Tanqueray

If you guys who went to Irvine are anything like me, you are so tired that you can't hold your heads up. Bad news: we need to start some kind of planning for the Rte. 191/666 drive if we intend to invite Team Irvine, Mookie and the Vegas guys.

Here is my first cut at the schedule:
Mid-October for weather reasons, probably the weekend of the 19th or 26th.

Thursday
--Team Irvine arrives late evening. Hotel location?

Friday
-- Leave at noon (so more AZ people can attend)
-- Drive to Yarnell/Prescott/etc. to Alpine, Springerville or Greer (I have a line on a nice 'chalet' in Alpine, but Springerville is at the top of Rte. 191, providing a better drive on Saturday).
-- Rent a big cabin or stay at a hotel?
-- Can anyone provide an estimate of this driving time?
-- Yarnell is a primo road, but does it take us too far out of our way?

Saturday
-- Drive down 191 (3-4 hours)
-- Back to Phoenix via Hwy 70
-- BBQ at someone's home? Local restaurant?

Sunday
-- Team Irvine departs for home

Please put in your suggestions and help me fill in the details. I am probably going to go drive this route during Labor Day weekend to get a feel for the time and difficulty. Anyone else interested?

http://www.azcentral.com/travel/destinatio...2coronado.shtml

ceo2b

Hey Chris,

Made it home in one piece & can barely hold my head up right now I'm so tired! Just spent 2 1/2 hours detailing the car & now have a bit o work to do. Need to get my pics posted & thank-yous off to Team Irvine as well.

You're route sounds great, but I wonder if Yarnell is too far out of the way to do it all in one weekend. Let's try it & see.

I'm up for a Labor Day dry run.

Dave

s2k3132

I also think that Prescott is pretty far. Why not offer the option of just showing up at the cabin or whatever we pick. This would allow the option of taking Friday and driving up 191 and then driving down it on Saturday. This is definitely a road you will want to do more than once. October sounds great if the weather holds up.
See you there whatever you decide.
MaryAnn and I will not be able to do the car show. We are going to leave for California on Sept 14 and do the PCH, Rim of the World, Yosemite and any other twisties we can find. We have never been to Cali so we are both psyched for this trip.
See you all when we get back.

Tanqueray

That's the input I needed. Ok -- we skip Yarnell. Here are two more ideas:

1) How about taking Hwy 60 north through the Salt River Canyon? That will take us directly to the Greer area. If we left Phoenix at noon, we would hit Greer by 4pm or so. Depending on how everyone feels, we could do a run up and back on a section of 191 before dinner or before bed. Call it 4hrs on Friday, 6-7hrs on Saturday.

2) We could steal part of Dick's idea: take Hwy 70 to Rte. 191 and drive up to Greer on Friday (long drive). Saturday, we do Hwy 180 (mirror image of 191, but on the New Mexico side of the border) back south, and Hwy 70 to Phoenix (slightly longer drive). Call it 6-7hrs each day.

Keep the ideas and critiques coming!
Chris

Tanqueray

Another idea:

Phoenix to Eagar (the town at the north end of 191) is 225mi, approximately 4hrs with the usual RV traffic. The interesting part of 191 is 161mi; we could do both in one day at 400mi.

How about if we drive Hwy 60 to Eagar, then down 191, then spend the night in Clifton.
Next morning, we drive back north to Eagar on 191, then take Hwy 60/280/87 back to Phoenix.

This would cover almost all of the really cool roads in Arizona (87 between Phoenix and Payson, 60 through the Salt River Canyon, and Rte. 191 north/south).

Does this sound possible? Does it sound like fun, driving that far on challenging roads? Would it be too much for the Irvine guys (1600miles in 4 days!)?

I figure that we have to have dates set and a good idea of the route by the week after Labor Day to allow Irvine to make plans.

SCS2k

If it makes a difference, NSXPO is October 17-22. A lot of the NSX guys wanted to go on this drive but obviously will be out of town for those dates (myself included).

Tanqueray

Jim,

It would be cool to have some NSXs-- would you all be up for the drive on the 26th? Or would it have to be pushed into November?

That would give us some NSX people, 5-7 local S2000's, 5-7 SoCal guys, and possibly Mookie and the Las Vegas guys...call it 15 cars. I would split it into 2 driving groups, probably based on intended speeds.

If you could get me an approximate count of those with serious interest, I would appreciate it.

ceo2b

Chris,

Are you still up for a Labor Day run? We probably need to book a room if we're going. Anyone else up for it?

Dave

Tanqueray

Dave,

Yep, I am still going. What's your opinion on the route? I have poured over the maps and can't decide. We need enough driving to keep everyone occupied all day, but not so much that everyone is sick of driving.

And, as our resident mountain man, when does it start getting cold enough up in Greer, Clifton, Payson, etc. to make people raise their tops?

Thanks,
Chris

ceo2b

Chris,

It's still pretty hot along the suggested routes -- 100 + during the day, but beautiful mid-60s at night. I think we definately want to hit Highway 60 through the Salt River Canyon -- great drive. What do you think about this:

US 60 from Phoenix to Carrizo.
73 looping down, then up to the 260 to Greer / Eagar.
191 South to Safford. 70 back to the 60 at Globe.
60 back to Phoenix.

or

Make it a 3 day affair (probably too much for the cali folks).

60 out of Phoenix to Eagar.
191 North to Chinle (I hear canyon de chelle is beautiful)
Cut across to 666 in New Mexico, south to 60.
60 back to Phoenix.

I like all of your suggestions, as well as these ones. Whatever you think. It's going to be hot next weekend, but probably gorgeous mid / late October.
Dave