Okay, gang... Here are all the details. Please respond to this thread with an idea of what legs of this you want to do. If you do EVERYTHING it will be 150 miles, and about three and a half hours of actual driving.
This year I've eliminated most of the freeway driving (figure you get enough of that on the way here!) so the bulk of the trip is mountain twisties to the MAX. It should be great. Since we seem to like the meals together, I have made it an all-day affair including Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Feel free to catch up with us at any point along the way (and again, please indicate where you expect to join up in the thread below so I can get an idea of the numbers for each leg.)
Breakfast: McDonalds, 27612 Antonio Parkway, Ladera Ranch 92675(9:00 AM)
This is a "classic" McDonalds and should be a great place to hang. It is also nice and close to Ortega Highway. It is located in the shopping center on the Southeast Corner of Antonio Parkway and Crown Valley Parkway. To get here, you can take the I-5, exit at Crown Valley and head EAST for a couple miles. This is our first rally point, and a good spot to hang for those coming from L.A. or points north. We will depart here around 10:30 AM.
Leg 1 - McDonalds to Farmer Boys, Perris - Ortega Highway, Mild Twisties
This is a good little teaser twisty drive. Some of us did this back in the Fall and we had a really good time. We will take the Ortega Highway northeast through the best twisty part, then continue on to a nice little restaurant in Perris for lunch. This is a fun drive, and would be good in and of itself as a nice morning hop.
Lunch - Farmer Boys, 145 Ramona Expressway, Perris 92571 (Noon)
Farmer Boys is a cross between a Fast Food restaurant and a full country kitchen. They have a broad menu, usually tables inside and outside. This is where we stopped last year. If you want to skip the Orange County segment of the drive (or want to sleep in) then this is a good place to meet up for the MAIN LEG of the drive. We will depart Farmer Boys by 1:30PM.
Leg 2 - Farmer Boys to Banning - Super Mountain Drive!
This is IT. THIS is the MAIN LEG of the drive. If you can do only one part, this is the feature attraction.
We will climb up to 5,000 feet and visit the little mountain town of Idylwild for a nice afternoon leg stretch. Once we leave Idylwild we should proceed in small groups to Banning as most of the turnouts will only support a few cars at a time. Take your time working down the mountain, and enjoy the views and the crisp air.
No Formal Stop in Banning
Last year we didn't have a formal stop at the bottom of the mountain. If you have plans or don't want to be out too late, plan to depart from here and head on home. The next leg will be just the drive to dinner. For those looking for a getaway, head east on I-10 for just a few miles and find yourself in the desert resort communities of Palm Springs and everything in-between all the way out to Indio. Or head west with us for dinner. Or just go home if you have other obligations.
Leg 3 - Banning to Riverside - Freeway Drive
Dinner - Old Spaghetti Factory, 3191 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside 92507 (5PM)
If you have never been to an OSF, get ready for a great treat! Good food at incredibly bargain prices. Dinner should start around
5PM or so, maybe a little later depending on traffic and how long it takes to come down the mountain. After dinner you will find yourself near the junction of the 91 (ready to head back to OC) and the 60 (ready to head west to L.A.) and the 215 (ready to head south to San Diego). If you just want to join us for dinner, that's okay, too!
What I need you to post below:
- Where you will be joining us - McDonalds, Farmer Boys or Dinner Only
- Where you will be departing - after Lunch, after Banning, or after Dinner
What you need to bring:
- Money for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner ($40 is MORE than enough)
- A full tank of gas
- WARM CLOTHES! We will be going up in the mountains!
- A cool hat, preferably with earflaps, for a funny picture (We will INSIST on the top being down, so get over it!)
- Gloves or mittens (your hands will freeze driving through the mountains with the top down)
- Your SoCal SKYs Jackets (if you have them) for a group photo; If you don't have one, you want one - ask me how!
And that should be it! I hope to see you there!
Below is a map, and some pictures from last year!