Bucket List road track trip planning from Detroit California AZ Vegas suggestions

[Bruce H.]

Deb and I are starting to plan a driving tour of California for next fall. We expected to fly out and rent a car to do the Pacific Coast Highway but some of the rabid Northern California VOA track rats have other plans for us involving taking the TA out there and doing a bunch of track days! And with NVE3 in Las Vegas in May 2018 I'm considering leaving the car down there for the winter. Our cars in the Toronto area are layed up for winter from October to the end of April anyways.

So a simple 2 week west coast holiday now has all the makings of an epic Bucket List road and track trip thanks to Todd, Loyde and George's suggestion during the gala dinner at NVE2 in New Orleans...thanks guys!

We'd like to identify sights that we should plan to see along the way out and back, and that would help determine our route and time-table. I'm hoping those of you who live in around these areas can help identify some of the "must see" points along the way.

Detroit to California:

We'd cross into the US at Detroit and it looks like Hwy 80 is a pretty direct route to Sacramento in Northern California. I've heard that Hwy 80 basically crosses through 3 days of corn fields until you get to Salt Lake City, but folks in those areas might like to add suggestions. We'd like to see the Salt Flats and maybe do a track day at the near-by Miller Motorsports Park. Shipping the car by transport from the Toronto area to Salt Lake City is also a possibility.

After that we'd like to see Lake Tahoe near Reno in Utah after crossing Nevada and into CA.

California:

We're heading to the Sacramento area to see George and Tamara, and to spend some quality track time at Thunderhill. From there we expect to be mostly touring around coastal sights during the week, and visiting with others and doing track days at Sonoma, Laguna Seca and Willow Springs mostly on weekends. We've been to San Diego before, and may or may not go south to, or beyond, Los Angeles, depending on suggestions and time. Deb might have to fly home for a while if I take up temporary residence at the various iconic tracks out there!

I'm sure there could be an impossibly long list of spectacular suggestions of places in CA to see, but is there a concensous of "must sees"?

Las Vegas/Arizona areas:

I'm not sure at the moment where I'll be able to store the car for the winter, but at some point I'll leave CA for Arizona or go directly to Las Vegas for NVE3. We've only seen the south rim lookouts over the Grand Canyon so a return there would be great.

And I've heard a rumor that there might be a dusty track or two out there worth trying also Suggestions welcome!

This last part of the trip spans the winter and we'd be flying home and then returning closer to NVE in Vegas. We'd be visiting these areas sights either in the fall before heading home, or just before or after our return for NVE in May. If anyone has a suggestion as to where I could store a car covered in tire marbles for the winter, I'd be very grateful.

I'd consider driving the car home from Vegas, but will see how the rest of the plans come together first.

Looking forward to seeing my track friends on the west coast, meeting some new ones, and returning their hospitality up here so they can experience our great local tracks like the iconic Mosport (now known as Canadian Tire Motorsports Park).

Bruce

[maeham]

Let me know have places to store car here and inde is a nice track

[Bruce H.]

Let me know have places to store car here and inde is a nice track

Thank you...PM sent

[rw99]

Subscribed. Fill in the track dates as they become available!

Hope to drive with you when you come out, Bruce.


Rich

[Bruce H.]

Hey Rich, that would be great! Look forward to it. Have to get caught up on your XKR-S experiences. Miss my XKR vert, I need a vert

[Mopar'er no car]

Deb and I are starting to plan a driving tour of California for next fall. We expected to fly out and rent a car to do the Pacific Coast Highway but some of the rabid Northern California VOA track rats have other plans for us involving taking the TA out there and doing a bunch of track days! And with NVE3 in Las Vegas in May 2018 I'm considering leaving the car down there for the winter. Our cars in the Toronto area are layed up for winter from October to the end of April anyways.

So a simple 2 week west coast holiday now has all the makings of an epic Bucket List road and track trip thanks to Todd, Loyde and George's suggestion during the gala dinner at NVE2 in New Orleans...thanks guys!

We'd like to identify sights that we should plan to see along the way out and back, and that would help determine our route and time-table. I'm hoping those of you who live in around these areas can help identify some of the "must see" points along the way.

Detroit to California:

We'd cross into the US at Detroit and it looks like Hwy 80 is a pretty direct route to Sacramento in Northern California. I've heard that Hwy 80 basically crosses through 3 days of corn fields until you get to Salt Lake City, but folks in those areas might like to add suggestions. We'd like to see the Salt Flats and maybe do a track day at the near-by Miller Motorsports Park. Shipping the car by transport from the Toronto area to Salt Lake City is also a possibility.

After that we'd like to see Lake Tahoe near Reno in Utah after crossing Nevada and into CA.

California:

We're heading to the Sacramento area to see George and Tamara, and to spend some quality track time at Thunderhill. From there we expect to be mostly touring around coastal sights during the week, and visiting with others and doing track days at Sonoma, Laguna Seca and Willow Springs mostly on weekends. We've been to San Diego before, and may or may not go south to, or beyond, Los Angeles, depending on suggestions and time. Deb might have to fly home for a while if I take up temporary residence at the various iconic tracks out there!

I'm sure there could be an impossibly long list of spectacular suggestions of places in CA to see, but is there a concensous of "must sees"?

Las Vegas/Arizona areas:

I'm not sure at the moment where I'll be able to store the car for the winter, but at some point I'll leave CA for Arizona or go directly to Las Vegas for NVE3. We've only seen the south rim lookouts over the Grand Canyon so a return there would be great.

And I've heard a rumor that there might be a dusty track or two out there worth trying also Suggestions welcome!

This last part of the trip spans the winter and we'd be flying home and then returning closer to NVE in Vegas. We'd be visiting these areas sights either in the fall before heading home, or just before or after our return for NVE in May. If anyone has a suggestion as to where I could store a car covered in tire marbles for the winter, I'd be very grateful.

I'd consider driving the car home from Vegas, but will see how the rest of the plans come together first.

Looking forward to seeing my track friends on the west coast, meeting some new ones, and returning their hospitality up here so they can experience our great local tracks like the iconic Mosport (now known as Canadian Tire Motorsports Park).

Bruce

I'm 5 mins off the 80/90 pike in Ohio, about 1 hr east of the Indiana line. We would be happy to host dinner! We could round up the troops and have a hand full of Vipers for a BBQ!! Milan dragway for a test n tune?

The Auburn Cord Dusenburg museum is on your way in Auburn Indiana. They have their annual festival around August-September. Not much up here in the tip of North West Ohio.

[Mopar'er no car]

There have also been some rumors about a Viper farewell party. It would likely be at CAAP and possibly end at the Walter P Chrysler museum. That would be pretty cool if you guys were able to catch this on your way out..

[TA Two Oh]

Bruce. Fellow Canadian Black T/A owner here. I don't post much but I really enjoy reading yours... especially the ones regarding your track adventures from 2 years ago. I'd ordered mine at that time but had to endure an agonizing 9 month gap until it arrived. Reading your posts and watching your videos helped keep me from going crazy while I waited. Thank you! My wife and I have a vacation home in Las Vegas with an empty, very secure garage that you could use. And I have contacts at Spring Mountain that could get you on pretty much anytime. Ditto at Miller -now Utah Motorsports Complex.

[Bruce H.]

I'm 5 mins off the 80/90 pike in Ohio, about 1 hr east of the Indiana line. We would be happy to host dinner! We could round up the troops and have a hand full of Vipers for a BBQ!! Milan dragway for a test n tune?

The Auburn Cord Dusenburg museum is on your way in Auburn Indiana. They have their annual festival around August-September. Not much up here in the tip of North West Ohio.

There have also been some rumors about a Viper farewell party. It would likely be at CAAP and possibly end at the Walter P Chrysler museum. That would be pretty cool if you guys were able to catch this on your way out..

That's a great offer, and it would be awesome to meet you guys. Let me see how the plans and timing comes together. If it doesn't work out I'm almost certain to be coming to Mid-Ohio with some other Viper track rats and we can hopefully connect then! I toured the Auburn museum several years ago and it really was impressive. Thanks so much!

[Bruce H.]

Wow! Thank you very much, and I'm glad you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed sharing those early experiences. I hope you're loving your TA like I do. Just sooo much performance is unleashed and used on the track that I wish all owners could experience. How do you convey the excitement of chasing a McLaren 650S, Ferrari F430 Scuderia or 911 GT3RS at full boil around a track and overtaking them? Videos don't do justice to the piercing wail of Ferrari engines screaming at redline as you bear down on them. It's just something you'll never forget. As Chris Harris would say...it's MEGA!

And thank you for the offer of garage space and help with track access. I'll send you a PM.

Bruce. Fellow Canadian Black T/A owner here. I don't post much but I really enjoy reading yours... especially the ones regarding your track adventures from 2 years ago. I'd ordered mine at that time but had to endure an agonizing 9 month gap until it arrived. Reading your posts and watching your videos helped keep me from going crazy while I waited. Thank you! My wife and I have a vacation home in Las Vegas with an empty, very secure garage that you could use. And I have contacts at Spring Mountain that could get you on pretty much anytime. Ditto at Miller -now Utah Motorsports Complex.

[Mopar'er no car]

That's a great offer, and it would be awesome to meet you guys. Let me see how the plans and timing comes together. If it doesn't work out I'm almost certain to be coming to Mid-Ohio with some other Viper track rats and we can hopefully connect then! I toured the Auburn museum several years ago and it really was impressive. Thanks so much!

No Problem. We ARE family...

[One Viper Bite]

I live in Los Angeles and would be happy to recommend / show you around town. There are some amazing driving roads out here, great places to eat and awesome things to see. Really great car events out here as well if you will be around for the weekend.

[Bruce H.]

I live in Los Angeles and would be happy to recommend / show you around town. There are some amazing driving roads out here, great places to eat and awesome things to see. Really great car events out here as well if you will be around for the weekend.

Thank you for the offer. I don't think we know anyone in LA so that would be much appreciated if we can make it there. I'm guessing we probably will as I can see the offers of help are going to make a longer trip possible, and all the way down into Arizona.

No Problem. We ARE family...

And that is so true. Deb and I are truly touched by the generosity of this community, from the hospitality of those who invited us to come out and track with them, to those that have reached out in this thread.

It's a little surreal as earlier this week I was discussing with some local club track rats the idea of hosting members from other regions to come to ours to enjoy our great local tracks as drivers or passengers. Norcal has a very active group of tracking members, and there's many more I'm sure across the country. I have a passion for learning and experiencing new road courses, and the more iconic, historic and distant the better as it makes for a great excuse to drive and enjoy the car relentlessly! And I bet there's a lot of others that feel exactly the same way.

I should have mentioned that Deb and I particularly enjoy landscape, scenic views, and great architecture. We're looking forward to expansive ocean, mountain, canyon and desert views, as well as some historical points of interest. The Salt Flats and Lake Tahoe were great suggestions, and I look forward to any others you guys might offer.

Thanks to all!

[Black Pearl]

You may want to stop at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
http://petersen.org/

[BlueAdder]

There's an awful lot of stuff to see in CA:

- San Francisco
- Monterey/Carmel (Laguna is a little North of Monterey)
- Yosemite. Since you will take 80, it's not too far off.
- Sausalito
- Highway 1 in general (North and South of Santa Cruz)
- Santa Cruz
- Catch a Sharks game in SJ (although you may be a Leafs fan somehow)
- There is also a car museum in Sacramento, old Sac but I can't remember the name of it
- Sequoia park

Those are just easy suggestions. Maybe get a AAA book and you will have a boat load of things to see
If you are a foodie, Yelp is your friend around here too.

[texasram]

hoover dam has some great scenery for pics

[Bruce H.]

Our trip is really taking shape thanks to all of your inputs.

Just not sure about whether to start by shipping from Toronto to Salt Lake, Utah or to drive. Are there some highlights along the way, or is it just kind of a monotonous drive that we should maybe avoid with such a lengthy road trip ahead of us? It's a certainty now that we'll plan to go all the way down the coast and inland to Pheonix and Las Vegas.

There's an awful lot of stuff to see in CA:

I've been researching your list. Those parks look absolutely incredible, and we'll definitely be spending some quality time there.

CA looks so beautiful... can't imagine not wanting to just stay there forever.

[J TNT]

There is so much to see and do Bruce that you and Deb may have to make several trips ...lol !

[Terminator02]

How cool Bruce. Well when you enter Detroit I can recommend amazing restaurants. Detroit really has some unique and memorable dining experiences. my wife and I could either host a dinner or show you around if you are making a pit stop. I love seeing vipers doing these trips. Glad to see you are planning early!

[Bruce H.]

How cool Bruce. Well when you enter Detroit I can recommend amazing restaurants. Detroit really has some unique and memorable dining experiences. my wife and I could either host a dinner or show you around if you are making a pit stop. I love seeing vipers doing these trips. Glad to see you are planning early!

That sounds like a great offer...thank you! If I end up shipping the car from Toronto to Salt Lake City I might have to ask for a raincheck!

[Bruce H.]

There is so much to see and do Bruce that you and Deb may have to make several trips ...lol !

And so many tracks that it might make sense for our club to buy and store a Gen V out there for members use!!!!!

[Rocket]

Petersen is very cool. Not sure if you've finalized details - but I/m a big fan of Arches National Park in Moab, UT if you head west out of Denver. Also let us know if you make the Phoenix area as there are a number of things to consider if in the area. I just completed a 2800 mile road trip in the Viper and it was a blast!

You may want to stop at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
http://petersen.org/

[Bruce H.]

Petersen is very cool. Not sure if you've finalized details - but I/m a big fan of Arches National Park in Moab, UT if you head west out of Denver. Also let us know if you make the Phoenix area as there are a number of things to consider if in the area. I just completed a 2800 mile road trip in the Viper and it was a blast!

Nothing finalized yet, but lots of great ideas we're going to work in! Arches looks amazing, and we could pass that way on our way back after NVE3.

Definitely hoping to make it to Phoenix area by October and leave the car there, and return in January for a holiday and to see Barrett-Jackson.

Glad to here you did a great road trip in the Viper...doesn't get any better than that!

[Arizona Vipers]

I'm a member at http://indemotorsports.com/ if you want to track the car down there I can take guests. It's a beautiful track.

[Bruce H.]

I'm a member at http://indemotorsports.com/ if you want to track the car down there I can take guests. It's a beautiful track.

Well heck yeah...I would absolutely love to be able to drive Inde, and hopefully meet some of the AZ guys as well!!! Your track really does looks fantastic. That would be a great way to cap off an epic 9 track west coast road trip!

Sure hope some of you track rats will make it up to our neck of the woods one day to experience our great local tracks as drivers or passengers. We'll have a number of ACR-E's running at Mosport...and a lone TA frantically chasing them And then there's Randy Pobst's favorite track in NA, Le Circuit Mont Tremblant, and Watkin's Glen and....

Thanks for the offer, and I'll be in touch as the plan starts to firm up.