Mexstan

I am going to attend an conference in San Francisco in mid July, so gave my wife three choices. 1) I go alone and fly up and back in the shortest possible time. 2) She comes with me and we spend a few extra days in the SF area or 3) We turn this into a vacation and drive up.

Here is my proposal for the drive there and back. Remember that we start off in central Mexico. First day, drive to Mazatlan and spend a day or two there. Then stick the truck on the ferry and go to La Paz and drive the full length of Baja California to SF. The route coming back is still to be figured out, but maybe go to Lake Meade, the Grand Canyon, back into Mexico via El Paso and then do the Copper Canyon train trip.

If anybody has any suggestions for this trip, (places to go or routes) please let me know. Much to my surprise, my wife opted for the drive.

old dog

dont know much about the rest but have seen pictures from copper canyon
that looks beautiful. verry rugged,
good luck stan
Claude -stop in and have a kaffie with us.

Fronty Owner

burn some airline miles and fly...

Between security and baggage claim, I can get drunk and sober up on an hour flight..(drank 6 pints waiting on my plane that was delayed and flew to chicago)

One trip to the UK, I was flying business international so I had access to the Northwest airlines lounge. I got absolutely smashed on bourbon, staggered on the plane drank a couple more, followed by a few glasses of wine at dinner and passed out. Woke up a few hours later feeling fine. got a bottle of water and walked around the plane for a bit. got a couple more bottles of whiskey off the stewardess and got a buzz on that got me thru till breakfast.
ate and felt fine when I landed in Amsterdam.
Headed to my favorite little bar in AMS and drank two pitchers of Heineken (dang 4 hour layovers). Had a good buzz on when I grabbed the next flight and drank four more cans of beer. by the time we landed in Norwich, I was feeling like I was sobering up so I had a couple pints waiting on my driver... Thats three drunks in a 24 hour period...
Going to Asia, I have technically pulled a 24 hour drunk, but htat was because of the international date line.

Mexstan

Would love to have a kaffie with you, but there are a few problems:
1) You are a teeny bit out of the way.
2) Where you live is waaaaaaayyyyyy to cold for me.
3) Don't like the taste of kaffie stirred and filtered with the objects you use.

So thanks for the invite, but will pass this time.

Mexstan

Ummm, Fronty, are you braggin' about being a drunk?

Old dog did give me an idea. If there are any DTR members on my route, then let me know and I will see what I can do to stop for a coffee and meet y'all. Going up I will be a a bit of a schedule, but coming back there is no schedule.

irocpractice

Well "Stan",I hate to give you the bad news,.....but all the bridges here have already been sold.Give me a holler and lets see if we can do a coffee or a din din.Have your people call my people.

Iron Mike

Be careful. Depending on the Airline and Country, I have seen several people not allowed to board their aircraft due to being inebriated. Some by security, some by the flight crew. Air France especially. A guy I worked with, lost his job due to this. If the Airlines boots you from the plane, they do not refund the airfare. The guys company (he was a contractor for us) was tic'd because they had to buy a second ticket. It was adios amigo.

FiverBob

Stan, you will hate that trip. Hwy 1 in California is much too pretty. Frisco is inhabited by aliens. But, take in Yosemite. Catch Bryce, Zion, Mesa Verde, Arches, Grand Canyon. You will love the Copper Canyon run and be sure to take the side trips to really see the canyon. Visit a couple caves of the Tarahumara indians at Creel - - amazing how they still live in this day. I was really impressed with the 86 or so tunnels you go in - - one does a 180 inside the mountain. You can look out the right window heading in and see a stream and railroad track below you on the other side. When you come out, you look out again the right side and see the same stream and the RR track above you where you went in. WOW.

I will shut up - - great trip - - you will love it.

Bob

irocpractice

Stan,how many months do you have for this jaunt?You could come into Calif.and...take the 101 thru Ventura,(Strawberries) to SLO,San Luis Obispo,(good steakhouse on the hill,stay in the Maddona Inn,continue to Monterey/(golf at Pebble Beach) see the Aquarium,continue to The City(San Francisco) be carefull of the mayor's voters,(do din din),continue over Golden Gate thru Marin County to Petaluma,turn left and go out the Gravenstein Highway to the coast(Hwy 1) and turn right.Up 1 to the light house at Aromas,see Fort Ross(Russian settlement) continue to Richardson Grove State Park and the magnificent redwoods.(Your truck will not fit thru the tree).Turn right to Mt.Lassen,cut over to 395,turn right and there is Yosemite National Park.Continue down 395 see remains of ww2 internment camps,(not much left) climb Mt.Whitney,take a side trip to Death Valley,back to 395 to San Berdoo and all points South or East.This should not take more than a month.Well a good two weeks anyway.Bring several 1 gig memory cards.(Well Fiver Bob,did I do ok)?

Mexstan

Sounds like I will need a few months to do this trip properly, but unfortunatly I do need to be back home by the end of July. Also, I do not have unlimited finances like some of you.
Thanks for the info so far. Now need to sit down and add all the above to my planning and see how to fit it all in.