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What good is owning a fantastic roadster, if it's not driven on the roads it was meant for? With this thought in mind, we recently went on a 7 day long road trip around central California. This was my 3rd and the longest road trip to date with S2000. The goal was to enjoy the great sceneries and the best roads the golden state had to offer. In addition, because my wife and I enjoy dining out, another priority was to find and try good restaurants in the vicinity of our route. Food for some reason taste better after a long drive It is my hope that others planning similar trips will benefit from this post, as we have from previous road trip posts by ScottNelson, Yu888, and others.
With recommendations received from friends and members of S2KI regional communities, we were able to select roads and restaurant that turned out to be pretty darn good!
Day 1 - 7/27/03(Sunday): LA to Yosemite National Park (405N -> 5N -> 41N)
Because we didn't get to sleep until late, we started off around 11AM, instead of 9AM as planned. Actually, one of the things I like about the driving trip is having the freedom to change the schedule as needed. Since there was nothing we wanted to see until we got to Yosemite, we took the fastest route there, which meant freeways. I am not too fond of driving S2000 on the freeway like many others, but with top up, it isn't too bad. The actual drive to Oakhurst was uneventful, except for a quick visit to triple digit territory at one point to get away from one particularly irritating tailgater. It still amazes me how quickly S2000 can accelerate deep into the triple digit territory.
Oakhurst is a pleasant little town just south of Yosemite nestled in beautifully wooded valley. First stop was at the Gateway Best Western. After a check-in and quick drop off of our luggage in the room, we got back on the 41 hwy to Glacier Point in Yosemite. Drive up to the park is on a gently winding uphill road with big trees lining either side and is quite enjoyable. We soon reached the entrance gate and after flashing the Annual Pass we bought from our last road trip to Death Valley, we were allowed in with no delay. Beyond the gate, we were once again on a similar type of winding asphalt road as before, except for the even prettier scenery. After about an hour of driving, we finally arrived at the Glacier Point. The view from this vista point is quite amazing and picture just doesn't do justice to the sheer magnitude and grandeur of this place. This is one of those places that must be seen in person to be fully appreciated.
Because it was getting late, we decided to leave the visit to Mariposa Groves of Giant Sequoias for the next time, and drove back to Oakhurst in time for dinner. The dinner reservation was at a restaurant called Elderberry House and we arrived just in. The restaurant is within a Chateau that sits on a little private knoll and felt very much like a private mansion. Upon entering, we were quickly ushered to a table overlooking the garden, and presented with a personalized menu. The 7 course French dinner was beautifully presented and the quality of each dish was very good. Especially excellent were "5-Spice Duck Carpaccio and Fig Compote" and "Angus beef tenderloin." The price for dinner was $160 for two + Drinks + Tips. Expensive, but worth the price. Highly Recommended.
Day 2 - 7/28/03(Monday): Yosemite National Park to Reno (120E -> Tioga Pass -> 395N)
Since we were still bursting from last night's dinner, breakfast of just coffee and half of muffin was enough to get us going. After filling up the car and cleaning the windows, we were back on the road by 10AM heading back into the park. After about 1.5 hours of driving, we came to a long tunnel on the side of a mountain, and upon exit, we were rewarded with the most magnificent panoramic view of the Yosemite Valley with Half Dome and El Capitan in full sight.
Touring the valley floor, we were once again amazed at the sheer scale of the granite walls and beauty of the valley and it's waterfalls.
Being the high summer season, valley was teeming with more people than Disneyland. We decided not to waste any more time in the valley and drive straight up to the high country. Once on 120E, drive up to Tuolumne Meadows is very fine indeed. Since it was still before noon, most of the traffic was on opposite direction and the road was clear for miles at a time. Cruising at just little above the speed limit, we got to sample various natural perfume that changed just as the scenery changed between dense forest to peaceful meadows to small lakes. After this almost magical ride, my wife and I agree that this is why we came to Yosemite. Next stop was at the Olmstead Point, and once again, the view is just marvelous.
Another place to visit is the Tenaya Lake. In addition to the view, the lake's water apparently has medicinal properties; my wife claims that her headache went away after dipping her feet in the lake Water was so clear and the view so serene, I was almost tempted to go in the water, except it was just too cold even at this time of the year.
Finally arrived at Tuolumne Meadows visitors center around 2PM and we stop to grab some burger at the nearby concession stand. We were really hungry by this time, so any half decent burger would have been acceptable. However, the burgers we got were really bad. The meat was burnt and tasted like paper, one small piece of withered lettuce did nothing to mitigate, and buns were all dry and brittle. With guaranteed stream of hungry customers and no competition, I guess there is no incentive for them to be any good. We have had bad burgers before, but this burger takes the crown. Even with all the ketchup and mustard to mask the real taste of the burger, after just a couple of bite, we both decided to throw away the rest. If only In and Out can get the concession license here... Obviously NOT Recommended.
Driving east for another 15 minutes, we came to the eastern Tioga Pass entrance to the park. The Tioga Pass is impressive. Being at the altitude of almost 10,000 feet, it is the highest pass in the state of California. To the east lie a two lane highway with fast sweeping curves beautifully carved into the dramatic Lee Vining Canyon.
Looking down, it's obvious that if one were to loose it here, there is no chance of surviving the many thousand feet drop to the canyon floor. After quickly passing couple of cars and a motorcycle, S2000 gets up to speed and I grip the steering wheel with both hand After an exhilarating drive down to the 395 junction, appearing in front of us is the Mono Lake with it's surreal looking center island.
Passing through one of the small town south of the Carson City, this cop got behind me.
Notice the wheel and the flame painted on the hood! Driving well within the speed limit with this funny looking patrol car following, for a split second, I had a Walter Mitty like thought of trying to outrun this patrol car. Puzzled, my wife asked why I was smiling. She'll never know
Arrived safely at Silver Legacy Hotel/Casino in Reno by early evening. Since my wife has a niece and a nephew studying at UNR, we invited them for a dinner at a restaurant called La Strada in the neighboring Eldorado Hotel. This restaurant claims to be one of the 10 best Italian restaurants in the nation. All of the standard Italian dishes were well prepared and service was good, but not what you would expect from one of the 10 best. The price for the dinner was $180 for four + Drinks + Tips. Nothing spectacular, but good. Recommended as long as your expectation is not set too high.
Day 3 - 7/29/03(Tuesday): Reno (Time to pay for free room and board)
Since the rooms were complimentary for two nights, we decided to stay and rest up for the next leg of the trip. Which really was just an excuse for investing some money at the local Blackjack tables. Side bar - My thoughts on gambling: As long as you realize that the Casino is going to win your money in the long run, and you only play the money you can afford to lose, gambling can be quite fun and entertaining even if you lose. Anyway, I come out ahead this time, my wife doesn't. Oh well. With the several hours of playing time, we are given free dinner at the Fairchild's Oyster Bar, a seafood restaurant within the hotel. It's a casual place with good fresh seafood. San Francisco Cioppino is especially good. Price for dinner was $45 for two + Drinks + Tips. Recommended.
Day 4 - 7/30/03(Wednesday): Reno to Napa to Bodega Bay (80E -> 20E -> 53S -> 29S -> 12W)
After a quick breakfast, by 10AM, we were back on the road. Drive up to Lake Tahoe was very nice until we got to a major construction work on 80 near Truckee. With all the dust flying about, it ruined what was a very good morning start. Should have checked with CalTrans... Past Truckee, we turned off of on Hwy 20 to head in the direction of Nevada City. This highway had very little traffic and has some good quality curves and is definitely worth the detour, if you have the time.
The hwy 29 is really quite beautiful and entertaining. Especially the stretch of road leading into St Helena is one of the best I've ever been on. The drive from St. Helena to Napa isn't too bad either, with all the Vineyards lining the road. For some odd reason, we couldn't find a restaurant we liked in Napa, so we decided to skip lunch and have an early dinner at Bodega Bay. BTW, we tried CIA(Culinary Institute of America) in Napa many years back and would have gone again if it wasn
Day 5 - 8/1/03(Friday): Monterey <-> Carmel <-> Big Sur (1S)
Our lodging in Monterey was at the Hyatt Regency and I must say that this is by far the worst Hyatt we've ever stayed at. The building is old, and the rooms are also not what you would expect from Hyatt, and it was w/o air conditioning. The rooms are actually of lower caliber than many found in Best Western Motel chain. Not Recommended.
Feeling somewhat groggy after an uncomfortable night's rest due to high temperature, we got off to a slow start. First stop was a visit to Monterey Aquarium. The new Outer Bay exhibit is awesome and we also enjoy the antics of the resident sea otters.
Next stop was at the Pebble Beach via famous 17 Mile Drive. As they say, pictures are worth thousand words.
After the 17 Mile Drive, we stop by Point Lobos State Reserve. The tide pool at this place can be quite interesting and delightful, but we were disappointed because our visit coincided with the high tides. We make due with a short hike through the exquisite Cypress forest.
Our next and last stop for the day after a great drive up to Big Sur from Carmel was at the Sierra Mar Restaurant. This restaurant is within the Post Ranch Inn and is perhaps the most romantic spot in Big Sur. Most of the tables in the restaurant are designed to provide 180 degree view of the blue ocean. At sunset, the view is absolutely perfect. The dinner menu is fixed, but you get to choose from several distinct dishes within each course, and overall presentation and the quality of the California cuisine they serve is first class. The only negative to this place is the high price and snooty attitude exhibited by some of the employees. Price for dinner was $200 for two + Drinks + Tips. Highly Recommended.
Drive back to Monterey from Big Sur was even more enjoyable than the drive up. Something about top down driving with moonlight and sparkling moonlit sea...
Day 6 - 8/2/03(Saturday): Monterey -> Big Sur -> Cambria -> Lompoc (1S)
By the time we check out of the insufferable Hyatt Regency, it's almost noon. After a quick stop at the gas station, I tried to make up time, but was not too successful due to heavier traffic. Anyway, whenever there is a safe passing chance, I take advantage. VTEC can really be fun on these passing situations. Even with traffic, driving here is definitely a pleasure in S2000. We stop at the Nepenthe restaurant for lunch and enjoy the view and the eclectic atmosphere. This place is a Big Sur landmark and is definitely worth a visit. The food served is perfectly decent typical American affair: Burgers, Fries, etc. and most of the dishes are in $10 to $20 range. Not cheap, but not exactly expensive either. Recommended.
After lunch, we drive to Julia Pfeiffer State Park and enjoy a nice walk to a vista point overlooking a very tropical looking waterfall.
After few hours of another stunning drive, we stop at San Simeon for a tour of the Hearst Castle. History of this place is interesting and the view from the castle is also wonderful. We were last here more than 10 years ago and the change at the base is quite dramatic.
We were quite tired after the 2 hour tour, and after a stop at Lucia for dinner and gas, we drive straight to Lompoc without a single stop.
After a good rest, we got back on the road by 10AM, and had another blast down the beautiful Hwy 1 until it merged back into 101. From there, I was able to keep a good velocity until we hit Ventura, but the drive was no longer fun. After we got off of 101 and back onto Hwy 1, traffic was ok until we hit Malibu. At which point, we had to start dealing with the infamous LA traffic again. At least we got to see a nice Ferrari Maranello.
Finally got home around 3PM.
Final Thoughts: We were happy to make it back home without any mishaps. This trip had been everything we hoped it would be, and most of all, I got to enjoy S2000 in it's natural habitat. During the entire trip, we only saw 3 S2000(2 of which were in SF & LA metro area). Given that we saw 2 Ferrari Maranello(Napa & Malibu), 1 Viper(Reno), 1 Porsche 911 Turbo(Monterey), too-many-to-count regular 911's and Boxsters, it appears that S2000 is still not all that common, even in California. My S2000 performed flawlessly during this 1,800 mile trip and managed a very respectable 26 MPG average with lot of the driving done in fairly spirited manner in mostly hilly roads with decent amount of VTEC time. Oil was down by 1 "X" mark at the end of the trip.
Surprisingly, most of the drivers I encountered on this trip were very accommodating about turning off to let faster cars pass. I found this to be true with about 95% of the drivers on Hwy 1 and was pleasantly surprised about the level of driver etiquette. There were only two instances, where the car in front behaved obnoxiously. First was near St. Helena, an RV going way below the speed limit, simply refused to pull over with more than 10 cars behind it for over 15 miles on a downhill two lane road, despite numerous pull over spots and signs. I was in 2nd gear most of the time with my foot off the gas pedal. Second instance was near Point Reyes on a nice stretch of fast curves, a young kid in RSX appear to think that he was driving fast enough and decided to keep me from passing him. For sake of safety, I let him have his way and backed off, but I'll never understand why some people have a problem with letting faster cars pass them.
On this trip, we took a laptop with iGuidance, a voice guided GPS program. This setup proved especially useful on roads we have never been on. It also provided other useful info: ETA, miles remaining, speed, altitude, and nearby gas stations and hotels. For our next trip, we hope to switch the laptop with a PocketPC setup like the one used by Walkabt.
Asolutely beautiful. I had planned a 6,000-mile cross-country trip earlier this year that would have taken me along some of the same roads and to the same places, but had to cancel it when I started a new job. I'm not sure I'm entirely happy to see what I have missed...
Not enough pictures of your car at all of these venues, though.
Been there done that. But I did it in my beater 4-Runner. I missed 17-mile drive and we camped more than you did. Actually I made your trip in 2 separate trips. Great fun though. Next time we roll in the S. I might have seen your S once on PCH and Beach parked by the yacht sales place. Great pics BTW.
It is my hope that others planning similar trips will benefit from this post, as we have from previous road trip posts by ScottNelson, Yu888, and others.
After an exhilarating drive down to the 395 junction, appearing in front of us is the Mono Lake with it's surreal looking center island.
