Mrs Bandit and I went to Napa Valley on a wine buying/golf vacation a couple years back and took a spin one morning in a balloon. They are fun to ride in but if you over 6 feet tall you should wear a hat that is flame resistant. I don't like heights but for some reason the balloon did not bother me.
Billy the wife and I did the same over Del Mar valley outside San Diego one year. It is cool as hell. Flew over the Del Mar valley polo grounds. Some wealthy Asian electronics dude was in the process of tearing down a $22 million dollar mansion because his wife didn't like the way it had been built! We did a driving vacation down the coast out there. Flew into San Fran then drove to Sacramento, and then all the way down to San Diego. Stopped at Pebble Beach and got a round in! Out of the group I got hooked up with, which was an eclectic mix to say the least, I was the only one not drinking or snorting something! I also shot the best of the group with rented clubs!
Ahh, a man of my own heart! I've discovered in my multitude of years with hot rods/cars that not a damm one of 'em can have a few snorts with you, reminisce, laugh at jokes, and worry about going home to the old lady. Tks 'bama, i needed this.
We really enjoyed the Gilmore museum in Hickory Corners, MI. 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, MI 49060 (269) 671-5089 90 acres of cars
did rt 66 in my 40 Ford last summer from Albuq to Okla City...so much to see & do, here's just a few. Tylers BBQ in Amarillo, Buddy Holly Museum in Lubbock, Cadillac Ranch, rt 66 museums.
I saw your post while looking for smth myself, and If you’re thinking about a hot rod vacation, road trips are a blast, especially when you hit the open road in a classic car. How about the Pacific Coast Highway? The views are stunning, and there are plenty of excellent stops along the way. You could also check out car shows. It’s a great way to share stories and tips. Another idea is visiting iconic diner spots to grab a burger and milkshake. If you’re looking for deals, keep an eye out for Cheap Business Class Tickets, too. They're great for finding cheap flights.
The museum in Santa Rosa NM is small but well worth the stop. A few Hamb qualified cars and engine displays, and some nice street rod, drag cars, and memorabilia. It is just off I 40 and usually opens at 8 AM. The owner "Bozo" is most likely holding court at one of the cafe tables, he is quite a character.
Hello, Between now and December in So Cal as well as elsewhere along the coastal western area of the USA up into Canada, is a hot rod road trip dream time for most. The summer driving season is over, the kids are all in school and that takes a lot of teachers, administrators, and support staff off of the roads, allowing easy peaceful living on your extended vacations. 125 k miles of coastal road trips was enjoyable, even without A/C, between the fall of 1964 and 1976. Mostly between September and December. Our road trip times were always adjusted for this time period. All the way up to B.C. and down to Baja, Mexico before the “no go zone” warnings by the USA government. The fall season is the perfect time for nice weather and less folks on the road. Even the nice restaurants like the Black Bear Diners all along the I-5 in California on your alternate route South, prior to heading back East, are relatively empty during the week. So, if fairly empty roadways are your thing, even Los Angeles at 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. driving is simple and not crowded across the wide metropolitan area. One never knows how much less traffic is available when the school system is in full swing starting in late August or September. Now, when the colleges are in full sessions, the roads are really empty. For example: UC at La Jolla is linked directly to the I-5 south off ramp as one approaches San Diego coastline. During the year, the roads get backed up prior to 8 am due to the backup leading into the campus from the freeway. But, during the summers and off hours, the freeway is relatively 70-80 mph+ the massive line up of cars exiting the freeway is the southern end of the Encinitas slow down, well known in the San Diego freeway area driving. Jnaki So, for fall to winter vacation time, it is known as the best time to travel. Our roadtrips to the PNW coastlines and harbors were fun drives. As a different way home, we sometimes took the inland routes via freeway I-5 to a cross over to the farther inland 395 highway to skirt the deserts and dry areas of California back down to coastal So Cal. (usually sunny and cool temperatures all year around...) YRMV Sometimes, hot rod folks are out for a nice coastal drive… Along the coast, there is always a nice environment, so to speak. For the last several days, it has been a record setting few days of extremely hot temperatures in the inland regions of So Cal. Palm Springs, etc… But, we were locked into some ocean breezes and a cool 70 degrees. A little fog trying to fight the incursion of the hot temperatures inland. But, as it hit the coastal range of hills, the fog won the battle all day and into the night. One mile inland was 80+ in the full sun… still pleasant, but a little warm.
The Jalopy Journal
