Sonoma Here We Come: Road Trip!
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Night at the Ahwahnee
Sunday July 7th found us traveling from Fresno up into Yosemite. We first ran out to Glacier Point for some spectacular views, taking in a nice hike out to Sentential Dome along the way. Nice trail, nice roadway, and pleasant temperatures. Then we traveled down into the valley, where we had lunch, dinner and spent the night. We were due a bit of downtime!
Sunday July 7th found us traveling from Fresno up into Yosemite. We first ran out to Glacier Point for some spectacular views, taking in a nice hike out to Sentential Dome along the way. Nice trail, nice roadway, and pleasant temperatures. Then we traveled down into the valley, where we had lunch, dinner and spent the night. We were due a bit of downtime!
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Our Goal: The AROC Convention
Monday July 8th: Our day day began with gratefully cool weather. But that was in Yosemite, where we did a little more sightseeing.
The California Central Valley was once again headed towards 100º highs, and already in the 90's when we reached CA 99.
Rather than sloughing it up the sweltering valley to Sonoma, we decided to head right for the coast at Santa Cruz. It was another tough hot weather drive, punctuated by a cooling system dump. Self inflicted, in this case.
Back in Oklahoma, we hit a massive heat swell in the roadway, which nearly launched us. A hose clamp head on the oil breather tube came in contact with the hood when the engine bounced, and put a dimple in the spider's hood. (the new engine mounts raised it 1"). Ouch; only serious injury all the way across the country. Well, I rotated the clamp 45º so as to remove the possibility of it happening again. Four days later, the clamp had cut into the upper hose. Luckily, I had a spare in the trunk. The repair was quick (only two easily-accessible clamps), and the system accepted (and kept) a gallon of antifreeze and a gallon of water.
At that point, we were on the cooler coast, and we put the top down. And soon put our windbreakers on, as the temperature dropped all the way to the 50's near the Pacific.
The run up coastal Rt 1 was invigorating and scenic - admittedly not quite as spectacular as the PCH further south. It was getting late when we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and entered wine country.
The Convention's Alfa Parking Lot was nearly full by the time we arrived. What a marvelous sight!
The journey is over, and 'Old Reliable has once again carried us successfully across the country. A bit more dramatic than doing Rt 66 in a new SUV, but far more civilized than crawling along in a Model T.
- Michael & Kathy
Monday July 8th: Our day day began with gratefully cool weather. But that was in Yosemite, where we did a little more sightseeing.
The California Central Valley was once again headed towards 100º highs, and already in the 90's when we reached CA 99.
Rather than sloughing it up the sweltering valley to Sonoma, we decided to head right for the coast at Santa Cruz. It was another tough hot weather drive, punctuated by a cooling system dump. Self inflicted, in this case.
Back in Oklahoma, we hit a massive heat swell in the roadway, which nearly launched us. A hose clamp head on the oil breather tube came in contact with the hood when the engine bounced, and put a dimple in the spider's hood. (the new engine mounts raised it 1"). Ouch; only serious injury all the way across the country. Well, I rotated the clamp 45º so as to remove the possibility of it happening again. Four days later, the clamp had cut into the upper hose. Luckily, I had a spare in the trunk. The repair was quick (only two easily-accessible clamps), and the system accepted (and kept) a gallon of antifreeze and a gallon of water.
At that point, we were on the cooler coast, and we put the top down. And soon put our windbreakers on, as the temperature dropped all the way to the 50's near the Pacific.
The run up coastal Rt 1 was invigorating and scenic - admittedly not quite as spectacular as the PCH further south. It was getting late when we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and entered wine country.
The Convention's Alfa Parking Lot was nearly full by the time we arrived. What a marvelous sight!
The journey is over, and 'Old Reliable has once again carried us successfully across the country. A bit more dramatic than doing Rt 66 in a new SUV, but far more civilized than crawling along in a Model T.
- Michael & Kathy
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YOU ARE GREAT, SO ARE PICTURES. I live in N New Mexico and in Abq. I missed you by 200 miles. Still drove down and looked. Wrong **** day. Again I think Michael and Kathy for including us in their adventures.
Robert
Robert
Wow, sorry I didn't find this thread sooner. Glad you got to visit our beautiful West Virginia State Capitol (that's real gold up thar!), too bad it was not the most picturesque of days or views. Ten days earlier (the 150th birthday of the state was June 20), you'd have seen fireworks bouncing off that dome.
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Sonoma Views
Greetings:
The Convention is behind us now, but allow me to post a few more photos taken during the our visit to Sonoma. Featured is a shot from the track during the parade laps, our spider posed at a lovely Italinan-themed winery, a panorama from the show field, dropping our Alfa off at the shipper in Livermore (note new additions to the stickers on rear), and finally someone else's Graduate we found parked near the Crookedest Street (Lombard) in San Francisco.
- Michael
Greetings:
The Convention is behind us now, but allow me to post a few more photos taken during the our visit to Sonoma. Featured is a shot from the track during the parade laps, our spider posed at a lovely Italinan-themed winery, a panorama from the show field, dropping our Alfa off at the shipper in Livermore (note new additions to the stickers on rear), and finally someone else's Graduate we found parked near the Crookedest Street (Lombard) in San Francisco.
- Michael
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Michael:
Thanks for posting the story of your adventure. I was looking forward to reading the adventures of the return trip but see that is not to be. Sorry I missed you and Kathy. If I would have had just a few more months I think I would have had the GTV is shape to make the trip there from Oregon.
Best to Kathy,
Stooie
Thanks for posting the story of your adventure. I was looking forward to reading the adventures of the return trip but see that is not to be. Sorry I missed you and Kathy. If I would have had just a few more months I think I would have had the GTV is shape to make the trip there from Oregon.
Best to Kathy,
Stooie
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What--no return trip. I really think you are the most interesting Alfisti I have had trip reports from.
Thanks again for your earlier reports. Feel free to take another trip and report to us.
Robert
Thanks again for your earlier reports. Feel free to take another trip and report to us.
Robert
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The pano is generic iPhone shot. I am creating a Flickr Collection of photos from the trip, and the items in the Concourse set are full size.
Collection: Rt 66 Road Trip to Sonoma
- Michael
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