2020.03.14 – Day Run to Kernville
Saturday ~ March 14th
Join us for this all day run.
Rise and Shine…….. Clean up those Corvettes and get ready to drive! Join us as we caravan through the scenic back country roads to Kernville. (This is an all-day run, as it is a 2 ½ hour drive one-way) Yes, we will have lunch once we arrive in the Kernville area.
Here’s what you need to know:
Meet at the Kohls/McDonalds parking lot on Golden Valley Road (this is right off the 14) 19307 Golden Valley Road, Canyon Country
- 08:30 am – Meet to sign waiver
- 09:00 am – Depart (2 ½ hour ride to destination)
- 11:30 am – Arrive/Lunch
Contact Karen Jewett for more info at davnkrn@socal.rr.com or 661.753-6226
We initiated the run officially with a mass gathering at poolside with beverages and snacks to get us ready for our mass arrival for dinner at the nearby Tahoe Joe steak house.
Saturday had no official agenda, but there was no lack of things to do as we rolled to the winds in our faithful Corvettes. 
North and south, we found butterflies, elephant seals, cookies, farmers markets, apple farms, wineries, souvenirs, and cinnamon rolls.
There is likely even more, including rocking chairs. I must add that despite my excellent packing skills, my trunk was filled with reminders of the SLO weekend.
One more group dinner followed at the infamous Golden Gong, just south of our lodging. Service and cuisine were just as good as last year!
P.S. I felt compelled to make a stop at Bunnin Chevrolet of Santa Paula en-route home to see what’s up. I was met by many familiar staff members there who reported they are indeed open and that virtually all of the sales and service employees were retained under the new business ownership and they are eager to see us at their Grand Opening. I noted they have two Corvettes in stock as well, a Stingray convertible and a ZO6! (Christian says he is anxious to make a deal.) 
I was happy to see them up and running again.
Four couples ultimately participated in the event, Jeff & Leeann Carley; Brian & Kathy de Avila; Gene & Cindy Schmidt and Mike & Judy Woodings.
Off again eastward for our first night at Flagstaff, we learned of another roadblock ahead when we reached the Havasu turnoff from I-40. We had to detour back through Bullhead City due to an overturned big-rig closing the Interstate and blocking our route to Kingman. We rerouted as required and “DANG again” 14 miles from Flagstaff for more construction with our forward movement slowed to 4 mph! Flagstaff was a welcome stop after all that, but wait, there is more! Jeff Carley reported to us that he believed he was having trouble with his Vette, the left rear was sagging, not from overloading. Initial parking lot diagnosis pointed to an issue with the left rear lowering bolt.
Early morning follow-up at Marxen Chevrolet in Flagstaff confirmed a broken lowering bolt and the prognosis was the car was ok to drive to Albuquerque where parts were ordered for delivery on Monday. 
The remainder of Arizona on Day 2 was scenic but uneventful. We found downtown Winslow crowded with a classic car show so on we went to Gallup, NM and the Hotel El Rancho for our first taste of New Mexico “red or green” cuisine. After arriving in Albuquerque, it was a short day in preparation for Day 3 and an EARLY start for the Balloon Fiesta.
The crowds were huge at 5:30 AM as we arrived at the Fiesta Park and Ride for our bus trip to the Balloon Park on the north side of Albuquerque. The mass of people was even larger as we entered the park as hundreds of hot-air balloons were in various stages of inflation in preparation for the 7 AM mass ascension. Jeff, you remember Jeff, didn’t even think about bolts that morning with all of the balloon excitement! We found Old Town full of balloon fiesta tourists at mid-day and opted for a drive through the Bosque and visit to Los Poblanos Historic Inn and a drive through the Village of Corrales. The early start of Day 3 called for some relaxation in the afternoon before dinner at the famous Frontier Restaurant on old Route 66, across from UNM.
On Monday, Day 4, Jeff and Leeann broke away for their needed bolt repair at Bruce’s Corvette & Auto Service and were happily good to go for the rest of the trip as well as for a visit to an Albuquerque quilt shop while the remainder of us made our way to Santa Fe. We drove east of the Sandias through Madrid up NM-14, the Turquoise Trail.
Despite missing Santa Fe, the Carleys still smiled their way through Day 4! Santa Fe was founded in 1610 (before the Pilgrims landed ay Plymouth) and is the oldest state capital. It’s old and scenic with plenty of choices of places to eat or spend your money, from high end art to the native jewelry in Palace of the Governors. As we returned to Albuquerque, the Schmidts’ status changed slightly with Cindy flying back to LA for an overnighter to appear on local television leaving Gene with us until her return. Meanwhile, Judy, with not only New Mexico roots, but New Mexico connections as well, arranged for those remaining to enjoy an afternoon wine and cheese get-together at her cousin Katie Santiannes’ home prior to our dinner with local family at El Pinto in the North Valley.
Mesa Verde is famous for over 600 cliff dwellings of the Pueblo people, quite a sight. It was then off to Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah meet. The Navajos have the corner (or 4 corners) on the market there with $5.00 a head to see a survey monument afixed to the red earth there.
Off again to our lodging in the woods in Jacob Lake, AZ took us by Monument Valley and through a Hopi Pow-wow in Kayenta, AZ. A great caravan day.
Another cool day with club jackets a must at over 8,000 feet elevation. With less that 10% of Grand Canyon visitors coing to the North Rim, it is worthwhile trip for those who enjoy the road less traveled. Brian and Kathy missed the Grand Canyon visit as they peeled off from the caravan to visit relatives and take in the Prescott Corvette Car Show, hooking up with SCVCC alumni for a quick “howdy”. Day 7 then took our remaining Vettes to Kanab, UT for the night.
The sights were glorious and easily accessible, except for Bryce Point with limited parking. Parking attendants were less than cooperative about us trying to save parking space for one another and that will just remain a story for another day.
We went on to caravan to St. George, UT, where yet another quilt shop was visited briefly before we rolled back to Pacific Daylight time and entry into Nevada. The Schmidts continued to Las Vegas for personal and show time on the Strip while the Carleys and Woodings opted for Mesquite. Rested and ready to roll on Day 10, the Carleys headed home to Parker, AZ where Jeff will re-address the lowering bolt issue and the Woodings made a stop at Cracker Barrel in North Las Vegas, having passed by six others during the caravan. Love those biscuits.
The International Balloon Fiesta is the first week of October every year and we are already looking forward to another caravan including the Fiesta then along in another route to the south next time for more Southwest attractions.
Once we were well-nourished, we held our customary drivers meeting, and immediately after that the cars rumbled to life. Following the usual radio check, we lined up for the trip that would take us several hours south on the 15 freeway to our first destination, Old Town Temecula.
After lunch a we took a short stroll along Main Street where, wouldn’t you know it, we found an ice cream shop! After everyone was well stocked on sweets and treats, we headed back to our cars for the next leg of our journey, our hotel near Alpine, California.
After a quick stop to give our cars a fresh drink of T-Rex juice, we ascended up into the clouds along Hwy 79, through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park for the short, yet amazingly beautiful, thirty-five-mile trip to the little town of Julian.
Once in Julian, we found it to be a charming, turn of the century gold mining town from the 1800s. Normally a busy southern California destination, it was not very crowded. Of course, it was the middle of the week, and in the off-season, and with the drizzle and unexpectedly cold wind, the weather felt like a scene right out of the movie, Ice Station Zebra. Maybe I exaggerate a little on that point, but it was darn chilly. 
But still undaunted, we braved the elements to make our way on foot along Main Street where many of the shops had their wood stoves going, so the warmth of the fires was very welcoming.
Lunch was at the Miner’s Dinner, a 50’s themed café located in one of the town’s many historic buildings, this one dating back 1886 when it was first opened as a general store. The food was good, plentiful, and included an old-fashioned soda fountain. They did not take Vons cards.
But in the end, we all had a piece of the pie – some had their pie at the restaurant, while others had at this place or that one, but none of the pie lovers went away pieless. Some of us even got pie to take home – yum!
Anyway, back at the Viejas Resort, we had some time to relax and unwind before dinner at the highly touted, Grove Steakhouse located inside the casino. But wait, what’s this? Closed on Tuesdays? Okay, who does that? This a major resort, and they close their marque steakhouse on the very evening that we planned to dine there. Honestly, who does that? The other restaurants don’t close. The steakhouses in Vegas don’t close. So why this one? The audacity of these people.
On our third and final morning, the clouds and rain had set in as we met for a pre-trip breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast most caravanned home together, while a few used the opportunity to stop and see friends, or take a short side trip. Regardless of the route home, it was a great end to a fun, enjoyable, and well-planned trip.
The trip up was great, and as usual it required some experienced coordination between Mark Ware in the lead car and the tail gunners, Tom and Elke Couples, to keep everyone in formation as we made our way through some coastal traffic along the Ventura and Santa Barbara stretch of the 101. But once we cleared the traffic it was time to set the cruise control and enjoy the ride.
The museum, for those that have never there, is an amazing private petroliana collection of gas pumps, signs, and racing related memorabilia, much of it from the central California region. It is also home the Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame.
The museum was gracious enough to let us park inside, where we spent the next couple of hours getting a private tour by our hostess, Misty, the daughter of the owners, Mark and Vicki Mendenhall. She was not only very knowledgeable about the collections on display, but she shared many family memories related to growing up around the museum that was originally started by her grandfather, a Buellton gas station owner, and himself a land speed record holder.
After our visit to the museum, we took the short drive to Morrell’s Farm Fresh Dining where twenty-seven of us descended on the restaurant for brunch. Parking had been pre-arranged in front of the restaurant, and our tables were ready and waiting.
The relaxed brunch was excellent and offered a wide range of menu choices from traditional breakfast items to locally selected specialties – either way, we could not go wrong.
After brunch some of the group headed off to the casino to try their luck, which I understand went well, while others went shopping in Solvang, and a few of us caravanned home along the Chumash route through Ojai, bringing a close to another great run.
Our route bypasses the fire and resulting congestion and included a lunch stop in Buellton at Morrell’s Farm Fresh Dining on McMurray Road. It’s an American food place with excellent ratings where we were all welcomed and well taken care of. The restaurant staff was excited to have us all pour into their place and photo’d us leaving. We apparently were the guests of the day. Our caravan of 23 Corvettes was spectacular as we headed north and all the way into SLO and took over the Best Western Plus on Madonna Road for the weekend. Naomi, the manager, was gracious and she and her staff all treated us as longtime family friends, like her buddy Don Ceo.
Besides getting to SLO all together, there was no set agenda for the weekend, but despite that we all dined together at Tahoe Joe’s nearby to end our day. Our club is one that likes to stick together, and this getaway was no different. After Saturday’s leisurely breakfast, most of us lined up for another caravan, outbound on Los Osos Road to Morro Bay, then north on CA-1 to Cambria where one of our own, Chuck Negri suggested a stop at the little known Nitt Witt Ridge house. It was at least worth a drive-by.
With the Nitt Witt detour in our rear-view mirrors, we continued north on Highway 1 past San Simeon and on to the gateway to Big Sur, Ragged Point. There were plenty of photo ops there and the fresh ocean air was a welcome change from our hot summer’s end.
The caravan then continued, back south to Sebastian’s in San Simeon for lunch. The Corvettes rolling in all together were an added attraction for the many tourists at the café and my chili burger was especially good.
Onward south to Cayucos was next for a mandatory stop at the Brown Butter Cookie Co. for our favorite cookie selections and for some a look at the other spots of interest in the great little beach town.
Our caravan splintered into several smaller groups through the day, but we all made it back to SLO in good order in time to once again assemble for another “group meal”. This time the location was the nearby and infamous Golden Gong Chinese Restaurant. It was a close walk from the Best Western.
Then, almost as quick as the weekend started, it drew to a close. For some, Sunday morning had an early drive home in store and others had local stores to visit. With the ongoing fire situation in our home area, the route home was a consideration for all and there were several options discussed and taken, but we were all in the same accord, the Central Coast Getaway was another great event for the SCVCC!
Not wanting to miss out or to pay full price for the school, I called the reservation number for Ron Fellows hoping for a reservation but understanding the problem was on my end and not theirs. What a relief to hear after pleading my case that GM granted me an extension and that I would soon be attending the school. They even offered me a class date of November 5th, after the summer heat was over and the desert temperatures were ideal. “I’ll take it” was my response.
Instructions read that attire was optional, so I opted for shorts, polo shirts and a light jacket just to be cautious. I also read about the advice to wear driving shoes during training. I own plenty of shoes and have operated many Corvettes with no problem, but I had my eye on the Piloti driving shoes that were recommended. To get me focused on the training, now that my preparations phase was fairly complete, I spent some time reviewing YouTube videos posted by several past attendees. In retrospect, I think that was time well spent.
The courteous and helpful staff made our check-in smooth and we moved into very nice condo accommodations for our two-night stay. The second night was an optional add-on but well worth the minimal added cost to be up and running when instruction began at 0800 hours that Monday morning. I obviously had to check out the Piloti driving shoes and did so after registration in the gift shop area. Yes, I bought a pair and found that they run a bit small, but the shop had my needed size 12½ in stock. I worried a little that I would be the dork in the class with the new Pilotis, but about half of the class was sporting them the first morning and throughout the two days.
Our class of 20 all received training in Corvettes matching their own, Stingray, Grand Sport and ZO6, auto and stick. Attendees were in all ages and experience levels, from novice Corvette owner just learning how to put gas in to a couple with designs on breaking the course record. I might have fallen into the top third. The training gave us all a greater confidence in ourselves as well as the capabilities of our fine automobiles as well as hopefully making us more capable drivers in a very short time. The course is not one about speed, but it is about handling with speed being an element.
Graduation was included in the program and personally, I am proud of my certificate of completion and hope any of you who can, will find their way to Pahrump to understand your Corvette more fully and to be an improved driver. The only drawback I have found after the course is experiencing how mundane regular roadways feel and am always looking for my next apex!
