Road Trip from Alaska: Wanna Meet Up?
 

Hey guys and gals! I'll be driving my BRZ from Alaska down to a family reunion in Ukiah, CA, on May 11th, a Saturday. I'm leaving Alaska Friday afternoon, May 3rd. I plan on arriving in Seattle on Monday, May 6th. I'll spend part of the day hanging out with my employer since they're based out of Seattle, but in the evening I plan on being free.

Ideally, I would like to meet up with people in Portland on Tuesday night. I've got some friends there that I plan on staying with.

After that I plan on driving down to Monterey for a day, then coming back up to Ukiah for the family reunion. I don't plan on being there long, though. Maybe show up Friday, May 10th, and leave Monday morning since I'm also visiting friends in Chandler, AZ and Denver, CO before I head back to Alaska. If time permits I'd like to drive down to San Diego before going to Chandler.

Anyways, I'll be cross-posting over to NASIOC (http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=2481851) to see if people are down to maybe grab a bite to eat and just meet up. I'll be taking pictures, so make sure your ride is clean!

Post here if you're interested or to let me know if there are any local events going on that take precedent over my randomly dropping in. Worst case scenario there will be a 1 day delay if I hit a snag in Canada, but that's about it. I'm pretty flexible and only HAVE to make it to the family reunion on Saturday, May 11th. Besides that, anything can go. :)

Thanks!

- Chano

Picture of said BRZ:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8510/8...06a32b87_b.jpg

Definitely looking forward to having no snow. :lol:

You should be able to one-day it, no? Just kidding! Good luck and safe trip!

Also, as many of us have not had the opportunity to take either of the twins on an extremely long trip like this, maybe you could write a review as to your impressions on the car comfort and driving experience on extensive trips like this one?

I wish I could get through Canada in one day! haha In 2009 I drove my 2008 Forester Sports XT up from Park City, UT. Fun drive for sure, but Canada is BORING when you're from Alaska. Green trees and wildlife left and right right. I'm hoping to come back up through Wyoming and Montana to keep the trip interesting right before entering Canada.

I bought one of the last armrests from Sutty in Australia, so the comfort level has increased a bit. I've been prepping the car for this trip. Before I head down I'll have Extra S put in the transmission and rear differential and a fresh oil change. I already have upgraded speakers and an auto-dimming mirror and compass. I'll have a Garmin to help me get through Canada, but I'll bring a milepost and actual maps, too.

I'm also taking precaution to bring a jack, tire puncture kit, bottled water, cash and safety equipment. Trying not to bog down the car with too much weight, but I definitely want to be prepared and safe.

I was going to get the under panel and STI gurney flap to assist with airflow, but just not enough time or money for that. The gains would be relatively negligible, I think, even after thousands of miles of driving in half a month.

I'm really hoping to check out your guy's rides. I'm kind of scouting for a future location to move to, but still undecided. I have a good job up here and I'm stabilized. Just tired of snow. haha

Unfortunately, as I live in Ohio, I don't think I'll be able to make the trip. Good to know that you are going in prepared for the trip. Never can go too heavy when it comes to survival. Good news, though, is that if you encounter a moose or elk, you can just drive right under it, right? ;)

haha True. True.

I didn't realize how close Ohio was to the east coast until this past weekend. I plan on making 2014 my East Coast Tour. I'll let you know when that happens. Probably Wicked Big Meet. :drool:

Sounds fun. Hit me up when your down here.

Sure! Do you guys just randomly do stuff? Or is it just impossible to plan an evening meet during the weekday?

Cleaner than my car :lol:

It's tough work taking care of black paint in a mostly dark state. I just washed it during lunch. Even with clear bra my front is getting dinged up pretty bad. If I'm still in Alaska this winter I'm getting an FR-S front bumper and GT-86 fog light surround. Full Toyota Winter Mode.

We can plan something out when the date gets closer.

I'm down. Love road trips, even if I can't be on it I can participate. :)

Word, Darren! I'll remind everyone when the date is closer, but will keep bumping this thread. If any cool events are happening in Seattle or Portland when I'm down there I'd love for people to let me know!

I'll keep the the shop open after hours if you guys want to hangout here... :)