The Automobile Driving Museum & Palos Verdes Loop [So Cal - Sunday March 30]

[Crimson Avenger]

We're headed to The Automobile Driving Museum.

Along the way, we'll seem some Southern California treasures that you might not have known were anywhere near our metropolitan area.

Here's the plan:

1. 10:00 Brunch at I-Hop on PCH in Long Beach (1101 E. PCH Long Beach) [Google Map Link]
2. 11:30 Roll out to the Gerald Desmond Bridge and the Vincent Thomas Bridge (sort of our own Golden Gate)
3. Swing past the Point Fermin Lighthouse
4. Follow Palos Verdes Drive along the edge of the bluff
5. Pause briefly right before the Portuguese Bend Land Slide area
6. A stop at the Point Vicente Lighthouse and Interpretive Center (It's also a whale watching spot this time of year.)
7. Take a couple of loops out to the West edge off the beaten path
8. Head North again up through Redondo State Beach
9. Arriving at The Automobile Driving Museum for some rides in some classic cars.

The Automobile Driving Museum is somewhat unique in that it's not just a storehouse for old cars, but they drive them too! What's more, they will take you for a ride in one of the old cars, too!

The donation to the museum is $5 per person.

The museum has recently moved to it's new home in El Segundo and is celebrating it's 1 year anniversary.

It should be a great time, and a beautiful cruise down some roads you might not have expected in So Cal... It's a bit like a miniature trip to the Central Coast where PCH clings to the cliffs as it winds its way North.

Hope to see you there!


Link to Google Map of route



Images courtesy wikimedia.org and San Pedro Chamber of Commerce

Image courtesy Point Vicente Interpretive Center


Images courtesy The Automobile Driving Museum

[Sitting Duck]

That run looks like a lot of fun. I used to live in San Pedro. Driving along that coastal route above the bluffs to Palos Verdes is just beautiful. You should have great weather. I am disappointed I can not be there to join in.
I would like to visit that museum someday.
Have a good time.

[reedred]

Awww, man! I wanna go too!

My sister was married in Palos Verdes Estates at La Venta Inn. That area is stunning, and the twisty little roads should be lots of fun.

It's just as well I can't go, because the whole time at the museum I'd just be singing "I Left My Wallet In El Segundo" over and over until someone finally ran me down with a classic car.

Have a great time, and I'll look forward to seeing the pics!

[08sky]

Count me in.
All I drive over the Desmond bridge every day, STAY IN THE FAST LANE (yep I'm shouting) lots of big trucks coming off the 710 Fwy. and lots of flying objects in the slow lane.

Sounds like a great run.

[Crimson Avenger]

Originally Posted by 08sky

Count me in.
All I drive over the Desmond bridge every day, STAY IN THE FAST LANE (yep I'm shouting) lots of big trucks coming off the 710 Fwy. and lots of flying objects in the slow lane.

Sounds like a great run.

Glad to have you with us. On Saturday and Sunday last weekend, when I was refining the route, I didn't encounter any trucks on the bridges themselves. There were a few on one of the early routes that I was considering (the Terminal Island Freeway).

Even though the Terminal Island FWY (CA-103) is a unique path, it can be best described as a high speed tour of the refinery district. That's why we opted for the 710 to link into Ocean Blvd and the two bridges.

It's a very smooth run down the 710 and over both bridges, and the change from being down at the port to out over the water along the beautiful cliffs is dramatic and rewarding.

It's very green right now on Palos Verdes, and that may be part of how it got it's name. Even the Portuguese Bend slide area is well covered with green vegetation. It is a lovely drive.

See you then!

[gwader]

I'd like to go, but 11:30am through that area = alot of traffic. I'll have to ask the wife.

Greg

[moline]

sounds like fun. i'll ask the wife and we'll see if we can make it. might have to meet up at some point.

note: take it easy thru PV. i a speeding ticket at Hawthorne and PV Drive W acouple for weeks ago.
the Daily Breeze just had an article of a CHP (or LA Sheriff) that just stays in PV and makes sure people obey the speed limit!!.

later
dan

[Crimson Avenger]

Originally Posted by gwader

I'd like to go, but 11:30am through that area = alot of traffic. I'll have to ask the wife.

Greg

Well, there wasn't a LOT of traffic last weekend when I did the loop...

Originally Posted by moline

sounds like fun. i'll ask the wife and we'll see if we can make it. might have to meet up at some point.

note: take it easy thru PV. i a speeding ticket at Hawthorne and PV Drive W acouple for weeks ago.
the Daily Breeze just had an article of a CHP (or LA Sheriff) that just stays in PV and makes sure people obey the speed limit!!.

later
dan

Dan advice is sound; the speed limit is low, and we will be at or below it.

That's just the point, this is more of a sight seeing tour, so it really doesn't matter what the traffic is like--we're saving the "test the limits" driving for our weekend up at Willow Springs International Raceway with the Danny McKeever Fast Lane Driving School.

Oh, and this time of year, the hills are a beautiful brilliant green with vegetation with grasses and lots of green scrub oaks and other trees. (Having seen how green it was last weekend, I'm willing to speculate that's how it got it's name Palos Verdes ~= Green woods.)

Since we'll be departing the IHOP around 11:30, that means we'll be arriving at the Automobile Driving Museum at between about 1:30 and 2:00. (We have to have at least a couple of stops for pictures.)

Do hope you can make it, Dan (moline) and Greg; you're always welcome!

[Crimson Avenger]

Over on the Solstice Forum, we had a couple of folks from far flung areas decide to join us:

Originally Posted by Solitud

Looks like we might be driving down from Vegas!! How many cars are attending so far?

Anyone else from Vegas wanna caravan down to SoCal???? It will be a long day but lots of fun!!!

Originally Posted by timo4563

The San Diego Roadsters car club will be joining you fine folks from LA for what sounds like a great day of driving!
Have a great day!
Tim

Seems like the later start time also helped folks from San Deigo join us without having to leave before dawn.

Solitude, all the way from Vegas? Wow! That's committment!

It should be fun.

By the way, the Automobile Driving Museum has planned to have their 1951 Kaiser and 1930 Ford Model A Coupe out for rides that day. Here's a picture of their '30 coupe:

[akinmb]

Thanks for the invite... it really kills me that I can't join the drive because I've already got plans in Orange County... one of these days...

[Crimson Avenger]

Originally Posted by akinmb

Thanks for the invite... it really kills me that I can't join the drive because I've already got plans in Orange County... one of these days...

Yeah, sometimes it just works out like that. Don't worry, there will be more meets this year.

[Crimson Avenger]

By the way, the weather is expected to be a bit windy, so (as all good roadster drivers do) bring a sweater AND a wind breaker to go over it!

Here's the NOAA weather:

Originally Posted by NOAA.gov

A 20 percent chance of rain before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 60. Breezy, with a west wind 11 to 14 mph increasing to between 19 and 22 mph. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.

source: NOAA weather forecast for Palos Verdes area.

[richmcc]

Next time, maybe instead of just stating [ Sunday March 30]. You Should add: Sunday is the day before Monday, not the day after frriday and that 30 means the 30th day of the month not the 29th!

Anyways, It is a nice drive, though I did get a little confused after you make the U Turn on Palo Verdes, Dr. Also, both bridges were clear of trucks, which I am sure it will be so tomorrow.

Unfortunately, my list of Honey Dews keep me from doing the ride tomorrow as well!

Have fun and Maybe the Next One!

Richmcc

BTW I guess mcc means (might be Calendar challenged)

[Crimson Avenger]

Originally Posted by richmcc

Next time, maybe instead of just stating [ Sunday March 30]. You Should add: Sunday is the day before Monday, not the day after frriday and that 30 means the 30th day of the month not the 29th!

Anyways, It is a nice drive, though I did get a little confused after you make the U Turn on Palo Verdes, Dr. Also, both bridges were clear of trucks, which I am sure it will be so tomorrow.

Unfortunately, my list of Honey Dews keep me from doing the ride tomorrow as well!

Have fun and Maybe the Next One!

Richmcc

BTW I guess mcc means (might be Calendar challenged)

Wow. Sorry about that.

Thanks for the road report! I was out there this evening as well.

The google map is not precisely accurate, especially since it thinks you can't turn left onto Calle Vicente (at the junction with Hawthorne), so it makes you do a dumb U-turn.

I'm sure it was a great drive anyway. If you hadn't seen it before, the side trips on PV make it far more enjoyable.

Catch you on the next one!

[richmcc]

I hope you saw my last Post as the self deprecating humor it was meant as.

[EndiSky]

My face hurts from sunburn!

Great time seeing some of you again as well as meeting many new faces. ClearBraInstall, I just gotta say Maaaannnnnnn that is a nice car!

[JohnD]

Originally Posted by richmcc

BTW I guess mcc means (might be Calendar challenged)

I was off at the "Swallows Day Parade" all day with my Color Guard. (Before anybody gets a chance to make a sexual reference to that, it is the date that commemorates the "Return of the Swallows" i.e. "birds" to Mission San Juan Capistrano. It is the largest non-motorized parade in the nation.) I left my phone in the car. When I got it at the end of the day there was the message from you about "where is everybody?" and I thought to myself, "wasn't that drive tomorrow?"

Anyway, glad to see you made it to a drive again. A definite good sign. Here's to you making it to a drive on the proper day in the near future!