2975 Miles in SMOG-2 |
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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Posted: February/28/12 at 5:08pm |
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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 mind 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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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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Saphire
PSMINI Skilled Member PSMINI Member Joined: December/06/09 Location: Seattle Status: Offline Points: 192 |
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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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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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Les:
I wish gold bars! We came back with advocados and rare books and a pair of antique handcuffs . 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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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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swpars
MINI Motorer Joined: August/07/11 Location: Mercer Island Status: Offline Points: 220 |
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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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'12 Mini Cooper 6AT
'04 BMW 330i 6MT |
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CORNERS
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: July/29/10 Location: Bothell, WA Status: Offline Points: 3733 |
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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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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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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 well
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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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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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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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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CINIMIN
MINI Motorer Joined: August/27/05 Location: Everett WA Status: Offline Points: 4676 |
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WOW! Looks like a great trip - thanks for sharing!
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Jack -
<font color=RED>CINIMIN [/COLOR] 2006 CR/W MCS - 6spd - LSD -15% Pulley - Dinan CAI ASA JH6's Koni FSD's 22mm Bar Have you hugged a curve today? |
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Dave's not here
PSMINI Skilled Member PSMINI Member Joined: May/09/10 Location: Federal Way Status: Offline Points: 360 |
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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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5 race wins, 2 in the rain. 2nd in ICSCC G Production Championship 2005 and 2006. Now I'm just gonna drive the MINI.
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valvashon
PSMINI Admin Joined: June/15/07 Location: West Seattle Status: Offline Points: 1170 |
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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 |
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...Now mom may drive to the grocery store, But that's not what this car is really for...
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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The weather kept the tourists at bay but the only fly in the ointment was poisoning in Orange County
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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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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johnf36
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: August/30/07 Location: Ephrata, Wa. Status: Offline Points: 8612 |
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Nice trip S:
Did see any Elk pics there at the reserve? Bring back old memories. Thanks. |
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If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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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 camera
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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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We saw a Silk Green MINI too! How far south did you go? |
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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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Hapa Haole
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Ambassador (past Events Officer) Joined: October/22/06 Location: Graham-Kapowsin Status: Offline Points: 3256 |
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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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valvashon
PSMINI Admin Joined: June/15/07 Location: West Seattle Status: Offline Points: 1170 |
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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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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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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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minicommittee
MINI Motorer Joined: February/04/10 Location: Silverdale Status: Offline Points: 246 |
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So glad you had a great trip. Love the comment about the 'finds' you brought back..
Gonna have to get together again soon. Miss you.
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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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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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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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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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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valvashon
PSMINI Admin Joined: June/15/07 Location: West Seattle Status: Offline Points: 1170 |
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...Now mom may drive to the grocery store, But that's not what this car is really for...
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johnf36
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: August/30/07 Location: Ephrata, Wa. Status: Offline Points: 8612 |
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S;
126 is the fun road you want that or 42. J |
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If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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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 participants I have seen that Hwy closed for music festivals so the possibility exists... |
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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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johnf36
PSMINI Expert Advisor PSMINI Member Joined: August/30/07 Location: Ephrata, Wa. Status: Offline Points: 8612 |
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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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If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.
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SMOG
PSMINI Member PSMINI Member Joined: April/07/09 Location: Port Orchard Status: Offline Points: 4296 |
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The last time I took that road was in a VW Bus in the late 60's It would be more fun in a MINI!
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I wish there was a local MINI Dealership, like our Honda, Subaru, Mazada and VW.
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