Thanks Beandip for the heads up. Ill be watchin the weather for my trip up, on a regular basis. Learned my lesson in South Dakota. Thanks for postin some more pics Daniel. I also gotta thank Darrell for hookin me up with you guys for the drive. Much appreciated. Thanks for sharing you similar stories. Nice to hear im not nuts for makin the drive.

So to update on my travels. I woke up in flagstaff earlier to make it up to the Grand Canyon. Had to hit that up. Amazing! Then drove up to Las Vegas and spent a night. I had to sleep for a bit because of the driving. Woke up late and walked the strip. First time in vegas. Pretty cool. The z got a little hotter in the heat, but still didn't make it past the middle on the temp gage. After vegas i headed out to LA and im gonna spend some time here with family before i head north. Nice to have a break after all the miles.

Frankie

If you are going to drive north on I-5 from LA the only place you might have any snow or Ice problems is North of lake Shasta. The passes can generate lots of snow .

If you take the coast route it may be wet but no snow or ice. You can take in the Red Woods witch are amazing. I seem to remember that you wanted to end up somewhere along the coast anyway.

Since you are dropping down south from the Grand Canyon I doubt you will have any further weather problems that will amount to anything.

All the best. Gary

If you are going to drive north on I-5 from LA the only place you might have any snow or Ice problems is North of lake Shasta. The passes can generate lots of snow .

If you take the coast route it may be wet but no snow or ice. You can take in the Red Woods witch are amazing. I seem to remember that you wanted to end up somewhere along the coast anyway.

Since you are dropping down south from the Grand Canyon I doubt you will have any further weather problems that will amount to anything.

All the best. Gary

Hope you don't hit any weather over the Shasta passes into Oregon.....usually not a problem yet this far in the year but you never know. My dad cracked up a Triumph TR3A that he had just painted in the late 60's coming over those passes when it wasn't supposed to be weather there.

Enjoy LA (smog and too many people) as much as you can.

Greg

You're in LA?

Then when you go north...

TAKE HIGHWAY 1!

Don't question it. Just do it. It will quite possibly be one of the most beautiful drives of your life -- and a FUN drive in a 280Z! And plan to spend a bit of time walking around the Monterrey/Carmel area.

Look on a map, and see where 1 skirts the coastline. It's a very tedious and not too rewarding drive towards LA. It's at its best from Monterrey and Carmel on up to San Francisco. I can't tell you where it makes its transition, though.

There are a lot of cool little towns along the way, some of them right out of the old surfing movies -- except more modern now, of course.

Don't miss a single mile of that stretch of road! Be there!

Oh, and the Muir Woods are a must-see thing too. Absolutely amazing!

Edited November 7, 200915 yr by FastWoman

watch out for the birds in Bodega bay above san fran. They can be nasty little buggers.

TAKE HIGHWAY 1!

Don't question it. Just do it.

Don't miss a single mile of that stretch of road! Be there!

Absolutely amazing!

I agree, don't miss this. I just drove the stretch from San Francisco to Eureka a couple of years ago in a rented 350Z it is a great road road for a sports car,take your time and cruise. I am greatly enjoying your progress reports, keep em coming.

Search out that Drive-Thru Redwood also, as you get into Redwood country. I'll bet your friends and family in flatland America will get a kick out of seeing your Z parked in the opening of that monster.

AND as long as you're going to Oregon anyway, be sure to take in the Oregon coast, possibly the most beautiful drive in America. I did the drive in my '73 Z in '76. Fantastic and lots of cool places to camp. I think Oregon has the BEST state park system going. Enjoy the ride. We are all living vicariously through you.

Cheers, Mike

I wouldn't take any other route. I have been lookin forward to this part of the trip from the start. Weather looks so so. I make sure to take some pics.

I have been seeing the sites in LA. Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, you know the usual. Pretty cool being down here and finally seeing the ocean for the first time in 10 years!!!!!

Spent sometime working on my window today. Found a regulator on craigslist for 30 bucks. I thought it would take forever to put it in. 20 minutes. I couldn't believe it. That regulator was the easiest part to put in yet.

Updates to come

Frankie

Be sure to stop in at Motorsports Auto in Orange. (1139 W. Collins Ave., 1-800-633-6331) Great guys and they put on the best Zcar show the last weekend in April. They are sponsors of this site and I have had nothing but good dealings with them. They can help you with any problems or questions you might have about your Z.

Cheers, Mike

You guys were right. PCH was the only way to go, gorgeus. Big Sur had it all, good winding, twisting roads, with long off ocean views and the tall cliffs. Best drive in America, dare i say. Whoever said i need a better camera was right. The attached photos don't do it justice what so ever. But i think it could only really be appreciated in person.

Enjoy the pics

Frankie

oregon is pretty nice too.

redwood nat'l forest north entrance visitors center, don't miss that.

tillamook oregon, must see the air museum in a huge blimp hangar.

astoria- beautiful seaside town.