I know it's cold outside. Just get a leather jacket, a hat, a scarf and a pair of gloves and you're all set. Wait for a cold, sunny day, take the top down, turn up the heat and go. The great winter drive. It's maybe the most fun, most exhilirating drive you can take.

You don't especially need a destination, you just get into your S and go. Sunny, cold Sundays in January were made for this reason.

I haven't had the chance yet. I've taken a few short drives, but the weekends have mostly been grey and rainy. Sometime by the end of the month I'm going to drive due west on I-80 until I get to the Delaware Water Gap. Then I'm going to drive south along the Delaware River, and come home via I-78. All in all it'll be about 100 miles. Very scenic and very cold. Not quite as far as a summer drive, but just enough to satisfy my need to get in my S and go.

How about you? Have you taken the "Great Winter Drive" yet? Where did you go? If not where are you going to go?

 

I have never really taken a great winter drive. The S2000 is stored over the winter and the other cars are just that - other cars. They have no real special spark to them, just good, reliable transportation.

Maybe I should plan one...

 

Marco

Absolutely. You should plan one. There is something very special about a top down drive in the cold. It'll wake you up from the winter doldrums. I love doing it.

 

I go through too many gyrations to put my S to bed in the winter. If I took her out I'd have to do them all over again. Best to let her sleep. Besides, we have salt on the roads and she will never see that stuff...as long as I own her anyway. I envy you Rob.

 

I envy you also Rob. When I had my M.G.'s and I was living in R.I. I used to take the occasional winter top down drive and it was exhilarating. Here in Vt I have to climb a relatively steep hill to get out of my neighborhood so without snowtires I'd never make it.

 

Carm

I don't take my S out when there is salt on the roads, as a matter of fact, I don't take it out in the rain or snow. Luckily, all through the winter the rains tend to wash the streets clean of the salt and once in a while we get a great driving day.

So far, I have put less than 10 miles on my S in January, but if there's a clear day I'm ready. I guess I average about 150 miles in the months of January, February and March. Still, I couldn't stand to put it away for the winter. Those few "driving days" make it worth while.

I do love the cold top down drives.

 

Rob,

Unfortunately, we're always getting a little snowfall so it's rare that the roads would be "rained clean" and not be re-doused with salt a couple days later. WishI could take her for a drive. I'm getting antsy.

 

Rob...like Carmen, we have salt on the roads most of the winter, so a drive in the S is out for me. I know many drive thiers in the winter, but for me I see no use in doing it in the cold/salt.

I was thinking of just a drive in one of the other cars - no where near as fun of a drive though...

 

George, Matt and I discussed doing the Spring Fling route sometime in December, but it didn't happen. So now I guess it will be in March, which is getting into Spring. Also, the March Meltdown meet in Charlottesville/Nellysford has been a tradition for the past couple of years, so might do that again. Anything this month or in February will be a spur-of-the-moment thing, if the weather cooperates.

 

I may try to do the great winter drive next week, since temps are supposed to dip. I've been doing the great autumn drives since we've had almost no freezing weather -- today it'll be in the 70s which is a little strange for January in the mountains of Virginia. On New Years Eve I cruised the Blue Ridge Parkway (with the top down -- it was in the 60s) and saw a little ice on the mountain rocks beside the highway. Forecasters say we'll have some single digits temps next week. Meanwhile I keep thinking every day that it continues to be warm is another day closer to spring -- I just hope we don't get a blizzard in March.