trip should start in somewhere around San Francisco, maybe on the northern tip between Golden Gate and Fisherman's Wharf? That would be a good launching off spot for pretty much all the NorCal locations thrown out so far.

 

There is a tunnel just north of the Golden Gate Bridge...

The City is a world unto itself, but it does have its challenges from parking to prices. Fishbits has an in with Cavallo Point and if he can make a magic price happen, that looks like an amazing location. The lodge at the Presidio looks pretty amazing, too, but we'd have to start on a Thursday because of the 2 night minimum (again, maybe fishbits can do something about that).

So, less rough plan: Early November.
Night 1: Start in/near S.F. F-Types arrive and owners test their own liver functions.
Day 1: I'm leaning towards the Presidio (great views of the Golden Gate Bridge). Drive north over the Golden Gate bride through the Rainbow Tunnel (now called the Robin Williams Tunnel) and then on a route TBD (I'm leaning towards 1 to Stewart's Point and then inland) to St. Helena, in Napa Wine Country. Dinner possibly at the CIA
Night 2: St. Helena
Day 2: North on 29 to Clearlake, then 20 East towards Tahoe. These are some driver's roads.
Night 3: North Shore Tahoe, around Crystal Bay or Incline Villiage
Day 3: Head home. There is a great opportunity to head down to Emerald Bay along the lakeshore.

Each day would be roughly 200 miles of driving with great scenery.

"What if it snows?"

Usually the beginning of November is safe. We know weather conditions far in advance, so we could have a plan B to implement at least a week in advance if need be. I, personally, think November is a great time in Tahoe. Over the border in Nevada opens a lot of options a great hotel prices (Casinos).

Thur/Fri/Sat nights or Fri/Sat/Sun nights? Any preferences?

 

 

Shoot, as an avid snow enthusiast (ski and snowboard) myself, in the last few years I would have taken a convertible up with the top down!

You do make good points. It is a risk and for an inaugural event, it may be best to play the safe bet. I'll start thinking more about day 3 and am wide open to suggestions.

 

 

I agree with avoiding the mountains during November; might be a bit chancey. Its impossible to predict this early and could change a lot by the time we go. I keep thinking about the last few years at China Peak, when 2014 had barely 24" of snowfall and 2016 had nearly 400".

I think hugging the coast and maybe a venture into wine country would be safest. I'm not too familiar with anything north of Bodega Bay and east of Sonoma, and I've only been there in the summer. Had a Napa trip planned for the wife's bday last year in October but we all know what happened there. The actual B&B we were going to stay in burned to the ground during that fire.

Would it be too redundant to go north on the 1 as far as ~bodega bay then into wine country, and swing back south across the GG bridge on the 1 down towards Snata Cruz/Monterey? We could detour off the 1 near San Gregorio to some of those curvy roads like Pescadero Creek Road/Alpine Road to break up the highway driving a bit. Looks to be a lot of nice roads between Saratoga and Santa Cruz, though I'm sure someone here is fairly local to them and comment more.

I know it's kind of a figure 8 type of route but would definitely be a safer bet that time of year and should have a good mix of driving roads and cruising.

Also, how long per day are we thinking about driving? Could be a mix of expectations depending on who shows up. I, for example, would be content driving 6 hours a day like a lunatic but my passenger (wife) likely wouldn't even as much as she loves driving the Ftype too. I would think 150 miles a day would be a good range so that there is time to enjoy the places we stop and we don't feel rushed. Just as a quick example, mapping Presidio to Bodega Bay and west to Napa is ~130 miles and 3.5h of driving per google maps. It seems to me that would be a pretty full day of driving with plenty of time to spare to enjoy wherever we end up stopping for meals, sightseeing, stretch, wine, etc. Is that what most people would consider a good days drive or am I off base here?

 

Some added opinions for the trip planning, eeeek.
Thurs-Sat appeals to me, leaving Sunday for cleaning and recovery. I like the alternative Plan B preparedness, and November is fine for me. There is also a view spot just north of the GG bridge, before the Williams Tunnel.

If a plan B route was wanted from St.Helena, we could still go up CA 29 into Lake County. (Lake was originally a part of Napa County, split off in the 1800's and there are some wineries there. Lake, too, is the only county in CA with no rail lines = twisty roads!) If timing and interest was right, the Cowpoke Cafe, or Twin Pine Casino are in Middletown. Hwy 29, at Kits Corners is near the Boatique Winery, which features a collection of antique and wooden boats in their tasting room, along with splendid views of Clear Lake, the largest in CA. There is a fine road along the Clear Lake shore which would get us back to Hwy 20, if that direction remains the next leg. Or, from Hwy 29 in Lakeport, there is a mother of twisty roads on Hwy 175 which traverses up/over the mountain, down through vineyards back to Hwy 101.

Alternatively from St. Helena, the route up Hwy128 is worthy of our vehicles, too, and we might pick a stop at Coppola's winery or others in the Alexander Valley.

Fishbits, I'm glad you got your ride back, and interested in how they are treating you.

 

I think coming back down to Santa Cruz would be a bit ambitious. Maybe we could set that up as the direction we go for the 2nd annual run.

North past Ft. Bragg is really amazing, especially the Avenue of the Giants. I was thinking of coming back inland to be kinder to people coming from Central/Southern California. We could start in Santa Cruz and then go to SF and finally St. Helena. We'd need a magical one day rate in S.F for that one or people could be resigned to using Sunday to drive home.

Another option would be Sacramento on night 3. That seems a bit selfish and it's home court for me, but there are advantages to that, too...

 

I should be available either in November or next year. Obviously, coming from So Cal, the idea of continuing all the way up to Eureka is less enticing than trips through the great roads around the Santa Cruz mountains, however, I'm up for it if that's what is decided. Not much of a wine drinker, but good food, great scenery, and great driving roads is enough.

 

We could always meet up around Santa Cruz on the way to the starting point to take advantage of the trip up North. I've been wanting to explore some of those roads and this would be a good opportunity.

Do you not drink at all or is wine just not your thing? I know there are a lot of microbrews in the Russian river valley that are supposed to be really good. I'm sure the group would open to different spots for drinkers and non-drinkers alike.

 

Highway 175 is epic. That's the one with the lines painted on the road about 30 feet apart that say something to the effect of "If your combined vehicle length is longer that these points, this road is not advised", right? We could take a day trip and end up back at St. Helena for another night.

Looking at the Santa Cruz angle, we might be able to go from St. Helena to Blackhawk for lunch and a tour of their museum, then on to 17 to Santa Cruz.

Alternatively, we could come down 80 across the Bay bridge, take 101 south and hit La Honda on our way to the Coast.

Rough Draft version 3 with super loose dates (i.e. in no way final) assigned.

11/1
Thursday night: Presidio

11/2
Friday - Drive up to St. Helena the long, twisty and scenic way including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Rainbow Tunnel and a good chunk of the coast. Lunch somewhere on the coast,. Dinner somewhere nice in St. Helena like the Culinary Institute of America.

Friday night: St. Helena

11/3
Saturday - TBD

Saturday night - TBD

11/4
Sunday - Something in the morning and then head home.

 

ALTERNATIVE, assuming we can get a single night stay in SF:

11/1
Thursday night: Meet in Santa Cruz

11/2
Friday: Mountain Roads through the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Presidio.
Friday night: Presidio

11/3
Saturday - Drive up to St. Helena the long, twisty and scenic way including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Rainbow Tunnel and a good chunk of the coast. Lunch somewhere on the coast,. Dinner somewhere nice in St. Helena like the Culinary Institute of America.

Saturday night: St. Helena

11/4
Sunday - Something in the morning and then head home. I have a few connections at some nice wineries that are interesting for non-wine drinkers, too.

 

Byrnout,
I love a good beer just not much of a wine drinker as it gives me heartburn. Love the roads around Santa Cruz.
Ted