Pre-Planning for a new Nor-Cal Meet

[manxman]

Hey macbuddy-----

Lets get started on a new Fit Meet! I suggest Loch Lomond in the Santa Cruz Mountains, east of Felton. This is one of the twistiest drives that you'll find around here. There is a lake with rental boats for anyone who wants to fish, and a beautiful picnic area with BBQ boxes. I address this to you, because you are the official default liaison between HondaFitForums, and the members of that other site who are too lazy to join us and keep up with current events!

Any date is OK with me, and any other location is also fine. Because of the time that it always takes to set these things up, NOW is a good time to start. Feel free to pick a Central Valley site. I just mentioned this one because of the twisty route to the lake, and because I like the site. :eek::eek:

Happy New Year!!!

Dave:p

[EXWRX]

That location sounds fun! I'd love a twisty drive. I'd say to shoot for a month or 2 from now when we can likely count on it not raining on our parade of Fits. :p

[manxman]

That location sounds fun! I'd love a twisty drive. I'd say to shoot for a month or 2 from now when we can likely count on it not raining on our parade of Fits. :p
Great! That's two of us. Unfortunately, the drive East from Hwy. 9 up the mountain to the lake is only about 3-4 miles. The lake istelf is really pretty. I hate to keep dragging you Central Valley people over here, but I don't know any sites in your area, other than the San Luis Reservoir. THAT is a great site, but the drive to it is completely flat. We could do another meet on Mt. Hamilton, and no one will censor our stories about "racing" up/down the mountain. Also, there are several sites just South of Half Moon Bay to give us some interesting coastal driving. Macbuddy knows a lot of the area around the Central CA. coastal region- maybe he can come up with some more ideas. Mike, join in when you can!

[claymore]

Darn another one I will have to miss.

[manxman]

Darn another one I will have to miss.
Hell, it's just a 16 hour plane ride- you'd be guest of honor!

[claymore]

NA too cold over there. :p

[macbuddy]

Hey macbuddy-----

Lets get started on a new Fit Meet! I suggest Loch Lomond in the Santa Cruz Mountains, east of Felton. This is one of the twistiest drives that you'll find around here. There is a lake with rental boats for anyone who wants to fish, and a beautiful picnic area with BBQ boxes....

Hey manxman,
Your idea of a Fit Meet at this location sounds great! I'll start making some contacts with our friends at the other site.
Yeah...Let's do this!

-macbuddy-

[manxman]

Hey manxman,
Your idea of a Fit Meet at this location sounds great! I'll start making some contacts with our friends at the other site.
Yeah...Let's do this!

-macbuddy-
macbuddy,

Thanks for spreading the news in fitfreak PM's. This particular park is closed for the winter, and I will visit it as soon as it opens (April?), and make sure that it has everything that we need for a meet. We certainly have plenty of time to plan, and ascertain interest of the fitfreak members who have yet to sign onto these forums.

There are many, many other sites that we could pick if people don't want to wait for spring and the opening of this one, particular lake.

[EXWRX]

All the way till April?!? :( I was hoping sooner than that. I'd say we could do Hamilton any time, but if it snows, that would be mighty exciting. :eek:

[manxman]

All the way till April?!? :( I was hoping sooner than that. I'd say we could do Hamilton any time, but if it snows, that would be mighty exciting. :eek:
Well, they don't let you drive on Mt. Hamilton Road when snow is predicted either- they station a CHP officer who blocks the road with his car. (Ask me how I know-). In Feb. or Mar. we could all meet somewhere around Hayward, then drive across the San Mateo Bridge, have lunch at a restaurant in Half Moon Bay, then drive South along the coast for a while- maybe go to Natural Bridges State Park, or Butano State Park near Pescadero in San Mateo County. I went to Butano Park only once in the past, and remember that there were a lot of winding roads that you have to take after turning inland from the coast around Pescadero. Or, rather than turning inland from Pescadero, we could drive all the way down Hwy. 1 to Santa Cruz- lots of beaches for photo shoots in that 50 mile drive, and from Santa Cruz, everyone could take Hwy. 17 North to the respective freeways that would take them home.

Another idea (not good in cold or rainy weather)- we could drive South on Hwy. 1 to the Monterey Fisherman's Wharf (BIG parking lot) for lunch at one of the restaurants on the wharf, then drive as far South along the coast as anyone wants to go.

I have no idea why Loch Lomond lake is closed in the winter- maybe State budget cuts. I can't even find any mention about when it will reopen. As I said, I am open for any destination, but if we don't have facilities for cooking, we'll need a restaurant nearby.

[manxman]

All of the NorCal Fit owners who read this thread are lucky that you are not SoCal Misfits- if we all were such, I would have HUNDREDS of suggestions for interesting meet sites. Unfortunately for our Fits, my suggestions would have come from experience as an off-road driver. We would be trying to get to sites on mountain tops, or desert valleys- unfortunately, none of us could actually get to any of them. We don't have enough ground clearance, and don't have 4 wheel drive. Come to think of it, Joshua Tree Nat'l. Monument would be a spectacular photo-shoot site, with rocks the size of houses piled 4-5 stories high. Oh well--- we are not there, but here instead.

I can't be the ONLY one here with an imagination! C'mon people- suggest something!

[claymore]

Bangkok Thailand :rolleyes:

[manxman]

That would be fun, and I like Thai food, but it's a destination that we can't drive to. Besides, it's too HOT over there!

[manxman]

For future interest of all NorCal Fit owners, macbuddy has occasional access to a time- share condo in the town of Arnold, CA, in the Sierra foothills, a few miles East of the town of Angel's Camp, (home of the Jumping Frog Contest) CA, made famous in the story by Mark Twain. I don't know how many cars are allowed in the parking lot for one time-share holder, but this would be a great location for a meet of about 6 Fits. The drive from Stockton going east on Hwy. 120, and then on Hwy 4 from Copperopolis, CA, is spectacular for Fits. If you aren't going up or down, you are going diagonally for a length of about 3 miles (can't go straight for more than ten feet) leading into Angel's Camp. There is a REALLY good small restaurant in Arnold, and the whole area is covered with great roads, lakes, and river views.

I am not volunteering macbuddy's property for a Fit party, but if the opportunity ever comes up, the NorCal Fit people would have a great drive and a good time. People from S.F. down to the South Bay could make it here and back in one, long, day. It's about 3+ hours each way from San Jose. I have camped and explored caves around this area many times.

[macbuddy]

Sorry that I haven't logged on lately, I was up at that Time Share this week. Went skiing at Mt Reba with 3 family friends.
Yeah, that one stretch of road, "Murphy'a Grade," is a real "Roller Coaster ride!" On the way back, luckily we got held up by slower traffic, there was an officer waiting on the side of the road with radar.

[manxman]

Yep, that's a perfect road for a speed trap! Sounds like you had a good time in the mountains.

[EXWRX]

I'd be fine with another Diablo, Mt. Hamilton, or even Vasona Lake park. The picnic place was okay, but the exotic car place down the street was unreal!!

[ekonetics]

Maybe sometime this summer or next year I will take a road trip to meet some of you.

[manxman]

Maybe sometime this summer or next year I will take a road trip to meet some of you.
We will look forward to that event! There is a LOT of sight-seeing to be done around here, and out-of-state Fit owners are always welcome. We would definitely cook up a Fit meet in your honor. Not to put down anyplace in Washington. I have spent a lot of time at various Boeing plants and diesel engine rebuilding shops. I remember a lot of delicious seafood restaurants around the harbor area of Seattle and its suburbs.

[ekonetics]

We will look forward to that event! There is a LOT of sight-seeing to be done around here, and out-of-state Fit owners are always welcome. We would definitely cook up a Fit meet in your honor. Not to put down anyplace in Washington. I have spent a lot of time at various Boeing plants and diesel engine rebuilding shops. I remember a lot of delicious seafood restaurants around the harbor area of Seattle and its suburbs.

I love going to California, but Washington being so nice lately makes me appreciate the weather we have here. Their is a lot of restaurants that are good around here, if anyone ever comes up let me know. Hopefully when I do come down there I can get some more Fits from Washington and Oregon to make it an epic meet.

[manxman]

That's a GREAT idea! California needs your tourist dollars!

[manxman]

Seriously, out-of-state visitors would guarantee a large turnout of the local S.F. Bay Area Fit owners, particularly the Nor-Cal Misfits. But advance planning is crucial- the bigger the group, the fewer the sites (parks, etc.) that can hold a big group. We could have a 50-car meet, but there is only one park that I know of that could easily hold that many cars and still provide enough BBQ grills and tables close to each other. A group that big would delight the park staff. They charge $6.00 per car for day use around here.

[macbuddy]

I...Their is a lot of restaurants that are good around here, if anyone ever comes up let me know. Hopefully when I do come down there I can get some more Fits from Washington and Oregon to make it an epic meet.
Ekonetics,
Hey, good to know! I would be interested in visiting some of the better seafood restaurants up there! Do you guys have the "Burgerville" chain in Washington too? I have yet to go to one. My Portland Auntie keeps taking me to Chinese restaurants instead.
I've gone up to Seatle/Portland for the past two years in a row now to visit all my relatives. Last year, I saw a Washington/Oregon FF thread that seemed to be "whining" about the lack of any Fit meets up there. There was a lot of talk, but no one seemed to make a solid commitment.
I knew that I was going to 25 year Wedding Anniversary that summer, so, I PM"ed at least 12 FitFREAKs that lived in the OR/WA area. I tried contacting them 2 weeks prior to my trip, suggesting a possible mini meet. Guess what? Not one person replied! Maybe I scared them off. I dunno??? Hey, I tried!
Anyway, next time I go up again, I'll PM ya!
-macbuddy-

[manxman]

For the NorCal Misfits, here is another idea for a meet, which may not be affected badly by rain. We could drive the length of Skyline Blvd. (Hwy. 35) from its junction at Bear Creek Road, all the way across the mountain, up the peninsula, and wind up in Woodside for lunch at http://www.alicesrestaurant.com/ We wouldn't have to cook, and the drive would be just as interesting rain or shine. Look at the menu on the site. All of their burgers are named after various motorcycles (Moto Guzzi Burger, anyone?).

In rainy weather, maybe we wouldn't have to fight for space with bikers, but who knows?

BTW, Skyline Blvd. begins as a one lane road that winds around among Christmas tree farms. It is entirely possible to follow the road around a giant tree growing in the middle of a turn, and wind up facing an oncoming car. The road is totally dark all day long from trees that have grown canopies completely over the road from one side to the other. So, if we go there, it won't be a fast drive for the first 1-1/2 miles.

For the younger members who missed the "Hippie Generation", you can probably download "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie, the song that is the namesake of the restaurant. This is the story of how Arlo went to jail in the late '60s and was confined with "the mother rapers, and the father rapers, and all manner of bad people, for the offense of littering". "You can get anything that you want, at Alice's Restaurant, (exceptin' Alice)".

I have my own "in jail with the bad guys" story.:eek:

I have not taken this drive yet myself, but members of another forum have. Apparently there are a lot of areas for good photo backdrops.

[ekonetics]

Their is very few of us that meet up here in Washington, but we try and meet on a monthly basis nowadays. We did have one Fit owner come up from Oregon for a toy-run in December which was fun. I have not heard of that chain though in Washington, but it might be other areas which I do not visit to often. I'm sure if anyone wants to visit, we can try and get some of the Fits out and maybe the elusive supercharged k20 Fit.

[claymore]

One of the best songs ever "Alices restaurant". The longggg version

[EXWRX]

I didn't realize that Alice's restaurant was a real place. I am very interested. The song isn't that long, Claymore. Just 20 minutes or so. :p

[manxman]

I didn't realize that Alice's restaurant was a real place. I am very interested. The song isn't that long, Claymore. Just 20 minutes or so. :p
Well, Bay Area Fits need to pick a day. Would probably be best NOT to pick one with a major storm predicted, but weather predictions don't come with any guarantees so we'll have to take what we get.

And I don't really KNOW that this restaurant's name has anything to do with the Arlo Guthrie song (the location of the story in the song was Stockbridge, MA- it's in the lyrics), or why it seems to cater to owners of motorcycles. But then, on the Guthrie album Alice's Restaurant Massacree, there is "The Motorcycle Song" with the really deep and moving lyrics:

"Oh I don't want a pickle,
Just wanna ride on my motor-sickle
And I don't wanna die,
Just wanna ride on my motorcy-------
------------Cle."

I am booked up from 3/23 through 4/10 with house & dog duty while my wife is away on the East Coast. Just about any time in February is OK with me, and any time from mid-April on. Loch Lomond near Felton, CA, will probably open back up around April, but I don't know that for sure.

We will announce the actual day of the event by PM only to avoid "party crashers" who visit this site, but now know that their Troll graffiti will be immediately eliminated. So, post anything you want on the thread, and once we get to a choice between several dates and have a list of participants, then we'll PM the final details.

For an easy meeting place to begin the drive, I suggest the K-Mart center parking lot on Mt. Hermon Drive in Scotts Valley (Jimmy- across the street from where we met for you to get your Blitz T/C). From there we head West to Hwy. 9, then North to Bear Creek Rd., and East to Hwy. 35. Then it's N/W from there all the way up the Peninsula to Woodside.

This is still just a suggestion- other ideas are welcome, but will delay the setting up of an actual meet while people argue about dates and sites.

[manxman]

And/Or---
Since Sacto and Central Valley members have so far to go just to get to this area, we could simplify things and have lunch on the Santa Cruz Wharf, and still cruise the twisty areas of the Santa Cruz Mountains- take Hwy. 35 from Bear Creek to Hwy. 9 then back down to Santa Cruz, or cruise up to Loch Lomond even though it is closed. We could go to "The Mystery Spot" if you want to spend money on the local tourist trap ("Trees and cabins warped out of shape by a giant magnetic meteor buried in the ground- water flows up hill!!!"). Wow!

This thread has all of the easy fun places that I can think of. Pick a date- pick a site- make up your minds-- it's up to you folks.

[EXWRX]

I'd be fine with anytime in February after the first weekend. Meeting up in Santa Cruz would be fine and then see how much energy we have left for a twisty drive, or stay lower key and hang out in Santa Cruz with maybe a photo shoot near the Boardwalk or some other locale.

[manxman]

Hey Jeff, and ANYONE ELSE who is interested--- if you are not busy THIS SATURDAY, macbuddy and I plan to do a little "pre-meet research". Any Fit owner is welcome. The plan is to meet in Scotts Valley for coffee in the morning- time to be determined by those who plan to come- sometime mid-morning or earlier. Then we go up to Hwy. 35 off Bear Creek Road, head East on 35 to Hwy. 9, and South on 9 to Santa Cruz for lunch on the wharf.

If people still are energetic, we can then go to Loch Lomond to find out when it will open for another real Fit Meet, or drive down to Capitola and watch the surf roll over the sunken concrete ship that has been there for decades, or visit The Mystery Spot that is also a nice Fit drive.

Anyway, macbuddy and I are tired of sitting around in the winter weather, and Saturday is supposed to only be partly cloudy.. Even if it rains, no big deal. Dress in layers- the wharf may be chilly with the ocean breeze.

Post here if we can expect you- we don't want to drive off before you show up.

[EXWRX]

I'd love to, but I'm doing some more work on the house Saturday. Plus I already had some plans for after that. I'll double check with my friends, but probably I'm already booked unless they have sudden sickness and I finish my house project quicker than anticipated.

[manxman]

Sorry to hear it- Jeff goes into the "Unlikely to show" list. Good luck with the house project, and have fun with the friends who are not sick. Short notice does tend to limit attendance for anything.

[manxman]

Sorry people, I screwed up!

I can't go Saturday after all. I knew that my wife was planning to go to a movie with a girlfriend, but I wasn't listening carefully enough. She's going on Saturday, and I have to be the dog-sitter.

Sunday is OK for me, and almost any other weekend from now thru 3/21 is OK. Let us know if you want to come Sunday.