January Drive - Snow Flake Special
 

After talking with everyone yesterday, it was clear that we've been traveling a bit far for our drives, especially given the weather. So for January I think we should mix it up a bit. I propose we travel the most nut ball route from one end of Lake Washington to the other.

http://www.the-winding-road.com/grou...nw20070128.php

I'd like some help figuring out which roads to include. I've several in mind, but not quite enough to make the whole rout interesting. If you have any ideas, please let me know. Even if they're a bit out of th way. General boundaries are the area surrounded by I-5 and I-405. We can fudge a bit though, if you know of REALLY good one just outside the lines. I've never been fond of coloring inside the lines any how. :p

On an older note, I've been adding our past drives to the-winding-road.com, for posterities sake. If you see an error, please let me know. Especially if you made a run and I somehow missed adding you to the list.

I'm in. It's the day before my birthday, and I can't think of any other way I would rather spend it! =)

I work on Mercer Island and often sneak onto East Mercer Way on my way home. Nothing else compares to this road for twisties. Maybe add as a mini-loop?

I'll be there for sure.

Me too!

count me in...looks like this one is going to be a good turnout as well.

flomulgator! you just spoiled my surprise. ;) Now I really have to go scrambling.

I'm in for this one. My apologies for missing December's (was wiring up a house). Looked like a great turnout. See you in January. By the way, Kristopher, when you go to get your windows tinted let me know. We can go grab lunch somewhere (I live about 5 minutes from precision tint) and I also have a $25 off token for the window tint for you.

Later
Corvus13

Cool. I'll be over there to talk with Dan and pick colors on Saturday. Then I'll be back to get the job done between Christmas and New Years.

Sorry! You asked for help figuring out which roads to include! I mean, uhh, it's crap!. It's filled with old people and kids in mustangs, and its a straight line with lots of stoplights!

Count me in for this drive. And if it falls on a day where my wife has a day-off from work, she'll come along too.

Well, we're up to 12 cars so far. Who else is going to join the fun?

I know a lady that lives a few miles a way that has a nearly identical-looking RX-8 to mine. I am intending to ask her to go, although she hasn't been home on any of the occasions I have had some extra time when I have gone past her house. :dunno:

Meanwhile, Robbie swore up and down he's REALLY going to go with me this time. LOL!!!!

Cool, let us know what she says. Sounds like you might have more luck getting her to go than Robbie :rolleyes:

Work permitting I'll try to make this one since it's so close :)

No kidding!!! :rofl:

You better, or I'm coming over to beat you!!!!! :)

Promise?? woo hoo!

Ha, ha. Your address is still programmed into my navigation. LOL!!!

Ok, it's official. I'll be in Poland on that day. Have a good time without me!

Poland?!

I miss that road , use to do it in my RX-4 it was a blast. Watch out for MIPD there not very nice.

unfortunately it now has a lot of trees over it :(

MIPD :werd:

Don't fret if your favorite back road is littered with the detritus of our recent blow. There's more than a month before we plan to wiggle our way through the middle of pugetopolis. That should be plenty of time for the various city maintenance departments and DOTs to get it cleaned up. If worse comes to worst, we may have to get a bit creative, that's all.

Yes, Poland.

Family for the holidays?

Either that or he really, really likes sausage.

Do you guys mind if I bring a WRX with us for the drive? My bro is on leave from the Navy during that time so I might let him use the Subbie so he can join us in our little adventure.

:eek:

Sorry, wrong thread! :rofl:

Why don't you just stuff him in the trunk? I know for a fact that I fit in there, and I have the spare tire! :)

^^^I don't think you would fit in my trunk bunny, and if you did you would have a headache if I turned up the music.

Well, I don't think it could get any worse than the one I have now. I have a terrible sinus infection from my Christmas tree allergies and have been on antibiotics pretty much all month and just keep feeling worse and worse.

I definitely know I fit in my trunk with my spare tire and some other stuff in there, and I can close it, too. :)

Yes, bring the WRX. I've one confirmed STI.

I'm going to pretend I didn't read the other posts. It's simply wrong, somehow, that you know that.

Well, my spare tire was "loose" after I had my car in to have one of the TPMS sensors replaced, because they checked the air in the spare but never tightened it back up. It took me a few days to figure out what that irritating rattle was back there. LOL

Anyway, to easily hold the tire up and screw the bolt to get it nice and tight so that it wasn't wobbling and spinning anymore, I just climbed inside my trunk to use me to help hold it up there while I was screwing it. Since I was already sitting in there, I thought "Hmmmm........I wonder if people really can fit in this trunk?" so I laid down and closed the lid. I fit!!! LOL

I know, I'm a bit nuts. :)

.....forget it, that one's just too easy rofl

Just so you know, I'm sticking my tongue out at you and giving you a really dirty look! :rofl:

:Wconfused What holidays are at the end of January/start of February??? :Wconfused

Whoops, never mind, I was't thinking and assumed you meant you were going right now and staying for a while...

i am in for this one. count in my car is going to be four. me, wife, daughter, and mom!!! see you all there!!! were are we meeting and at what time?

I'll have those details, plus the route by the end of the week.

whats the date?

January 28, the day before my birthday!!!!! :)

three days after my birthday!!! :)

Birthday drive? LOL

All right, after much exploring followed by map studying to get the road names right, the route is finally done. It's a complex one, so study up.

http://www.the-winding-road.com/grou...nw20070128.php

And if that's not exciting enough, we now have more than 30 cars registered for this drive. We'll have to figure something out to prevent cars getting separated from the group, and to avoid drawing too much attention.

I say we go no less than 45mph on those turns and no less than 60mph on the straightways. ;)

j/k :mdrmed:

Yikes - 30 cars going fast in those neighborhoods :SHOCKED: . We're gonna hafta be careful we don't piss off the LEOs AND the locals :suspect:. So far we've done a really good job of avoiding that (except the old guy in the minivan who screamed at us during the Carnation drive).

Maybe we each take the route separately or in smaller groups, meeting up at checkpoints along the way or at the end for lunch or whatever? Some folks like to go faster than others, so doing it that way might keep things moving for some. Each car would need the route and detailed map, instead of just following the leader.

Personally I like following the leader because I just keep my eyes on the cars in front and I don't have to think much, just blast around corners - WooHoo :D: . But the downside is when other cars get in between us at intersections and some get separated from the group. Everyone has to slow down and wait for them to catch up, or call their cell phone and tell them where they missed a turn. No fun for the faster drivers then... :(

I think 30 cars will be too much also. I agree we should break up into groups say...no more than 8 cars. I agree we should all have a route map with directions. Maybe do a staggered start so we aren't all in the same place at the same time.

I was trying to create a route map with mapquest and it only let's you create 10 waypoints. Anyone know a good program to draw our own map? Also Kris did you have a meeting point selected?

I like the group idea. I think we really need group leaders, and staggered starts. This one really grew much bigger than I expected. I think it's because it's so local.

Meeting place for the start is Fort Dent Park, in Tukwilla. It's a rather large park, so it shouldn't be a problem. And I've already confirmed the parking lots are paved ;).

Just so everyone knows, I've been down almost all of these roads, and there's not a one I'd feel comfortable driving REALLY fast.

This is intended more as a tour, and to demonstrate the feasibility of finding good bits of tarmac wherever you are. At the same time, most of the roads on the list aren't too heavily populated. Most of the houses are on feeder streets or have larger yards. Which means we should be able to play a little bit.

Give me a couple days and I may have a rudimentary map. I'm also planning on making a pre run so I can overlay the GPS track logs on one of the major map services.

I also think we should try to regroup at least once during the drive, like we usually do. Either on the island (probably to early) or somewhere near 520 (in the arboretum or Juanita Beach park). What do you folks think.

I'll offer up my services as a group leader if people aren't opposed. Jen can navigate for me so I won't have to keep checking the map at high speeds. And I'm anxious to give my new springs a solid wringing out.:)