West Coast Event/Invasion

[Series6]

OKAY..... Let's talk about hosting an Invasion or major event on our side of the country in 2013. A few years back there was interest in San Francisco, Seattle, LA and Phoenix. I'm prepared to do a 3 day dry run around Phoenix and the north hilly area. Proposing a Rolling Invasion. Different place every night and anchor it to an event for the final day.

I'm planning a joint one day event between SoCal and Az at either Sunbeam Lake or the Town of Alpine this Fall. There are plenty of cars out west.

Let's hear suggestions and proposals from any interested parties. There's nothing preventing us from having a west coast AND an east Coast event the same year.

 

[mccormac98]

Here, here! I don't have a working Alpine yet but sure would love to meet other owners. A rolling invasion sounds fun.

 

[Firebuff]

All in..!!

I'm all in.. put it around Hockey season just to be greedy about it..!!

 

[Series6]

All I have to say about that is (my beloved) Los Angeles Kings-2012 Stanley Cup Champions

 

[Series6]

Okay... Back to the biz at hand. West Coast Event.... Any Ideas or any area want to step up and host something? Besides The Darksiders of SoCal and AZ?

 

[Mike snyder]

I'm Voting for San Francisco!

 

[v13311]

A vote here for northern California. Redding or north to the Oregon border

 

[V6 JOSE]

If we go too far north, we will be getting too far from the Arizona Beamers. I know that we won´t be able to please everyone, but central California would be about mid way between Washington and Arizona.

Jose

 

[RootesRooter]

If we go too far north, we will be getting too far from the Arizona Beamers. I know that we won´t be able to please everyone, but central California would be about mid way between Washington and Arizona.

Jose

Thumbs up.

Tigers United has put on probably 20+ events in the specific region Jose suggested. Any Tiger owners out there have any favorites cities from past years? (I've only made it as far south as Grants Pass, OR for a United)

One advantage we have is more flexibility than CAT and STOA, since the Invasion isn't constrained by hard-to-find autocross sites - although a funkhana (on a much smaller parking lot) would be a kick.

 

[Series6]

Make you a deal.... You guys up Northern California/Oregon way start organizing one and let me know the dates. We'll try to do a SoCal/Az event the same weekend and Skype the two locations. Nothing says we can't do multiple events in a region.

On the way back from Los Angeles I took the southern route thru (are you ready?) the town of Alpine California and also stopped at (ready?) Sunbeam Lake. Might be able to do an event at either.

Still waiting for the weather to cool so I can look for a route for the rolling invasion thru Arizona's hill country.

 

[Series6]

As far as events being too far for one group or the other to attend, here's my .02....

At this point I'd rather have a bunch of local events, scattered around the west, which would get those of us west of the Rockies excited and motivated to go longer distances to a larger event down the calendar road. Like I posted earlier, I'd like to try a rolling invasion that would start here, and end up at an anchoring event with other makes.

I've talked about the Wheels of Britain meet here in Phoenix which has been held in March. This coming year will be the last with the original crew. (No club has stepped up to continue it so far... This could be the last.) If we could hammer a 3 day event together before then, we could invade that one.

Heck, we have enough V6s running and in process out here to have a Darkside event.

 

[Ken Ellis]

With distributed Invasion gatherings, things like tech sessions and general question/answer sessions and individual car "show and tell" stuff could be handled by Skype or Google+, and viewed collectively by the various remote groups. Most motels and the like have the connectivity and large monitors to make that feasible, and modern iPhones/iPads can present a reasonable video image for this use.

Ain't technology great?

 

[Gitnrusty]

Whenever my better half suggests we go for a drive ( but honey, gas is almost five bucks a gallon ) we frequently take the hill and mountain back roads down to San Diego ( unfortunatly not in the alpine ) I like to imagine I'm in the middle of a string of LBC sportcars hanging it out in the corners (not a race you understand, just spirited driving fun) instead of 4000lbs of american iron. There's fun roads, fun places to stop, good places to eat, beautiful vistas, no cops.
Sorry...This post got me to dreaming...But at the rate I'm making progress (thats not the right word) I'm a couple of years away from this darkside dream becoming a reality.

 

[Series6]

Here's a look at two locations I'm working on.

 

[Cactusmasher]

Western event/Invasion

Here in Arizona we have a lot of good twisty roads in the mountains and low desert.....Tucson has the road to Mount Lemon....Apache Junction has the Bush Highway out to Apache Lake...( a local car club and motorcycle group favorite road ) and there is a nice restaurant right on the lake.

Phoenix has the road on South Mountain....Prescott has the 89A road over Mingus Mountain ( another car guy favorite spot ) and if you stay on 89A through the red rock country of Sedona, 89A goes up through Oak Creek Canyon.

Arizona has a town of Alpine, AZ up in the cool mountains and you can take the road up through Salt River Canyon, about as twisty as it gets. You can also take the old Route 66 through the mountains in the Northwest part of the state. Arizona has the biggest stretch of Route 66 left in the USA. We have lots of roads for the enthusiast and they are easily a one day trip from Phoenix.

Just thought I'd throw that in for what it's worth.

 

[Series6]

Update-Took a drive yesterday. All backroads thru Wickenburg, Congress, Yarnell, Wilhoit and finally Prescott. Need some feedback.

My idea is to get 10-15+ patient Sunbeams signed up and in Phoenix on Friday 8 March (WEATHER ALLOWING). Saturday 9 March we'd set out up the backroads allowing time to talk, swap cars, compare notes, run part of the route in the opposite direction (one lane, downhill and tight), eat, take pictures and just enjoy the company of fellow Sunbeamers. Arrive in Prescott just before sundown. I visited 5 motels, a lodge and an (very cool) inn. Get checked in, have dinner and good company. Get up early and on the road by 06.30 to be in Phoenix by 09.00, in time to sign in to the (final) Wheels of Britain car show. That show ends about 14.30 hrs which would allow California attendees time to get back. Wheels of Britain sign up is about $20-25.

The Hassayampa Inn in Prescott would be in the neighborhood of $179 a night for 2 queensize beds. This place was built in 1927 and is beautiful. They have a parking garage and if we have enough people they would either arrange for a night watch or multiple Police drive thru. We would have a nice dinner in a private dining room, where we could hang out and visit. Non-smoking, but told me I could smoke my cigar "out that way".

There were a few mid priced but the lower end is the Apache Lodge, favored by car clubs. White walls, turquise accents and neon. Very cool at night. Small rooms, with courtyard type parking. We could BBQ or bring in stuff.

I'm leaning towards the Hassayampa due to the covered parking and a really cool ambiance.

I need an idea who might be interested in a format like that.

 

[sunbby]

Nick showed some of us this route, along with scenery pics, it looks like an amazing time.

I think this will be a cool event Nick!

 

[Eleven]

A vote here for northern California. Redding or north to the Oregon border

That are I might be able to make. It is a long haul in my non overdrive Alpine that has never gone more than 30 miles from home!!! San Fran is a little less than 900 miles. NorCal or Southern Oregon, say Bandon or Brookings?

 

[SDuncan]

I am planning to be down in Phoenix at the end of March, so will likely miss out. I will have to hold out for another Arizona Chapter BBQ instead.

 

[V6 JOSE]

I have been planning on being in So. Cal. in May of next year, and have been talking to Nick and Kelly about having a get together with as many Alpines, Tigers and other Rootes cars as want to come. I already have a commitment from a friend in Utah, who wants to drive his V6 Alpine to So. Cal. for a meet.

Would be great to see every V6 Alpine in the South West come and have a great time together.

Jose