Event Coverage Going on a BIG cross country trip to LA Roadster show, need YOUR input!

Next Friday June 12th I'm embarking on an adventure I've dreamed about since I was little. I'm going to drive a hot rod all the way to Cali for the LA Roadster show! Yippy!

My partner in crime for this journey is my good buddy Matt, whiskeyrunner here on the HAMB or as Denise calls him "Macgyver Matt". We will be driving a roadster of his out to enjoy all of the glory of the LA Roadster show.

But as we all know, the fun is in the journey and that is where I'm looking for YOUR help. I'm spending the Friday night the 12th in Indy (can't miss Bubbafest!) and plan to be in LA the following Wednesday (the 17th) in time for all of the open houses and festivities. That gives me a little over 4 days to make the trek. I would like to take 2 lane roads all the way there and back home again.

I've poured over books and maps and just can't decide. Of course there is Route 66 but Old route 40 and 50 look interesting as well.

So this is your chance to tell me how you would go if you were jumping in the car next Friday. Both of us have traveled out west before so we've done a lot of the general tourist stuff. We're not hellbent to see the giant ball of twine or hole in the rock, it's more about the road. Keep in mind we plan to camp the whole way out and the whole way back so if you know of an awesome camping spot be sure to mention it. If I'm close to Holbrook, AZ I do want to stay in the Teepees though!

I know this leaves it pretty open but I'm doing that on purpose. My only plans thus far are to take a lower/mid route out and a high road home (plan to drive up the coast of Cali after LARS).

Let's hear the voice of experience, what roads have you taken and loved?

PS- Since space is at a premium I won't be taking my laptop, I will do an adventure thread once I get back. I will be 'tweeting' pics and updates on Twitter-- @MeganBoyd

 

You are awesome!!!! Can we see the pick of the Roadster your taking?

 

wow!! sounds like alot of fun!

 

Hi ya Megan,
If I not mistaken US 40 is closed in a portion of St. Louis, MO. It joins up I64 also and goes up to 70 i believe. I'd like to take the Route 66 deal someday. Likely take that and I-44 out and lolly gag on the way back.

 

How far up the Cal coast are you going on your way back. Lompoc through San Luis Obispo is nice but it's hard to beat the drive from north of San Fran to Oregon on route 1/101. That would put you through the redwoods which are incredible. If you went that far north, you could cut through the Rogue river valley over to Crater Lake passing through the lower Cascades then take a number of different routes on two laners through eastern Oregon and onward. Or, if a coast road is your fancy, it's hard to beat the Oregon coast..

 

What a blast Megan!! Glad you get to be in Indy on that Friday for our open house. Gonna be a fun one. I would love to be able to do that in the Krylon Special one of these years.

 

I LOVE 160 in southern ColoRODo from just inside the eastern edge of CO to the Grand Canyon. It follows a river. Absolutely beautiful with lots of spots to stop, picture take and picnic.

 

Rt 66 on the way out and either US 40 or US 30 on the way back

 

I admire and respect you, Megan.,.....you've got more guts than I do to take such a trip.......I will, however be driving down from Reno with Doug Clem in the *WhyGoBy* Deuce Phaeton.......5 other hot rods will be in the caravan (The Peckerheads from Nevada)...and we will be arriving in Pomona on Thursday the 18th......

Looking forward to seeing you out there and you can tell me all about your adventures getting there.......

If we get there early enough we may try to drop in at Limeworks.........and, after the So Cal Open House on Friday we may try to go over to Bobby Walden's shop.....

Brucie

 

If U'r comin thru Flagstaff, drop down thru Sedona, up the hill thru Jerome, down into Prescott then down the hill again and hook up on to the 10 then into LARS area.
Beautiful drive.
See ya there.
I'm leavin wednesday morn in my Avatar.

 

Very cool! You and Matt are going to have a great time, that is something I'd love to do some day. Hell if I know where to go, but have FUN!

 

If you haven't been to Yosemite, you should go through there. Through the valley and up over Tioga Pass. Hwy 49, the route of the 49'ers, is a good roadster ride too. Get off 101 and take Hwy 1 whenever possible. Taste wine while in the central coast area of California. Stop in Buellton, try the beers at Firestone/Walker brewery and see if you can get a tour of Jack Mendenhall's petroleum museum (chock full of dry lakes racing and dragster stuff).

 

The drive up the 101 & the 1 {california, central coast} has to be one of the best drives {wine country, the beach}! The older the car the better! We live here & still cant get enough.

Good luck! That's an amazing trip you are about to take. We look forward to the updates....

 

Megan, y'all be safe and have a good time

Route-wise...if you have ANY interest in 66 and haven't done it, you probably should and save 40 and 50 for some other trip(like, when the govt restricts travel or old cars are outlawed/taxed or gas prices double)
I did 66 in 95. Started in Springfield IL, left Sunday mid-morning --arrived in LA the next Sat afternoon. Did all the touristy stuff, followed a 66 guidebook and even bought/shipped stuff along the way. Never left before 9 am, took my time, etc. Saw plenty of two lane, and the western part has a lot of I-40 so y'all can hammer down if ya need to.

I'm envious.

 

This may help plan your itinerary,Have a good trip.Be safe,enjoy.
http://www.magicyellow.com/Chains/International_House_of_Pancakes.html

 

You always make me laugh

 

Do some research on the Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway.

If you decide to drive near Abilene or Salina- let me know.

 

I'll have to tell you about my plans to retire to a rubber chicken ranch, I hate the chicken shit.

 

Years ago, I took my '65 VW bus coast to coast to coast and accidentally happened on US 50 through Nevada. A borderline spiritual event. Googling 'loneliest road in america', I found a web site with this testimonial, which I heartily endorse:

Highway 50, the Loneliest Road.

Around 1986 to 1988, Life Magazine is said to have ran a very negative article about Nevada State Highway 50 titled "The Loneliest Road." An AAA spokesperson had described Nevada State Highway 50 route through Nevada in these words: "It's totally empty. There are no points of interest. We don't recommend it. We warn all motorists not to drive there unless they're confident of their survival skills."

Nevada tourism officials were quick to agree that while Highway 50 did not have traditional tourism related stopping places like amusement parks, "The Loneliest Road" has many little-known and unique items of interest. In addition, most of these places along the Loneliest Road were free for the tourist to see.

To combat the article's negativity, the White Pine County Chamber of Commerce in Ely suggested calling highway 50 "The Loneliest Road in America." Later, the Nevada Commission on Tourism developed the now popular "The Loneliest Road in America, Official Highway 50 Survival Guide."

Travelers can pick up the free Loneliest Road survival kits at Chambers of Commerce, museums, restaurants, motels, and gas stations along Highway 50. The kit contains a state road map, the Loneliest Road Survival Guidebook showing some things to see and a line map of the road. Travelers stop in the towns of Fernley, Fallon, Austin, Eureka, and Ely to get the Loneliest Road map stamped. When all five of the boxes are stamped in each town, the completed form is mailed (postage free) to the Nevada Commission on Tourism. You then receive a Loneliest Road survival certificate signed by the Governor, a Loneliest Road lapel pin, and a Loneliest Road bumper sticker announcing that you survived this "uninteresting and empty" road. You can also record your Loneliest Road story by clicking here.

In reality, one of the best ways to truly experience Nevada is to travel the Loneliest Road. The Loneliest Road roughly parallels the Pony Express Trail, which goes from Silver Springs through Fallon and along the towns across Highway 50. Remnants of the Pony Express Route are visible for much of the way along the Loneliest Road. Stretching the width of Nevada, the Loneliest Road is a fascinating scenic and historic corridor through a land seemingly untouched by man. The Loneliest Road travels through snow-mantled mountains that reach summits of more than 11,000 feet.

There are many things to stop and do along the Loneliest Road. Travelers can easily access ghost town sites and historical cemeteries. They can visit the elk viewing areas and camping and picnicking places abound along the Loneliest Road. There are many off-road, hiking, snowmobiling and skiing trails. Historical markers point out where significant sites are located along the Loneliest Road.

The magnificent Great Basin National Park is found just a short distance off Highway 50, the Loneliest Road. The Great Basin National Park has several sites listed in the National Registry of Historic Places.

The Loneliest Road winds through high mountain desert blanketed with sagebrush. Many species of flora can be identified along the Loneliest Road. Travelers find warm or hot days and cool nights in the summer. Bands of sheep with their herders and working sheepdogs can often be spotted along the Loneliest Road. Small bands of wild horses can be seen across the plain as deer doze in the shade of pinion pine trees. Other wildlife and birds of prey are often seen close to the Loneliest Road.

Travelers of the Loneliest Road are well rewarded by the almost surrealistic intensity of the wild western landscape. Deep blue skies and jagged stone tower above the bone white desert floor. The hypnotic rhythm of telephone poles march single file, a solemn procession beside the road.The Loneliest Road in America, Highway 50 is really one of the most beautiful and interesting drives you’ll ever take.

Enjoy, and drive safe!

Cheers -- Gary

Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile.
-- Sir Wilfred Grenfell

 

One small anecdote from my experience on the loneliest road:

The bus was fairly puny in the cruising speed department, having a stock 1600cc dual port engine and all the aerodynamics of a brick. So I ended up playing hop-scotch with a semi with a load of bricks or something similar on his flatbed trailer. On the flats he'd pass me on the long straights where you could see for miles, but when it got hilly I had a little more grunt in 3rd than he did in whatever gear he downshifted to and passed him with little effort. He was ahead of me on one of those straights when I saw his brake lights illuminate and I eased up on him while he made way for a herd of cattle which had wandered onto and across the road. Where else you gonna find a herd of cattle sharing your right of way?

Cheers -- Gary

Almost anything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.-- Mohandas K. Gandhi

 

Safe travels. You better stop by when you are in town!!!!!!!

 

Vicki and I did a redwoods and wine trip in October and I would heartily encourage you to check out some wine and the redwood forests.
We thought the Jeremiah Smith forest just outside of Crescent City was the coolest (because it's a bit off the beaten path and not so overrun by people).
An open roadster will be a treat because you will be able to get a real perspective of the magnitude of the forests.

I'll PM you with some suggestions for some restaurants we came across.

 

I'd say Torchman and z48lt1 have done the work for ya. I've also done the lonliest Road and its real cool. Maybe not in the summer ,but its an experience fershure.
All I have to add id be safe, have fun,post LOTSA pics so us unfortunates can go, vicariously. And in a Hot Rod to boot.
HOW COOL IS THAT?!!

 

I just left PA and drove to CA, I took 81 into Knoxville then 40 all the way to CA. It was a good drive, but I was in an OT car, and had to make good time, so I didnt have a good chance to check out much of old 66. If you do take the 40, in Carlisle Arkansas is a restaurant called Nicks. They had the best, catfish, slaw AND sweet tea I have ever had in my life, all for about $8 too! Laguna Arizona has "the Laguna Burger" its pretty darn tasty as well! (can you tell I followed my gut across the country??!!) In Santa Rosa New Mexico there is route 66 auto museum, its a nice place to stop and talk. Its $5 admission, but worth it just to chat with people. If you stop there, look at the drool marks I left around the white drag coupe!! If you stay on the 40, pretty much ALL of New Mexico is under construction, so beware of overheating, sunburn ect...! It may be better to just take 66 thru MN, the area around Albuquerque is really congested. Enjoy your trip, and I sure cant wait for the pics!!!

 

Here you go, they have a website!

http://www.route66automuseum.com/

 

good luck with the trip,I hope to do the same one day

 

Megan..........32gal and I look forward to seeing you! Have a fun and safe trip!

 

I did US 50 "The Loneliest Road" a few years ago. You can drive for hours without seeing a car coming in the opposite direction. But when I was going 94 mph. the car that finally came was a Nevada State Police cruiser! I just pulled over and waited for him to turn around and come back. He let me go after telling me that hitting a herd of cattle at that speed would mess up my day. Wonder what he would have done if he got me doing 140 mph. five minutes earlier.

Another spectacular drive is US 163 through the Monument Valley in Utah and Arizona. Drive it and you'll never feel more insignificant.

 

"Another spectacular drive is US 163 through the Monument Valley in Utah and Arizona. Drive it and you'll never feel more insignificant."

I agree. It is almost a religious experience....

 

DAMN, drivin to Caly,in a roadster,to THE show, how cool is that!!!!!!