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2975 Miles in SMOG-2

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    Posted: February/28/12 at 5:08pm
We just got back from a long road trip to southern California, using Hwy 101 north of San Francisco and a few smaller roads off of 101.  What a blast!  101 was made with the MINI in mindBig smile  2950 miles total.

The most paid for fuel was 4.66 in California and the least was in Oregon @ 3.86.

It rained, hailed, froze and was sunny hot depending on the section of roadway.  I was running the Dunlop Winter Sport 3D 215x45x17 tires and they stuck like glue in the cold wet and were predictable on ice.  Love those tires for what I was doing.  Better planted on the road than the Blizzak WS-60's we have on SMOG-1 but not as good on ice as the WS-60's.

We hit some high speeds (90+) on the straight wet sections while passing and tried to add 20mph to the yellow signs for corners.  Nothing was even trying to catch us and we only got stuck behind a motorhome once, traveling through a town, so that was good luck!

I had doubts about traveling on long trips with the oem "Sport Suspension" but with the load we were carrying (3200lb total weight) it sunk down and really was comfortable.

Fuel mileage was surprisingly good.  28 in the city/freeway stuff of San Francisco and 35 on the freeway on long straight sections, even with that load!

The light bar with the extra lighting came in handy for lighting up the edges of the roadway to make deer/elk obvious.

The tinted speedo and tach lenses worked great at night but not so great during the day with glare on them.  I need to find a way to dim or turn off the dash lights!

3 cheers for MINI for making that drive a fun adventure.


Edited by SMOG - February/28/12 at 5:54pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Saphire Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/28/12 at 8:28pm
Hi Steve,
 
   Whoe, quite a load.   ? Gold bars?   If you liked 101, you must try Cal. Hwy. 1.   Gary Owen.   Les.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/28/12 at 9:01pm
Les:

I wish gold bars!  We came back with advocados and rare books and a pair of antique handcuffs Big smile.

I drove Hwt 1 every weekend for 10 months back in the late 60's while driving my TR4-A irs.  Monterey to San Luis Obispo.  Way to much fun and I am looking forward to doing it in the MINI.  You have to drive that road during the winter because the Winnebagos will ruin your summer drive...

A winter caravan from Carmel to Cambria would be fun.

Right now California has the worst roads in our entire trip.  San Francisco is punishing it's citizens for not paying enough taxes...




Edited by SMOG - March/11/12 at 5:19am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote swpars Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/28/12 at 11:00pm
Sounds like an awesome trip.

I was just down in the Bay Area and did Big Sur from Carmel to San Simeon in a rented Nissan Altima. Decent car, but not as fun as a Mini. The steering was vague and the brakes were mushy, and don't get me started on Nissan's implementation of a CVT.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CORNERS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/28/12 at 11:23pm
I helped a friend with some repairs on a 1995 GMC Sierra pickup truck today. Talk about MUSHY! I thought there was something wrong with the car when I took it for a test drive around the block. 
Mush steering, mush brakes, mush suspension. I was afraid to drive the speed limit. 

We are lucky that we have our little cars.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/29/12 at 5:50am
Nice Photo!!!  That picture of the Big Sur Coast sure brings back some memories!  You had the advantage of no traffic because you did it in the winter as wellThumbs Up 

I used to live in Carmel Highlands and spent many hours camping, fishing and driving those roads.

For a real twisty one try the road from Big Sur to Jolon.  It might be called the Nacimiento-Ferrgusson Rd.  It used to be very well graded dirt to the top of the coast range and then one lane twisty asphalt to Jolon.






Edited by SMOG - March/11/12 at 5:20am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/29/12 at 5:48pm
Here is the small collection of photos I managed to get while driving.

http://www.mini4fun.info/Road_Trip/MINI_Vacation.html

S&L





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CINIMIN Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/29/12 at 6:20pm
WOW! Looks like a great trip - thanks for sharing!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dave's not here Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/29/12 at 7:05pm
Nice pics Stephen.  Some of them remind me a lot of our ride down the coast on the way to AMVIV 8 although it looks like you had much better weather.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote valvashon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/29/12 at 7:15pm
We were just down there this past weekend!  We stayed in Tillamook (Cape Mears) Thurs-Sun and enjoyed 101 in Oregon ourselves.  We didn't see you but did see another Silk Green MINI (from New York) at Hug Point. 

When we picked up Stacie's MINI we drove up 101 through most of California and then cut up [edit: US 199- The Redwood Highway] to I-5 in Oregon.  I highly recommend every MINI owner take all or part of 101 through Cali and or Oregon at some point in their MINI ownership.

Bruce




Edited by valvashon - March/11/12 at 10:07am
...Now mom may drive to the grocery store, But that's not what this car is really for...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/29/12 at 9:57pm
The weather kept the tourists at bayBig smile but the only fly in the ointment was poisoning in Orange CountyILL

Really a great winter trip!!!  I tried to take a movie of the torrential downpour we experienced in Crescent City but I was to busy driving to film at the same time...


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/01/12 at 12:02am
Nice trip S:

Did see any Elk pics there at the reserve? 

Bring back old memories. Thanks.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/01/12 at 6:11am
No Elk in Prairie Creek but there were many of them @ Dry Lagoon.  Sorry, no pics of large fuzzy hat racks.  Lee was way to busy hanging on to be able to operate a cameraLOL


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/01/12 at 6:13am
Originally posted by valvashon valvashon wrote:

We were just down there this past weekend!  We stayed in Tillamook (Cape Mears) Thurs-Sun and enjoyed 101 in Oregon ourselves.  We didn't see you but did see another Silk Green MINI (from New York) at Hug Point. 

Bruce



We saw a Silk Green MINI too!  How far south did you go?


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hapa Haole Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/01/12 at 3:32pm
Originally posted by Dave's not here Dave's not here wrote:



Nice pics Stephen.  Some of them remind me a lot of our ride down the coast on the way to AMVIV 8 although it looks like you had much better weather.

I was thinking the same thing... Great pics Stephen and I'm jealous to say that you DEFINITELY had better weather than we did last year on the way to AMVIV. I think it just about rained every day in California for us. Glad the weather was more kind to you and Lee. Thanks for sharing the trip along with some fantastic pics.

P.S. How was it that you were allowed to park so closely to that one airplane?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote valvashon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/01/12 at 3:50pm


Was it the one on the right (ours) or the one on the left (the one from New York)? Ours had holies and a green top; the one from New York has a black top with a sunroof and some sort of aftermarket wheels, along with a piece of loose cladding on the front fender. Both were quite dirty. We went as far south as Cape Mears along the Cape Mears road, but only as far south as the middle of Tillamook along 101.

Bruce

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/01/12 at 5:09pm
Brenda: Nobody was around so I just drove over to it! I told them what I did when I got inside and inquired why my trailer hitch did not fit when I showed them the photo. They laughed and said nothing else :-)

If I had better weather than you had on the AMVIV 8 trip then you guys really had crappy weather!!!

The next time I head that way I am taking a good camera and am going to take a few more days. There are places to stay that are super nice (priced accordingly) and then there are OK places. I try to space out the days to no longer than 8 hrs. behind the wheel. I will also jog over to Hwy 1 in Leggett Ca. to stay on the Mendocino Coast one night to get some good photos.

Cape Mears is some place I have never been but one of the guys that instructed me in building kayaks surfs and fishes that entire coast and in fact took a kayak from Manzanita to Bodega Bay, alone...

http://www.capefalconkayak.com/index.html

Really love the Mint Green MINI's! I got a few waves as I blasted down the road but since MINI's are going pretty fast in the corners there is not a big time for recognition, sadly. I was never luck enough to park next to one!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote minicommittee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/04/12 at 12:02am
So glad you had a great trip.  Love the comment about the 'finds' you brought back..Wink

Gonna have to get together again soon.  Miss you.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/05/12 at 8:40pm
Maybe a Hood Canal drive this Spring starting in Port Orchard?  There is a perfect staging spot/restaurant in Port Orchard that has no stop lights to get on the freeway system to take us around hood canal.  The Bremerton Airport is the first stop light you encounter and then one in Belfair and the last one is @ the intersection of 3 & 101 on the Hood Canal.

This has been moved to Drive Events Suggestions; thanks Linda!




Edited by SMOG - March/11/12 at 6:02am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/11/12 at 5:59am
Originally posted by valvashon valvashon wrote:

We were just down there this past weekend!  We stayed in Tillamook (Cape Mears) Thurs-Sun and enjoyed 101 in Oregon ourselves.  We didn't see you but did see another Silk Green MINI (from New York) at Hug Point. 

When we picked up Stacie's MINI we drove up 101 through most of California and then cut up 195 to I-5 in Oregon.  I highly recommend every MINI owner take all or part of 101 through Cali and or Oregon at some point in their MINI ownership.

Bruce




Bruce!  I finally got around to trying to find Hwy 195 in Oregon.  Holy Cow!  Did you have working knowledge of that road or just decide to take it because it is twisty?  How long did it take to get from 101 to i-5?

Stephen

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote valvashon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/11/12 at 10:05am
Originally posted by SMOG SMOG wrote:

Originally posted by valvashon valvashon wrote:

We were just down there this past weekend!  We stayed in Tillamook (Cape Mears) Thurs-Sun and enjoyed 101 in Oregon ourselves.  We didn't see you but did see another Silk Green MINI (from New York) at Hug Point. 

When we picked up Stacie's MINI we drove up 101 through most of California and then cut up 195 to I-5 in Oregon.  I highly recommend every MINI owner take all or part of 101 through Cali and or Oregon at some point in their MINI ownership.

Bruce




Bruce!  I finally got around to trying to find Hwy 195 in Oregon.  Holy Cow!  Did you have working knowledge of that road or just decide to take it because it is twisty?  How long did it take to get from 101 to i-5?

Stephen

My error- I meant US 199 (The Redwood Highway) from Crescent City in California to I-5 at Grant's Pass in Oregon, not highway 195.  That one looks like it doesn't really go anywhere.

Bruce


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S;
126 is the fun road you want that or 42.

J
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/11/12 at 4:24pm
195 might make it to Drain, but they appear to be logging roads.

126 & 42 are both nice roads.

34 was the one we went across last month and it was pretty fun!

199 is fun once it gets into California.

18 out of McMinnville to 101 is not bad, but the road that has my vote for shear fun is Hwy 1 south of Carmel to Cambria.  It would make a great road course if it was closed to traffic and only open race participantsThumbs Up  I have seen that Hwy closed for music festivals so the possibility exists...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/11/12 at 5:17pm
I have done the logging roads through the coast range into the valley, it takes about an hour longer, I had my 72 Blazer so the gravel was no big deal. 126 is nice because it runs along the river, 18 gets to much traffic.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SMOG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/11/12 at 6:38pm
The last time I took that road was in a VW Bus in the late 60'sBig smile It would be more fun in a MINI!


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