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We all will be meeting at the Starbucks on Bernal Street in South San Jose: 125 Bernal Road, San Jose, CA 95119
Folks are welcome to start meeting up there around 7:30 AM and certainly be there by 8:30 AM. The driving groups then divide up into short and long trips and depart from that point at around 9-10 AM. The exact departure times depend on the route taken and coordination with the luncheon spot for the longer drive. I'm working with possible restaurants now to figure that last bit out.
We have a lot of interest, approximately 35 cars and 45-50 people attending in total! As exciting as this is, it is making luncheon and route coordination challenging.
Lastly, if anyone would like to step up and help organize the shorter drive through the Santa Cruz mountains please speak up. We had a volunteer but last minute family plans are preventing him from attending the event.
Thanks for getting it to this point. I'd help with coordinating the shorter drive, but it's looking as though it's going to be a "cars and coffee" event for me and a buddy, unfortunately.
Still - looking forward to meeting the group in the morning.
Where is the meeting place for the (1/3/15) event?
Originally Posted by Spyder_Man
*********UPDATE as of 12/16/14*********
First off, thank you to everyone who has expressed interest! I'm a bit shocked and overwhelmed by how many people want to participate in this proposed event. I suppose that is proof that has been too long.
Because I've been getting so much interest, I've created a GOOGLE FORM to help me sort through all of these responses. Even if you have responded to this thread saying you're in, please click the GOOGLE FORM link and complete the form. This will help me plan the best route(s) for the group and help organize sub-groups so that no one gets lost and everyone has a great time!
Lastly, because response has been overwhelmingly in favor of meeting on the Saturday rather than New Year's day, I've decided to hold this event on Saturday, 1/3/2015. Thanks for continuing to make Rennlist an awesome community to take part in!
Older Post(s)
So the idea was raised in another thread, but it's off topic there so I'm raising it again here. I've been shocked at how few meet-ups have been coordinated for/by the RL crowd in the SF Bay Area over the last year so I'm going to do something about it. Let's meet up!
The New Year is quickly approaching and once all this foul weather and holiday chaos subsides, I think it would be a great time to gather up, talk cars and enjoy some back roads. Exact time, location, and route are TBD at this point, but I'm thinking of either gathering on New Year's Day 1/1/15 or the Saturday of the first weekend following 1/3/15.
Are interested in gathering up?
Would either of those dates work for you?
What region of the SF Bay Area would you be coming from?
How many cars/people do you anticipate bringing?
Once I get some sense of a head/car count, I can start plotting and scheming a gathering location and driving route. At this point I'm just raising the topic here in the 993 forum because I am a little worried about the gathering getting too large for me to manage alone. That said, other Porsches and Porsche drivers are welcome too!
Please RSVP in this thread answering the above four questions, and I'll start compiling a spreadsheet of attendees.
Here is what I'm pondering at the moment in brief (I'm on my iPhone so I cannot post in detail right now).
1) Meet at Starbucks in south San Jose starting around 7:30 AM and arriving no later than 8:30 AM.
2) Groups divide into short and long duration driving groups.
3a) The short-drive group can depart anywhere between 9am and 10 am. It will take Uvas road down to Hwy 1 and then north and back through the hills as desired. This drive can be anywhere from an 1.5-3 hour drive depending upon that groups appetite. The 2 hour loop that I suggested in a prior post is just a suggestion, but they seem like decent, less-travelled roads.
3b) The long-drive group will likely leave San Jose at 9 am for Hollister. Folks will have a bit of time in Hollister to gas-up and buy some food for the road at the local Safeway. Since we have such a large group, I think it is going to be easiest to make this a "bring your own lunch" picnic style arrangement. We'll head south on 25, possibly even jog over to Coalinga, but not stop there to dine.
At Coalinga folks wanting a shorter drive can peal off and take the I-5 home (or follow along on 198 and then part ways by taking 101 north), and folks wanting to continue will head west past the fort and into Big Sur. The drive to Coalinga will be fun and fast and take about 3 hours from the San Jose meet-up point (not counting the I-5 drive home). The full drive from San Jose to Carmel by way of Coalinga and Big Sur will be closer to 6 hours of driving time along with a few photo opportunity stops and picnic lunch along the way. (This will be a full day event.)
The roads after Coalinga won't be as fast but will be very scenic. We'll likely stop somewhere along the Big Sur coast (or perhaps on the ridge line if there is enough space) to picnic casually and enjoy the view. The timing should be good to catch the afternoon light and possibly the sunset in Big Sur.
I have a possible Mexican restaurant lined up in Carmel for an early dinner (~5:30pm) that evening for those of us who want to share a meal and margaritas before parting ways. I will need a formal head count for dinner so the restaurant is ready for us and all our cars. After dinner folks will be on their own to plot their routes homeward.
Thanks everyone for your patience. I've finalized the routes and logistical details for this Saturday's Meet-Up and Drive!
As mentioned above, we will be gathering at the Starbucks parking lot in South San Jose on Bernal Street anywhere between 7:30 AM and 9:00 AM. Please be there before 9 AM because we will need to split the group up into separate driving groups, discuss route details, and remind folks of safety tips. Both the short and long drive groups will be leaving promptly at 9:30 AM.
---------------------------------
The short drive will take the route that I initially proposed (minus returning to the Starbucks) and has the option to continue driving on some of the great back roads within the Santa Cruz mountains after this loop is completed. See the route below:
The long drive will take a revised route, heading first to Hollister to gas/gear up, then down 25 to 198, 198 to Jolon Road, Jolon Road to Mission San Antonio, Mission San Antonio to Big Sur, Big Sur to Carmel, and Carmel to home. This will be a full-day trip. We will have a Bring-Your-Own (BYO) picnic lunch at the mission where there will be picnic tables available to us. When I called the mission today, they said it was sunny but cold so bring layers! From there we'll take the mountain pass over into Big Sur. Given the clear sunny weather that is forecasted, the view should be amazing! (If some folks don't want to continue to Big Sur and leave at or before lunch, that's fine but please let me know so we don't go looking for you.)
Lastly, in Carmel I have made a reservation for an early dinner (5pm) at the Baja Cantina and Grill located in Carmel. Since we will likely have more than 20 people dining there, we will have a 5-item limited menu at the fixed price of $25 per person (including tax, tip and non-alcoholic drinks). Margaritas and starters can be purchased separately. There will be one bill for the whole parties' food items so please bring cash to pay your share of dinner!
To summarize this longer drive succinctly, the first half will be fast and the second half will be scenic.
Attached here are the finalized itineraries for both short and long drives. Details about the dinner restaurant can be found: here and here. For those who are curious to learn more about the mission, you can do so here: http://missionsanantonio.net/
Thank you all for your strong interest in this meet-up! I look forward to seeing you all on Saturday!
12-29-2014, 02:41 PM
As exciting as this is, it is making luncheon and route coordination challenging.
